New Year Resolutions

I can't believe the year of 2012 is coming to an end. This year has taught me many lessons, some of them are ordinary, others are down right nasty and some were a great lesson. Below is a list of my own resolutions, I am curious to see what 2013 brings!

-Make time for family

-Get organized

-Enjoy life

-Continue to lose weight

-Find creative ways to cherish my husband on a daily basis

-Keep my phone put away while having family time

-Have patience when Kaelyn is throwing a temper tantrum

What are your New Year Resolutions?

Bugs' Life

It's official, I have a toddler. And she has definitely shown that she is one. One thing that has not changed, is her sleeping patterns. Gosh, are we blessed or what? Bug has always been a great sleeper, she goes to bed around 8pm and wakes up around 9am or 10am! This is one thing that I hope doesn't change for awhile. But, I just know for a fact, our next child will be complete opposite..

 

I have been working out and I like to include Bug in my workouts because I believe it's good for the both of us. She loves going on walks and getting fresh air, every time we hear a dog, she barks too!

 

A lot of my mommy friends have been saying that their toddler's have been escaping their crib. I thought, not my bug. I honestly didn't believe she would ever try until, I looked on the monitor and saw she was trying to get out while using her bumper as a 'stepping stool' with her mischievous face.

 

Opening doors. Probably the hardest thing to keep her from doing. I close the bathroom door to keep her from ruining the toilet paper, what does she do when mommy isn't looking? Run to the restroom to mess up the toilet paper. She also loves to go into her room, grab all her clothes from her laundry basket, and throw them everywhere. Maybe she will enjoy doing laundry! (Wishful thinking!)

 

 

Taking pictures. You either have to make the funniest sounds or you will get no picture. We have tried taking many pictures as a a family since becoming a toddler and it's impossible. She is either not looking or making some kind of face.

 

 

This is probably the funniest picture we have of her lately. One night after dinner, she ran into the dog kennel and barked. And no, those are not dog bowls in there, she grabs these bowls from mommy's Tupperware cabinet!

 

 

 Snack time, my child loves food. I made some homemade cookies last week and we grubbed out on the couch. See that chocolate up her nostril?

 

When I make breakfast, all I hear is "SNACK" she is one smart kid. Look at how happy eggs make her.

 

 

And mommy was giving Bug whipped cream from the can. Hey, we wanted something sweet and had nothing. She enjoyed it ; )

 

 

I hope these months and years go slow, so I can have her all to myself and enjoy this little moments. I came across a beautiful poem that I believe every mother with children should read.

 

‘One of these days you’ll explode and shout to the kids, “Why don’t you grow up and act your age?” …and they will.

 

You’ll straighten up the boys’ bedroom neat and tidy — bumper stickers discarded, bedspread tucked and smooth, toys displayed on the shelves. Hangers in the closet. Animals caged. And you’ll say out loud, “Now I want it to stay this way.” …and it will. 

You’ll prepare a perfect dinner with a salad that hasn’t been picked to death and a cake with no finger traces in the icing, and you’ll say, “Now, there’s a meal for company.” …and you’ll eat it alone. 

You’ll say: “I want complete privacy on the phone. No dancing around. No demolition crews. Silence! Do your hear?”…and you’ll have it. 

No more plastic tablecloths stained with spaghetti. No more bedspreads to protect the sofa from damp bottoms. No more gates to stumble over. No more clothespins under the sofa. No more playpens to arrange a room around. No more anxious nights No more sand on the sheets, or rubber bands for ponytails. 

Imagine. A lipstick with a point on it. No baby sitter for New Year’s Eve. Washing only once a week. Having your teeth cleaned without a baby on your lap. No PTA meetings. No car pools. No blaring radios.

Think about it. No more sloppy oatmeal kisses. No more tooth fairy. No giggles in the dark. No knees to heal, no responsibility. 

Only a voice crying, “Why don’t you grow up?” and the silence echoing, “I did.”

Psalm 127:3 “Children are a reward from God.”

 

 



Be Thankful

With Thanksgiving approaching, I've been thinking about what all I am thankful for. Sometimes we can get so caught up in life and we don't take time to realize what we have, instead we think about what we don't have. I myself am guilty of this.

 

What I am thankful for:

 

1) The laundry piles, because that means I have clothes

2) My husband being lazy on the couch, because that means he is home with me and not out at the bars

3) The 13 hour shifts I work, because that means that I have a job and get 4 days off to be with my family

4) My daughter being overly attached to me, because that means I have a child and many people can't have any children

5) The high gas prices, because that means I have a car to put gas in

6) My dirty house, because that means we have a roof over our heads
7) For the alarm that goes off in the early morning because it means I am alive

 

Do I take time to be thankful everyday? No. With working in medical, I see some serious situations. Those are always the ones that make me realize, I have a wonderful life. My husband provides for us and Bug is healthy. So maybe your hair isn't looking good or your spouse is simply getting on your nerves, take time to be thankful for the little things in life, because some people are wishing for what you already have.

 

Yesterday while I was at home, I heard this loud bang. It nearly scared the crap out of me, so I called Matt. Then, it happened again. I'm a really big baby, so I didn't go to see what it was. Once Matt came home, he walked in and said "Call our insurance company, we have to file a claim." I walked into the garage and saw this..

 

 

Yup, that's right. The shelving in our garage feel onto our car cracking the windshield and leaving dents on the roof of the car. That explains the loud nose I heard. I was so upset with myself because I was contemplating on heading to the grocery store or not, but it was Bugs' nap time, so I figured I wouldn't go. I would much rather open my garage to broken stuff then my car like this. This is 3 days before we pay $500 for my root canal that my insurance is not paying for and 4 days before we have our $400 car payment due. Now, here goes another $500 towards our car insurance deductible.

 

 

I had just posted this picture on Instagram hours before the car incident. Didn't I just spend a week thinking about everything I was thankful for and now this? Seriously? Yup, that's life. When the going gets good, something always seems to happen, but it could be worse. I could have gotten in a car accident, my daughter could have a cronic illness, my husband could up and leave us and the list goes on and on. After all this I am thankful that we atleast have car insurance because we would be in trouble and we luckily got a rental care since we have rental coverage as well. I'm not too happy about dishing out more money, but it could be worse, right?

 

 



Week Reflections

We had a get together at our house last weekend, carving pumpkins and eating! Sounds like fun to me! Last year, Bug was a little baby, so Halloween wasn't as fun. But she had so much fun playing with the seeds and that nasty slime! Look at how excited she was once daddy brought the Pumpkins inside..

 

Let me say that playing with the seeds is a great sensory idea for kids! Even though it can get messy, the smell and texture is great for their senses. She would throw all the seeds out and put them all back in.

They ended up everywhere! On her toes, bottom, around the house and in her crib, but she had fun, so it was all worth it.

 

A few days later, I made some awesome homemade Pumpkin Pancakes! I love the smell of Pumpkin anything.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2 eggs

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

 1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup of pumpkin puree

 

Mix all ingredients together and cook on low heat. You can also put some whipped cream on top!

 

Then we tried to paint Bugs' hand on her Pumpkin. Have you ever tried this with a 16 month old who can not sit still? Yeah, well so much for hand prints..

 

Finally! It's Halloween! We had a great time and here is my beautiful Minnie Mouse getting into my make-up bag!

 

And would you look at that face! She always gives that face when she is very curious about something. I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween!

 

 

 

 



Two years ago today..

Two weeks after my second miscarriage, I started to feel the common pregnancy symptoms. I really didn't want to tell Matt because I knew he would just say "Go take a pregnancy test!" and that was not what I wanted to hear. We had a dinner date with my dad and step mom, so before we left, I decided to tell Matt what was going on. What did he say? Go take a pregnancy test! I remember telling him I will take one just to prove you wrong! We both waited in the bathroom what seemed to be eternity. I placed the test back into the wrapper and waited. When I pulled it out, it said..

Matt jumped up and screamed with excitement while I cried my eyes out. How was this possible? Could this pregnancy actually last? We went to dinner and told my dad and step mom the news. My dads first question was "What are you going to do about child care?" I said "Really? Can we at least get to the second trimester and then we can worry about that?" I decided that this pregnancy I wouldn't worry about anything. I would have faith and hope that it will turn out for the best. And this picture was taken at dinner right after announcing the news (I'm not sure why the restaurant was so dark, but Matt seems to have no eyes)..

The next day, I called the doctor to inform her and she wanted me to come in soon to see if I indeed was pregnant.  We go see the doctor and the nurse asked "When was your LMP?" I said "Um, I never had one. I just miscarried two weeks ago." She looked up at Matt and he says "I get the job done." Talk about a moment of silence. Here he is, the guy who is oh so proud that his wife is knocked up in such a short amount of time..

We waited in the exam room for literally an hour. The doctor walked in along with the ultrasound machine and my heart dropped. What if she found nothing? I couldn't possibly go through another miscarriage. She turned off the lights and my legs began to shake. I shut my eyes and she says "Oh my! There is a heartbeat!" And there it was, my angel. We had never heard a heartbeat before and I was finally accepting the fact that I may never become a mother, but all those fears were put to rest. This little baby was here to stay.

After a long 9 months and a c-section, my baby girl finally arrived. I always wanted a little girl, so I can paint her toes, take her shopping and have good memories with her before she is in high school and can't stand me. Being a mom is the best feeling in the world and she was worth all the trouble we went through. Mommy loves you, Bug - don't ever forget that.







Why I Love You

Having celebrated our anniversary yesterday, I wanted to give Matt a meaningful gift. I always ask him what he wants and he replies with nothing. So, I combined his favorite candy and reasons why I love him. Who doesn't love chocolate and being told why they are loved?

I filled a bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and on the bottom of each candy, I used a round sticker to write why I love him. It's such a simple yet thoughtful gift idea for the one you love!



 

 

Happy Anniversary!

For those of you who don't know, Matt and I had a very odd way of meeting each other. See, I was supposed to break his heart. Yes, that's right. I was friends with an ex-girlfriend of his and she wanted his heart broken. Being her friend, I agreed to do it. Remember, I was only 16 years old at the time! Matt came to a restaurant that I was working at and I was shocked. Holy cow was this guy hot or what! Later that night, we all went bowling. (Pictured below) We had a great time and I was actually starting to like this guy. Once it was time to leave, he asked for my number and wanted to see me again. And of course, I said yes. That night I went home with butterflies in my stomach. How could I hurt this guy when I'm starting to like him?

A few months after we started dating, he told me that he knew that I would be his wife and mother of his kids. To a 16 year old this came to a complete shock. Typical guy says that quote to every girlfriend he has, but I knew there was something different about him.

We graduated in July of 2009 and spent that entire summer together. Moved into our first apartment in August and we lived off Macaroni and Cheese with no cable, but we were happy. One night we were talking about getting married, it wouldn't be too soon, but we could start planning. I decided to look up venue's to see prices and I came across a gorgeous place! The only day available was October 24, 2009 or late 2010. Wait, that soon? I don't even know how to plan a wedding! We talked it over and decided to go ahead and do it despite what people may think. We booked it for $100 and I started to worry. Who plans a wedding in just two weeks?



 The hardest part was probably telling our family. We got a lot of is she pregnant? Why so soon? No, I was not pregnant and we felt that getting married was the right thing for us. Now, we had to plan on buying a wedding dress, looking for a tux, looking for a reception, buying rings, making invitations, finding a cake, getting make-up done and so much more in such a short amount of time. The day came, it was time to devote my life to one person for this rest of my life at 18 years old.

 

Reading our vows that we wrote for each other.

 

Our wedding cake. It sure was tasty!

 

And our first dance as husband and wife to My Endless Love.

 

A week after we got married.

On our one year wedding anniversary, we ate the other half of our cake and it tasted even better!



Did we face tough obstacles that were hard? Yes. Did we live paycheck to paycheck? Yes. Did we argue almost every other day? Yes. But one thing always remained the same, we both said for better or for worse. To me, those words mean we will be at a breaking point and won't have anywhere to look, but we are in this together. You and me.

 

 

Now, three years later, our marriage has taught me so much

 

1) We don't always have to know everything

2) We must forgive each other and I mean forgive a ton of times

3) Never bring up mistakes in the past

4) Never go to sleep angry

5) Sleep together every night

6) Always eat together as a family, if you can
7) Let nothing separate the love of a husband and wife

 

Matt, I take you my one true love. I thank God for you and I believe that he made you just for me. Knowing that I would love you beyond reason. I said till death do us part and I mean it with all my heart. I promise to never talk bad about you to anyone and I promise to always be there for you no matter what. We are 3 years into our marriage and while we have had tough times, I take you for better or for worse, even if the better comes after the worse. Love, your wife.

 

Weekend Reflections

This weekend started off great, went and got a pedicure and enjoyed time with my family until one moment changed everything. Kaelyn has been extremely attached lately given the age she is at. While she was eating lunch, I walked away into another room and she started crying hysterically thinking that I was leaving her. You know, when they cry so hard that they don't breathe for a second. Well, she didn't come back to breathe. I turn back to look at her and she doesn't look okay. Her mouth was getting bigger and she was turning red. Quickly. I ran to her and she looked like she was falling unconscious. I grabbed her out of her high chair and turned her upside down while hitting her back because I thought she was choking on her food. I am in the medical field and trained in infant CPR, but it's different when it's your own child. They tell you to remain calm, but I was screaming and crying at the same time. My brother in law then rushed over, grabbed Kaelyn from me and started shaking her. She was then fully awake. I'm not sure if you've ever witnessed anything like this, but it was the scariest moment in my life. I was honestly about to call 911. After that incident, she was snuggled up to me for a good 30 minutes. I cried, cried and cried some more. I thought my baby was gone.

 

I called to speak with a nurse and she informed me to see the Pediatrician soon and if it were to happen again, go to the ER. Every time Kaelyn cried, I freaked out thinking it would happen again. Monday morning, we went to the doctor hoping for answers. Let me say that I fully trust our Pediatrician. She has written books and is very educated, so I felt comfortable knowing Bug was in good hands. It was not a seizure, but a Breath-Holding-Spell. After checking her iron, everything looked okay and we were sent home. I'm a new mom and I learn new things still everyday, but this has definitely made me worry ten times more than I already do.

 

You know how they say sometimes a bad accident can turn into something good? Well, I believe this taught me never take anything for granted. I always sigh when I look at the laundry piles and count down the minutes until nap time, but I love my family tremendously and I honestly don't know where I would be without my husband or my daughter. They are my world. I know we can all get caught up in life, but take a minute to enjoy the laundry piles and enjoy the minutes before nap time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Skinny Lasagna Rolls

This is the first time in 5 years that I have took on cooking. Before, Matt was always the one to cook and I just cleaned up after him. Well, now that I have been making changes in my eating habits, I have started cooking up healthier recipes. This particular dish is only 252 calories per serving. Score!

 

Ingredients: * 8 whole wheat lasagna noodles

* 10 oz frozen chopped spinach

* 15 oz fat free ricotta cheese

* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

* 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

* 1 egg

* One jar Pasta Sauce

* Foil and wax paper

 

Cook your lasagna noodles and set them aside to dry. Grab a mixing bowl and add ricotta, Parmesan, egg and spinach. Mix well. I tried mixing with my hands, but they were freezing, so I don't recommend that.

 

Layer some sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.

 



Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out noodles. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. I was in a rush because my 15 month old was yelling "Momma!" so they aren't too pretty looking. Roll noodles carefully and place them into the baking dish.

 

And here is my wonderful helper. Pulling all of the dishes out that mommy just put up! Ah, I love her!

 

Spoon sauce over the rolled noodles and top with mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

 

Bon appetit!

 

 

 

Cake Mix Apple Cobbler

I've been working on losing some weight, but I do have cheat days on the weekends, so I wanted to make sure I ate something sweet and delicious! This recipe is so easy and good.

 

Ingredients:

1 Yellow Cake Mix

20 oz can of Apple Pie Filling or you can use 2 cans

6 Tablespoons of butter, melted

 

Spray the bottom of your crock pot with cooking spray. Dump your can of Apple Pie Filling into the bottom of your crock pot.

Spread your yellow cake mix over the apple pie filling. Then spoon your butter onto the cake mix, but do not mix the cake mix and and butter around. Cook on High for 4 hours.

 

When it's done cooking, take some out and put some ice cream on top. It was so good and made the house smell great!

 

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!