A Weekend Well Spent

Isn't that the truth? 

Last week royally sucked worse than any week before. 

It was filled with:

• hubby working long hours - like REALLY long, late hours and was never home
• being an overly emotional pregnant mom & wife trying to cope with it all 
•  having a toddler with a testy-attitude, not listening and fighting with me about everything... 
• a dog who is too stupid not to play with skunks & got sprayed in the face
• deep cleaning my entire house to get rid of the skunky smell
• changing my mind about cloth diaper brands which led to returning over $200 worth of old diapers and ordering new ones
• second guessing my choice about baby names and having an emotional fit about it
• nesting - like crazy...
• being so upset about things I can't control... like people in your life that don't give a damn, and friends who live too far away that I can't visit when I want to or need a break 

I thought I had reached my breaking point... Until the weekend hit. Even though Dan worked Saturday most of the day I still was able to have a relaxing day with Lennon, and a night out with hubby!

Lennon packed her bag with ALL of her favorite things, A.K.A everything in her bedroom, and was off to Nani & Papa's house for a sleepover. She was so excited, can you tell?

Hubby and I had a real date night - adult, parent, preggo style. 

We went to a good dinner, had a great time just having adult chat time without being interrupted by spilled milk, potty breaks and toddler tantrums. After dinner we rented movies and got snacks! It was perfect and so great being able to sit at home at 9:00, watch movies and have us time. It was great and so needed - we are so grateful for amazing family.

Date night outfit - preggo style. I am so thankful for my friend who introduced me to Pink Blush Maternity - got this top and LOVE it for Fall! 26 weeks preggo, and feeling huge.

Sunday morning was wonderful, peaceful and quiet in the house and relaxing!

Dan and I went to breakfast at Bringer Inn - so delicious - and then picked up Lennon. We spent so much time chatting and relaxing at breakfast that we totally lost track of time and skipped church - oops! After we picked Lennon up we went home, relaxed for a little bit and then surprised her with an afternoon Zoo trip! It was great! 

Daddy even got some Lennon time in and painted her nails for her! Even though it was so uneven, clumpy and even bubbled in places he still rocked with all 5 colors he had to alternate on her fingers! #DadoftheYear and #MomoftheDay for taking it all off and re-doing it so it would dry evenly. :) 

After the Zoo we were relaxing on the couch when we heard an Ice Cream Truck - Lennon was so excited even though she had no idea what it was but all of these kids were in our front yard so we had to go check it out. Thankfully we did, she screamed for excitement when she got her "ba-ba icecream"! 

After spending the horrendous week filled with emotional meltdowns I needed a good weekend with my family. The relaxing weekend was perfect! We have finally decided to let our weekends be us only, no family visits  no friends, no honey-do-list projects, etc. So we are focusing on family and putting the phones away on the weekend. I told myself I would do this more and we are. It was great not being attached to my phone answering calls or texts... I realized a while ago that being present is more important in L's life and mine so after 9 AM it's workout, shower, running errands time and play time. I can't wait to clean up the playroom today, get some baby stuff organized and play with L all day! 

And I am so happy that Fall is rapidly approaching so I can decorate the house, do Fall projects with Lennon and play in leaves when they fall. :) 

Let's hope this week is better than last! 

XO

Happy Wednesday!

Have you ever wondered how fast you can sprint as a pregnant woman (25 weeks along)? Just take a shower, leave your toddler alone in her playroom and let the scenario begin! So I am taking a shower, Pandora playing, Lennon is in her playroom (same thing we do daily!) *Doorbell rings*, dog barks, Lennon runs out of her playroom. I scream, telling her not to go to the door... What do I hear next? Storm door opens, screen door opens, Lennon talking, a MAN with a deep voice saying "here's something for you sweetie"!! HOLY CRAP YOUR PANTS moment. Within seconds of hearing the door open this all happened. I jumped out of the shower, grabbed a towel on my way out of the bathroom, covered what I could of my naked body while sprinting to the door. It was the mail man handing Lennon a huge box. I immediately grabbed her, apologized to him and slammed the door. Almost in tears I am thinking whether or not to scold her or hug her... as he walks away apologizing after he just saw a frantic mother soaking wet, half naked & preggo. Happy freakin' Wednesday, mail man.

So, needless to say a trip to Home Depot was next on our list for the day after I finished my shower! We went and got a new front door handle and lock that's round so I can place a child safety lock over it and little fingers won't be able to open it! The guys at Home Depot thought my story was pretty hilarious and secretly they were wishing they were in the USPS. Geesh. 

After we left Home Depot we ended up surprising hubby for lunch. Lennon was so excited to go spend time with Daddy, tell him all about her eventful morning and give him lots of hugs and kisses. We ran some errands and then came home to open my package, unload groceries and nap. Lennon and I had a long chat about strangers, doors, safety, etc. and she said sorry about a million times and said "I don't open the door for strangers, or bad guys or anyone only mom and dad does!" It made my heart melt. She understood how scared I was after the door shut and he left and then I was in tears from thinking "what if's..." and what could have happened within 5 seconds. Lennon hugged me and said sorry about a million times more. I squeezed her and never wanted to let go! 

Nap time seemed to be going well until she popped her head up, looked at me and said "mom I'm not going to nap. I'm not tired!". So I told that she needed to relax, read some books and have quiet time. Lennon then went in her room with the door shut and read books... still not asleep at 4pm. Looks like no nap, and EARLY bedtime for that little one tonight but, I can't complain... more hubby time for me :) After the day I've had so far it seems to be a good night for a movie, snuggles and snacks! 

Our Wednesday may not have been the greatest but it sure is one for the books. After all the commotion this morning I finally sat down to blog, post a picture on IG for Luke on National Dog Day, and open my package from the infamous mail man who probably had a great story to tell over dinner tonight. 

So, happy national dog day to the little man who stole my heart the day we met, thankfully stole my husbands when I brought him home, and is Lennons BFF (best furry friend!)... and since has been stealing socks, undies and Lennons toys! 

And, my mail... My amazing, highly anticipated fluff mail arrived filled with perfect prefolds, colorful and adorable diaper covers and now my stash is about 90% complete! Woo-hoo! I haven't even gotten these on my little girls butt and I am already obsessed! 

So, Happy Wednesday loves!

Let's pray Thursday is better! 
and PS if you were wondering how fast a preggo can run at 25 weeks pregnant... it's pretty freakin' fast. 

XO

SAHM Life

When I became a stay at home mom I pictured myself being a super-mom. I wanted to be the mom that did it all, everyday... had her shit together, never left the house without makeup, never not took a shower, worked out, ate healthy, never dropped the ball, had a home cooked meal every night, had a clean house, organized play room, you name it... Then, I really got into the SAHM life. Yoga pants, messy hair, no makeup. Messy kids room and playroom, rarely do I make a home cooked meal that I don't f - up and end up ordering take out, I drop the ball... sometimes throw it out the window and I don't have my shit together every day but you know what? Neither does anyone else unless they have a maid. FOR REAL. I am a procrastinator, I live for junk food after L goes to bed, I play with my kid, I take breaks when I need to, I have a pile of laundry in my room hidden in my closet, and more in the basement... and when I finally get to washing it, it will take me a week to fold it and another week to put it away. I have a pile of unorganized paperwork on the counter and takeout leftovers in the fridge for emergency meals when I just don't feel like doing a darn thing. I watch too many kids movies, know every Disney song, I make Lennon learn while she plays, I am doing my best and that's okay with me. 

And on a daily basis... 

I make lists that never get done...

I clean the house just for it to get destroyed again in 5 minutes with Barbies, lego's and pillows on the floor to build a fort. 

I literally say all of these things about a million times... No joke. 

I take cuddle breaks during nap time so I don't lose my sanity by bedtime... Both little ones nap with me, (well, all 3! Except the baby doesn't nap - she kicks my uterus all day!) it's such a blessing and so wonderfully sweet & cozy!

I let the dog cuddle with baby girl! He gets startled and let's out a slight bark when she kicks by his face. It's too cute!  

Then we come home from a slurpee, milk & snacks run and I find the trash can tipped over in the kitchen, and all of the gross leftover oatmeal, grapes and wet pull ups strewn all over the floor. Luke was hiding in the corner when we walked in the back door, burying his face in the rug when he usually greets us at the door. I knew something was wrong. Seriously - how can a 6lb dog tip over a huge aluminum trash can that's full?! Little shithead! So, needless to say he spent some time outside, probably pooping his brains out or hopefully puking up whatever he ate. Praying he's okay but I am SO mad! 

And after, I ask Lennon to pick up her Barbies so the little destroyer doesn't eat those too and I see this... 3 Barbies and a slurpee in hand as she walked to her playroom. She's definitely determined. 

So after cleaning up the kitchen for the 3rd time today, picking up trash, washing Luke's face, scrubbing poop out of the carpet, wiping a poopy butt, bleaching my floor, and going CRAZY I am finally able to sit down long enough to write this and then realize it's almost 6PM and dinner isn't even in the oven. 

Today just isn't my day.

Baby Bump | 6 Months

6 MONTH UPDATE

How far along: 24 Weeks

Due Date: December 4, 2015

Baby Size: Ear of Corn - lol! / 12.5 in. (nearly doubled in one month!) / 1.25lb. (all approximate, obvi)

Weight Gain: Well from 16 weeks to now I have gained 4lbs. Not bad! 

Gender: GIRL

Sleep: Sleep has improved SO much, and I am sleeping great except those nights Dan decides to snore SO loud no one can sleep! I thought that I needed a pregnancy pillow for my hip pain and lower back pain but come to find out it was just making things worse. I haven't used a pillow in about a week and I am actually sleeping through the night, no more hip numbness in the night and no pain when I wake up. WOOT!

I am feeling: I am feeling GREAT! There are random spurts of nausea that creep up on me now and than but they go away quickly and thankfully there's no puking involved!

Cravings: My most favorite things in the world right now are... spicy foods, sriracha on absolutely everything and meat and cheese. I could eat all day long...

Currently loving: I am loving my pregnancy right now! I have hit the stage where I have more energy, I am sleeping better, my stomach is getting bigger daily but I am not having too many stretching pains and no new stretch marks... yet. YAY!

Currently hating: I still don't like sweets... or ice cream... or anything that normal pregnant women love. 

Anxious for: I am so anxious to buy baby stuff now that we are getting closer to the 3rd trimester. I can't say that I am anxious to not be pregnant anymore because I do love being pregnant but, I will say that I am anxious to near the end so I have a real reason to nest, get things ready, hang up decor in the baby room, buy diapers, wipes, etc. Also, still so anxious for Fall and pumpkin spice. I smelled a pumpkin spice candle the other day at the store and literally craved the smell all day. Starbucks pumpkin spiced latte' - I am waiting for you!

Holding On

I always knew that at some point and time I would break down, have a full on melt down over nothing or just lose my shit over spilled milk and today was that day. Pregnancy hormones, motherhood, and being a stay at home mom got the best of me today and I broke down... in tears and sat in my backyard crying while Lennon rode her gator around the yard, the turkey burgers weren't grilling because the charcoal wasn't hot enough and Luke was chasing rabbits. I texted hubby a long, sappy, "f*%!-it" filled novel to vent and he of course replied with the sweetest text to try and calm my overwhelmed nerves. 

So at that time I was overwhelmed. Overwhelmed because my husband works 8am-8pm or later EVERY day, I decided to make a box of frozen lasagna... I was thinking about it and craving it all day... opened it and it was shit so had to throw that away. Lennon whines all day missing her daddy, Luke threw up because he drank yucky pool water because hubby isn't home to clean out the small pool after it rained yesterday, I started to make an awesome recipe of pesto turkey burgers to throw on the grill and the charcoal warmed but then somehow they went out so it wasn't hot after the burgers were already on... That was about 6:30 PM, they take 20-30 min to cook thoroughly so I went inside, threw them on the George Foreman, which made them smell burnt and of course this preggo didn't want them anymore. Yes, I am rambling now... Lennon wants to play outside while I am inside, I can't let her because I am paranoid... her gator has dirt all over it that won't come off, I don't own magic erasers... the pool is dirty, and it's hot out again, and I can't clean it out because I'm pregnant and it's yucky and moldy, and gross... and is definitely just going to be in the trash next week if I have a say in the matter. By this time, Lennon has been begging to go in her sprinkler and I am trying to cook. F'ING A. 

So after all of that I finished cooking the burgers inside, didn't eat my own dinner, fed Lennon and waited for hubby to get home with Genji sushi takeout for me. He sure does know how to make me happy! 

I think that I am just so frustrated that I had a bad evening because our day was filled with such happiness. I took Lennon to gymnastics today, she had a blast! After gym we had lunch at home, cuddled together, she had some warm milk and watched TV as I caught up on FB posts, read a blog and cried. A LOT. I read a blog that a woman posted about Ryan Cruz and that led me to look up his moms blog - Little Bakery Boy. I didn't know about the tragedy that tore their life to pieces, and I didn't follow her blog before today but I read it and found myself reading almost every post of hers all the way to the tragedy day about a year ago. As I was reading Lennon was lying on the couch, using Luke as a pillow and Luke pretty much on my lap. Once Lennon heard me sniffling she looked up at me, asked if I was okay and then quickly turned her attention back to Mickey. She ended up laying on the other end of the couch but grabbed my hand and asked me so sweetly if she could hold it to make me feel better. 

After I read the blogs about this boy, the wonderful life he had and the amazing job his parents are doing keeping his spirit alive, not only did I cry as I cuddled my little Lennon so tight and held her the entire time we napped today but I thought so much about life and how quickly it can be taken away from us when we least expect it. Then I thought... WTF am I complaining about tonight once shit hit the fan. We all love our children, there's no doubt about that but what if moments before a tragedy you were yelling at them for spilled milk? What if you were getting frustrated with them over taking too long to buckle their shoes just because they're so independent now and want to show you they can do it alone! What if? Sure, we can't all live life perfectly, and we sure as shit can't live life in a bubble because of all the what if's. And, it's definitely going to happen where you get angry, frustrated and even yell at the kids for petty things but I want to start today by making things better... I want to be kind, patient, and loving at all times. I want to be the kind of mom my mom was to me as a child and still is to me. She was kind, patient but scolded me when I did wrong and I am thankful for that. I get too easily frustrated with Lennon sometimes, I'm not afraid to admit that. I used to yell at her when she wouldn't leave me alone so I could read blogs or crap on Facebook, and I am so grateful that I don't play on FB during the day while she is up and I don't consume my life with my phone anymore. I am more in the moment with her, I laugh at the little things and let her dress up like a princess even if it's just to go to the store. I LOVE being her mom and I couldn't imagine that being taken away from me. From now on I make a promise to myself and to her to be there in the moment and ALWAYS hold on to her, hold her hand whenever she wants and just really hold her ... in memory of little Ryan who lost his life way too soon. 

My New Favorite Recipe - Southwest Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad

SOUTHWEST CILANTRO LIME CHICKEN SALAD

(A.K.A THE BEST DARN SALAD YOU'LL EVER TASTE)

RECIPE:

(use organic ingredients)

[SALAD]

Large head of Romaine 15 oz.

1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1 large red pepper

1 pint cherry tomatoes

2 cups corn (fresh or frozen, thawed)

5 green onions

Chopped Cilantro
Optional: sliced avocado

[Dressing]
1 cup loosely packed cilantro, stems removed and roughly chopped
1/2 avocado
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime), more to taste
1-2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar
Pinch of salt

[Instructions]
Making the dressing: puree all ingredients in a food processor/blender until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. I added water when I realized the consistency was thicker. I also added more cilantro at the end for more flavor and greens in the dressing.

Making the salad: Finely chop romaine, pepper, tomatoes, and green onions. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.Toss with desired dressing & enjoy! I added charcoal grilled chicken to the top of the salad but this would go really well with fresh grilled fish or steak! MMM, the possibilities! 

*I prepped all of the ingredients in the morning so I could refrigerate it so it was all cold when we ate dinner (beans and warm corn, yuck!)

Recipe (modified) courtesy of : The Garden Grazer