Money in the bank!

I'm such a penny-pincher. After coming home from the grocery store and unloading all the bags onto the kitchen counter, Brian started helping me put them away and immediately started making fun of how generic the brands on all the items were. There are only certain things I will spend more on to get the name brand. The things that really need that extra quality factor... Toilet paper, for instance. C'mon, you know you don't want that tissue-paper-thin toilet paper. I want to be cha-cha-cha Charmin'ing, not doubling up on hand wash times :P With that being said, I'm also one to note excellent savings and the best time for them.

I'm really excited about the timeframe we are planning on selling our home and moving farther out on our own El Rancho Gambichler! A beautiful log home on 5 or so acres with enough room for the petting zoo Emmie and Corbin are bound to acquire. Ok, we really won't be able to blame them for it completely... Brian's a sucker for puppy breath and if they're anything like their momma they won't be able to leave the feed store without another duckling or bunny rabbit tucked under their arm. It's such an excellent time to buy (and refinance!) a home right now with these awesomely low rates. When we bought this home in '10, the rates weren't too shabby. Now, families have the excellent option to refinance their homes and take advantage of even LOWER rates. A 30 year fixed rate below 4.0%? Uhm, yes please!

I know. It sounds amazing. Even if you're not in the market for a new home, take a look at Streamline Refinance for their low streamline rates. Seriously, what penny pincher doesn't want to save EVERY way they can?

Hi-ho, hi-ho...

It's, hopefully, back to work I go. I put my application back into the pool of job opportunities with Alpine Access a couple weeks ago after my lengthy break from working. Since then, I've been declining just about every position they send me. I put myself back into the pool early so that I have enough time to be picky about my next position with them. I did alot with Microsoft last year as a tier 2 CCE agent and just want a simple position this time around. Simple = chat support/e-mail support (crosses fingers). Today I checked my e-mail and had another message from Alpine about new positions being offered to me. I checked it and actually accepted a position in genealogy! It mentioned chat support so I was all in. Plus, I would love chatting ancestry with customers all day. Like, LOVE. With that position, my schedule will be six hour evenings Monday-Friday and with a chat support role I won't actually be on the phone taking calls, which will be amazing! We'll see how it goes. I still have questions to ask them about the position, but if everything is as it seems I may start working again shortly!

Rawr.

Happy one month to our little monster!

And then there were four.

Our home is finally complete. Corbin James Gambichler arrived February 24th at 5:12 pm at 7 lbs 1 oz and 20.5 inches long! As promised, I was induced at 39 weeks exactly after about 2 cms of dilation and over 50% effacement. I don't know if I ever mentioned it, but I really love my OB. He wasn't even working or on call the day of my induction, but scheduled it on his off day anyway and gave me his undivided attention during the process. I'm going to have to remember to thank him a million times during my 6 week appointment, I don't think I've done it enough. Labor went very smooth because, I'm very happy to announce, my epidural worked! My water broke around 3:00 am Friday morning after a little help softening my cervix and pitocin was started right after. The process was basically just a long nap to me. I was so in and out of it, the time flew! My sister, Jeff, and the girls arrived just a couple hours after we checked in Thursday night, so she was able to pop in the room to hang out. The hospital has a number policy, so it was Brian and my mom who were my in-room cheerleaders, which was great. It was a longer induction than my first, but, like many others, the epidural may have played a big part in that. It was hard getting past 3 cms, but everything rolled once I was! Next thing I knew I was trying a practice push, then the lights were on, I was up, and we were pushing! Again, didn't take long at all. After pushing throughout three good contractions I was being told to look down and POP! There he was! After catching him, the doctor mentioned the umbilical cord being wrapped around his neck and that he'd have to cut it ASAP, so he'd cut it long and then let Brian cut it close. Uh, whaaat? Immediately worried and near tears, I watched the nurses grab him up very fast and race to the warmer where no crying was heard and alot of rubbing was seen. It was the absolute longest minute of my life before we heard anything out of him, but once we did, I couldn't help bawling through my doctor trying to reassure me everything was fine. Once he started crying, Corbin's color got alot better, but he'd go very pale when he stopped so an IV was placed to get his volume up and more fluids in his system. The cord was very tight and it was a very good thing I wasn't pushing for very long or who knows how bad it would've been. After he was taken away to the nursery (which was almost immediately) the doctor finished up and my vitals were taken. I had spiked a fever (102) right after delivery so my IV (my most hated part of labor/delivery >:|) was kept in for antibiotics to be given. UGH! Corbin was started on antibiotics as well as a precaution in case the fever was due to any kind of infection I may have had. Our original hospital stay was only supposed to be 24 hours. These antibiotics and IVs were to kept in for at least 48 hours, sooo that original stay was out the window. As soon as I got into our recovery room (-aka- our home away from home) my fever leveled out and I was back to a good ol' 98.6. Buuut, the IV was staying for the full 48 hours regardless >:[ On top of that wonderful news, Corbin's bilirubin levels were high due to our combative blood types. O- vs A+! Even though I had been given the lovely RhoGAM shot straight into the buttcheek during both pregnancies, it didn't keep my body from attacking his wittle body in utero, skyrocketing his white blood cell count causing those bili levels to rise after birth. All-in-all, our stay spanned from Thursday night to early Monday afternoon. After finally being able to come home, it was only another two trips back every day to check his bili levels and weight before the levels fell and he started gaining weight. Whew! Not as easy as the first time, but we made it through happy and healthy!

He went from 7 lbs 1 oz to 6 lbs 10 oz at his lowest weight. At the last visit we had at the hospital he gained a couple ounces and was up to a whopping 6 lbs 12 ozs. Then, after only a week and two days later, we had his two week appointment where he weighed in at 8 lbs 4 ozs! WHAT A CHUNK! I'm breastfeeding again, so I was one proud momma. I obviously have some good stuff ;) His next appointment is tomorrow morning so I'm very excited to see what he weighs now. He's chunking up more and more every night and is already out of his newborn snap shirts and some of his cutest onesies! Emmie was always a tall, slender baby. I'm so excited to have rolls! Well, to have a baby with rolls. <--- Which brings me to my next topic. I'm currently in the 130's after topping out at 164 lbs this pregnancy. I'm very excited this time around about keeping some weight on. It was the plan last time, but it never panned out. I was back to 115 in no time. When I started working at home in 2010, my weight jumped into the lower 120's. A good 5ish lbs difference, but still ugly on me. My plan is to keep myself around the 130 range so I look like I have some meat on my bony frame. Legs, mostly. I'm enjoying not having chicken legs! So, after a little toning up in the butt/belly areas, I'm good with only losing a few more lbs :) Here's to hoping it works this time!

Our Emmie-Butt is doing such an amazing job at being big sis. She absolutely HAS to give "Torbin" kisses and hugs on a constant basis and is so content just staring at him in her arms. All up until we use her "beebee" (blankey) to cover his legs. Then it's war, haha. We can't complain, she's amazing. And it melts my heart seeing them together. I'm trying to soak it up before he becomes the "annoying" little brother and she becomes the "mean" big sister. Here's to hoping it never happens! Brothers and sisters have always been BFFs, right? :P

Brian recently found out he has a whole three weeks of paid vacation time we had no idea had been racking up so fast. The Fray will be in Dallas on the 28th of April and we had every intention of renting a hotel and spending the night away together, but Brian threw in the option of NOT going and instead he'd get me a new battery, a new pair of struts, and a full set of brand new tires for my cabriolet. He won. I love that car, haha. I feel like I'm getting the coolest pair of new shoes. Going topless this spring? Uhm, YES!

So, as a wrap, we're all in love and enjoying every minute of "us". It's my favorite part of the year and I have big plans involving our front flower beds and alot of colorful wave petunias. It's about time we add color to our curb appeal ;)

Hubby-Hubba

"I'm proud to call you my wife, Mama.

I love you, beautiful."