Words to Live by...

Thoughts on Season Two of Teen Mom

I'm an avid MTV watcher most of the time... some shows I like and some shows I hate. 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom are two of my favorites! A lot of friends don't personally like the shows because of the promotion of teen pregnancy.... I personally don't agree with that. If I were sixteen or seventeen years old I would still watch this show, and it would be the best form of birth control for me to see what all these young Mom's go through!

Season Two didn't live up to what I loved about Season One... but I did enjoy the season for the most part. Leah is my favorite on the show... she had twin girls and on the finale she and Corey finally got hitched. She is the one that I can relate to most now as a pregnant woman and I hope to be as caring of a Mom as she is for her girls, especially for one of the girls and her medical problems. I hope that everything works out for them!

Kailyn is probably my second favorite Mom on the show... doing what she can to survive as a Mom and dealing with a Dad that has a temper. Jenelle is a little beyotch and my least favorite on the show. Chelsea is just a spoiled girl, but she's a decent Mom when she doesn't let Adam around the baby and into her life!

I don't know what I would have done had this been my situation in high school... getting pregnant and having to juggle that and school and the future. I can't imagine what all these girls go through, but I do know that I respect them for keeping their babies and doing the best they can (except for Jenelle). I hope that one day if I have a daughter that I can talk to her openly about many things, including what it would be like for her if she makes these decisions to have sex before she's truly ready and what can happen if she were to make those decisions.

Three Showers Down... One to Go!

I know that not everyone has the privilege of having more than one baby shower but so far I have been more than blessed with the family and friends that Wesley and I have. I'm so grateful to everyone who has given gifts to our family in honor of our son, who should be arriving sometime in the next eight weeks!

This isn't going to be a very meaningful blog post... but it should get everyone up to date on my life and on Ryan's progress. As of tomorrow I will be 32 weeks along. I have a check up scheduled on Thursday at the OB's office and will hopefully get to hear Ryan's heartbeat. My Doctor says that after this appointment I will be scheduled every two weeks until closer to Ryan's arrival. He should be 3.5-4 pounds right now and I think my belly is getting a little bit bigger with every day that passes. If he keeps growing like he is, my doctor's say that he should be around 8 pounds by the time he's ready to come out. I'm still praying he comes a little early so that I don't have to plan a birthday on Memorial Day weekend every year!

I am still enjoying staying at home - really loving all the time I have to myself because I know that once Ryan gets here that I won't have all that much time to spend on just me. So I am re-reading the Twilight series currently, getting ready for Breaking Dawn to come out in theaters in November... also looking forward to the Water for Elephants movie in late April. I still have a massage to go get, and of course I have one more shower to go...

The family shower is on April 9th. I have family coming in from all over to see me and celebrate the upcoming arrival of Baby Ryan! I'm super excited to see everyone, and some of my closest friends as well. It's going to be a fun day and I look forward to the memories that will be created! We have already been so blessed with the amount of gifts that generous friends have given us, I think that this last shower is the most important to me though because it is my closest friends and family. People that I don't get to see very often are the ones that I look forward to most! My bestie/cousin from DC is the one I am most excited about and she's traveling the farthest! Also, my Aunt and Grandmother are coming in from AL and my Gram and Gramps are coming from North GA.

Moving on to my favorite part of the week.... updates from 3D Pregnancy and the baby's development! It's so exciting to read about the things I am feeling and knowing what could be going on with Ryan inside my belly!! Also this week I will get the papers to pre-register at the hospital for delivery, so excited!!

Although your baby will still remain active, his days of trying out for Cirque du Soleil are nearly over. About this time your baby will settle into the head-down position in preparation for birth. Other fascinating facts:

Both you and baby are putting on some serious weight at this point. You'll probably gain about a pound a week for the next few weeks, with half of that poundage bulking up baby. He'll likely double his weight in the next eight weeks.

Ever wonder what your baby is doing in there these days? He's busy blinking, looking around, grabbing things, making faces, practicing his breathing, peeing and listening to everything around him—pretty much exactly what he'll be doing for the first three months of his life, sans the adoring audience and the flashing camera.

Your baby may (or may not) have a full head of hair now.

By the end of this week, your baby will weigh about 4 pounds and measure over 17 inches long—about the length of a hot pair of above-the-knee boots. Christian Louboutin? Manolo Blahnik? We're thinking Isaac Mizrahi for Target—you've got a nursery to furnish!

Book Release: Dead Reckoning

The next installment of the Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) series comes out on May 3, 2011!! I am so excited for this book... the last one was a lit bland and I think it's because it was leading up to come GREAT things that are to happen in this book! I have already pre-ordered my copy and can't wait to see what Charlaine Harris has in store for my favorite set of humans, vamps, and wolves! (:



Go here to read Chapter One!

5 Tips to Clipping Coupons Like an Expert

Like most of my fellow stay at home Mom's.... I've become accustomed to clipping coupons to save on things that my family needs on a regular basis! I have not become a 'super saver' yet, but I am working on it and tend to save $30-$50 every time I go to the store right now, for me that's a HUGE accomplishment.

I recently read this article and wanted to share these tips with my blog readers and fellow coupon clippers...

We all hear of miracle stories of coupon mavens feeding their families on $10 a week, and although it's impressive, it's not always realistic for the rest of us. If you aren’t able to clip coupons like it’s your job, read some of these tips by Nancy Cook, one of the vice presidents of coupon provider Valpak:

• Decide what you need to buy. Nancy says that she looks "for specific deals on something that I’m going to go specifically buy . . . The coupons very much have to fit into my lifestyle." Don't clip coupons just because you think it's a good deal or it'll be harder to organize. Figure out what you need, and pick coupons based on that.
• Store it. Pick a spot in the house to put your coupons, whether it be a kitchen drawer or a special accordion folder designated to coupons. Don't get overwhelmed with a pile of growing coupons.
• Stick it in your wallet. When Nancy goes shopping, she leaves the coupons in her wallet so that she'll remember to use it. If you leave it in your purse or a in a separate envelope, it might get lost and forgotten among your things so try to stick it in your wallet. You'll be reminded to use it right before you're about to pay for a purchase, which is perfect timing!
• Go online. Before a shopping trip at a store, Nancy goes on the web to scour for coupons from the retail shops. There are plenty of coupon sites like retailmenot.com that have a large directory of coupons to make finding coupons a breeze.
  
• Stay loyal to brands. If you stay loyal to a brand, it will make it easier to follow up with special deals they are having. You will more likely be able to remember what specials are going on and when they end if you have a few key stores that you're following. You'll also probably receive paper mail and email from the stores, which will help you to keep track of sales. Being loyal to a few stores will also cut down on your web search time online.

Movie Review: V for Vendetta

I don't really know why I never saw this movie before. It was released in 2006 and is an adaption of a comic book series of the same name. I have loved all the movies so far that have come from comic books - and this one was no different.

It took me a little while to really understand the plot and what was going on with V and Evey and how their relationship was developing. I also wasn't quite sure about the plot of the story being that it's set in 'the near future' but a future that I could not personally conceive. But by the end of the movie, I found myself on the same side as 'the bad guy' and I was pushing for Evey to send the train to blow up Parliament.

It was a very touching story about how V helped Evey reach a point in her life where she was no longer scared, her fear was surpassed and she was able to have a more open mind to what was going on around her and what V was trying to change.

My favorite quote from the movie was V's introduction monologue to Evey in the alley:

Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox poouli, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition! The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honour to meet you and you may call me V.

I loved Hugo Weaving as V and I have a true love for Natalie Portman as an actress after seeing this movie. She has some true talent and she never ceases to amaze me. I will forever watch every movie she has/will star in. She has yet to truly disappoint me! All in all, I give this movie two thumbs up and recommend it to anyone over the age of 17/18 and can understand the harshness of the plot against British Parliament.

Eat Good for St. Patrick's Day

Reuben Rolls

• 48 Servings
• Prep: 30 min. + chilling

Ingredients

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• 5 flour tortillas (10 inches), room temperature
• 7 packages (2 ounces each) thinly sliced deli corned beef
• 15 thin slices Swiss cheese
• 1 can (14 ounces) sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained

Directions

• In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, mustard and horseradish until blended. Spread a heaping tablespoonful of cream cheese mixture over each tortilla.
• Layer each tortilla with eight slices of corned beef, three slices of cheese, another heaping tablespoonful of cream cheese mixture and 1/2 cup sauerkraut. Roll up tightly. Chill for 1 hour. Cut each roll-up into 1/2-in. slices. Yield: about 8 dozen.

Grasshopper Pie

• 8 Servings
• Prep: 15 min. + chilling

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups cold milk
• 1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix
• 2-3/4 cups whipped topping, divided
• 1 package (4.67 ounces) mint Andes candies, chopped, divided
• 1 chocolate crumb crust (9 inches)
• 1/4 teaspoon mint extract
• 2 drops green food coloring, optional

Directions

• In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Fold in 3/4 cup whipped topping. Fold in 3/4 cup candies. Spoon into crust.
• In another bowl, combine extract and remaining whipped topping; add food coloring if desired. Spread over pudding layer; sprinkle with remaining candies. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or until set. Yield: 8 servings.

Book Review: Travelogue

This is the first book I've read from the author named Thomas Ryerson and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. I was given the book as a gift and after reading a short summary online about it, I decided to go ahead and give it a shot.

The basic summary of the story is this; Tasha and her Mom lose their loved one (Tasha's Dad and Xavier's husband) tragically and mysteriously. Eighteen years later,  an old childhood friend reappears. Her number one question for him is did he have anything to do with her father's disappearance? The past starts to connect the future. As she tries to uncover what happened, Jorge tries to keep things hidden.

The book touches on almost every human emotion possible - the ones that stood out to me were: love, hate, empathy, anger, sadness, happiness, and lust. The book caught my attention right away. I found myself really get interested in the book when the relationship between Tasha and Jorge began to develop. I loved that the mystery of what happened to her father was always hanging over everyone's head. I felt a genuine hurt for Tasha and the childhood described in the book, so difficult and tragic. I don't blame her for wanting to block it all out as a means to move on with her life and survive. The sex scenes were passionate but tasteful.

I really enjoyed this author's writing style. He has a very good sense of how to tell a story and keep the reader interested! 

Nursery Progress after Shower #2!

Here are some new photos!

10 Weeks Left...

I'm starting to get SUPER EXCITED about meeting my baby boy. I say that we have ten weeks left, but no one really knows how long it's going to take. I'm hoping he comes a little early (just a few days) so that his birthday isn't always going to be on Memorial Day weekend.

Last Sunday was my second baby shower... all the wives/ladies of 'the group' came over and celebrated with me! Ryan got all kinds of fun toys, clothes, and bath stuff. It was a fun time and I was glad to get to see everyone! I had a great time and look forward to my other two showers coming up in the next few weeks. I have some new pictures of the nursery... I will share soon!

Also, Wesley and I went to our child birth class last friday night. It was very informative. I learned a lot from the class and from the hospital visit. I can't wait to share Ryan's birth story and I pray that things work out so well for us all!

Here is what 3D Pregnancy has to say about week 30:

Big news for baby's brain this week: It's starting to wrinkle and fold and looks like something that grew in the back of your fridge. This is due to the rapid growth of your little genius's brain cells. Other highlights this week:

Fingernails and toenails are finally finished—causing his or her parents great fear and anguish the first time they try to cut those little daggers (it gets easier, we promise)! Plus, the bone marrow is completely in charge of red-blood-cell production now. Trust us, this is a good thing.

Baby is starting to shed his lanugo—the downy hair that was covering his skin. Now that he's chubbier and better able to regulate his body temp, he doesn't need to sport a fur coat 24/7.

"I spy an umbilical cord and the inside of my mom's uterus!" When your baby is awake, his eyes are now wide open and he's whittling away the hours looking around, checking out his rather dark, limited environs.

Your baby hasn't gained much weight or height this week, as most of his energy's been channeled to the brain. He weighs about 3 pounds and is approximately 15.5 inches long, about the size of London, not the city, Britney Spears' Yorkie terrier. Of course your baby is less hairy and way cuter!

29.5 Weeks... Not Much Longer Now!

Here is what 3D Pregnancy has to say this week:

Having a baby prematurely is frightening, no doubt. But here's a reason to relax: Due to the impressive advancements of medical technology, if your baby is born this week, she'd have a 9 out of 10 chance of survival, which is seriously great news. Other awesome developments:

Baby's brain can now control her breathing and body temperature. She can also cough, and her sucking abilities have been perfected. Look out, boobs!

Your Mini's skin is looking less wrinkled as she packs on the pounds. She's starting to look more like a Pampers model and less like a Depends model. She's now beefing up on the energizing and insulating white fat she'll be born with (unfortunately, white fat is not energizing and insulating for adults!).

And speaking of energy, your little Energizer Bunny is on fire these days. You're sure to feel your share of kicks, punches and elbows, especially when you're lying down. You might want to start keeping a kick chart to monitor your baby's movements, and also to later show your 13-year-old child what you endured for him or her. Ask your doctor how to count kicks and how often you should do it.

This week your baby is a little over 15 inches long—about the length of a loaf of bread—and weighs about 3 pounds, as much as a Macbook Air laptop.

I still can not believe that in about 10.5 weeks or so that Wesley and I will meet our Baby Ryan! I'm so excited and anxious and nervous all at the same time! Now for some updates... I have had one baby shower so far, and I have my second one today, Sunday March 13th. I have my best friends Erica and Marlena to thank for that and I'm so excited. Will share pictures later today.

Other updates: Wesley and I had a childbirth class last friday night. It was very informative... it covered everything from Labor, Epidural, Breathing/Relaxation, Reasons for a C-Section, and other issues women can have in pregnancy... and then we got to tour the maternity and nursery floor of the hospital. I was very happy with the class... I learned a lot and all my questions were answered. I now feel much more prepared to have this baby and that makes me happy. Before this class, I had SO MANY questions... but now that I have those answered, I'm sure at some point I will have more! LOL

I'm glad I have great family and friends. Not much else is going on around here right now... just trying to get a hold on our financial situation (which is stressful), and hoping to have some fencing soon for the dogs, so that once Ryan gets here all I have to do is let them out to go potty and not have to physically walk them.

Well, I better get a move on... got to put up laundry and get a shower before the ladies get here to get my house ready for the party today! Hope to see all my friends soon!

Nursery Progress!

I'm finally getting things together for the nursery... Here are some photos!!





I look forward to getting more things put into the room and figuring out how to organize his closet and dresser! I will post more pics soon after we get the furniture into the room!