"Publix" will be Tillman's first word

At the shower in August, the hostesses had all the girl/ladies fill out a prediction sheet about Tillman.  One of the items on the list was "what will his first word be?"  One of my silly friend, Stefanie, said it would be "Publix!"  After yesterday, I think it will be!  I had a HUGE coupon success at my local Publix on Huggies diapers!   

If you are in that diaper buying phase or need an excellent gift for a shower, you've got to check out this deal! 

First, you need to join the Publix baby club.  They send all sorts of coupons.  My first packet of coupons is expiring on Sept 4th, so I was in a "mad dash" to use the ones I thought I could.  Grandma's can join the baby club too (Mom, if you are reading, please join!). For this deal, I used the baby club coupon of buy one box of diapers and get wipes for free.

Scope out the service desk for this flyer.  Great coupons inside including a $5 off any Huggies diaper and $2 off Huggies wipes (these are store coupons...only can be used at Publix).

Huggies coupons are easy to find in the paper or online!  There are plenty opportunities to get manufacturer coupons.  Remember, I mentioned all the other coupons are STORE coupons including the baby club coupons?  Well, this is where the awesome coupon policy of Publix come into play.  They offer STACKING!  Stacking allows you to use one store coupon and one manufacturer coupon for the same product (two coupons on one product).

With my stacking, I was able to get two containers of wipes and two packs of diapers for $4.97!!

The receipt is blurry, but here is the break down.

Store Coupons: $22.99

Vendor Coupons: $5.50

Total Savings: $28.49

Tummy Tub

I got an email this week from my friend, Meghan, asking if I had ever heard of the Tummy Tub.  I haven't heard of this one before, so I Googled it.  It is a very interesting concept for calming and bathing a child.  It is supposed to replicate the womb and puts the baby in the natural fetal position.

Check out this demo video:


I asked Nick his opinion of it, and here is what he said...."It looks like an over priced and over sized piece of Tupperware." 

I personally think it is a neat concept and makes a lot of sense on why it would be calming for a child.  If I can't get Tillman to stop crying, don't think I won't put him in a make-shift Tummy Tub (a pot, Tupperware, anything I can get my hands on).  If it works, we'll place our order ASAP!

What are your thoughts?  Have you seen this before?

Hospital Issued “Undies” Are All The Rage?

Who knew...but it is true!  Ever since I have been pregnant, moms have told me about these wonderful mesh type "undies" the hospital gives you after you give birth.  I finally broke down and asked the L&D nurse manager, who took me on the tour of the units in the videos, what these things were and what they look like.

Moms have given the advice of tell the nurse that you need a new pair every time you see her...they go on to say "you'll want to go home with a stock of these." These are one size fits all, "boy-short" style undies are the most comfortable thing (at that time), and I hear if you wash them right, you can get more than one wear out of them!

The wash trick is if you wash them in the sink by hand.  Then, take a towel and roll the undies up in the towel.  Ring the towel out, unroll the towel, and your undies are practically dry!

So, here's a snapshot of these things.

I wonder if Victoria's Secret knows about these?

Who knew?

Diaper Shopping...did I do ok?

This post is for all those money-savvy moms out there who buy diapers often....

Publix had a sale going this week with Pampers (a coupon in their ad).  I thought I should take advantage of the tax free weekend and this sale to purchase diapers.  I purchased size/stage 3 diapers.  Hopefully, that was a safe option since we're still not sure how big Tillman will be.

My purchase:
-Pampers mega refill of unscented wipes (216 count)- $6.99 (FREE with purchase of diapers)
-Pampers diapers size 3 value pack (116 count)-$29.99
-Pampers sensitive wipes (64 count)- $2.99 (FREE with purchase of diapers)
-Pampers diapers size 3 big pack (76 count)-$19.99
-Total before coupons-$59.96-

Coupons:
-2 coupons (one from this week's ad and the other from Publix baby club) for buy a diaper pack and get wipes for free (both coupons had differing terms thus the different counts above)
-2 $5 off a $25 purchase from Rite Aid (Publix competitor coupon)
-Vendor coupons of $1.75, $1.00 & $1.75

-After coupons-$35.47-

Is this a pretty good deal or could I have saved more?  What deals have you found on diapers?

29 Weeks

Here's the what babycenter.com says about Tillman at 29 weeks..."Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day."

After reading about our growing boy this week, I sure am glad I went to the store to purchase some supplemental vitamins.  I am now on Prenate Elite for my prenatal vitamin, but Dr. Villers recommended also taking Vitamin D and Calcium.  Honestly, she mentioned it about a month ago, but I just got around to getting to Earth Fair to purchase. 

I purchased Solaray Dietary Supplement's Cal-Mag Citrate.  It has 400 IU of Vitamin D, 1,000 Mg of Cal, and 500 mg of Mag.  From the sounds of Tillman's 29th week and beyond, I'm glad we'll be sharing this 1,000 Mg of Cal! 
I am also taking Nordic Natural-Complete Omega 3-6-9 since I found out I was expecting.  Dr. Villers suggested taking an extra Omega 3 supplement with my prenatal vitamin throughout my pregnancy.  This product  contains 30 IU of E, 564 mg of Omega 3, 224 mg of Omega 6, and 244 mg of Omega 9.  I've only been taking one pill a day, but I noticed the "serving size" is two pills to receive the benefit of the listed.  I'm considering bumping up to two pills a day on this one.  The great thing about this pill is that it has a lemon favor instead of the yucky fish smell and taste!

Floating Away...

Obviously not me in the picture above!

On Friday I sent a few of my friends this email:

"If you feel like you want to hop in a pool, please let me know! I would love to have some company! We'll be around this weekend!!

PS It is just to hot to do anything else, so you might as well come over!"

It was super hot this weekend.  Saturday and Sunday were spent pool side.  Since the summer began, I have really just been able to get a "tan" on my front.  Laying on the stomach is just not an option these days.  However, the Spring Float makes all that possible for Mrs. Pregnant.  This float only inflates on the outer edges and at the pillow.  The center of the float is mesh.  Thanks to the Spring Float; I'll have a more even tan this summer.  (The "tan" I am referring to is anything that comes through the 55 sunscreen I apply!)

Tillman's Furniture

At the beginning of June, we ordered Tillman's furniture.  It takes anywhere from 6 to12 weeks to get in the furniture, so time was of the essence when ordered.  My Mom and Dad ("Cici" and "Jrs") bought Tillman's furniture.  We selected the Young America series, Harbor Town, in rustic antique cherry.   This set came with a convertible crib, so it will grow with him through the year.  It converts to a toddler bed, a daybed, and then to a double bed.

We selected two other piece to go with the crib-the night stand and chest of drawers.  I decided against a dresser/changing table.  Personally, I just didn't think we'd get the use out of it to make it worth it.  To me, a dress seems like a rather feminine piece of furniture, so we went with the chest of drawers.

night stand

chest of drawers

Diaper Bags...Every Mom's (and Dad's) Fashion Accessory! (like it or not)

I haven't received much advice on diaper bags, but one thing is for sure, I've been asked probably 10 times or more if I was going to get a Vera Bradley baby bag.  I am not very educated on diaper bags, and when reading mommy blogs, there is not real consensus on "the best" diaper bag (at least one under $200).
I chose the "Sittin' in a Tree" pattern by Vera Bradley for Tillman's diaper bag.  If you know me at all, you know that green and brown are my "signature colors!"  In fact, I am going to change my stroller and car seat selection (I think) to a green and brown pattern.  I want to be neutral as possible, so in the event we have a little girl some day, she won't be all decked in blue!

This bag print is just perfect, and I think the bag will be big enough for what we'll need to tote around (at least I hope).

Here's a little about the Vera Bradley baby bag (16" x 11¾" x 5½" –12" strap drop, 26" x 14" changing pad)
"Our latest Baby Bag has a total of 11 pockets inside and out, including a full zippered back, and holds everything from bottles to extra clothes. We've added a special clip for disappearing pacifiers and lined the interior for easy cleaning. Also includes a 26" x 14" terry-covered changing pad with coordinating trim."
 
Have any baby bag advice?  What's your favorite?

The Huggies coupon crazy!

I read numerous couponing blogs, and this weekend each were commenting on how many Huggies coupons are out there right now.  If you use or plan to use Huggies with your child, then it would be silly to go purchase them without a coupon or two!

Here are some links to some wonderful coupons!
Smartsource.com -$4/2 Huggies Little Movers or Little Snugglers Diapers

Coupons.com -$3/1 Huggies Little Movers or Little Snugglers Diapers, $3/1 Snug & Dry Diapers, $2/2 Huggies Baby Wipes (64 ct. or larger), $3/1 Baby Wipes Tub (64 ct. or larger) & 1 Baby Wipes Refill 184 ct.

What are some great baby coupons you know about?  I'd love to hear.

Target Registry

First let me say as a follow up to yesterday's post, I did purchase the maternity bathing suit skirt.  They had it in the store.  However, I had to hunt to find it.  It was mixed in with the regular sizes.  I ordered a different bathing suit top than the one pictured in yesterday's post.  I got this one.  Now, just keep your fingers crossed that it gets here on Friday.
I did read the reviews of this bathing suit.  The overall theme is that the material is its "super cheap".  It has been my experience and many have told me that maternity clothing in general is made cheaply, so I just plan to keep that in consideration and rinse it out after going in the pool or ocean and hand-washing it.

Registry....Target is offering some wonderful deals to moms-to-be for registering.  I received a bag of free coupons and samples.  They also told me to visit the pharmacy.  After listening to their "spiel" about why choose Target Rx over all others, they gave us some samples of commonly used things and a voucher for a $10 gift card!!!!! (I used it last night on the bathing suit, so it is legit!) If anything, go register at Target to get your gift card!!

Our Target registry isn't as comprehensive as the Babies R Us registry.  Since Target isn't a baby only store, it does allow you to be more creative.  For example, Nick and I are interested in "grinding" / "blending" up our own baby food.  We registered for the Jack LaLanne Juicer. My friend, Rachel, used a juicer for her son and is still using it today.

Another good reason to register at Target is there are simply more Targets.  If your family and friends scatted about, it is always great to go with a store that everyone has.  Target is a good option.  After looking at Babies R Us' map of stores, they're not in as many towns as I first thought.

Below are a few products that came highly recommended from friends and family to register. 

Itzbeen Baby Care Timer

This timer keeps up with the schedule!  I love structure, so if there is a timer that can tell me when to do something, bring it on!  It even keeps up with which breast to start feeding (L/R...I can't keep up with simple stuff like that as it is!  This will be a life saver)!! 

Here are some of the product review comments:

~"I love the L/R feature for breastfeeding, the backlight is great for nighttime, and the alarm beep is gentle."

~"The 4th button (*) is ingenious, as, having had a C-section, I needed to monitor my pain meds for the first two weeks"

~"I use it more than anything I got for baby. I honestly never realized how quickly time can just slip by and just when you think it's been maybe 30 min since the last feeding, diaper change, etc, you look at the timer and it's been like an hour and a half!"

Miracle Blanket

I follow So Happily Us blog, and after reading her post about her top 10 baby favs, I knew that I was going to register for one of these!  Click on the post to read her review! 

Boppy Bare Pillow

I don't think there has been anyone who said DON'T get this!  Everyone loves the Boppy Pillow.  They are available everywhere, which is great! 

If you're interested in viewing Tillman's Target registry, click here!  Let me know if you have any advice or if there are some products out there that you feel are a "must have!"

Tillman's Mom's Quest to Find the BEST Boy Diaper!

For those that know me, you know that I like to shop for a good deal and rarely purchase something not on sale.  Ever since I used to watch Supermarket Sweep in middle school (remember that show...wow, what a throw back to the early 90's), I have know that diapers and formula are SUPER expensive.  These are the top items the contestants would run to get to make sure they had the highest total of groceries to win the game! 

I have emailed some of my friends and family that have boys about the best diaper.  Here is what they had to say! 

-Sis-in-law-"Huggies...I also tried Loves, but they leaked :( and if I remember correctly, Pampers was more expensive than Huggies." (Her boys-ages 8 and 6)

-Sis-in-law-"I used LUVS. They worked and are cheaper. I would not stock up on small sizes. I’d start with 1’s and 2’s. Everybody will buy newborns and some 1’s for you. "C" leaked thru Huggies but other boys have done fine.
My experiences were so long ago. I’d say you go through a reg. size pack in a week." (Her boy-age 7)
 
OK...at this point I'm 0 for 2.
 
-Sister-"I enjoy the Pampers Cruiser's, but for infants I used the Swaddler's by Pampers. Swaddlers are in the yellow package. "L" did not skip any sizes. I tried the Wal-Mart brand and I did not like them. They ended up leaking and so did the Target brand. I never tried Huggies diapers, so I am not sure how they work." (Her boy-age 3 and one on the way)
 
No consensus yet....
 
-Cousin-""S" was a New Born I LOVED the Pampers Sensitive, I was sad when he grew out of them. They are the ones that the hospital used, they are ultra sensitive and the strip on the front turns colors when wet. The Swaddlers are good too. After about size 2, You will need to test out Pampers vs. Huggies. My fav is Huggies Naturals they are so super soft. Huggies are best if the child is allergic to scents. Pampers and Luvs have a scent (which I love), but Huggies fit the best. Overall I say Sensitive until size 3 and Huggies (any type) after. I was advised to use a size larger and the higher end (Pampers, Huggies) ones at night to avoid leaks. During the day they don't leak usually.
I'd by 3 size 1 and 3 size 2 and them you can just buy 5-8 size 3 and as many size 4 and 5 you would like. Size 1 and 2 are newborn usually and then he will slow down and not change sizes so quickly. Just remeber they will always let you exchange for another size, so stock up to your hearts desire. I collected a ton and only exchange like two packages of size one." (GREAT TIP!) (Her boy-age 2)
 
-Friend-"I liked the Huggies newborn. The Pampers Swaddlers are also a good to use. You want to look for the one that has the umbilical grove in the diaper. Remember, in the beginning, Tillman is going to grow so don’t stock up too much on the newborn. "E" transitioned pretty quickly to stage 1." (Her boy-age 1)
 
So, it sounds like its Pampers vs. Huggies.  There seems to be an overwhelming consensus on the Pampers Swaddlers, so I think I'll start with those since those are the newborn ones.