6 Months Pregnant

It is so fun to know that Anamarie can hear the daily on-goings of her family life. She responds to Elijahs loud outburst, always stops moving and listens to when her Daddy talks to her and absolutely LOVES Katy Perry's song 'Firework'... but she responds the most to Aerosmith! A true Whipple-Colbert combo child!

Her taste buds are forming and her brain continues to develop. Her lungs are forming branches of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that will help fill her air sacs and make it inflate!

Ana is about the size of an eggplant... well... a scrawny eggplant. She is still "filling out" and will pack on those pounds soon enough.

She is, however, big enough to squish my bladder... as well as move her little body to one side of my belly and make it look like I have a lopsided stomach. She is big enough to make my sciatica twinge and ache. I am loving every uncomfortable aspect of growing her! She is being so kind to me weight-gain-wise... the dainty little lady she is. The last six months I have gained almost 5 1/2 pounds. A contrast to when I was pregnant with Elijah... I will not disclose how much weight I gained with him, too embarrassing!

I have been bumped up to weekly Doctor appointments, for now at least. Daily migraines, larger clot behind knee and my blood still not responding to the Lovenox is the reason why. Doctor Williams increased my Lovenox injections to 90mg once daily from 70mg once daily. The most the syringe can hold is 80mg... so I have to do two separate injections every day. At the beginning of these injections I was smug and thought, "I have so much belly here... I won't have a problem finding a injection site!"... well... as my stomach got harder, the injections started to hurt more. At this point I am left with a small area of squishy belly left... a small and heavily bruised area. Doing injections when she is awake and moving is just creepy.

Daniel and I are loving the fact that baby is a girl!

What is Swagbucks?

Swagbucks.com is the web's premier rewards site. Powered by Prodege LLC, Swagbucks.com allows web users to earn virtual currency by doing the things they do every day - search the web, shopping at their favorite retailers, and by engaging in other activities such as phone recycling, submitting polls, and completing special offers. Swagbucks.com is the only place on the web to get what you want without ever having to spend a dime.

Click here to watch a youtube video on "what is Swagbucks"... but please do not click on his referral link. Please use MY referal link, http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/slinkyallstar

Swagbucks.com is an online portal dedicated to helping you earn digital dollars called "Swag Bucks", which can be redeemed for exclusive Swagbucks.com merchandise... such as cameras, xBox 360, various games for the computer or gaming devices, coloring books, food products, housewares... and my favorite, GIFT CARDS! I exclusively get the $5 Amazon.com gift cards. One $5 ACG (Amazon gift card) cost 450 Swagbucks. It takes me about 3 weeks to earn 450 Swagbucks.

How to earn Swagbucks?

Tip #1
Need To Search the Web? Do It With Swagbucks.com.

www.swagbucks.com is the only place on the web where you can win exclusive prizes simply by doing the things you do anyway, everyday!

When searching the web, the best way to win Swag Bucks is to use the engine for genuine search and discovery. Their technology is designed to award users who search naturally — simply utilize our engine the way you would with other search providers. You can earn different amounts with each random search... anywhere from 7-50 swagbucks!

Doing a ton of searches, or clicking on search results, will not increase your chances of winning in any way.

Tip #2

Get a Toolbar, Stay Connected and Win More.

If you use Internet Explorer or Firefox, the quickest way to win Swag Bucks is to have Swagbucks.com always at your finger tips. The Swagbucks.com toolbar resides on the top of your browser and only takes seconds to install. I installed it quickly and easy... and no, I did not get any virus from downloading it... my computer is super secure like Fort Knox so NOTHING sneaks in... I completely trust the Swagbucks toolbar. You get 1 swagbuck daily for just using the toolbar... 1 swagbuck a day equals 365 swagbucks a year!

Tip #3
Invite Your Friends & When They Win, You Win.

The quickest way to win Swag Bucks is to get a little help from your friends! Invite your friends to Swagbucks.com and every Swag Buck they win searching the web, you'll win as well. Win up to 1,000 Swag Bucks per referral! Make sure to tell your friends that if they click on a referal link, or from one of your Facebook swagbuck's post, to NOT click anywhere else on the Swagbucks website. If they do go anywhere else other than the sign up page after clicking on your link, you WILL NOT get the credit from referring them. This is the only negative thing I have found about Swagbucks.

Tip #4
Watch videos at Swag Bucks TV

Every video that you watch gives you the opportunity to earn Swag Bucks. Hundreds of videos are available and more are added every single day. They are boring and pointless videos... I will turn "autoplay" on and leave the computer... go and do the dishes or something and them come back and check on it. Sometimes a Swagbucks pop-up will appear on the screen saying "are you still there?" once I click on it the videos will keep playing. Once your "tv meter" reaches 100% you get 5 Swagbucks. It takes about 45min-hour for the meter to fill up.

Tip #5
Share Your Opinions Through Trusted Surveys.

Major brands want to know what you think and are willing to pay you Swag Bucks to hear it. Complete your personalized profiles and start earning BIG Swag Bucks on your own time, at your own pace. I have been using Swagbucks for a few months now and I have only qualified for one survey. Most people DO NOT "qualify" for the surveys. If you do, however, you typically earn 50-200 swagbucks. BUT... Clicking on the "trusted surveys" tab will earn you 1 swagbucks every day. And one swagbucks a day equals 365 a year!

Tip #6
Want Swag Bucks Quickly? Complete a Special Offer.

Got your eye on something special in the Swag Store? If you're saving up Swag Bucks but could use a little help, check out our Special Offers Page. You'll find rewarding promotions from major brands.
*Yes, you will get MAJOR spam from 99% if these offers. So I use a junk email address.
*Yes, 99% of these offers want a valid phone number. So I use a a K7 online phone number... learn about K7 numbers here. They are free and I NEVER have to deal with telemarketers.
*Yes, 99% of these offers want a home address. I will either use my currant address or a address I have lived at in the last few years... depending on how sketchy the offer looks.
*Yes, some of these offers ask for a drivers license number, social security number or require me to download something to my computer. I DO NOT do these offers... no matter how many Swagbucks the reward is. I recommend you avoid these offers as well. I trust Swagbucks, but not any of the 3rd party apps.
*Some of these offers require you to purchase something, subscribe to a magazine, or pay for a service. I have not done any of these offers. I can tell you that some people have complained that they did not receive product paid for... but most offers seem to be legit... again you can check out the discussions tab on the Swagbucks Facebook page and see what other people are saying about these offers. Swagbucks will occasionally promote a special offer that requires you to purchase something. Their most recent one was with Flowers.com... and it was legit. Another offer that Swagbucks.com seems to promote often is with Oldnavy.com... awesome deal!
*Unfortunaty only about 60% of the Special Offers pay out the Swagbucks they "offer". It is a hit and miss... If you "fan" Swagbucks on Facebook (link here) you will find in the discussion tab many people talking about which offers work and which do not.

Tip #7
Do You Shop Online? Visit their Shop & Earn Mall Before You Buy.

Odds are they have got the brands you're already looking for, and they will give you Swag Bucks when you make your purchase through us! Seriously... Walmart.com, Old Navy, Motherhood Maternity... every online store, well not EVERY store... but lots!

Tip #8
Earn Swag Bucks and Reduce Your Carbon Footprint.

Got a new phone in the last few years? Then send them your old cell phone and they will reward you Swag Bucks. Replace your old dust-collecting cellular with an exclusive Swagbucks.com prize! There's no limit to how many phones you can recycle! Same with old gaming systems and old textbooks! You can check to see how much your stuff is worth.

Tip #9
Interact With The Polls.

Daily polls page features topics and questions that matter to you. From everything Swag Bucks related, to popular culture, news, and entertainment, the Polls page is consistently fresh, fun, and rewarding. Answer the Daily Poll on the day it becomes available to earn a bonus Swag Buck! Just one swagbuck each day... but one a day equals 365 in one year!

Tip #10
Make Swagbucks.com Your Home Page.

Click on the 'Make Us Your Home Page' link under the 'More' tab and make it easy to access Swagbucks.com

Tip #11
Promote on Your Website, Social Profile, Blog or Email Signature.

Grab a Swagbucks.com banner and spread it around and make it easy for friends to sign up as your Swagbucks.com friend! Remember, each Swag Buck they win, you'll win too! You can get your won referal link, similar to mine here, http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/slinkyallstar

Tip #12
Read the Blog.

When big news breaks about Swag Bucks, it happens first on the Swag Bucks Blog! Find out about all the newest offers, prizes, and Swag Codes, all in one convenient location. Look for posts by The Swag Guy for exclusive Swag Buck opportunities! Swag codes have been known to appear on the blog!

Tip #13
Keep Up With Our Facebook/Twitter Account.

Discover what the folks behind Swag Bucks are thinking about and working on in real time! Swagbucks social media pages feature an informal community setting for you to gain insights and share your opinion. And don't be surprised if you stumble upon the occasional Swag Code!


Tip #14 NOSO's (No obligation Special Offers)

Similar to the special offers page, these basically are just spam offers... BUT you have the option to "skip" these offers... after about four or five "skips" you come to a page that requires you to enter a captcha... entering the captcha will earn you 2 swagbucks! You can do this NOSO once a day! That is 730 swagbucks a year!
**********************

That is just about it... if anyone has used Swagbucks.com before and has some awesome insight or tips please comment and share!

Wondering if Swagbucks.com is legit still? You can find the Better Business Bureau review of Swagbucks.com here. If you do a Google search you will find many positive blogs and/or reviews regarding Swagbucks.com. You will find lots of "Is Swagbucks a scam?"... 95% of the answers you will find will say that "no, it is not a scam". Occasionally one or two reviews will pop out stating how Swagbucks.com scammed someone out of their points or whatever... usually these people did something that goes against the Swagbucks policy... such as using multiple accounts. If you share an IP address with your neighbor or roommate, and they too use Swagbucks.com, your account will be closed. There are very few rules with Swagbucks.com... it isn't hard to follow them. If you DO do something to break the rules your account will be closed.

I have personally traded swagbucks for Amazon gift cards... and I have used those Amazon gift cards to purchase products... and have had those products shipped to my house. So I can say that Swagbucks.com is totally legit... it is easy to use and I recommend everyone create an account! With my referral link of course :)

Want to sign up???? CLICK HERE
or use this referal link address http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/slinkyallstar

Deal Of The Day

Today's trip to Target

*One pair of womens jeans regular price $24.99 on clearance for $6.24... $1.24 after Target coupon
*One infant long sleeve onsie regular price $4.00... $2.00 on clearance
*Up and Up all purpose cleaner with bleach regular price $1.37... $0.37 after coupon
*7th Generation dish soap 25 oz.regular price $2.69... $.069 after Target coupon stacked with manufacturers coupon.
*Jet Dry 4oz. regular price $2.59... $0.34 after Target coupon stacked with manufacturers coupon
*Finish Dishwasher tablets 10ct. regular price $2.50... $0.50 after Target coupon stacked with manufacturers coupon
* Up and Up bleach 96oz. regular price $1.27... $0.27 after Target coupon
*Kelloggs Crunchy nut cereal 14 oz. regular price $2.99... $0.99 after Target coupon stacked with manufacturers coupon.
* Vaseline Intensive care lotion 10oz. regular price $2.99... $0.99 after Target coupon stacked with manufacturers coupon.
*Aquafresh travel size toothpaste regular price $ 0.97... free after manufacturers coupon.
*Up and Up cotton balls 100ct. regular price $1.12... $0.67 after Target coupon.
*Up and Up low dose aspirin 108 ct. regular price $2.29... $1.29 after Target coupon.
*Halls 40 count cough drops regular price $1.22... $0.22 after Target coupon stacked with manufacturers coupon.
*Up and Up liners 22 ct. on sale for $0.89... $ 0.14 after Target coupon

Total cost with tax $10.13

All Target coupons can be printed from Target website. All manufactures coupons can be found in Sunday newspapers and/or printed from coupons.com and/or printed from company website.

Deals of the Day

My Trip to Wal-Mart 02/18/11

AirWick Candle $3.97
Travel size Q-Tip with case $0.97
Nivea 'A kiss of shimmer' lip balm $2.47
Nivea 'A kiss of shimmer' lip balm $2.47
Pampers Pull Ups Flushable wipes $1.64
Gas X Chewable $3.78
Gain Fabric Soften sheets $4.33
Dove Origginal Deoderant $2.47
Rimmel London eye shadow $2.47
Pull Ups training pants $8.97
Sunbelt cereal bars $2.08
Sunbelt cereal bars $2.08

Total after 10% associate discount $33.93 ... Total after coupons $11.60


Facebook Freebies

Earrings won during a give-away from My Spice of Life (value $3.50)
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/MySpiceOfLife

Sample of Vasaline hand lotion and $1 off coupon -Free from an online sample site

Toddler Gymboree sunglasses won from... I can't remember where!!! (value $9.75)

Recent Swag

Facebook freebies and giveaways post.
I didn't not pay for a single item below, not even for shipping.

* One blue Juppy Baby Walker from Juppy ($29.95 value)
http://www.facebook.com/#!/TheJuppy

* One childs half apron from Eden's Aprons & Gifts ($20.00 value)
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Edens-Aprons-Gifts/116943978367572

* One big 3 layer flower headband ($8 value) and two pink clippies ($3 value)
http://www.facebook.com/crochetbyshani#!/crochetbyshani

* Two packs of Goody hair ties ($6.18 value)
http://www.facebook.com/GOODY
Elijah wanted to model...

It's A............

GIRL!
Anamarie May Whipple

My mind is whirling... dresses, tutus and bows... OH MY! I have a daughter... A sweet baby girl! I just had this feeling it was a girl. Daniel really wanted a girl... we couldn't be more happy! Elijah is just excited for a baby... however, when we showed him the ultrasound pictures and said "this is your sister"... he replied with "OH NO!"
The name we picked, Anamarie, means favored grace. Marie is Daniels moms middle name. The middle name, May, is my middle name... as well as my Moms and Grandmas middle name. In the book of Luke, there is a mention of a prophetess named Anna. We felt the name suited our journey to have another child. I knew that God would not have given me the desire for another one if He wasn't going to let it happen.I am now going to go and daydream about pink things.

21 Weeks and Sono Pics

We are over half way to 40 weeks!
Praise God!

Today we had another ultrasound, resulting in a 80% gender determination. Baby is healthy and BIG! His/her head is right under my belly button and feet are all the way down. Baby weighs just over a pound now (according to the u/s). Baby is breech, so hopefully he/she will flip for the sonogram next week and we can get a certain answer to this gender question! We did, this time, get some pretty good feet pictures and a great face picture!

This last week has been just down right awful. Pregnant women should be immune from the stomach flu. Stomach flu and still have the stinking cold from weeks ago... I feel septic... QUARANTINE QUARANTINE!

I forgot to mention two weeks ago, the start of Braxton Hicks. I thought to myself... ALREADY? I know it isn't from lack of hydration... I drink gallons of water a day!

We are excited for next Wednesday... love these ultrasounds!