Autumn's Story

Almost a year ago, I started this blog.
Mainly as a way to keep record of our attempts TTC with a little life & humor thrown in.
I had been a regular on one of The Bump boards and while I don't post there much anymore, I made some fabulous friends and gained invaluable information about my body that I had never been taught.

I also met Autumn.

Autumn changed my life.
She may not even know how her story has affected me, how for the rest of my life I will see things differently, I will be thankful for things that are normally unmentioned. How I will compose myself and not ask nosy questions that everyone thinks are okay to ask.
Because I'm changed, I'm informed, but most importantly, I am aware.

Not to say I wasn't aware before, but not to this extent.
It's one of those things that until it happens to you or someone you are close to & you see them experience the heartbreak & confusion, you don't think about.
Sure, you hear stories about people who can't or struggle to have children and the automatic response is "That's so sad" but then you go on about your day.

But what if it was you?
What if it was your sister or best friend?
Would it be so easy to put up that barrier & just not think about it?

Autumn shattered my barrier.
I will never hear those words again and think only "That's so sad."
I will reach out, I will be a friend. I will not ask questions. I will just listen. I will be there.
Autumn taught me those things, and so much more.
This is her story.

My Story by Autumn

There are short stories with surprise endings and long stories with tragic endings.
There are good stories with shocking endings and fair stories and superior endings.
And then there is my story.

In the fall of 2004, I met the man of my dreams.
He was tall with thick dark hair. His eyes were blue like the sky.
His skin was fair and his smile was perfect.

“We would have beautiful babies together!” I told my best friend.

On October 20, 2007, I married that man.

…this is where my story ends, and our story begins…

Matt and I had originally planned to wait 2 years before trying to start a family. I didn’t want to be one of “those” couples who have a wedding and become pregnant all on the same day. I wanted to enjoy my marriage, travel, focus on our home, and then welcome children into the world.

God had a different plan.

At the turn of the New Year (2008), Matt and I decided to stop “not-not trying”. We were going to go full throttle. I began charting my temperatures, eating organics, checking (and charting) my cervical mucus, elevating my hips after intercourse (this was reeeeaaaal sexy, let me tell ya!), and even used Pre-Seed for an added boost. I made sure all my medical history was up to date and made a “pre-conception” appointment with a doctor at the best hospital in the city.

I was ready. I knew it was going to happen. Everything was perfect.

Month 1.… One line…not pregnant

Month 2…. One line…not pregnant

Month 3…. Early period…not pregnant

Month 4…. One line…not pregnant

…….

Month 9…. One line…not pregnant

It wasn’t working. Everything I was doing was failing. I was failing.

I contacted my OBGYN and explained that we had been trying for quite some time and feared that my previous experience with Endometriosis could be causing us problems.

He ordered tests. A lot of tests. Tests for me. Tests for Matt.

On my way to work, about a week later, I received a phone call from an unknown number.

“Hello?” I said.

“Autumn, this is Dr. DeCenzo. I just received the results from all of your tests. Your numbers all look great and it’s not your endometriosis causing the problem.”

“Oh! That’s great! So we’ll just keep trying” I said as I pulled into my parking spot.

“I’m afraid that won’t work. Your husband’s sperm count is extremely low. In fact, he only has about 500,000 sperm that could even contend to do the job.”

My heart stopped. My world stood still. My eyes filled with tears. But I would not let this get me down.

We met with an Urologist a month later. He felt Matt would be a good candidate for a procedure called “varicoseal repair”. He would simply go in, make a few snips, move things around, and wah-lah!

It would take 3 months to know if this had worked.

Month 15…. One line….not pregnant

The Urologist swore Matt would have me “knocked up” in no time.

Month 18….One line….not pregnant

It was time to move forward with a Reproductive Endocrinologist.

We met with Dr. Wakim and instantly knew we loved him. He was old and talked like ‘The Godfather’. He put our needs first and was willing to work with us to do what was financially appropriate.

We found out our IUI’s were covered, but our medicines were not.

God, again, had a plan.

A friend of mine conceived her 3 children with injectables, had overstock, and sold them to us for next to nothing.

IUI 1…natural… one line….not pregnant

IUI 2…clomid…cancelled…not pregnant

IUI 2…injectables…one line…not pregnant

IUI 3….injectable…one line….not pregnant

IUI 4…injectables…early period….not pregnant….or so I thought.

Matt and I met, once again, with Dr. Wakim. This time it was to discuss IVF.

We decided to go ahead and do a “one fresh, one frozen” plan.

Total cost, $12,000 plus the cost of medicine. Grand total $15,000.

God had a different plan.

As Matt and I entered Babies R Us, hopeful that our IVF would work and anxious to start looking at baby items, I received a phone call.

“Autumn, this is Hope from Dr. Wakim’s office. You’re pregnant.”

All I could do was cry and listen.

“Your BETA is 31. That is pretty low, but not unrealistic. We will need to see you again next week for another blood test.”

IUI 4…. Chemical Pregnancy…no longer pregnant.

I was ready to give up.

God wouldn’t let me.

How would we ever afford the IVF and the medication involved?

God knew.

I decided to partner with another couple and donate ½ of my eggs to them. We split the costs right down the middle. This was not an overnight decision and took months to prepare for. I had to answer questions I never even thought about and go through tests I didn’t even know existed.

Jan 1, 2010…. IVF injection 1….no pain no gain.

Everything was going great! I was producing eggs like the hens in a hen house. This was finally going to be it.

On January 15, they collected 21 eggs from my ovaries in a small medical procedure.

I donated 11 and kept 10.

8 out of 10 were mature. 6 out of 8 fertilized. 4 out of 6 were perfect quality.

We decided to transfer 2 embryos and freeze the other two.

The results of the IVF would be revealed on my 28th birthday.

I woke up early that morning (4:00am) and used 2 tests. I was shaking. This was it. I knew it.

IVF 1…. One line….not pregnant

How much more could a woman go through?! Why was this happening to us?! We corrected the problem and yet for some reason I wasn’t made to be a mother?!

God had a different plan.

On April 6, we had our Frozen Embryo Transfer. Two embryos that thawed like a million dollars. They were beautiful. One blastocyst and one 10 cell-grade A.

On April 14th I tested.

FET 1…. Two lines….pregnant.

WE DID IT!! Our dreams were coming true!!

I pee’d on 10 sticks in the following 7 days. Every day the line was darker than the day before.

On April 19th the nurse confirmed the pregnancy.

On April 26th we went for our first ultrasound.

FET1….Pregnant….TWINS!!!!

God had a plan.

There are short stories with surprise endings and long stories with tragic endings…but my story…
my story had a great ending that came only from a great story.

Autumn had a happy ending, but so many others do not.
They go through a lifetime of expensive medical procedures, adoptions that are expensive and sometimes fall through, red tape, & insurance companies that don't care.
All because they want the one thing that comes so easily for so many others.
To be parents.
It's not fair.

We can all help raise awareness about infertility.
We can make it a subject that is okay to talk about.
We can guard our words, & be considerate of the silent struggle that lies behind what the world can see.

We can listen. We can be supportive.
We can be aware.

For more information about Infertility & National Infertility Awareness Week, Click here.

Cloth Diapering from a Not-So-Crunchy Momma!

There is a lot of debate going on in the baby world these days, about Cloth Diapering vs. Disposables.
A popular term for Cloth Diapering momma's?
Crunchy.
If you're anything like me, you're already lost.
What I've figured out so far is that I am about as crunchy as a burnt marshmellow.
My husband? He's somewhere in the Cool-whip category.
However, as crunch-less as we may be, I still feel it necessary to be informed about things like Cloth Diapers, in case we need to know someday in the future.
Luckily for me, one of my favorite blogging mama's has just made the cloth diaper switch herself, & I have been learning all kinds of things from her about them.
She is an absolute treasure trove of information, she's gorgeous, & she has one of the cutest babes evah!
If you don't follow her already, you should...just as soon as you get done reading this post!
So without further adieu, I give you "Mrs. Trophy Wife"!

Cloth Diapering from a Not-So-Crunchy Mama
by Mrs. Trophy Wife & Sullivan

(Pippy Comment: Holy cuteness!)

When I first told my husband I wanted to cloth diaper, he looked at me in disgust and said, "No way! There will be shit stains all in them." So, I dropped the subject.

Then life happened. Sullivan was born, and we quickly realized he was extremely allergic to Pampers. We switched to Huggies only to deal with at least one "blow out" a day and diapers soaked through to his clothes. Fed up and exhausted, I called my husband (over Skype. He's deployed, by the way), and said, "I'm switching over to cloth." I began my research of all things cloth. My Type A OCD personality led me to be overwhelmed by the hundreds upon hundreds of choices. Where the hell do you even start?

So when Pippy asked me to do a guest post on cloth diapering for mamas that aren't sure where to begin, I jumped on the idea. Hopefully, my obsession with cloth diapers will help you make a decision about what's best for you.

1) Making the Decision: If you're environmentally concerned, obviously cloth diapering is the best way to go. Our water bill has not increased since starting, and I line dry anytime it's nice out. Better for the diapers. Better for my wallet. If you're concerned about rashes or chemicals in the disposables, you can't beat cloth diapering. We haven't had a single rash since we started using them. Oh and money? We've spent about $600.00 on cloth diapers and we're set for Sullivan and the next baby or two. You can expect to spend about $1,600 every two years on disposables. Then you add in diaper creams, wipes, garbage services. It really adds up. The initial investment might seem high, but just look at the numbers in the long run. It's also VERY possible to cloth diaper for under $200.00. If you go with Prefolds and Covers, you can easily cloth diaper economically.

2) Starting Out: Start with a trial program. You never know what's going to work best for you and your baby. A good trial will have some of everything. The basics are;

Prefolds-Old school. Have to pin or snappi them in place. Need a cover.
Fitted-Soft and fitted. Requires a cover.
Pockets-Just like it sounds. They have a pocket you can stuff with inserts to make as absorbant as you need.
All-In-Ones-Most babysitter/daddy friendly. Work just a like a disposable. You put them on, take them off, stick them in the laundry. Not necessarily the cheapest.
Hybrids-Have a "Snap-In" insert so that you can re-use the cover.

The trials will let you try whatever you want, send back what you don't, and learn what you like in a cloth diaper. My advice? Don't cloth diaper a newborn if you're not sure if you want to stick with it. I was so overwhelmed as a new mama with my husband deployed, I probably would have given it up if I tried right away. You can start cloth diapering any time. Sullivan wasn't cloth diapered until he was three-months-old.

3) Traveling:
Super easy. Grab yourself a wet bag, stick it in the diaper bag, and you're off. For longer trips, take a pail liner instead so you have extra room. If you get one that's zippered, you can keep smell at bay. Easy peasy, for real.

4) Laundry:
Simple again. Get enough diapers, usually about 24 per child, to do laundry every other day. Cold Rinse, Hot Wash, Cold Rinse and a tiny bit of cloth diaper friendly detergent. Hang to dry, or tumble dry. Whatever works for you.

5) All or nothing:
It doesn't have to be. Don't start cloth diapering by tossing all your disposables and becoming immediately dependent. Ain't gonna work. You can cloth diaper part-time, during the day, during weekends. WHATEVER WORKS FOR YOU! Don't pressure yourself.

6) Enter Giveaways:
If you're looking for a way to cloth diaper cheaply, just do a quick google search and enter some of the hundreds of cloth diaper contests. I've won twenty-six diapers. Seriously. And no, I don't spend my life entering contests. I keep a list of ones I'm interested, check them every day. It takes probably ten minutes and is so worth it.

So, that being said, be sure to check out my "Month of Fluff" on my blog http://www.exploitsofamilitarymama.com if you're looking to win some great diapers. I'm also doing lots of reviews, so you can read about them and enter what interests you. Also, email me with ANY questions at: mrs.trophywife@ymail.com

Finally, enter Pippy's Coddlelife Bottle giveaway! SO cool.

~Mrs. Trophy Wife

Because he's popular...& I love him.

I realized something the other day while looking at my blogger dashboard.
The posts with the most comments are generally about something my dear, sweet, hilariously funny & drop dead sexy husband has done or said.

So because it's obvious y'all like him too, (naturally, I mean who wouldn't?)
I'm going to give all of you a chance to get to know him a little better!
We're going to play a little game called "MR. Pippy's perspective!"
(P.s. I had to tell him it was a game so he would play along..he's uber-competitive.)
(P.s.s. I also told him he would probably win because, well...see above.)

So ask away!
Anything & everything you would like to know about Me, Mr. Pippy, what he thinks, or just whatever!

Oh! & one more thing...if he gets no questions... he'll be crushed.
and sad.
and he may whine a little...because he's a man, & they are like, the world's best whiners.

Don't do that to me... please.
Thanks.

Ready..set..ask!

35 weeks down, 35 days to go!

Well here we are!
The anticipated 35/35.
It is so hard to believe that we are already here, that sometime in the next 5 weeks, we will be meeting our little Pipsqueak.
I can't wait.

I finished putting her dresser & hutch together this morning & am about to start washing clothes & blankets.
I'm trying to get everything organized....but I need your help!

I feel like I'm missing something.
Like there are things that I'm going to need, but I don't have yet.
So if you don't mind, leave me a comment about your important baby necessities.

I realized yesterday that I don't have a bathtub, changing pad or pacifiers yet... (yes I feel dumb admitting that)
I blame the pregnancy hormones....



So anything you can think of, let me know!!!


I do have a Coddlelife bottle though...& by clicking 'here', you might could have one too!

"Hey! We're playing Scrabble! Wanna Play?"

The Hubby and I went to Georgia this weekend.
He was fishing in a Bass tournament and my family had planned a baby shower for Pipsqueak!
We had lots of fun and Pipsqueak is going to be one stylin' little girl!

Anyways, on our way home we were talking about how my little sister (Who just turned 18 & is graduating from highschool... I die) & her boyfriend are going to come visit us this summer.

Our conversation went something like this:

Mr. Pippy: So when are they coming?
Pippy: I don't think they've decided for sure yet, sometime in June or July I think.
Mr. Pippy: And they are the only ones coming?
Pippy: Yep
Mr. Pippy: Mmmmhmmm
Pippy: Wait, what does that mean?
Mr Pippy: ::Gives me *that* look::
Pippy: ::Horrified:: OMG don't even think that!
Mr. Pippy: I'm just sayin'...
Pippy: ::says nothing::
Mr Pippy: I mean we do have those baby monitors...we could easily sneak one in the guest bedroom.
Pippy: And just what exactly would you do if you heard something?
Mr. Pippy: I'd go bang on the door and say "HEY Y'ALL! We're playing scrabble! Wanna Play??"
Pippy: ::dies::



P.S. If you haven't entered my Coddlelife Bottle Giveaway, you should "click here" & do it now!

What I'm doing...& what you should be.

Personally, I'm chill-axing on my grandparents couch, about to walk down to the dock & get a little sun on my pasty white self.

While I would LOVE for all of y'all to be here hanging out with me, I know that's probably not possible.
So, be with me in spirit...& go sign up for my Coddlelife giveaway by clicking "here".

Seriously, pregnant or not, mommy or not, everybody knows somebody who has a baby, & who doesn't like free stuff??

So what are you waiting on?
Go sign up...like now!

Have a fantastic weekend lovelies!!!

Because everyone wants to be a winner! {Coddlelife giveaway!!}

I have BIG news for y'all today!
As I have been preparing for Pipsqueak, I have read thousands of reviews on thousands of products trying to decide which items I should have ready in my arsenal.
And I'm gonna be honest, Sometimes, just browsing can be totally overwhelming.
Like bottles for instance, there's so many! How on earth do you decide which ones to get?

So I turned to my blog friends for help & they introduced me to a bottle that I can't wait to try when Pipsqueak gets here.


This is the Coddlelife Polypropylene Bottle with Peristalic nipple.
I know what you're thinking, "Say what? Can I get that in English please?"

Let me break it down for you:

• Extra stretchy peristaltic nipple elongates and is molded to fit the inside of the baby's mouth.
• The nipple is designed to be longer which ensure the baby's lips flange widely & enable wide open latch which prevent nipple confusions.
• New advanced one-piece venting system helps to reduce colic, spit-up and ear infection. It is easy to use with no extra parts to wash.
• Microwave, sterilizer, and dishwasher safe.

If you're anything like me, you're probably still thinking something along the lines of "Yeah, that's all well and good, but how do I know it's going to work? Can it really help with Colic? I want to talk to somebody who's actually used these things.."

I didn't have to look very far.
2 of my favorite mommy bloggers were ready & willing to sing Coddlelife's praises!

"Hands-down, the best part of the bottles is the nipple technology. So many mothers recommend Dr. Brown's bottles because of the venting system. Which is fine & dandy but Dr. Brown's has SEVEN PARTS. If you run your dishwasher often, that may not be such a huge deal, but if you hand was like we do...that is SEVEN parts. With at least eight bottles per day. You do the math. Coddlelife? From what I understand, it has basically the same idea as Dr. Brown's where air does not mix with fluid. Sucking pulls only fluid while tubing-bits spits the air out the back. With only TWO parts. Nipple & bottle, same as the bottles we were using before."

~ Blair @ "The Heir to Blair" (<- click here to read Blair's entire Coddlelife review)

"After using several brands of baby bottles, I have found that Coddlelife works best! It keeps my little boy from swallowing too much air and mimicks the breastfeeding motion so he has no problems switching between nursing and taking a bottle. Because our family has had such a great experience with these bottles, we have stopped using other brands and now exclusively use Coddlelife!"

~Alyssa @ "Adventures of a stay at home mom!"(<- Click here to read Alyssa's Coddlelife reveiws)

Now for the really exciting part....

The amazing folks over at Coddlelife have graciously given me the opportunity to pass one of these fantastic bottles on to one of YOU!
How cool is that?

There's gonna be TONS of ways to enter this one... so your chances of winning are pretty awesome.

Here goes:
Mandatory Entry: Be a follower of my blog. (1 entry)

Additional Entries:

1. Leave a comment about something neat you learned on the Coddlelife website. (1 entry)
2. Follow me on Twitter @pippy1208 (1 entry)
3. Follow Coddlelife on Twitter @coddlelife (1 entry)
4. Become a Coddlelife fan on Facebook (1 entry)
5. Tweet this -> "I just entered @pippy1208 's @coddlelife bottle giveaway! You should too! http://tinyurl.com/2e4mwh5" (1 entry, max. 3x's a day)
6. Put my button on your blog! (1 entry)
7. Vote for me on Top Mommy blogs (1 entry, max 3x's a day.)

You have to leave a seperate comment for each entry for them to count.

That's a total of 8 entries!! Plus the ones you can do more than once!
That's pretty good odds if I do say so myself!

The winner will be chose using random .org on Monday, May 3rd!!
*Open to US residents only*

Clouds & Silver Linings

Today has been one of those days.
You know the kind I'm talking about?
The ones where you just want a do-over, or to sleep through the rest of it & have someone wake you up tomorrow.

In the midst of it all though, I have been trying to find the positives in every bad situation.
Here's my list of clouds & silver linings so far.

1.) I'm repainting a chest of drawers for Pipsqueak's nursery & wanted to change out the pull knobs.

Cloud: It's old & apparently you can't buy new hardware for it. The standard is 3" now, & this is 2".
Silver Lining: I found hammered metallic silver spray paint & I'm going to attempt to paint the old ones. So instead of $45 on knobs, I spent $7 for paint.

2.) My iPhone woke up & decided to only let me hear people talking if I have it on speaker phone.

Cloud: I've had it 8 days over the warranty. 8!! I can pay apple to fix it or buy a new one.
Silver Lining: For about $50 more, I can upgrade to the one that has video recording capabilities. Which would be nice when pipsqueak gets here.

3.) I ordered some nursery furniture & bedding for the guest and master bedrooms using Walmart's Site-to-store shipping.

Cloud: The lost the master bedding, and instead of just getting me another one, They are refunding my money & I have to order it again.
Silver lining: That's all they lost. All the Nursery furniture has been delivered. So as far as things getting lost, that was the least important thing.

4.) We are going to Georgia for the weekend & I did some laundry last night.

Cloud: Somehow I didn't notice a red shirt that got thrown in my husband's hamper. It bled on not 1...but 2! pairs of his khaki shorts.
Silver lining: Okay I've got nothing for this one. It just sucks.

5.) As I was folding clothes, My dog came to keep me company.

Cloud: He actually wasn't trying to keep me company, he didn't feel good & wanted his mom.
He puked.
Silver Lining: He puked in the garbage can I sat in front of him. Yeah, we've done this a time or two. His name isn't "Hurley" for nothing...

Aaaaand it's only lunchtime.
Awesome.

34 Weeks

Where has the time gone?
We only have 6 weeks left...at the maximum.
Craziness.

I'm not ready for her to be here...yet I am at the same time.
I still have sooo much to do, but I want to hold her & watch my husband hold her.

There are a few other silly little things that I'm ready for too.
Like being able to lay on my right side.
Actually wanting my husband to come to bed at the same time that I do, instead of giving me a while to get comfy and go to sleep.
Being able to tie my tennis shoes.
Being able to get up in my husbands truck.
Walking quickly.
Normal jeans.
Cute clothes.

But I know I'm going to miss this.
I love feeling her kick & move around.
I love how close I feel to her right now.

It's tough.
Wanting your baby to be here & your body back, but not wanting to wish away this precious time.

So for now, even when I'm uncomfortable & feel like dragons are dueling in my esophagus, I'm going to enjoy each day.
Because it's not going to be like this for long, & I'm gonna miss this.

The leading "Diaper Bag Dilemma" Contender

So I read all of your comments and suggestions for the my diaper bag dilemma.
You guys really were a big help. Thank you for all of your suggestions!
It seems that we have lots of "Petunia Pickle Bottom" fans out there.
However, I'm going to risk losing even more of you by saying that while I love a lot of their bag designs, the fabrics really aren't me.
I'm just not sure I could pull them off personally. You know what I mean?

Enter this little beauty.


LOVE.
This, my friends, is a "JP Lizzy Classic Diaper Tote in Mocha Mint".

I love it's classic look with fresh pink & green stripes.
& That polka dot bow?? I die.

It looks feminine without screaming "PINK" which is a very common problem I'm finding in all things baby girl.
The hubs would totally pick this up and carry it without feeling "too" much like he was carrying a purse or pink glittery butterflies were attacking him.
It comes with all of the things pictured above, Diaper bag, changing pag, cosmetic bag and wristlet.

There are 2 adjustable bottle pockets inside, along with several of other pockets, it's made out of a "wipe-able" microfiber fabric with a wipe-able interior liner.
AND
It converts with stroller straps, where you can just hook it on & go.

So after days of deliberating, I think this is probably the one.
Now if I could somehow figure out how to get them "Buy one get one free" so I could this one too...



Well then I would just be in heaven.

Baby Shower Day!

Today is Pipsqueak's baby shower!
I am really excited and can't wait to show you the pictures next week.
My very talented mother asked my friend who is hosting the shower if there was anything she could do to help and she made the invitations!
They are super cute!
She asked me what I wanted them to look like but I had no idea that they would turn out so good, but I should have because my momma is uber-talented.

Wanna See?



That flower is 3-d! She made it using several different sized punch outs and different shade of pink cardstock.
It kind of hangs off the side of the invitation.
I am in love with them.

I hope everyone has a fabulous saturday!!!

Sit, Stand, Sip, Repeat

That's what my morning has consisted of.
I woke up about 6:45 this morning and almost immediately felt like I has having a Braxton Hicks contraction......except it hurt. Like alot.

A few minutes later...
it happened again.

So I sent the hubby to the kitchen for a glass of water. I drank about half of it & decided to get up and try to walk around, usually that makes the braxton hicks go away.

Not today.

So after about an hour and a half of this I called my Dr, I told them what everything felt like and I was told to drink some more water and lay on my side for 30 minutes. If they felt like they were intensifying, I should come in.
So my day has consisted of laying down, standing up, sitting down and drinking lots of water.

Oh! & did I mention that my entire family is on their way to visit for the weekend?
Yeah.
So my floor is being cleaned in 5ft by 5ft sections.

Fun times.

Diaper Bag Dilemma

I really should have seen this coming.
But no. I have been cruising along, blissfully unaware of the upcoming decisions that are going to have to be made.
I have a Diaper Bag Dilemma.
As in, I haven't picked any out that I like.

And here's where I should have seen it coming....
(and probably where I lose some readers...please don't hate me.)

I don't like purses.

I have owned 3 my entire adult life.
I used the same one all 4 years of high school.
I don't like carrying them.
I leave them everywhere.
I have literally had my purse mailed to me from different states.
(yes, that's plural because it has unfortunately happened more than once.)

So here I am, 33 weeks pregnant and all of a sudden I realize that even though I have said things like
"Oh, this will be handy to keep in the diaper bag."
The bag in question...has yet to be found...because I wasn't looking.

I did manage to fine one that I thought was cute.


It obviously won't say "Hunter" cause that isn't Pipsqueak's name, but you get the idea.

And here is the point where I come to you begging for help.
If you could find it in your dear, sweet hearts to resist the urge to stone me, run away screaming and de-follow me for not liking purses, just long enough to suggest some cute diaper bags, I will be eternally grateful.

Just think, you're saving me from being the chick that throws all my baby stuff in a plastic grocery bag.

And we all know that plastic grocery bags are bad, so by helping me, you're helping the enviroment!

It's a win-win.

Please?

P.S. I love shoes....if that makes you feel any better.

Anybody want a Free Kindle??

I bet you do!
I know that I have wanted one forever.
I also bet that you might not know that if you have a iPhone, blackberry, PC or Mac, you can get Kindle for free!

I know, it's hard to believe but it's true!
All you have to do is download the software and whatever device you happen to have becomes your own personal Kindle & it's totally free!

If you have an iphone - go to the App store and search for Kindle. It will be a free App.

If you have a blackberry - Same deal. It should be free, I don't have a blackberry so I'm not sure how it works.

If you have a PC - You can click right 'Here'.

If you have a Mac - Click 'here' please!

Amazon also has a new selection of Free Kindle books every week!
Isn't that pretty stinkin' cool?

I downloaded this one this morning!



"A Promise to Remember" by Kathryn Cushman

I'm thinking that this is going to be pretty handy during all those late night feedings!

A little bit of everything.

If you remember, I was too absorbed with Banana Popsicles to think about my "7 quick takes" on Friday.
But the snowcone place is now OPEN, so that shouldn't be an issue anymore.

Anyways, It's going to be "6 Totally Random Things Monday" instead.

1. It's my little sister's 18th Birthday today!!

She doesn't read my blog so I can tell you guys that I'm a rockin' older sister and got her a gift certificate to a spa.
I know, I'm a shoo-in for Sister-of-the-year.
I may or may not be hoping that she remembers this when it's my birthday in about 3 months.
Just kiddin'....kinda.

2. We had our Maternity Pictures taken on Saturday morning and I am so stinkin' excited to see them! He said he should have them ready by then end of the week! I can't wait.

3. I slept like crap last night. I was seriously happy to see the sun come up, because it meant that I was getting closer to tonight when I can try again. Pipsqueak kicked, and punched and rolled and basically pummeled all of my insides last night and left me feeling like somebody beat me with a baseball bat. I know she's just growing and trying to make herself some more room, but my goodness. It hurts.

4. If you have an Iphone, you need to download "Words with Friends". It's free, it's like Scrabble and you can play with me. I'm addicted to it. It's my new favorite game. So as soon as you get it, send me a game request! My username is Pippy08

5. I saw something totally bizarre the other day.
Meet Pepper the Pig.

Pepper is a "Pacimal".
Yep, that is a pacifier sewn to the top of Pepper's head.
So here's my question.
With all the "Orthodontist approved, good for baby's developing teeth, etc." stuff that is going on in the Pacifier industry. Who thought that putting weight on the end of a pacifier was a good idea?
Maybe I'm wrong, It just seems like a good way to end up with this.


Edited to add: This is one of the reasons I love blogging. Not long after I posted this, one of my regular readers posted a comment about the Pacimals. She said they were a lifesaver in the NICU. I never even thought of that. I can see where in certain circumstances, these little animals would come in handy. I was just thinking about older babies.
I learn something new everyday from you guys! Thanks Nursekj!

6. A lot of you may know that I'm a member of "Southern Mommas". It is a great group of women and you should totally check it out if you haven't already. They recently hosted a Storkie giveaway and I won!
If you have never been to the Storkie website, you really should! They do all kinds of wedding invitations, shower invitations and baby announcements! They have TONS of designs to choose from, I have no idea how I'm going to pick.
Also, Join Southern Mommas! You won't regret it!
*That's just the name of the group, being pregnant or having kids is not a requirement!*

Not quite 7 quick takes...

So It's supposed to be "7 Quick Takes Friday", except my brain didn't get the memo.
Probably because all I can think about are these...


Yes, those are banana popsicles. Don't judge.
The Snow-cone place isn't open yet, and I swear, these things were absolutely calling to me from the frozen food section of the grocery store.
I have never in my life been so tempted to open something and eat it while walking around the store.
It was SO weird!

Like, these guys were on the handle of the cart.
They were arguing back and forth about the pro's and con's of eating popsicles in the store before purchasing them.

Angel: Pip, you should wait. It would be really klassy to eat a popsicle in the store.

Devil: But it would be soooo good, nobody is going to give you any crap, and if they do, I'll call my friend "Pregnant hormones" to deal with them.

Angel: Right, because we all need that crazy person running around. Do you not remember last time "your friend" came out to play? It was not pretty.

Needless to say, I didn't not eat a popsicle in the store.
I waited until I was safely in the car.

Sometimes you have to wonder..

Do you ever find yourself looking at someone and thinking,
"Seriously? What ARE you thinking? What on earth made you think THAT was a good idea?"

It might be something that they are wearing, something they are doing, it could be anything really.

Long story short, I don't have the best relationship with my biological father. He was absent for all intensive purposes the entire time I was growing up and that remains the same. I will get the occasional "Happy Birthday" or "Merry Christmas" text message but that's really the extent of our relationship.
When I was younger though, He would come and get me for a weekend every couple months and I cannot even count the number of times I have looked at him and asked myself those questions.

One time in particular will forever be burned into my brain. It is something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life, it affected me that strongly.

I'm not 100% sure how old I was, but somewhere around the tender age of 5, in an attempt to spend some 'quality' father/daughter time, he decided that we should watch one of his favorite movies......

Arachnaphobia

I only wish I was kidding.
I mean, really? All the movies in the world and he picks that one?

Do you have any idea what seeing thousands of killer spiders coming out of a shower faucet and onto some poor woman's head does to a 5 year old girl?

I wouldn't shower for a month! Baths only, and I wouldn't get in until the faucet was turned off.

To this day, I have a crazy fear of spiders. I hate them, with a passion.
Like crawl up on a chair and squeal like a little girl, fear of them.


Not very long ago, I was sitting at my computer desk when I saw something move across the floor out of the corner of my eye. I glanced that way and of course, there he was. My ultimate fear and the hubby was not home.

So here's my dilemma.
He's stopped, in the middle of the living room floor. Staring at me.
I know he was trying to figure out how he could kill me, he's been chasing me since I was 5 after all.
Here's what I also know, If I scream and he runs off. Then he is loose. IN MY HOUSE. To come after me while I sleep, but let's face it, he would have had to wait a couple days cause there was no way I would be sleeping knowing that a tarantula was crawling around.

So I roll up a magazine, ready to attack and save myself, when I think, "What if I miss?"

That's when I realize that I have to be a little more pro-active, I have to ensure that he will not come after me, even if I miss.
I quickly glanced around and saw my gardening supplies by the front door. Insect killer! In a spray bottle, no less.

So I snuck over, grabbed the bottle and then doused him in it...

while standing on top of the couch, of course.

Pipsqueak says....

"Y'all are all crazy. I'm growing just fine and have plenty of fluid in here. Now quit poking me with that ultrasound wand."

My goodness, someone was sassy this morning.
She was making some serious waves in there while we were trying to get a good look at her.
The Ultrasound tech was shocked and very humored by how much you could see her move from the outside.
I swear, sometimes it looks like she is just gonna bust right out.
Anyways...

The growth scan showed nothing but good things, and the Dr said that we had a perfectly fine, healthy, growing baby, who was not even one day behind where she should be.
So the only person measuring small around here is me, which is an awesome blessing.

Thank you all so much for all the comments, support and e-mails you sent yesterday.
Sometimes it's too easy to worry about all of the 'what-if's', but you guys made me feel so much better.

I am so incredibly thankful for each and every one of you & proud to call you my friends!

Bunny Hop Swap Link Up Party!

The time has come to show off your goodies!!!

Just post a picture or description of what you received on your blog and then enter your name and the link to that post, in the box below.
*I'm not sure why Mr. Linky has entered in my name and blog link in the boxes, but just remove them and replace with your own : )*



I can't wait to see all of your spring stuff and I hope that each of you had as much fun participating in this swap as I did.

Thank you so much for playing along!

32 Week Update & Prayer Request.

If you don't mind, pray for me and Pipsqueak tonight.

We went for our 32 week appointment today and the Dr was just a little concerned.
Nothing major, but I'm measuring a little on the small side, so he scheduled a growth scan ultrasound for tomorrow morning.

He said it could be a couple things, none of which were cause for alarm, but still.

1. She could just be a small baby. Which is totally possible because I was less than 5 & 1/2 lbs at birth and the hubby was not quite 6lbs. So genetically speaking, we may just make smaller babies.

2. I could be leaking some amniotic fluid. Which still isn't a huge deal, but a bigger deal than just her being small.
They will measure the fluid level at the growth scan tomorrow and assess whether or not that is the issue.
If it is, then depending on how much fluid is there, I'll be put on modified bed rest, they will check the level frequently and Pipsqueak may need to be delivered a few weeks early.

He said more than likely, she's just small, but by doing the growth scan he will have a basis to measure her growth by over the next few weeks. At 37 weeks, he will probably do another scan and assess whether she would thrive and grow better by staying inside, or if she would be better off outside.

Afterwards I called my mom to give her the update, and she gave me both good and bad news. The good news was they did & thought the exact same thing when she was pregnant with me. I was just small, but they did all the growth scans and debated whether or not I would thrive better as an outside baby.

The bad news was that she leaked fluid with my sister. So they put her on bed rest, monitored her fluid and eventually delivered her 6 weeks early.

LOL, she was a big help wasn't she?

Oh! & he put me on antibiotics because they found a small trace of bacteria and I got my first stretch mark.
I'm falling apart people!

But stretch marks aside. More than anything I'm just a little worried about my little girl today. I'm sure it's probably nothing to be concerned about yet, but anytime the Dr. is even the slightest bit concerned, it's hard not to worry.
It makes you feel like maybe you've done something wrong, or maybe there was something that you could have or should have done differently.
Maybe my body isn't giving her everything she needs and that makes you feel like you're failing somehow.
I don't know.

I guess we'll find out tomorrow.
So if you don't mind, just keep us in your thoughts and prayers tonight.
Thanks.

Weekend Recap!

I hope all of you had a wonderful relaxing weekend.
Mine was absolutely glorious.
Friday I rode along with my BFF to go pick something up for her husband and the town it was in just happened to have a Carter's factory outlet!
So needless to say, I got a cute little outfit & bib for the Pipsqueak.
After we got back we went through her daughter's baby clothes and she's letting me borrow all kinds of clothes, plus some other really great baby necessities.

I went to dinner with my husband Friday night, he was really busy last week so it was the first time we had eaten a meal together since Tuesday. Weekends are always my favorite, because we get to spend so much time together.

Saturday morning we slept in and then I got up and made some cinnamon rolls. They were awesome. The babe & I may or may not have had 2.....a piece.

We registered a cute little shop here in town for some baby items, and spent the afternoon cleaning the boat, getting it ready for the water!!

Afterwards we went to dinner and then to the 10th Avenue North & Casting Crowns concert with our best friends and several other couples from our church. It was awesome!

Pipsqueak was making me a little uncomfortable though, for some reason on Saturday, we had a little 1st Trimester flashback...and here I thought the puking was over with! So far it has only been Saturday, but I've felt kinda nauseous ever since.

On Sunday, we went to church and then lunch at the in-laws. After lunch, the hubby and I hooked up to the boat and put it in the water! We went for the very first pontoon ride of the season and now it's docked at the marina!
Spring is officially here and Summer is closer than ever.

That makes me sooooo happy!

How did you spend your Easter weekend? I hope you all had a fantastic time enjoying the beautiful spring weather and time with your families!

Don't forget, we're having our "Bunny Hop Swap" link up party here on Wednesday! I'm so excited to see what all of you sent out and received. It's gonna be great!

Love is Here

Love is Here: by 10th Avenue North

Come to the waters, you who thirst and you'll thirst no more.
Come to the father, you who work and you'll work no more.
And all you who labor in vain and to the broken and shamed:

Love is here.
Love is now.
Love is pouring from
His hands, from his brows.
Love is near, it satisfies.
Streams of mercy flowing from his side.
Cuz love is here.

Come to the treasure, you who search and you'll search no more.
Come to the lover you who want and you'll want no more, no.
And all you who labor in vain and to the broken and shamed,

Yeah:

Love is here.
Love is now.
Love is pouring from his hands, from his brows.
Love is near, it satisfies.
Streams of mercy flowing from his side.

Yeah

And to the bruised and fallen,
Captives, bound, and broken hearted.

He is the lord
He is the lord,
Yeah

By his stripes he's paid our ransom
From his wounds we drink salvation

He is the lord
He is the lord

Love is here.
Love is now.
Love is pouring from his hands, from his brows.
Love is near,
It satisfies.
Streams of mercy flowing from his side.
Streams of mercy flowing from his side.
Cuz love is here
Love is here.


Happy Easter Everyone!
I hope you all have a wonderful day with your families and may we all remember the true reason that we celebrate this day!

Whatchu' talking 'bout?

Calling all bloggers:

I'm looking for some guest posters!
Would any of you be interested in writing a post for "Pippy's Perspective?"
The topic can be totally up to you, whatever you want to write about!
I've been toying around with the idea of having a featured blogger day several times a month. Wouldn't that be kinda fun?

If you're interested, leave a comment here with your e-mail address & we'll get in touch!

No joke...

The only thing that could have made this day any better than it already was, would be this...



Not the cat...just the frozen rainbow deliciousness.
I love me some snow cones.

It was in the mid 70's here today and that means 2 things.
1.) The snow-cone shop will be opening soon.
2.) SPRING IS HERE!!!!!!
And that Ladies & Gentlemen, is no April Fools Day Joke.

I don't kid around when it comes to snow cones....

I hope everyone had a good April Fools Day. Did you trick anyone?
I would love to hear about your pranks, or maybe a prank someone pulled on you?