Conversations with Jellybean - Volume 3

Conversations with "The Jellybean"

Jellybean: (kick, kick, poke, poke, flip, headbutt) Mom, mom? Moooom! Mom? MOM!!!

 

Me: What Jellybean?

Jellybean: Gosh Mom! No need to get huffy! I was just trying to get your attention.

Me: Pretty sure that last kung fu move did it buddy! What's up?

Jellybean: What are you doing?


Me: I'm making dinner - you know, food?

Jellybean: What are we having?

Me: One of Mommy's favorite's TACO'S!

Jellybean: I don't think I like Tacos, Mom.


Me: Well you really don't have much of a choice now do you son?


Jellybean: What if I said it'll give us heartburn that keeps us up all night, huh Mom? What then? (Haha! I've got ya there - don't I?)


Me: Jellybean, You've been giving me heartburn for five months now. Nothing will stop me from enjoying Taco night. (Pop! Swallow)


Jellybean: Wait, what was that you just took? Definitely - not a Taco!

Me: Oh just a Zantac, prevents heartburn!

Jellybean: Mom! That's cheating!!! (Stomp. Stomp. Stomp)

Now on to the pregnancy update! (18 weeks to go - wowza!)

How far along are you? 22 weeks

Total weight gain/loss? 15lbs

Wedding rings - on or off? on

How are you feeling generally? It depends on the day - I have good ones and bad. I have noticed I am ready for bed by 8:30 most nights now.

Any stretch marks? I don't think so, I had a few veins that faked me out for a second last night!

Weekly BOOO HOOOO? None really - its been an okay week!

Weekly WHOO HOOO? Spent lots of time with the hubby this week - Love it! Also Jellybean is super active, Joey can even feel him now and we like to watch my stomach jump around!

Are you in all maternity clothes yet? No - I can still wear a lot of my shirts and some of the pants my sister gave me.

What is your favorite maternity shirt like? (color, style, etc) It's a blue and green print one that ties in the front. Makes my bump look super cute!

How much of your feet can you see ? about a 1/4 but if I stand up super straight all I see is boobs!

Who do you think will visit you in the hospital? My parents, My sister, BIL, and their kids, probably Joey's fam and people from work since the hospital is right around the corner from work.


Do you think you will have a short or fast labor? I have no idea! Let's shoot for middle of the road!

Thoughts/comments about hypnobirthing? None - haven't even looked into it.

When (if at all) will you take your birthing classes? Probably in November. I need to look into it!

(Disclaimer - Joey woke me up at 5am so I have every right to not look awake here!)

 And it just wouldn't be Friday without -

1. Did you have a pen pal when you were little (or now)? Where were/are they from?

I had "pen pals" from all over the US - I would go to camp for two weeks every summer and we would all stay in touch by writing letters. Ohio, PA, Michigan, Illinois, etc.

2. If you could do a different job for one day, what would it be?

I would be a writer for Rolling Stone or Blender. That was my dream growing up so I'd like to see what its really like.

3. Do you remember your biggest fear from when you were little?

I don't. I know I was terrified of scary movies and just easily scared of everything. 

4. What do you think is a waste of time? Why?

Oh so many things. Lots of TV shows - since many are mindless. Half the time I spend on the computer. Requiring someone to work 8 hours when they can get the work done in 3 or 4. I'll stop there for now. I think you  hit a hot topic with me!

5. What is the oldest item you have in your closet?

My communion dress - no wait pretty sure my Mom gave me my baptismal gown recently. I doubt it will fit Jellybean but she insisted I have both. I doubt he would appreciate the dress. :)

Apparently I am incapable of consulting a calendar!

First off - LAST DAY TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!!!

Now on to reasons, Diana is an absolute freakin idiot. (Or has massive pregnancy brain and lost her type A personality along the way!) 

So remember that super cool meetup I was going to do? Well it would have helped if I looked at our calendar for the next two months before I planned anything. Let's see, that Sunday I had the meetup planned for? Oh yeah, we have a wedding I already RSVPed for. The Saturday before that - My niece's cheerleading competition and one of my best friends from college will be in town. So scratch that weekend...

Also this month - one Saturday will involve a trip an hour and a half away to do my dad's carotid ultrasound, my other nephew's birthday party, our garage sale, a sister day, finishing up the baby room, and you know maybe relaxing somewhere in there.

November isn't looking much better - we have my birthday,the fair, a visit to the Central Florida Zoo with my parents (I promised my dad this one),  I'm attending this event at the Lowry Park Zoo, there's that whole Thanksgiving thing and who knows what else!

Now I'm starting to see why I have such a hard time actually getting together with friends - I believe that blessedly - our lives are actually pretty full. That doesn't mean that I want to abandon the whole idea of the meetup though. One of the things I am sure we are doing in the next two months is the Long & Scott Farms Corn Maze. If you are from the Central Florida area this event is legendary. I'm sure we are attending because I already bought our tickets. The only unknown variable in this equation is when we will actually be going. I would love some feedback from others so that we can try to schedule the meetup there and I will coerce the hubby to schedule accordingly. SO, what do you think?

PYHO - It's not about the wedding, It's about the marriage!

Make sure to enter my Diaper Bag Giveaway if you haven't yet!

Do you live in Central Florida? Want to meetup? More info here!

Shell over at Things I Can't Say hosts - Pour Your Heart Out. It is a place to just get whatever is weighing on your heart out. Please be kind to all of the posters.

I currently have a bunch of friends who are planning weddings. (Seriously I can think of 5 off the top of my head!)  Most of them are constantly stressed and have been coming to me for advice since weddings are expensive. Like makes you want to crawl in a hole and die expensive.

Joey and I planned our wedding in a month. We were in the middle of a very pricey custody battle for his son and didn’t have a dime to spare. Needless to say – I became an expert on how to pull off a day you’ll never forget without ending up in the poor house. I will say this right away – it is possible to have a classy and elegant wedding without spending a small fortune. It just takes some creativity, help from family and friends and a ton of hard work. In the end I am glad that we did manage to keep our costs down. The last thing you want to do is to start your wedding weighed down with the debt that came with it. Finances are the main thing couples argue about anyway and trust me – the expenses just keep rolling in once you are married. I know couples who have had to declare bankruptcy early in their marriage due to the cost their wedding involved. Cars break, people get speeding tickets, your fridge craps out on you and then you find out you’re pregnant! Also – the first two years of marriage – no matter how long you’ve been together and even if you have already lived together – are HARD! For some reason that one piece of paper makes a HUGE difference in the relationship. Before you are married you tend to allow a bit more selfishness from each other but then it becomes all about compromise and dealing with in-laws, holidays, etc etc. It can be rough sometimes. You probably will think of divorce a few times or why in the world did I get married? So yeah – adding  a wedding you can’t pay off to fulfill your childhood fantasy of what it should be – not a good idea. Honestly – when you are a kid it’s okay to have that fantasy wedding idea because the reality of having to pay for it doesn’t enter into the equation but unless you are loaded or your parents are chances are it ain’t happening without massive credit card usage!

So here are my tips and tricks for having the wedding of your dreams on a shoestring budget –

Invitations - Just print your own and have guests RSVP by email or phone - response cards are a waste of $$. Plus you can streamline the RSVP in a spreadsheet if you get them electronically.

Wedding venue - We were married by Joey's uncle at his church so no cost there. You can use a notary though if that isn’t an option to you and get married in a park, the beach, a friend’s gorgeous backyard. The possibilities are endless!

Dresses - I borrowed my sister's so I paid $100 to get it cleaned/hemmed. You can try that route or check consignment shops, craigslist, etc. I've seen some gorgeous dresses at Goodwill, even some brand new, really well priced. I let my bridesmaids pick their own dresses out, I just specified the color. They found them on clearance at David’s Bridal but no one said they have to come from a Bridal shop or even match. I’ve seen girls who all had the same color but each wore a dress that suited her body and they still looked gorgeous!

 

 Tuxes - We rented from Men's Warehouse and Joey got a discount on his tux since we had everyone rent there. I splurged and ordered Joey’s camo vest and tie for him so that he could throw his country flavor in there! Keep in mind your bridal parties budget too and go basic on the tux. Or let all the guys wear their own black suits and just match the shirt colors to your dresses.

Flower girls/Ring bearers - I made the flower girl baskets myself and bought the pillows at the dollar store I think. My sister found the girl’s dresses online for $20 each.

Gifts for the wedding party - I did jewelry from Claire's for the Bridesmaids and Flower girls and we just got little bottles of cologne for the guys.

Flowers - My mom bought the bouquets and corsages for the mom's. I made the guys boutonnieres myself with carnations. Pick flowers that are in season for the bouquets - you save a bundle! (i.e - mums are great for fall)

Church decorations – We bought some cheap tulle and ribbon to make bows for the pews and bought potted plants to put up front which we let the church keep. I made our unity candle too. Ask friends and family what they may have that could be used. Also don’t be afraid to say no. We turned down a heart shaped arch with lights that someone wanted us to use. It just wasn’t our style!

Reception - We rented a county facility which I think was like $75 for the whole day and included tables and chairs. Look around at what the city/county has to offer. Some don't allow alcohol other’s do! We made some punch and sangria. That was it – no open bar, no bartender. We had soda, ice tea and non alcoholic punch too. We were able to go in the night before to decorate and clean up the next day. Just use sheets for tablecloths - its cheaper then renting. See if anyone has decorations left over from their wedding or another event that can be reused to decorate the reception hall.

Food - We did it potluck style and all of our family chipped in on making meals and appetizers. See if anyone knows how to bake and would be willing to make the cake for you - we had someone make ours for us. Buy the cheapest champagne out there – it’s just a formality - for the toast. We did buffet style for the dinner and used the nice looking disposable plates and flatware.

Photographer - Check with schools if there are any students that would like to do it or on myspace, craigslist, facebook. See if they will just burn it all to CD's and let you print your own prints. I found my photographer on myspace and paid $275 - she stayed until the end and then just gave me all our photos on CD with the rights to print them all.

DJ - I had a friend who was in a band so I asked him to emcee and just burned CD's of all the music we wanted played. If you have friends in a band maybe they would be willing to play for you. Some people can’t afford a wedding gift but will be more than happy to offer their services. Don’t be too proud to accept it!

Keep it fun too - we played tons of games - including musical chairs per my 5 year old nephew's request!

 

 

Remember that no matter how big or small the wedding and the cost involved – It’s just one day and It’s not about the wedding, It’s about the marriage.  No one ever told us our wedding looked cheap or that we should have spent more money on it - I wouldn't change a single thing about it. The marriage on the other hand takes work - every single day! 

Post It Note Tuesday - Sometimes I worry!

Make sure to enter my Diaper Bag Giveaway if you haven't yet! Only 2 days left!!

Do you live in Central Florida? Want to meetup? More info here!

If you are visiting from ICLW - my story is here.

 

 

 

 

 

Friends You Love - Sorta Southern Single Mom @ Single Mom in the South

Make sure to enter my Diaper Bag Giveaway if you haven't yet!

Do you live in Central Florida? Want to meetup? More info here!

If you are visiting from ICLW - my story is here.


This month is about building friendships and making our existing friendships stronger...

We challenge you to dig into your "followers" list and find a follower  you don't know well (someone who doesn't comment regularly) and reach  out to them and ask them to do a guest post on YOUR blog. Link up with  your guest post and have your new friend (guest poster) link up as well!

For the last installment of Friends You Love - I have one of my newest followers - Single Mom in the South. She's a transplant like me but she was lucky enough to live up north longer than I did! Now she's part of the sweet tea, bless your heart, and yes ma'am southern world.

Funnily enough - guess who I'm guest posting for too? Yup - Single Mom in the South - so head on over to read my post there. And enjoy her post below!




My parents still live in the same house in which they lived when they brought me home from the hospital.  Although they didn't know each other until later, they both went to the same high school as I did and as a result, many of my classmates were the children of theirs, some of my teachers had taught them, and some of my teachers had gone to school with my parents.

It was a small town. Although now,with increasing suburban sprawl, it is within commuting distance of a major city, so it's not quite the good ole boy network it used to be.  Growing up like that has it's good and bad points, but it definitely leads to a since of security and a resistance to change... or at least it did for me!

When I got married at age 23, except for a short and disastrous stint at college, I had never lived anywhere but my parents home.  Then, I found myself with a husband who was unhappy with his work, resulting in multiple job changes.   With each new job came a relocation.  Suddenly, the girl who'd never lived anywhere else was moving every two years.  Moving down here was a HUGE deal.  Yes, my sister is here, but I've never lived this far from "home".

It's been interesting, having to learn to make new friends for essentially the first time as an adult.  I still have a large network of friends, many of whom I've known since Kindergarten, but with each move, I've had to make new friends. I will say, that for me, having kids has made it easier.  Kids provide an instant common ground.  In each new place, I seemed to make one or two close friends within a larger group of acquaintances and I kept in touch with one or two from each.  The advent of facebook has allowed me to reconnect with many people  and that's been nice.

But, now that I've lived here Below the Mason Dixon Line for three years, I'm finding out the hard way that maybe those friendships were a little superficial.  When you become tight, fast friends with people and then only live by them for a short time, you never have to show your warts and they never see yours.  Your friendship often isn't put to the test of time and conflict... of learning what a person really stands for and finding out that maybe you don't agree.

I'm in that place now.  Over the last year and a half, the fast friends that I made when I first moved here have waxed and waned... morphed a bit.  I've lost some friendships and gained a few more.  It's a sometimes painful process.  For me, even when I know in my heart that a person isn't someone I truly want to maintain a friendship with, it still smarts when there is a need to move away, either on my part or theirs.

But, in each new place, I get to reinvent myself a bit.  I get a fresh start and now, now I can appreciate the gift of change, of friends, and of warts, whether they match mine or not!

Conversations with Jellybean Volume 2

First things first bloggers!

Have you entered my giveaway yet? What were you waiting for a formal invitation? Here goes - Make sure to enter my Diaper Bag Giveaway if you haven't yet! How was that?

Second - do you live in Central Florida? Want to meetup? More info here!

If you are visiting from ICLW - my story is here.

Now for the second installment of -

Conversations with "The Jellybean"

Jellybean: Hey Mom... (kick, kick, punch, stab)

Me: Ow - where the heck did you find a pencil in there? Anyhow, yes Jellybean?

 Jellybean: Umm..I've got a question...What the heck is that thing?

Me: Oh, that's just Blue - he's our silly puppy!

 Jellybean: Mom - have you seen the size of that thing? He's super scary!

 Me: Trust me buddy - he's not! I mean he snores, farts alot and wants to be snuggled. I think you guys will have so much in common. Look he even has his own teddy bear!

Jellybean: Gee thanks, Mom! Is that supposed to make me feel better? Look at the poor bear. Blue is BITING IT! And there's stuffing coming out of the guy!

Me: Hate to be the one to tell you this buddy - but you'll be biting and drooling all over your bears too!

Jellybean: AS IF MOM! I'm going to be way cooler than those drooly babies! You just wait. 

Me: Sure Jellybean - you'll skip that whole infant stage. Now do you want me to introduce you to Cadillac, mommy's other baby?

 Jellybean: Goodness Mom - what do you feed these things? Nope not ready to meet him yet. I'm going back to my soccer game!

Me: Just lay off the stabbing buddy or you'll be getting some cold wash cloths on that bum in a few months!

On to the Pregnancy Update -

How far along are you? 21 weeks - eeekkk

Total weight gain/loss? Haven't weighed myself this week - guessing 12-14+

Wedding rings - on or off? On

How are you feeling generally? Starting to get a little uncomfortable and noticing I can't do everything like I use to. My desk starts to press against my belly at work or the belly is in the way when I go to squat down. Better get use to it though!

Weekly BOOO HOOOO? The hubby - enough said - right?

Weekly WHOO HOOO? I have a kicking machine in there most nights!

Are you wearing heels or mostly flats? Still a mix of both.

Are you playing the "pregnancy" card? What have you asked for/had someone do for you that you normally wouldn't ask? Wish I could but I'm still chugging along. People at work tend to step in if there's a heavy box or something though.

Do you like your Dr./midwife/doula so far? I love my doctor - he really is great.

Do you have a going home outfit for your baby yet? No but I'm going to start looking soon.

Do you take your prenatals in the morning or at night? At night unless I forget then in the morning.

21 weeks -

And for the best part of Friday -

 

1. If you could speak with a different accent, what would it be (i.e Australian, Scottish)?
Hmm...Maybe South African. I kissed a guy from there once and I'm pretty sure the accent got me. Or maybe it was his eyes. Wait - I went off track there didn't I? :)

2. Can you fall asleep anywhere? (i.e floor, couch, deck)
Nope - I'm a picky sleeper. Everything has to be just right or I can't fall asleep! (Boy oh boy is that making this pregnancy fun!) I can't sleep in the car either which makes our drives to Mississippi a blast since I start the delirious babbling at some point too! I think Joey has learned to tune me out by now. He sure does a grand job of it at home at least!

3. Do you use public restrooms? If so, do you sit on the toilet?
Yes and it depends on where and how badly I have to go. I always wipe it down first and if its super scary - I hover.

4. If you were stuck in an elevator for 24 hours, what celebrity would you most want to be stuck with?
Julia Stiles - She's my girl crush but in that I'd like to be her kind of way.

5. Where did you & your significant other go on your 1st date?
His house - we just rented movies and I think we might have gotten Chik-Fil-A. Our first dinner out we went to an Italian place by my apartment. The food was forgettable and the wine was awful!