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We've been keeping a rather large secret for a very long time...
We are expecting another BABY GIRL in February, 2015!
A post will follow soon with all the details :)!
I guess you could call us 'moochers', since we've always relied on grandparents to go on family getaways and vacations, but for the first time we ventured out just us four. I wish we would have done this sooner, but with student life and school loans, we haven't had the opportunity to do so. Luckily, everything worked out perfectly for our little family to take this trip, and it was exactly what we needed. We didn't go anywhere exotic (well, to some it might be), just to the beautiful state of Utah. We haven't been in years, and I was dying to see grass. (It's against the religion of Las Vegas to have grass I think?) I've never felt more like a family than I did on this trip. I still feel happy thinking about the memories we created.
We visited my grandparents grave first thing, and it was a beautiful start to the trip. It really put things into perspective for me. I couldn't help but think how happy my grandparents were to see their two great granddaughters running around and reading the names on their grave site. I know they would have loved my babies more than anything!
The next day was July 4th, and boy does Utah love to celebrate. We attending the provo parade, and then sat under the stars on a large blanket in Pleasant Grove, Utah. We knew no one, but had so much fun cuddling, tickling, and laughing on that blanket as we waited for the fireworks.
On Saturday we went to Salt Lake City where we toured Temple Square. There are so many fabulous things about temple square that I love, especially all of the flowers, grass, and trees. (Again, non existent in Las Vegas.) We watched a movie, read stories, viewed beautiful buildings, and ate ice cream. Then we walked across the street to the mall and went to the Disney store. (There was some bribing that happened in order for that stop...)
I can't say it enough...I loved every second of this weekend. Every day home life is special in it's own way, but going out and doing things as a family, and enjoying each others company is completely different. I treasure these moments and I hope in 15 years my girls still consider my their best friend. (And my husband too!)
Oh, and seriously...I LOVE grass.
It's been a while since I've shared a visit to a restaurant here on the blog! What's even more sad is that I live in Las Vegas where tons of people visit often, and there are amazing restaurants galore! But...I have two little kids and no babysitter... And if we aren't out of a restaurant within 20 minutes, well...It gets dangerous.
That being said, our little family LOVES eating out. Ironic? No..More like, I just cleaned the kitchen and it would be really nice for it to stay clean for at least an hour...
Get in the car kids! We're gettin' tacos!
Majority of the time when we eat out, we chose Mexican. No, every time we eat out we chose Mexican. I go through salsa like I drink water, and my husband could eat burritos every day for lunch.
Correction. I think he does.
So when our good friends opened a Mexican Grilled Tacos Restaurant called Frijoles, there was no doubt in our minds that we had to check it out.
After eating there more than I'd like to admit, I knew I had to share this amazing find with all of you! Being a healthy lifestyle blog, I totally consider this something that is right up my alley. All the food and drinks are fresh, made right in front of you! There are meat and vegetarian options and...FOR CRYING OUT LOUD THEY HAVE THE MOST DELICIOUS SPINACH DRINK.
Was that clear?
If I'm correct, this drink was made with lime, spinach, and oranges. Dang It!...Now I'm craving it. I've also had their CHIA SEED lemonade, which was the perfect balance of sweetness and tangy-ness! But don't worry, if those drinks don't float your boat, there are a ton of fresh drinks right up front for you to sample and chose from!
We usually get my girls rice and quesadillas and then cause a huge rice bomb all over the floor. (But that's ok, we know the owners so they totally are ok with that :)! )
Rice is probably one of my favorite carbs besides sour dough bread, and this one fits the bill perfectly!
The salsa is fresh and somewhat chunky, just the way I prefer my salsa! And my husband...(Only he's not chunky, so that jokes not even funny.)
Now here is where things are going to get intense...
This corn. I swear I make "MMMmmmm" noises every time I take a bite. I've had my share of grilled corn, but this one is just different! I swear they sprinkle magic (yes that's right) on them or something, because this corn is incredibly addicting! It has the perfect char from the grill, the right amount of sweetness from the corn, a little spice, and the cojita cheese brings it all together!
Ahhh...The grilled tacos. I've never strayed, and i've always gotten the grilled chicken tacos and never once been disappointed. It's made with corn tortillas, seasoned and grilled chicken, amazing FRIJOLES (beans), salsa, guacamole, cheese, and sour cream. I usually skip the cheese and just get a little sour cream since I usually ate my weight in salsa, corn, and spinach juice. Just trying to balance things out...
My husband get's something different every time, and this last time he got a grilled shrimp burrito. I know this picture is horrible, but it was either this picture or one of him shoving the burrito in his mouth. I'm assuming he was very pleased :)!
So if you are ever visiting Las Vegas, or live locally, come try Frijoles!
I'm hoping to share more of my favorite 'healthy' restaurant Las Vegas finds in the near future since I get asked a lot the best places to eat! I might also throw in the best place to find chocolate cake...
I'm sure you won't mind though right?
My English teacher in college taught me (more than) one lesson I'll never forget...
He said that too often when we write, we are taught to go back and re-read every sentence after we write it. Then we look over every written word, grammar usage, grammatical errors, and eventually we find our selves proof reading those one to two sentences to the point where we've lost our voice. What we really felt like writing, or saying, is now long gone, because we over thought it, and worried to much about the 'past', and didn't just follow our thoughts, hearts and mind.
Just write, he would tell us.
"I don't care how many grammatical errors you have. Don't stop. Just write."
I've never forgotten that professor, except maybe his name...I blame the pregnancies. I remember each time I sat in that tiny classroom in the middle of Idaho, feeling as if the words and thoughts I wanted to express were valuable. And all the rules and guidelines I had learned about writing were somehow, not the main focus any more...
After taking that class, I remember looking at writing differently. Not seeing it as a dreaded horrible 'project' that was due by 9:30 the next morning...But an opportunity to express the things that I had been feeling, or had experienced. To somehow share the emotions that had come along side every learned experience.
And now, again, I look at that lesson even more differently.
I don't think my professor "so and so" had meant for his lesson to be taken this way, but I have a feeling he would have understood and agreed.
The past 5-6 years of my life have been one hell of a ride. I've had ups, downs, nauseating scared shitless moments, and so happy I can barely stand it experiences. Sometimes I wake up and wonder what is going to happen next, and I'm not going to lie...It freaks me out. It's scary to just start living and enjoying, when I want to go back and make sure every.little.thing is perfect.
How can I move forward when there are so many other things that I could work on to make life...Perfect?
I don't know if the world was always this way, but it seems more than ever there are so many rules, guidelines, and 'proper grammar' things that need to be followed in order to make things be...A+.
But what's the definition of having an A+ life? I'm not saying "Screw the Rules!", drive 150 on the freeway...No No. But what I think I'm trying to say is...
Just write.
Just Live.
Don't go back and forth, over and under every nook and corner to make sure life is perfect. Don't 'read between the lines' and dot all the I's and cross all the T's. Just write.
Just Live.
Messes will happen, clothes will be dirty, chocolate will be eaten, food will be spilled, and houses will be small and dirty. Don't obsess over it. Just live.
Move forward. Show love. Express happiness. Live in the moment. AND EAT CHOCOLATE.
Just Write.
Just Live.
Maybe then, life won't be a'Project' that's due when you wake up Monday morning, but an opportunity to show love and gratitude, feel happiness...and peace.
Tonight as I rocked my one year old to sleep, I started to sing to her this song that my oldest daughter learned at church. After the first verse, Sweet Pea looked up at my and began to sing through her passy that was resting in her mouth. Her sweet little voice sang these words:
"My Life Is A Gift.
My Life Has A Plan.
My Life Has A Purpose, In Heaven It Began...."
Just Live.
Live this life that is a Gift, and give it Purpose...
Thank You Professor, for you have taught me more valuable lessons in my life than I could ever repay you for...
Just Write. Just Live.
While most 25 year olds spend their money on clothes, makeup, and pedicures I rack up my grocery shopping bill. I have a hard time saying no to food, like all the time. Most likely if a creeper in a broken down van opened his door to me and said he had a bag of chocolate chips...I'd probably get in the van.
(Note: Don't really do that.)
Costco is one of those places that I visit weekly, and a lot of times I am emailed about things to buy to stock a healthy pantry. Now, for those that don't know, Costco sells food and other items in bulk. Like you don't buy 1 bottle of ketchup, you buy 7. But there are things that I get weekly there because we plow through food in our house so often, that I have to go there to save money. (Yes husband, I said 'Save Money').
Here is a list of some of the things I think are worth getting at Costco. Every Costco is different, so you might not find what's on this list at your local store. I'm sure in a few months I'll do a part two because Costco likes to sell my favorite things for a little bit, and then all of the sudden..stop.
Produce:
Living in Las Vegas, produce isn't as fresh or as cheap as it was in California. And since we eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, I tend to buy majority of my produce from Costco. It's the most cost effective for our family since my girls can eat a whole container of blueberries in two days! Often you can find Organic produce for not much of a price difference for non organic too!
Frozen Fruit:
We love our smoothies in our house, so frozen fruit is a must! Right now I have a huge bag or Organic dark sweet cherries! I usually buy one bag, and use that up until it's done and then I'll switch to another fruit. Again, this has just been the most cost effective for our family too since we use it so much!
Sabra Single Serving Packets
I'm almost positive these aren't going to last at Costco because I love them so much! They used to see a HUGE tub of Sabra hummus for $5, and now it's gone! But it's ok, because now they switched to these single serving packets! It's perfect for out families hummus obsession, because I can take one out and eat it as a snack without eating the whole tub. I also put this in my daughters lunch for school!
Mama Chia Packets
These are so amazing! It's basically a sweet chia gel in a packet that you can suck right out when you need a little something. Perfect for me or the girls, we both love them!
Chobani
The girls favorite yogurt, especially the strawberry. Usually this is the most cost effective for us since we eat a lot of it!
Fruit/Veggie Packets
My one year old is obsessed with the apple sauce packets, so when Costco has them I always buy them because they don't last long! And most often, they are more expensive in other grocery stores!
Pure Maple Syrup
This is the syrup I use when cooking, baking, pancake making, etc. It's 100% pure! Maple syrup is SO expensive, but I've noticed I get more for my money at Costco!
Almond Butter
Almond butter is delicious, especially when you add a little honey and cinnamon to it. This is a great find at costco, especially since it's all natural with no added sugars! And again, more for your money!
Almond Butter Packets
These are perfect for lunches or quick snacks! I'm always looking for things like this to make life easier!
Coach's Oats
Great brand of oats, and you get a lot for your money!
Quinoa
I just barely finished my bag of quinoa from costco that I got MONTHS ago! I keep it in the fridge/freezer so it last long!
Coconut Oil
$20 for a HUGE thing of coconut oil. If you use it as often as I do, then definitely look into this!
Quinoa & Brown Rice:
Microwaveable rice that's perfect and healthy for quick dinners and lunches!
Chia Seeds
This is similar with the quinoa in that this last forever and I keep it in the fridge until it's all gone!
Hemp Seeds
Along the same lines as the Chia seeds! Last forever and more for the money!
Dairy
I usually buy my non dairy milks at costco, they have coconut, soy, and almond. (I use a lot during the week.) I also buy eggs there because of the great price!
Salsa
If costco gets rid of this salsa, I swear I will break up with them! This is the BEST salsa, and it's gone within the week. I put this crap on everything!
Fage Greek Yogurt
My favorite favorite yogurt! It's so thick and creamy, it's the perfect sub for sour cream and perfect for baking! You get a HUGE tub for like $5!
7 Superfoods Salad
This salad has kale, brussels sprouts, cabbage, pumpkin seeds, etc. I LOVE THIS SALAD! I have this often for lunch with a leftover protein from dinner! It's seriously the best, even my girls love it! (And my husband!)
Evolution Apple Juice
Liquid gold my friends. Everybody loves juice, but I'm kind of a snob towards juice that isn't fresh. It taste SO much better, and this is an example! We fight over this juice in our house, that's a fact.
Honey Chia Bread
This is a new find for me, but they give a lot of samples of it with warm melted butter. I'm now addicted! It's the perfect toast/breakfast bread with a little almond butter, honey, cinnamon, or coconut oil!
See what I mean...
Now I will say this...Don't buy all of this at once. Unless you want to spend $600 at Costco.
What are your favorite things to get at Costco? Did I miss any fun finds? Also, my children were cuddling while I shopped and took pictures for this post. My three year old was tickling my one year old and singing to her...
Costco may be what heaven is like...
This Easter is more different than any Easter I've ever experienced...
Besides being a year older, living in a different state, and making Easter dinner by myself for our small family...This Easter I've grown up. Or, I've become more of a grown up. I wouldn't go too far into saying I'm an adult.
I still call my mom 1..2..3 times a day.
It seems like with every day, month, year comes new challenges, big or small, tragic or simple. With each challenge, we grow. Eventually. Sometimes those challenges send us back farther than we've ever been. Sometimes challenges push us to try harder and move forward. Either way. We all experience them.
I spent last weekend in the beautiful state of Virginia. Seriously, there was so much grass I didn't know how to handle it. (You know..living in a desert and all.) I was there visiting one of my best friends who recently lost her 4 month old baby. A long with me on the trip came two other friends of mine. It was an emotional weekend, but filled with so much love.
A few days after returning home from my trip (which convinced me I'll never fly again after being stuck in Denver for 10 hours...), my husband and I found out that a family member had just lost their 20 month old baby. My heart sunk, and seriously...I don't think It's going to feel back to normal ever again.
Ever since then, I've just wanted to sit and hold my babies. I've been letting the little things go that are insignificant, and honestly have taken up wasted time. I wanted to share this with you guys because I know that many of you, if not every one of us, is struggling with some type of challenge in our life. I know that it's hard to move forward when times are difficult. I know that it's a struggle to grow from these challenges.
But I also feel that eventually we will move forward and we will grow.
I've become even more grateful for my knowledge that families are forever, and that we will see our loved ones again. I am overwhelmed with the knowledge that my Savior and Heavenly Father love us, and feel our pain. I am grateful for the knowledge of prayer, and I know that it works. And each prayer said on behalf of others truly brings comfort.
This Easter I am going to try my best to really Love One Another. I'm going to Choose Happiness. And I'm going to be grateful for what I have now, and not focus on what I wish life could be like if this or that was happening.
Hug you loved ones for me! And Happy Monday, and I'm so grateful for each one of you!!
I'm so excited to finally share this video with all of you, it's been a long work in progress! For a while, I've been wanting to have a video to briefly let others know what this blog, The Diva Dish, is all about. After a lot of help from my incredibly talented brothers, we were able to finish it!
Thanks again friends for sharing along this journey with my family to a healthy & happier life! Much love to you all xoxo!!
This past Sunday our little family was invited to The House of Blues for the Kirk Franklin's Gospel Brunch!
We've never done something like this, so I knew immediately that this would be a fun opportunity and experience. Vegas has proven to not be the most kid friendly place, but this was definitely something that both the girls enjoyed.
We were treated to an amazing Southern Buffet of biscuits and gravy, chicken and waffles, eggs, fruit, salads, shrimp, fresh juice...Oh and did I mention biscuits?? I think my husband had 8. I will not divulge on how many I had...
I must also add that the staff was amazing! They were the nicest to my crazy kids, which doesn't happen often at restaurants and shows :).
After the buffet brunch we listened to an incredibly talented gospel choir! Honestly, I've heard gospel music before, but never seen a choir perform in person! Holy amazing voices! Half the time I kept looking at my husband and saying, "Ok..she's good!" On the way home I kept practicing my gospel choir voice and kept trying to prove to my husband I could do it. :)
Overall it was such a fun and exciting experience, especially since it was so family friendly. I took a quick video of Boo dancing, because I've honestly NEVER seen her move that way! So many people kept coming up to me talking about how much they loved her. I guess she really was moved by the music!
I'm so glad my family had the opportunity to attend this event! If you are near a House of Blues, check out the Gospel Brunch! It's such a fun experience, especially if you have little kids that love music and dance :)!
*I was not paid to write this post, but was given complimentary tickets to attend this event. All opinions are my own.
I couldn't be more blessed to have this little THREE year old princess in my life! We spent the first part of the day with a house full of balloons & streamers. Followed by a walk to the donut shop for, you guess it...PINK donuts! Then we took a trip to every Princess' dream store...The Disney Store! Stories were read, dresses were admired, and birthday songs were sung. Of coarse a new princess dress came home with us! Next we rode the train and all the quarter machine rides!
Once we got home, the little princess decorated her Pink cake with all of her favorite things, Spirnkles & Chocolate Candies. Followed by singing Happy Birthday, blowing out candles, and making wishes.
And the day ended the best way possible for this little princess, which was a trip to Grandmothers house...In California! Now she's sitting on the grass, playing Tea Party, and getting ready for her Princess Party this weekend!
I Love you Boo! Thanks for making these past THREE years the greatest that I could have ever experienced!
Follow my blog with Bloglovin(Boo will be turning 3 in just a few short weeks and I can't believe it! I thought I would write a little letter to her, and let her know how much I love her!)
To my 3 year old Princess...
Sometimes I feel like there isn't enough time in the day to tell you how much that I love you.
To tell you how grateful I am for you sass and your drama.
To say thank you for making me laugh and smile on a constant basis.
I love to hear you tell me stories, take care of your baby sister, and watch you play with your princess toys.
I could sit and watch you all day as you dance and sing at the top of your lungs. Sometimes I think you are imagining yourself on stage in front of millions, performing and entertaining.
And even though it's hard, I admire your determination and stubborn-ness. At times those tears of yours can have a whole entire store watching your broadway performance...
But you know what, I love it. You are a strong and sensitive young woman and I wouldn't have it any other way.
I hope you know that I'll always love you Boo. That I'll be there for you whenever you need me. Even when your 16 and that stupid boy breaks your heart. I'll kill him for you without question... :)
Promise me that you will do your best to remain pure and wholesome in world surrounded with pain, suffering, selfishness, and unkind things. I have no doubt that you will be the diamond in rough.
Also, promise me you won't hate me when you turn 12. I know that you are probably going to want to wear short shorts, say things like WTF, and want to kiss all the boys...But stick with barbies and princesses for well...a long time. I'll do my best not to embarrass you on a daily basis, and I'll even try to wear regular pants instead of yoga pants when I pick you up from school!
Thank you for being the best 3 year old in my life my little princess! I wouldn't have you any other way!
Love,
Mommy!
Oahu Island Matsumoto Shaved Ice
Dessert Buffet
The Best Shrimp my husband has ever had:
Somewhere along the North Shore.
Dinner Buffet at the Resort
Sweet Pea's First Steps
Resort Pictures
Sorry for the picture overload my friends, but the beautiful islands and landmarks of Hawaii are just too good not to share! Sadly we are back home now, and I haven't stopped dreaming of fresh pineapple and shaved ice...It's a problem.
Much Love!
I've been counting down the days for this Hawaii trip and it has finally arrived! I debated whether or not to share this trip with you guys, but I decided it would be fun to share the places we see, visit, and eat in hopes that it might help you on a future trip! And if you don't have any Hawaii vacations planned in your future, then make yourself a pina colada at home and come on a virtual tour with me :)! Day 1:
LAX-HONOLULU
ARRIVING AT THE RESORT:
Marriott's Ko Olina Beach Club
First Family Photo in Hawaii...Fail
Day 2:
Resort Swimming
Resort Beach Exploration
Baby Makapuu Local's Beach (This wasn't my favorite beach, a little too rocky, but it's definitely a place all the locals go to BBQ and hang out. We met some loacl friends there, and had a great time though!)
We will be in Hawaii all week and have lot's planned! The first few days were just getting settled and relaxing from travel since the kids were kind of iffy on the time change. Then on Tuesday we head to Kauai! I promise some foodie pics are soon to come :). Have a great Monday!
Everything about this past weekend makes me happy! First celebrating the hub's birthday with sugar and terrifying jumps off of buildings, followed by cuddles with my two baby girls. I couldn't ask for a greater blessing than to be the mother of my daughters. Sometimes life isn't the way we always expect it, but when I remind myself how truly blessed I am to share my life with my beautiful healthy family I can't help smile and be grateful for what my Heavenly Father has blessed me with!
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Here's the truth about New Years Resolutions... I loathe them.
I think every New Years since I was a 12 I've always said I wanted to loose weight. Then come February and those cute pink and red chocolate candies some how find their way into every isle and corner of shopping stores, and then mysteriously end up in my shopping cart.
Of coarse after chocolate candy February comes chocolate covered bunny Easter, and before you know it BAM it's June and everybody and their mom is wearing bathing suits and your still pounding that huge box of vibrant colored marshmallow peeps because they are your favorite.
(Note Picture above: Peep eater in a little coat...)
Like I LOATHE New Years Resolutions.
After many battles with myself and trying to change to a healthier lifestyle, I've learned that a new date and a new year does nothing but give me a little bit of hope, followed by a lot a bit of pressure, then eventually total failure.
I'm going to give a series of scenarios, and I want you to think in your head if you have ever done any of the following.
-You decide you are going to start eating healthy at the beginning of the New Year! Come that morning on the 1st of the year, you have NO idea what to eat and everything healthy sounds repulsive. You do the best you can though, and continue to make somewhat healthy choices through out the week. Come day 7 you are pretty cranky because healthy eating is becoming difficult, overwhelming, and it's too hard to eat healthy every single meal and snack. Eventually you give in to that Ben & Jerry's because you just can't accomplish the goal you set out to do.
How about this one?
-At the new year, you decide you are going to exercise at least 5-6 times a week. Your goal is to wake up at 5 a.m. every day and run on that treadmill or go to the gym for at least 60-75 minutes. Come the 1st, you pull yourself out of bed and get your butt to the gym. It's hard but you continue to do it for a couple of days. Then your husband is on call for the weekend, all of your kids get sick, and your just too tired to get up at 5 and go so instead you just give up. It's to hard to fit in that amount of time with your busy schedule.
Ok, so I know those scenarios sound extreme, but in all honesty I've been there. I've been the girl who tried so desperately to change my eating at the first of the year and the pressure, my laziness, lack of knowledge, etc. made me give up. I've also been a mom, and more so a single mom due to my husbands schedule, and unable to have even an hour for a solid workout. Many a times I've given up on exercise because my family and it's priorities were put first.
SO...What do you do?
Over the past month, many of you know our family is moving out of state. Besides the end of the year being super crazy with holidays and work schedules, we've been packing up our lives, living out of boxes, and staying at different family members homes until we can move into our rental. All of this has made me crazy, and quite frankly it's been REALLY easy to get off track on living a healthy lifestyle.
Yet this past month I changed my way of thinking, and put it to the test. I wanted to see if this ONE phrase/ONE word could change the way I viewed staying on track with living a healthy lifestyle. You know what? It really did!
All you have to do is think of that simple phrase/word in order to stay on track with your goals of living a healthy lifestyle. Let me explain:
What this Does NOT mean-This does not mean you make a goal to be consistent with running 45 minutes on the treadmill each day. This does not mean be consistent by making sure every single meal is healthy, every single day.
What this DOES mean-This means that as long as you are consist every day with doing SOMETHING that goes a long with your goals, you are doing the best you can!
For example, one of my goals this year is to become better at exercising. With everything that has been going on, it's been really hard to have even 20 minutes to myself to workout. So on days where it's too crazy, instead of giving up and not exercising because it won't be a great workout, I take 10 minutes to do some floor exercises. (Something simple like sit ups and lunges.) Or I do a ten minute You Tube video. It may not be the greatest workout where I burned 400 calories, but I did something. And on the days where I have more time, I'll definitely do something more intense. But the main point I am trying to make here is that:
Eventually exercising, eating healthy, and living a healthy lifestyle will become a habit, and apart of your everyday lifestyle!
Here's a look at some random days exercises that I've partaken in over the past few weeks:
Some of those workouts may have been small, but none were insignificant. Despite having a crazy schedule (and now two sick kids!), i've consistently done some sort of workout every day. (Except on rest days/Sundays.)
And if eating healthier is one of your goals, consistency will definitely benefit you too! For example, all of my favorite kitchen appliances, like my other child named vitamix, are all packed up. We've been staying at a family members houses and not everbody eats lots of freaky green food like we do and that's ok! So eating healthy has been somewhat of a challenge. So I've done my best to balance and moderate the unhealthier foods, followed by consistently eating a few healthy things each day. I do the best I can with what I've been given! Here is an example:
So my goal for you this year is to :
Every Sunday I will keep you updated with ideas for you to be consistent with healthy living along with links for quick/effective workouts that you can do on your own! On top of that, Sundays will also be the day I will post a sample menu of healthy foods that you can make for your families through out the week! I'm really excited about this new series, and I truly hope all of YOU, my blog friends, will get involved and make an effort to be consistent everyday with making small and simple healthy choices!
Here are ways to get involved:
-Send me links/pictures/tweets about ways your were consistent with either eating healthy/working out/ making a healthy decision! Use the Hashtag #BeConsistent
Have a great start to the New Year everyone! Can't wait to see all that this New Year brings!
I guess you could say it's Part two of Healthy Eating according to a 1 year old. I thought I would see if Boo had improved, or had better answers but...
Well, you'll see...
Happy Wednesday Everybody!
Today is the 4 year wedding anniversary for the hubby and I!
(I don't have the professional pics on me, but here are a few from that day!)
I would give anything to inhale that cake right about now...
It's crazy to think that in 4 years, out little family has grown and accomplished so much!! Between 2 baby girls, graduate school, a residency, and moving a bajillion times...!! We have been SOO extremely blessed!
And in honor of our anniversary I made a video for the hubby! :)
I promise you are going to want to see it! hhaha There are pretty some hilarious old home videos in there...of the hubby...and a few moments where I shed a tear! :)
Dear Hubby:
Happy Anniversary! I love you more than words can express, thank you for putting up with my crazy tendencies!! And thank you for being EXTREMELY hard working for our little family!
I love you!
Never in my life would I imagine feeling the overwhelming love that I feel now.
I've been blessed in such a tremendous way to be the mother to now TWO precious Daughters of God.
After waiting for what seemed like forever, 40 weeks and 5 days to be exact, the day finally arrived where Sweet Pea came into this world.
After thinking the day would never come, we decided to take a weekend trip up to my parents house and relax. And of coarse when one finally let's go and realizes it's probably not going to happen when wanted....It happens.
So at 6:50 A.M. when my water broke we knew that our plans were going out the window and we were going to have this baby...Even if it wasn't in the place we had originally planned.
It was a fairly difficult labor, but luckily it only lasted 10 hours with about 15 minutes of pushing. (Boo was 20 hours of labor and 1 1/2 hours pushing...)
After a few hours of my labor not progressing, they decided to put my on pitocin to see if that would get things moving along. After a few doses of pitocin, we soon realized my body, and Sweet Pea, wanted nothing to do with the medicine. My blood pressure was dropping all the time, and my heart rate was fluctuating uncontrollably. Nothing about me was stabilizing. Then Sweet Pea's heart rate started to drop, so we decided it was best to turn off the medicine to see what happened.
Within minutes my body kicked in, everything stabilized, and I began to progress perfectly.
Only thing was now the epidural wasn't working.
I applaud any mom willing to do the birth the natural way. As for me, I would prefer no pain whatsoever.
But my body had a different plan for me, and rejected practically every form of medicine. So with each contraction becoming closer together, I would try and breath my way through it...Only instead I would cry through each one. I'll never forget that pain...
And if I do remind me before I think of having more kids...
Then the time came to push, which went rather quick. When she came out the umbilical cord was wrapped around her and her neck several times and she was blue. They took her away quickly, and for a few minutes I was freaking out. But soon enough she was in my arms, nice and pink! :)
I'll never forget seeing Boo 's face when she came into see Sweet Pea. Having our little family together felt so complete and wonderful. I truly am the luckiest wife and mama out there!
Over the past few days our little family's life has changed dramatically. We all have lost sleep and are going stir crazy, but never before in my life have I felt this happy. The spirit in our home is so strong and happy I truly feel blessed.
Boo is adjusting as expected. She loves her baby sister so much, but I can tell it's difficult for her. We've been told to leave her alone and go away, followed by a door slam, for the past couple of days. I know it will get better, and I look forward to the day when I can hear them laughing together.
For now I am perfectly fine watching Boo give Sweet Pea multiples love hugs and kisses!
Dear Sweet Pea,
I am so glad to finally be holding you in my arms! You are precious in every way, and I can tell you will have a very sweet and loving personality. Thanks for making our family complete and bringing lots of love into our little family.
I Love You! xoxo-
Mommy
Thank You for all your sweet comments, tweets, etc. on Sweet Pea! I have the greatest and most supporting readers!
( Also a special thanks to certain readers out there who helped me pick the name Sweet Pea for our little gals blog name!)
Be back soon with some food!! :-)
I'm 100% sure that I'm trying to be taught some sort of lesson right now.
I'm 78% sure that it has to do with patience...
(I WOULD be at least 95% sure if I didn't think I was partly being taught to just enjoy what little time I have being a mama of one child...)
Either way, I'm going crazy.
(I'm also obsessed with Instagram. Things just look better with filters...Included my face.)
I'm at the point where I would rather be tired and worn out because I'm taking care of two kids, rather than feeling full/ bloated/ in pain/ slow/ hungry/ not hungry/ and grumpy being pregnant.
I know, my complaining is annoying...So much I'm annoyed by myself.
At this point I've decided to stop focusing on the walking, dancing, and jumping and just forget about it all. I figure when I'm not expecting it to happen, it will.
So for now, I'm enjoying lots of play time with Boo. I know that this new baby thing is going to be quite the shocker for her. According to her, Baby Sister's name is either Cows or Elephants, and she is coming 'so long' from now...
Another person I find fearful of what's to come in the future is the hubby. I can tell when he's getting stressed out when he starts doing odd and unexplainable things...
For one, he took the trash out today.
:)
And a few days ago for dinner he put cheez-its on his salad...
He also drank plain coconut water. Seriously, he's loosing it.
Either way I can't wait for out coo-koo family to become four, living off of 4 hours a sleep and little to rare showers.
(Wait? Isn't that my life right now?)
Anyways, I've thought a lot about this blog and what's going to happen to it when the new baby arrives. I want to say that my post will continue as normal as possible, and that's the goal. But I also know what it's like to have a new baby, and sometimes I'm not going to be able to make a glorious meal.
I've got a few things I'm planning on doing at that time, food included, but one of them is more videos. Maybe you guys hate them, and I'm sorry, but my goal is to really get you guys familiar with our little family. I've debated on doing this for a while because honestly I find myself embarrassing...But it is going to happen! :)
Hopefully once a week I'll post a video of some sort, rather it's cooking, exercise, family life, being silly, etc. I want you to get to know our little family and our personalities...Not just that I like Trash TV, Boo is a drama queen, and the hubs likes to buy white shoes... :)
On top of it, I've got a post workout series coming along for you guys to follow a long on my journey to a healthy and fit after baby body. I'm excited for it all to come together, and I can't wait to share!
I figured what better way to start off with is a family video...of us being us. We are new at this, and kind of look like losers haha! But you get to see my whole glorious pregnant self, and well...That's just hot!
(Embarrassed face...)
Hopefully next time I post I'll be holding my sweet baby girl!! Send some good vibes! Have a great week!!
In a few weeks my sweet baby girl turns TWO and I cannot believe it! She has grown up faster than I can imagine, and has turned into one sweet and sassy little princess!
We figured it was best to celebrate her birthday early, since we don't know when Baby #2 will decide to show up, and oddly enough, my two sweet chickpeas may end up sharing the same birthday!! That being said, we wanted to make this birthday extra special, and all about Boo. That means tons of sweets, lots of Minnie Mouse, a bounce house, friends, family, and...did I mention tons of sweets? :-)
Take a look at the amazing fun filled day we had in celebrating out precious little girl!
(Food not pictured: Build you own sandwich bar, pasta salad, chips, hummus, and dip.)
Everything was practically hand made at this party, and took WEEKS to prepare for! (This includes the Pinata, which took the LONGEST time of all! Next time...I'm buying one lol!) I spent a lot of nap time hours hot glueing, taping, and cutting to make everything polka dot/Minnie Mouse approved! :)
It was such an amazing experience, and I loved spoiling and showering my little angel with lots of love! Even though by the end of it she was a little tired and cranky, it was such a fun filled day!
(Binky in mouth+tired eyes=Boo needs a nap)
Happy Birthday Baby Boo!! Thank you for making the past two years of my life the best I've ever experienced! You are truly a blessing, and keep me smiling every single day! I LOVE you!
I have many nicknames for those in my family.
And by family, I mean Boo, Baby, and Hubby.
I have a feeling other family members reading this were thinking, "Great...what's MY nickname!"
No need to worry fam bam. The only other person outside of my immediate family that has a nickname is my grandma.
It starts with L and ends with OCA.
Jk jk jk.
Oye.
Baby Boo is the one with the most names. I feel like everyday I come up with a new nickname for her because her personality is blossoming.
By blossoming I mean booming..
Right now I call her Sassy Pants and Spicy Mimosa. I'm not sure what Mimosa has to do with Baby Boo, but I think it's because I feel I need one after an afternoon of pure Diva-ness from her.
The biggest thing right now are her conversations...and her demands.
Before she would just say one word and point to what she wanted. Now I hear a whole song about it, a screaming demand, and then a grand finale of fireworks. She's a walking broadway show.
But I wouldn't have my life any other way, and I love her more than life itself.
Plus between the two of us, my husband is a season ticket holder to some sort of dramatic extravaganza each and every day...Add one more little girly chickpea to that mix, and I'm pretty sure he is going to hate the theater sooner than later.
Now, without further ado, I would like to introduce Princess #1 in her very first interview all about healthy eating.
Be warned...She's quite the Spicy Mimosa.
See...I told you.