Mistakes in Motherhood

Another fun day at the market, I got some killer deals at King Soopers (Kroger owned chain) today to include $39.70 in manufacturer coupons, $7.40 in coupons they doubled, $69.13 in Sooper Card Savings for a total of $116.23 saved…. this on $141.44 worth of groceries, a savings of 45%!! I got 103 items total from almost every single isle. I got quite a few freebies too, some Hefty Onezip freezer bags, a toothbrush, and 2 cans of Carnation evaporated milk for cooking. I also got 4 bottles of Tylenol for 50 cents each, a bottle of Dial handsoap for 40 cents, a tube of Colgate toothpaste for 50 cents, you get the point. Oh, and General Mills Cereals were $1.17 a box, we use this as snacks after school and stuff, for breakfast my kids don’t eat sweet cereals. I wish I had discovered how much fun couponing is years ago! What a blast to budget $200 for groceries…have it total $257.67, swipe your card and watch it drop to $188.44. Then he started to swipe my coupons and I kept having to put $20′s back into the envelope until he finally finished. All the while, Matthew was taking 1c rides on the mechanical horse ride. He took 3 rides on the horse in the time it took them to fill my 6 cloth bags (and some plastic bags for the meat & cleaners) with my groceries.

Today was our introduction class to Financial Peace University, it was a lot of fun. We start next Sunday evening and they watch our kiddos for free, wahoo! The classes are two hours long and run for 13 weeks. Best $99 we ever spent for a lifetime membership w/ unlimited classes (plus a work book, CDs, envelope system, & textbook). We will probably go back through with the kids when they are 16 or 17.

No Comments | In: Frugal, not cheap! | tags: Family, Finances. | #

Saw my primary doc, she says she does not feel she can rule out (or diagnose) Lupus… she says some of the notes in her chart indicate I may have it, and my blood work does not look promising, but on the same hand I am pretty much not really showing many symptoms. We have two rheumitologists in town, one that she likes and one that she LOVES. She put in a referral to the ones she loves, but warned me I will have a 6-8 month wait to get in. She says if I start showing symptoms before that she can get me in with the other doc just until the ones she recommended can get me in.

Sophie’s rash is nearly gone, and I can still see a few little red dots on her scalp, they are darker looking though, like little birth marks.

For those of you who have been telling me they don’t know what Lupus is, here is a summary from The Lupus Foundation of America:

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect various parts of the body, including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys and brain. Normally the body’s immune system makes proteins called antibodies, to protect the body against viruses, bacteria, and other foreign materials. These foreign materials are called antigens.

In an autoimmune disorder like lupus, the immune system cannot tell the difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues. The immune system then makes antibodies directed against itself. These antibodies — called “auto-antibodies” (auto means ‘self’) — cause inflammation, pain and damage in various parts of the body.

And the symptoms can include any number of the below.

* Achy joints / arthralgia (95 percent)
* Fever of more than 100 degrees F / 38 degrees C (90 percent)
* Arthritis / swollen joints (90 percent)
* Prolonged or extreme fatigue (81 percent)
* Skin Rashes (74 percent)
* Anemia (71 percent)
* Kidney Involvement (50 percent)
* Pain in the chest on deep breathing / pleurisy (45 percent)
* Butterfly-shaped rash across the cheeks and nose (42 percent)
* Sun or light sensitivity / photosensitivity (30 percent)
* Hair loss (27 percent)
* Abnormal blood clotting problems (20 percent)
* Raynaud’s phenomenon / fingers turning white and/or blue in the cold (17 percent)
* Seizures (15 percent)
* Mouth or nose ulcers (12 percent)

So it is pretty obvious to see why I am so scared right now and am hoping I somehow am getting a false positive on my ANA bloodtests.

1 Comment | In: This is how I roll | tags: Health, Me. | #

Bobby and I voted for the first time ever this year, I am 29 and he is 31 and we have been BAD by not setting a good example for our children. I am not sure why, I remember my parents taking me to the polls every 4 years and telling me the importance of voting, but I guess when we were living in Texas in 2000 and did *not* support Bush, but we lived in a state where we knew he would win the majority and get the electoral vote, no matter how we voted and so I just did not care enough to go in.

I still don’t agree with the electoral system, but oh well. The last week I have been talking to my kids about how important it is to vote, no matter what state they reside in. We took 3 of the 4 with us when we went to vote, but Chris had to get to class since the line was about 90 minutes long.

Anyways, I hope my children do as I say and not as we did and take the responsibility of voting more serious than we did.

No Comments | In: A lot about nothing | tags: A lot about nothing, Advocacy, Confessions, Family. | #

When Matthew was a toddler, my sister got him this super cool ball for his birthday, it is squishy and bumpy and cool.

Sophie decided today that this ball resembled her food source, and tried to nurse from all the little nubs of the ball.

She almost looks guilty for being caught in the act.

I love this picture.

Look how good her rash is looking!

2 Comments | In: Uncategorized | tags: Humor, Photography, Silliness, Sophia. | #

Sophie had her follow up derm appointment, she had the ANA antibodies too, so her official diagnosis is neonatal lupus. Her pediatrician checked her out on Friday and is referring her to a pediatric rheumatologist (arthritis dr, since Lupus (SLE) is a connective joint disease) and a pediatric cardiologist (heart doctor, neonatal lupus can cause heart problems). Her ped assured me that neonatal lupus will not stay with her past infant-hood, and she won’t have any issues when she becomes a mother.

I have an appointment with my primary care provider on Tuesday to discuss my own labs and see if she feels I need a referral for more testing.

Then on Thursday I needed to go back to my GYNs office… my IUD was coming out after only two weeks…my body was rejecting it. Crap, so much for 10 year birth control. She put another one in, but I already feel like it too is being rejected… if that happens I don’t know WHAT we will do since any other method that I tolerate is contraindicated with breastfeeding. Please oh PLEASE let my little copper friend stick around this time!

Also on Friday I asked Bobby to look up his tracking for his books that showed they were out for delivery here in town for the last 3 days. Turns out the books decided to take an unscheduled visit to Tennessee. Last reports say it is back here in the state and will hopefully arrive Monday or Tuesday so Bobby can have them for the classes that started last week.

Trick or treating was fun, I wish I had taken pictures, but the “shop from home” ToT challenge was a success. Matthew wore a Hawaiian shirt, floppy hat, sunglasses and a camera and was the cutest “tourist” ever, he got so much candy. Christopher was Harry Potter, and looked so cute, Austin was a reaper, and Sophie was a little pink bear thanks to a little snowsuit Aunt Angie sent her.

Christopher turned 11 yesterday too, I can’t believe 11 years ago I was a mama for the first time… He was such a good baby, he rarely complained about anything.

Miss Sophie was up until 3am last night, I am so tired!

No Comments | In: A lot about nothing | tags: A lot about nothing, Austin, Christopher, Family, Finances, Holidays, Insanity, Lame-o, Matthew, Me, Memories, Parenting, Pregnancy, Ramblings, Ranting, Sleep Deprivation, Sophia. | #