6 Months

Max, you are SIX MONTHS old! Half a year...crazy! You are so fun right now, and it seems like you are learning something new every day. Just yesterday I left the room to get the laundry, and when I came back you were almost in the kitchen. Gotta start working on all that baby proofing the cabinets! You are such a joy to be around, and you are such a happy baby...except when you want to go to sleep...watch out! I love coming to get you out of bed every morning and seeing your little head poke up over the side of the crib, and I love waiting to see what you'll do next!



Here are a few things about you this month:

-You weigh 18 lbs 13 oz (70th percentile)
-You are 26. 5 inches long (50th percentile)
-You are loving solid foods. You eat twice a day, and you'll pretty much eat anything. Even if you make terrible faces, you just keep coming back for more.
-You love playing on the floor.
-Sophie the giraffe is your nemesis. You have a love hate relationship.
-We got you a door bouncer, and it's the best decision we ever made. You LOVE it.
-You stick out your tongue and laugh every time you see your dad. If he's in the room, it's hard to get you to concentrate on anything. Even your bottle!
-You are taking a great morning nap, but afternoon naps have been rough the past few weeks. I'm not sure what's going on there, but we're lucky if you stay asleep 30 minutes.
-No teeth yet.
-You sleep about 11 hours a night. We had a rough couple of days when you thought 5:30 was rise and shine time, but you seem to be getting over it. Knock on wood.
-You went to the park for the first time, and you LOVE the swing. Too bad we don't have any trees, or we would get you one here.
-When you see another baby in the church nursery get a bottle it does not go over well. They just have to go ahead and feed you even if it's not time because you think that's your bottle, and that baby has no business eating if you aren't!
-You like to run errands and be in the car. At least I think you do...you haven't told me that.
-You like people, and you like to smile.
-And you are super cute...at least we think so!

Mealtime with Max

Crazy Kid

Zoo Day!

Max had his first trip to the zoo this weekend. We were there with a life group from our church, and we had a blast! Obviously, at 6 months old Max didn't really get it, but he still liked being there. We bought a membership, so I'm sure we'll be making lots of trips this summer!

Not sure what's going on...it was a lot colder than we thought it would be. Well, okay, Mike told me. But I didn't believe him. Score one for Mike.

Seriously...where are we?

He followed this guy with his eyes for awhile.

I just like this picture. It looks like he's daring me to take it.

I think I like this!

Max liked the duck. Probably because he wasn't behind a fence so he could see him.

They are like the same person.

I was so excited, because I thought Max was talking to the chickens. Then Mike told me he was talking to this faucet. Oh well. At least he was happy.

And he's out.

Frugal Friday: Plus Card Edition

I got some great (and free) deals this week at Walgreens, but what I really want to talk about is the Kroger plus card (or any other grocery store savings card, really).

I know that at least a few of you think I have gone crazy or roll your eyes at couponing. And I know even more of you don't feel like you have the time to coupon right now. And I totally get that. So, I just wanted to show you this:


On this grocery trip, I bought a TON of stuff. And sometimes you just need things you don't have a coupon for! But...the majority of my savings on food this week was because of my plus card and store sales. So...just by signing up, using your card, and paying attention to store circulars and bonus events you can still really cut your grocery bill. No coupon cutting involved!

It's Easy Being Green

My Dad

I wrote in December (I believe) about my dad going through his second round of cancer, this time in his pelvic bone. He had surgery the week before Christmas, went through radiation, and is currently going through chemotherapy. He had some scans done on Monday, and my mom and dad were called in to the office today to discuss what they found. The message below is an e-mail from my mother to their church. Thank you to those of you who have prayed for my father and our family through this journey, and please continue to do so!

This is going to be a short update because we are on the road to Mississippi to visit our grandson. We are still processing a lot of what we learned today, but the cancer has spread. Greg has spots on his lungs, his spine, and in his bones. We are scheduled for a PET scan next Wednesday. They have suspended his current chemo program and have suggested an experimental clinical trial.

Greg and I are still reeling from the suddenness of this development and covet your prayers more than we can say. Words fail me at this point, so I will close by saying we love you all dearly and, as always, we have are hearts and eyes focused on our Father...the original Physician and the One that holds the answers and our future in His mighty hands.

Love you all

Greg and Rhonda

50 by 30: Weight Watchers Edition

Have I ever mentioned how much I love food? Well, I do. As long as I can remember, my family planned vacations, weekends, birthdays, and any other celebration around the places we could eat. In my family, going out to eat is a big deal, and "wasting" a meal by eating at a bad restaurant is a tragedy. Dinner is most definitely followed by dessert. It's better if it's fried. Cheese is a food group. And if it isn't delicious, it's not worth it. Although I'll probably eat it anyways. Just keeping it real...

I'm working on changing the way I look at food, but it doesn't happen overnight. Honestly, I don't see a day where a grilled chicken breast looks more appetizing to me than a chicken fried steak. Which is why I found myself way (I mean way) overeating this weekend. Mike's dad was in town, which was clearly an excuse to splurge. I can't go to my favorite places without getting what I've always gotten, right? Sigh. It's something I'll have to keep working on...probably forever. Moderation is not my strong suit.

So, when I got on the scale Sunday (my weigh in day) I wasn't surprised to see I hadn't lost last week. I was just relieved I hadn't gained! I am happy to report that I am back on track, and as of this morning I am 12 pounds down...38 to go! That does add up to 50, right?

Anyhow, I told you I would talk a little bit about why I love Weight Watchers, so here it goes. (Just so you know, I am doing the online version and don't attend meetings. This was a financial choice with me, but if you can I would think the meetings would be very beneficial!)

*Weight Watcher's uses a point system, and they assign each food a point value.
*Based on your weight and activity level, you get a specific number of points each day.
*I hate counting calories. Points are much easier for me.
*You get points for activity and exercise. So...exercise get to eat more. I like it.
*On top of your daily points, you also get "weekly" points. You can spread these out, or you can use them for a special treat. (But not five special treats like I did this weekend).
*I can access my account through my iPhone, which makes tracking easy!

I have followed WW before, but I have to say I LOVE their new system. So much better in my opinion.

*With the new Points Plus system, the "value" of food is taken into account. For example, in the past a cookie and an apple may have both been 3 points. Now, the fact that an apple is actually much better for you is taken into account, so the cookie takes more points than the apple.
*Point values are calculated by looking at the fat, carbs, protein, and fiber in a food.
*Most vegetables and fruits are zero points. This is great for days when you use all your points but still feel hungry. You can grab an apple and be good to go. Although you probably shouldn't grab 5 apples.

That's all I got. Here's to staying accountable!

Foodie

Mmmm...carrots!

So good...

Food coma?

I don't know what it is about carrots (maybe the thin consistency), but Max gets so messy every time he eats them. He loves them, but he just can't keep them all in his mouth!

This kid is loving his solids. It still takes him awhile to figure out what's going on, but then I can't get them in his mouth fast enough. Apples seem to be his favorite so far, but he's also had avocado, banana, green beans, rice cereal, and chicken. The only thing he has gagged on? You guessed it. The chicken. I think I would, too! I've started mixing it with other stuff to mask the taste. We still have lots of foods to try, and judging by this kid's appetite he can't wait!

PS: I am a huge fan of these bibs! Max's Nana (my grandmother) made them out of hand towels and stretch ribbing, and they are my absolute favorite thing ever. They are huge, cover his entire body, and can handle any mess! (Even carrots)

A Horse is a Horse, Of Course

Frugal Friday...Procrastination Edition

Okay, so Frugal Friday sounds much better than Frugal Sunday, but I just never got around to it. Oops.

I found a couple of really great deals last week, and had some very successful shopping trips. I know I'm probably kind of strange, but it's just so fun! I may or may not have already been to Walgreen's twice today. I feel like they are going to put me on their crazy coupon lady watch list, but I totally outsmarted them by changing clothes, putting my hair up, and changing into glasses. Not intentionally. But it kinda made me feel like Clark Kent. If Clark Kent was more about coupons than superpowers. Anyhow...I digress.

Kroger trip
Spent: $6.74 ~ Total Savings: 81%
This was due to all the free groceries I won playing their online game!

Walgreens Trip 1
Spent: $46.86 ~ Total Savings: 47% (Plus coupons for next trip)
I thought this was pretty good, considering a lot of these items are normally very expensive!

Walgreens Trip 2
Spent: $10.24 ~ Total Savings: 71% (Plus coupons for next trip)

I did have to do some stocking up on things like fruits and veggies, so I did that this week while they were having some good sales at Kroger. I feel like I ended up spending quite a bit this week, but I stocked up on some high dollar items. Overall, I still ended up saving about 44% this week, so I was happy. Next, I want to focus on setting a very specific monthly budget and sticking to it!