My Family Of 3

Put the lime in the coconut... or not.

2014-02-22T19:56:00.004-08:00

My Saturday night? Well it consisted of daddy playing with Graciella and mama feeling too exhausted from work to even move. I am t i r e d. And when I say tired, I mean tired.

Then I was kindly reminded that we had bought a fresh coconut at whole foods yesterday and that I promised to make coconut milk for our smoothies & cereal. Okay. Good thing it's pretty simple to do.

I'm sure we've all heard the raves over coconut this, coconut that. It truly is a super food. And we love coconut anything in this house. From oil, to shreds, to milk. I particularly love coconut milk for the creaminess it adds to our smoothies and all of the good fats it contains.

Fun fact: The fats in coconut milk are the same healthy fats found in human breast milk. How neat is that?

Here's what you'll need:

A young coconut (young coconuts have the most water content which you'll be using all of. Their flesh is also softer)
A metal spoon for scraping - I used a large serving spoon.

A sharp chefs knife. Emphasis on sharp.
A blender. I have a ninja but I imagine any kind would work well for this milk.

A glass air tight container to store the milk in. I found mine at good will a few months back. Score.

I use this brand. It's sold at most health food stores in my area and some regular grocery stores as well. It has a lot of water inside, good soft flesh and isn't the hardest thing in the world to crack (but a close second... heh)

On to the milk making... *non human* :p

First: You're gonna want to shave off some of the outside flesh so you can get to the hard-as-rock part. Like this.

Second: Take hold of the coconut with one hand, and with the other hit it several times on all four sides hard. I mean with all your strength kind of hard. Whack that thing like a lumberjack on an old oak. Once you break through, you can stick the tip of the knife in, and press downward, pushing up on the coconut till the top pops off. A good young coconut should be full to the top with deliciously nutritious coconut water. Now, you can drink this by itself, and trust me - I'm always tempted. But right now, we're making milk. So toss all of it into the blender.

Third: Now, we're left with all that wonderful, healthy fat containing, creamy-butter-like textured white coconut flesh. Time to scrape all that goodness out! I find using the back of a metal spoon works well for me. Use the back to scrape all the way around and then pull out all that healthy good stuff.

Fourth: Toss that lovely coconut flesh into your blender with the coconut water and blend away. A few minutes should do it - till it looks creamy & smooth.

That here folks is how you make fresh, homemade, healthy & delicious coconut milk.

Store in your glass air tight container in the fridge. I'd say it lasts about a week or two, but it's always gone within a few days in my house. So who knows. ;)

2014-02-14T12:22:00.002-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today I made a sweet little breakfast for the sweetest little girl in the whole wide world. We started off with some toddler friendly, healthy & 'clean' pancakes. I took one ripe banana, sprinkled in lots of cinnamon (we loooove cinnamon in this house) and mashed that all up with a fork. Throw in 2 eggs and beat well, but not till smooth - you still want it a little lumpy so they aren't too thin when you cook them. Simple, right? Pancakes don't get any easier than this!

After the pancakes were flipped and (taste tested of course. hehe) I used a heart shaped cookie cutter to make them extra special. These are so delicious you don't even need syrup.

I also scrambled up an egg and let it cook out flat, so I could cut out hearts there as well. I may have enjoyed this mornings breakfast prep a little too much. :p

Add some already heart shaped fruit on the side and you've got yourself a nice and festive valentine's day breakfast. Both cute, fun and delicious! :)

Graciella approved. Mouthful after mouthful.

I hope you all have a LOVELY Friday!

Berry Delicious!

2014-02-08T13:59:00.003-08:00

It's always a sad day when your baby doesn't feel well! It just breaks my heart to have her not feel her regular happy self. So like most mothers, I want her to feel better as quick as possible. I'm a firm believer in the power of eating healthy and using the FARM-acy as often as possible. ;)

So today's smoothy is packed full of BERRY DELICIOUS and nutritious fruits! Antioxidants for the immune system, potassium & electrolytes to rehydrate after having an upset tummy and plenty of iron & calcium to make it hearty (while still staying very light!)

I used up the last of our fresh blueberries yesterday morning (in our GREEN smoothy) so today we got to keep this fruity treat nice and cold with frozen blueberries. Just as delicious. Then we had frozen raspberries, fresh strawberries, a mix of baby spinach, baby kale and green chard. Sprinkled in our chia seeds and a nice serving of coconut water to help it blend together beautifully.

My poor sick sweetheart approved and slurped down almost half of it all by herself.
Now that's how you get vitamins into a toddler! ;) WIN.

Hope everyone is having a HAPPY & HEALTHY Saturday!

Wondefully GREEN!

2014-02-07T09:20:00.000-08:00

Rogelio wanted my 'pancakes' for breakfast, but I wanted eggs... and of course you can't forget the green smoothy! Graciella eats like a bird. Nibble here nibble there, handful on the floor and in her hair. So not much makes it's way to my sweet pea's tummy. I started making these smoothies after receiving ~~one of~~ the best Christmas gift ever. My Ninja Blender. Graciella slurps up her fruits and veggies in these tasty smoothies and I am one happy mama. Even when she randomly grabs the straw making it splash out everywhere. :p I've been making them just about every single day and am happy to say that this healthy life style has landed me 16 lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight. Who could argue with that?!

Yesterday at whole foods I found their strawberries to be on sale, and they were HUGE. Lovely, sweet, GIANT strawberries in the dead of winter. Yes please!

So our smoothy of the day of course needed to have strawberries.

4 Giant strawberries, handful of fresh blueberries, 2 ripe banana's and 2 handfuls of mixed greens (baby spinach, baby kale & green chard today)

Then comes the mixers. We use this Siggi's probiotic drinkable yogurt in vanilla. I really enjoy all of the siggi's brand yogurts, but this is my favorite for smoothies. It's creamy and delicious and great for your tummy's health. I didn't have any almond milk today 'cause I was lazy and didn't make any yet this week. So we went to the next best thing. Super Natural brand cream top organic whole milk. Non-homoginized = all the good fats aren't destroyed. Organic & hormone free = healthy milk from healthy cows. Then of course we have to have our Chia seeds! Full of fiber, omega fatty acid's and the list just goes on and on for how great these things are for you! We have these in every single smoothy.

Look at all that goodness!

Can't forget the ice! I love my drinks ICE COLD.

For the main course we have scrambled 'green' eggs. Pastured eggs, spinach, kale, green & red peppers, broccoli, celery and sliced avocado on top. For my gluten free pancakes I throw 2 ripe banana's in the baby bullet/food processor with cinnamon, vanilla extract, walnuts (or pecans, whichever I have on hand) flax seeds, hemp seeds (totally optional) and a few eggs. (2 eggs for each banana usually works best) I never really do any measuring, but they always come out delicious! Sometimes I even add some rolled oats to the mix!

What are some of your favorite healthy go-to breakfast's for your family? I'd love to hear about them! :)

2014-01-28T13:59:00.004-08:00

Well hello there little blog that I have neglected so. It's been a while. Do you even remember who I am? Life's been crazy. I'm sure you understand. Lets get reacquainted and become friends again. I'd like to share my life with you, once more.

My baby doesn't look so much like a baby anymore. Her hair is longer and starting to curl. Her eyes are wider and curious about everything they see. Her voice is stronger and she chats all day long. Her little leg rolls are disappearing with each new step she takes. She's becoming a toddler right before my very eyes and it's heartbreaking. Who knew a year could pass so quickly. Who knew a baby is only a baby for such a short while. Though I will always mourn this first year of her life, I am filled with joy and excitement for what is yet to come. My precious precious baby, you'll always be my baby. No matter your age.

A whole year

2013-07-10T07:56:00.000-07:00

It's been a whole year. A whole year since I first laid eyes upon your tiny squirming body. Your little legs and arms waving around.. as if to say 'hi mom, I'm alive. I'm alive inside you. You've given me life'.

It all felt so much more REAL in that moment. My eyes filled with joyous tears and my heart skipped a beat. You WERE alive. You were moving. Your heart was beating. You were THERE.

I have loved you from the very first positive line on that little white stick and I could have never imagined how much my love for you could grow. I love you so much more today than I ever have loved anything in my entire life... but I know tomorrow I will love you even more than I do now. You're my precious baby girl. The love of my life. The light at the end of the tunnel, and the GRACE that God has sent down to me.

My dearest Graciella, you mean the world to me. Oh how I love you so.

4 Months!

2013-06-19T17:16:00.000-07:00

I must have drifted off at some point because I opened my eyes one morning and my itty bitty 6.10lbs newborn was 16.12 pounder! I'm officially the mama of a four month old. FOUR MONTH OLD. Crazy. Where do the days go? Where oh where do they go? I've tried to find them. Searched the whole house. Still no clue.. But they are gone and this mama is emotional when it comes to realizing so many days have left us. But I'm not going to cry! I won't cry! Okay.. maybe just a few tears. She's growing so fast! I love every day with her and each and every day that she grows and learns and wonders, she just gets to be more fun to take care of. Seriously. I love being a mama so much, and Gracie truly is the perfect baby to me.

I bought some pj's at a garage sale today. Ya know, the cute zip up the front footie pajama's that are fuzzy and soft and just adorable as all get out - well, I couldn't buy 9 month because that's what she's in now - crazy I know. So I had to get the next size up. 12 MONTHS?! That can't be. Please tell me that's a mistake! They look HUGE. She'll never be that big, right? I couldn't believe it. How can my baby grow up on me like this?! I don't care what the tag says. She'll always be my little baby. Always always always.

Only a cuddle sesh could cure this heartache, today.

She's started sitting up this past month, without any help! She can't stay like this for long, but it's still a very big milestone for her! She has also found her feed and I can't keep her tiny fingers off her tiny toes. Love it.

We've made the switch to cloth diapers. I love them so much. You can't deny this cuteness.

She hasn't rolled over yet.. but she tries! It's just.. she gets distracted and gives up half way. Either that or her thighs are a little heavy. ;) I just wanna pinch them. How could you not wanna pinch them?

We are going strong into our 4th month of breastfeeding. Yes, all those cute adorable rolls are the result of only mama's milk. Can you believe it? So proud of us for making it this far with no end in sight. No solids in our immediate future. I've decided to wait till after her half birthday. Which of course is going to be a celebration! I've already got the whole day planned out..!

Since her 2 month appointment she's gained a little over 4 lbs and grown 3 inches. So I'm assuming that's where the term 'growing like a weed' comes from. She's also begun to really teeth now. You can find a stream of drool rolling down her cute little chin at any given time during the day. Her collar is never dry anymore. And those fingers! They really only leave her mouth to nurse. Or shove a toy in there. Poor little lady. I can only imagine. So glad we don't remember the pain of teeth breaking through.

Now, to wrap things up.. some more baby cuteness for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Graciella's 3 month update!

2013-05-15T18:04:00.000-07:00

''My dearest, Graciella! You're three months old today! THREE MONTHS! I can't believe it. Some say the third month mark is like graduating from a '4th trimester' and I believe it. You've grown and learned so much and are now comfortable outside of your mama's tummy and becoming such a curious and playful little girl. With every day that goes by, you become so much fun! I love making you giggle, smile and now LAUGH. Yes, you give out great big belly laughs and it just makes me so happy to see you so happy. You can grab things with both hands and shove them in your mouth now, which is your new favorite thing in the world. Especially your crinkly soft books and taggies blankie. You love playing in the mirror with mommy, making funny faces & noises. That's when you laugh the most. You love being snuggled for naps but stretch out on your own at night in your bassinet. You're now sleeping through the night and wake up so happy and refreshed! You're growing so fast, my precious baby. I love you with all of my heart. You light up my life!''

My baby girl is three months old! Actually, she turned 3 months on the 6th of May but I have been so busy, especially being back at work and trying to keep up with house work, going to church and Mothers day + Rogelio's birthday just this past couple of days! I need a nap just thinking about it. ;p

Since she is three months, this month, we did not have a baby well visit for her. Her pediatrician asks to see baby's at 2 weeks, 2 months and then not again till 4 months. So, that being said, I do not have any accurate weights & measurements for you BUT I did try to weigh her on our home scale and came up with 15lbs 8oz! Graciella is still growing, and quite quickly at that! At her 2 month well visit she was ~~only~~ 12lbs 12.5oz.

She has to have grown length wise, because her 0-3 month jammies are too short for her now! *tear* time to move up to 3-6.. I can't believe the pile of clothes that no longer fit her. It's so sad, but I know she's healthy and growing so it's not all that bad. I just miss the itty bitty infant stage, which seems like it was SO LONG AGO. But, I will settle for this new and ever so fun infant stage that she has entered, where she interacts back with you, smiles when you talk to her and laughs when things are funny. Look funny, sound funny, feel funny. Everything is funny to her and I love it. She's also so alert and finds everything to be so fascinating. Her eyes just glow with wonder. I hope this sticks with her forever and she never stops being so curious and wanting to learn & explore.

She's sleeping through the night (from around 9 or 9:30pm till 7 or 7:30am) and on her pack and play co-sleeper, we had to remove the top bassinet that she was sleeping in because she is now too long for it! She now sleeps in the larger part of the pack and play, but still in our room. ~~She's not~~ I'm not ready for her to move to the crib in her own room yet.

She is still taking quite a few naps through the day, though they aren't always the same. Except for her morning & late afternoon nap. Those are almost like clockwork. Her morning nap is around 9am and lasts from about 45 minutes to 1 hour and her afternoon nap is around 4pm and lasts from around 2-3 hours. All other naps in between are shorter (about 30 minutes or so) and unpredictable. She will nap if we go for a ride in the car or after playing with me, on her play mat or in her jumper. She also dozes off after nursing often, still.

She's nursing every 2-3 hours (but we have those days still where she wants to nurse every hour!) and for about 10-15 minutes at a time (eating on only one side at each feeding). While I am at work she will (try) to have three bottles. But sometimes she will refuse to eat till I get home hours later and over eat making her tummy upset and me sad for making her wait so long to nurse! It's horrible on my emotions but I have to work to make money.. I wish I didn't have to leave her at all though!

Her favorites this month: Mirrors, her play mat, her baby einstine jumparoo (even if her tootsies don't touch the ground yet!) taggies, lots o links, crinkly books and anything her tiny hands can grasp & shove in her mouth. Morning cartoons, movies, and music. Bath time is also still a favorite, but I doubt that will ever change! And last but not least, snuggling with mama. <3

This months dislikes: ~~Her car seat.~~ That got scratched off her dislikes list this month! She is now ever so calm when being placed in her car seat. So thankful for that! I hate hearing her cry. She still dislikes getting lotion on after a bath, getting dressed or anything going over her head. Getting woke up rather than waking up on her own. Being chilly, having it too quiet in the house when she wants to play, sitting still in church and not being able to pick something up because it's too heavy or odd shaped for her tiny hands.

She has gotten so good at grabbing, holding, reaching for and shoving things into her mouth! She's also quite the strong one as she can pull herself up into a seated position if you hold her hands and she will sit like that if she has pillows or a little support behind her. Another thing she likes is for you to hold her hands, and she will pull herself to stand up! I have a feeling she will be an early crawler... being as she's so strong and motivated to move! We will see, though. Every child is different. Who knows!

With each month that passes, her personality shines through more and more! I love being her mama so much and getting to watch her learn and grow every single day! <3

We are still going strong exclusively breastfeeding and I am so proud to have made it past the three month mark! We are still trying to work out kinks with her taking a bottle while I am at work, but we have no problem with her feeding while I am at home to nurse her. She loves her mama baby time, and I have to say I love it so much, too. It truly is the best bonding experiance and I am so happy that I chose to breastfeed, and didn't give up when the going got rough. I know she is getting the best and that's all the motivation I need to continue waking up at 4am to pump so she has milk while I'm away at work, or dealing with engorgement, sore nipples, or breastfeeding in public (I'm so shy and modest, this one is hard for me still!) But I will do my best, to continue to give her the best. I love my baby girl more than anything in the world.

Hope you enjoyed hearing about my baby girls third month of life! And as always, thanks for reading! xoxox

Three Month Favorites!

2013-05-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

Bright Starts Lots Of Links, Birts Bees Unscented Baby Lotion, Bright Starts Activity Gym

Boon Grass Drying Rack, Rhino Toys Oball Rattle, Taggies Little Blanket, Sassy Crinkly Book

Bright Starts Lots Of Links - These are great little things to have! I bought them while I was pregnant, and didn't open the package till about two or so weeks ago. Now, they are EVERYWHERE. Hanging from her play mat, attached to the handle of her car seat, in her swing and on her bouncy chair. Everywhere. She loves them. She'll bat at them and hit them, making noise which she loves. She also loves shoving them in her mouth (don't worry, they aren't nearly small enough to actually fit in there all the way or choke her). Some of them have bumps or textures on the side which is great for her sensory & teething. I also like to attach her toys to them so they are easy to reach and won't fall onto the floor and get yucky. I definitely recommend these. And if you do buy them, just go ahead and throw more than one bag in your cart!

Birts Bees Unscented Baby Lotion - Now, I'm usually a lover of Aveno, and I was loving the Aveno baby body wash & lotions for her first few weeks, but then out of the blue she developed these red rash like bumps all over her tummy area and face. Some on her back, too.. so I tried a couple different skin care products for sensitive skin, and finally ended up sticking with and loving this 99% natural baby lotion (in unscented). It's a lightweight lotion, which is great because it doesn't feel like it's smothering her skin and it soaks in really quickly. And the day after I used it on her for the first time, her rash like bumps were gone! (Also, the bodywash we finally settled on was Aquaphor baby wash & shampoo. LOVE IT. Just didn't think about adding it to the list till after I made the collage above.)

Bright Starts Activity Gym - I know there are a lot more gyms out there that are super expensive and fancy shmancy, but really all a baby needs is something stimulating to look out, possibly some cute music and toys to hand down for them to bat at, grab and play with. And this does it's job just fine. She loves laying on her mat, especially now that I have all of those Bright Starts Lots Of Links hanging down from it with toys on the ends. She will play on this mat for as long as an hour some days. Kicking her feet & swinging away at the toys & links. She also love to catch a glimps of herself in it's mirror, which is attached by velcro on so you can change it's position depending on where baby is laying.

Boon Grass Drying Rack - I returned back to work at the end of last month, and since doing so we now have bottles to wash. Lots and lots of bottles. I had been exclusively breastfeeding her up until this point and had no use in using a bottle through out our day, before. Also, since returning, I have to pump regularly. This drying rack is perfect for all those small pump parts and bottle valves, nippls, caps, etc... And seriously, just LOOK at the thing. It's adorable! I love that you can buy extra 'trees' and such to attach if you need to. It's a great addition to our kitchen! Didn't mean for that to rhyme.. ;)

Rhino Toys Oball Rattle - There's not much to say about this toy except it's adorable and she loves it. Seriously. She loves that she can hold it with both hands, and of course that it rattles when she shakes it. It's also very soft and bends easily. I love that she can play with it herself and develop her fine motor skills in grabbing it on her own without getting frustrated like she does when she tries to grab other things that are much harder to grasp in her tiny hands. I am thinking about buying a few more in a variety of colors. Right now we only have the pink one. I know they also make them in all sizes. Perhaps a giant one is in our future.

Taggies Little Blanket - I received this at my baby shower from a co-worker of mine. I can not believe how something so simple can be so amazing. Graciella LOVES her taggies blankie! I almost always bring it with us if we are going to the store or for a longer car ride. It just keeps her so entertained. She grabs onto the little tags and shoves them in her mouth or rubs them between her fingers. I don't know what it is about those satin tags, but they've got her hooked.

Sassy Crinkly Book - You may recognize this little cute book from her Easter basket. I am definitely going to be purchasing a ton more of these. They are magnificent. The crinkly noise, the rattle & mirror inside, the fabric it's made of... all capture her interest. Often when I reach to pick up her crinkle book it is wet with slobber from her constantly chewing on it's corners, and more often then not, if she is on her play mat, you can hear the crinkle crinkle crinkle of this adorable little book. She never gets tired of it. I need to find some with words so I can read it to her while she plays with the pages.

What are some of your kiddos monthly favorites? Or what did your kiddo like at 3 months old? I'd love to hear about them. : )

Thanks for reading! xoxo

Got Milk?

2013-04-19T18:05:00.003-07:00

I will be returning to work this upcoming week and in preparation, I have been pumping and freezing my milk so that once I do start to work, I don't have to stress as much about having enough milk for my daughter to drink while I am away - I have enough to stress over just leaving her for a whole morning several times a week!

I started to pump around 4-5 weeks postpartum, and only pumped a few times a week. Now I pump almost every day - once a day. I like to pump in the morning, because that seems to be when I have enough to feed her all she wants & still have milk leftover. It's also a nice quiet time where I can sneak away and get it done. I know if I wait till later on in the day, it just wont happen!

Here's my typical morning:

4:30 - 5am Gracie will start to toss, turn and make little noises while her eyes are still closed. So I will pull her from her co-sleeper and into bed with me where she will 'dream feed' a little till she's back in a deep sleep.

5-5:30am I will place her back in the co-sleeper and make my way downstairs to get my pump station ready. I usually grab a banana and a bottle of water to eat & drink while I pump. (This is very important - pumping/nursing takes a lot out of you! Stay hydrated and keep those vitamins up!) I also have my phone on hand and flip through pictures or video of my sweet little Gracie to get things moving along quicker. I only pump on the opposite side of which she just fed unless she ate less that morning, in which case I will start on the opposite side & end on the side she fed. (I rarely tandem pump) On a good morning I can get around 9+ oz and on a slower morning I will get around 4.5 - 6oz.

5:15 - 5:45 I then pour the milk into a freezer bag, date & time it, then toss it in the freezer on it's side so it freezes flat. I use the Lansinoh Breastmilk Storage Bags and think they work quite well. I haven't had any problems with them spilling or not sealing all the way.

As for my pump, I use the Medela Pump In Style Advance and love it! It pumps so quickly - yet gently. I can get about 1oz per minute on a good morning, which is amazing because the sooner I finish, the sooner I can return to bed before Gracie wakes up for her day.

Now, my freezer is quite small so I needed a way to organize my milk in a way that it would be easy for my mother (she will be watching my Gracie for me) to just reach in and grab a bag to thaw out without having to go through the dates & make sure that the older milk got used first so none would go to waste or have to be thrown out.

So here is what I did (thank you pinterest!)

I always make sure to freeze my milk on it's side in the bag rather than standing up, it just makes things easier and more condenced!

I then took a gift bag from my baby shower & cut a slit in the side towards the bottom - lined the edges with some scotch tape & placed my milk storage bags inside, oldest first.

Once the bag was full, I continued to stack newer milk behind the bag, so as it empties, I can just place that pile inside in the same order it's already it. Easy peasy!

Happy Friday everyone, and as always, thanks for reading! xox

2 Months Old!

2013-04-10T17:48:00.001-07:00

''My dearest Graciella, you're two months old! I can't believe how much you have grown in just a few short weeks. It's amazing to me. It's also amazing to me how smart you are. You've hit quite a few milestones & are more alert through the day than ever. Mama is so proud of you! I love you sweetie, you'll always be my precious little baby! Your new favorite thing is for me to hold you up so you can stand and wiggle. You've also started smiling so much more.. mostly in the mornings after you wake up. You notice everything around you and have started showing interest in your toys/mobiles. You also find your hands to be quite delicious, especially your right one. You don't like being swaddled anymore, but rather enjoy just stretching out. You sleep like your mama. I love you baby girl. Don't grow up too fast baby. Lets enjoy this time together.''

My baby girl is growing wonderfully!

And I feel especially proud since it's because of mama's milk. ;)

We are still exclusively breastfeeding and I plan on doing so until she is ready to wean herself. We are still working on the whole 'taking a bottle' thing for when I go back to work. I've got a whole freezer full of milk ready for when the day comes.. *tear* I feel separation anxiety just thinking about it.

Clothing size: 0-3 though some jammies are getting snug!
Diaper size: 2 but we ran out & figured to use our size 3 that we had rather than buy a box of size 2 and only have you use half. You've got your mama's hips!
Favorites: MAM paci's, Mickeys Club House on Disney Jr., Fisher Price Little Sweetie Swing, morning time - you're all smiles! A clean diaper, getting your hair washed and being held by mama (sorry daddy)
Dislikes: Getting out of the bath, anything that has to go over your head - hence the reason you are usually in jammies that zip or snap rather than onesies and shirts. Lotion time. You hate lotion time. Bottles. Your carseat (well, getting strapped in to be more accurate) and when mama eats broccoli.

Here are her stats from her well baby visit.

Weight 12lbs 12.5oz (birth 6lbs 10oz)

Height 22.50 inches (birth 20.25 inches)

Head 39.8 centimeters (birth 32.5 centimeters)

She got her shots at this appointment, and it just broke my heart. I had been contemplating not getting her vaccinated, but last minute went through with it. I regretted it the minute I saw the pain in her eyes. I'm still not sure it was the best choice for us. I'm so torn on the subject! Something I read a while back just keeps running through my thoughts 'In order for the FDA to approve a drug as unsafe, they must have at some early point approved it as safe.'

On a lighter note, we officially have LAUGHTER! The very first time she gave me a real laugh was on Monday (2 days after turning 2 months old). I was sitting her in front of our bedroom dressers mirror (holding her of course) and making faces & noises at her via reflection. She loved it and let out the cutest most sweet belly laugh I'd ever heard! My eyes welled up and I couldn't help but let out a few tears of joy! I was so excited to finally hear that wonderful noise. So of course I grabbed my phone and hit record.. or at least I THOUGHT I hit record. 10 minutes later I try to view this horribly adorable video I just made... and NOTHING was there. My tears of joy turned to tears of sorrow. Wouldn't you know it, I couldn't get her to laugh again once the phone really was on record. That's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. ;)

BUT it all gets better! Later that night when daddy was home to witness it, she let out another laugh! He scrambled to grab a camera in time before she decided she was done being our entertainment, and we got it! We have PROOF of this amazing little girls adorable laugh at just 8.5 weeks old! I'm in love.

1st and 2nd month favorites!

2013-04-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

Fisher Price My Little Sweetie Swing - We just purchased this swing in the beginning of March and she LOVED it right away! Most babies only nap in their swings, but she loves to nap & play in it. The mirror at the top just fascinates her & she makes cute little faces in it all the time. The mobile also spins while the flowers move up and down. The music is really soothing and I don't mind it playing at all. I actually kind of like it, too. All in all, we are so thrilled with our purchase and get plenty of use out of it!

Boppy Pillow - I'm sure all of you have heard of or used this wonderful little pillow. I keep mine in the living room on our couch. It's just so handy. Not only is it great for propping baby up in my lap while nursing so my arms, shoulders & neck don't strain, but it's also great for tummy time and laying baby on.

Bulb Aspirator - For lack of a better way to put it... my baby has tons of boogies! Mostly in the morning. I believe it's because it's so dry in our house, and the heater doesn't help any! Anyways, this thing is a life saver! Ours is from the hospital. I'm so happy they gave us two to bring home with us. It's helped out so much and though she screams every time I use it, she also breathes so much easier afterwards.

Grape Boogie Wipes - To go hand in hand with the above aspirator, these things are great too! And they smell yummy. ;) I don't just use them for her delicate little nose, though. I also use them to wipe her face. You know, the dry milk that accumulates in the creases of their tiny little mouths or the hard eye boogies that are there in the morning. These gently wipe all of that away without being too harsh on the skin seeing as they're mostly like water wipes with a splash of grape smelling goodness!

Bath & Body Works Hand Sanitizer - Kills germs. Enough said! I keep them everywhere. On my key chain, the side of my diaper bag, in the car, every room of the house - well you get the point. They're small and portable, cute and smell good all while putting your mind at ease about the ~~evil~~ germs that are out to get your precious new baby. I have so many of these things. My favorite place to get them is at Bath & Body Works outlets! You can grab up these babies for as cheap as 15 cents a piece sometimes if you go on the right day! I typically find them super cheap after a holiday. Who cares if you're using pine scented sanitizer in June. Not me!

Cloud B Sleep Sheep - Besides being incredibly adorable, this sleep sheep plays magical white noise. Magical in the way that it can soothe a fussy baby to sleep and keep them that way! It's noises include a heartbeat from in the womb, rain, waves and whale songs. I Graciella, loves it.

Muslin Swaddling Blankets - These swaddling blankets may be made of the best material ever known to man. They're super soft and warm, but very breathable. Gracie doesn't like to be swaddled so much anymore, but we still use these all the time. I'll tuck one around her in the carseat just to give her a sense of security or I will toss one over the carseat if she's napping, to keep the sun off her face or if we are going in a store. Nothing I dislike more than a stranger walking up to you and sticking their fingers into your carseat to touch your babies face! I have no problem with others wanting to see my little princess, but please, ask before you touch! (So I can squirt some of that cute sanitizer on your hands)

Baby Trend Playard - We LOVE our playard. Originally we chose to get a playard to keep downstairs so baby could nap in it during the day, but we changed up our plan when Graciella finally got here. This thing is saddled up right beside my side of the bed with the co-sleeper on top. I love it so much. She's right at arms reach for nursing through the night without having to get out of bed, but she's in her own little space to keep my mind at ease. (I'm a crazy sleeper and so is her daddy)

Huggies Natural Care Baby Wipes - Every mama has her own opinion on what wipes work best but personally I am in love with huggies natural care. They're thick, soft and get the job done! I can honestly say that I use less of them when doing a diaper change opposed to any other brand that I've tried. We've also had no problems with rashes or irritation from them.

Musical Giraffe (similar) - Every baby needs a wind up musical plush animal! Ours is the yellow giraffe pictured above, but I'm sure any kind would do! In her first few weeks she would just stare at it for the longest time. Now she actually coo's at it! I love it's soft soothing music and how it rocks it's head from side to side while it plays. Great cheap buy! I believe we got ours at Walmart for 9 dollars.

MAM Paci & Holder - We chose to hold off on introducing a paci to Gracie because we didn't want to risk nipple confution. At around 5 or 6 weeks I decided it was finally time to do so since she was starting to use me as a paci, and though I love our bonding time, I need at least a little hands free time to get things done around the house! We tried soothies, gumdrop, nuk, born free and playtex but she hated all of those. Finally, on a whim, I bought a few MAM paci's and they were a hit! She loves her paci now and it's just great. I also bought the holder of course because when she's done with it, she's done! So the holder just keeps it from getting lost or dirty while we are out and about.

Paci Wipes - I bought these before I purchased the MAM holder, but I still love them and keep them on hand just in case. They have no harmful ingredient and are just so convenient for when you can't get to a sink to wash your babies paci.

Long Sleeve Sleepers - I am in love with these that I found at a consignment store but have since not been able to find ANYWHERE. Thankfully I bought about 5 pairs and received 1 more pair as a gift. They're fleece and super soft. I love that they keep baby nice and warm without using a blanket that they could kick off or get too close to their face. Also they are sized 0-9, so a nice large range so we can get as much use out of them as possible.

Medela Pump In Style Tote - I love love love my pump! I will be returning to work soon, so I try to pump when I find the time & freeze my milk in these Lansinoh Milk Storage Bags. I can literally pump about an ounce per minute. It's that fast! I also love how it gives you the portable battery operated option OR you could buy The Medela Pump In Style Car Adapter. It gives you so many options to fit your lifestyle. It's just fantastic.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day and found my lists useful, whether you're expecting or just looking for idea's for your little ones! As always, thanks for reading!

2013-04-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

I just had to share this picture of my little ham! She's getting so big on me and it's making me so sad, but happy. I want to freeze time and be able to revisit the days that have already passed, but still be able to enjoy the future with her as well.

I love being a mama so much. I feel as though this is what I was born to be! No career could ever surpass that of being a mother and feeling needed and loved all at once. It's the greatest. I'm dreading returning to work, but it has to be done. Babies are lovely but they aren't cheap! I'm gonna miss my little bit so very much. I will be returning in about two weeks, and I know I was so very blessed to have had such a long maternity leave.

I think to myself every day 'I need to soak all of this in. Every smile, every cry, every nurse. Soak it all in and remember every little detail, because it changes day by day.'

Here are some of my Instagram pictures from the past week!

Graciella is so smiley in the mornings now and I love it! The best time to get her to smile is right after she wakes up around 6:30 - 7am and gets her diaper changed. She just lays there and coos, kicks her legs around, smiles and plays till she's ready for her morning nursing and nap. I'll get more into detail about her daily 'routine' in her two month update coming soon after her well baby visit!

Sometimes daddy feels left out since she is more often than not, in my arms. Either nursing or soothing her because she just wants to be held by mama. So, when he's home from work in the afternoons, I make sure to hand her off to him after nusing when it's time to burp. It's become a great afternoon feed routine. Daddy loves the bonding time with his little princess and I love watching them together. After a good burp he snuggles or plays with her. It just melts my heart. Like a saying I saw once... not sure where exactly, but I fell in love with it.. 'I never knew how much I loved you, till I saw how much you love her.' My sentiments exactly. It melts my heart. <3

This was a throw back Thursday post! Back when we first started dating. I know we haven't been together the longest, but that doesn't matter, because our love is real and our love is strong. It will last.

(3-5-2011) <3

Now this little picture right here has got to be one of my all time favorites of my precious little Graciella. Look at those huge beautiful eyes and pinchable cheeks! If you told me you didn't feel an emence urge to kiss her face, I wouldn't believe a word you said! I can't believe she's mine sometimes. I step back and think 'I created her?!' With a little help of course.. ;) But seriously, am I the only one who feels like she is just far too perfect of a baby?

(1 day shy of 8 weeks old!)

And last but not least, the basket that I made for my honey as his Easter treat! I got the idea off of Pinterest and just got so excited that I had to do it! With my own little twists of course. We aren't really drinkers in this house, but I thought it would be a nice treat for him since he's been working such long hours. Something to help him relax. Inside I placed chapsticks 'cause he's always losing his, Lindt chocolate carrots and a Lindt chocolate bunny - yum! I had to 'taste test' that part with him. And some gum. Nothing too fancy, but he still really loved it and I had a lot of fun putting it together & surprising him!

Well, that's all for now. Hope you enjoyed the pictures of my little girl as much as I do. Have a wonderful Tuesday night everyone!

2013-04-01T07:49:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter Sunday! I hope all of you can say the same!

It started off with 11am church, then we headed home to get things ready for a late lunch with the family. Tamale's, pico, salad and fruit with dip for dessert. Yum!

Of course our little Gracie was in need of a nursing and nap first when we got home, but when she awoke she was in the best of mood to visit and hang out with the family!

It was a great first Easter!

2013-03-29T18:26:00.004-07:00

Happy good Friday everyone! Today I got the last finishing touches for my baby girls first Easter basket! Here's a look at what I put together..

Wooden Bunny Puzzle, Wooden Butterfly Teether, Wooden Bunny Teether, Sassy Soft Cover Go-Go Books, Little Bunny Board Book, Stroller Chime (similar)

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day and enjoying their Easter weekend! We will be having family over Sunday after our morning church for a late lunch. I plan on taking lots of pictures of my sweet Gracie on her first religious holiday! I can't believe she will be 2 months old this upcoming week, eeek. Mama's aren't lying when they say time flies once you have children. I knew this was true, I just didn't know HOW true.

God bless!

2013-03-06T09:35:00.000-08:00

My baby girl is 1 month old today! I can't believe we are already 4 weeks into parenthood.. seems like yesterday we were packing our hospital bags and getting ready to meet her, now we have her and life is just wonderful! I love being a mother and I love having my daughter to wake up to every morning. I can't imagine a single day without her.

We are still exclusively breastfeeding and I love it! Such a bonding experience and I know that she's getting the best nutrition that I can give her. She's still eating every 2-3 hours during the day but at night she can sleep for as long as 4-4.5 hours! We do have our occasional fussy night though, as all babies do.. She's started having longer awake periods within the past week and it is so much fun interacting with her (though she doesn't really interact back.. I mostly just sing and make a fool of myself in front of her. haha!) She's out of newborn diapers as of last Friday (today is Wednesday) and into size 1! She's also mostly in 0-3 clothing, though that dress above is still newborn. She coos a lot now and likes to kick her legs around while awake.

At her 2 week appointment she was up to 7lbs 14oz (her birth weight was 6lbs 10oz, though she dropped to 6lbs 5oz a few days later) I was so happy to hear she had gained so much in less than 2 weeks! Her head circumference also went up from 32.5cm to 36cm! I am not sure how much she weighs now.. now that its been another full 2 weeks, but my baby girls cheeks are fuller and I can tell she's gained weight just from picking her up. Our next appointment will be her 2 month in April, so I'll have to wait till then to see.

2013-02-14T09:09:00.000-08:00

Dearest Graciella,

You are one week old already, and I have to tell you, this past week has been the best week of my life. I love you more than you can even imagine and I'm so happy that God chose me to be your mother. At the hospital last Wednesday, time went by so slowly while I waited to meet you. I thought the moment would never come where I would get to hold you in my arms. But now I get to hold you all the time, and I feel so complete. You've already grown so much in just this first week of life. You're so alert and I know you're absorbing everything around you. You nurse like a pro and love a nice long nap.. several of them. But come morning time, you're more awake than ever and just want to stretch out and stare at your mama and papa. We are having such a great time being your parents. I knew that I loved you, I always knew that I loved you.. but I couldn't have ever guessed that I would love you this much once you were here.

*You nurse so well and love to eat!
*You can lift your head when laying on mama's chest or on your tummy. You could do this from the very night you were born. They placed you on my chest and you lifted your head with those big bright wide eyes of yours and just stared at me. My heart melted right then and there!
*You only cry when you need something - a change of diaper, some milk or an extra tight swaddle... You're such a good baby! I feel so blessed.

35 Weeks !!

2013-01-03T17:32:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, it's been a while! The holidays have come & gone and we are officially in the birth year of our baby girl now! Hello 2013, what a wonderful year I predict you to be!

I am 35 weeks pregnant, and I just can not believe it! I can count down the weeks I have left on ONE HAND, how crazy is that.

Christmas was wonderful & relaxing and the new year was a great night too. We didn't do the count down 'cause well, I can't stay up that late and had to be to work by 6:30 the next morning, but we did go to Rogelio's brothers house for dinner & desserts till around 9. I still had a very nice new years eve.

I've got mine & baby girls hospital bags packed and ready to go, for whenever she decides she's done cookin' and wants to make an appearance.

Whats In Baby's Hospital / Diaper Bag Vlog

Whats In My Hospital Bag Vlog

My 35 week pregnant belly. : )

Hope all of you are doing well and enjoying the new year so far!

31 Weeks!

2012-12-07T08:56:00.000-08:00

I have less than 10 weeks left till my due date! It's crazy and amazing. I can not wait to hold my baby girl in my arms & hear her first cry. I'm unable to sleep at night because of all the thoughts running through my head about our precious angel. (that, and being unable to get comfy with this big ole' belly...haha). I just can't believe that I'm gonna be a mama! It seems unreal, still. I think to myself sometimes... 'Is she really mine?! Do I really get to keep her forever?!' It's like Christmas as a child, when you get something you NEVER thought you would actually get. You just can't believe it, and you're overfilled with excitement and joy. Yes, just like that. This pregnancy is just like Christmas & she's the best gift I could have ever imagined getting. It's going to be a million times better once she is here. 9 months is such a long time to wait to meet someone! Oh, but she's definitely worth the wait... : )

Sunday night after I got off of work, my honey and I went on the hunt for the perfect Christmas tree & out to a quick dinner at Panchero's. Yum! I love their burrito's. Anywhoo, we found this wonderfully fat Christmas tree that smells AMAZING. Our tree last year was pretty, don't get me wrong, but it didn't have that strong pine smell that I love oh so much. This year, we did it right and made sure to get a tree that smelled delicious. It fills the entire downstairs with it's pine smell and I just love it! We spent the rest of the afternoon/night decorating it with all of our special ornaments & topped it off with a pretty gold star then sat on the couch to enjoy Lampoons Christmas Vacation! One of my favorite holiday comedy's. It was just a wonderful Sunday night.

How far along? 31 Weeks and 3 days! (Picture above was taken 3 days ago)

Total weight gain: at my last appointment (a week and a half ago) I was at a 17 lbs gain. Woah mama!

Maternity clothes? Definitely. If not maternity... then extra stretchy.

Stretch marks? Not as far as I can see.

Sleep: Sleep? What is sleep? I certainly know of no such thing... haha. This past week I've been getting up at 4:30 in the morning... unable to get comfy, unable to get into a deep sleep.. it's just no fun! So I get up & shower and get ready for my day. Then by 3pm I'm fading fast & ready for a quick nap on the couch. Too bad those naps only last about 20 minutes before I'm awake again to pee or crack my sore back.. and neck... and shoulders. I'm so stiff lately!

Best moment this week: Getting our Christmas tree!! :D

Miss Anything? I miss sleep. But other than that, I'm a happy preggo.

Movement: Plenty of it! I finally got a few movements on video via iPod. Not much, because once I turn the video on, she stops moving. Little camera shy lady! But I did get a few kicks, and I'm happy to have them. I know I'm going to miss feeling her move once this pregnancy is over. :')

Symptoms: I've been nausious this past week. I've thrown up twice.. I think it's just due to her squishing my belly & being up so high. I will ask my doctor about it next week at my appointment.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Yes. Even foods that I LOVE, after getting half way through my meal, I'll look down and get grossed out!

Labor Signs: Nooooooo! Lets hold off on those for at least another 6 weeks!

Are You Showing? Definitely.

Happy or Moody most of the time: I am very very happy, though lately very emotional! I'm such a cry baby these past few weeks.. poor hubby has to put up with it! He does an amazing job, though. ;)

Looking forward to: Hearing baby girls heartbeat on Wednesday next week and of course CHRISTMAS in a few weeks!

2012-11-27T18:46:00.001-08:00

Hey yall, hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday Week with their loved ones! I had a g-r-e-a-t holiday, filled with plenty of yummy food & surrounded by all my loved ones!

I am 30 weeks pregnant today! We're down to the 10 week count-down and I couldn't be more excited and nervous!

I didn't do any black Friday shopping this year.. I had to work at 9am, and was in bed by 10pm the night before. It was FREEZING out & I was exhausted from a day of work & holiday festivities. Maybe next year.. : ) But on another note, I did go a little crazy with the cyber Monday deals! I finally got the breast pump that I've been eying for a few months and WE GOT OUR STROLLER & CARSEAT! I'm so excited for them to arrive. I also did a little Target shopping, not everything was on sale, but it was all so cute! So here are my baby buys for week 30!

1) Bright Starts Grab & Stack Blocks - They are soft, crunchy & have taggies on them. They're just so cute and my niece had something similar that she would go ga ga over.
2) Fisher Price Sugar Plum Bouncer - Down from 62.99 to 47.24 + I had 5 dollars in Babies R Us rewards so that made it 42.24 dollars. Win! I love the colors & how cuddly & soft it is. It also goes with the theme of butterflies that I want to have for her nursery. (Butterflies & poka dots, to be exact. I'm obsessed with poka dots right now)

3) Cloud B Sleep Sheep - I've heard so many good things about this little thing! And he's just oh so adorable.

4) Butterfly Ceiling Hangings - Again with the butterflies! I just love this. Now, I was going to attempt to make my own, but I'm not very crafty and just shopping for the materials was overwhelming for my hormonal self.

5) Taggies Tags 'n Snuggles Mat - How adorable is this thing? I can't wait to place it right in the middle of her nursery. It's super plush & soft, and again has those taggies that babies love so much all around it.

6) Summer Infant Prodigy Travel System - We finally got out car-seat & stroller ordered! I'm so so happy 'cause that means we are so much closer to being ready to bring our baby girl home!! We chose to go with something neutral for the travel system. We're not made of money & it will be nice to be able to use the car-seat again for future babies. They grow out of the newborn one so quickly anyways. Why buy it twice if you don't have to?!

7) First Years BPA Free GumDrop Newborn Pacifiers - I'm so torn on whether or not we will even us pacie's but I like the idea of having them if we need them/choose to use them. These ones are the ones that I've heard the most about & most moms I've spoke to have really liked them. I like that they aren't just one huge circle like the other ones so it doesn't bother babies nose or take up half of their face. Haha. I think they're cute.

8) Medela Pump In Style Advanced Breast Pump On-The-Go Tote - Last but not least for this week... my breast pump! 50 dollars off + free shipping + a 5 dollar coupon = great steal! I was so happy. I've been watching this pump for months, waiting to see if I could get it on a deal, and I did! Also, I used my Babies R Us card to purchase it, so I'll be getting reward $$$ next month to spend on more cute stuff for Gracie. : )

At 29 weeks & 6 days. My necklace kinda wondered off to the side there, lol.

Well, till next time mama's! xoxox

2012-11-12T18:07:00.000-08:00

I will be 28 weeks tomorrow, officially in my 3rd trimester!
So, I thought I would share the things that helped me through these past two trimesters and made life as a preggo a little easier/more comfortable... or at least as comfy as you can be growing a human being. ; )

1st and 2nd Trimester Favorites!

A) My Aveeno face wash cloths. Since becoming pregnant, my skin has gone bonkers! These are wonderful at removing my make up, moisturising my face and so much easier to use than face wash over the bathroom sink on those nights that I can barely keep my eyes open long enough to make it up the stairs to our bed.

B) My belly band! I had it in white, and it was actually a gift from a friend of mine who used it through her two pregnancies as well. It worked wonderfully! You know, the awkward stage where you've got baby 'pudge' but not an actual bump yet... and your pants just don't button/zip right. These just slip right over your pants & help hold them up without having to zip or button them. I also really liked how it smoothed out my sides & made me feel secure. I did get a lot of use out of this item (about 5 months worth) and I'm glad I had it. Of course, you will reach a point where pants with a zipper you can't zip just won't be comfortable anymore and have to move on to something else.

C) Tums. Yes, I complain about the taste and how much I dislike them, but the DO work and as much as I dislike eating them, I dislike my heartburn more! My favorites are the Smoothies in wild berry 'cause they kinda taste like candy. I keep a large bottle of these bad boys in my purse. They also have the added bonus of calcium.

D) Preggie Pops! My honey bought these for me from Babies R Us but I've seen them at Motherhood & Walgreens as well. Used them mostly in my first trimester... but a few weeks into my second as well. I was SO nauseous 24/7 and these worked so so wonderfully. They actually made my nausea subside! Plus, they were delicious. My favorite were the sour raspberry.

E) BODY PILLOW. Get one. Just do it. Your hips, back, legs... they will all thank you for it. And even after you give birth to your little angel, you'll still be loving this thing, I can guarantee it. I got mine from Target for 10 bucks. Seriously, one of my best investments. And don't forget a cute & cuddle pillow case to go with it!

F) I'm not really into all the stretch mark lotions out there. 1 - I don't believe anything can prevent stretchmarks. They are genetic. 2 - Most of those creams don't smell or feel good to me. 3 - They're so over priced just 'cause they know people are willing to do anything to avoid the dreaded marks! That being said, I do believe that while they may not be avoidable, you can lessen the damage by keeping your skin extra moisturized so it's easier to stretch. And while it's stretching, it's gonna get itchy at times & I've heard that scratching your stretching tummy can make stretchmarks worse/deeper than they were to start with. ANYWHO, my favorite lotion for my tummy is Aveeno. I have sensitive skin, and this never irritates it. Also, it works so so well. My tummy is baby butt soft and so far (knock on wood) no marks have appeared. I know they will come in due time because I am susceptible to them, but as of now I'm enjoying my soft baby bump.

G) Ginger ale. Another nausea favorite. There were days where I couldn't even keep water down 'cause it would gag me, and this ginger ale was just the trick to help settle my tummy. (make sure it says made with real ginger)

H) Vitafusion Gummy Prenatals. I had a really hard time taking my prenatal pills because I was so nauseous and sick feeling all of the time during all of my first and most of my second trimester (nausea has actually started to come back now that I enter my third...) I was so happy when I found these! They were around 10 bucks at Walmart and taste like sour gummy worms. The only thing they don't have in them is iron (because they appeal to children as candy). I take iron on the side anyways, though. I take a slow fe iron that releases slowly so you don't get the icky constipation that is common with iron supplements.

I) Last but not least, my lovely VS yoga pants. You can really use any kind of yoga pants, but VS are my personal favorite. They seem to keep their shape a lot better than most I've had before and they're not as thin as most either. The flap also makes for a great maternity band once the bump gets bigger and they're just a great comfort all around. I live in these yoga pants & the VS leggins right now.

27 Weeks!

2012-11-10T19:04:00.000-08:00

How far along? 27 Weeks & 4 days. (27 weeks 2 days in picture above)

Total weight gain: 14 lbs.

Maternity clothes? Oh yes. Shirt pictured above is from Target's maternity clearance. I love how great it feels & stretches. I also bought a nice long sleeved sweater off the same wrack that is oh so comfy and cute looking over my bump. : ) Pants also need to be maternity nowadays... or yoga with the fold over flap flipped up. Haha.

Stretch marks? Not yet. I say 'yet' because I am almost certain that I will get them eventually since I have old ones from puberty.

Sleep: So hard to come by! I fall asleep very quickly at first, but am up about an hour later because I either have to pee, am no longer comfortable in my position (also unable to switch positions while still asleep...) my hips hurt, back hurts or I can't breathe! Then when I try to go back to sleep, it seems impossible. I am up so many times through out the night, it's quite irritating. I don't get nearly enough sleep for my busy days.

Best moment this week: Watching baby girl move from the outside. Her movements have gotten so much larger and noticable. I love it so much. I still keep trying to capture it on camera, but she always stops as soon as I'm ready to hit record.. drats!

Miss Anything? I miss going a day without aches & pains. But I'm also so happy to be going through this 'cause it means I get a precious baby girl at the end of everything.

Movement: Oh yes. Plenty of it! She's very active early in the morning.. 3 or 4am. Then I believe she naps till around 8 or 9, because then she's all squirms, wiggles, kicks and rolls! : )

Food cravings: For a week there I was craving WAFFLES every single day. Thank the lord they didn't go straight to the number on the scale! Haha. This week it's root beer floats. Yum. I still love my milk, cheese and fruits too of course.

Symptoms: Heartburn, body aches, head aches, acne (still! ugh) and bloat.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really.

Labor Signs: No, no, no!

Are You Showing? Definitely.

Happy or Moody most of the time: I am one very happy camper these days. And oh so excited that we are closer and closer to the day we get to hold our baby girl in our arms.

Looking forward to: Thanksgiving! My baby shower the weekend after Thanksgiving and of course CHRISTMAS, my favorite holiday everrr. And once we ring in the new year, we'll get to welcome our bundle of joy into this world shortly after. Ah, so much to look forward to.

25 Weeks!

2012-10-24T14:48:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! I'm 25 weeks and 1 day pregnant today. I can't believe that it is already the end of October! This month seemed way too short! November is one of my favorite months out of the year, so I'm super excited for it to come!

I have my glucose text this up coming Tuesday, and will have more to update on about baby girl after that doctors appointment.

This past Friday I worked the majority of the day and felt super icky. I didn't eat much because I didn't feel well, and when I got home I quickly had to rush to the bathroom because I felt so sick! I felt like I was back in my first trimester again. It was awful! The feeling continued all through the night & into the next morning but passed as the day went on, thankfully! Not sure if it was a stomach bug or just pregnancy related but it was horrible and I'm glad it's over and passed.

Hubby and I sat in the babies room last night, going through everything that we have & making lists. We came up with an idea of what we still need to get and everything else that we would like to have before our princess makes her grand entrance. I love making lists and organizing my thoughts out. He also told me all of his plans for the nursery as far as decorating/organizing it. We will be getting things together soon! I'm so excited!

This past week I also made up my gift registries for my baby shower. Still not sure of the exact date but it will be sometime within the next 6 weeks.

Food cravings: Nothing this week, oddly enough!

Food aversions: Nope.

Weight Gain: Acording to my last doctors appointment my weight gain thus far was 8lbs. I am guessing it's more by now, seeing as that was almost a month ago and I can FEEL myself getting heavier. We will see on the 30th when I go to my next appointment & get my glucose test done.

Symptoms: My heartburn is still in full force, back pain, headaches, acne (ugh!), and my ankles have been swelling. :/
Sleep: HORRIBLE. I wake up several times through the night to pee & then when I get back under the covers I can NOT for the life of me fall back asleep (it takes nearly an hour!!) This has been going on for about 2 weeks now and it's really depriving me. Also, it's hard to get comfortable and my hips always hurt in the morning from sleeping on my sides.

Movement: Baby girl is a dancer already! : )

Memory Of The Week: Getting things organized & planned out on paper. Helps to calm my nerves! I'm such a wreck with anxiety lately!

Stretch Marks: Nope! : )

Showing:

Gender Prediction: We found out it's a precious baby girl.

Maternity Cloths: Yes, unless I'm in my yoga pants & sweaters. Those stretch mighty nicely. ; )

24 Weeks. SIX MONTHS!!

2012-10-19T07:35:00.000-07:00

My goodness, I'm 6 months pregnant! How does time continue to fly so quickly?!
My tummy has really 'popped' again, and I feel huge. I love my belly though, and feeling her squirm inside. She's much more active this week, then she has been thus far. She used to just move around in the early morning or late night... but now I feel her all through the day, even when on my feet for hours at work. She must move a lot in her sleep like her mama. ; ) 'Cause there's no way she's awake every time I feel her move. She'd never be sleeping if that were the case!

My heartburn has been getting worse and worse as the weeks go by. So, I finally broke down and bought tums smoothies last week. As much as I hate the taste/texture of tums, I hate my heartburn even more! I still only take them once in a while, but it's nice to know they are there for when I really need them. Oh, and don't get me started on the back pain! My lower back puts me in so much pain by the end of the day, to the point where I can barely walk! I attribute this to my belly growing so much in the past week and the cold/rainy weather we have had continuously all week. My body always has gotten 'achy' when it rains, but this is a whole new level of ache! I don't like to take Tylonol too often, even though I know it's safe to take while there's a baby growing inside of me. I take it about once a week, if that. When my back gets to causing me too much pain, I stretch & lean forward. It ALWAYS cracks when I do this, helping me out for a few minutes..

IN OTHER NEWS: My honey bought me a gorgeous diaper bag! It hasn't arrived yet, since he just ordered it via the internet last night, but I am extremely excited to fill it up & tote it around when baby gets here. It doesn't look too much like a diaper bag, which I love. It just looks like an over-sized purse - just my style!

Food cravings: BANANA BREAD. I am in love with this stuff all of a sudden. It's just so delicious. OH and banana nut cheerio's. YUM. I'm also really into cheese still, mainly mozzarella this week and I still love my milk. I've always loved milk through this pregnancy, but I haven't craved in since my first trimester. I'm back to craving it, and drinking much more of it. I guess that's a good thing to crave, though! Getting my calcium for my little girl to grow those strong bones & pearly whites. : )

Food aversions: Onions. The smell makes me nauseous OUT OF NO WHERE. I was able to tolerate them up until this point, but now... no. No thank you.

Weight Gain: Acording to my last doctors appointment my weight gain thus far was 8lbs. I am guessing it's more by now, seeing as that was a few weeks ago and I can FEEL myself getting heavier. We will see on the 30th when I go to my next appointment & get my glucose test done.

Symptoms: Heartburn, back pain, headaches, exhaustion, ligament pains and constantly having to pee!

Movement: Baby girl is a dancer already! : )

Memory Of The Week: Having her move soooo much more this week, getting my diaper bag ordered and making her a lovely little no-sew fleece blanket. It's so adorable and was super easy to make!

Stretch Marks: I FREAKED thinking that I saw one by my belly button last week.. then the next time I went to go find it/look at it, it was gone. Must have been my imagination.

Showing:

So much bigger!!

Gender Prediction: We found out it's a precious baby girl.

Maternity Cloths: Yes, unless I'm in my yoga pants & sweaters. Those stretch mighty nicely. ; )

22 Weeks!

2012-10-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

22 Weeks. : )

Food cravings: Cajun seasoning! I love it on my fries. So delicious! I order it at work a couple times a week. Also the regular that I've always craved since the begining of my pregnancy.. cheese & milk. I tried dark chocolate almond milk by silk the other day and OMG that stuff is sinfully delicious. I am officially obsessed.

Food aversions: Nothing in particular.

Weight Gain: I had a doctors appointment yesterday morning and so far I've only gained 8lbs. : )

Symptoms: My heartburn has gotten a lot worse lately. I have it all the time it seems. Also, a lot of bloat, head aches and exhaustion. My back aches a lot while at work now, it's awful. The pain kinda shoots down from my lower back into my but. Ouch!

Movement: Yes. <3 I love it.

Memory Of The Week: Hearing babies heart beat at my appointment yesterday and finding out that I didn't gain any weight in the last month.

Stretch Marks: Not yet!

Showing:

Gender Prediction: We found out it's a precious baby girl, last week.

Maternity Cloths: Yes. I'm getting tired of wearing the same cloths all the time. It's a few maternity items and a few select baggy pre-pregnancy clothing items that still fit a little. I don't have many options right now.