27 Weeks (Then & Now) & A Winner

First things first, the winner of the Stella & Dot giveaway is... Caroline! Just email me your info to EmailJennasJourney@gmail.com!! Congratulations!

27 Weeks with Brayden:

27 Weeks with Brody:

How Far Along: 27 Weeks

Size of baby: 2 lbs,14 1/2 inches and the size of a head of cauliflower.

Maternity Clothes: I wear a combo of maternity and regular clothes. It just depends on the outfit!

Gender: BOY! (Brody)

Movement: Yes - I felt movement VERY early on (12-13 weeks). Chris has also felt him move.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Sleep: I get up about 3-5 times per night.

Symptoms: I still take a Zofran in the morning but other than that I'm okay.

I had an OB appointment today. Tonight our nurse called because my infection has gotten worse (even though the blood count has gotten better) and they don't know why since I've been on so many antibiotics. So, they've decided to send me for a kidney ultrasound. I think they are looking to see if my kidneys are swollen or if there are stones. I should hear from them tomorrow on when I go in - but they want it to be ASAP.

Another thing we learned is that a Neonatologist will be present for my delivery to examine Brody. We think it's going to be one that I know (he treated Brayden at one point) which is great because I really, really like him and trust him (so does Chris). This is just a precaution...they don't anticipate anything going wrong but everyone wants to be prepared.

And because my child is a HUGE HAM, he only let me take one pic without him! Ha! So here is one with him in it!

Maternity Style

A winner will be drawn tomorrow!

Be sure to enter my Stella & Dot giveaway on my giveaway page! There is also a trunk show going on and 30% of the proceeds go to Arkansas Children's Hospital!!!

I've gotten a few questions about where I've been buying my maternity clothes, so I thought I'd just do a little post! Normally, I am sort of weird about clothes. I like to find things that are a little bit different and not everyone has. I'm not a big internet shopper because it seems like if I buy it on the internet, it never fits!

This is one of my favorite maternity shirts. I can already see that I might end up wearing it after Brody is here. I found it at a local boutique for 75% off so I couldn't pass it up!

This might make you laugh, but my next two shirts are from...

TARGET! I think they have some really cute and super inexpensive maternity shirts. I have the orange shirt below in purple as well and another tank similar to the one above in blue. The detail on the one above is actually zippers!

I have several things from Motherhood because our maternity selection in Arkansas is...limited, to say the least. Incredibly limited. The green shirt below is from Motherhood (the white tee is one of my non-maternity tees from Banana Republic) and most of the dresses you've seen me in that are maternity are also from Motherhood. I also still wear a lot of my non-maternity dresses.
I've said in my weekly posts that I still mix in a fair amount of non-maternity items. The next two outfits are good examples.

The below is an outfit my mom picked up for me at Nordstroms. The shirt is a gray sleeveless silk.
And this shirt is from the Buckle. It's probably the one I've gotten stopped for the most and asked where it came from! A couple of moms in Motherhood asked me one day while I was shopping so I told them and they left to go shopping there! I think the salesperson was a little miffed at me!
Another question I've gotten is about my jeans. With Brayden I used a Bella Band with my regular jeans for a long time. This time, because I'm bending and lifting B so much, I just went straight into the maternity jeans. It's just a lot easier for me. I have REALLY long legs. Like, annoyingly, ridiculously long and hard to buy pants for legs. Since I was a teenager I've always had to buy the more expensive brands because of length issues. So my maternity jeans are from Citizens of Humanity, Seven for All Mankind and I do actually have a pair of Gap Long and Lean's that fit. For winter, I have a cheapie pair from Motherhood that I bought on sale for $10 and I tuck them into my Uggs (because they literally hit me mid-calf!).

Well, I hope that answers your questions! Let me know if there was something specific that you wanted to know where it came from!

Fun Saturday Bday Party

Be sure to enter my Stella & Dot giveaway on my giveaway page! There is also a trunk show going on and 30% of the proceeds go to Arkansas Children's Hospital!!!

Today we headed over to Sara's for Lilly and Reid's birthday party! Lilly turned 2 and Reid turned 1! I've only got a few pictures but I know she will have a ton up soon!

The cute Rick's cakes and the monkey cupcakes that Sara made!

Reidster:
Miss Lilly and her little shopping cart we got her (and Miss Stella):
We had so much fun! I spent the day with Sara and Sydney yesterday helping doing a few things for the party (and then enjoying a YUMMY Mexican lunch) and letting the kids play. When we got home I put B down for his nap, and when he woke up he kept saying "Lilly? Reid? Stella?" over and over! It was so cute!

And since we were in town, we may or may not have stopped by Ricks and picked up a Death by Chocolate cake, which I may or may not be eating while I type. =)

Brody's Echo Cardiogram

Be sure to enter my Stella & Dot giveaway on my giveaway page! There is also a trunk show going on and 30% of the proceeds go to Arkansas Children's Hospital!!!

I forgot to give an update on Brody's echo. We found out that a satellite office that is only 25 min's away can do the echo for us. We will be on a video conference with UAMS (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences) doctors in Little Rock. From the paperwork they sent me it looks like it will be a cardiologist as well as a genetic counselor (I had has months ago if I should meet with a genetic counselor but my former OB suggested against it).

Two great things - one, we won't have to drive all the way to Little Rock. Two, because it will be done via video conference, the doctors will give me the full report right there and then. I will actually know the results of all the testing they do before my new OB does.

After doing a lot of research myself, I think I've figured out what they are going to be specifically looking for. Brayden had PPHN, which is a non-genetic condition, and it only affects 500-1500 infants per year, so it's very, very rare. I've spent hours looking for any sibling recurrence of PPHN to see if Brody stands a higher chance of being born with it, but haven't found anything.

There is a small part of the heart that I had never heard of that seems to be correlated with PPHN. I have a feeling that will be part of what they are checking, although I can't figure out exactly why since PPHN doesn't present itself until after birth. Also, my mom and I both have heart conditions that they are going to be looking for (though if he has them, it shouldn't pose any risk to him).

My appointment will be on September the 21st.

26 Weeks

Be sure to enter my Stella & Dot giveaway on my giveaway page! There is also a trunk show going on and 30% of the proceeds go to Arkansas Children's Hospital!!!

(Also, if you read my last post you are in on my secret...I am AWFUL at math. So I realize now that the percentage is wrong, but eh, whatever. Ha!)

How Far Along: 26 Weeks

Size of baby: A pound and 2/3's,14 inches and the size of a hothouse cucumber.

Maternity Clothes: I wear a combo of maternity and regular clothes. It just depends on the outfit!

Gender: BOY! (Brody)

Movement: Yes - I felt movement VERY early on (12-13 weeks). Chris has also felt him move.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Sleep: I get up about 3-5 times per night.

Symptoms: I still take a Zofran in the morning but other than that I'm okay.

I've been MIA because I've got an awful sinus infection! Yuck! In pregnancy related news, my new doctor consulted with a couple of urologists and they decided to put me on some medication to see if the blood issue resolves. If not, then I will be having an ultrasound of my kidney's. My next appointment is on the 31st so I am hoping to learn more then.

128%

Be sure to enter my Stella & Dot giveaway on my giveaway page! There is also a trunk show going on and 30% of the proceeds go to Arkansas Children's Hospital!!!

128%. That's how much I saved last night at Walgreens!

I know you all are probably tired of hearing about my couponing adventures, but I'm documenting this for myself so I can see my progress as I continue to learn more and make smarter choices.

So here is what I bought:

2 Airwick Freshmatic Starter kits (includes motion sensor and spray)

2 Ziplock bags (1 sandwich and 1 gallon sized)

1 Visine

1 Chex Mix

1 24pk Aquafina

1 Bag Cracker Jack

1 Huggies 64ct wipes

The Airwick starter kits are on sale this week for $3.99 and I had a $4 off coupon, so both of them were FREE! I had some trouble with this deal because the cashier insisted that I couldn't use a coupon that was higher than the sale value of them item, but I insisted she check with the manager. He explained to her how to over ride it and so both items were FREE!

Aquafina: Price: 5.99 - $2 coupon = 3.99

2 Ziplocks: 3.29 each - $1 WG Coupon and .50cent MFG coupon = 5.08

1 Chex: 1.50 - .50cent coupon = $1

1 Visine: 3.99 - $2 = 1.99

1 64ct Huggies Wipes: Sale price: 2.99 - $1 WG coupon - .50cent MFGcoupon - $1 MFG coupon = .49cents!

And a $1 Register Reward

I didn't have a coupon for the Cracker Jacks...I just had to have them!

Between sales and coupons I saved $36.22 and I paid $15.84!

County Fair

Be sure to enter my Stella & Dot giveaway on my giveaway page! There is also a trunk show going on and 30% of the proceeds go to Arkansas Children's Hospital!!!

The other night we decided to take B to the county fair. I'm not sure we picked the best day seeing as it was 100 degrees outside! But B really enjoyed seeing all the animals.

The goats actually acknowledged that he was there and it just thrilled him:

And we couldn't leave without playing at least one fair game and winning B a prize. The winner:
He picked a stuffed dog and it was literally as big as he is. He insisted on carrying it himself and kissing it...which grossed me out since I hadn't Lysoled it yet!
I can't wait to take both my boys next year!

Splash Park Fun

Be sure to enter my Stella & Dot giveaway on my giveaway page! There is also a trunk show going on and 30% of the proceeds go to Arkansas Children's Hospital!!!

Sara, Sydney and I headed out to the splash park today to let the kids have a little fun. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a 100 degree day so we didn't stay too long.

Notice that B is the one right smack dab in the middle of the water while the girls stand off to the side like "what is he doing?!" That's Lilly in the center and Stella to the right (Reid is in the background).

Brayden had the BEST time running through the water. He likes to chase me around with the garden hose when I'm outside watering the plants so I had a feeling this would be up his alley! He was totally drenched by the time we left!
Lilly and Reid:
I had a close up of Stella but it totally blurred and didn't turn out!

Afterwards, we headed off to Chickfila (where else?!) for some yummy chicken and fries. Now it's crash time for B and rest time for me!

Giveaway!!!

I have a new and exciting giveaway AND trunk show up on my giveaway blog!!!

Interested in jewelry??? Want to win this?

Then just click here!

4 Hours Later...

I've added the 25 week picture to the below post!

I thought that would be a fun title for this post being as that is how long we were at the doctors office today! Yes, almost 4 hours! (Technically, 3 hours, 40 mins...but whose counting?!).

Ooookay. So as you learned in the last post I decided to change doctors, clinics and hospitals. That was not an easy decision for me. I really liked my doctor and enjoyed that is was close by. I did not really like the hospital so that part was a little easier.

So I ended up making the tough decision to change. A lot of my friends go to another clinic/doctor/hospital so after talking with many of them, that's where I decided to switch to.

So today I met with a business office person to handle my transfer, 2 nurses and my new doctor. Giving my history took about an hour and a half! There was a lot to cover with regards to all my infertility treatments and then Brayden's PPHN.

Once we met with the doctor, I knew right away that I liked her. She's a straight shooter and VERY proactive. She had her nurse call Arkansas Children's (where Brayden was) and talk to a doctor there. They decided that it would be in our best interest to have a fetal echo cardiogram done on Brody. I will probably have to go to Little Rock to have this done and it will probably be done very soon, perhaps in the next week. There isn't a great concern that there is something wrong with Brody, this is more a precautionary measure. They are also doing some more testing to figure out the blood situation.

I go back in less than 2 weeks for another appointment and hopefully we will have more answers. So far I feel like we did 100% the right thing by switching. They are being really, really proactive and taking things very seriously. My c-section date may change, but I won't know that for a few more weeks.

Thank you all so much for your concern and your prayers! I'll keep you updated!

25 Weeks!

How Far Along: 25 Weeks

Size of baby: 1.5 pounds, 13.5 inches and the size of a rutabaga.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: About 6lbs.

Maternity Clothes: I wear a combo of maternity and regular clothes. It just depends on the outfit!

Gender: BOY!

Movement: Yes - I felt movement VERY early on (12-13 weeks). Chris has also felt him move.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Sleep: I get up about 3-5 times per night.

Symptoms: I still take a Zofran in the morning but other than that I'm okay.

Best Moment this week: Hm...I'm hoping tomorrow will be the best moment!

What I am looking forward to: My appt tomorrow! It is at my new clinic with my new doctor.

So, tomorrow is the big appointment. I have no idea what is going to happen other than the office needs to talk to me and then I will see the doctor's nurse. I think I will also be seeing the doctor...the nurse was made aware of "my situation" (high risk) and she said she felt confident that the doctor would want to see me. There was some talk of doing a stage 2 ultrasound, but I'm not holding my breath. Basically, I don't want to go in with my expectations set too high. All I want is for someone to be proactive at figuring out what is going on and to prove that everything is okay!

Lazy Monday

Today was such a lazy day which is totally fine because I have something planned for each day during the rest of this week!

The only real thing we did was "art time." I should point out that I am artistically challenged. Like, I can't draw a stick figure. Chris is better but neither of us are what I would call artistically inclined.

So after B had taken his nap, I let him draw during snack time. Riveting, I know.

He had a great time, and then let me know he was done by chucking his crayons at my head. Good times.
The above picture was "pre-chuck."

His other new favorite thing to do is sing. Unfortunately for him, it sounds like he took after Chris and I...which means the poor thing can't carry a tune in a bucket. Who knows, that might change! The little songs he sings are sooo cute. He hums and babbles and then throws in his favorite words (ahem...Mommy!).

Sunday

I was MIA because for once I had nothing to blog about! Ha!

Today is Sunday and so we started our day out at church. Brayden has decided that he no longer wants to go to the nursery, so he screamed when I dropped him off which I hate! When we went to go pick him up he was still screaming! I really hate that! But our church will put a number up on the screen if they think your child needs you and ours never flashed so I'm hoping he was just crying to let me know he really didn't want to be there, but played while I was gone!

After church we went with my Dad to Copelands. My Mom wasn't there today because her back was out. =( We had a great lunch and then came home so B could take his nap. We've been watching Big Brother 11 (Jeff and Jordan's season) on YouTube and we are hooked!

Around 1:45 I left to go to Jennifer's shower...I had uploaded a new GPS app on my phone and was using that to find my way to Julee's house. Well, the app messed up and instead of taking me to her house, just took me to the start of her zip code! How weird is that?! I called Sara and she helped me find my way there!! Unfortunately I ended up being really late which is totally not me!! I'm usually the early one!

Here's Melissa, Jennifer and her sister Jill while Jennifer's opening gifts:

Jillian's sweet banner:
The yummy food (Notice half of it is gone because I was late! There was a top tier to the cake!)
And when I got home, Chris and B had baked me cookies and bought me the sweetest card!! I am so blessed to have my boys!

Couponing 101

Coupons! I'm seriously getting addicted to this. Thankfully, Chris is okay with that.

I read on a site that one woman felt that couponing was one way to be a good steward with what God has given you. I thought that was a pretty intriguing statement because I'd never thought of it that way, but by saving money on products, we then have more money to give, whether it be to an organization, a benevolence fund, a mission project etc.

So, I've been reading and learning and researching on how to use coupons (if you couldn't tell from my last post). In this post, I'm just going to share the resources that I've found the most valuable information at. If you're like me and want to know the stores policy on coupons before going, I recommend checking out the Hot Coupon World site - they have have most policies and lots of info by store.

This first one is a little different. If you collect Huggies Rewards, this site has about 50 points in free codes: http://www.freebiespot.net/?tag=huggies-rewards

Click here to get a free Home Made Simple coupon book with coupons for items like Febreeze, Cascade, Dawn, Mr. Clean and Swiffer.

Go here to print off lots of great coupons. I got some of my Huggies coupons and Colgate coupons here.

Did you know that Walgreens will let you print coupons off of their website? Also, be sure to pick up their monthly coupon book at the register. It's free!

Before I went to Walgreens, I watched these two videos from Hip2Save's website. She actually takes you shopping with her so that you can see how a pro does it.

And there's also some great videos from The "Cent"sible Sawyer.

I go to MOPS with Heather and she has a great site with lots of valuable info. Just click here.

Last but not least is the Money Saving Mom. This link will take you to a $3 off Huggies coupon but you need to explore the whole site!

I hope this will help those of you who are also new to couponing! Let me know your successes!!

So I played the Walgreens game...

I decided to try out my novice couponing skills at another store this week - Walgreens. My mom gave me her Sunday ads so I had 2 sets of coupons plus some printables that I found online. I did a LOT better at Walgreens than I did at Wal-mart but I think it's because you can stack certain coupons (a WG coupon with a manufacturer coupon).

Here's what I got:

I had a coupon for every single item here except Chris' sunblock, which was not on my list. =) That's what happens when you take the hubby with you though. Ha! But as a consolation I did get a register reward for it, so all was not lost.

In case you can't tell here is what I got:

4 packs of huggies (2 for Brayden and 2 for Brody)

3 containers of huggies wipes

2 colgate toothpastes

2 maybelline mascaras

2 maybelline eyeshadows

4 bags of chex mix (we like our chex mix around here!)

3 boxes of capri sun

3 garnier hair products

1 box of crayons

1 sunblock

My best deals were the Huggies diapers...each pack was on sale for $8.99. I had four coupons - 2 for $4 and 2 for $3.50. So instead of $36 I paid $21. I got the toothpaste for $.99. Also, the wipes total would have been $9 (they were on sale) but I got them for $4 (for all 3).

In total I saved....

$46!!

That was a 36% savings! It's not perfect but it's much better than last time! Also, I was really lucky because I was unsure of how to use the coupons (you just give them to the cashier at the end) and the cashier was SO nice and very helpful. He also made sure I got the Walgreens monthly coupon book (I didn't know there was such a thing).

So here are my tips for shopping at Walgreens.

- You can stack manufacturer coupons with Walgreens coupons. Coupons can also be combined with sales for an even better deal!

- Pick up a copy of the monthly coupons. They are at the register and there is a new book each month.

- Print coupons off of Walgreens website and other sites like Coupons.com

- Know your register rewards because they aren't all labeled in the store.

24 Weeks!

How Far Along: 24 Weeks

Size of baby: 1+ pound, 11+ inches and the size of a mango.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: About 5lbs.

Maternity Clothes: I wear a combo of maternity and regular clothes. It just depends on the outfit!

Gender: BOY!

Movement: Yes - I felt movement VERY early on (12-13 weeks). Chris has also felt him move.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Sleep: I get up about 3-5 times per night.

Symptoms: I still take a Zofran in the morning but other than that I'm okay.

Best Moment this week: Hearing his heartbeat.

What I am looking forward to: Finding out what is going on!

I had a doctor appointment today for the kidney stone issue. Now they don't think I have kidney stones, but they don't know what is causing the blood. I've got some decisions to make about how I want to proceed and I think we've reached a decision but I keep wavering! I *think* everything is okay but I really want to be 100% sure. I know that's vague, and I don't mean it to be, but until we decide what to do, I don't want to put it out here!

Nursery Part Two

So since I'm sitting around the house with nothing to do...I thought I'd share my nursery fabric!

Let it be said that I am NOT a themey person. I'm more of a color person. But when I found this elephant fabric I couldn't help myself. They are the cutest little elephants I've ever seen. There will also be a brown minky fabric and a green minky fabric included in the design. Super cute!

And today should be my 24 week post but since I look like a bum, in my sweats, with only half of my makeup on (that's how you can tell it's a bad day around here!) I will NOT be posting it until tomorrow, when I will hopefully look halfway decent again.

And a question...

If you have ordered a custom canvas from somewhere, tell me where you got it! I'm thinking about having something painted for Brody's room since I can't find anything I like.

Update

Hopefully I will think of something a little more interesting to blog about soon! I guess I could always share my nursery fabric swatches!

But for those of you who've contacted me asking for a medical update, here you go. =)

My doctor's nurse just called. It apparently is a kidney stone (or stones?). Basically I am to sit here with my feet up and drink a ton of water while I wait to see if the doctor wants me to come in before my scheduled appointment (Thursday) since I'm still having Braxton Hicks and a lot of back pain.

Thankfully, Mr. B is back to his normal and very happy self. On a funny (to anyone but me) note, he did give me my first fat lip last night. He chunked a toy hammer at me (I don't think he meant to, his aim isn't that good!) and it busted my lip!

Done DONE!

So, I got my new iPhone last week and I discovered that it takes good videos!

I'm sure you can't guess who I was taking said videos of...

Here's B talking one morning while he was eating his breakfast.

Because uneventful pregnancies are not for me...

My doctor's office thinks I have kidney stones. For real?? I guess I am not cut out for an uneventful pregnancy.

I don't know anyone whose had them - at least not while pregnant. So I did what any normal person would do and I googled it. And words like "preterm labor" came up. Um, no thank you. So I called my doctor back and they are waiting for more test results but they won't come in until Monday. I don't have my next appointment until Thursday.

I was told to "lay down, rest and drink water." The drink water part I can handle. The lay down and rest I can handle when Chris is home or during B's nap, but not all the time!

So who has experience with kidney stones during pregnancy? What can you tell me? I'm not in that much pain - at least not now, but I read that that will probably change if my diagnosis is correct. I am just a teeny bit freaked out over all this.

23 Weeks

How Far Along: 23 Weeks

Size of baby: 1+ pound, 11+ inches and the size of a mango.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: About 4lbs.

Maternity Clothes: I wear a combo of maternity and regular clothes. It just depends on the outfit!

Gender: BOY!

Movement: Yes - I felt movement VERY early on (12-13 weeks). Chris has also felt him move.

What I miss: Nothing really.

Sleep: I get up about 3-5 times per night.

Symptoms: I still take a Zofran in the morning but other than that I'm okay.

Best Moment this week: Painting the nursery.

What I am looking forward to: Seeing the bedding once it's made!

Next week is my 24 week appointment and my GD test...yummy fruit punch to drink. Ick! I've had several braxton hicks and even a few real contractions but we've gotten that under control. It's a totally different experience this time around because I have an almost 19 month old to take care of too! Resting with my feet up isn't usually and option but we are making it work!

YUMMY Enchiladas

I mentioned that I was making a new enchilada recipe. I've made several over the last few months and I haven't been too excited about any of them. Until now.

So last night I made the Pioneer Woman's white chicken enchiladas. Here is her recipe:

• 2-½ cups Cooked, Shredded Chicken
• 2 cups Reserved Broth From Chicken
• 3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• 12 whole Corn Tortillas
• 1 whole Large Onion, Diced
• 3 whole 4 Oz Cans Whole Green Chilies, Diced
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Finely Diced
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• ½ cups Heavy Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 2-½ cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Picante Sauce (optional)
• Cilantro, Chopped

Preparation Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas for no longer than 20 seconds, just to soften (do not allow to become crisp.) Place tortillas on a large towel or stack of paper towels to drain.

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in separate skillet over medium heat. Add onions and jalapenos and saute for 1 minute, just to start the cooking process. Add chicken, half of the green chilies, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Stir together. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and stir. Add cream and stir, allowing mixture to bubble and get hot. Turn off heat and set aside.

In a separate large skillet, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together and cook over medium heat for one minute. Pour in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth. Whisk together and cook for another minute or two. Stir in the other half of the chilies. Reduce heat, then stir in sour cream. Add 1 1/2 cups grated cheese and stir to melt. Add 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

To assemble, spoon chicken mixture on top of tortillas, one by one. Top with plenty of cheese and roll up. Place seam side down in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Pour cheese mixture all over the top of the tortillas. Top with extra cheese if you’d like, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle generously with chopped cilantro.

Serve with picante sauce, if desired.

Faint. Repeat as needed.

Um, faint is right. These were SOOO good. I made a couple of changes - nothing big. I didn't put in a jalapeno because I forgot to get one at the store. I added more paprika. I used pre-diced chilis and omitted the picante sauce. I think that was it. But they were SOOOOO good. I mean really, really, super yummy!

If you're looking for a good enchilada recipe you have got to try this one!

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