The little diva started solids on Sunday. As you can see...she was thrilled at the opportunity:
That's not to say we haven't had our ups and downs...We have learned, for example, that if she is already crying because she is hungry we don't necessarily have the best results when it comes to trying to feed her... Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Exhibit A...
With starting solids, there are some perks. We went to the store with every intention of just buying a Bumpo chair so that I could feed Faith by myself (she's a little short for the high chair)...we had intended to buy the Bumpo but for $5 more we got a chair that is like a Bumpo but also comes with an activity table, a tray for snacks when she's older, and converts to booster seat for later on when the princess is ready to join us at the table. I wish we could have gotten pictures right after we put her into it, she had a huge smile on her face that said, "Look at me! I'm a big girl!" We did manage to catch the magic of her trepidation as she debated on whether or not to play with the toys on the activity table:
Gee dad, what is that crazy thing?
I don't know if I'm sure about this...should I touch it?
Say...this thing makes noises!
I LOVE IT!
Oh...imagine the possibilities!
The chair has become a huge success, and it seems to be one place I can sit her when she is being clingy that she will be happy for five minutes...hooray for progress and age appropriate toys!
I mentioned on Facebook that last week my little Faith started to notice other kids in the congregation at church. This week, she was the star of the show. I was called to be the ward choir director (big shocker) and one of my sopranos has three little girls. As soon as my husband walked back into the chapel after making copies for me, they flocked around him. She studied them, cooed at them, and smiled...they couldn't get enough of each other.
After choir practice was over, they obediently went to a pew to sit with their mom and dad. We ended up sitting in the pew across from them and they continued to make funny faces at our little princess...I must say, she was most pleased with the attention. I picked up the diva and took her to her adoring fans so that they could hold her. They were over the moon! I sat and chatted with their mom, who applauded my willingness to let her little girls hold my baby, she said as a first time mom she wouldn't have dared. I passed Faith along between the three little girls, and finally took her back to the pew and took my seat when it was clear that sacrament meeting was about to begin.
A young father sat behind us. I don't know him, but I do know that his wife was home today with their youngest, at least, that is what I gathered from conversations I'd heard. Sitting with him was his oldest- a little girl who couldn't have been more than four or five. She didn't notice Faith at first, but Faith noticed her. She looked over my shoulder and gave her the old "I'm adorable, play with me!" smile.
Much to her father's chagrin (or so it seemed) she noticed the little diva (of course she did...that smile is electric, magic, and hypnotizing!) She exclaimed, "Oh look dad, look at the little baby!" Of course, by that point, noting the father's slight exasperation, I turned the princess around and proceeded to feed her, but this little girl wouldn't give up...and neither would Faith. After her bottle, she wriggled and wriggled and I finally had to put her over my shoulder again.
The little girl came closer, her dad started to get worked up, but I turned over my shoulder and gave him the "its okay, she isn't bothering me" look. The little girl asked her name, I whispered it and her dad relayed the message, because the little girl hadn't heard. She giggled and said, "That's a funny name." I couldn't help but laugh. You could tell the poor guy was mortified! He whispered, "No, its not a funny name, its a pretty name. Its Faith, its a good name." The little girl continued to giggle for a bit, but then moved forward again and started to hug my back as she stroked Faith's little hand. Faith smiled and cooed softly. Her dad was again, slightly mortified, "You don't have to hug everyone, back off a bit." I turned and acknowledged that she was fine.
For the next ten minutes or so the little girl stroked Faith's hand, hair, and shoulders and kept whispering, "I love you baby, I love you so much!" She finally asked if it was okay for her to kiss the baby. I picked Faith up a little higher and let the little girl kiss her forehead. She smiled and kept telling Faith how much she loved her...finally, she sat back and started to draw and be quiet and Faith went down for her nap.
I honestly, didn't listen to a thing the speakers had to say today...which is slightly sad because it was ward conference and our stake president was speaking along with our bishop...I just sat and dwelt on a single thought. "I love you baby, I love you so much." I dwelt on the three little girls who eagerly took my baby into their arms to snuggle her...
We are told in the bible to be as a little child and come to Christ...maybe this is part of what that means. These four little girls are the best example I have seen in a while of Christlike love...they had no expectations, they just wanted to smile, give hugs, and be near to a little person that still has that link to the other side and our Savior. They gave their love without being asked, they gave it wholeheartedly, and freely- and the funny thing is, that the parents were the ones trying to hold them back...
I get that there are social "norms" that must be observed, and kids need to learn personal boundaries- but maybe if we could take a lesson from these little girls, maybe if we could just love one another purely based on the fact that we are all children of God, that we all have our own personal and private connection to heaven and our father in heaven, maybe then- just maybe- this world would be the kind of world that Christ had hoped we would create using the gospel principles He taught.
I'm not sure this thought process makes sense to anyone but me, but I am so grateful for these four little girls who couldn't get enough of my baby. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a mother to such a loving little girl who couldn't have loved the attention more, and couldn't have been more loving in return. I learned so much today- I have often pondered the invitation to try to be as a little child and then come to Christ, and I think they taught me a part of how we do that. We do that by loving everyone around us in spite of flaws, differences, or what we may deem as their mistakes. We should give our love freely in spite of religion, creed, or belief system ,because that is what a little child does, because that is what Christ does. They have faith enough to see the good in everyone in spite of how they may be different.
Lately I have been struggling a lot. It seems like I try to be loving, or understanding and it gets thrown back in my face by people who don't want to offer me the same courtesy. It gets really hard to do this when some people's idea of tolerance is that I should agree with everything they say and do and admit that I am wrong to believe some of the things that I do. This is not tolerance. Tolerance is accepting someone in spite of your differences, tolerance is saying that its okay to agree to disagree. I've been faced a lot over the last week with this very dilemma- to the point that I've wondered why I even try any more.
Sadly, it seems we live in a world focused on hate...it seems like all anyone can do is focus on the things that make them different and the people that ridicule them for those differences. We forget that, in spite of hate, there is LOVE...so much love, if we would just open our hearts and minds to it...
Maybe if we did people would think a little more before saying offensive things when they find themselves offended...lest we forget that the Law of Moses came to an end with Christ- we shouldn't allow ourselves to have that "eye for an eye" mentality...What purpose does it serve? Does it undo anything? and really...Does it make anyone feel any better?...When we say mean or offensive things about any group of people, and they return the favor all that ends up happening is more hurt and offense...nothing is solved and true tolerance can never be reached, because there is always hate and indifference in the way of the love...because THAT is all that people focused on revenge can see...they don't truly see those that love them trying to at least help them understand a point of view so they can respectfully agree to disagree.
Well, after my own private sacrament lesson today, all I can say is I love you, and I will continue to love every single one of you because that is what Christ asked us to do...because that is how a little child would love...maybe I am just opening myself to disappointment or pain- but there is already too much hate and indifference in the world...I think I will continue to love, with hopes that I'm cool enough to start a new trend...
We were going to go to Babies R Us today to get some oh so important Preggie Pops and possibly a few age appropriate toys for the Little Diva...
We were...but we decided that we needed a family lazy day...
Here's how it started...My awesome husband decided to see if he would have made much of a hairdresser...
Obviously...you can see that the Little Diva is THRILLED with the results, and the proud papa isn't ashamed of his hard work.
Our Princess also discovered the magic of the crinkle paper that makes up the wings of a butterfly toy that someone gave to us. She hasn't played much with anything before now, but she is starting to explore and wanting to learn how to do some things on her own...Watch her experience with the butterfly in the form of a cheesy photo montage...
After literally MINUTES of fun with her butterfly toy, the little diva insisted that the daddy person show her how to play video games...my dear husband opted to oblige her...trust me, the wrath of the princess isn't something ANYONE in this house wants!
Eventually, we got a very tired, teething baby down for a much needed nap... My hunky husband and I took the rare opportunity to have a couple's photoshoot...we try not to do it too much, lest the rest of the world be incredibly jealous as they bask in our glory...but here it is for you to enjoy for a brief moment...try not to hate us and our fabulocity too much...
Yes...we're just that awesome...
Lazy days are the best...even if you only have them because you're too nauseous to go anywhere else...LOL
1/4 a glass of peach mango juice, 1/4 glass of orange juice, fill the rest of the glass with 7 up and what do you have? A Mormon Screwdriver...ahhh Mocktails...
But, life isn't all mocktails and glamour in the Nielson house. The teething monster has officially come out in full force. We sure wish we were seeing more of THIS in our house these days
Today she is finally exhausted enough from lack of sleep that these pictures are current, but it is a restless sleep. She wakes up and cries for a few minutes and then, after a few minutes of chewing on the backside of her pacifier, she finally gives in to the call of the sandman and drifts away again for a short time...
Poor Little Diva. She's so tired and wants to sleep, but she just can't bring herself to until she is so exhausted that she just lays there until her body gives in to what her heart wants. It takes every measure of self restraint I can muster not to cry with her. It breaks my heart. I did manage to get my wonderful husband to pick up some teething tablets yesterday, and I think they help a bit, but I suppose we will have to deal with a cranky Little Diva until these teeth push through, which could take a while (from what we can see she has 3 coming in, and all are at various stages...some almost ready to break through, and others just hinting that they exist.)
The Princess did decide to almost sleep through the whole night last night- a sign that the teething tablets are working their magic, because she hasn't slept very well for the last couple of weeks... She took a bottle at about 10:30 (which wakes me up, because we're super cool in our house and zonk out at around 7 or 7:30) and woke up again around 2. I put her pacifier in her mouth and she slept until 3, 4, and then 5. Finally at 5 I decided I was sick of waking up every hour to put her pacifier back in her mouth and made her a bottle and woke her up to feed her.
In other news...Jeff dressed the princess this morning...after her bath he put her in a white onesie and diaper...and...nothing else...Let's just say mommy finished the job with some jeans and a headband and flower (her hair was a crazy mess because of her bath...she has naturally wavy hair and it goes EVERYWHERE after a bath if its not taken care of right away)- but I was very grateful for his efforts. I feel very fortunate and blessed to have a husband who takes an active role in taking care of our little one. Sometimes you can see he is terrified that he is doing something the wrong way, but I love that he tries. I know quite a few other people that aren't as blessed...and considering that Jeff has been the favored favorite today of the Princess, it makes me even happier- because it means that she is a happier baby.
She loves her daddy. Mommy is chopped liver when the daddy is around, but I'm okay with that because the big smiles that she gives are proof enough that its totally okay. I'd rather see her smile and be excited to be in daddy's lap than see her frustrated and sad because dad is afraid to pick her up for fear of breaking her.
All in all...this is really a blog about nothing...its a Saturday and we aren't really doing anything spectacular, just living and being...My house is a mess because I took a "sick day" yesterday (well, as much of one as I could take with a 4 month old to handle)...we went grocery shopping...we're planning on sitting down and paying some bills later...Jeff changed our air filter...and found out that his prized welder that he just bought won't work for what he needs it for (I guess its not enough amperage?) , which means he gets to take it back to the store today...I suppose while he's gone I will clean and try to get my house ready for the Sabbath. I hate starting off Sunday with a dirty house. I'd rather focus on just getting everyone ready for church and out the door.
A final random thought...mostly because I'm super excited about it: Soon I will be making the purchases necessary for us to start cloth diapering! Some of you are thinking, "Ewww cloth..." but I can guarantee you that from all the research I've done, and friends that are avid cloth diaperers that I've talked to, these are NOT your mother's cloth diapers. Gone are the days of plastic pants and pins...the cloth diapers of today actually function very similarly to disposables, except they use snaps or velcro to latch together, and its all compact into one nifty cloth cover. They have lots of new different types, and fun gadgets and gizmos to make cleaning them an easier, faster process. I went back and forth when I was pregnant with Faith about cloth diapering, but eventually gave in to all the nay-sayers simply because I was tired and it seemed like disposables would just be easier...but with a second baby on the way I feel like cloth diapering will be great because it will save us a TON of money in the long run. Did you know that from birth to potty training the average U.S. family will spend $5-6,000 dollars on diapers?! Now...multiply that by 2...I refuse to waste that much of Jeff's paycheck every year until we no longer have kids in diapers. Initially the cloth diapers seem expensive, but once you've purchased what you need, if you buy Onesize diapers, you're set until they are potty trained. My cousin Desiree directed me to this brand, all reviews and reports indicate that these function as well, if not better, than the more expensive brands you see on the market.
Initially we will be spending $144, as we will be opting to purchase the 24 covers with 48 liners, and we will likely need to purchase about 12 more once new baby gets here (but we're going to wait and see how this supply works for us at first), but after that, the only expenses associated with them will be for laundry (which you're going to do anyway)...we spend about $50 a month on diapers as it is right now, so this means that they will have paid for themselves in about 3 months of use. Also, there is also strong research that indicates that cloth diapered children potty train more easily than kids that were diapered with disposables...we'll have to keep you posted as potty training for us is a far distant thought. I imagine that we will have to purchase more cloth diapers through the years to replenish our supply as things wear out (since everyone knows we're Mormon and going to have like 20 kids...LOL) but considering the savings it isn't so bad.
Well, the diva is screaming for sustenance...I should go!
Hugs and Loves until next time darlings!
P.S> I've officially lost about 12 pounds since the middle of December, and my husband agrees that its likely I've lost even more since my doctor's appointment last week...Don't freak out! Its totally normal and okay to lose weight during the first trimester...especially if you were a little overweight to begin with (guilty, but much closer to my pre-Faith weight than I thought), and extra especially if you are so sick you're lucky to manage to eat 2 or 3 bites of anything before it makes you want to vomit...liquid diets are fun (NOT)
Okay...now I mean it! Hugs and Loves until next time darlings!
This marinade is so tasty, it could actually double as a salad dressing...make an extra batch to cover your leafy greens...you'll thank me!
1/4 c cider vinegar
1/4 c. lemon juice
3 TBS Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 c brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 TBS oil (olive, vegetable, canola..it doesn't matter...)
Mix all ingredients together. If using as a marinade place thawed chicken in, toss until covered. Refrigerate and allow to sit for 4-8 hours or overnight for best results.
After chicken marinates, grill on grill pan or grill until done. Try to make sure you cook each side evenly...in other words if you turn it on one side after 7 minutes, cook it on the other side for 7 minutes. This ensures that the chicken cooks evenly and is juicy. Allow it to sit a few minutes before serving so the juices can settle.(usually needs to cook about 10 minutes per side)
** NOTE: After eating this for dinner tonight, my hubby declared that he thinks this would be a good steak marinade as well...May be worth trying. If anyone does try it before I do, let me know how it works out. I will update this recipe once we've tried it with steak!
pictured meal: Grilled Chicken (still getting the hang of my grill pan,and didn't spray it...I should have...oh well, I'll know for next time.), sauteed onions and squash,and rice pilaf.
(is anyone else having problems with Blogger loading pics? I'm getting really frustrated. I've tried loading from different comps,loading after putting them through photoshop,and even after putting them through my scrapbooking program and I still get these weird lines! I have to load them 4 or more times to get a decent copy on here...I have no problem uploading pics anywhere else...UGH! Not cool Blogger...not cool!)
We started off the morning with more frustration as I attempted to get the videos of my makeup tutorial to load up to Youtube...why was it so easy to load when I was trying to load it all as one video, only to find out that it was too long (after I'd waited like 45 minutes for it to upload...hooray) I'm still no closer...sorry guys. I get close, but then my husband asks me to cancel it so he can have bandwidth to play Modern Warfare 3...and because I love him so darn much, and its only 45% uploaded (usually that's about where I get) I relent and cancel...
I WILL get the tutorial up and running if its the last thing I do! Especially because I'd like to do more...it gives me something to look forward to when I'm bored. I'm really bummed I couldn't get it up before Valentine's Day, y'all would have been looking super hot with your vintage vixen makeup for your hot dates...
Alas...I relent...
After giving up on Youtube...Faith and I decided to do a photoshoot for her online dating profile...you know, she's getting up there in age- almost 4 months old...she's single and ready to mingle everyone!
Here's what we came up with:
Hi there! So often in this life we're told to "hold on to faith." Well, what if you had the opportunity to literally do that...because you could hold on to me...and my name is Faith! I enjoy tummy time, my ba-ba, singing to my mobile friends, smiling, and playing "Point to the Parts of the Face" with my mommy.
I do a great "Super Grover" impersonation (as you can see), and love Elmo! I'm looking for someone to babble with, as my mommy insists that I am a great "conversationalist" (whatever that means...but she always says it when I start making sounds and mimicking the way her mouth moves- Does anyone else think this learning to talk thing is tough?)
So, if you think you could be the baby for me, just have your mom call my mom. I think a playdate would definitely be in order...Happy Valentine's Day...
After we finished her profile, I started making these bad boys...a part of Jeff's Valentine's present...they were super easy to make, and Jeff got a kick out of them when he found them ( I don't think he thought I was serious about them...hmmm) I think the picture is pretty self-explanatory as to what they are...
Then I set up a "Love Hunt" the idea was courtesy of "the Dating Divas". You can read the entry and find the downloads for it here. For those of you who don't want to follow the link to figure out what a love hunt is, I'll give you the short version: Its basically a scavenger hunt where your husband has to go find clues in succession, but before he gets to read the new clue, he has to complete the task that you attach to the top. For example, one of the tasks (and my favorite) was that Jeff had to slow dance with me to our song. Jeff always laughs when I ask him to dance with me, but he always gives in because I think he knows that I think its the most romantic way to spend time together...Believe me, dancing together last night did NOT disappoint. I couldn't get our song to work on my iTunes on my computer and he went ahead and found it on Youtube so we could dance to it. (For those of you wondering, our song is "I Cross My Heart" by George Strait... it was the first song we ever danced to...in the living room of his apartment at the Collegiate Inn...he laughed and thought I was silly when I asked him to dance then too...LOL)
I happened to leave my little morning crafting excursion with the last task and clue, with a little note to make the rest of my evening's plans work.
After the Love Hunt was all set up, I went about cutting out tons of scrapbook paper hearts for my decorations with a desperate speed! (I was running out of time, and I needed to get myself ready still!) In spite of my rush...I think things turned out pretty well...what do y'all think?
I realized after our shopping excursion on Monday that I had forgotten toothpicks...which happen to be a crucial part of making Filet Mignon...which was what Jeff said had gotten his attention when I was naming things I could make for Valentine's Day. I texted Jeff and told him to pick some up on his way home from work, along with some sparkling cider of some variety (a necessity for one of the tasks for the Love Hunt). I also told him to warn me when he was on his way home from the store...the original plan was to draw him a bubble bath so he could soak while I made dinner, but the Little Diva wasn't cooperating...she chose Valentine's Day to turn into the Teething Monster x100! She wouldn't let me put her down, if I did, she screamed...she wouldn't take a nap...she just wanted to be up in my lap. I managed to get her down to sleep long enough so that I could watch this Youtube video and transform myself into THIS:
Behold the 2012 Modern Vintage Bombshell!
(I did change some of the colors on the makeup. I didn't want to do a red lip, and I didn't have as dark a "coppery" color for the eyeshadow and ended up using gold instead, but I think I looked pretty darn good.)
Then...little miss grumpy pants (AKA Little Diva) woke up and decided to scream until I picked her up. Daddy called about then, and so we sat and waited, (daddy's bath was sadly not going to be an option because someone had to hold the Princess while mamma cooked dinner) looking like this:
Sorry...I didn't manage to get any pictures with My Man last night. Between trying to get baby to sleep and trying to get the festivities underway it just didn't happen. I will say that it was a lovely night and was enjoyed thoroughly- especially because last year we didn't get to celebrate it because Jeff had an evening class.
Its soooo crazy to think how fast time has flown. Last year at Valentine's Day, I wasn't even pregnant yet (or if I was, I didn't know it). This year,we have a baby and another one on the way. It just goes to show how fast this life passes us by. I hope that, single, dating or married, you spent some time with people you care about, whether they be friends, family, or a spouse/boyfriend/girlfriend. Cherish every little moment, you may look back and wish you'd paid a bit more attention.
I never can remember my mom being sick until I hit my teens...she must have been pretty good at hiding it. Maybe it was just that she was constantly encouraging us to use our imaginations and get outside- we were having so much fun, she could lay down and we wouldn't pay much attention...maybe she was a wonder woman who never felt ill until all of her children were well through junior high....I'm thinking it may have been the latter...
In any case...these last few days have made me even more grateful for my dear mother. Monday I felt GROSS-but I had to go teach that master class. It ended up being successful and I got a job offer out of it...but it definitely left me at a disadvantage for the last couple of days following it because I definitely overdid it. When you're in front of a group of 40 teenage girls you have to be larger than life and willing to put on a show... nevermind the fact that you're almost 9 weeks pregnant, and had to make sure you knew where the nearest bathroom was as you navigated through the halls of this GIANT school...better put on your game face and prepare to sprinkle diva dust (the good kind that makes high school kids idolize you...)...
Of course I came home and crashed...so when Tuesday rolled around it took every ounce of strength i could muster to pull myself out of bed...I had to clean my house...morning sickness or not. Once again I overdid it...cleaned both bathrooms, vacuumed and dusted the living room and dining room, put a load of dishes in the dishwasher, and did 3 loads of laundry. I was very grateful when Jeff came home to say the least...
Today's plan didn't go as planned...I finally got my kitchen scrubbed down, but that was the extent of my work for the day. Today I've been content to spend the larger part of my day in bed watching episodes of Happy Days at cbs.com...oh Richie Cunningham...Fonzie...you slay me...
Long story short...when moms take a sick day how do things get done? The truth that I'm starting to learn: mom never can take a true sick day...I was fortunate today because the Little Diva is so young she is content to hang out in mom's bed all day long...and while I didn't do my whole usual Tuesday routine, diapers still needed changing, bottles still needed to be made, baby needed to be tickled, loved and snuggled, story time still needed to happen (We made it through 4 chapters of The Tale of Desperaux before princess was tired of sitting up in mommy's lap), and Singamajigs needed to be played (they are AMAZING...I highly recommend them)... in short...moms can take a break from their usual routines, but you never get a sick day from being a mom...
Mom, I love you...thanks for all the sick days you didn't take so that I could have story time, game time, and snuggle time. When you're a mom, you have a whole new appreciation for what your mom did for you...
P.S. > Don't think for 2 seconds that all the Little Diva does is play, eat and sleep... she is also quite nifty when it comes to laundry...or atleast she tries to be...
Watch the pro at work!
If you can't fold...chew...
See... as she tried to figure out this whole "folding" trick, she only got a little bit of drool on the freshly laundered shirt...how thoughtful!
Here she is imagining she is a drooling masked avenger...or she just thought it was funny that mommy threw a shirt on her head...either way Tyra should be proud of those "smeyes," America's Next Top Model, here we come!
Hugs, clean laundry, and loves until next time darlings!
Jeff had wanted to take me out to dinner (which by default would have included the little diva)...he had wanted to take me out to dinner, but these days I seem to run out of steam much faster than I used to....and the nausea...oh the nausea...it likes to creep up and ruin our best laid plans.
We were at the store shopping for the coveted Gatorade powder (which we found, it was the LAST can available in the store...teaches us to shop for things like Gatorade the day before the Super Bowl.) Here is a transcription of our conversation.
Jeff: You look like you don't feel good.
Me: (forcing smile) I'll live
Jeff: Liar...are you sure you want to go out tonight.
Me: You wanted to take me out.
Jeff: Yeah, but you don't look like you feel good. What would you like to do...TRUTH
Me: ...(pausing, thinking)...the honest to goodness truth...I'd prefer to just lay at home in our room on our bed and watch movies.
Jeff: (smiling and chuckling) To be honest, I would rather do that too.
Me: Okay, then its settled.
Jeff: Do we have everything we needed here?
Me:(half joking) Do you want to go look through the $5 movie bin?
Jeff: Alright lets go...I'm serious, let's go look.
We then proceeded to the $5 movie bin.
Jeff picked up Dragonheart...great movie, haven't seen it in a while...sold...I picked up Get Smart...also great movie I hadn't seen in a while...sold...
OF COURSE...as we were getting to walk away I HAD to notice it out of the corner of my eye...one of the greatest fairy tale adaptations of all time...HOODWINKED! I picked it up and looked at Jeff...he gave me his puppy dog face...the face that says, "I know we shouldn't, but we're going to anyway."
So...instead of walking out with one or even 2 movies, we walked out with 3... Jeff commented on our way out of the store that we were on our way to an awesome movie marathon...I smiled and nodded in agreement.
Well, the movie marathon didn't exactly happen last night. We did watch Dragonheart. Just as good as I remembered it FYI...we also ate really, really yummy frozen pizza.
In our house its ONLY DiGiorno...there are no substitutes. We decided to try the new pull apart breadstick pizza. We are both wishing we'd picked a few more up because they were on sale for $4.99. It was SOOOOOOOOO GOOD! We both agreed that it was on par with some of our favorite pizza joints (and surpassed some of them too.) I highly recommend it. The dipping sauces throw it over the top.
Well...since I didn't want my red lips to go to waste (I did my make up extra super specially with the idea that we were going to a fancy steak house in mind.) I pulled out the camera...witness the Nielson Family Night In Shenanigans!
Our best "Vogue" pose...super model stardom, here we come...
Faith didn't quite get the pose down for our best "Allure" pose, but she will get there before they shoot the spread....
Here I'm trying to get her to smile...our best "Seventeen" look...but of course she reverted back to "Glamour" before I could snap the picture...
She was playing with her mobile,but now she wants the camera...
She still wants the camera...
Back to happy singing to her friends on her mobile.
Another attempt at a "Seventeen" pose...we almost made it...we could call it "Teen Vogue" right?
Daddy wanted in on the action...BLUE STEEL!
I told daddy to smile...Faith turned around to tell him to stop being so silly....
All in all, it was an okay night (even with a side of nausea! LOL) I love my little family. I am so blessed to have them. I won't pretend for a minute that I'm not. I read other blogs where they are dealing with the loss of a child,or a spouse and my heart aches. All I can do is pray is that I never have to know that pain,and that my dear husband will never have to know that pain either, I couldn't imagine it. I have dealt with the loss of my father as a tween, and I don't know how I would get through a loss like that again.
My heart goes out to all of you that are struggling right now. I know that your trials may feel like they are going to last for forever, but (as someone who has lived through some pretty hard times) I can promise you that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You will find peace. Remember that you are not alone. Remember there is a loving God and a loving older brother in Jesus Christ who, although it may not seem like it at times, are there waiting for you to open the door so they can wrap you in their arms and carry you through the worst storms imaginable.
Know that, even if I don't know you personally, I pray for you every night. I pray for all those that struggle, I pray that I may be able to be the answer to someone's prayer, I pray for you to find peace and the answers that you seek. I truly believe that God, with the help of our loving Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ, through the power of the Atonement, can heal all wounds. It will take time, and some days you will feel like someone has poured vinegar or lemon juice into them and rubbed it around, but the sting will pass. Days will get better, easier, life will be "livable". You aren't given anything that you can't handle without God's help.
Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you
Seek me and ye shall find me
Ask and ye shall receive
Knock and it shall be opened unto you.
Remember that you have to do part of the work. Faith is an action verb. You have to meet God halfway, and this scripture proves it. He will never leave you helpless.
Hugs and much love darlings! (P.S> Happy Super Bowl!...I must confess that ,as my 'Niners didn't make it, I am slightly bitter and will not watch the game based on principle. However, I hope those of you that are partying it up are safe, happy, and have a lovely day!)
Well... I wasn't really on the ball this week, so I didn't manage to write a post for week 3, and since this week has been very much the same as last week I decided that in the interest of saving time, and being honest, I would go ahead and write two weeks in one.
Last week I ended up getting the stomach flu on Tuesday... I was pretty much dead to the world all week. I only managed to get one day of exercise in. Progress continued, in spite of all this. My measurements are now 39-34-42...still a far cry from where they were pre-pregnancy, but considering that baby #2 is on the way and will likely spoil my efforts I'm not going to get too hard on myself. As long as I'm trying, that is all that matters. I am bound and determined that pregnancy #2 is going to be much more "fit" than pregnancy #1...
Unfortunately, all the bound and determined mindedness wasn't going to help me this week. I don't know what it is, but since my bout with the stomach flu last week, my morning sickness has gotten 10 times worse than it ever was with Faith....we're talking so bad that I struggle to get out of bed in the morning. I usually will lay in my room (little diva cooperating, that is) until 10 or 11 in the morning. I didn't work out once last week. I tried to make up for it. When I vacuumed on Wednesday, I did lunges as I pushed and pulled the vacuum, and I tried to be extra super good about my diet...which wasn't hard considering that if I did eat at all it wasn't much, and there were a few meals that I had to substitute a fruit smoothie made with orange juice and frozen fruit (quite a few) because I felt like the only thing I'd be able to keep down was liquid.
My older sister suggested that the flu may have left me with an electrolyte imbalance. I admit that I do feel a little better when I have a Gatorade or two to suck back, but we ran out of Gatorade all too soon. Our goal for today is to see if we can find the powder mix for Gatorade or Powerade in one of the grocery stores here. We already know that Target doesn't carry it, but that doesn't mean that Walmart, Albertsons, or Smiths won't too.
Hopefully, as I start to get my electrolytes back in line I will feel like I can actually stand up and do something. For now, I will focus on trying to do little things, like keep my water intake up and do squats and lunges when I feel remotely up to it.
We're near the end of week 4 and measurements stand still at 39-34-42. Hopefully I will have a doctor's appointment soon so I can attach a number to the measurements. I'm not sure if I'd post that number here, maybe I should (for the interest of full disclosure).
Here's hoping I can keep weight gain with this pregnancy waaaaaay down. I gained 50 pounds with Faith and still had 25-30 to lose when I started this journey. I will do everything I can to stay on a healthy diet to try to keep the number of pounds gained to 25 or below. If I don't, at least I know that I have done all that I can do to try to stay healthy and keep myself on track for a healthy pregnancy, delivery, and after birth experience.
Isn't it funny how in the middle of life things seem to change all of a sudden? I have a theory about that...it happens to me a lot, so I decided that my life is likely the most watched Reality TV show in Heaven...now doesn't that make you want to read more about it? Out of the blue I somehow managed to find my Prince Charming...this blog is about my new life: adjusting from my confirmed single state into the state of a young wife, and now mamma- and the crazy twists and turns along the way (because God is the perfect producer, so he is always finding ways to keep it interesting.) Join me for the ride!
