Finally Got A New Camera!!

I have been wanting a new camera for the absolute longest time!
Today is the day.....

I got a Nikon Coolpix L120.
This was not my first choice but since I purchased it a sears and I purchased the 2 year warranty I can upgrade pretty much any time!

Which I will be doing in about 6 months (I hope).

So lets see some pics from my new camera :)

Spit up

I am starting to wonder how Katie Scarlett is getting so fat since it seams like she is spitting up half of what she eats!  I swear I am burping her every 2-3 minutes but the child is constantly spitting up.....then of course....she is hungry again!!  AHHHHH!!!

Photo of the day

My husband the multi-tasker

I just love her.

This morning Blake and I were woke up by Katie Scarlett gasping for air and flailing around like she was falling...We both jumped up.  As I held her I was terrified.  She was crying big full tears and curling her lips in the most desperate fashion.  

I was thinking did she choke on something?
Did she get bit by something (that I will be killing with great force)???

Does she have a big boogie blocking her airway?

WHAT IS WRONG??

It was so sad.

I called my mother immediately.

She lives in Hawaii and it was 3:30AM there, but I needed professional help.....

(and by professional, I mean a seasoned vet....my mother is a mother of 6)

Mother suggested that she might have had a bad dream.

That sounds about right because after I quit using the nose sucky thingy on her she stopped crying and just smiled as if our faces was all she needed to soothe her.

It is amazing how seeing her frown can break my heart completely and her smile can immediately make whole again.  I have never been so wholly consumed with love then when I see my precious daughters face. I love her beyond reason.  

I just love her.    

I think I have the BEST husband in the WORLD!!!

I think I have the BEST husband in the WORLD!!!

After a long day at work and an hour (or more with Chicago traffic) drive home he comes home and cooks for me.

When I say cook....I don't mean hamburger helper.  I mean delicious special recipe pan fried chicken with asparagus and mushrooms with homemade mashed potatoes or eggplant Parmesan with sauteed mushrooms and onions and roasted potatoes.

Blake LOVES to cook and that is a good thing cause I am so intimidated by him.  I am afraid to cook because he is so good.  He can turn just about anything into a gourmet meal and all I know is the 3 meals my mom taught me...with no variations.  Oh well, I am eating good and he is happy making me happy so its a win win. :)

Good news....I am learning to walk :)

Last week Blake and I downsized from 2 cars to 1.  So far so good but we were planning on my honey getting transferred to downtown Chicago and him taking the El train to work....but his transfer has been pushed back to November, which is a big bummer, and I have no car....

Good news.....I am learning to walk. 

Living in Chicago we have so many shops near our home and walking is exactly what I should be doing anyway to lose this baby weight.  Plus it is nice to have something to do every day.  So my daily routine is to walk to CVS , then to Walgreens , and finally to the produce store to pick up fresh fruits, veggies and meat.

Today, I actually did my hair and make-up!!  It is just amazing how good you feel when you look good too.  On our walk a man honked and made a "cat call"...before I would have called him a vulgar perv, but now think of as that nice man who made my day.  lol.  So, since becoming a SAHM I am finding that if I have a purpose, like a daily walk, I actually feel like part of the world and not trapped in a box.

Laundry, Laundry, Laundry

Why do I feel like there is ALWAYS laundry that needs to be done?  Let me tell you why...

Cause there is!!!  GRRR!

I think I will declare tomorrow official naked day so that we won't add to the laundry pile.

What is a kitchen without a frig!

About a week and a half ago our frig broke!  

We lost ALL our condiments, frozen meats, juices, and most importantly all my frozen white gold, AKA breastmilk!

Our landlords went out and immediately bought a new frig and it was set to be delivered two days later

....BUT 

they had the back stairs scheduled to be rebuilt (perfect timing) and so it was postponed to Friday

....(another)BUT 

it rained for 2 days which set back the builders not finishing till yesterday

.....(again)BUT

Lowes was not able to deliver till tomorrow

.....SO.....

I have been almost 2 weeks without a frig and it completely makes my kitchen obsolete!  NO ICE, NO COLD DRINKS!  I am do dehidrated.  GRRRRR.

Free Pampers!!

Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive Size 1 are on clearance for $2.74 or $5.49 (depending on the location) at CVS!

Being new to couponing I have been reading a lot of blogs on how to make a deal.  CVS is by far my favorite store.  Check out this deal....

When I saw the Pampers on sale at my CVS they were $5.49.  I had a $2 off coupon making them $3.49.  I bought 4 packs.

I had a printed coupon for $5 off $25 precoupon but I was $3.04 short so I went by the printed coupon box and out prints a free pack of U by kotex....that is $1.77 towards the $25....the other coupon was $2 off Gold Emblem popcorn 2.49 each just hitting my $25 mark. :)

In total I spent $10.88 on 

4 Jumbo packs Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive Size 1,

1 pack U by Kotex panty liners

1 bag Golden Emblem popcorn

BUT the thing is I don't need diapers.  Sweet sweet has a closet FULL of size 1 diapers.  SO I sold the Pampers on craigslist.com for $5 each making a profit of $10!  WOOT WOOT!!!

After I sold the diapers on craigslist I was so pumped up that I went to the 4 other CVS stores.  I found this deal....

Please notice the subtotal....THATS RIGHT....$0!  I bought 6 packs of diapers for $0 (just $1.17 in taxes)

THATS NOT ALL!!!!  CVS also has a deal going that if you buy 6 jumbo packs get the 7th FREE....SO....out prints an $11 ECB.  I LOVE THIS!  I stopped by 2 other CVS stores and made similar purchaces.  In total I bought 15 packs of diapers and I am selling each pack that I bought for $5.  BIGG BALLIN'

New Name, New Layout

I have not been writing lately and I know why....

When I visited my page I felt disconnected.  The name of my blog was "Baby and the Windy City" but the reality was I am a SAHM and I am really not out there enjoying the city shopping and prancing around in wedges and mini skirts....I am sitting at home trying to keep up with the laundry while breastfeeding my baby.  

So I am here to revamp my page and try this blogging thing again.....

I hope I have better luck the second time around. :P

I'm in the 10 day stretch

I have finally made it into the last 10 days!

I am about 2cm dilated!!!  Mom will be here from Hawaii in 2 days with my baby sister.  I can't believe within 2 weeks I will be holding my own baby girl!!!  :)

Nesting, Mood swings and exaustion.

This last month has been a doozy!!

I am getting quite obsessed with vacuuming. 

My mood swings are out of this world.
My poor confused husband just stands and stares while I yell, then cry, then sleep and wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed for about 10 min....then I am back to freaking out about something!

On his days off I have him hanging curtains, going on walks, cleaning laundry (cause I am not going down 3 flights of stairs with a laundry basket in hand and a beach ball under my skin!), reorganizing the guest room/office and so much more.

I must say I have the best husband EVER!  He even cooks for me every day and brings me cookies after work!  (yesterday I got cookies AND banana pudding :)

I can't wait till baby Kathryn gets here!!  I want to squeeze her cheeks and kiss her toes. :)

CVS Free-Bee of the day!

So I am very new to the whole couponing idea but there is nothing like free stuff to get my blood hot and ready to go....SOOOO.....today is the day I got my first FREE items today using a coupon!
I am super stoked!!!!  Heck-to-the-yea!!!

CVS:
Dove Men+Care deodorant regular price $4.99 with CVS card $.99 -$1.00 coupon = FREE!!

You can only print 2 from your computer which is a bummer but I saved $10 which makes me a happy camper :)

Whos the Boss?? Baby Braden!!

Since I have moved to Chicago I have made one friend, Megan.  Megan was preggers when I met her and has since had her baby.  I am so excited to see her with baby Braden.  Yesterday I went to her house expecting that we would go to the store together......baby Braden had other plans. 

I got there around 4pm and we packed a diaper bag and she fed Braden.  She is breastfeeding and must have the most yummy milk because that baby would not stop eating.  Braden ate from 4pm to midnight!!  My poor friend.  No shopping for us.  We are hoping that church tomorrow goes better. 

New Budget/Extreme Couponing

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Tough week.

This week my hubbs and I got a big blow to our weekly/monthly budget.

So big that it looks like eating and driving may be out of the question. :/

At first I didn't know what we were going to do....until TLC: Extreme Couponing happened.

I don't know if this can save our budget but by God we have to try.  

I am praying that God will supply all our needs according to HIS riches (cause we sure don't have any) and glory.

So since we are broke (not a joke).....I used freecycle.org to pick up a FREE printer (in amazing condition with ink!!)

The only thing the printer was missing was a printer cable.  I checked it out on Best Buys website and it was $30 bucks!!!  Way to much....so I checked out ebay.com.  I found one for $2.39 SHIPPED!!!  AMAZING!!!!  

Now I can print coupons I feel like I also need a subscription to the Chicago Tribune to help collect coupons.  So I checked out the prices and looks like I can get Wed, Thurs, Fri and Sun paper delivered for $1 a week!!!  HELLO!!!  Great deal!!

I am now truly on my way to start my journey as a bonified couponer.  I will keep you posted on my deals and I hope to save our budget!  So far looks like God is on our side!!!

PLEASE PRAY FOR US!!!

EXTREME COUPONING......HERE I COME!!!

Crafty Crafty

I have been experimenting in cafting since I am not doing anything but growing my baby.  Let me show you all the adorable headbands and baby shoes  I have  made. 

Who knew that felt could be so pretty :)

Meetup.com

I have always been a fan of using the internet to meet people. I met a past boyfriends/ex-fiancee on (don't judge) hotornot.com, I met my now friend through a babysitting ad I posted on craigslist.org, and my newest Chicago friend I met on meetup.com. I first heard about meetup.com from another Chicago mommy blogger, brixtonmakesthree.blogspot.com. She told me that she had recently moved here also and met several nice people at one of the meet-ups. So, since I am always one to try almost anything once I signed up and looked for the right meet up to attend.

I chose two meet-ups to RSVP to. The first was a group of 30 mommies meeting up at a local McDonald's where they would let their children play while indulging in precious adult time. I was looking forward to the adult time but since I don't really have any children to let loose on the Micky-Dees play yard I decided to skip. The second was a potluck at a fellow pregos house. When I checked the RSVP list the 3 other girls were also first time pregos. I was all in!! Even though my hubs was off work I just couldn't pass up the opportunity of meeting a potential friend. The host was wonderful...the food was wonderful....and the guests were wonderful! The host, who is on the verge of popping her baby out, is a self proclaimed "crafter" and had handmade her baby bedding, stuffed animals, reusable diapers, baby booties and all other sorts of beautiful baby items what she is willing to teach me how to also create. I am so excited to have a friend in Chicago!!!

All you lonely pregos or board out of your mind stay-at-home mommies need to check out your local meetup.com site to meet woman that are in your same stage of life. I'm so glad I did.

A day on the town

I love Chicago and can't wait for spring to be here in full force.  There are so many free options to fill the days with.  Not that this 7 months prego ever gets out of her PJ's.....BUT since the sun is shining and the temp is finally over the 60 mark the only way to celebrate is get out and smell the lake breeze.  Last week we went to The Nature Museum on my hubby's day off, this week we went to The Lincoln Park Zoo which is free everyday

Let me tell you what....Lincoln Park was the place to be!!  The park was packed with nannies and mommies with their kiddos at the play ground, joggers pushing babies and people just lounging.  It was already starting out to be the PERFECT DAY!!  :)

The first thing I wanted to do was see the big cats to snap a picture of a lion.  I was looking forward to using the new camera my dad got me for my birthday.  When we got to the leopard cage I tried to take a pic with my "new" camera I couldn't get the thing to take a picture quick enough to capture anything more than the tail as she was pacing her cage.  Frustrated, I left the big cat house without any pictures at all...but the monkey house was a riot!  The chimp was picking and eating his boogers and the gorilla was eating a cardboard box.

 

 

After the zoo, Blake and I went to Andersonville for some Turkish Cuisine.  A few weeks ago Anthony Bourdain from the Travel Channels No Reservations went to Turkey and had our mouths watering for some Eastern European goodness.  We had a dish called lahmacun.  Lahmacun is a flat turkish pizza topped with ground lamb.  YUMMMY!!!  It is a must try and to top it off, ITS CHEAP.  At Turkish Cuisine on N. Clark it is $3.50!

 Blake and I walked up and down N. Clark in Andersonville and decided if we move again it will be to Andersonville.  It is beautiful.  The people are nice and the shops are out of this world!!!!

 The last and best choice of the night was a stop at a corner cafe, Taste of Heaven, where I had the best hot coco of my life only made better with the peanut butter cheesecake.  I dipped each bite, one by delicious bite, in the hot coco where the chocolate pie crust filled with coco and the filling warmed melting into my mouth and fulfilling every craving this pregnancy has ever gave me.

Museums in Chicago

On Thursday Blake had a day off and instead of the usual lazy day in bed we decided to get out and explore the city.  First stop was The Lincoln Park Conservatory. It is free everyday and this week they have a Spring flower display that is out of this world.  When you come in the front door you are hit with an aroma of fruit trees and flowers and 80 degrees which is a welcome change from the 34 degrees outside.  

After the conservatory we went to The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum to see the butterfly display.  It was a "free day" so we ended up just giving a $3 donation.  The museum was a sea of strollers and little white babies with Filipino nannies and the occasional prego like me :) 

I have not had that much fun with my honey in Chicago.  If you have an iPhone and live in the Chicago area check out the application "Free Events in Chicago".  It gives a listing of upcoming free events...very cool!

I Love the 90's: Memory Triggering Music

Have you ever heard a song from 10 years ago and like a time machine you were transported to a different time and place??  Well my sister started posting songs from the early-late 90's and that has been happening all day.  Let me take you back on a trip through the 90's.

1990 - MC Hammer - Can't Touch this
I was in 1st grade.  This might be the only song I remember from this year...and it was only because of my older cousins.  I was a very sheltered child.  LOL.

1991 - Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
I didn't here this song till I was about 14 years old and went into rebellion but it is defiantly a classic!

1992 - Sir Mix-a-Lot - Baby Got Back
Sir Mix-a-Lot sitting on a big yellow butt crack...I LOVE IT!  I think I might have used this song in a wet tee shirt contest in when I was young and dumb.  (one of my dirty secrets and yea....I won :)

1993 - Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle - A Whole New World

I love this one.  One of my all time favorites.  Nick & Jessica sang this song too.

1994 - Tag Team - Whoop! There It Is

This one I could never forget as long as I live.  I think I was in 4th grade and all the boys wore LONG denim shorts with red, yellow and green stripes.  Love it!

1995 - Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise
The early 90's was all about gangsta rap!!

1996 - No Doubt - Just a Girl
This is the soundtrack for Romey & Michelle's High school reunion.  I love love that movie!!

1997 - The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony
This is the soundtrack for Cruel Intentions (another favorite)!!

1998 - Aerosmith - I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing

Another soundtrack.  I cried the first time I saw this music video.

 1999 - Destiny's Child - Say My Name
Introducing to the world.....drum roll please....BEYONCE!!!

I loved the 90's!!  What about you??

Pink

I like the color pink.  My whole life I didn't think that I liked pink.  I have ALWAYS chosen blue.  Blue clothes, blue home decor, seriously, I was BLUE DA-BA-DEE DA-BA-DI, oh, sorry.  I think I shunned the color pink because I wanted to avoid the stereotype of a girly-girl.  I guess looking at my blog you can see that I pretty much am a girly-girl so why not just embrace it and PINK IT UP!!!

27 Weeks

I am officially 27 weeks pregnant.  Time is flying by so fast and my baby bump is quickly becoming a baby bulge.  I love it!!

The best thing about this time of the pregnancy is how much she moves!  I just can't help but smile when I feel her jump inside me.  Poor Blake every time he puts his hand anywhere near my belly Kathryn stops moving instantly.  We are hoping he has that calming effect on her when she is born. :)  

One thing I am not loving is the burping.  I swear I burp more than a frat boy after a keg stand!  As soon as I stand up after dinner out it comes like i ate a balloon and Kathryn just popped it inside me!

Just 92 days to go!   

Stay at home wife/mom-to-be.

I am new at this whole stay at home business.  When I was at my last job I was given supplies to do my job...you know...pens, paper, computer.  Now that I have this new job I feel it is only right that I am given the proper supplies.  Here is a list of things that I am missing.

One.   A sexy house wife Apron.  I don't have a dish washer so when I hand wash my dishes I a don't like ruining my clothes with greasy, dirty dishwater.

www.flirtyaprons.com

Two.  A pair of rubber gloves.  Again, not having a dishwasher makes rubber gloves a neccesity and why not wash up in style!  I actually found some very cute rubber gloves at Marshall's.

Three.  A sewing machine!  I have "sew" many things to create!  I need curtains for my baby room and living room and I don't think it would be to hard to make my own aprons.  :)