It seems that the baby and my sciatic nerve have conspired to put me in a lot of pain and make me walk like an 86 year old in need of hip replacement surgery (There is a reason 86 year olds don't have to chase after two year olds!) Andy actually suggested that I go to the dollar store and buy a cane. Maybe at my doctor appointment next week I'll just ask if they can start the epidural then.

Joey has been wanting to pray out loud before meals and at bedtime. He started out doing a good job copying Andy, so his prayers would sound something like this:

"Dear Jesus, Lord, thank you for all things. Thank you for the food. Amen."

Lately he's been branching out on his own. Those prayers have been a little more colorful:

"Dear Jesus, Lord, thank you for the food. He bumped his head and couldn't get up in the morning. Amen."

Ever since Christmas, Joey has had some difficulty playing independently with his toys. He would move around from toy to toy, only playing with each for about two minutes. This was a sure sign that he had too many toys, and all the choices were overwhelming him. So I put some toys in a box in the garage and some in a basket in the front closet, just leaving out a few toys. Unfortunately he can open the front closet and get those toys quite easily so I needed one of those child proof thingys that goes on the door knob.

While Joey was at my parents' house last week, I ran to the store to buy one. I can't tell you how silly I felt going to a store almost 8 months pregnant, sans Joey, and asking if they had things to child proof door knobs. I'm sure they must have thought I was a crazed first time mom trying to childproof my house for a newborn.

The good news is that after going to two stores, I finally found what I was looking for. The bad news is that it was on our door knob for less than 24 hours, and Joey already figured out how to open the door.

I had no idea that having a toddler would challenge my problem solving skills on an almost daily basis!

I've blogged before about my quest to find ways to be more and more frugal. Since I like to cook anyway, one really fun way I've found to cut down on my grocery bill is to find more and more things I can make from scratch. It's kind of like a challenge to myself. When I need to buy a packaged food, I try to see if I can make it first.

On my baking days I often make some of these homemade staples. Of course I have to buy more ingredients to make these things, but it's still much cheaper than buying the store bought kind. It's also healthier, although when we're talking about something like marshmallow fluff, "healthier" is a relative term.

Here's the list of the things I've tried so far that have been successful.

croutons
Italian salad dressing
Caesar salad dressing
granola
granola bars
copycat Stove Top stuffing
yogurt
taco seasoning packets
fajita seasoning packets
instant oatmeal packets
Italian seasoning
sweetened condensed milk (this link is actually a list of a LOT of homemade mixes and convenience foods)
condensed cream of chicken soup
whole wheat pita bread
pizza sauce
pizza dough (there are many different recipes I use)
marshmallow fluff
caramel sauce/ice cream topping
chocolate frosting
chicken broth
chicken/turkey gravy
copycat Taco Bell sauce
hummus
copycat Orange Julius

I know I haven't been very good about posting pictures of my tummy, but as you can see my belly is large and in charge. As of Saturday, I am now eight months pregnant. Yikes!

I'm feeling good, just a little uncomfortable. More so than last time. The doctor said the baby's head is super low, so I think he or she is just putting a lot more pressure on certain nerves. I'm definitely doing the pregnant waddle!

Oh, and I forgot to add earlier, but that dark spot right by my belly button is where Joey kissed the baby right before the picture.

I don't really have any good news to share, just a story...

It's funny when you have kids that can talk, you learn all the things you say, but didn't realize it. Apparently I say, "Good news!" to Joey a lot because he's been saying it all the time to me.

This morning he said, "Good news, Mommy! I have a present for you." The present was his favorite bag filled with random little toys. A couple of minutes later he said, "Good news, I have a fireman's helmet on." After lunch he randomly shouted, "Mommy, good news!"

He's certainly an enthusiastic little guy.

Joey is at my parents' house for the day for one of my last "work days" before having the baby. He is absolutely in love with both sets of grandparents, so I always love when he gets to spend special time with them.

One thing he likes to do when my dad is home is put on hats, go out on the front porch, and talk. I'm not exactly sure how the hats became part of the routine, but they are essential. Joey and Bubba cover a wide variety of topics out on the porch including Bubba's barbecue, their favorite motorcycles, and how cats eat birds.