Praises of a Wife and Mommy

 Look at all the cream cheese he put on that bagel!!!!  LOL  So have any of you heard of  couvade syndrome???   "Strange as it may seem, some fathers-to-be experience  pregnancy symptoms  like nausea, indigestion, appetite changes, weight gain, constipation, headaches and those crazy mood swings. Called  couvade  or  couvade syndrome  (from the French word couver, meaning “to hatch”), these are essentially “sympathetic  pregnancy ” symptoms that can seem very real. Some studies suggest that about 20 percent of expectant fathers experience some degree of couvade — and other researchers report an even higher percentage." I for one believe this is true in my hubby's case.  Through this pregnancy he has complained of back aches and not sleeping well, he gained a lot of weight my first trimester...so much that he got stretch marks, he has some very strange moods, and then this new one of very strange cravings.  I think...

I made 12 clips tonight for my Etsy store!  They are perfect for spring or Easter!  :) Dont forget that I have a special discount code that I have extended for 2 more weeks.  Just enter code: PRAISE to get 35% off your order!  :) CLICK HERE   to see the new clips.  

These are some pictures from last week when we got over a foot of snow!!!  Tomorrow is March 1st and I expect this snow to start to disappear!! I AM SO READY FOR SPRING! I want to have my baby and then be able to go on long walks to lose the weight!  :) The only thing that worries me now is the snow melting and freezing creating lots of ice.  I have to be very safe walking to and from the car because it would be very scary to fall being 36 weeks pregnant!  God is protecting me!  :) Here is the view from my door:

Wow, I am not a fan!  How much are they paying these guys? I think my daughter likes them, I know she has watched them at daycare before.   I like music and I like dancing but these guys seem a bit odd... just not sitting well with me. So what children's show do you not like?  What ones do you like?  

*** Question of the Week  *** Are you going to plant a garden this year? If so, what will you be planting, and when will you start? NOPE, we live in an apartment so no garden for us.   Questions:  1.  What are you wearing right now? 2.  Do you have any freckles? 3.  What is your favorite Lifesaver flavor? 4.  What is the last movie you saw in the theater? 5.  Would you rather live without tv or without music? --------------------------------------------------------------- My Answers! 1. black jammie pants and a tshirt that is too small because I am 36 weeks pregnant. 2. A few random ones...not noticable. 3. Grape 4. hmmm...I honestly cant remember.  I know I saw The Back Up Plan.   5. With out Tv

I have had several vivid pregnancy dreams that were fun, scary, funny, or hit up just about any emotion. Last night I had one of the best dreams ever.  I had a dream with my mom in it.  Many of you don't know but my mom passed away when I was 18 years old from cancer!  CANCER SUCKS!!  It has been a few years since I have had a dream with my mom in it.  I know she is in heaven and pain free... she gets to dance with Jesus every day. So in my dream we were on a vacation and traveling up these steep roads on a mountain side.  It was beautiful!! We were driving a convertible and the sun was shining on us.  I remember staring at my mom in my dream and thinking about how beautiful she is.  I remember being nervous on the roads and asking her if she wanted me to drive and she said "honey, I know these roads."  So maybe in my dream I saw a little piece of heaven??  :) Have any of you lost a loved one and had dreams with them?

So the last couple days I have noticed a nasty smell to my washing machine.  I know my sense of smell is still really hight with being pregnant but it smells of rotten eggs!!  NASTY!!! There are no clothes in there or anything for it to smell?? Right now I am running a clothes free cycle on hot water with just bleach to try to clean it out.  I was also reading up and might try a baking soda and vinegar solution if the bleach does not work. I also heard that I might need to take some piece off and clean it?? I also heard it could be a water issue but wouldn't the shower and other water stink too? Has anyone else experienced this??  What did you do to fix the smelly, icky, nasty smell??

I think this mom did a good job of making sure the kids will remember their tongue is like a fire and you cant put things back in it what comes out of it. Click the link and watch a cute video of a mom teaching her kids the power of our words! :) I think I will have to share this one with my Awana commander since I think it would be good to share at Awana! :) James 3:1-12 ~ Taming The Tongue

So I have been asked to be a guest blogger and I am excited about doing that!  :)  I will keep you posted on when it is shared on her blog.  I also am hoping to do a podcast soon too!  :) I am actually wondering if anyone would want to do a guest post on my page too?  I want to hear some birthing stories before I have my baby.  :)  Anyone interested in sharing about giving birth??? Comment here with your email address if you would like to do it.  I want to get about 5-10 and if you have a button that would be great otherwise we can try to link the post back to you still....I still dont have a button yet either!  Working on that!  :)

My bed is calling my name!  

I am thinking about purchasing one... I read lots of good reviews but would love to hear what you think of them?? Are they worth it? Are they hard to get on? Do you feel they are safe? I am short...will this make a difference?? So do you recommend a Moby wrap or a different type of carrier?

So today I had to work for a few hours and through my shift I kept having cramping.  I did not time them but they did not last long.  I am getting so excited that maybe I am thinking they are worse then what they are?  I am 35 weeks and start week 36 on Monday. If I were to have this boy at the same time as my daughter my water would break tomorrow at 3 and he would be here Monday morning at 7!!!  I doubt that will be the case, but I am ready!

March 1, 2011 Since beginning its National Pancake Day celebration in 2006, IHOP has raised more than $5.35 million to support charities in the communities in which it operates. While IHOP's National Pancake Day typically takes place on Shrove Tuesday, this year, the company will host its free pancake event one week earlier on Tuesday, March 1 to build buzz and excitement prior to Shrove Tuesday. With your help, we hope to raise $2.3 million for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other local charities! Known also as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, National Pancake Day dates back several centuries to when the English prepped for fasting during Lent. Strict rules prohibited the eating of all dairy products during Lent, so pancakes were made to use up the supply of eggs, milk, butter and other dairy products...hence the name Pancake Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday. IHOP National Pancake Day - March 1, 2011 - Pancake Day Details

I love getting freebies in the mail. Here are a few things that came: Dads and Daughters- James Dobson Book Family Talk info 2011 Calender from A Year of Healthy Living Baby Talk magazine Family Circle Magazine Texting Kills thumb rings for no texting while driving awareness!

What is the one chore you absolutely hate to do? For me it is silly but I hate folding and putting laundry away.  I can handle throwing clothes in the washer and dryer but it seems like clothes pile up and never get put away some weeks.  I was on a good roll and kept doing small loads to keep the task easier but this week I have failed!  I have a huge pile of clothes to put away and no motivation to put them away. Yep here is my nightmare pile of laundry!  Now it is probably all wrinkled!  UGGG!!!!  What a mess!

1.  Can you drive a stick shift? No!  I have learned before but currently would stall all the time.  2.  What are two foods you just can't eat? Sour kraut, Black licorice  3.  Do you buy Girl Scout Cookies? What is your favorite kind? I will if someone comes to my house... so far no one has stopped by.  I love thin mints and somoas.  4.  How do you pamper yourself? Today I had an hour long maternity massage... that was the first time.  At home I take a bubble bath and read a book.   5.  What is your nickname and how did you get it? Shorty cause I am short

On my blog you can now click the link to like my Praises of a Wife and Mommy facebook page!  :)  YAY!!!  So if you are a facebook junkie you can get all my updates this way!  :)   ENJOY I hope some of you will like it!  :) 

So I was very blessed today to go to an Aveda salon and enjoy an hour long massage.  It was part of my Christmas present and I also had a $15 discount.    :)  Yep one full hour of relaxation!  It felt so good on my lower back which has been giving me issues in the evenings.   It was well worth the money and the lady was trained for doing pregnant women.  I laid on my side through majority of the massage but at one point I did go on my back but I did not last long there.  She did give me pillows for my legs under my knees but being 35 weeks pregnant it is to difficult to get comfortable and becomes difficult to breath while on my back.  I am glad I was not shy and just said this position is not working for me.  I was extremely comfortable on my sides especially with the pillows she gave me! :)  Also, at one point I had to tell her I was very hot and she took one of the blankets off and then gave me a cool pack which really help...

What am I praising God for today: 1. 35 weeks pregnant!  YAY 2. My husband for allowing me to get out of the house with a friend and for a massage this week! :) 3. My body pillow...it has been helping me sleep. 4. Friends who keep blessing us with things for the baby. 5. God's peace and comfort! What are you Thanking HIM for this week?

35 Weeks pregnant... WHOO HOO!! There are about 30 guesses so far and when baby will arrive, how much he will weight, and how tall he will be.  Have you got your guess in???   COME ON ITS FUN!!  Get your guess in soon! :) 

An oldie but a goodie! I love this song... it is a song that I just sing around the house and even my daughter picked it up and can sing it! :)

Pictures taken last Easter! :)

My daughter is 3 and she has said some of the funniest things to some of the sweetest things that melt my heart. This morning as she was cuddling with me in my bed she told me "mom, you are beautiful to me." I felt so loved and special in her eyes. It was what I needed to hear as I am 35 weeks pregnant! Yesterday my daughter said "I am a princess and my prince will find me." I should have a journal just to write down the things she says. What have your kids said that makes you laugh, feel special, or just made you sit back and wonder? I would love to hear some. :)

Parents:  MAKE SURE YOU KEEP YOUR FAMILY INFO PRIVATE!  Learn how to turn off the location on your phone to keep your family safe!

I had a friend share this and I had to pass it along!  GROSS!!  WASH YOUR HANDS and cook your pork!!

It appears that my daughter is waking up and playing and then going back to bed.  Every morning her room looks messier then when she went to bed the night before!  :(  I AM GOING nuts trying to get her to clean her room.  I think we have to go through it and get rid of things... she has too much!!! Anyone have this problem??  

Time to give some Praises for the last week!  :) 1. I truly enjoyed the beautiful weather last Wednesday and Thursday!  50 degree days I hope you come back soon to melt this new foot of snow. 2.  Still happy to get new snow so my hubby can take my daughter out to build a snow man! :) She has been asking and we never had the right conditions. 3. I overdid it on Saturday and my back was in a lot of pain... it was bringing me to tears.  I prayed and woke up Sunday morning feeling FANTASTIC!  I have a GOD who HEALS!  AMEN! 4. I scored some great deals on the Valentines Day clearance section!  :)  YIPPEE! 5. Baby is still very active and I enjoy every moment of staring at my belly! 6.  I saved some of my DQ Blizzard and I am going to go eat some right now!  :)  LOL 7.  FINANCIAL BLESSINGS!  God has been faithful and besides our mortgage and my student loans WE ARE DEBT FREE!  YIPPEE!!  FEELS so good! ...

********** Question of the Week ********** Question of the Week:   When was the last time you went bowling ? Answer:  My daughter went to a bday party at the bowling alley in December and she bowled.  The last time I bowled I think was October with some friends at church!  :)  

So on Saturday I worked in the morning and then we had our AWANA fair and I was on my feet majority of the day.  Well by evening my back was aching so bad it brought tears to my eyes.  I also teach Sunday School and the lesson I was teaching the following day was about healing.  So I prayed and trusted God he would take the pain and heal me and when I woke up Sunday morning I was pain free! :)  I serve a GOD who HEALS!  AMEN!  

Have you ever participated in a Polar Plunge?  Not sure what that is??  Well hear in the north, our lakes freeze but for some odd reason we clear the ice in one area and have people jump in and then hurry out of the freezing water.  There are several polar plunges that occur in the state as a fundraiser for many charities.  You ask people to sponsor you to be crazy and jump in.   CRAZY... Well, here in Wisconsin the Special Olympics do several plunges to raise money!  Here is more information at there site.  Click HERE I dont think I would ever be brave enough to take the plunge.  WOULD YOU??  HAVE YOU??  If you have will you do it again?  Did it hurt?  

One of the items I picked up last week for 75% off of the Valentines merchandise was the cookie sheet mold.  I remember seeing another mother do this same type of craft and it turning out very beautifully. Tonight we took some time to tear the wrappers of crayons, break them, and then put them in the molds and put them in the oven.  They turned out very nice! My daughter still thought they were cookies and tried to take a bite but non the less she learned that it is for drawing and not eating.  I think next time I will limit it to two colors just in case some of them mix. So here they are:

Just click the link above and then guess when you think our baby will enter the world, how much he will weigh and how tall he will be???  :) It is fun to see all the guesses!  :)

My daughter went to a birthday party today!  She had a great time even though we were 20 minutes late due to the white out conditions of the blizzard!  The theme was "mermaids" and I really enjoyed the cake.  Her mama did a great job of making it! :) (picture taken on my phone...low quality!  SORRY) Yes, it is a Barbie and to transform it to the mermaid she used fruit roll ups!  :)  HOW COOL!  :)  Then she added some gummy stars and it just looked so adorable.   The kids loved it too! :)   Selah's cake for her last party was a princess theme. We used a crown and she loved it!  Simple yet fun with the colors!  

This week we were blessed with a few 50 degree days.  I loved not wearing a heavy coat and hat and gloves.  It was also so nice to not have to bundle my daughter up so much.  She even caught on to the warmer weather because she dug out her swimsuite and changed into it while I was mopping the kitchen floor.  It was adorable... and then she said she is excited for summer so she can wear her dresses every day.  She is my girly girl. On Friday the weather changed and the wind came rushing back in to give us a chill.  Guess what we are expecting tomorrow through Monday???  8-13 inches of snow!  Our weather is so bipolar!  I really think it wants to be spring but then winter comes fighting back.  Its like a movie on war... WAR of the SEASONS! On a neat note we got a notice in the mail to renew our season pass to the water park!  I am so excited for summer!!!  We had a great time at the water park last year.  This year ...

$2 for 5 movie rentals!  :)  60% savings!  :) This is  a great deal with Groupon and it is valid at any of the Blockbuster Express locations! CLICK HERE    to claim your groupon!  :)  ENJOY a few movie nights for only $2!  :)

I am 34 weeks and getting so excited that I had to create a guessing game to see who can guess the right date, weight and height of our baby boy!  :) Just click the link and enter your guess!  :)

                                            Thanks for stopping by!  Leave me a comment so I can visit you too!  :)

All the Valentines items at my Target were 75% off!  I got some amazing deals: .49 cents for placemats .74 cents for a HUGE cookie .49 cents for tissue paper .74 cents for Valentines Gift bag 2.24 for cookie sheet with Vday shapes :) There was still a lot of candy, teddy bears, shower curtains, kitchen towels, and much more!!  I would head on out and check out your Target!  :) I love my new blanket and the price!

Just click the picture and get some good ideas for you and your children! :)

This was taken in June of 2009!  My cute lil family!  

It is that time where I should sit down and figure out the plan or what I would like it to look like when I go into labor.  I never wrote one with my daughter and I have no idea what I want to include. Any advice?  Is this just a waste of time?? Lots to think about... HELP

This has been a crazy week in Wisconsin! Click this link to hear the story: High school students support teachers by walking out - WAOW - Newsline 9, Wausau News, Weather, Sports The Wisconsin Senate has adjourned for the day after minority Democrats failed to show up for a vote on a contentious collective bargaining bill. The Republican proposal would strip most public sector workers of almost all their collective bargaining rights. The bill has sparked a protest at the state Capitol that has stretched on for three days and shows no sign of ending. Republicans who control the Senate had scheduled a vote on the bill Thursday morning. Debate was supposed to begin around midday, but the body's 14 Democrats never showed up. Without a quorum, Republicans could not vote. Senate President Mike Ellis, a Neenah Republican, called an end to Thursday's floor session around 4:45 p.m. Republicans planned to return to the floor on Friday.

I know I should not complain and just love the battle marks of being pregnant... but I am complaining a little.  I got my first stretch marks!  :(  I never got any when I was pregnant with my daughter but here at 34 weeks with my son I have 2 small ones right under my belly button!  I am really praying that I don't get any more and that they do not darken. I lotion up every day but I know that does not prevent them.  Are there any tricks or ideas to keep them from coming or lighten them up?? How many of you have gotten dark stretch marks?  What have you done to lighten them up?  It really is part of being pregnant...take the good with the bad and stop complaining.... right!!!

Every week you never know what to expect at FUSE.  We always have a small game and this week it was a Banana game!  LOL fun stuff! Any other youth pastors or leaders out there?  What do you do for games?

I was reading an article and I though some of my followers would love to read it.  It is from a blog I follow called " Our Family for His Glory. "  Just click the link and enjoy the article... I am sure she would love to hear any feedback from you!  :) Let me know your thoughts too!  I really enjoyed her bible references!  :)

Yep it is time to reflect on what I am Thankful for this week! 1. I am thankful for the warm weather!  The sunshine feels so nice and really puts me in a good mood! 2. Happy that our teens had a good time at winter camp last weekend!  Also, glad that I was able to catch up on  lost sleep. 3.  A great Valentines day, my hubby bought me a flip camera and I love it! :) 4.  A teen at Fuse gave me one of her hair crimpers so I can now do my daughters hair!  She loves it! 5.  Being 34 weeks pregnant... so excited for MARCH to get here! 6.  My daughter learning how to be more and more independent every day and giving me lots to laugh about, yesterday she was in her room and took all of her clothes out of her dresser and changed into her swim suite!  It was very adorable! 7. GOD- he continues to show his love and sends me many blessings each week!  AMEN!

This is where you just write random things...Things that have happened during the week, pretty much whatever you want! Posting random  miscellaneous  things! Come back to the post and link up so we can all hop around and read your rambles. I love my husband and daughter and am so anxious to meet this baby. I cant stop thinking about what we should name this little boy... why is this such a challenge? We have an Awana fair this Saturday and I hope we have lots of kiddos show up! My daughter ate 3 bananas and 2 apples today...that is a lot for her! My back is a bit achey today... I think it is stiff from sleeping at winter camp last weekend.  I wonder if people read and enjoy my blog. I wonder if I can one day make money on my blog? I am very excited with God's plans i know they are better then anything I could every plan! My daughter asked me this evening when God's birthday is.  I didnt know how to answer besides telling her that GOD has ...

So I got some more freebies in the mail today.  So I got some more baby formula, US magazine (not one I typically read but I will bring it to the YMCA), and these marriage enrichment cards.  The cards look pretty interesting as they look through the Song of Solomon (book of the bible) :)

CLICK HERE to read the article I know I have to check my daughters seat!!  Please check your children's seat also. Tue, Feb. 15, 2011 (BabyCenter News) — Dorel Juvenile Group has announced a recall of about 800,000 Cosco, Maxi-Cosi, and Safety 1st brand infant car seats, convertible car seats, and booster seats, which were sold both individually and with a stroller.

We did this song last weekend at winter camp and I absolutely love the lyrics and really entering into worship.

Thanks for hoping around!  Please leave me a comment if you are a new follower so I can return the favor! :)   Have a great Wednesday!