The new "New Moms" thread!

[ImarriedGrumpy]

Hooray! I had a "mini mommy makover"! (no, I'm not a mini mommy, it was a mini makover! )

I had my hair cut, my eyebrows (and upper lip ) waxed, and I bought two cute new summery tops. I feel like a whole new mommy! Maybe next week while DH is off of work I can go get a mani-pedi, too.

For the last, oh, 14 years or so I've been on a 2 year hair cycle so I can donate my hair to Locks of Love. Every 2 years I get it whacked off and send in the ponytail, and then I let it grow out for two years. I LOVE having short hair now, but DH (of course) likes it longer. So he's always sad when I get it all cut off. This time I just walked in and said "I have a 6 month old baby and I don't have time to mess around with my hair, but I'm tired of feeling frumpy and looking like I don't care what I look like. I need at least a 10 inch ponytail to donate to LofL, but otherwise, have at it." And it turned out great! Kind of an A-line cut, longer in the front, shorter in the back and layered. Super easy to take care of - I got out of bed this morning and ran a brush through it and ta da! It still looked good! But I can also take the time to style it if I want, and she showed me a couple different ways I can do it.

Oh, it's so nice to not feel frumpy!! Now if I could just get my body to cooperate and lose those last 15 pounds. (I gained 47lbs with Owen!!! )

 

[ashjohnson80]

QOTD:

Name: Ash or Ashley is fine too, doesn't matter
Age 27
Location: South Carolina
Kids: Ellery almost 7 months
Occupation: SAHM/baby clothes, tote bags, jewelry designer

 

[7beasley]

Yeah Bethany for mini makeovers!! Sounds fun!!

Jenny - so cool that you make cards.

There are alot of SAHM on her -- quite frankly - I am SO jealous!!! I would LOVE to be a SAHM...I am trying to work it so I can go part time in the next year or so...I am so very burnt out at work and really just want to stay home and hang with Izzy.

Holly - thanks for the blog info -- I will give it a try!

Christina - good luck with the Masters program. How exciting.

Hi Sherry - welcome! Congrats about Noah.

Hi Stacy -- I am in MA too!

Hi Ash and Michelle and Denise and everyone!!!

**************
Becky - CVSing -- check out the budget board for more info but basically it works like this....CVS has a weekly flyer and a monthly flyer and in each flyer they have a bunch of products that give you back Extra Care Bucks (ECB) if you buy that product. For example - buy 2 Coopertones and get $5 in ECB.

The simplest example is say you need to get cold medicine and you go into CVS and the cold medicine is $6.99. You could pay your 6.99 and leave with your cold medicine OR as the CVSers do -- you could check the flyer and see that if you buy $7 in toothbrushes you get $7 in extra care bucks back. So you get the toothbrushes and cold medicine and go up to the register and you buy ONLY the toothbrushes for $7 and hand the cashier $7 cash and she gives you a receipt that has a $7 ECB at the bottom. Then, you hand her the cold medicine and to pay for it you give her the $7 ECB. So - for the same $7 you got cold medicine AND toothbrushes!

CVSing really works if you couple the ECB with manufactuer coupons. I have done it twice now.

The first time I needed toothpaste and biore strips (which would have been about $11)--- so after scoping out the CVS flyer - here is what I did.

Went in and bought 2 Garnier face scrubs that were 5.99 each ($11.98 total) and by buying 2 Garnier face scrubs I got $10 in ECB.

Then I bought 3 packs of Biore (because Biore was spend $20 and get $10 in ECB) and so the 3 packs were $21 minus the previous $10 ECB so I spent $11 out of pocket and got another $10 back in ECB.

Then I bought 2 mouthwashes and 2 tubes of toothpaste which cost $11. I used my $10 ECB adn a $1 coupon and therefore paid $0 for all that stuff AND got back $7 in ECB.

Then, for my last transaction I bought 3 Nivea Shave Gels for my husband. THey cost $12 minus the $7 in ECB from the last transaction and I had a $5 manufacuter coupon so that cost me $0 plus I got a $5 ECB back.

So for that one trip to CVS I got:
*2 Garnier Face Scrubs
*3 Biore products
*2 Mouthwashes
*2 Tubes of TOothpaste
*3 Nivea Shave Gels

And the Out of Pocket Cost for me was $23. I had prepared to go into CVS and buy 1 thing of toothpaste and 1 packae of Biore for $11 -- so for $12 more I got 2 face scrubs, 2 more biores, 2 mouthwashes, another toothpaste and 3 shave gels...I thought I did pretty good!

The secret to CVSing is that you have to combine manufacuters coupons with the CVS sales AND you have to buy the products in a particular order to maximize your ECB and minimize your out of pocket costs.

I won't bore you with my second trips transactions but suffice it to say that for $18 OOP and using ECB and manufacturers coupons I bought:
*20 soy granola bars
*2 tubes of toothpaste
*3 toothbrushes
*1 conditioner
*24 rolls of toilet paper
*16 rolls of paper towels
*2 packages of bandaids

AND I have $12 in ECB in my wallet for next week.

It really is fun -- I don't know if I explained it good enough -- but I learned from the threads on the budget board - check those out -- also check out Hot Coupon World (google it) - they have a CVS board.

The only "problem" with CVSing is that you end up buying stuff in bulk and sometimes buying stuff you really don't need because its free (or basically free). I am kind of figuring that my siblings/friends might get some very nice toiletry baskets for xmas -- but since you can walk into CVS and buy nothing (shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, deoderant, shave gel...) and spend $50 I figure its not a terrible gift!

Questions - ask away!!

-Nicole

 

[kellyf2626]

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Introduce yourself with your "stats"....Name, Age, Where do you Live, what do you do, how many kids etc...

WOW - I have never seen this page so active! Nice job mammas!!

Name: Kelly
Age: 30
Location: New Hampshire
Kids: Brady, 10 months
Occupation: Mostly a SAHM - I am a speech-language pathologist and consult ~8 hours/wk for a local school district (while my mom comes up and plays with Brady).

Just realized there are a bunch of us from MA/NH....we should all meet for a playdate with our little ones!!

Becky...how did the dentist go? I need to go back on Monday for a root canal....just lovely.... then back again for a crown. Yuck....I keep telling myself that it can't be worse than childbirth, right?

 

[7beasley]

Just realized there are a bunch of us from MA/NH....we should all meet for a playdate with our little ones!!

Sounds fun...I would be game!

Good luck with the root canal!

 

[beckmrk04]

Ok, Nicole, now I have to try that. That's awesome that you can get so much stuff for so little! Do you have to be a member of that card/club thing they have, or do you just read the flyer and do your thing?

CVS always does have good deals, but it's in an out-of-the-way spot for me, so I don't go too often. But, it would be worth it to change my route home every once in a while to get great deals. And I totally get a thrill when I get deals like that, too!!

Bethany- hooray on the haircut. I swear a good haircut can instantly make a girl feel super sexy, even if you have some extra pounds (or in my case, lots of extras).

There are a lot of SAHM here! If we could swing in financially, I'd be there too, but there's no way right now, especially since DH is going back to school this fall. But, it will all work out in the long run.

I'm still hoping to hear from that breastfeeding peer counselor position. I sent my resume and application two weeks ago today. If I don't hear anything by next week I am going to call and follow up. Keep your fingers crossed for me girls- I want that job!!!

 

[kellyf2626]

Good luck with the root canal!

Thanks Nicole!!

 

[beckmrk04]

Becky...how did the dentist go? I need to go back on Monday for a root canal....just lovely.... then back again for a crown. Yuck....I keep telling myself that it can't be worse than childbirth, right?

It was fine. I had a filling in one tooth and I have to get a crown on the other. It is going to cost $366 AFTER our insurance pays. Stupid teeth.

Half my face was numb all day today, but I feel just fine now.

AND- here is the big accomplishment: I was able to not gag!!!! That is huge for me. My dentist was so proud I thought I might get a gold star.

 

[kellyf2626]

It was fine. I had a filling in one tooth and I have to get a crown on the other. It is going to cost $366 AFTER our insurance pays. Stupid teeth.

Half my face was numb all day today, but I feel just fine now.

AND- here is the big accomplishment: I was able to not gag!!!! That is huge for me. My dentist was so proud I thought I might get a gold star.

Nice job not gagging! The dentist told me they are calling my insurance company tomorrow to see how much of the root canal they will cover....they said probably 80%. Sounds great, but I have no idea what the actual cost is. So, we will see what the final bill is!

I think the thing I am most nervous about is having that dental-dam thing in my mouth...I feel like I am suffocating....yuck.....

 

[mrs.explorer1977]

Hey Ladies!

QOTD:
Name: Melanie
Age: 27
Location: Ontario (am I the only one from the great white North??)
Kids: Colin, 2 weeks shy of 1 year...and that's it for now...
Occupation: HR Administrator



I think Colin's leg/ankle/foot/whatever is getting better -- he's crawling more on it today and starting to cruise again. We went to our family doc and she said it was likely just a sprain or something, but sent us for hip xrays anyway. Of course, she's off on vacation tomorrow, so we won't find out the results until Monday, but whatever. Hopefully it just keeps getting better! Thanks to everyone for the well wishes!

Denise -- Colin fell off the bed once too -- and we were BOTH standing right there! Boy, did we ever feel like parents of the year! Thankfully, DH caught him by the leg before he hit the ground too hard, because he was kind of falling head first!!

Bethany -- YAY for mini makeovers! I got my hair styled for a wedding we went to last Friday and I felt HOT when I was done! It was great! DH didn't see me until the reception and he loved it!

So, I'm all inspired by all you bloggers -- I think I might have to start one too! Hmmmm....I wonder if I can find time to do that, AND scrapbook!! Of course, one might feed the other! ;-)

 

[7beasley]

Wow - today is the day for dentists...I had a stupid cleaning today - there was SO much scraping -- I HATE cleanings!! My teeth are still hurting from it and I have a headache from it to boot!!

Becky -- YES - you need the CVS card to do the deals - it won't work unless you give them your card first. But its free to get the card - just sign up.
Seriously - try it - its totally addicting!! I love piecing together the circular and figuring out which deals to do and which order to do them in - its seriously like a big game -- with lots of cheap/free stuff for prizes!! I too get a total thrill out of bargains/good deals!!

Hi Melanie - glad Colin is doing better! That must have been terrifying. I am dreading our first "major" boo-boo.

I wish it was Friday already -- it feels like a Friday - but its not and I have to go to work still tomorrow - which sucks! But - my DH and I are going to Tanglewood on Saturday for an all day date day outing (Tanglewood is an outdoor concert venue in Western MA) -- so I am excited about that. Izzy will be with my inlaws 1/2 the day and my BIL and his wife at night.

My BIL and his wife have been TTC for almost 3 years -- she just turned 33 - she is in total denial that something might be wrong. She watched me struggle with infertility and I know it has made her nervous - she is one of those "if I don't know about it then nothing is wrong" type of people - but I see her longing when she looks at Izzy and it breaks my heart. I finally convinced her that she MUST go see an RE and that 3 years of TTC means she needs some medical intervention and she agreed to go - she had her appt today but I don't want to call her and bug her about what hapened and she has not yet called me -- I was hoping she would. It makes me sad for her.

Hopefully her appt went well...it would be nice for our kids to be close in age and grow up together!

Ok - enough computer for me -- I am off to bed.

Have a good night ladies.

Talk to you all tomorrow!

-Nicole

 

[Jen_in_NH]

Holy cow, this thread is hopping!!

Kelly - meeting up sounds like a great idea! We should all try sometime.

All you dentist folks... you're braver than me. I've put it off for 2 years now (and had put it off for 10 years prior to that). I don't really mind it, it's just not hugely important to me for some reason.

MrsExplorer - hope Colin's x-rays went ok. I'm glad he's getting around a bit better. That's a good sign.

Becky - watch out for the CVSing. It's totally addictive I haven't gotten to the level of Nicole (I just buy everything at once, and have a ton of ECBs for next time). My usual big event with them is when they have the 10 ECBs with $20 worth of diapers. If I save all my diaper coupons until then, I make out fairly well. I don't use a ton of disposables, so I can wait for a few months.

 

[Pollito916]

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Introduce yourself with your "stats"....Name, Age, Where do you Live, what do you do, how many kids etc...

Name: Sara
Age: 27
Location: In HOT Mesa AZ, just moved 3 months ago from Chicago 'burbs
Occupation: I'm an internal auditor scared1: please don't hate me ) for an insurance company, work full time, but 2 days/wk from home
Kid: Alex, 16 months - we're thinking of maybe starting to try for another next year, but not really sure yet. I really want a little princess

I wish I had time to blog. I don't know how you all do it!

It was fine. I had a filling in one tooth and I have to get a crown on the other. It is going to cost $366 AFTER our insurance pays. Stupid teeth.

Half my face was numb all day today, but I feel just fine now.

AND- here is the big accomplishment: I was able to not gag!!!! That is huge for me. My dentist was so proud I thought I might get a gold star.

I'm glad you're feeling better. I can't stand the dentist b/c I always gag too. It is no fun.

I also can't believe how much it medical treatment costs when you have insurance. I had my appendix out in March, and I have insurance, but have paid over $1,500 oop for it, which seems crazy to me. My in-laws have no insurance, just gov't aid, and never pay for anything. So unfair.

I think Colin's leg/ankle/foot/whatever is getting better -- he's crawling more on it today and starting to cruise again.

I'm glad Colin's feeling better, hopefully he keeps feeling better over the weekend. Babies are so resilient, they just bounce right back!

My BIL and his wife have been TTC for almost 3 years -- she just turned 33 - she is in total denial that something might be wrong. She watched me struggle with infertility and I know it has made her nervous - she is one of those "if I don't know about it then nothing is wrong" type of people - but I see her longing when she looks at Izzy and it breaks my heart. I finally convinced her that she MUST go see an RE and that 3 years of TTC means she needs some medical intervention and she agreed to go - she had her appt today but I don't want to call her and bug her about what hapened and she has not yet called me -- I was hoping she would. It makes me sad for her.

That must be so hard to sit and watch. I hope everything went well w/your SIL's appt.

 

[HollyJoy]

Hi New moms, can I play here too? I just had a baby two weeks ago.

Name: Sherry
Location: Missouri
Age: 35
Occupation: SaHM
Children: Twins Andrew (9) and Macy (forever 7 in Heaven) and baby Noah (2 weeks 2 days)

I need to check out some of your blogs, because I'd really like to start one for Noah too.

Welcome aboard! I remember you from the Moms to Be board Congratulations

As for the whole CVS thing.. I never knew! LOL Will have to look into it!

 

[Tasha+Scott]

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Introduce yourself with your "stats"....Name, Age, Where do you Live, what do you do, how many kids etc...

Name: Tasha

Age: 27

Location: MS

Occupation: Was a SAHM until my dd was 15 months old and then went back to school. Finally graduated last month with an AAS degree in Health Information Management while nearly 8 months pregnant with Little Man and will be looking for a job in the next couple months if I can bring myself to do so while Cohen is still so small. We definitely need the extra income, especially since I will have to begin paying back my student loans soon. I'd love to find a job that will repay those for me as long as I work for them. I know they do that for nurses around here and am hoping to find a company that will do that for their RHITs as well. We'll see.

Kids: Kylie who is 3 and Cohen who is 9 days old now. Ironically, today would have been my actual due date. We are happy with the kids we have and dh will be looking into a vasectomy soon. We definitely feel our family is complete now. I had always wondered how you know when you are done but it's true what they say...you just know. I love having 2 kids and have been on since Cohen arrived!

In other news, Cohen was really jaundiced and has been on a biliblanket since last Sunday and going in for daily heel prick/billirubin level checks and today we finally got the news we had been hoping for. His levels are still not perfect but he's in a safe enough category that we were able to turn the blanket in and we are done with the daily heel pricks/check ups too. I am thrilled! It's been a long week dealing with all of that. This is just in time too since my paternal grandparents are in from Florida and coming to visit later. The last time I saw them was when they came to visit when Kylie was 2 weeks old so it's been more than 3 years since I saw them.

Thanks for all the blog information, ladies. I would love to start one now that Cohen is here but am just not sure if I can find the time. I would love to do it though as I love to write so I may look into it.

This is a fun thread and I love the QOTD.

 

[mrs.explorer1977]

I'm totally loving all the action this thread is seeing lately! We're getting new members because we're on the first page more often and YAY!!


So, I suspect I may be brainwashing Colin, Disney-style!! We record MMC each day and usually get around to watching it each day. Right now, My Friends Tigger and Pooh is on, and he was sitting in front of the TV completely mesmerized! Add to that all the Disney stuff we've got around the house, and the 3 trips to Disney the kid'll get before he's a year and a half (thank you DVC and annual passes!) and he's either going to grow up to LOOOOOVE Disney as much as DH and I do, or absolutely hate it! Hopefully it's the first!!


Well, we're off to our baby group! Thankfully the weather's nice (though stinky hot!) so the kidlets are going to play outside in the kiddy pool and at the water table! And, I'm happy to report that Colin's now standing on his leg , so I think he'll have fun at the water table!!

"See" you guys later!

 

[Tiggerlover91]

SOOOOOO....wanna know the kinda day I had yesterday????


My son rolled off the bed, I left my house keys hanging in the door! Got all the way to work and realized that! Drove back to get them of course coz I don't have a number of anyone in the neighborhood, none of us are really close. The ones across the street are cool and for future reference, I'll get theirs. Let's see what else.....I forgot to ring in a customer's appetizer at work AND I broke one of the glasses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

However, my manager DID get me off the floor SUPER early because we were dead. I walked in the door before 8:30 and hubby was like, was I okay? I was like yep...just dead at work! He made me a yummy dinner and I enjoyed the HELL out of my Hershey's w/ Almond bar!


And mind you, that drive back home was not an easy one. I'm 20 minutes away and I drove like a woman with a mission. I sometimes hit 85 in my car on the highway, I had my hazard lights on. My neighborhood isn't the worst, but you just DON'T leave your keys hanging in the door no matter where you live. And no...Mo was not with me! Thank gawd. He was already at the sitter. I was in the parking lot of my job when I discovered my BRILLIANT move!

SOOOOOO....how was everyone else's day?

 

[mrs.explorer1977]

My son rolled off the bed, I left my house keys hanging in the door!

Been there, done both of those!

Only, when I left my keys in the door, they included my car keys and we were home. I didn't realize that they were there until I opened the door for a door-to-door marketer...can you imagine if they had've just taken the keys and left in my vehicle?!!!

Our day was better than yours yesterday, even though it did include a trip to the doctor's and to get xrays! Colin was super tired and went to bed early, which was weird -- I'm used to having him up until 8:30-9:00 and he was in bed and asleep before 8!!

 

[Villain-lover]

I put some more pics of the twins in my snapfish album- look in the 7 month album. I swear they get cuter every day!!!

Sam & Zoe had their first twins club playgroup this week! We had fun, although they are older than the other babies. There is a set of B/G twins that are 4 months and B/B twins that are 3 months.

 

[randy0472]

Name: Lenore
Age: 33
Occupation: Business Intelligence Specialist . . . also known as a data analyst, number cruncher, etc. will start on my MBA on July 7
Children: daughter - almost 8 months old