Couponing

Now, this is not really related to the three girls, but couponing has become an obsession of mine. It is really weird how I look forward to Sundays and Wednesdays... and church has nothing to do with it.

Sunday mornings bring the Daily Oklahoman with several coupon circulars. The Daily Ardmoreite's Wednesday paper has the Homeland circular inside. I am constantly online (I have learned how to nurse a newborn and surf the internet at the same time... I'm really good at "pecking" the keyboard) searching for coupons, cheap groceries, and great deals.

I am addicted to finding the best bargain when I am grocery shopping.

I use the Homeland circular to find items really cheap and then hopefully match a coupon to that item. I keep a running total for each week as to how much my "main" grocery items cost, so I know it this is the best deal on them or not. The best part about Homeland? They DOUBLE COUPONS! That is the sweetest deal!

My most frequented website is now couponmom.com. It has links to several sites with free printable coupons. I have saved a few hundred dollars in the last few weeks by couponing and circular shopping.

Yes, I still visit Wal-Mart, but only because I like some of their products better. Check out the buttons I just put on my site from Coupon Cravings and Keeping the Kingdom First. They are awesome. Yes, I know I sound insane, but at least my insanity comes cheaply!

Meleah's birth story

Well, this story is not for the faint-of-heart. I have no qualms about going into detail about the births of my daughters, so if you are a bit squeemish, I recommend you bypass this blog. Shane and I went to the hospital on the evening of Tuesday, September 2. I needed antibiotics because I tested positive for Group B Strep. Unfortunately, I am allergic to the main medication that treats strep, so I had to come in the night before to receive two doses of another med. I also took a pill to soften my cervix (which was supposed to help me dilate faster the next day. I got up at 5 am on Wednesday to take a shower and "get ready" for delivery. That means, I did my hair and make-up. I wanted to look good for all those pictures. At 6 am, Shane and I made our way down to Labor and Delivery. The "plan" was that I would be given Pitocin (to bring on contractions) and they would eventually break my water. For my other girls' births, Shane, Barbara, Mom, and Kristi were all right there with me, while Dad, Ronnie, my neices, and brother-in-law Griff were on the other side of the curtain. Even Abby Grace was there for Reese's birth! That was the plan for this time, of course.

Before my nurse could administer the Pitocin, I had two contractions less than a minute apart. She decided to wait on the Pitocin. A little bit later, they took my blood pressure, and it was high (of course... I'm in labor!), so they made me lay on my left side to re-take it. I felt a "pop" in my stomach and a "whoosh!" of something down below. I looked at my nurse and Shane and said, "Um, I think my water broke." Yup, it did, all by itself. I was really excited because I actually went into labor by myself. They checked me, and I was only dilated to a 3 (you have to get to 10), so we figured it would still be awhile. It didn't take long, and the contractions started to hurt. And, I wasn't getting a break; they were constant. I have a high pain tolerance, but I really didn't understand why they hurt so badly; neither of my other births felt like this. I said something to the nurse, she offered pain medication, and I said I would wait. I have always had an epidural (it numbs from the waist down), and planned on having one this time. WRONG! I told Shane that I felt pressure, and wanted to push. I finally decided that I might want some IV meds, when the nurse checked me again. Now remember, this is around 7:30 am. I've only been in labor for a little over an hour. Abby Grace was 22 hours, Reese took 11 hours. The nurse's eyes got HUGE and she said, "You aren't going to believe this, but you are a 9 and ready!" That's when the chaos started. My two nurses were running around, getting the tools and pads and baby stuff ready as fast as they could. It was quite comical. They gave me the IV meds really fast and kept telling me not to push. I didn't push, but she was coming anyway. The midwife wasn' there yet because it was right at shift change. One of the nurses ran to get the doctor on call. He was getting ready for a c-section. He comes running in, trying to get his gown on, and says, "I'm going to try to get these gloves on before I catch this baby." Meleah was coming without any help from me, and the doctor didn't know if he was going to have to get her bare-handed! As soon as those gloves were on, her head came. Three pushes total (and that's because they made me stop), and she was born. But, even though I didn't push, she was coming anyway.
It is the most incredible feeling to give birth. It didn't hurt at all. It was so awesome. I watched the entire thing. It was just Shane and me (and one doctor, and two nurses). The doctor was in our room less than five minutes. Meleah came in about 2 minutes. Meleah Faye Estelle was born at 8:00 am on Wednesday, September 3, 2008. She weighed 7 lbs, 4.9 oz, and was 19.6 inches long. She is perfect.