God of Wonders! 24 Weeks

This has been one busy week for us!! Actually, one busy month! From February until now, we have been non stop 'go go go' everyday and every night of the week, including weekends.

Now 24 weeks pregnant with only one more day to go until I am 25 weeks, time is passing by; and quickly!!!!!

The clocks were moved forward an hour this past weekend; meaning we lost one hour of sleep.
The time change fortunately hasn't affected me at all; which I am very surprised by. In fact, I find myself waking an hour earlier than usual now?! I am up at 5am almost every day. Why, oh why, when my body so desperately needs the rest are my eyes opening at 5am!! SMH! lol

This week has been a busy and eventful one to say the least, but ohhhhh a richly blessed one :D

Our church has been busy rehearsing and preparing for our March Break Concert next weekend, we've been running around from appointment after appointment, errand after errand, yada yada yada......but God is SO GOOD!!! Through the ciaos of this past week, God has somehow found a way to drop blessing after blessing into our laps which has sent us sailing.

It all started at the end of last week while visiting one of my girlfriends for a play date. During our afternoon together, she presented me with a huge bag overflowing with newborn girls clothes. From sleepers to pants, onesies, shoes and more, this bag was busting at the seams; literally! The bag busted on the way to the car. lol

I was so overwhelmed my her generosity and love towards me, my family and to Sweet Pea. I was literally at a loss of words!!

This isn't the first time this friend and others have just dropped blessings into our laps un-expectantly. It's like little gifts from heaven.

This week, in the midst of cleaning Nya's old baby toys, excersaucer, swing, etc. I brought the two baby seats in from the garage to wash. I checked the expiry date on both seats and realized that one of the two is now expired :/  Yes, believe it or not...car seats expire! It's crazy! They don't technically expire, but it's illegal to use a car seat that is older that 5 years.

So, with two cars and down to only one car seat, I needed to find a solution and fast. With only 16 weeks left to go, I don't have much time to leave things to last minute.

I looked into a secondary car seat base for the Britex we have, hoping it would be cheaper than having to purchase another whole new car seat and base; however, its $100 for the base alone.

I can find a car seat with base cheaper than that on Kijiji.

I began my hunt on Kijiji right away; something we weren't financially expecting to have to do.

I found someone in Brampton selling a brand new, used only 3 times, baby car seat and base. The price was reasonable, it still had two more years left on it before expiry, and the safety ratings were high. I talked to Dennard about it and he said 'tell them we will buy it and pick it up tonight!'. lol

After setting up the meeting with the owner, I headed to the garage during the kids nap time to do some 'Spring Garage Cleaning'. Yes, when I said I was nesting, I don't just mean the inside of my home, but everywhere in my home inside and out! lol When I clean, I mean BUSINESS! ha ha

While out there I came across not just one, but TWO car seat bases for our Britex carrier!!! I was literally frozen in my spot. A rush of excitement shot through my body and bones as I stood there, eye to eye with these bases, lol, questioning 'when in the world did we ever get a second base??',  'did we ever use it?' and 'why do we have another car seat and base if we had two bases for the Britex?'. lol

Yes, baby brain can get the best of me sometimes! ha ha
Then it hit me; it all came back to me. Cheryl gave me her car seat and base when we were down to one car one week and my mom was coming to pick Nya and I up for an appointment. We needed a car seat to put Nya in, so my mom borrowed Cheryl's. Cheryl had no use for it anymore as her boys were grown, so she said to just keep it.

So, with a skip in my step, I raced inside the house and called Dennard to tell him the good news. Needless to say, we were both thrilled that we didn't have to buy another car seat :) A penny in the pocket is a penny saved!! It was a 'Thank you Jesus' moment.

Now as if this wasn't good enough, yesterday Jenn and Olivia came over for a visit and brought with them two bags of Olivia's old newborn clothes. Woo hoo; bonus!!!!

Let me tell you, Sweet Pea is MORE then set with clothes!!! I don't need ONE article of clothing for her; I have MORE than I could possibly need or want now. Between all of Nya's old newborn clothes, the ones my girlfriend gave me last week and now Jenn's two bags from yesterday, I have everything I need re: baby clothes. lol

Speaking of the nursery, the carpet is laid, the bookshelf is in and loaded, I bought pictures last week which I've hung on the wall, Sweet Pea's closet is filled with all freshly washed clothes, jammies, shoes, socks, stockings, blankets, crib sheets, etc.  I have two boxes of newborn diapers, a box of size 1 diapers, a box of baby wipes and a bottle of lotion and body wash.

All of the baby toys have been cleaned and sanitized; with the help of big sister Nya :)

I even started to load my diaper bag this week. I stocked it with diapers, diaper cream, disposable diaper bags, lotion, change pad, breastfeeding shawl, receiving blanket and pacifier pouch.

Everything is washed and ready now for Sweet Pea; all that's left to do is move the nursery furniture in, set up the bassinet for our bedroom, pack Dennard and my hospital bag, along with Nya's overnight bag (for when we are in the hospital) and load the car seat and bases into the car.

I wont be packing our bags until the end of May sometime or moving the car seat and bases in until mid June.

I feel so accomplished that I've been able to get so much done, ready and prepared for Sweet Pea. I have been able to pace myself and enjoy every bit of planning and getting ready for her. It's such an amazing feeling to walk into her nursery and see everything ready and to know that we are ahead of schedule.

With the warmer weather approaching, I want to be able to spend my last few months being out and about with Nya, friends and family. I don't want to be running around from store to store or stuck in the house getting the nursery or house ready.

Getting back on track, the icing on my cake this week happened yesterday. I was talking to my sister about how I needed to start looking for a Sit and Stand stroller for Nya and Sweet Pea. We do a lot of walking as a family, so it's not practical to think Nya can walk the whole time. She will need somewhere to sit and rest. We needed something that both Nya and Sweet pea could be pushed around in.

In anycase, I went online and looked up the price of a Sit and Stand stroller at Babies r Us as well as on Kijiji.  Brand new a Sit and Stand retails for $130. Used on Kijij is anywhere between $100-$130.

Thinking about this expense and how and when we would be able to get it, it dawned on me!!!! I have a Sit and Stand stroller given to me brand new from WeeWatch (the agency I work for) in my garage. They gave me this stroller for my daycare a year ago and I haven't used it since the Fall; before the snow fell.

I called WeeWatch and asked if I could buy the stroller from them before my contract is up, and for how much. Buying it from them would be a lot cheaper than buying it brand new from the store, and probably more affordable than buying it from Kijiji. My boss said she would check into it with the owner and get back to me.

About 15 minutes later my boss returned my call and said that they would sell me the stroller for $75!!!!!!! I shouted 'SOLD!'. lol I was SO excited that I screamed when I got off the phone and started clapping!!! lol

What a steal! If this is not another blessing from God, I don't know what is!!! lol

I kept very good care of this stroller when they bought it for me, so it's still in new condition. It will allow me to clip the baby car seat at the front with a seat in the back for Nya to either sit or stand.
You can't get any better than that....and for $75!!! Come on!! lol

This week has just been blessing after blessing!!! I can't even put into words how amazing God is; He delivers right on time every time! When Jesus is Lord of your life, we never have to be in need or want.

Just as the scripture says in Matthew 6:26 "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"

Sweet Pea at 24 Weeks

Nya, Mommy and Sweet Pea :)



Nya with Mommy at 24 week Prenatal Appointment

Big Sister Nya Having A Hard Time Containing Her Excitement!!! lol

This picture cracks me up!!!