Confession from a Foodie to a Future Foodie

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

So today I thought I would write about my love for food.  Scratch that, rewind...my PASSION for food.  Yes, I am a self-proclaimed foodie.  I watch the Food Network like it's a sporting event, I've read foodie books (No Reservations), I've planned trips in different parts of the country and world just to eat, I have enough cooking supplies to fill the shelves of a Sur La Table and yes, when I eat I have been known to hum with joy.  I LOVE food.  I love cooking, I love everything about food...except the weight (someone seriously needs to invent calorieless food---we can put a man on the moon but can't invent that?!).  Being a foodie you can imagine my pure joy I experienced when I decided I wanted to make as much of SG's food as possible.  I had grand visions of gourmet baby meals on pretty lil platters and my sweets cooing at the site of the feast I had prepared.

Well my friends, God answered that prayer...sort of.  As I am sure you can see we have quite the "healthy" kid.  For those of you that don't know, healthy is code for chunky.  Yes, I gave birth to a small dinosaur weighing in at a whopping 8 lbs. 6 oz.  To put that into perspective I am 5'1" and weighed under 110 lbs. before I was pregnant...so that's a BIG kid.  My doctor attributed this to very healthy eating.  I attribute it to all the Greek yogurt with fresh strawberries I ate almost every day!  That and the PB&J sandwiches I could not get enough of.  Anyhow, needless to say our daughter is healthy and boy does she love her some food. 

I started SG on solids earlier than a lot of moms do.  At first it was a dire attempt to help her sleep through the night.  Note: that did not help us.  I also did it because she just seemed hungry and night feedings were just not getting her through the night.  We started basic with some rice cereal.  To our surprise SG took to eating immediately (as a note, a lot of babies have to "practice" eating and it sometimes takes several tries).  We were astonished that she literally just ate like she had been doing so for years.  After about a month I got antsy and wanted to try real food.  I also couldn't wait to whip out my Baby Brezza.  This is hands down one of the best gifts I received (thank you Kylee, Amanda and Sinity).  Now there are a ton of baby food makers, processors, etc. but I loved the BB because it steamed AND blended and could do so automatically on a timer.  Anything that requires less brain cells and saves a mommy time is a PLUS in my book.  Done and done.  So first up were the basics; apples, pears, bananas.  At about 6 months I decided to start mixing foods.  As a precaution it is always recommended to introduce one type of a food at a time in order to make sure your baby doesn't have an allergic reaction.  So by the time SG was 6 months old she was eating lots of mixed purees.  Now at almost 9 months we are on to the really fun stuff.  You see my husband is a picky eater (not as much now since I force him to eat all sorts of exotic, organic, healthy, crazy concoctions--and he doesn't cook so he's at my mercy) and I did not want SG to inherit his pickiness.  I am not picky at all.  I will try just about anything and I truly believe it is because as a child I was exposed to so many different types of foods.  My goal is to do the same for SG.  So I started getting creative and fun and introducing new herbs, spices and flavors.  I am including a list of some of her favorites under my "Baby Noms" tab for those interested.  Please note, I cook from instinct and rarely measure anything (this is why I cook and don't bake---I am terrible at measuring and following recipes).  So you will notice that I don't really have a lot of measurements.  But if you do try any of these just go with your gut and try a tiny amount...remember baby pallets are still developing so they don't need much of any particular spice before they taste something.  Also, please make sure you have your doctor's permission to start your baby on solids and have exposed them to all of these foods individually before you start mixing.  Lastly I am including my recommendations for fab cookware and a few tips.  I like easy, I like fast clean up and I like it delivered in a gourmet tasting package.   And for some giggs I am including two videos which are part of the video series I have dubbed "Confessions of a Future Foodie."  Keep in mind one of these was shot awhile ago but I promise you will get some laughs.

I hope you all enjoy and test out some of these fun recipes.  Bon appetit!



In the beginning...applesauce.  Pink Ladies were SG's fav.

Mixing and tastin'-Fresh Green Snap Peas, Butternut Squash, Carrots, Free Range Chicken & Parsley

My toolkit Baby Brezza Food Storage Cups, Nuk Food Masher, Baby Brezza and BB Travel n Go system

Tasty Tips That Worked for Us:

• Start simple and introduce one food every 3-5 days
• Start with a color or a food group (fruits, veggies, green foods, orange foods, etc.)
• Don't be upset if your lil one makes funky faces or rejects foods at first, it will take time and think about it, we don't always love everything we taste for the first time (SG hated avocados at first---broke my heart, only food she didn't like and one of my favs--who doesn't like guac?!)
• If your lil one turns their head at a food at first, try it again in a few weeks or mix it with something they like (I had to mix avocados with prunes to get SG to eat them---PRUNES, seriously?!)
• Spend a few hours making batches of food and freezing it (I love the lil green XOXO cups above)
• I try to pre-chop or buy already chopped foods if possible--yes they are more expensive but time is money when it comes to our lil ones and I try to free up as much time as possible to spend with her
• Use a dry erase marker to label (stickers eventually start coming off)
• Once they are older start introducing foods you are eating for breakfast or dinner that your pedi approves and mash them up (i.e. bananas, potatoes, etc.)
• I like to cook a meal for SG for dinner or breakfast if I have time so I chop up her fruits and veggies and put them in small freezer safe Ziploc bags---about an hour before dinner I pull one out let it defrost, or use the BB to steam it then blend or mash it---now baby enjoys a fresh hot meal and you didn't have to prep it
• Use as much fresh produce as possible (If budget allows I highly recommend going organic---I will leave my reasoning as to why for another post)---there are so many local stores (HEB, Whole Foods, Sprouts) and delivery services (Greenling) that offer all organic produce now making it much easier than before OR hit up your local Farmer's Market (we have one in our neighborhood we try to visit regularly for SG's produce)
• Don't be scared to experiment (my recipes are proof of that)
• Don't be afraid to try herbs and spices (I started SG on the strongest spice I could think of and am working down to more mild spices, the thought was if she liked the strong spice than the others would likely be easy, so far this has worked for us---I started her with curry, just a dash and she loved it)

For the recipes click on my recipe tab above.

Catching Up & the Ugly Truth

Hello Friends!

Wow, I have obviously been pretty busy because I have not posted in almost two months!  That is insanity and I do apologize.  It seems like summer arrived and we became busier than ever. 

So here's a quick recap.  May was absolutely INSANE.  First, my lil brother graduated from college, UT Austin---Hook 'em so we took a road trip to Austin to support him and SG her future campus (burnt orange is in the blood-daddy's alma mater).  SG also learned to crawl and pull-up in May. Then my first official mother's day was amazing.  I felt lots of love from friends and family who wrote me to wish me happiness on that day.  Husband Daddy and SG surprised me with a day at the spa, brunch on the patio of one of my fav restaurants (SG even picked up the bill) and a day together. It was perfect.  Next up we had our very first annual family vacation.  I'm not talking SG and Husband Daddy either.  I am talking BOTH sets of grandparents and us.  Insane, maybe.  Fun, yes!  It was awesome to watch SG bond with her grandparents.  We decided on Memphis, TN since it was a short flight and a place both Husband and I had been wanting to visit.  We ate BBQ, toured Graceland and enjoyed the beautiful landscape of that part of the country.  Next big event was that our pool was FINALLY finished!  You have no idea how relieved I am for this to have been completed! One thing about SG that is such a huge blessing is her love for the outdoors.  The pool couldn't have come soon enough because with the Texas summer came the heat which means no more walks during the day with her nanny (just too hot for the two of them).  Saying that SG loves the water is a HUGE understatement.  She gets excited as soon as we step outside.  We are so blessed to have a kid who enjoys the outdoors as much as we do.  I can't tell you how awesome it is to come home and take SG for a swim everyday!  Next up, I completed my first official wedding photo shoot.  This was something I have been stressing about for some time now but it went off without a hitch and I had the honor of working with an amazing bride and groom.  And last but not least, Father's day.  SG and I woke up and made daddy breakfast and surprised him with a movie I made of he and SG.  I have only seen my husband cry and handful of times in the four years we have been together and that was one of them.  He literally watched the movie over and over again (it's only 3 min long--I included a link below).  Then we took him to one of his favorite restaurants followed by frozen yogurt at Menchie's (if you haven't tried this yet you are seriously missing out---it's amaze) and family swim.  Oh wait and one more super BIG milestone in SG's life...she got her first lil toof (the cutest thing next to baby toes)!  Here are some photos and the video.

Mother's Day 2013--Nuggy picked up the check.

Baby Brother's Graduation-UT Austin 2013 Hook 'em!



Memphis 2013

Happy 1st Father's Day Daddy!!!



Family Vacation 2013

 



That's My Daughter---Father's Day Video

So ok, phew I am out of breath...that was a lot. 

But I also wanted to write today to tell you all that my heart is very heavy.  As you know I will be going on my first mission trip later this month (I leave in exactly 10 1/2 days).  I would be lying if I told you I was bubbling over with excitement and joy.  In fact it is quite the opposite.  I feel ungodly just saying that but I think it's important I be honest.  I promised that I would document and discuss the entire journey and discussing my true feelings is part of that story.  Last night was a bad night for me.  After Husband Daddy watched the video I made him three times in a row we then proceeded to look at all the photos of her on my phone.  This just made me so sad.  I went upstairs to tuck SG in and pray over her like I do every night and all of a sudden I started to cry....no bawl....big fat elephant size tears.  I began to think about leaving her and how much I would miss her.  As I was praying I told God that I just didn't want to go, that I would miss her too much.  What ifs started flooding my mind.  What if she woke up in the middle of the night and I wasn't there to cuddle her (mind you she sleeps through the night...but....what IF)?  What if she fell and hurt herself and I wasn't there to console her?  What if something happened to me and SG didn't have a mommy anymore?  What if something happened to her?  What if, what if, what if.  I scooped SG up and held her tight in my arms and sat with her for a long time in "our" chair.  The tears would not stop.  I told God I was scared to go.  Then Husband came into the room and found us together.  He prayed over us and let us have our time together.  When I felt I had cried enough (and when my sweets started to wake) I put her back.  DJ looked at me once and the tears started again except this time I was semi-hysterical.  All those times my mom told me I would never realize how much she loved me until I had my own child came back to me.  Loving SG is the  most amazing thing I have ever felt and you truly cannot describe it in words.  Until you are a parent that love doesn't exist and once it does it brings a whole new meaning to love.  I sobbed and cried, you know the ugly cry---boogers, snot, hiccups--and Husband just held me.  Well all that crying must have exhausted me because I fell asleep so hard last night---something I don't usually do. 

So friends, I am sad.  I am anxious.  I am scared.  So many what ifs.  I wish I could tell you I was excited to go.  I wish I could tell you I want to go.  But I can't---that would be a lie.  Instead what I can tell you is that this is one of the biggest tests of my faith.  While texting my mommy group last night (Papar, Lisa, Cassie---God bless you three for helping me through this) they all said the same thing.  Trust God.  You are doing His work and He will provide and protect you.  And they are right.  When has God ever let me down?  I can think of plenty of times others have let me down but never God.  I need to trust in Him and His plan.  I need to remember that I have asked him to use me and he is.  I need to remember that doing the right thing and following Him isn't always the easy thing.  And that's ok, that's what I signed up for.  His sacrifice for us is far greater than any I will ever make.  And so, I will be doing a lot of snuggling with my SG, Husband Daddy and our pup Chloe.  I will spend as much time with my family in the next 10 1/2 days as possible.  Most importantly I will pray, trust and go.

Time for a Roadtrip and a FIESTA!!!

Wow, this week flew by!  I feel like weekends fly by even faster now that SG is getting older.  I'm really loving her at this age.  It's so awesome to take her to do things and to see her try and figure things out.  I am amazed everyday by her.  It seems like each day she learns something new.  We decided last weekend to visit my family in San Antonio.  It's funny how traveling with kids changes things.  Before we were so carefree about trips and stayed in fancy hotels, planned lots of activities and ate lots of dinners out.  My how times have changed.

 

I took a half day on Friday so I could prep for our trip.  I started packing for SG the night before but by Friday I quickly realized that SG's overnight bag was just not big enough.  Thus I shifted all her things into my bag.  Since I knew space would be limited I then decided to pack my stuff in her bag.  She's already taking over my things, lol.  I packed all of SG's clothes in Ziploc bags to make thing easier and presorted all her food (i.e. bottles, cereal, baby food, etc.).  I had arranged to have a portable crib delivered to our room so all I needed to pack were her linens.  Which brings me to my next point, the hotel.  My goal was to recreate the home environment as much as possible so I booked a room at a Residence Inn which had a separate living and bedroom area.  This was a HUGE plus.  It made things so much easier!  I had planned our departure around SG's nap time.  I thought I was money because she always falls asleep in the car.  Not this day!  She decided to sleep about 45 minutes (usually she naps 1-2 hours).  Despite this I had packed extra toys and she did amazing.  She just played and talked the entire time.  It helped that our pup Chloe was also in the backseat with her to amuse her.  We stopped to feed SG a little early because she seemed a bit fussy...well that was because she had a near blowout.  This kid has only had two others and both were in public.  Why oh why does it always have to happen at the most inopportune time?  Thankfully I had an extra outfit packed but let me tell you, I under packed for her this time because she rarely gets dirty.  Thank goodness I had the extra outfit.  Once we arrived it was dinner, bath and bed routine time.  I brought her baby seat for the bathtub which was great because I also used it as a chair for her to sit in to feed her.  Warning: I HIGHLY recommend you thoroughly wash and clean the bathtub before you put your lil one in it.  Thankfully we had a kitchen in our room so I used dish soap to clean the tub.  Husband Daddy put her bed together and I brought her linens from home so she would feel and smell the comforts of home.  She fell asleep like a champ (thankfully because she hadn't napped much) with her sound machine on and all was good. 

 

The next day SG woke up sounding a bit congested.  I thought little of it because she has never gotten sick.  By breakfast time her eyes looked watery and she just didn't seem her normal happy self.  A cold front had just come in so I wondered if allergens were bothering her.  We headed to one of San Antonio's biggest events...FIESTA!  Think Rodeo for Houston, ACL for Austin, etc.  This is the big event of the year.  Fiesta is about three things; food, drinks and fun.  I hadn't been since I was a teen and Husband had never been.  SG wore her best Fiesta friendly dress and looked like a lil Senorita!  After two hours we headed home because SG seemed tired and still seemed like she wasn't feeling well.  It's a good thing we headed home (to the hotel) because after her nap she woke up sounding terrible.  I knew she was definitely sick.  We had planned to go to my parents for dinner so I packed up all her things to recreate dinner and bath time at their house.  Our poor lil girl didn't want anything to do with this.  She was so uncomfortable and unhappy so we had to leave early.  We stopped at Walgreen's on the way back to the hotel and I bought Vick's and an all natural cough suppressant (really it is just has natural herbs to help baby).  By this time SG was coughing a lot and choking on her milk to the point she would throw up.  I got her home and gave her Tylenol (which I carry in her overnight bag), put the Vick's on her and got her to bed.  She barely slept that night not able to get comfortable and coughing the entire night.  Finally, around 4 or 5 I held her in my arms and rocked her and let her sleep in my arms.  I did this until my arms were numb and finally I laid her in bed next to us.  I am deathly afraid of doing this but I felt like she was older now and since I wasn't a sleep deprived mommy of a 3 month old I felt a little more comfortable doing this.  To be honest she had begun to be very clingy to me since she starting feeling bad.  I realized at this point that the best thing to do was head home early and get her to the comforts of home.  When she woke up we packed up and headed out.  I felt terrible that we had to cancel the plans for the day with our extended family but it was best for Sofie.  Thank goodness we came home early.  Immediately she seemed happier.  I took her to the doctor Monday and found out she had an ear infection and cold.  We were given antibiotics for the infection and cough meds.  I felt terrible that she had an ear infection and I didn't even know.  I looked for the cues (tugging at the ears, red ears, etc.) but she never did any of it.  Our tough lil cookie actually never acted that bad the entire time she was sick...only when I gave her saline drops and cleared her nose did she really cry.  Needless to say our first big road trip out of town was a semi-success.  I am glad I waited until she was older for the trip because I was MUCH more relaxed than I would have been if we had gone when she was younger.  I had my rhythm down of how/what to pack, when to hit the road, how to plan around naps (now that her naps are regulated and at the same time) which all made things much easier. 

A few tips when traveling with lil one that I learned:

• Pack in Ziploc bags (clothes, bibs, socks, pacifiers, toys, etc.)-makes things so much easier when rummaging through a bag at a gas station or in the hotel and then everything isn't and explosion of baby supplies when you arrive to the hotel
• If possible try to book at suite only hotels (Residence Inn, Hampton Inn, etc.) with a separate bedroom and living area---ironically these are often less expensive than some of the nicer hotels and include free breakfast which is a PLUS for mommy and daddy (and endless coffee)
• Arrange to have a crib in your room rather than pack your Pack-N-Play (one less thing to pack and they usually have PNP as their portable cribs)
• Pack your own bed linens (we were provided some from the hotel but I knew SG would be more comfy with her own)
• Take the sound machine if your baby uses one (ours has a nightlight too which was a big plus)
• Try to recreate home as much as possible and stay on schedule as much as possible (I realize if you have an agenda staying on schedule can be hard but if you have flexibility plan activities around naps)
• Naps---I try to only let SG take one nap in the car, the other I try to keep at home or hotel...in a bed.  I do this because she doesn't sleep as soundly in the car so I want her to at least get one good nap in bed
• Plan your drives, flights, etc. around naps meaning you want to drive and fly during your lil one's nap time
• When packing diapers I pack the amount she uses each day plus an extra 30% (yes I just came up with a formula for how many diapers to take but then you don't pack too little and you don't have an overabundance of diapers)
• Always travel with certain meds (I carry Tylenol and diaper rash cream) just in case and good thing I did because although I rarely have used these with SG I used both on this trip
• Check the weather before you go and pack accordingly with a couple outfits for the opposite weather in case of a sudden change in temps
• Try to pack your lil ones things in ONE bag if possible--my good friend Lisa also told me she packs her kids things in large plastic bins--I thought this was genius because they stack on top of each other great in a car.  I will be doing this on our next road trip

 

These are just a couple things I learned and I wish I had taken photos of how we packed and what we took.  I will have to remember to do this on our next trip.  In the meantime here are a few photos from our weekend.

 

My lil Senorita!

She was dancing to the cumbia music that was playing.  This one's gonna be a dancer!  Yay for those Latin roots!

Acting coy with daddy.  So cute!

Our lil family.

Daddy's lil girl.  He loves putting her on his shoulders and she loves it just as much.

 

FREEBIE Alert!!!

Happy Hump Day!

Just wanted to post a quick update on a FREEBIE.  From today until June 28th Shutterfly and Similac will team up to offer mommies a FREE custom magnet.  Who doesn't want a magnet with their lil one all over it?!  Below are the deets...if you already have an account just sign in at the very bottom of the page and enter your coupon code.  Enjoy!

Link: Shutterfly
Enter Code: STAB-3SC2-7BAK-VCKM6C

A Mission NOT So Impossible

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

Well last week was quite the emotional week for our lil family.  It's funny because PSG (pre SG) I was not very emotional.  Now it seems I get weepy at the drop of a hat...or Subaru commercial (you know the one of the daddy dropping his daughter off for the first day of school?)--don't worry, if you don't know what I am talking about I included a link below (red and bolded above picture).  Yes, it is true; for those of you who have heard motherhood makes even the hardest hearts soft.  But I digress.

 

Subaru Commercial-First Day of School (get the tissue out)

 

So last week was a bit emotional for us, and by us I mean me because we have recently been challenged with making a fairly large decision as a family (you will have to excuse the lack of pictures but after you read this you will understand why).  Last year Husband and I made a commitment to grow in our faith more.  We attend church regularly and joined and graduated from a Newlywed Bible Study class but we knew there was more we could do.  We both agreed that we wanted to go on a mission trip one day.  Now for those of you who know my husband you know he is an overachiever (that's putting it lightly---he was the #1 rep at his entire company at the mere age of 24, only 2 years after working there---yes I am bragging about him here because I am in such awe of his drive and achievement) and he decided that he wanted us to try for our first mission trip this year.  I was strictly opposed to this because of SG. We already had a ski trip planned and a wedding planned, both of which would require us to go without her.  Something else many of you know is that my husband does not give up.  He really felt a calling in his heart that we were supposed to go on a trip this year.  As you can imagine this caused some friction between us.  At first it was non-negotiable for me.  I said no that we needed to keep all remaining trips local.  I told Husband that when we did finally decide to go on one that I wanted it to be to a Latin American country where I could use my Spanish (I wouldn't say I am fluent but I understand all and can read and write it and speak enough to get by pretty well).  Then a missions conference was held at our church.  We both decided to attend under the agreement that we would plan to go on a trip in 2014.  After the conference both of us were excited but once again Husband brought up going this year.  In my heart I knew he was right.  Something kept telling me that.  I just did NOT want to leave SG.  Then one day I received a call from our missions pastor at church.  It was a random call from a number I didn't recognize and I didn't bother checking my voicemail for a few days.  Once I finally checked it I made Daniel return the call (nice of me huh?).  Our church was looking for volunteers to go on trips.  I told Daniel it just wasn't the right time.  But again, my husband is a convicted man and decided to attend a missions meeting.  When he came home he explained that volunteers were needed for Guatemala.  Hmm...that was strange, that was the only trip on the list I told Daniel I would consider attending...NEXT year.  Daniel asked me what I thought we should do and I pushed the subject aside...I was NOT going to leave SG.

Fast forward a few days and sleepless nights.  I am not sure why but for some reason I felt an overwhelming amount of anxiety over the next few days.  I could not sleep and the trip kept creeping into my thoughts.  I convinced myself that if we were meant to go then I would have warm fuzzies about it.  I never got them.  I started dealing with lots of emotions.  If Daniel went I would feel guilty and almost jealous. If I went I would miss my baby more than life itself.  If we both went I wouldn't want to leave SG alone again.  No, no the answer was wait another year...but that just did not sit well with me.  We were told to pray about it but for some reason I never really did. Looking back I didn't pray about it because I was scared of the answer God would give me.  Then last week while at work Husband sends me an email from church telling me we had been selected for the trip.  Wait, what?!  What just happened?  I hadn't even signed up!  Immediately I was sick to my stomach and upset, tears welling up in my eyes.  Husband told me he wanted to talk about it when he got home.  Ick, I didn't want to talk about it.  Why not try to avoid the elephant in the room?  Husband NEVER let's me avoid the elephant in the room--God bless him for that!  Then FINALLY, as I was rocking SG to sleep I began to pray.  Again tears streamed down my face and my heart ached.  I knew what I needed to do.

 

After a long, very emotional conversation Husband and I decided that I was being called to go on this particular mission trip.  We were going to Central America and Spanish speakers were a plus.  I also knew I needed to go because of other reasons.  You see I am a very giving person but I am also a very selfish person...not so much selfish with "things" but selfish with time.  I imagine it's because I have been on my own since about 15 and never really had the "normal" college experience like so many because I was working full-time just to support myself through college.  I think I am also selfish with my time because as a teenager I had to share a room with my little sister giving me very little privacy.  I also spent time in two relationships where I didn't really have a lot of independence and so now that I am older I truly value my "me time" or alone time.  That said, I have come to realize that there are times when I am very willing to help others...but on my clock.  I also realize that isn't truly a giving heart.  In church we learn that giving sometimes means sacrifice, that if it doesn't hurt a little than it really isn't a sacrifice.  There have been moments where God has presented an opportunity for me to help someone and I am too selfish of my time and decide against it.  My heart, and God were telling me that I needed to sacrifice this time.  I pray every night that God would make me a strong and positive living example to my daughter of what it truly means to follow His way.  Sometimes it isn't easy.  But the Bible never said that following God is always easy...just look at the apostles.  I also pray every night that Sofia Grace grow up always choosing God first, even over us (this is a hard thing to ask for when you are a mommy).  So I knew this was it, this was my opportunity to answer my own prayer and be an example to my daughter.  I needed to choose God over my daughter.

 

Now many of you may be sitting here reading this in complete astonishment, disagreeing with my choice.  I totally understand because honestly I might be the same had I not gone through all the emotion I went through this last week.  I would think, "what a selfish mother to go on a trip and leave her daughter for a week," had I not read so much scripture about giving and the true meaning of giving, following and sacrifice.  But then I think of God and how he chose US over his son so that we would be forgiven.  So if you disagree I am compassionate to that.  But I know in my heart of hearts this is my calling.  I pray that one day when Sofia Grace is older and faced with a tough decision between following everyone else and following God she will look back on this moment and realize that her mother chose God and that is the path she must follow.  I pray that I am a strong example to her, that she would have a stronger heart and more conviction than I and that she would understand why I chose this.  I pray that she will look back and be proud of me and fully understand why I made this decision and know that it does not mean I love her less, in fact it means I love her more than she will ever know.

 

And now for the mission.  I will be traveling to Quetzaltengango, Guatemala this summer departing June 29th returning July 6th (an eternity to be away from my family).  I will be traveling alone (meaning without Husband) with 11 other individuals.  Our missions will range from working with orphans (this is sure to break my heart), to helping local pastors with supplies and evangelism to helping ex-convicts to restocking a food pantry and more.  I will be raising money to help fund this mission trip for our church so that we can continue to help others and spread the word. Like I mentioned before I have never been on a mission trip.  I always envisioned that Husband and I would take our first trip together but as God would have it that was not his plan.  I am scared, anxiety ridden and worried---not so much about SG's care but about how much I will miss her.  At the same time I feel a great sense of peace and know that this is my calling.  I know that the time Husband and SG spend together those 7 days are invaluable.  Their bond will continue to grow which makes my heart burst with joy.  I warned Husband that ice cream, cheerios and biscuits cannot be consumed for dinner every night (this is his idea of a balanced diet). I am looking forward to that feeling of discomfort from being away from home and fear of the unknown (this is how we grow the most) and I cannot wait to see the faces of those we have helped.  Many of our friends who have done mission work say it's life changing...that it helps the missionaries more than those they are helping.  I am not sure what is to come or what will be but I do welcome this challenge.  After all, I have God on my side which makes it a mission NOT so impossible.

 

Quetzaltenango, Guatemala

 

For more information on my trip feel free to click HERE.  I will make sure to blog about this journey leading up to, during and after.  Thank you so much for letting me share my journey with you. 

37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important command. -Matthew 22:37-38

Opening old wounds...

I have debated writing this post for some time now.  I am not really sure why because many of those close to Husband and I now know this story.  I think I have been hesitant to share for selfish reasons.  Sharing this story means I have to open old wounds and it reminds me of a very scary time in our lives with our sweet SG.  In fact writing this is making my eyes fill with tears and that lump in my throat return. 

 

Since facing this experience with our lil girl I have helped a few other friends who were faced with the similar situations.  I must say that at the end of the day we were truly blessed that SG didn't suffer from something much more severe.  In fact what we went through is nothing compared to other things some of my mommy friends have faced.  But tell that to a first time mommy...everything, big or small is a BIG deal!  So today I want to share the story of why SG was placed in the NICU only a few days after we brought her home.  In order to share my story I am including a link to my private family blog.  I hope that at the very least our story helps someone going through a similar situation and lets them know that they are not alone.  Feel free to share with others.

 

To read our story please click on the link below.

 

Our Story

Don't Lose Sight of these Sites!

Happy Tuesday Mommies!

Can you remember life before the Internet?  Ok, I actually can because it wasn’t that long ago (or maybe it was and I am just in denial).  When I was in high school I remember having to go to the library to work on research papers and actually check out BOOKS….you know those things with paper and typed words.  Then my senior year, second semester, our computers were upgraded and we were able to search other school libraries via something called the Internet!  What in the world did that mean?!  Didn’t matter, it meant I could print out books from other locations which made my life much easier.  And that my fellow mommies was my intro to what is now known as the World Wide Web/Internet.  Obviously I am dating myself here so be kind.  ;)

So in honor of my age and the Internet I thought I would talk about some of my favorite websites.  There really is no rhyme or reason to these sites other than I just love them and find myself on them at least once a week when I get a break from mommyhood (we know those are rare).  So here they are.

Etsy-If you haven’t heard of it you are missing out.  Ever want to buy a unique handmade gift?  Or have something made for your lil ones room?  Or maybe you are just looking for some cool handmade décor for your house?  Etsy is sure to have all of this!  The concept is simple.  Artists and vendors sell handmade goods in “shops” and you can order directly from them.  Think Ebay meets boutique stores.  I have ordered gifts for friends, SG’s nursery linens and curtains, jewelry, books, home décor, clothes and more from Etsy.  I love that you can contact the “shop” owners directly and more often than not they will even create custom orders for you.  And Etsy is limited to just new things, they have an entire section on vintage and antique items.  Great place to shop for that super unique item you just can’t seem to find anywhere.

All of the hats SG is wearing were from Etsy, as well as her bloomers and the infamous "Weepublican" onsie.

The roman shades, bird paintings, and framed prints were all purchased off of Etsy.

 

 

EtsyKids-WAIT, WHAT?!  Now there is an EtsyKids which I just discovered.  Same as the above but now all shop owners who sell kid items are in one location!!!!  There are tons and tons of uber cute finds here ranging from clothes, toys, linens and even furniture. LOVE!

 

RookieMoms.com-OMG, I love this site.  The basic premise is two mommies got together and developed a site focusing on activities to do with your lil one.  They break the site down by age groups.  And no I am not talking go to the zoo or let’s go outside and do some chalk drawings (neither of which I am knocking---because let’s face it these are super fun activities too), I am talking about fun creative ideas we may not all have the energy to come up with.  Case in point: “Spend a week in Austin” or “Go to a theatre where baby crying IS allowed” or “Host an ugly baby clothes contest” (confession, I think I am going to do the last one).  In addition to activities they give tips for mommies, crafts, ideas and lots more.  They even break things down by state (of course Texas has it’s own tab…c’mon we’re Texas).  The mommies are two real moms just like you and me and they keep things pretty real which I love.

Babycenter.com-I started following Babycenter when I was first prego.  However, I found this site to be more helpful after SG was born.  Why?  The Babycenter has a HUGE community or birth month clubs.  I cannot  tell you how many times I have sought the advice of other mommies in the middle of the night from our birth club…and they answer---because they are up feeding in the middle of the night too!  I also love their community boards.  Ever have a question about baby and type it into Google, about 99% of the time a link to Babycenter will come up.  Great site and if you want to sign up for weekly emails you can do that too. 

TheBabySleepSite.com-I’ve talked about this one before (see my post Counting Sheep and Catching ZZZZZZSSSS ) and I’ll talk about it again.  This is an amazing company that I swear by.  They helped SG sleep through the night without a paci and now she sleeps from 7:30 PM-7:30 AM…straight!  In addition to there amazing services you will find a lot of fab advice and tips (sleep related) in their weekly newsletter.  Thanks to them our lil SG wakes up super happy...she takes after her daddy...such a morning person. 

Sleeping beauty.

 

 

GraciouslySaved-This is a blog I follow and I just LOVE how the author, Stephanie is a mommy just like me and she talks about everything from her experiences, to cooking, to tips and so much more.  It's so fun when you start following a blog because you start to feel like you really know someone.  Plus it's funs to follow a mommy who has a lil one close in age to SG.  The best part...lots of pics of her lil cutie.  Who doesn't love looking at pics of lil ones?!

These are just a few of my favs and I hope you will find one or all of them useful or helpful.  Oh and hyperlinks are included in each site title above (bold and underlined).  If you have any sites that you recommend I would love you to comment and share with everyone! 

Hang ten and happy web surfing!