Ruptured at 21 weeks, 4 days on August 30th, 2007

written Aug 31st

This is not good news so it's easier for me to write this to inform
everyone of what's going on rather than calling you all individually
and repeating the same story and answering the same questions over and over. I went to the ER yesterday because I was leaking amniotic fluid. I was admitted to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola and have been here since. I will be 22 weeks on Sunday so this is not good but it's not hopeless. All we know is that I'm ruptured (my water broke) and they don't expect the hole to heal itself. I have had no contractions
and am not in labor so that is good. Usually, once your membranes
rupture, you go into labor within 10-14 days. If that were to happen,
Autumn would most likely be too young to survive. The doctor is
hoping for me to keep the baby in for 4 more weeks. At 24 weeks, babies
have a chance of survival. Autumn's heartrate is perfect and I feel
her kick and move. They say she is fine as long as she stays inside.
I guess babies can live on a low amount of amniotic fluid as long as
it doesn't get too low. I am on strict bedrest at the hospital and
will be here a while. When I do go into labor, which is hopefully
later than sooner, I will be transferred to Sacred Heart where they
have a fantastic NICU.

Of course this is very emotional for K.J. and I but we put our trust
in the Lord. There isn't anything we can do or even that the doctors
and nurses can do at this point, it's just a waiting game. Even
though we don't know, God knows whether Autumn will survive or not so
we're just leaving it up to Him and doing all we can to be strong
while we wait.

Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Please pray for Autumn's health and development and for K.J. and I to
be strong as this is a very trying time.

Email is welcome, I expect to have lots of time to read it being stuck
in bed at the hospital.

Thanks, April

Baby guessing game.

If you know me personally, you may also know my friend Keli. She is due October 23rd with her 3rd child, FIRST Boy! His name is Ryker Adair. I set up a little online baby pool to guess the details of Ryker's birth. Come join in the fun and make your best guess.

Good luck :) Ryker's guessing game

Autumn's story

Many of you who know me know my second child, my first and only (so far) daughter, was born 11 weeks premature at 29 weeks gestation. There's also some who know me who didn't know that. There's also some who know Autumn was a preemie but really don't know the details of what happened. And then there's those of you who only know me by acquaintance or even only through the internet as a reader of my blog. I feel Autumn's story is worth sharing on my blog, something I didn't have two years ago, though I wish I had. I am also reproducing it here so I can have it here to save for future reference. Over the next few months I'm going to re-post communications I sent out 2 years ago while I was on hospital bedrest pregnant with Autumn and while she was in the NICU. Please join me over the next few months as I post Autumn's story. I'm going to make each post match up to the date I wrote it but 2 years earlier. Maybe I'll add additional details and feelings here and there but for the most part I think it will just be copy and paste from what I was sending out in emails at that time.

Handmade, Affordable, Stylish & Modern.

What am I talking about?



EARRINGS!



jetziacat27.etsy.com

Guinea Pigs

We got 2 female guinea pigs! The kids love 'em.

mcxbzdire6

What's a homemaker?

Ok, so this post is not going to be all in depth and praiseworthy of the definition of a homemaker because seriously I still have not fulfilled my calling to even a quarter of it's potential. I simply wanted to share something with you all I found funny, yet interesting and thought provoking.

KJ's little brother, who's 20, is living with us for the summer break from college. He attends UWF in Pensacola but was having some financial issues so we suggested he stay with us while we help him sort through and learn some financial wisdom ;)

Anyway, his first task was to find a job here since his old job was almost an hour away now. As he was filling out applications, he put me as a reference and asked me what my job was. I told him "homemaker" (I assumed he simply did not know what to choose between SAHM, Housewife, Homemaker, etc.) He said "No, what's your job title? You know, your computer job?" As most of you know, I held a full time job before I had children and it was in the Technology Industry. I laughed and said "my job is now homemaker, my job was a Network Support Technician but I am not one anymore". "He said, I know but I thought that was your career?" I said "yes, it was my career but it's not anymore."

It seems he thinks at some point I will return to my career, after all, isn't that what's most important? Why am I wasting my hard earned skills here at home? << insert sarcasm here

Later on, Kyle came back and told me this story: He was filling out more applications online at his friend Daniel's house and one of the options to choose for a past job was "homemaker", he called his friend over and asked him "Hey Daniel, what's a homemaker?". He obviously had recently learned the meaning of the word but was curious what Daniel's response would be. Daniel said "I don't know, I guess like a construction worker or someone who builds houses." I thought that was pretty funny.

As I'm writing this I realize if I looked at my job as a homemaker the same way I regarded my "career", I'd be much happier. If I considered my job of training children, cooking food, mopping floors, folding laundry, changing sheets, washing dishes, vacuuming, etc, a Career, I would be much better at it. If I could apply the same drive, motivation, hard work, perseverance that I once applied to the paid job I held before, my whole family would benefit so much more.

Walgreens trip 5/24

bottle of Calcium $8.99 ($9 RR)
Reach Ultraclean Toothbrushes 2 for $5.00 ($3 RR)
1/2 gallon Tropicana Orange Juice $2.99 ($1 RR)
Colgate Total toothpaste $2.49 ($1.50 RR)
total $19.47
-$1 Colgate Q
-$6 RR
-$6 RR
-$6 RR
subtotal $.47
tax $.45
Total $.92

received $14.50 in RR's


1/2 gallon Tropicana Orange Juice $2.99 ($1 RR)
Colgate Total toothpaste $2.49 ($1.50 RR)

CD Visor $1.00

Men's Zone Shave Gel $.87
total $7.35
-$2.50 RR
-$2.00 RR
-$2.00 RR
subtotal $.85
tax $.27
Total $1.12

received $2.50 in RR's

# of items purchased: 9
TOTAL spent: $2.04 (on giftcard)
Total Register Rewards received $17.00

My Man.

He's been away since April 19th, came home for a short visit Mother's Day weekend and will be home for good June 1st. We miss You K.J.!!!

My Man, their Daddy:

Look what I got at Walgreens for $1.75 and got back $10.50

Oil Moisturizer $6 (produced $6 RR*)
Colgate Max Fresh Toothpaste $2.99 (produced $2 RR)
Bayer $2.49 (produced $2.50 RR)
$1 clearance item
$1 clearance item
$.99 trial size item
Subtotal $14.47
-$1 Q** (Oil Moisturizer)
-$1 Q (Colgate Max Fresh Toothpaste)
-$1.50 Q (Bayer)
after Q's $10.97
-$5 RR
-$5 RR
final subtotal $.97
tax on $11.98 = $.78 (there was no tax on the Bayer)

TOTAL OOP*** = $1.75 (It wasn't even really out of pocket cause I have a Walgreens gift card with $30 on it from some rebates last month! I think this GC may last a while if I can keep this up!)

Received $10.50 in RR's to use next time!

check out other Walgreens deals here

*RR = Register Reward
**Q = coupon
***OOP = Out Of Pocket

March for Babies

http://www.marchforbabies.org/autumntottle

I signed up for this fundraising event over 6 months ago and I just now am realizing that it is THIS Saturday! I had all these plans of really going all out and collecting money for the March of Dimes but obviously I failed miserably. I really want to go do the 3 mile walk with the double stroller and both my kids but I feel pretty embarassed going without having raised any money. Do you think that's seriously rude? I mean I'd like to get out there and see what the event is like and hopefully it will inspire me to raise money for next year, plus I'll get a workout in on Saturday. Also, registration is at 7am, which means I need to seriously hustle to get me and the kids up, fed and out of the house by 6:30 at the latest! We don't even wake up that early, well Keaton does but me and Autumn don't!!! Lol. He comes in and watches cartoons on my bed til I get up around 7. So I'm going back and forth on whether or not I'm going to go. I still really want to go except for the aforementioned reasons, so what do YOU think?

Should I just go or is it really awkward that I've raised no money and therefore I should stay home in shame?

Stellan Post-Surgery

Is this not the cutest patient, or what?

Go here to read what his mom had to say.

Sweet Stellan's Serious Surgery

Praying for Stellan as he may still be in surgery, check out MckMama's Twitter account for updates.

Check out everyone who's wearing ORANGE today to show their Stellan support!

This had me literally laughing out loud!

A 3-year-old tells all from his mother's restroom stall.By Shannon PopkinMy little guy, Cade, is quite a talker. He loves to communicate and does it quite well. He talks to people constantly, whether we are in the library, the grocery store or at a drive-thru window. People often comment on how clearly he speaks for a just-turned-3-year-old. And you never have to ask him to turn up the volume. It's always fully cranked. There have been several embarrassing times that I've wished the meaning of his words would have been masked by a not-so-audible voice, but never have I wished this more than last week at Costco.Halfway, through our shopping trip, nature called, so I took Cade with me into the restroom. If you'd been one of the ladies in the restroom that evening, this is what you would have heard coming from the second to the last stall:''Mommy, are you gonna go potty? Oh! Why are you putting toiwet paper on the potty, Mommy? Oh! You gonna sit down on da toiwet paper now? Mommy, what are you doing? Mommy, are you gonna go stinkies on the potty?''At this point I started mentally counting how many women had been in the bathroom when I walked in. Several stalls were full ... 4? 5? Maybe we could wait until they all left before I had to make my debut out of this stall and reveal my identity.Cade continued: ''Mommy, you ARE going stinkies aren't you? Oh, dats a good girl, Mommy! Are you gonna get some candy for going stinkies on the potty? Let me see doze stinkies, Mommy! Oh...Mommy! I'm trying to see In dere. Oh! I see dem. Dat is a very good girl, Mommy. You are gonna get some candy!''I heard a few faint chuckles coming from the stalls on either side of me. Where is a screaming new born when you need her? Good grief. This was really getting embarrassing. I was definitely waiting a long time before exiting. Trying to divert him, I said, ''Why don't you look in Mommy's purse and see if you can find some candy. We'll both have some!''''No, I'm trying to see doze more stinkies...Oh! Mommy!''He started to gag at this point.''Uh - oh, Mommy. I fink I'm gonna frow up. Mommy, doze stinkies are making me frow up!! Dat is so gross!!''As the gags became louder, so did the chuckles outside my stall.. I quickly flushed the toilet in hopes of changing thesubject.. I began to reason with myself: OK. There are four other toilets. If I count four flushes, I can be reasonably assured that those who overheard this embarrassing monologue will be long gone.''Mommy! Would you get off the potty, now? I want you to be done going stinkies! Get up! Get up!''He grunted as he tried to pull me off. Now I could hear full-blown laughter. I bent down to count the feet outside my door. ''Oh, are you wooking under dere, Mommy? You wooking under da door? What were you wooking at? Mommy? You wooking at the wady's feet?''More laughter. I stood inside the locked door and tried to assess the situation.''Mommy, it's time to wash our hands, now. We have to go out now, Mommy.'' He started pounding on the door. ''Mommy, don't you want to wash your hands? I want to go out!!''I saw that my wait 'em out' plan was unraveling. I sheepishly opened the door, and found standing outside my stall, twenty to thirty ladies crowded around the stall, all smiling and starting to applaud.My first thought was complete embarrassment, then I thought, where's the fine print on the 'motherhood contract' where I signed away every bit of my dignity and privacy? But as my little boy gave me a big, cheeky grin while he rubbed bubbly soap between his chubby little hands, I thought, I'd sign it all away again, just to be known as Mommy to this little fellow.(Shannon Popkin is a freelance writer and mother of three She lives with her family in Grand Rapids , Michigan , where she no longer uses public restrooms)

CVS Deals 4/5-4/11

What I got at CVS this week for $2.75

2 Easter baskets
2 bags of Easter grass
2 cans Pringles
2 Revlon Matte Eyeshadows
1 Skintimate Shave Cream

How I did it:
Easter baskets $1.99 ea, you get $1.99 Extra Care Buck, limit 2 --$3.98 oop, $3.98 ECBs

Easter grass $0.79 ea, you get $0.79 ECB, limit 2 -- $1.58 oop, $1.58 ECBs

Pringles on sale $0.88 ea, mfcg Q save $1 on 2, $0.38 ea, $0.76 for 2 cans

Revlon cosmetics on sale B1G1 FREE, Eyeshadow $4.99, second eyeshadow FREE, mfcg Q $2.00, mfcg $1.00, total for 2 eyeshadows $1.99

Skintimate shave cream $3.49, you get $3.49 ECB

$11.80 oop, $9.05 ECBs

To get more deals, visit Money Saving Mom

Walgreens Deals 4/5-4/11

All this for $7.43

This is how I snagged these deals at Walgreens:

3 Puffs Tissue boxes for $2.72
>regular price $1.49 ea
-- WAGS coupon $0.99 ea, limit 3
-- mfgc $0.25/3

Palmolive 10 oz for $0.74
>regular price $1.99
-- WAGS coupon $0.99 ea
-- mfgc $0.25

Colgate Total 4 oz for $3.49
-- received $3.50 in RR's (Register Rewards)

Betty Crocker Frosting 2/$3.00
--mfgc $0.55
--mfgc $0.50
--received $1.00 RR's

2 Glade Lasting Impressions kits $5.98
>on sale $5.99 ea
-- mfgc $3.00
-- mfgc $3.00
-- $2.00 Easy Saver Rebate

Total $15.93

I also used a --$2 RR that I had received from a previous trip making my total oop $13.93

$7.43 after $4.50 RR's and $2 Easy Saver Rebate

To get more deals, visit Money Saving Mom

The deals I plan to go back for spending $4.73 oop (out of pocket)

Colgate Total 4 0z $3.49, earn $3.50 RR's (you can pick up one of these on each trip)

3 boxes Multi Grain Cheerios for $4.75 ($1.58 per box)
GM cereal is on sale 3/$7
--three mfcg $0.75 off Multi Grain Cheerios

Gillette Series Shave Cream $0.99
>price $1.99
-- mfcg $1.00

Total - $9.23 (use $4.50 in RR's) making total oop $4.73

We're praying for you and thinking of you Stellan "MckMuffin", Jennifer "MckMama" and the MckFamily

Lauren at Knowing Norrah is bringing back Stellan's Name Gallery. Check out Stellan's Name Gallery Part II. Here's some pics of the little dimpled cutie from MckMama's site.

MckMama's Stellan

MckMama's little tough guy Stellan is still not doing well but I know there are many out there in blogosphere praying for him and the MckFamily. If you are unfamiliar with MckMama and her charming kids, click here: my charming kids

And go here if you want to read Stellan's story:

Pray for Stellan "MckMuffin"

If you read MckMama and if you feel so inclined, please pray for her baby boy Stellan. You can read about what's happening to him here. I hope she gives us a good update soon!

(the picture of Stellan is from MckMama's website, do you think it's ok I grabbed it off of there?)

I REORGANIZED (most of) MY CLOSET!

This is probably not the best thing to show you as I'm rather embarassed of the inside of my closet but I thought it would be a good thing to document!

I have really been needing to sort through my clothes and since I'm having a yard sale on Saturday, I got motivated to finally do it. Although, I'm not actually selling the clothes in the yard sale, I'll be donating them but for some reason getting ready for my yard sale motivated me to get in my closet and CLEAN HOUSE!!! Talking to my friend Keli was also motivation, she's one of those people who's super organized and every season, stores clothes away and brings out clothes from storage and organizes all her kids' clothes by size and is constantly ridding her home of excess extraneous things. I'm nothing like her.
These first 3 pictures are supposed to be the "BEFORE" pics but they were actually taken after I was just a little bit into clearing it out. You see that space to the left, that did not exist in the "BEFORE" state.
Here's the beginning of my "piles". I'm so organized aren't I? Ha ha. The two piles closest are "donate" piles and the pile slightly to the rear with the brown sweater on top is my "keep and put in storage" pile. Some things I'm storing away because they are winter items and some because I do not fit in them right now but I really love them and hope to fit in them eventually. I know, I know, that's sort of against some rules or something but I did get rid of most of my "too skinny" clothes, I only kept the few things I REALLY LOVED! After all, I've got 5 different sizes of clothes throughout my closet, drawers and in bins under my bed so I'm bound to fit in something from each size over time, right? Say the sizes I have are 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 (I wish). Let's just say I'm wearing an 8 right now and I hope to get down to
a 2, respectively.

This is my "throw away" pile, conveniently on the floor. It's mostly lingerie, I would not donate or sell lingerie, that's just gross. Although I don't think I've worn any of it longer than a few minutes anyway ;)

Here's my closet after ridding it of all unecessary stuff, I only left in there what I have worn in the last month. I still need to work on the top shelf and the floor of my closet but for now I'm very proud of what I accomplished.

Look at how much space! I should fill it quickly, shouldn't I??

I have a mild obsession with totes and small handbags if you hadn't noticed the top shelf there! More than half of my little bags I have never used, I just really love buying them.

Here's the floor of my closet, I actually organized it a couple months ago and it was looking pretty good until I decided to store my crochet stuff in there! The American Eagle box contains my crochet hooks, patterns, scissors and misc. things while the basket it's sitting in holds some yarn. There's also some more yarn off to the left in a plastic shopping bag that I recently purchased.

Most of my friends know that I served in the Air Force Reserves for 10 years. This is what's left of my BDU's (Battle Dress Uniforms for you civilians), I have two sets and two sets of maternity. I've listed them on craigslist and will probably put them out in my yard sale this weekend. I've been discharged from the Air Force for nearly a year but have been holding on to them since. Sentimental, not really, but maybe. It will be officially one year March 31st, which coincidentally is also my birthday!

And I've also got my blues! All pressed and ready to wear! Hope someone else can use them, they're actually pretty expensive.

Here are the final piles, as you can see, the 2 "donate" piles turned into 3 and the "keep for storage" pile is rather small.

I ran out of room on the bed for "donate" items so here are some more!

Another view of the piles, I've got some bikinis sitting there for donation, I know I'll never wear those EVER again! Not with the stretch marks my darling Keaton tore into me.

And this is funny cause I'm always complaining that we don't have enough hangers and my husband always says I'm hoarding them in my closet. He was right. Now I've got loads of extra hangers!!!

Wordless Wednesday