Today's Savings

I hit Save-A-Lot and Kroger with Sammy and Kaedmon this A.M. We did well!

I spent $43 at Kroger and saved $68. I'm very pleased. Some great deals and freebies:

• Birdseye Steamfresh for .49
• Yoplus for .49
• Danimal Crush Cups for .49
• Dannon Active Immunity drinks for .49
• Krusteaz blueberry pancake mix for .17
• Keebler Fudgeshoppe cookies for .25
• Betty Crocker potatoes for FREE!

At Save-A-Lot, things weren't too shabby either. They had 5 lb. bags of apples on sale for $2. I bought 4 bags. I have got to do something fast with 20 lbs. of apples! I also got Old El Paso complete taco dinner kits (seasoning, sauce, and shells) for .99 on closeout. I bought 5 of those!

Now I relax. My two oldest are with their Daddy and my Daddy at the Kentucky game. The others and I are ready for our naps! Happy Saturday!

Our little girl at 19 weeks

Here she is! Our pictures today were very clear that she is, in fact, a daughter! The picture below, as if it needs explanation, is her sweet face.

You name it, we've got it...

The King home is now occupied by strep throat as well as the swine flu. It's so hard to know who has what but here's what it comes down to as of today: Kaedmon and I were tested for flu because we are at a high-risk for it. Sammy and Simon were tested for strep. Noah and David were sick last week. We have no idea what they had because it passed rather quickly. Test results:

• I have tested positive for the flu.
• Sammy has tested positive for strep.
• Simon seems sicker than anyone. He tested negative for strep but they treated him with antibiotics anyhow.
• Kaedmon tested negative for the flu but UK pediatrics asked he be treated as through he had H1N1 since he is at high-risk for it.

My Mommy predications are that everyone in the house has the flu except David and Noah. Sammy is a sad sight and Simon looks like he may fall over at any moment. Since he is not in the high-risk category, however, they wouldn't treat him were he to test positive but rather they would suggest we flush him with fluids and he rest, rest, rest as much as possible. My frustration as a Mommy lies in whether Simon, then, should be on antibiotics since he tested negative for strep.

This is very stressful and we are trying to make good decisions on how to treat the boys and ourselves. Please pray for us over the next week. Please pray that Kaedmon, baby girl, and I would tolerate the Tamiflu well and not have any side effects.

Some recent photos

Here are some recent photos I took after the boys visit to the doctor this morning. Sammy and Simon have strep and Kaed has a cold. Noah is doing well. They don't look like they've lost any of their energy, do they?

Simon (I love this one)
Looking a little sick, but not too bad...

My little Kaed. I don't think he's thrilled:

Noah and Sammy:

Not a great photo, but I like to get one of all of them playing:

I like Simon's tongue here=):

My little Batman. He has both of his brother's costumes from last year. He alternates between Batman and the UPS man. We'll see which one he picks to wear out tomorrow night:

A Report Card!

Noah got his first report card today! I was one proud Mommy!

He received an "S" (satisfactory) in all areas except music. In music he received an "N" (needs improvement), with the comment: "Noah is still learning behavior expectations. I believe he will be fine in the weeks to come." We had a long talk about music class. I am hoping to see an improvement.

His teacher, Mrs. Workman, made the comment: "Noah is doing very well in kindergarten. Despite joining our class late, he has fit right in both academically and socially. He has made friends quickly and is a joy to have in the classroom."

Yay Noah! Your Mom is very proud of you!

The Gift of a Child

Wow! What a day...

If you haven't heard, we're having a daughter! What joy! What elation!

It's strange, however, because I have always been a Mommy to boys and I'm not sure I am going to know what to do with a daughter.

That being said, I believe every child is a gift. I can honestly say that I have never taken my ability to bear children for granted. I understand that the ability to conceive a child doesn't come easily for many and I hurt for those women. At least half of my friends have endured heartaches such as miscarriage, stillbirth, infertility (secondary and otherwise), as well as the death of an infant.

Words cannot express the excitement and laughter, as well as praise and thankfulness, that has filled our home today, but I feel like I must be clear: we would have been just as thankful for another son. It saddens me to think that anyone might think otherwise. In this family, our prayer is first and foremost God's will and His glory. If a son would have been God's will for us, that would have been wonderful!

We did pray for a daughter. David and I both desired a daughter. We love having our boys, but I know my husband wanted so much the experience of being a father to a daughter. As well, I very much wanted to mother a daughter and, by God's grace (and that alone!), teach her how to be a godly woman.

Praise God for this gift- an answer to prayer! We are so thankful and continue to thank everyone for their well-wishes and prayers.

Our Family Photos

They are up at Kari's site. Can you believe how talented this woman is? I am thrilled!