Killing Me With Cuteness

My husband will probably kill me for posting this, but Tru is killing me with cuteness.

He hasn't started crawling but he wants to stand up and walk!

Thanksgiving

For my husband's family, Thanksgiving has always been the big holiday where people travel and everybody gets together. Christmas is done by individual families.

My mother-in-law, Cheryl, always put it on and made everything and it was a giant feast. I'd seriously need to be rolled home every single year.

Then, just to top off the fun, the following day, everybody returned to her home for homemade Mexican food that was as authentic (and waaaay better) than any real Mexican Food Restaurant.

Cheryl really just loved to cook and have family together and perfected any of her families' favorites recipes. It was unreal. She was an gifted cook and even though relationships weren't always perfect, she really went above and beyond to express her love for her family this time of year. And her talents really shined on Thanksgiving.

Sadly, Cheryl passed away last year shortly, before Thanksgiving.  Her only daughter, Zack's sister, took on the torch and did a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner in honor of Cheryl's memory that year.

This year, Zack's sister is 8 months pregnant and just not feeling so grand and so everybody decided to go ahead and do their own Thanksgiving with their own families.

It's so odd to think that this family holiday is on hiatus while babies are born (one of Zack's brother's wife is due in January) but I'm so grateful for my family. I'm convinced that this tradition will certainly pick-up next year.

It's been so beautiful watching everybody come together and grow in unity since Cheryl's passing; I'm so grateful to be part of this family. Strained relationships are mending, we're making efforts to get together with extended family more often, and our family is growing closer than ever. Cheryl is surely looking down from Heaven beaming with joy that her family is growing so strongly. I married well.

And this year, I won't have to be rolled home... Just rolled to my bed.

Winning At Parenting... Or Not

Janni's first haircut was during a vacation to California when she was 16 months old, Zack's aunt had the pleasure of cutting it. And it was absolutely adorable. We saved the hair in a ziplock baggy. Milestone saved. I'm pretty sure I gave myself a pat on the back for winning at motherhood.

She's currently 3.5 and that's literally the only hair cut she's ever had. Ever. Not even an at-home trim.

That is until this past Saturday. Her hair was getting straggly and stringy and just ridiculous to work with, so I decided we'd both get hair cuts together on a day Zack was home and could stay with Tru.

And the results? Absolutely darling. Sadly, my phone wasn't charged enough to take pictures during the cut, so I had to take back that "winning at parenting" back pat.

This is also the first time she's ever had bangs and my heart my literally explode from all the cuteness!!

Now, if only she'd stand still enough for a perfect picture, I may have to give myself back that winning at parenting back pat.

Sweet and Savory Steak Fajitas: Original Recipe

When Zack and I first started dating, he had me over to his apartment and made me chicken fajitas. He had set the table nicely and tried really hard to impress me.  The mood was sweet and thoughtful.  They were a bit spicy (and by that I mean, I could hardly taste the flavors it was so spicy) for my taste, but they were overall pretty good.  Regardless, he did impress me! 

(Photo courtesy of cheat sheet.com)

We've since tried several different flavors for fajitas that were not so spicy that I spend the rest of the night sipping on milk or yogurt for the evening.  We've tried both steak and chicken.

By far, one of our favorite recipes was created out of a, "I wonder if ... " attitude.  Zack was coming home from work and he typically is the one who likes to cook fajitas (so much so that he kicks me out of the kitchen while he cooks them).  I was desperate to have them cooking by the time he got home so I could say in the most pleasant of tones, "oh look, fajitas for dinner. I've got them covered this time ... back off, Buster."  So I added a little of this, a little of that, hoped for the best, and when Zack walked in, smiled sweetly and told him, "Fajitas for dinner, I've got them covered, Love."
I served them to Zack and he nodded his head, asking, "what did you put in them?"  When I told him, he was surprised. 

After we (we meaning Zack, he still kicks me out of the kitchen when it's fajita night) had made them a couple of times, Zack actually said, "this is a recipe that would be worthy to put online."

I agree! It's the perfect taste of sweet and savory with a bit of a spicy kick ... just spicy enough that I'm able to enjoy them.

Ingredients:
3 bell peppers (any color, but we prefer yellow, orange, and red)
1/2 onion
2-3 medium sized steaks
Corn Tortillas
Gucamole (optional)
Sour cream (optional)
Sauce:
1/3 cup terriyake sauce (I used this recipe to make my own, but any kind works)
4 tbsp Sriracha Sauce
Garlic Powder
Onion powder
Pepper

Slice the steak into strips and add garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Slice bell peppers and onion into steps. Add oil to skillet and heat it on medium heat; stir until thinly coated and allow to cook until soft. Remove bell peppers in onion and place aside. Add a teeny bit more oil to skillet and allow to hear up. Add steak strips and allow to cook through. Add cooked bell peppers and add shriracha and teriyaki sauce.

Warm tortillas if you'd like and spoon fajitas mix onto tortillas. Top with sour cream and guacamole and try not to die of delight!!

Fit Healthy Mom's Post-Baby Fitness.

With my first pregnancy, I gained a typocsl amount with about 8 or so pounds retained after having my baby.

With my second pregnancy... Let's just say that I gained quite a bit more.

I basically had what felt like low blood sugar the entirety of the pregnancy and I have to wonder if it was partly due to needing 2 blood transfusions shortly before conceiving. I had to eat constantly to keep from feeling like I'd either pass out or throw up. I spent my days in panic mode because it was constant. It was less then thrilling.

That said, I wasn't surprised when I'd had my baby and even through nursing and pumping temporarily for a friend, the weight just wasn't falling off.

Finally, 6.5 months after having my baby, I'm taking action to lose weight.

Fit Healthy Moms is the program I've decided on because it's basically calorie counting and 30 minute workouts 3-4 times a day.  You calculate extra calories if you're nursing, which I am, and then there's a formula to make sure you're just eating enough to maintain a healthy diet but no more. You're encouraged not to drink either drinks but to drink water.

I'm not sure if I'll post progress picture but I may.

So excited!

Lazy Evenings

Looking at this picture, you can see a lot of things. I have a baby and a messy toddler and I appear to be lazy watching television. But that's not the whole story. 

I've had a terrible headache the entire day. So, after having my sister-in-law over, who is 9 months pregnant, this is the only part of the mess that her 3 boys and my girl managed to make out in the living room (my children's bedrooms took the bigger hit), I decided to lay down on my brand new (dream) couch and relax (watching my favorite SVU (still miss Stabler)) before running around like a mad woman to clean. It's then, as I appear to be lazy, that I realized that this is the very first time I've actually been able to relax since getting it last Thursday.

So, here's to lazy evenings and new couches!! 

A Bit Discouraged

We drove the hour and fifteen minute drive to the gastrointestinal specialist today. Tru, the little booger, was squealing and laughing, and being absolutely delightful. I overheard a mother of a sick little girl say, "well, it can't be that bad!" Like, I literally felt like a fool for being at a gastrointestinal doctor's specialty office with poor, precious young children whose faces screamed they were miserable and needed to be there for help and my baby is laughing and being adorable!!  A FOOL! My only hope is that he made the day of s few kids not feeling so grand.

Luckily, the specialist told me that this happens ALL the time (parents with sick kids come and their kids are having a happy day) and that she believed me that Tru was indeed a screamer.

Another head-to-toe as Tru grabbed and chewed on her stethoscope cord and I was given a few things to watch for and to immediately run to the ER for an ultrasound to check for intussuception (basically, the intestines fold like a telescope and gets stuck and there is blockage) if begins screaming like her has.

She gave me as prescription for liquid intestinal relaxants/painkillers and sent Tru on his way.

Not a total waste of time but basically a waste of time.

Oh, Tru! We're so blessed to live in a country with advanced health care for fragile little babies like yourself! So blessed!

We love you, Baby Boy!