Westley's 3 month update!

Sleeping patterns:  He has slept through the night a handful of times but he's had a lot of congestion since Thanksgiving off and on and hasn't slept well with that.  He takes around 3-4 naps a day depending on what time he wakes up in the morning.  I've gotten into the habit of nursing him to sleep which might backfire later on but for now it's what works for us.  He does catnap a lot but I've also got some good 2-3 hour naps out of him which are amazing!

Pictures at JC Penney

Eating habits:  We are still exclusively breastfeeding, he tends to "snack" a lot versus taking full feeds.  He's gotten a bottle a few times with me being back at work and Howie says it takes him a long time to take a full (3-4 oz) bottle.  Howie does a great job pace feeding Westley which helps him not develop a bottle preference.  The couple of times I've pumped at work so far I've gotten about 4 oz on each side which is perfect.  I have about 70 oz in the freezer right now that we'll rotate through.  I definitely don't have the oversupply that I had with Sam which is a good thing (much less time spent pumping!)

Accomplishments:  He's able to self soothe pretty well with his thumb, other times he uses a pacifier.  It looks like he might have a bottom tooth poking though soon.  Sam didn't get her first teeth until she was 18 months old and that's what I was hoping for again but it's not looking like it:(  He's drooling a ton!  I ordered some really cute bandana bibs off of Amazon to help with the drooling.  He's already trying to sit up, if I have him against me he wants to sit up.

Places we went:  We went to North Carolina to visit some of Howie's family.  We went to the zoo a couple of times.  Being honest I do sometimes miss how easy it had gotten with just Sam and we would go and do a lot.  I'm trying to be patient because I know it will get easier and we can be on the go again:)

I'm guessing (based on our regular home scale) he weighs between 15-16 lbs, he's wearing mostly 3-6 month clothes and size 2 diapers.

Westley is such a good baby!  Even when he is tired he doesn't usually get cranky.  He likes giving big smiles.  He loves bathtime and getting his diaper changed!  He likes watching big sister play.  I've started putting him on the floor in her room while she plays so he can watch.

JC Penney Portraits

Trying so hard to roll from back to belly.

2017 Reflections

It is New Year's Eve and also the eve of my 32nd birthday!  I will most likely not be awake at midnight unless little man decides he wants to eat around that time😏 but I did want to take a little time to reflect on the last year and how the Lord has blessed us.

Obviously the biggest change was welcoming Westley into the world.  It's been an adjustment for sure but also a great joy.  The timing of his birth allowed me to be off work through the holidays which was a blessing!  We were able to go to Missouri for Thanksgiving, it's been probably 7 years since I had been back for a major holiday.

We also lost 2 grandparents, Howie's grandmother passed away in May just days before we got there to visit.  And my grandfather passed away the weekend before Thanksgiving, once again days before we got there to visit.  We were at least able to be there for their services and to spend more time with family.

Howie finished more classes, very successfully I might add.  He will start applying for different programs this semester and prayfully gets into one.  I continued working only four days a week which allowed me more time with Sam.  I go back to work next week but only for 2 days a week.

We survived Hurricane Irma, really the worst part was dealing with work for a good 2-3 weeks afterwards.  

I also wanted to take this time to thank everyone for supporting me with this blog and continuing to read even when I go months between posts! 

Happy New Year 2018!!

Samantha's 3 1/2 Year update

I'm way overdue for an update on Sam!  I cannot believe how big she is getting, she's in the 85th percentile for weight and 80th percentile in height.  She's very energetic and outgoing.  Constantly asking if she can go to school.  I finally signed her up for a free trial tumbling class and she loved it!  We are planning to start her next month, it's only once a week and the price is very reasonable.

Sleep wise, we put her to bed at 8 pm most nights but she's usually not asleep until 8:30 or 9.  It's a constant revolving door of I'm thirsty, I'm hungry, I have to go potty, I'm scared, I want you to sleep with me, I need this toy, etc.  She wakes up around 7-8 am most mornings and Howie gets up with her while I wait for Westley to wake up.  She stopped napping the day after her 3rd birthday when we took away for pacifier.  I really miss her napping!  She'll take a rare one every so often if she's really tired.

I've gotten off track doing tot school with her since being pregnant/having Westley but she can sing her ABC's, count to 15, knows colors, and most shapes.  The last few days I've been doing little letter tracing worksheets in the mornings since she's constantly asking to do "real school".  She enjoys doing crafts and helping in the kitchen.

About 4 months ago she became fully potty trained.  She had been going pee for quite awhile but #2 was a different story until one day it just clicked and she's been in underwear ever since even at night.  I've been really surprised that she's only had maybe 2 accidents at night.  She insisted on wearing underwear at night once everything clicked.  

Sam has adjusted so well to being a big sister, we haven't really had any jealousy issues.  She's definitely been pushing boundaries to see how far she can get but that seems pretty normal for her age.  We are really pushing her to "listen the first time".  She usually loves to "help" with baby brother and likes to hold him and take pictures with him.  A few times we have caught her trying to pick him up!

Here are some pics from the last few months!  

Sam loved getting to swim more this summer.

She loves all her cousins, both the Florida ones and Missouri ones.

This one is so sweet.

I can really tell she looks like me in this one.

Always a daddy's girl.

She put all the ornaments on the tree this year.

Westley's Birth Story

I've been away for awhile but I find this is the best place to record some things.  I've shared Samantha's birth story and now its time for Westley's.

It started on Monday October 16th, I was at my 39 week appointment (39w3 days).  I was very over being pregnant and ready for him to just  get here which my doctor definitely noticed.  I was at 3 cm and 25% effaced.  I had mentioned that I might be leaking amniotic fluid, as she was checking for that she asked if I wanted an aggressive membrane sweep.  My answer was "YES!"  little did I know she would accidently break my water in the process! (9:30 am)  It was quite the event in that tiny exam room, amniotic fluid got all over the doctor and floor.  Her and the nurse were scrambling to clean it up as I'm sitting on the table, frantically calling Howie to let him know the baby was coming today!  They got me a "diaper" to wear and said to head to the hospital as soon as possible.  As I'm driving home I had maybe 1 or 2 contractions that weren't too bad.  Howie had called his mom at work to come get Sam so as soon as she got there to pick Sam up we headed to the hospital.

We got checked in pretty quickly since the doctor had called to let them know we were coming.  Once we were in a room, I requested to just have a hep lock (I think that's what its called) instead of a full IV so that I could still move around easily.  My goal was to make it as long as I could without an epidural.  We were pretty much left alone to labor any way I wanted which was very nice.  Every 1-2 hours they would come hook me up to the contraction machine for about 15 minutes.  The contractions were very slowly getting a little more painful but I was still able to walk around, take a shower, and hang out with Sam once she got there for a little bit.  They checked me twice during this time and the first time (4:00 pm) I didn't even want to know where I was because it still felt like early labor and I didn't want to get discouraged.  For the next 5 hours it was more of the same so when they came to check me at 9:30 pm I had a feeling what was coming.  And sure enough I was still at 4 cm and 75% effaced.  Since it had been 12 hours with little progress on my own the doctor wanted to go ahead and start Pitocin.  Once your water has broken they want the baby out in 24 hours.  At this point I was tired and just wanted some sleep and progress so I went ahead and asked for the epidural.  I was not interested in seeing how painful Pitocin contractions could be.

The anesthesiologist did a great job on my epidural.  I was able to go to sleep, it didn't bruise, I didn't need a bolus as any time, and I could feel just enough when it was time to push.  Around 11:30 pm we were both able to get a little rest, they came to check me again around 12:30-1:00 (this time is a little fuzzy) but I was at 8 cm, it didn't take long for the Pitocin to do its thing!  Around 1:30 am (I think) I was starting to feel pressure like I needed to push, after telling the nurse that, she checked me again and I was at 10cm.  She went ahead and let the dr know and started having me do some practice pushes.  I probably should have let her know it only took a few pushes with Sam because after 1 or 2 contractions she had me stop and wait for the dr.  Once the dr was there I pushed through 2 (?) more contractions and he was out!  Westley Jude Butler was born at 2:04 am, weighing 8 lbs 9 oz and 20.5 inches long.  Thankfully there were no complications like Sam had so we were able to do skin to skin right away, he eventually crawled up and latched on his own (very cool thing to see).  

 Spending some time with my girl before she becomes a big sister.

Westley was probably about an hour old here.

Daddy holding Westley for the first time.

First picture of mommy and Westley.

One of the nurses made this cute name tag for his bassinet.

I'm now about 8 weeks post-partum and about 5 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.  I started the food portion of the 21 day fix to get my eating under control, not sure when or if I'll start the exercise portion since I'm breastfeeding and don't want to mess with my supply.  My recovery was easier this time versus with Sam but breastfeeding was a bit rougher.  We pushed through and around 5 or 6 weeks is when it became easier and painless (after dealing with mastitis and some cracking and bleeding). 

Westley is, so far, a completely different baby than Sam was, which is what we prayed for!  He rarely cries and sleeps well.  He's not a fan of the carseat but we might have ruined him with the long drive to Missouri.  He just slept through the night for the first time (10:30-6) although that was in bed with us.  I'm excited to see his personality start to show in the next few months.

This is happening...

I'm starting this post 2 days after we found out....We're Pregnant!

We found out the day before Valentine's Day and this is how we told our parents and family.

Coming October 2017

I should have guessed it by how I was feeling that week, the crazy moodiness and gas/bloating.  Oh my goodness, I never have bad gas unless I'm pregnant but I don't remember it starting this early with Sam😂. 

I feel much more relaxed this time versus with Sam I was incredibly anxious through the 1st trimester.  With our first pregnancy ending in a miscarriage, it made me much more cautious with Sam.  At this point I know there's very little you can do (in most circumstances) that will cause a miscarriage and we trust the Lord with this little one and His plan.  So I'm enjoying my coffee while I can, until the morning sickness kicks in, and still exercising.  

And the morning sickness kicked in around 6 weeks just like with Sam.  This time it's just all day nausea versus throwing up every morning, not sure which one is worse!  I took Unisom and b6 before but it made me so groggy the other day that I ended up asking my doctor for Zofran and it is amazing!  

We went to the Dr around 7 weeks and didn't have a babysitter for Sam so she came with us.  She was really confused, she thought we were getting the baby then😂.  We heard the heartbeat on the ultrasound, the heart rate was around 150.  Unfortunately, because I have a tilted uterus it makes it harder to get measurements and pictures this early on so the doctor wants me to come back in 2 weeks.  The funny part is with Sam I would have loved having another appointment so soon but now I have to fit it in with Howie and I's work schedules and find a babysitter since the only appointment I could get is while he is at work😩.  I'm glad it will only be every 4 weeks after this!

Like I said she wasn't able to get a good picture.

For the most part, Sam has been super sweet, she tells baby good morning and gives hugs and kisses, prays for it, and has been carrying around the ultrasound images so she can "see the baby again".

How to grow your savings

If you are tired of using credit cards for unexpected expenses and vacations you need to make a change with your savings!  I've compiled a few ways that we currently or have previously used to grow our savings.  I touched on some of this is in another post but I wanted to go into deeper detail.  An important thing for this is your mindset; your savings account is not just "extra" money.  Be firm in knowing what you are saving for and your financial goals.

I love Dave Ramsey quotes!

 

One of the best things you can do to increase your savings is to automatically have a certain percentage of your paycheck go into savings.  Ideally you would want to have it set up for 10%.  If that seems too much at first, try 5% and once you're used to that, increase it until you get to 10%.  The key here is to have your direct deposit (everybody uses that now, right?) set up to automatically deposit that percentage into a savings account.  When figuring our income for our budget I only count the 90% that goes into our checking account, it doesn't take long to get used to a  slightly lower amount.

Set up two different savings accounts.  Use one as an emergency fund and keep it at a set amount.  If you have to dip into it for an emergency make sure you build it back up asap.  Use the second one as savings for anything big, such as vacations, birthday parties, special occasions, etc.  I like keeping money separate because it helps in knowing where you stand, and you're less likely to go over your budget.  As far as the amount that you want to keep in an emergency fund, it really varies based on your expenses.  If you own a house, I recommend having enough to at least pay your mortgage for 3-6 months.  If you rent and don't have a lot of debt you could probably get away with less.  One thing I want to do this year is increase our goal for our emergency fund, right now its really not a large amount but we are consistent with it.  I would like to increase it by 50% each year so that when we do eventually buy a house we have enough to cover our mortgage starting out.  

 

What we've done in the past to save money for a vacation was any change or cash we had, we put in a jar and let accumulate.  We ended up with around $100 to use as spending money on top of what we had already budgeted for the trip.  Now of course this only works if you use cash somewhat often, which we don't now.  We are planning a trip to San Diego later this year to see some of Howie's family; and while we have planned out how we're paying for plane tickets and some spending money, I'm trying to find a way to save even more without making a big dent in our checking account.  My plan right now is each pay day or maybe even weekly withdraw $10-$20 and put in our change jar.  I want it to be a small enough amount that it doesn't affect our budget but enough that we accumulate a decent amount before we go.

If you were to look at what we spend big chunks of money on its definitely not material things, we love going places and having experiences.  We also both have family that live far away that we try to visit each year.   To be transparent both of our parents are generous and help us out sometimes when traveling.  We appreciate it so much and hopefully someday we will be able to do that.  That being said we also plan our trips way in advance.  We usually know 6+ months in advance where we want to go and when.  This gives ample time to plan and save.  We do not use credit cards for anything while traveling.  We know how much money we have saved and budget to that amount.  

The most important part of getting your finances together is really such a mental thing, I cannot emphasize that enough!  Setting goals, sticking to them, remembering those goals when you want to make an expensive purchase that you probably can't afford.  That vacation you're planning will be a lot more enjoyable when you're not worried about the credit card bill that's waiting for you when you get home!

 

If you're looking for specific advice on a financial situation feel free to ask, I would love to help!  Or if you have a topic you would like to read about, let me know😄

My Student Loan Story

Like most college students these days, I took out multiple student loans through college.  I hope this story is an encouragement to those struggling to dig out of debt, whether student loans or credit cards. I touched on some of this in my Financial Advice post, but I wanted to go into a little deeper detail.

My first two years of college I went to a community college using my A+ scholarship, and the volleyball program paid for my books.  I also had some scholarships that helped with living expenses my first semester.  After that, I got a job working the graveyard shift at Mcdonalds.  I graduated with my AA with no debt.

 

My third year of school I transferred to UCM to continue towards my Bachelors.  This is where I took out my first student loan, it was only in the amount of $850, but it set the precedent of an easy way to pay for school, and I had no thoughts of when I would pay it off.  I did save money that year living at home, commuting to school 2-3 days a week, and working 2 jobs.  Looking back now I probably could have used some of that money to pay towards my classes.

My fourth and fifth years (I changed my major and it added a year)  I went to MSU, where I graduated.  This is where most of my debt came from.  Both years I took out the max amount of $5,500, and while that covered my classes, I used a credit card for my books.  I lived in an apartment with 2 roommates and worked at Walgreens 30+ hours per week.  By the time I graduated I had accumulated around $18,000 in student loan debt; while this seems pale in comparison to what some people graduate with, what I struggled with was being unable to find a job in my field after graduation.  While I worked the whole time I was in college, it essentially did me no good, because I had no experience in my field and I was so busy working; I wasn't able to do internships to gain that experience.  My parents did help anytime they could, buying me groceries or just giving me some extra spending money.

After graduating, you have 6 months before they start sending you bills to start repayment.  At this time I was living in Mississippi with my sister and just baby-sitting, so I was able to set up for a deferment.  Of course, interest still accumulates during this time.  When we moved to Florida and I started at Walgreens again - when my 6 month deferment was up I started making minimum payments.  Most people probably know that payments are generally set up to be paid over a 10 year period, so on that low of a loan (comparatively speaking) my payments weren't too insane.  However, after Howie and I got married, things got a little tight while he was studying for his real estate license and my hours kept getting cut at work.  I set up another 6 month deferment, with interest still accruing.  When that 6 months was over, we went back to making minimum payments.  Keep in mind between those two deferments I essentially added an extra year to the loan!  

A few months into just making minimum payments we got serious about our money.  We had moved to a less expensive apartment and paid off Howie's motorcycle.  We decided to use the snowball method that Dave Ramsey teaches.  We basically took what money we had been using for the motorcycle payment and added that to the minimum amount on the smallest loan.  Within months that one was paid off!  While paying extra on that one we were still making minimum payments on the other 3.  After the smallest one was paid off we started using that money towards the next smallest loan which was quite a bit more and probably took a year to pay off.  We used this method to slowly chip away at the debt.  There were of course months where money was more tight and we would cut back the payment a little; but we stayed the course.  The last two years whenever we would get our tax return, we put a huge chunk towards whichever loan we were working on getting paid off next.  I know not everyone gets a big tax return but if you get a bonus or inheritance you can do the same thing.

Next month I will happily make that last payment, and we are so excited to be done with those student loans!  Which, by the way, were originally scheduled to be payed off in 2020!  Our next goal will be putting the money that we were using for the loan payment each month towards our car payment and hopefully have it paid off next year (1 year ahead of schedule).

As someone who has dealt with student loans, I still do not think that free college for everyone is a good idea.  One of the reasons being when you are the one taking out the loans, working through college, etc you are a lot more likely to take your classes seriously because you really don't want to have to pay to take a class a second time!  It also taught me a lot about time management, budgeting, and working hard.  While looking back, sometimes, I think it would have been nice to have the quintessential college experience,  I'm glad I didn't.  One thing that would have helped me back then was having mandatory financial aid guidance.  Every year when financial aid was approved I just accepted the full amount they offered when I may have been able to get away with a lesser amount.

Anyone else have student loan success stories?