33 weeks

So much has happened since my last post and I really started out wanting to write every week but I've been so tired and so busy with other things that it just hasn't happened. I'll at least try to capture the highlights from the last few weeks. Brittney and I have had several very good coupon classes lately and some not so good classes... One of the not so good classes was an hour away and at a church. Since it was at a church, they requested that we not take up the usual fee, but instead, let them take up a donation at the end. We had been there before and done that very same thing and it turned out fine. Well this time, I counted the donation before we left and counted out $44 and SOME CHANGE. Ask me how insulted I was that someone had dug in their pocket for some dimes to throw in there. Ok, I'll tell you... VERY. Keep in mind that I'm pregnant and pretty hormonal at times so I was desperately trying to keep my emotions under control when I realized that this group of 13 ladies was going to send us home with 22 dollars apiece and NO gas fee, which was required for this class since it was an hour's drive for us (even further for me, since I had to drive about 20 minutes to get to Brittney's house). Brittney looked at me and said "I'm gonna take this stuff to the car, ok?" because she doesn't like confrontation and didn't want to deal with talking to the lady that hosted the class. Fine. I was irritated enough that I was going to say something, whether Brittney was going to stay with me or not. I calmly informed the lady when she asked if the donation was enough that "no, it is less than half of what we were expecting and normally receive." She and another lady nervously looked back and forth at each other and said "well I guess we can write you a check for the difference." And when I told her the difference was $83 dollars, she proceeded to look at the other lady and said "I guess we can write a check and mail it to them for $80, right?" And I wanted to say, NO actually I said 83 dollars, not 80!!!! But I didn't. Then a few minutes later I heard the ladies talking and one of them said "Yeah, we can vote on it at church." Um, excuse me? Vote on WHAT exactly? Whether or NOT you will send me the rest of the money you owe me? Ok, now I am officially ticked. Get me outa here. This was a few weeks ago. Have I received a check in the mail? NO. Let me just stop here.

Ok, next bad class we had... The directions said "go past the brick house and we live behind there." My first thought (for some reason) was that this was going to be in a trailor. Nothing wrong with living in a trailor, I was just concerned about space for 10 people plus us, plus all our stuff we bring. Sure enough, we roll down a gravel drive past the brick house, past the pasture with BULLS (YES BULLS!) to a trailor. Ding Ding Ding. I win. I knew it was a trailor. Still not a bad thing. However, Mr. Husband of the lady who is hosting the class is outside puffing away on a cigarette. THAT is a bad thing. THEN, Mrs. I am hosting this coupon class comes out the side door of the trailor puffing on a cigarette. DOUBLE BAD thing!!! Brittney and I look at each other, terrified, and mouth "we gotta get outa here!!!" BUT, we did the honorable thing and unloaded the car, and walked inside, where immediately upon entering I gag. The cigarette smell is overwhelming. Why? Because they clearly smoke INSIDE their house. There are ash trays EVERYWHERE. I was mortified. All I could think about was my baby and how I shouldn't be around smoke, let alone how much I HATE the smell of cigarettes. We got all our stuff set up and sat down to wait for the guests to arrive and after 3 ladies got there the host looked at us and said, "Ok, there's one more coming and then we can start." UH... wait, did you say just ONE more lady coming or ONE HUNDRED? Because I could have sworn you said "ONE" and we have a requirement that states a minimum of 10 people have to attend the class, otherwise the host has to pay for the difference. Why do we have that requirement? For exactly this reason, classes that we take time to prepare for, drive to, and conduct, not to mention all the refreshments and supplies we provide so we want it to be worth our time. We ended up teaching the fast coupon class in the history of A Penny Filled Pantry. Not joking. It was a matter of life and death. Well maybe not that serious, but our health was certainly at risk!

As far as other happenings in my life, I went to Northern VA for a college girlfriends reunion weekend at Susan's new house. We had so much fun! We got there Friday night for Susan's housewarming party and boy, does she throw a great party! There were a ton of people there and she was so prepared! I was impressed for sure. PLUS, her new house is fabulous and I'm so happy for her! She and her dad spent a ton of time remodeling and the results are awesome. I'm particularly jealous of the heated tile floors in her bathroom! Yes, heated! Then Saturday morning we got up and Whitney, Susan, and Laura surprised Sierra and I with a baby shower brunch!! Sierra and I had no idea and it was so sweet of them!! Here's a picture of the cute cake they got for us and some of the yumminess... Thanks to Whitney, Susan, Laura and Susan's mom for making us feel so special and so loved! Then that afternoon we went to Susan's parents' house to swim in the pool and it was so relaxing. It was just what I needed because being weightless for a few hours is absolutely fabulous when you are carring around 30 pounds more than you are used to! There was one downer to the weekend, and that was that Whitney's GPS and laptop were stolen out of her car and she had to leave Saturday night because she had to redo a presentation for work. Bummer =( I was so sad that happened, especially because I know Whitney was concerned since it was her work laptop. BUT, at least it was things... things that can be replaced... and not Whitney, because there is no replacing Whitney! So Whit, as sad as I am for you losing your gps and laptop, I'm really glad you're ok!!! That night Susan, Sierra and I went to dinner and then on a little coupon outing... and by this, I mean I needed to use a couple of coupons because they were expiring or the sale was ending or something. At any rate we went to Walmart and got 22 tubs of Pampers baby wipes and some Sour Patch Kids for $2. We were pretty excited! Then, apparently I was on a roll with my free stuff because we went to rent a movie at Redbox and got it for free using a code I had! Woohoo! All in all, it was a fabulous weekend and I realize every time we get together, just how much I miss my girlfriends and how grateful I am to have made such wonderful lifelong friends. Makes me miss college =)

I'll have to post some more pictures when I have time...

How far along? 33 weeks 4 days

Weight gain? 29 pounds... when I went to the doctor last week and got on the scale I was ecstatic to see that I had only gained ONE pound in THREE weeks!!! Who knows, maybe I'll keep the weight gain to a minimum the rest of the time and might possibly stay within the "healthy 25-35 pound weight gain" for my pre-pregnancy BMI!

maternity clothes? For the most part. I can't remember the last time I wore a pair of non-maternity pants, other than my PJs... on the other hand, I've bought some maxi-dresses lately that aren't maternity, which is nice, because I'll be able to wear them after he gets here too.

Sleep? Oh how I miss thee... I've been getting up 2-4 times a night to go to the bathroom and I've started waking myself up because I'm crying so hard because my hips hurt. The other day Brandon looked at me and said "It makes me so sad when you wake up crying in the middle of the night" and I hadn't even realized I'd still been doing that. I remember most nights when I wake up crying but not all. The pain in my hips is so bad that I can hardly stand it and I think exhaustion is the only thing that gets me back to sleep.

stretch marks? none so far... I'm keeping an eye out for those bad boys though because I know my tummy is stretching tighter than ever now, but Brandon just checked yesterday for me and didn't see any... whew!

belly button in or out? Out. And very clean. =)

Best moment this week? Brandon laying his cheek on my belly and feeling baby boy kick him

movement? This is a crazy question. I feel like I must have the most active child ever. Now, he has his moments when he'll sleep, but then there are times where, for an hour or more at a time, he will kick nonstop and squirm and wiggle and move all around. He's figured out that at night, when I lay down and am still, he can get up and dance and move all over the place... I sure hope this doesn't mean his days and nights are mixed up.

food cravings? candy. I can only imagine that I am making up for sweets making me gag in my first trimester because really the only thing I want to eat ever is candy. Like fruity flavored candy. Chewy Sprees, regular Sprees, nerds, pixi stix, pez, sour patch kids, etc... you get the idea...

Food aversions? coffee

what I'm looking forward to... going to pick up our crib this weekend and painting and wallpapering the nursery (finally)!

milestones.... BabyCenter.com says this week he should be about 4 pounds, like a pineapple! how cute!