Walgreens FYI...Pampers $2.99

Just a quick FYI for my friends out there who use Pampers diapers.  This week at Walgreens the Pampers are on sale for $8.99.  When you buy a pack you get a $2 Register Reward.  I combined that with a coupon from the paper for $2.  There is also an "Infant Care" booklet in the store (I asked for one at the cosmetics counter), that has a $2 Walgreens coupon in it.  Combining all that together makes the packs of Pampers $2.99 each!!!

Just remember that for this to work, you have to buy 1 pack at a time.  If you buy more than 1 in the same transaction the Register Reward will only print once.  Also, don't try to use the Pampers Register Reward towards another pack of Pampers or another Register Reward will not print!

I'm not a huge Pampers fan, but for $2.99 I will ABSOLUTELY use them!!

As for the new budget...so far so good.  I went over about $10 at Wal-Mart one week (I have budgeted $75/wk for groceries).  That was when I was buying all my Growing Kids hangers, safety pins, zip ties, Ziplocs...so I felt pretty okay about that. 

I have stayed right on track with my $15/week at Walgreens.  I did spend $16.?? yesterday, but seeing how I got a lot of stuff including some Mucinex for Evan (we had been to the doctor and he has a sinus infection)  plus 2 packs of diapers, I was okay with that also.

I can say that having cash in an envelope has made me re-think just about every single thing I put in my cart.  I am being SO much more careful about what I buy.  It has been SO good for me!! 

Beau~15 months

Our sweet little baby Beau is not so little anymore:)  You are growing like a weed and learning new tricks EVERYDAY!!

My little Beau, you push me to my limit every single day.  But, you are also so stinkin' sweet.  This are a few things are up to these days...

 ~You are SO independent.  You want to explore and try everything you see.
~You are the smallest of my boys.  You weigh around 22 pounds.

 ~You are wearing a size 3 diaper and size 12-18 month clothes.  I have a whole tub of 18-24 month winter clothes, but you aren't going to get to wear many of them.  Your big brother Evan wore them all at your age:)

 ~You are a great sleeper.  You go to bed around 8:00 and wake up between 6:15-6:45.  You take a nap usually around 11:30 and sleep for 2-3 hours. 

 ~You are learning to eat lots of new things.  You are trying to eat with a fork, but usually you hold it in one hand and eat with the other hand:)  There isn't much of anything we have given you that you didn't eat.  You LOVE anything in a Sonic cup.  You will stand at the counter and BEG for the cup!!!  You drink milk and juice both out of a straw sippy cup.

~You are still nursing 2 or 3 times a day.  Usually just when you go to sleep at night and when you first wake up in the morning.  Those are some of my MOST favorite times with you.  You are still, and let me snuggle you and I LOVE IT!!!

~You have learned to get into every single space in this house.  You can squeeze between the end tables, under the dining room table, and behind your table in your room.  You can climb into the bathtub, onto the kitchen table, piano, dining room table, coffe table, and TV stand.  There is nothing off limits in your eyes:)

~As these pictures show...you LOVE Q-tips.  You stand in the bathroom and beg for them.  I usually give you one because it will keep you out of the drawers for a minute or two.

~You have the sweetest little mischevious grin!  You love to make us laugh!

Here is a picture of the first time you climbed onto the table.  I had NO idea that you could even get up in a chair.  I turned around from the stove and there you were...eating a big handful of cheese:)

~I think you are going to be a dare devil like your brother Evan.  You get on your giraffe, balance your feet on the seat, and stand up with your arms in the air.  Then you look to see if I am watching and start clapping for yourself. 

~The pantry is, hands down, your MOST favorite room in the house.  You get into everything!  This day you pried the lid off the can of popcorn and were having a little snack with Snowy when I found you!

~Another day that you got into the pantry.  I think you would have sat there and eaten that whole can of Pringles if would have let you:)

And the TV table...all I can say is, you make me crazy some days!!!!

~You are saying several words now.  I love it when you start to ramble really fast in gibberish.  You look at us like we should understand exactly what you mean!!  Some words you are saying: mama, dada, bubba, more, thank you, Beau, and please.  Your vocabulary is starting to grow a little.  You are really good at just grunting or saying "booooow" for everything!

~You have finally picked up on one sign language word and that is "more".  You sit in your high chair and sign it over and over when you like something you are eating!!

~Your big brothers still adore you.  They carry you around and you have started reaching out and hugging them all the time!  SO cute!!

It's hard for me to believe that we have completely passed the baby stage of your life.  You are a busy toddler that doesn't stop for a single second during the day.  I am so happy that you are healthy and happy.  I can't wait to see what the next months bring!  You are a blessing and we love you SO much!!!

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is probably my least favorite holiday.  I think it is WAY over-rated.  I feel like it forces you to spend money to "prove" to someone that you love them.  That being said....I also love a great surprise!

On Valentine's morning Evan came in my room with a red rose and 2 cards.  He had asked Travis to take him shopping the day before to buy me something.  He spent his own money and picked out everything himself.  He was so proud and I was SO happy.  Blake is usually the one who thinks ahead and plans, so I was glad to see Evan thinking ahead this time.

The 2nd grade at East Pointe took a field trip on Valentine's Day to see the play Snow White and then to Pizza Warehouse to eat and play.  Travis and I met Evan's class there.  I was glad I got to go, because this year making these field trips has been harder with Beau.

All the kids burned through there tokens in NO time!!

Feeding the ticket machine!

Me and my Valentine!  He played one of those silly "claw" machines and actually won the ball he is holding:)

And, a picture of Ev's Valentine sack before I threw it away...

This post seems all about Ev but I also had a great day with the rest of my Valentine's!  Blake made me a sweet Valentine's note after he realized what Evan had done:)  I didn't make it to Blake's party becuase it was in the afternoon and Beau HAD to take a nap.  But, he brought home a sack full of "stuff" and said it was fun!

Travis and I had agreed not to get each other anything, in hopes that instead we might could go on a date sometime this week.  That didn't happen, but I had have high hopes for next week:)  But, he did order me a jacket that I have been wanting and it was delivered on Valentine's day.  So, it kinda felt like a Valentine's gift:)

All of the boys got sweet gifts from both sets of grandparents.  I didn't take pictures of either, but the big boys LOVE cold hard cash right now and Beau is pretty proud of his Pillow Pet and blue doggy:)

It was a good day and I'm SO very thankful that I have the most amazing husband in the world.  He is truly amazing and  love that I get to celebrate being with him everyday, not just Valentine's Day!!!

Introducing...Georgia Leigh!!!

My sweet niece, baby Georgia Leigh was born today!!! 

She was born at 2:00 and weighed 6 pounds - 12 ounces, and was 19 inches long.

I was SO happy to get to be in the room with Kyle and Amy during labor and delivery.  It pays off sometimes to be a labor and delivery nurse:)

One funny thing to start off the day...Kyle went over to the hand sanitizer dispenser and wasn't paying attention and squirted A LOT into his hand.  It's the foamy kind and I looked up and said "what are you doing" and he said " just rubbing some mousse into my hands".  Ha!  It was really funny!!

 Amy did AMAZING during labor!!  She went in last night for Cytotec and by the time I got there around 7:30 this morning she was already 4cm.  She labored like a champ and didn't take any medicine AT ALL.  No epidural or anything!!  She did SO good!!  (She must take after her SIL, HA HA!).

Miss Georgia made her appearance at 2:00 this afternoon.  Kyle got to deliver her and she came out screaming!!!  She is absolutely beautiful!!

Kyle was immediately in love!!!

 6 pounds 12 ounces

 Kyle's first time to hold his daughter!!

 Group shot with Dr. Bell.  He is SO silly:)

 First photo of the family of 3:)

 She couldn't take her eyes off of Amy!

 The grandmas getting a look...

 Nonnie and her first granddaughter!!!

 Nonnie, Poppy, and Georgia Leigh

 I think Poppy might like her:)

 Cindy, Sara, and Grandma Judy

 Georgia with her Aunt Erin...She LOVES me already!!

 Another perk of working in labor and delivery...I got to give Georgia her first bath and put her first bow in her hair:)  Doesn't she look just beautiful?!

It was such an amazing day.  I'm so glad that Kyle and Amy let me be a part of their day.  It is so weird to be on this side of a birth and not be in "nursing mode".  I just got to do all the fun parts, and leave all the paper work to the real nurse!  I can't wait to spend lots of time with Miss Georgia.  The boys have looked at the pictures of her over and over.  They can't wait to see her either, but they aren't allowed to visit in the hospital.  So, they will have to wait until she gets home.

Tomorrow is Amy's birthday.  What an amazing way to celebrate....with a brand new baby!!  Happy Birthday Mommy Amy!!  We love our Georgia!!  You did great!!!!!

King and Queen of Hearts Ball

Saturday night was the big finale for the Cotillion season...The King and Queen of Hearts Ball.  Blake has continued to really enjoy cotillion and this night was no different:)

He looked SO handsome!!

 Parents were invited to attend, so Travis and I got dressed up to go with him!

 The every popular "Electric Slide".  A fun way to start out the night!

 All the students voted at January's cotillion for the "king" and "queen" for their grade level.  There is also a "court" which is the 1st and 2nd runners up for each grade.  Blake was the 2nd runner up boy for the 5th grade!!!  SO EXCITING!!!  Travis and I knew ahead of time, but Blake had no idea!!!  It was so fun to see Blake recognized for something he did well!!! 

I didn't get a good picture of the king and queen and their "court", but here is a picture of Blake with Blakely, the 2nd runner-up girl.  They were pretty darn cute!!  Lauren Meeker was the 1st runner up girl and Sarah Beth Moore was the QUEEN!!

 Parents were invited to dance with their child, so Blake and I got to dance together.  We were doing the "rhumba".  Interesting!!

 He was so sweet and polite to me.  I really enjoyed getting to dance with him!!

 At one point he said his arm was SO tired.  He had to rest it:)

 The guest speaker for the evening was Tyler Wilson!!  It was really great to hear him talk about his experience in the Greenwood Junior Cotillion and how the things he learned are helping him today!  He was SO sweet to pose for pictures and sign autographs during refreshment time.

 Before refreshments, the students have a "grand march" around the PAC.  Blake escorted Lauren.  (He has a secret crush that may not be so secret anymore:).  The teen leaders made a "bridge" for them to walk under.

 Fun!

 Here are Lauren, Blake, and another girl (I don't know her name) heading to refreshments.

 Me and my sweetie!!!

 My two handsome men!

 I just love this picture.  Blake, Mason, and Dane have become good friends.  They were all so handsome!!

 Miss Queen Sarah Beth and Hadley hanging out with sweet Jasper!!

 I love this picture, too!!  It is all the 5th graders from East Pointe that they made for the yearbook!

 The boys.  This will need to be in their senior yearbook!!!

I just can't say enough about the Junior Cotillion program.  Mary Ann Sandifer does an excellent job of running a program that really teaches good manners and social skills.  I'm thrilled at the progress Blake has made in the past few months!!  He has become much more comfortable around girls, and can even ask them to dance without "dying".  I am very proud of him!!  He is already excited about next year!!