It makes me realize I'm going to blink my eyes and be on my deathbed. :b I really hope I get a lot of my "to do before I die" list done before I'm 70. :lol:

OMG you just made me realize... I'm almost 30! D: haha

I think I'll pass on the nasty herbal tea. I have to be able to drink it for it to help. :P Though...I do think Dayquil works for me out of sheer power of will...I do NOT want another dose! lol.

Newborn stuff is tiny. Though now we look at the 6-9 month stuff (and the 12-18 month stuff even) That my mom still has around here and think it's super tiny. I remember looking at the 6-9 month stuff when Kura was born and wondering if it would ever fit her, and now I'm wondering HOW it ever fit her! It does go really really fast.
Luckily today went kinda slow for me. A lot of cuddling, talking and couple time. The kids went to school no problem and my cough is going away. I think I just needed my husband back. Some things are just easier with two people...like...raising kids! It was also kinda odd though. It almost felt like I was cheating on him with him because I've been so used to being alone. While kissing felt right, it also had this "you shouldn't be doing this!" aspect to it, which made it all the more fun. While I don't suggest a 12 week separation from your spouse, should you ever go through one, enjoy the naughty feeling that occurs when you two are reunited.

I'm glad he's back. ^__^ The picture you posted was quite adorable.

Man, I have so much stuff to do (house stuff) before class tonight, and I don't even have my assignments done yet. Eek! Guess it's time to make the baby a buffet for breakfast so I get a good half an hour to clean.

I still have a good amount of Michael's newborn stuff floating around... Currently it is residing in Ellie's room has been since before we knew her gender O_o; Now I don't know what to do with the clothes cause Ellie has more clothes (granted most are the wrong season but were too cute to give to the ARC or sell on consignment) then BOTH boys had combined....

Glad you are enjoying time with your hubby Mellie! <3

YOU'RE almost 30... Not even I'm older then you... by almost a year.... 25 is not almost 30 :P But omg I'm almost 26... I hope this years birthday is better then last years though I SEVERELY doubt it will be... I guess it is good that Ellie wasn't born when I wanted her to be.... She would be in the same boat as me if she was!

I'll be 27 in November. :gonk:

We still have all of Terra's clothes as we don't know if we'll have another.

I gone through the boys clothes several times as I find someone else has a boy. I get rid of things I don't absolutely adore... I've been doing that as well with the stuff that people have given me for Ellie... She has enough onsies that she could wear 5 a day and still probably outgrow them before she wears them all O_O;;

I'll be 26 in January :P it isn't as bad as turning 25 was in my head! LOL

Do you have all you need for her yet or is there still a list?

There is still a list.... Mostly the needs are still needing clothe diapers :/ But our money has been too tight to afford them right now...She has most of what she needs for when she is above 8-9lbs but is lacking in the above 15lbs area and the below 8lbs still... I found a swing for $100 which isn't a need but it is a plug in swing which I've been having more and more difficulties finding... This one is even in a color I like!

I've been given a lot of the clothing she will need I just hope I have enough warmer stuff since EVERYONE I know has had babies in March-July where most of the first year of life is warmer not freezing butt like Ellie's going to be born into.... It is already cooling off significantly the warmest day we've had was 75 which isn't bad this is one of the most temperate parts of the year. But starting next month we can expect snow showers at anytime... And they get worse in November. Though last year we had a very warm winter so I am not entirely sure what to expect....

Winters in Maine are horrible, and I was concerned about Terra being warm enough, too. She was still a newborn when the cold snap hit. I still don't know if sometimes I might have had her too bundled. >_>; Sigh. Does she have fleece-type pajamas?

I want to get you something, so I'll look for cloth diapers. Do you have a specific brand picked out? The websites I frequent often put cloth diapers up for sale, so I could snag a few for 30-50% off. It just depends on brands I guess!

I use OsoCozy unbleached indian prefolds and Thirsties, Bummis and Blueberry covers. I also registered for Prorap classic covers because it is the only cover that has the notch for the belly button, but I don't know how well they work they have a good review at least :P....I cloth diapered Sean for 6 months but a newborn when I started using cloth on him so buying a ton of different sizes is really new to me... What sites do you frequent that have sales like that on clothies...? I see tons of sales on everything else but never clothies... I am hoping that I get some clothies for her baby shower. It is really all she NEEDS at this time. I know my mom won't even glance at her registry but my sister might. I didn't register at regular stores everything is online because of the cloth diapering... :/ so I worry a lot of people won't bother looking at the registries at all :? You don't have to Chi <3 though it would be much appreciated as was Mellie's awesome gifts to her we'll figure out how to make it... We always do!


Ellie is my first cold weather baby so I can't even pull from Sean and Michael's clothes if the need comes about... Sean was born in April heading towards the end of our snowy season... And Mikes well he was born in July most of his baby clothes were just little diaper covers and shirts....

Link me to your registry? Either here or in PM. ^_^

Let's see... I go to:

Mamabargains.com - One hot deal at a time until it sells out- MamaBargains.com - are YOU hooked yet!

Baby Half Off - Boso Buddies Strap Holder

BabySteals.com® ~ Deal of the day on brand name baby clothes, maternity products, baby shower gift ideas and baby presents for new moms.

I see cloth diapers come up at least once a month. Add them on FB too, as they post the sales there. I think Mamabargains does most of the cloth sales! They had some one size fits newborn - 30lbs+ ones recently. I wish I remember the brand. :gonk:

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Oh, and diapers.com sometimes has clothing sales. :yes: Often the Carter's brand will have 30%+ sales. I get occasional emails via their mailing list.

Sent it via PM since I am pretty sure they have my address and full name on there O_O;; I'm pretty open about most information in spurts but not clumped together like that lol... Like telling people my name is Brittany and even my middle or last name included... But not usually linked with other information like address and phone lol...

ANYHOO... Most of what is on my baby registry through amazon is either things we want, or things I put in there so I wouldn't lose them in case we became filthy rich or something O_o; so the dipes there are the more expensive ones... Not necessity dipes they are the kind that don't require prefolds... Or they are the BIG packs of like all the dipes you will need in the first year ish!

On a TOTALLY unrelated note... Dillon and I need some ideas... Because of our money situation we are planning on making most of our Christmas gifts including the boys and Ellie's gifts... We figured each kid gets two bought presents since none of them are terribly in need of clothing right now. And the rest would be made.... I've got some fleece scarves upstairs that I need to trim and sew a hem type thing around the outside of them. Other then that I need some creative ideas! I have gotten my sewing machine up and running though I haven't tried using it yet.... So hit me with any ideas you got... Ellie and Sean I think are going to be the hardest for both of us.

I got the links. Be on the lookout sometime between now and birth! ^__^
Have you used the Breastflow bottles before? We had great luck with those. Those and Nuk.

As for suggestions, I'm stumped on clothes ideas, save for the scarves. I'm not creative enough. ><; If it were adults I'd suggest making potpourri-type bags. Erm, anyway!

For the boys, how about baskets of Christmas sweets in their stockings? If either likes to color, you could print out sheets of cartoon characters and whatnot from online. Maybe do a Google search similar to "free games for kids" and see if there are printouts of anything.

With money being an issue, maybe focus Christmas more on activities you guys can do together as a family than the gifts. Plan out a movie, perhaps get in the kitchen to make cookies or a special dinner. Board games, too!

I'd go with crafty things too. Have them help out with making them etc. It gives you all something to do. But you could check out familyfun magazine and get some ideas from them.

I never really had to do winter clothes for babies. Kura was born in Jan, but in Southern California. So it was like...60 outside at the coldest? lol. Man, I missed the winters here. The twins were born in Southern Northern California ish...and the weather was about the same there. Though more windy? But we went out far less than I did with Kura so that made a difference too. From what I remember with newborns for the winter you put them in one more layer/blanket than what you're wearing. Though it could just be the southern California advice. >.>

That's what we're told, too. One layer more than what we'd wear in any temp. Though summer, Terra's gone in a diaper most days we're home, or sundresses.

Well, If I could run around naked in the summer and not get arrested for it, I totally would. xD And so then the diaper would be one more layer than what I was wearing...

That is what I was told too... My mom always strips more then one layer from my kids >.> she leaves them in their diapers in the winter time <.<;; which angers me... Mikes wore a lot of onesies or simple outfits but he was also my first so he was always dressed. Sean was a little different he wore a lot of just his diaper and a tee shirt or onsie unless we were going out somewhere then he wore a whole outfit... But his diapers were cloth throughout the entire first summer. The second he was in sposies... Cloth dipes seem more... layery lol... then sposies... But then again sposies are plastic pretty much O_o

Chi no I haven't tried the breastflo they weren't around when Sean was a baby... Nuks were but Sean hated Nuk paci's so I figured the bottle was out lol... The best bottles for breastfed babies have short nipples with big outer rings that gradually make it to the nipple. and a very slow flow... Those are suppose to have a cool mechanism that slows it even further then the Ones I have had experience with which are the drop ins :)

The coloring book idea is kinda neat. The boys usually have a huge Christmas (and Michael usually has TWO huge Christmas') plus lots of unneeded gifts from my mom and a few from Dillon's as well... This year is going to be slim pickings for all of us with maybe the exception of Mikes dad... I don't want them to lose the magic of waking up to a big Christmas :/ so I am hoping between Dillon and I and the internet we can come up with enough gifts that it doesn't feel too poor but that also I can start beating into Michael that it isn't about getting the most expensive items but about spending time with family and sharing what we can afford.I've been wanting to pull $5-10 from our account each month to get the boys on track to buying each other Christmas gifts since ALL of their money went to replacing bedding they ripped holes in a couple months back... So both are back to square one. Michael threw a fit when I told him that was what chore money was going to go towards. I want him to see Christmas isn't about HIM it is about giving... Trying to explain the biblical aspect of it still seems like it is beyond him but I will try... Maybe I can find a good nativity story this year to read them... /ramble

LOL, Mellie... xD

Jaz, Terra hated the Nuk pacifiers, too. Breastflow is great, but the bottles need nipple replacements very quickly. Many times one layer would break, thus making the flow way too fast. She'd just glug and then get lazy with the breast for a bit. They need extra gentle cleaning as they break so quickly. Nuk was consistently slow. We used these in particular:

Amazon.com: NUK 3 Pack Orthodontic Silicone BPA Free Nipple Bottle, 5 Ounce, Colors May Vary: Baby

I would get a pack of slow flow nipples, too. I don't know which version comes with slow. Dx

But yeah, we did use both bottles. When we were working on breastfeeding and having to supplement, Nuk was the lifesaver because Breastflow sometimes broke on us and remained inconsistent. When she got older and wasn't going to give the boob up anyway, we went back to Breastflow. The extra mechanism inside is neat, and she had no problems going back and forth between them.

Regarding Christmas, maybe you should start reading them stories now. It may take a bit for them to get into the spirit. It's hard for kids to understand changes like that, which is doubly frustrating for adults. All you can do is do your best, and it will be OK. The more activities you plan and the freebies on the net, the better. I've noticed that Dollar Stores sometimes carry little knickknacks that kids LOVE...

Whoopie cushions, plastic balloon makers (the little rubber glop you put on straws and blow air into to make your own "balloons"), rubbery sticky fling-toys... :lol:

You may be able to get them 5-6 more gifts each going that route, depending on what your budget ends up being. Maybe one solid gift from their wish list and a bunch of small ones if you can find the right knickknacks? What do the boys usually play with?

Depends on the time and the boy... Michael loves legos and transformers he asked for this or the Bumblebee version I think he expects both but I can't afford $100 on each kid this year...

Sean plays with different things by himself then when his brother is around... Michael likes to dominate play when they play together but Sean will play with his duplos or cars or trains when he is alone... We are thinking of replacing some of the Thomas trains we had bought Mikes at the same age that we got rid of earlier in the year because Michael was less then nice with his. Unfortunately Sean's Toby that he got last Christmas was lumped in with all of Michael's :/ that was the gift Michael had gotten him....:/

I will probably start reading stories and such closer to Thanksgiving. Since we are trying to get the boys into the Halloween spirit now :P Sean I think has fully decided to be a ghost I am thinking I may try to make his costume :) and Mikes is going to be Optumis Prime :) If I can get the time I think I am going to be Mother Nature if not I might try to track down my dad's old ghost costume in my mom's Halloween closet. I think Dillon is going to be a Zombie or something that is kind of what it sounds like anyhow!

I really like the drop ins with the latex nipples... They were the closest texture size and flow with Sean but we only found them after Sean had been using latex gerber nipples for like 4 months because that is what the hospital gave him for the first month and the second we used what people had given us which was gerber... I have some glass bottles that are similar to gerber bottles nipple wise but there is a point in time where they get smart enough to know the difference between one or the other so I figured we can use those later in her life.!

Oh yeah, the Dollar Store and Big Lots always have a nice array of cheap knock offs to go with! I found TransfIrmers one year. >.> They made me giggle to no end.

I'd rather not get too many cheap toys my kids break things like that in a day :/ then it feels like a super waste of money...

I wonder if we could scrounge $100 for each kid... or at least a little more then a $100+ for Ellie I still need to buy her a er... granty type thing from the bank O_o; and I'd like to buy her a cabbage patch as well.... I don't think the boys would care about her getting it anyhow they don't pay any attention paper type gifts anyhow so I was thinking of making some craft activities, like precut and putting them into boxes for the kids to open that was my idea from last night.....

I am also going to make Dillon silloette bust pictures of the boys .... Nice sized ones too... And when Ellie gets here I can hopefully make one of her as well though it probably won't be as cute as it would be if I waited until she was older so we'll see... Hopefully tonight I can get the time to do that!

True enough. I think $100 is a bit much per child. I do about $75 for each of mine. But I also use whatever survey money I've racked up to cover extras that I want to get for them as well. There's still time to do stuff up with that Jazzy. :3

Hmm since you don't have a sewing machine you could make no sew fleece blankets? Maybe a tutu for Ellie? I dunno if you have any cheap fabric stores around you but fleece is like $13 per yard here so it might not be a viable option. I made new dog bedding a few months back and I spent $60 on fabric. Yikes!


Hmm, I also saw this precut felt ornament craft on Amazon that was really cute!

Ok so it's really a garland thing, but I figure you could use a piece of ribbon and hang them individually: Amazon.com: Alex Toys It's a Christmas Banner Holiday Craft Kit: Toys & Games


Are the boys still to young to traumatize with socks and underwear for Christmas yet?


EDIT: Woah wait a second there are plug in baby swings? Where did you get it? Sadie had the most ridiculous swing where the batteries needed to be changed every week and it took 4 D batteries.

On Amazon there are only 3 models of it... I like the second two... But the sideways swings do not allow for as big a baby as the ones that go back and forth as far as I've seen... I haven't actually bought a swing yet. My boys both hated their swings.... Really they hated anything that wasn't someones arms. So we put off purchasing it for things we knew we would need, IE crib, bassinet, playpen, baby bath & high chair.

Mellie...I need to get on surveys but with all this running about and well all the nesting I don't spend a whole lot of time on the computer.... Well if I stopped playing the Sims social game I probably would have a lot more free time on the puter but you know >.>

Depends on the boy Panda, Sean gets excited for any clothes but doesn't really need underwear at this point (I tend to get underwear a lot on birthdays as well as Christmas and his frog butt can still fit in most of his training underwear still much less he has other big boy undies as well LOL)... He may need socks though.... Michael doesn't care one way or another he tends to just kind of toss them aside though he got his first pack of boxer briefs for his birthday in July and he LOVED those... So I may pick him up a pack or two of those. He definitely doesn't need socks as of right now though O_o though i do need to seek out his holy socks... >.> yes "holy" not hole-y he acts like they are treasures pieces of his wardrobe if I try to toss holey socks in front of him.... They are both decently well off when it comes to clothes... Sean could use uniform pants but I can't afford to buy him pants that cost $12 a piece right now....

I like the idea of the tutu though O_O; I need to start writing down these idea I am such a pregnant brain lately totally forgot to make Dillon's gift yesterday :/

Now I'm sitting here trying to think of Christmas gifts for Terra. Truthfully we could get her something small and everyone else would spoil her rotten, but that feels wrong. :gonk: