***September Chat Thread***

**TaylorAna** · 10-01-2012, 10:23 AM

Mia, I have ZERO energy. I make myself do two things during the day- straighten the living room and vacuum (it's not very big so it's not bad), and do the dishes/wipe counters/sweep (kitchen). If I get those done, I'm good.

I started an iron supplement and it's helping a LITTLE. When they test my hemoglobin on Friday, I'll find out if I need a larger amount. I have chronic anemia and my normal midwife told me even though my iron was "normal" during my 7 week bloodwork, it wasn't really good- it was 12.9. The minimum normal is 12, I think. She said ALL women's iron drops in the second trimester, mine just probably dropped too low because it was on the low end of normal to begin with.

We can't go grocery shopping until tomorrow, when our card gets loaded. I have to make it budget out better but that's so hard to do when we're SO low right now. Literally- we have a splash of milk, 1 egg, 3 slices of bread, no snack food whatsoever. We're out of basics like that, including ALL meat, ketchup, mayo, etc. How in the world do I budget $100 a week when replacing everyday things will most likely add up to my total anyways?

**lby_mommyof3** · 10-01-2012, 12:13 PM

Mia--I have been thinking about talking to my dr. about my low energy. On Saturday, I hardly did anything, but by 4, I HAD to have a nap or I wasn't going to make it thru the day! Thank goodness the big kids were home to help with the little girls!

Taylor--I hate grocery shopping! Everything is SO expensive these days (and rising). We budget a little more than you do a week, but we also have some stuff stocked up and it's hard to keep things up.

I started buying diapers last week! I have 1 pkg of newborn size. I will prob just buy 1s now. Shaylee keeps asking to go potty...I'm not ready for potty training again, but it would help to only have 1 in diapers...I might just pull out the potty seat for now...we'll see.
*VENT* I am about out of patience with my little girls! I feel like I can hardly turn my back on them for 2 seconds without them getting into something/fighting, etc. I don't know what to do. I'm trying to be consistent with my discipline, but I am out of energy. I have been trying to use "Love and Logic", but I think I need to listen to the cds again...So frustrated...
*End vent*

**TaylorAna** · 10-01-2012, 01:46 PM

Lisa, I actually LOVE grocery shopping. As in, my favorite thing to do. I just suck at budgeting. I need to meal plan but when we're home for 3 meals a day, it gets so complicated and expensive.

Did you watch more Once Upon a Time? I have 2 theories on who Dr.Whale is (it won't be revealed until ep 5 of this season) and no one I know watches the series so I have nobody to discuss it with!

**lby_mommyof3** · 10-01-2012, 04:43 PM

Taylor--the only time I enjoy grocery shopping is when I get to go alone....or alone with DH. If I have to take kids, it's too much of a chore to enjoy right now. I will try to think of some cheap meals to share with you. Do you like to cook? Do you cook from scratch much?

I watched 1 more episode of Once Upon A Time...I'm not very far into it--the mayor just crushed the sheriff's heart. Who is Dr. Whale??? Maybe I need to watch more, but it will have to wait--DH is off for the next 4 days and the kids are out of school for fall break on Thursday and Friday--which I think is silly since we've only been in school for a month...oh well!

It's quiet time right now...for about 20 more minutes. Ahhhh! I started working on a Halloween craft I found on Pinterest. I will share pics when it is done--hopefully it turns out okay.

**TaylorAna** · 10-01-2012, 05:58 PM

I can't you the major hint they gave because it will spoil two big episodes toward the end (The one with Red's background and the one with Belle's). Captain Hook premieres on episode 4 of this season, Dr.Whale's episode is ep 5. I'm almost positive he's either Peter Pan OR King Triton (remember, ABC is owned by Disney. Alot of these characters are presented to make sure you know this) from the Little Mermaid, who's supposed to happen in this season too.

The series will get really slow about ten episodes in but keep watching because it gets SO good. One of the best episodes involves the Mad Hatter.

I'm learning to cook. I've pinned a bunch of stuff to try. I have a fear of cooking with dough/yeast but I found alot of recipes that uses Rhodes dough so I'm going to get a bag of it to try.

**lby_mommyof3** · 10-01-2012, 07:41 PM

Taylor--why are you afraid to cook with yeast? It is really easy. If you want to give it a try, I will tell you the tricks (that I know of). I just made a recipe from pinterest today--so easy. It called for ready-made pizza dough, but I made some bread today and used my own dough. We are having it for dinner...if it's good, I will pass on the recipe.

**MissMia** · 10-01-2012, 08:02 PM

Grocery shopping can be blissful (alone or with just DH) but prices are tough. I just took a couponing class the other week as I'm awful at that but want to use it more. It's nice knowing you can get a little more out of things with them, and if you get into buying even some non grocery items at pharmacies (CVS Rite Aid Walgreens), you can stack your coupons on top of whatever rewards/discounts you get there. I haven't started doing the pharmacy part but I want to do it even just partially to save more money.

I find meal planning helps a ton in cutting down on our budget, though it's hard when you have to stock up on essentials and you're low on everything. It seems like to get good discounts on things like meat, you have to shop when it's about to be the sell by date (which is totaly fine quality wise). I wouldn't mind except I only have time for one shopping trip not 3, especially with DD.

Lisa - I'm sorry about the girls! I would be at a loss. DD is pushing major boundries lately and while I too try to be consistent, it's challenging to keep your patience when you're not seeing results. I am constantly telling myself "this too will pass" on tough days and cherish the easier ones. I hope you're able to get some energy back!

DD's patience testing has been a little trying but she's usually fine unless she's bored and we're stuck in the house. I love rainy days but thankfully we have a play date tomorrow so that should wear her out a bit. I've been waking up in the night around 3 am and it's so annoying. It's around when DH has to get up anyway, but I usually just go back to sleep when he's gone. DD has also been waking up once a night between 3-4 thanks to her teething but I wake up even when she doesn't and can't get back to sleep until 5 some mornings. I'm thinking of taking some benadryl (sp) one night as an experiment as much as I hate to take anything. I wake up feeling like I haven't slept at all but thankfully it hasn't effected my mood too much.

**TaylorAna** · 10-01-2012, 10:38 PM

Lisa, I found this recipe The Royal Cook: White Rolls/Cinnamon Rolls that I'm going to try tomorrow. I have a coupon for Fleischman's yeast so I'm going to pick up a packet tomorrow.

The only reason I'm now encouraged to make it is I found a super easy recipe for cinnamon honey butter that right now I'm craving so badly I can't stand it!

Mia, Brandon has been testing my patience lately. Gone are my mornings of free time. He wakes up at 8:30-9 now and does.not.nap. Or rather, he falls asleep around 8:30 pm for an hour and then gets up and running again. I'm so tired.

I think I've been having Braxton Hicks all day. Really sharp, clenching pains in my stomach that I have to breathe through but don't start at or go near my lower back? Am I correct in what I'm feeling? I don't know how every pregnancy makes me feel more stupid than before.