August was my last time to post?! Sigh. This, my friends, is what computer problems does to one who has no idea how to fix said computer problems. We started having difficulty with the internet and slow loading of pages in the fall. So blogging was too difficult to do with all the problems we had. Loading pictures would take hours if not DAYS and seriously, who wants to go through all that frustration?? Not only that, but Blake has grown so much in those ensuing months that it was hard to find the time to sit down and pound out a post when plenty of other things were crying for my attention. But computer is fixed, baby's schedule (and mine) is a bit more predictable and manageable, which means its blogging time!
I definitely need to post some updated pictures since the last time was when he was around 6 months old and he is now almost 10 months...but I want to talk a little bit about what is sparking my interest these days...couponing! I've heard of those Super-Couponing Queens (yes they do deserve the capitalization) that pay pennies or NOTHING for brand name items and how they slash their grocery bill by 30-60% and wondered "how do they do that??" I've tried to look at the weekly sales and compare my coupons that I, painstakingly, clip to see where I can save the most money but it is always overwhelming and time-consuming to sit down and do it. Definitely not something I want to waste my valuable time for if it only saves me .50 cents here and a dollar there. Where's the great savings in that? I had no idea where to start or even knew which internet sites would give me the best tips and tricks of the trade. The terminology of stacking coupons, doubling, and HOW to do it was completely lost on me and just confused me, leaving me sitting on my living room floor with ads and coupons scattered about and me throwing my hands up in disgust. Until...
One of my friends casually mentioned that she had attended a free couponing class at the local library and how she learned so much in how to get started. My eyes just about bugged out of my head as she told me some of the crazy deals this Couponing Queen gets by doing what Couponing Queens do. I was thrilled! "A class where they teach you these things," just what I needed! My friend told me she would keep an eye out for when the next lecture would be held and would inform me of the dates. Score! So, last night was quite possibly one of my most thrilling nights in the most recent months as I had attended my first ever couponing class. My friend, being true to her word, let me know of the upcoming lecture and signed me up. How gracious and kind of her! I expected maybe 20-40 people to be there, imagine my surprise as I walked into a large conference room that had 150-200 attendees! People of all ages, young and old, male and female, new mothers, career women, grandparents, all buzzing with the excitement of learning the secrets of couponing. I met another friend there and slid into the seat next to her, pen and paper in hand ready to take as many notes as I could in learning how to keep money in my pocket.
Facts, pictures, money saved, tips, definitions, getting things for FREE, instant 30-40% savings, brand name items, jaw-droppers, etc... for two hours we sat in our seats mesmerized and amazed at how much money we too! could be saving. When it was over, I looked to my friend and she had the same glassy-eyed stare that I did, we were overwhelmed by all the information but excited to get out there and to do some shopping! What a great class!
So now I have a better grasp on how all this is supposed to go down. I have my internet sites that match up my weekly sales to coupons to tell me the best deals (no work for me!), I have my couponing sites that I can print coupons, and most of all I have the basic knowledge on how to do this. I have what I need to get started! It'll take me a while to get the hang of this, it will definitely be challenging, but also fun.
Since I'm brand-new to this, it'll take me a while to understand it all but when I do I'll try my best to share what I know and to share the amazing deals that I find just like my sister Sunny and her friend are doing. Here's to happy couponing shopping!!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Adventures in eating
These are pictures of Blake's first try with solids. He's eating rice cereal and did really well on his first take with it! This was done on July 4th.
Proud Mommy and Daddy with a messy Blake.
Most of the food ended up on his face instead of in his mouth but that's the fun part!
Yum!
Hey Mikey, he likes it!
Daddy helping out with breakfast.
Proud Mommy and Daddy with a messy Blake.
Most of the food ended up on his face instead of in his mouth but that's the fun part!
Yum!
Hey Mikey, he likes it!
Daddy helping out with breakfast.
I was planning on putting a video here but its taking way too long to upload. Does it have to take ALL DAY?? Seriously! I've seen people use vimeo I'm wondering if that will upload my videos faster than blogger does. Anyone have any suggestions? Its highly irritating.
Mike and Pam's visit
For the fourth of July weekend, we had special visitors in town- Mike and Pam! They came all the way from California to visit with family and this was Mike's first time meeting his nephew. We were excited for Mike to finally meet Blake and to see how they interacted with one another. Mike loves babies and had been looking forward to getting his hands on Blake. We had a wonderful weekend with them and were sad to see them leave.
Blake was fascinated with Mike's goatee (some people have suggested James growing one but that won't happen anytime soon!)
Pam and Grandma did the "pass around" with Blake all weekend
Chillin' in the grass (I wanted James to get a shot of Blake actually on the grass since it was his first time but let's just say my husband is not the greatest photographer.)
Great-cousins, Grant and Giana having fun with Blake. Giana actually held Blake a few times (the first time she met him she was too scared to hold him) but she did comment on how gross his drool was. :)
Blake was upset for some reason when Mike was holding him and this is a shot of his "frowny face".
Looking up at Uncle Mike.
They look good with a baby! ::hint hint::
We were hanging out front and Blake was having fun in his exersaucer.
I love his face here.
Cuddles with Uncle Ghee.
Pam and Blake
Blake was fascinated with Mike's goatee (some people have suggested James growing one but that won't happen anytime soon!)
Pam and Grandma did the "pass around" with Blake all weekend
Chillin' in the grass (I wanted James to get a shot of Blake actually on the grass since it was his first time but let's just say my husband is not the greatest photographer.)
Great-cousins, Grant and Giana having fun with Blake. Giana actually held Blake a few times (the first time she met him she was too scared to hold him) but she did comment on how gross his drool was. :)
Blake was upset for some reason when Mike was holding him and this is a shot of his "frowny face".
Looking up at Uncle Mike.
They look good with a baby! ::hint hint::
We were hanging out front and Blake was having fun in his exersaucer.
I love his face here.
Cuddles with Uncle Ghee.
6 months
I can't believe the title for this post is 6 months. My baby boy is 6 months old! Half of his first year of life is over and it happened in a flash. I know my last updated post on him was when he was 4 months so there is a lot to catch up with! I think I will just post a few pictures with this blog and try to do a bunch of other ones with more pics and video. I got a new camera for my birthday back in July and I LOVE it (Canon powershot SX200IS) but I am still confused on where it uploads onto my computer since it uses a different program than my old camera. So some of my pictures are missing or they don't come out as good of a quality with the old picture program, which makes me mad since this camera takes awesome pictures. Anyway... back to Blake. 
Feeding: A week before he turned 5 months, I started him on solids. He was showing signs that he was ready to eat by being interested in our food and acting hungry after nursing. He also went through a growth spurt and I felt that if he had some additional food, it would help to give him what he needs plus I was just excited to try it! He loves everything he has had which is apples, bananas, pears, peaches, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, green beans, and peas. He has never given a funny reaction to any of the foods he has tried. He just takes a bite and goes for the next one! (All you kids were good eaters!) He has gotten to the point where he opens his mouth just waiting for the next spoonful which I find amusing. In addition to his solids which he eats 3 times a day, he nurses 4 times a day now which is so much easier than a 3 hour time frame. My goal is to nurse him through his first year and the first six months so far have been great. The first 3 months were rough but after we both got the hang of it, it has been so easy and cheap! Probably in the next month or two, we'll introduce the sippy cup for water and juice.
Sleeping: Since we just started his new 4 hour feeding schedule a week ago, its been difficult to figure out his naps. He takes one in the morning and afternoon and sometimes early evening but the length varies. He needs to sleep a little bit more during the day but I think at this point he is so much more aware of his surroundings and very active that its hard for him to stay down for long! He is just raring to go until he gets fussy for lack of sleep. :) But at least nighttime sleep is great. He sleeps 10-12 hours a night and has been doing that since around 4 months old. Thankfully, James and I have rarely had a night where we felt like we were up all night with him. That has happened maybe 4 times since he has been born. As a newborn, he was up twice a night for feedings which is normal and then by 8-10 weeks he was up only once or so. Then he quickly went from 7-8 hours of full sleep to 10-12 hours. So his nighttime sleep is great.
Physically: He now weighs 17 lbs 10 oz and is 26 1/2 inches long (both are in the 53rd percentile). He has been able to roll over from stomach to back since 4 1/2 months and now rolls from back to stomach as well. He is sitting independantly and has even started crawling a bit! At five months he got his knees underneath him and was trying to work it out. He really only succeded in moving backwards but now he can scoot himself forward and turn himself all around. He's not totally on-knees crawling yet but I'm sure its only a matter of time! He is also into grabbing pretty much anything he sees which means boundaries and the word "no" will become commonplace around here. Gone are the days when he used to just lay down peacefully and watch his surroundings. My baby is growing!!
Personality: Its very interesting to see what shows through as his personality. He is not a big "talker" instead he loves to make grunting and growling noises and loves making razzing sounds. He can make a "mmh" sound and when I tell him to try and say "mama", he'll just look up at me and smile as if to say "you're crazy lady!". I love seeing him fully recognize James and me. Whenever he sees James, he gives a great big smile and loves to try and get his attention. He'll make silly faces and duck his head and move all around until James will look over at him. He giggles and gets so excited whenever we go get him from his crib so that makes mornings so much fun to see his smiling little face looking up at us! He also seems to be more of an observer and thinker. He likes watching his surroundings without giving much reaction. You can tell he is processing what is going on. Also when he is tired, he just zones out and gives a blank stare. But when you can get him to smile its the greatest thing as it lights up his whole face and shows off his cute dimple. Obviously I am so in love with my baby boy and could go on and on about him but I'll spare you the pain. :)
More pictures and maybe video to follow. (Hopefully.)
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Florida part 2
On Friday we drove to the east side of Florida to visit New Smyrna Beach and to take a two hour boat ride around the inlet looking for manatees. The water was not in good condition to view manatees that day so we didn't end up seeing any but the ride around the water was really nice.
Blake's first boat ride.
All together now! (I look like I have bug eyes but my cheap sunglasses are just not sitting on my ears correctly. They don't normally look this odd.)
After the boat ride, we were craving some alligator tail! So we went to a restaurant that served 'em.
Chowing down on gator bites. It tastes kinda like chicken...only not. Not my favorite type of meat.
Afterwards we wanted to actually touch the water since this was the Atlantic and not the Gulf so we found a place to park among the hotels and walked down to the beach. This beach was much quieter than Clearwater. Next time, we're coming here to stay!! The water was noticeably cooler than the Gulf. Blake got to actually feel the waves this time as well. He liked dunking his feet in it.
This pic is from the disposable and I can't make it upright but its a cute one of James and Blake. :)
On our last full day in Florida, we had a leisurely breakfast at a dirty old Denny's (love their french toast and omlettes!) , went shopping at Ron Jon's, and hung out at the pool again.
Surf's up dude! We all got t-shirts here. Aah to love the life of a surfer is our dream.
Back at the hotel pool. This time we stayed longer since we went in late afternoon/early evening. blake was in the water several times and finally started giving some reaction. He kicked his legs and smiled while in the water. Everyone kept saying "look at the little baby!" He charmed everyone. :)
Blake did awesome for his first vacation. It was great to spend time together as a family 24/7. We probably won't be going on another vacation until Blake is a little bit older but we had a blast.
Blake's first boat ride.
All together now! (I look like I have bug eyes but my cheap sunglasses are just not sitting on my ears correctly. They don't normally look this odd.)
After the boat ride, we were craving some alligator tail! So we went to a restaurant that served 'em.
Chowing down on gator bites. It tastes kinda like chicken...only not. Not my favorite type of meat.
Afterwards we wanted to actually touch the water since this was the Atlantic and not the Gulf so we found a place to park among the hotels and walked down to the beach. This beach was much quieter than Clearwater. Next time, we're coming here to stay!! The water was noticeably cooler than the Gulf. Blake got to actually feel the waves this time as well. He liked dunking his feet in it.
This pic is from the disposable and I can't make it upright but its a cute one of James and Blake. :)
On our last full day in Florida, we had a leisurely breakfast at a dirty old Denny's (love their french toast and omlettes!) , went shopping at Ron Jon's, and hung out at the pool again.
Surf's up dude! We all got t-shirts here. Aah to love the life of a surfer is our dream.
Back at the hotel pool. This time we stayed longer since we went in late afternoon/early evening. blake was in the water several times and finally started giving some reaction. He kicked his legs and smiled while in the water. Everyone kept saying "look at the little baby!" He charmed everyone. :)
Blake did awesome for his first vacation. It was great to spend time together as a family 24/7. We probably won't be going on another vacation until Blake is a little bit older but we had a blast.
(Sorry if my commentating is a bit boring. I don't feel very interesting today but wanted to finally post something!!!)
Florida part 1
At the end of June we took a family vacation to Orlando, FL. It was Blake's first vacation (and a lot of other ''firsts") and a much needed break from the daily grind of life (moreso for James, not me). We stayed in a timeshare and had a wonderful time although we arrived in the middle of a heat wave, we were able to beat the heat with fun activities and create awesome memories.
Blake's first plane ride
Here's a pic with the lens all fogged up from the humidity.
Blake's first time in the pool!
He was pretty indifferent about being in the pool for the first time. We didn't keep him out too long because of the sun but he at least was in the water for 15 minutes or so. He just quietly observed his surroundings without giving much of a reaction.
Pooped from the experience and the heat!
On our second day there we went to Gatorland, which is basically just an alligator park. They have a few other animals there but the main attraction is the alligators. You can feed them, watch an alligator wrestling show, sit on one, and see them leap out of the air for feeding time. It was a lot of fun but unbearably hot. Good thing there was a lot of shade covering but the humidity just made the sweat roll down your skin and make you feel gross. We stayed for a few hours and then left.
James and a macaw 
Ditto
These are leuistic alligators. They are extremely rare. They are not albinos, their hide is just white instead of black/green and they have bright blue eyes. Albinos have loss of pigmentation, these guys don't. I don't remember the other distinctions but they were pretty interesting to see. You don't see a white alligator everyday!
Feeding the hungry gators below us. Gatorland has about 1700 gators on their property from tiny babies to huge 1000 lb monsters.
Getting ready to watch the alligator-wrestling show.
Our camera started crapping out on us and giving us blurry pictures but the guy had the gator's mouth open and was holding the top of its mouth with his chin. Crazy stuff!
James paid extra to sit on top of an alligator and have his picture taken. It looks like he's wrestling it. I couldn't get a picture since our camera wouldn't have worked and trying to juggle a baby and stroller through a crowd of people isn't easy. So we shelled out the big bucks to pay for the pic that the park takes. I don't have it on here but it did come out nicely!
The next day we went to Clearwater Beach. Its on the Gulf of Mexico and would be Blake's first time in the ocean and experiencing sand. The beaches were beautiful but a bit crowded. We found an empty umbrella to sit underneath and took tunrs going into the water. The water was so warm and really pleasant.
my little jelly fish
Blake got splashed a bit by a big wave that came by and he didn't like that. We only stayed at the beach for a half hour then decided to get something to eat.
Blake is totally zoned out here. So tired!
We had lunch at "Jimmy's Fish House" right on the water. It was so relaxing.
The boys
Blake's first plane ride
When we arrived in Florida, the all-famous humidity hit us and it actually did damage to my camera. I was having some problems with it beforehand but by the end of the trip my camera was busted (humidity and sea water don't help) and we ended up getting a disposable for the last few days.
Here's a pic with the lens all fogged up from the humidity.
Blake's first time in the pool!
He was pretty indifferent about being in the pool for the first time. We didn't keep him out too long because of the sun but he at least was in the water for 15 minutes or so. He just quietly observed his surroundings without giving much of a reaction.
Pooped from the experience and the heat!
On our second day there we went to Gatorland, which is basically just an alligator park. They have a few other animals there but the main attraction is the alligators. You can feed them, watch an alligator wrestling show, sit on one, and see them leap out of the air for feeding time. It was a lot of fun but unbearably hot. Good thing there was a lot of shade covering but the humidity just made the sweat roll down your skin and make you feel gross. We stayed for a few hours and then left.
James and a macaw
Ditto
These are leuistic alligators. They are extremely rare. They are not albinos, their hide is just white instead of black/green and they have bright blue eyes. Albinos have loss of pigmentation, these guys don't. I don't remember the other distinctions but they were pretty interesting to see. You don't see a white alligator everyday!
Feeding the hungry gators below us. Gatorland has about 1700 gators on their property from tiny babies to huge 1000 lb monsters.
Getting ready to watch the alligator-wrestling show.
Our camera started crapping out on us and giving us blurry pictures but the guy had the gator's mouth open and was holding the top of its mouth with his chin. Crazy stuff!
James paid extra to sit on top of an alligator and have his picture taken. It looks like he's wrestling it. I couldn't get a picture since our camera wouldn't have worked and trying to juggle a baby and stroller through a crowd of people isn't easy. So we shelled out the big bucks to pay for the pic that the park takes. I don't have it on here but it did come out nicely!
The next day we went to Clearwater Beach. Its on the Gulf of Mexico and would be Blake's first time in the ocean and experiencing sand. The beaches were beautiful but a bit crowded. We found an empty umbrella to sit underneath and took tunrs going into the water. The water was so warm and really pleasant.
my little jelly fish
Out in the water!
Blake got splashed a bit by a big wave that came by and he didn't like that. We only stayed at the beach for a half hour then decided to get something to eat.
Blake is totally zoned out here. So tired!
We had lunch at "Jimmy's Fish House" right on the water. It was so relaxing.
The boys
The next day we drove out to a winery and had a more low-key day of touring the winery, doing a tasting, then getting some good old bbq. Pulled pork sandwiches and fried okra?! Yes, please!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)