Starbucks Gift Card Giveaway Winner

And the winner of the $10 Starbucks gift card is ... Cheapsk8mom!

Thanks for playing that was fun!

I'll plan to do another drawing for another gift card soon.

Starbucks Gift Card Giveaway

I'm going to give away a $10 Starbucks gift card...All you have to do is leave a comment letting me know your fave Starbucks drink. Please also leave your email address so I can contact the winner. The winner will be randomly selected on October 31st!


yummmm coffeeeee...

Coming Soon

There is now a realtors sign in our front lawn that says, "Coming Soon"...I'm so relieved. Although our house needs some touch up painting done, the backyard needs some grooming and the house needs a major cleaning we will have it done this week. The house will then be put on the market next Monday. I feel like I can start to relax a little.
In regards to the house we want, once our house is on the market we can make a contingent offer on the house we really want. Who knows if we'll get it but we'll see.
Here's what the outside looks like of the house we'd like.

Update: The Seller of the house we want (the one above) rejected our contingent offer...sad but true.

Postpartum Depression

I realized this week that I have Postpartum Depression. Some of the things I've been experiencing are

• Intense anxiety- This seems to come in the form of nightmares and panic attacks. I get so overwhelmed and anxious b/c of the constant screaming and demands on me day to day that I feel like my heart is going to burst b/c it's beating so fast. What accompanies this reaction is an immediate and intense sense of dread or hopelessness.
• Insomnia- Being alert from 9pm until midnight and then waking back up again at/around 4am. This of course leaves me exhausted in the mornings and afternoons.
• Weight gain- I feel so overwhelmed by my emotions and/or circumstances that I'm eating a lot of junky food. It seems at times that tasting the food is the only thing that is enjoyable in life.
• Inability to function- I can function where absolutely necessary- my kids, bills, shopping...but clothes washing, dinner, cleaning house are all done if there is no clean underwear or things are starting to smell (and then sometimes I don't really care-the Hub takes care of it).
• Not enjoying my kids and loving them through play- This is the most painful to admit but it's as if I've had a wall that is preventing me from giving to them in this way.
• Intense anger and sadness
• Morbid thoughts- like giving Baby J up for adoption as one example.
• Withdrawal from relationships

Now that I've realized that I'm struggling with PPD I called my OB and she has prescribed a depression med. As I begin to take it and hopefully experience some change I'll try to update my experience. I'm also going to go talk to a counselor friend next week or the following week.

Also, weds night a friend initiated a chat over tea and she just totally enveloped me with support and love. She asked me questions to try to figure out where I was at and how she could support me. She then came over again last night and we talked some more. I noticed yesterday and even now my interactions with my babes have changed. I'm more relaxed and loving and my anger has dissipated tremendously. Friendship, a supporting heart and ear are a tremendous resource to the depressed person, I see now. I'm grateful.

Baby J 6 Months Old

Don't judge him to harshly but the Hub just informed me recently that he was smitten with Baby J-he wasn't very fond of him before. They had somewhat of a tumultuous relationship until recently, this past weekend, so I'm happy about the new change. I think me nursing Baby J didn't allow the Hub much opportunity to hold Baby J. And when I wasn't nursing Baby J didn't really seem interested in others holding him. But now things are different! Baby J has turned into a more content baby who smiles, chews on his feet and giggles a lot! He loves being held and snuggled by daddy and overall more pleasant babe.
On Sunday we had him on all fours and he moved his back legs forward. We were really surprised! We're assuming he's going to crawl pretty soon...kind of crazy if it comes to fruition. W started crawling a week before he turned 1 and Super N started crawling at 1o or 11 months, I need to look it up.
Life in regards to Baby J is a bit easier and I'm very grateful!

Halloween

In light of Halloween I thought I'd decorate my blog in the appropriate colors!

Speaking of Halloween, I bought W and Super N their costumes last night while at Once Upon a Child. I was going to buy Baby J a cute little cow number but I needed to save a little money I'll just wait until next year. I'll have plenty of time to decorate him! I'll leave you wondering what I picked up for them. I'll post pics later!

The playgroup I'm apart of is going to a Farm tomorrow to celebrate the Fall Harvest. We did this last year and it was so enjoyable for all of us moms and our kids. One downer I do recall is that with the admission price you were to receive a donut and a hot cup of apple cider. I remember we were all looking forward to the cider b/c nothing says fall like apple cider. Well apparently they ran out and substituted in it's place a little cup of apple juice. You know the kind you used to get in school with the foil lid that you peel back! Needless to say we were all disappointed by that one! It's kind of funny thinking about it in retrospect though!

I'm so excited and I hope that it's cool outside so we can wear sweaters and that there is apple cider there! I also hope the kids love it like they did last year. One drawback is that Amanda and V won't be there this year since they moved to another state. I miss them but I know they are enjoying their new home in Indy.