Life Lately

So I miss blogging. A lot.

I wish I could blog more, but right now life just does not allow it. And you know what? That’s ok! All in due time, right?!

Just wanted to pop in & give you a little peak into my life right now…because I know you are all DYING to know. (Please notice the sarcasm!)

So right now I am currently studying to get my personal training certification, with a ‘specialty’ in women’s fitness. I am thrilled to train people, and especially women that are pregnant, post delivery, and just knowing how to train women better in general is SO EXCITING!! I’m hoping to take my test by the end of the year…hopefully. It’s hard to get studying in between my job (I work from home), being a Mom and just life in general. You know how it is- we are ALL busy in different ways!

As for my bundle of PURE JOY….

(she’s like, look guys, I’m TEN months!)

She’s WALKING (unassisted), which is INSANE to think about. She started walking, on her own, September 2nd. (oh yes, I do know the EXACT date )

And she is a bit of an odd ball, EVERY where we go, all she wants to do is eat leaves.

She’s like, yep Mom, totally know you are watching and I’m STILL going to do this. Little stink. Now I give her spinach leaves as part of her dinner and tell her they are leaves. Seems to be working???!

I CANNOT believe it, but I’m planning her first birthday party!! I picked out the theme and have purchased a few items already. Pinterest & Etsy are my party planning best friends. 😉 And you guys, first birthday outfits?!??! I’m DYING because I don’t know which one to get. We may need a few outfit changes throughout the day. No lie.

As everyone says, it DOES get easier. It really does. Those first few months are HARD. Not that it’s ‘easy’ now, but you really UNDERSTAND each other. You understand your child, and you and your partner KNOW what to expect…usually  

I cannot lie, it was HARD….REALLY hard on our marriage initially with Gabriella. Just because it’s something TOTALLY new in your life. COMPLETELY unpredictable, and it felt as there were new ‘issues’ that would arise EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. But you know what, one day I just told myself, we will get through this! We WILL make it work. Just like anything in life, you have to realize what your priorities are and what you WANT in life and MAKE IT HAPPEN. Yes, of course, there are still rough days here & there, but you know what? I’m SO blessed that I get to spend my ENTIRE life with my BEST friend, my husband. The one who is by my side NO MATTER WHAT. We also have this little lady to share our life with too…

And, God willing, she will have sibling to share US with.  

So other than that, I’m REALLY focused on training these days. Gabriella and I run every morning- well, she rides in the BOB. I try to do at least 10 miles everyday, and vary what kind of training it is- whether speed, endurance, etc.

I have six races in the next four months…and I CANNOT wait!!! One 15K this Saturday, four half marathons and one full marathon in December. Race season is FINALLY here…what I have been training for ALL summer! All of those long, hot, sometimes VERY hard runs, are going to be completely worth it!!!

So for now, the blog is on hold, but I may pop in here and there. I really miss Google reader, so much…I was able to keep up with some of my favorite blogs. Any suggestions for sites like Google reader?

For now I’ll leave you with these pictures of Gabriella playing with her water table and bubbles. Girl is OBSESSED with bubbles. It’s hilarious!

And just one more…because it’s too cute not to share…

‘Flying’ with Daddy.

Learning to Relax

Isn’t it funny when you realize that you just had an ‘ah – ha’ moment?

I had one of those yesterday afternoon.

Craig is always telling me that I let Gabriella affect my mood too much. Sometimes I agree, but then other times I want to tell him to hush it…in the nicest possible way, of course.  

I honestly can tell you that I’m pretty sure I don’t give her enough credit. I am constantly thinking that ‘she’s not ok,’ or ‘she can’t do that, it’s too out of her routine.’ WRONG. Gabriella is SMART. And she is a PERSON, she can adapt. She is no longer an itty bitty baby (and yes, I know, itty bitty babies can definitely adapt too), she can get thrown out of her usual ways and she will BE OK.

(She’s like I’m totally fine, Momma, DUH!)

It’s just hard for ME to remember that. I don’t know if it’s a first time Mom thing, or if it’s just a ME thing but I am constantly worried about making sure her environment is just right for her. Does that even make sense?

Let me explain.

Gabriella and I came up to visit my parents for a few days in Jacksonville, just to spend some time with them and to catch up. Yesterday, while she was napping in the afternoon, the power went out. The second it happened I went into panic mode.

I immediately went straight to her room to make sure that she was still sleeping since her sound machine went off. We keep it on white noise while she sleeps- both for naps and bedtime. Honestly if I could go back, I don’t think I would use a sound machine…BUT, like her pediatrician told me ‘If that’s her only crutch, then you are doing just fine.’ Anyways, she was still sleeping but because I went into the room to try to turn it back on (the power was out just for a bit), I woke her up.

I was frustrated. I was frustrated with my self, but didn’t realize that in the moment. I was actually mad at the city of Jacksonville for making this power situation happen. I mean, really Holly, really?!!? LIFE HAPPENS, get over it! But at the time I didn’t see it that way.

Since I ended up waking her up, she started crying, but I decided to wait it out a bit to see if she would fall back asleep. I went in the other room to see my parents and asked how long the power usually stays out when this happens. They said it could be anywhere from 5 minutes to 5 hours- no one knows. Of course they could tell something was wrong, and asked if everything was ok. I got all ‘huffy puffy’ and said, ‘well, no, Gabriella is now awake because her sound machine went off.’

First of all, that was only half of it, the real reason that she was up was because I just HAD to rush right into her room to make sure I had the sound machine ready to go in case it came back on. STUPID. She was FINE. I could have just let her be.

(^how hilarious is that?! She is in the sink at my parent’s house )

My parents then said, ‘well we don’t even hear her crying, are you sure she is still up or did she fall back asleep?’ I responded with ‘yes, she’s STILL up, I JUST walked past her room and she was crying.’ (I sound like a real FUN daughter, right!?!?!?! God bless them.) So my Dad went to listen near her door & she didn’t make a peep. Little stink, she knew she was going to prove me wrong. I really had just walked past her room & she WAS crying, but she had stopped at this point.

Guess what? She fell back asleep. She was ABSOLUTELY FINE. And she didn’t NEED the sound to sleep, I just MAKE it seem like she does. SILLY SILLY ME. Sometimes I just want to slap myself across the head and say WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!?!?!

There was NO NEED to freak out because of a power outage, or a silenced sound machine. LIFE GOES ON. GABRIELLA SLEEPS ON. CHILL OUT HOLLY, CHILL OUT. I’m capitalizing these things for myself- I swear it’s like a mantra I need to tattoo on my forehead.

The main thing is that I think it’s just a ‘live and you learn kind of thing.’ Babies don’t come with instruction manuals…although I swear that would be MUCH easier. You have to learn each other- you baby has to learn YOU, and YOU have to learn your baby. Nothing about being a parent is easy, but I PROMISE it’s all 100% worth it & I wouldn’t change a thing. Well, other than the fact that I need to learn to relax a bit. But, then again, I am just a work in progress.

(I just LOVE her in her bathing suits! )

Every day is a new day, and every day I feel like I learn something new. It’s actually pretty neat to realize, even if it is a hard pill to swallow.

Day in the Life of an Eight Month Old

While we were in Jacksonville for the 4th of July holiday, something else happened that I haven’t mentioned yet.

Gabriella hit the big 8 month mark! So hard to believe!

Instead of doing my normal ‘I can’t believe she is already 8 months old… and the whole ‘each month keeps getting better’ (which it REALLY does!), I thought I would do a post about the day in the life of an eight month old. I figured it might be a bit more fun, and you can see what my day consists of.

So here you go, a day in the life of Gabriella:

Between 7am & 7:30- She wakes up. (I actually set my alarm & wake up anywhere between 5am & 6am- depending on how much work I need to get done.) We bring her downstairs, and play with her for a bit before feeding her breakfast.

This morning happened to be a little bit of oatmeal, fruit and homemade baby pancakes. (recipe to come!)

I feed her after Craig leaves for work (around 7:45am) and we watch a bit of the Today Show before heading out for my morning run.

Most days I will nurse her around 7:45am/ 8am before I run, to top off her little tank. (& also for some relief- ha! Nothing like running full of milk. )

8am – 10am/ 10:30am : We run, well, I run and Gabriella naps.

She will usually fall asleep about 30 minutes into my run, and then I will run anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours- just depends on if I am doing a long run, speed work, or an easier run day. I typically run at least 8 miles a day, and once I finish my run I will walk until Gabriella wakes up. (& to cool down) Once she is up, we head to the park.

She loves just watching other kids run around, she will just stare & laugh. Once she is done at the park, we walk home while she chugs her water. (it’s hilarious!)

11:15am – 12pm: Pool time!

I’ve been trying to take her at least three times a week. She loves it, and she really tries to swim- I believe it’s a natural instinct that they have. She kicks her little feet like a frog and LOVES to be dunked under water. The very first time we ever did it, she cried for a second, but then was fine. Now, she wants me to do it! Crazy little girl. It’s definitely a good thing though, I don’t want her to be scared of the water. She is a water baby! I almost have to drag her out when it’s time to go home. She’s always a little prune when she gets out.

12pm – 12:45pm: Craig comes home, I make him lunch & he will play with Gabriella for a bit. She will also have a little snack.

She loves Gerber Puffs or plain Cheerios. That day happened to be vanilla puffs, which are also my favorite. Bite for me, bite for G.

Sometime between 1pm & 1:30pm I will feed her (nursing) and then put her in the crib for her nap.

Between 2pm – 3pm (sometimes, if I’m lucky even 3:30pm) She wakes up from her nap. It’s ROUGH when she only gets an hour nap, which was yesterday. Eek! Little time for me to do ANYTHING. I use her nap time for work and to clean the house once my work is done. But Tuesday she had other intensions…and those intentions were NOT to work.

Around 3:30pm: Snack time

^a picture that I plan on showing her future boyfriends

This girl LOVES yogurt. I always have a ton of Stonyfield in the refrigerator for her, but I happened to see a new line from Yoplait for baby yogurt, so I tried it.

I think Gabriella was getting mad at me for stealing a bunch of bites. Ooops It was SO good!!!

Depending on her nap, anywhere between 2:30 & 4pm we just play. Lately her favorite thing is seeing how far she can ‘test Mommy.’ We have a ‘baby jail’ around the entertainment center & stairs so that she can’t get to these things.

That would be the whole process above. The whole time while she is crawling over there (OH, and girl can CRAWL full on now, there’s no stopping her), I am saying ‘Gabriella, NO. No Gabriella, come here.’ Repetitively. Hopefully this is not a sign of what’s to come.

Her favorite toys happen to be ANYTHING in the entertainment center…especially DVDs. Thousands of toy & she wants those. Little stink

4pm – 5:30pm: I go on another walk with her, usually I go with my neighbor. (She has a 2 year old son that Gabriella just adores.) Sometimes I will run again, just depends on where I’m at in my training. We walk/ run for an hour & then I’ll bring her to the park again sometimes.

Between 5:30 & 6pm Craig gets home. He will take Gabriella and play with her, while I start dinner- or at least prep dinner.

Between 6pm & 6:30pm: Dinner time for Gabriella!

We decided to try giving her pasta (you just over cook it, so that it’s almost mush), and she liked it!

She wasn’t quite sure what to do with it, she kind of played with it for a while but eventually figured out that it was for her to eat. She also had some sweet potatoes and apples. Girlfriend has quite an appetite. I say she gets it from her Daddy!

Oh, and you may wonder why she is suddenly without clothes…well, we strip her down when it’s feeding time. – Meal and snack time. Just because she is very messy, as all babies are, and sometimes the food will stain her clothes even AFTER using stain removers and letting the clothes soak. (Mom’s out there: have you found a stain remover that really does remove stains entirely?)

Between 7pm & 8pm: Bath time, and then I nurse her to bed.

Since we have been sleep training, and it’s been going pretty well (I say that with caution because every time I’ve mentioned something about her sleeping better, she has a WILD night.) and she is also getting up to eat once- around 3am/ 4am. She may cry or fuss for a bit around midnight, but we just let her cry & it’s REALLY short and she puts herself back to sleep. Thankfully.

And there you go, a day in the life of Gabriella! Needless to say, she keeps me busy!! I LOVE every minute (or almost every minute ) of it- I’m so blessed to be able to work from home so that I don’t miss a moment with her.

I also love that I have the best running buddy – she keeps me motivated. Looking down at those chunky thighs while I run just cracks me up. I’m starting her off right….

…with only the best shoes: Mizunos!!! I really think Gabriella needs some baby Mizunos to match her Momma!

Mom’s out there: If you stay at home with your child, how does your schedule look? Similar to mine? Favorite activity?

Runners: Favorite brand of shoes??

Weekend Wrap Up

What a fun weekend! I am so glad we were able to go up to Jacksonville to visit my family & friends.

 

We didn’t make it to the beach, only because it’s a LOT for a few hours- trying to time nap time along with actually spending time at the beach, so we just decided to skip it this time. We are trying to plan another family vacation for September at the beach, which will be nice. Will make it MUCH easier with Gabriella, since we will be staying at a condo- easier to feed & nap the baby.

We arrived Thursday morning and just spent the day with my family. My uncle was in town from New Hampshire, and then my parents were there (of course ). Shortly after my Aunt, my Sister & brother in law & nephew and niece arrived.

^That picture makes me laugh. It’s my niece, brother in law, nephew & my sister. My nephew is reaching for my sister- nothing like a mother & her son…and a father & his daughter. ❤

Gabriella THOROUGHLY enjoyed herself & we were SO impressed with HOW good she was. Not just on Thursday, but the whole weekend. Little miss social butterfly! She is really coming around to hanging out with other people, rather than just Craig and I.

^She was having some bonding time with Grandpa. (please notice her gut. Cracks me up!)

On Friday I got to go running with my Dad, which I always enjoy. I was planning to take Gabriella in the BOB, but she fell asleep in the crib, so I was able to run BOB free! I feel so naked without that stroller- haha! But it’s a nice break, and it gives me a chance to really FLY!

Once we finished our run and I was able to shower (thank goodness ), I met up with one of my best friends, Jayme. I just love her & so does Gabriella.

We wanted to meet our other very good friend Tara’s new baby boy!! Sweet baby Ford. I fell IN LOVE and held him for about an hour- he just fell asleep in my arms and OH MY GOSH, totally did NOT help my baby fever.

He is SO very precious!! & it was SO nice to be able to spend time with Jayme and Tara. Love them both, I should say all three (must include little Ford ) very much!

The rest of Friday we spent with my parents and Uncle. Craig bought rib eye steaks for everyone at The Fresh Market– LOVE that grocery store! And since I don’t eat steak (or beef of any kind), I got Seaweed Salad with smoked salmon.

SO SO SO GOOD!! It was on the ‘seafood bar,’ and if you have a Fresh Market near you I HIGHLY recommend it. I EASILY ate a HUGE container all by myself. Way too good, and I’m so sad we don’t have a Fresh Market closer to us.

Saturday we actually decided to come back home, just so that we could have Sunday to get ready for a new week. I also spent the whole day making baby food- I plan on doing a post on that this week!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well! Looking forward to this week, I feel like it’s going to be a good one!!

Coming up on the blog this week: Baby food making 101, All about 8 months, a few new recipes & a must try workout!! Can’t wait to share it with you

Anyone run any races for the 4th?? Did you PR??

Favorite part of July 4th?? Do share!!

Happy July 4th!

I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating our wonderful country! Enjoy the fireworks & BBQ’s! I know we definitely will be doing just that.

Oh & please enjoy my daughter’s nice string of drool!  

Since I obviously take WAY TOO MANY pictures of her, I just had to share the one above of her little tuft of hair. It cracks me up!

Anyways, enjoy the holiday! I’ll be back on Monday- taking some time off to spend with my family. We are heading to Jacksonville this morning. I’m about to go and run, and we’ll be heading out when it’s time for Gabriella’s nap time. Parents out there- you know what it’s like to plan all of your trips around your child’s sleep schedule.  

Happy 4th of July!!

Grandma’s Visit & Sleeping traning

We had a special visitor this past weekend. Grandma came to visit us!

Gabriella LOVED her time with Grandma, she was SO good with her and would just sit and watch her. My Mom would move, and Gabriella would just follow her and the second my Mom looked at her she had this HUGE grin on her face. It was so sweet!

I surprised my Mom for Mother’s day with tickets to the ‘CSI Experience,’ because she LOVES the show. (is it bad that I have NEVER seen one episode?!)

It was a lot of fun! They send you along to investigate a crime scene & you have to figure out if you can solve it. We must be geniuses because we got it easily. After solving our crime scene, we went to the Orlando outlets to do some shopping! Oh it had been FOREVER since I had a shopping day without Gabriella, it felt SO odd not having a baby attached to me.  

My Mom had been saying that she wanted to get a bigger Vera Bradley bag (I got her hooked), and it dawned on me that there was a Vera outlet in the newer Outlet mall. I asked if she would want to go & she was all for it! I never turn down a good shopping day.

We were MEANT to be there. Not only did Vera have some great deals, but EVERYTHING was HALF off, just for THAT day. We both stocked up there & then I HAD to hit the Lululemon outlet as well.

Not only am I addicted to their Run: Speed shorts, but now I have a favorite top, the No Limits Tank. Addicted.

She came down from Jacksonville on Friday night & volunteered to babysit for us so that Craig and I could have a date night (we were able to meet up with some friends too- even better!). They are few & far between, so we definitely took her up on her offer! I got Gabriella to bed around 7:30pm & we headed out. I told my Mom that she really didn’t need to do anything since she was asleep, and even if she were to wake up to just let her cry. She RARELY wakes up shortly after being put down for bed, it takes her a few hours. And even after a few hours, I told her to just let her cry if she were to wake up. (Just in case we were out longer than anticipated, which didn’t happen, but I wanted her to be aware what to expect.)

The reason being is that we are sleep training. Yep, the inevitable & oh so fun sleep training. (I hope you caught the sarcasm )

It was time. And I finally got around to being ‘ok’ with it. It took me a WHILE. I was NOT ok with letting her cry…at all. The second I heard a peep I would rush in, but then after MONTHS of hearing those peeps every 2-3 hours it was starting to take a toll on me. I was getting up at 10pm, 1am & 4am EVERY.SINGLE.NIGHT without fail. I didn’t mind, my body got so used to the lack of sleep, but it finally hit me- She is doing this out of habit. She KNEW that if she were to cry Mommy would head right in, scoop her up & feed her, which I think was be coming a comfort rather than hunger.

So a little over a week ago we did it, I should say I did it. Craig has been fine with her crying for a while. I’m the one with the issues. 10pm came & she cried. She cried for close to 30 minutes, if not longer. But I HAD to do it. Eventually she settled down & put herself back to bed until around 2am, and then I went in and fed her. Only one feeding- and she was up for the day at 6:30am.

The first few nights were hard…she cried a lot, but would settle back in & cry again anywhere between 2am & 3am, when I would go in and feed her. But anytime before that we would just let her cry. I had to turn the monitor sound off, so that we would be able to sleep- and then once she stopped I would turn it back on.

Eventually I plan on cutting on night feedings, as she is old enough. But for now we are doing good with cutting it down to just one. I wanted to give her some time to get used to only one, and then I plan on cutting the other one within the month.

I have to say, it was easier than I thought. The main thing was that I waited until MY gut said it was OK. She would have been fine with sleep training a few months ago (I mean with getting enough food- there is no need for night feedings after six months old, of course it all depends on the baby- your baby may NEED additional feedings, but she was getting enough during the day.), but I was the one that had a hard time. I felt guilty. I wasn’t sure if she actually was full because she would nurse both sides every time I went in. But since she was feedings so much, they were not as full & she wasn’t getting much. So now with the one night feeding, my boobs are FULL & she takes both sides and falls back to sleep until 6:30/ 7am! Sometimes she even sleeps until 7:30am, which is lovely- allows me some time for work. We also moved her bedtime back (to between 7:30 & 8pm), which I think is part of the later wake up time in the morning.

We still have some work to do, but this household has been getting MUCH better nights of sleep!

We wake up feeling refreshed, rather than dragging…and relying on way too much coffee to get us through the day.

It’s amazing what a few extra hours of sleep can do for a person!

Do you shop at Lululemon? If you do, what’s your favorite item?

Moms out there: When did you start sleep training, IF you did it at all?

Recent Obsessions

I feel like I go through phases with foods and beauty products. I am definitely my father’s daughter because I will get ‘stuck’ on a certain thing & buy it non stop, but then one day I’ll just be completely sick of it. Eventually I come back around & like it again, but it often takes a while.

Today I thought I would tell you about my recent obsessions. I think some of these have to do with the summer season, since it’s SO stinking HOT outside here in Florida. You can’t even step outside without sweating. GROSS!

1. Fruit Salad

I can’t stop eating it. Especially the pineapple. I will make a big batch of it in the beginning of the week, and then eat it for breakfast, with my lunch & then often before dinner. Fruit is just SO good right now. Nature’s candy

2. These two coffee creamers

Salted Caramel Mocha & Vanilla Brown Sugar. I mean really?! Is there even a better way to start your morning than with these flavors?!? Mmmmmm. And since it is summer time, I actually only drink iced coffee. (of course I’ll drink hot coffee if that’s the only thing available, I just prefer iced in the summer) I get a TRENTA iced coffee from Starbucks with NO ice, NO sweetener & NO cream. Just black iced coffee. (If you like iced coffee, try it! Saves money & you don’t have to go out every day to get it! Win win.) Then that will last me for three mornings. The people at Starbucks know me & always have my iced coffee ready to go when I get there.  

3. Summer Nail Polish Colors

They are just so fun! I was only buying Essie for a while, but that’s pretty expensive ($7- $8 a bottle). So I tried the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri & I LOVE it! It lasts for a while, just as long if not longer than Essie, and it’s about HALF the price.

4. Quest Bars

You guys, I have a problem. Do you see the stash above? That’s 20+ Quest Bars. It’s ridiculous. But I promise I have a good reason for having so many. I eat one everyday for breakfast, I’ll just stick it in the BOB & eat it once I’m done running. Gabriella is usually still snoozing & this is the perfect on the go breakfast. I also have water with me, and sometimes I’ll eat a banana too. I don’t know if other people are like this, but I really don’t enjoy eating a huge meal right after running. I have to wait a while and then I’ll have a bigger lunch. My stomach is just NOT into the idea of stuffing my face once I’m done with a run. And the chocolate chip cookie dough flavor is a MUST try if you haven’t yet. You can thank me later.

5. Green Smoothies

That’s usually my lunch. A HUGE smoothie full of spinach, protein powder, unsweetened almond milk & usually a big bowl of fruit. DELISH! Another ‘summer thing’ I’m assuming, since cold drinks sound ideal right now.

6. Jillian Michael’s Ripped in 30 Workout DVD

I do this DVD a few days a week before or after a speed workout. (so my run is a bit shorter) And I must be crazy because it KILLS. I don’t know if it’s because I’m already tired from running, but I DEFINITELY feel it! Of course I had to start with Week 4, because when I do something I have to go all out (good or bad thing…not sure ) & I was hurting the next day. A good burn! This is actually the DVD Jillian recommends for at home workouts, she has said that she does NOT recommend the 30 Day Shred anymore. She said it is outdated. I only know this because Jillian & are pretty much best friends. No, I kid, (although I would like to meet her!) I am obsessed with her podcast.

And one thing that NEVER gets old is…

Did you guess it?!?! I’m sure you all know my too well by now, and I must have a G picture in here somewhere.

My big blue eyed girl. Stole my heart right from the beginning. ❤

Any ‘obsessions’ that you have right now? Please share, I may just have to try something new.

Favorite summer fruit?? I’m torn between pineapple & watermelon. I could eat both of them ALL day every day. I would eat 1/4 of a watermelon nearly everyday while I was pregnant with Gabriella, and she would go NUTS! I figured she must love it, so I gave her some the other day. She COMPLETELY refused it. Turned her little head all the way to the side. Weirdo! Who doesn’t love watermelon?!?! Maybe she overdosed in my belly

Unanswered Prayers

Yesterday morning I had an awesome run. I definitely got a ‘runner’s high’ about halfway through. I haven’t been feeling well lately, I came down with a head cold last Thursday. I told myself that I would do at least six miles, and if I wasn’t up for anymore then I would head home. Six miles is my ‘minimal number’ of miles that I typically run each day. So I knew I could do it, I just planned to take it easy & just enjoy being outside. (Does being outside make anyone else feel SO much better when they are sick???)

Well, around five miles something just came over me. I just really wanted to run today. Run until my heart’s content. A long run just sounded SO good, and I felt like it’s what I NEEDED. Not only to clear my head of sickness, but just to think. Have some ‘me time.’

Being a Mom having any ‘me time’ is a rare thing, and that’s ok, but our morning runs is my ‘me time.’ Gabriella plays with her toys in the stroller, usually falls asleep, and I just run.

Sounds silly, but honestly I love this part of the day. I feel like it’s time I get to spend with Gabriella, even though she is snoozing. Once she wakes up we usually go to the park so she can swing.

Something that I don’t discuss on here often is religion. I know that religion & politics are topics that really should not be discussed in a social situation, but there is a topic I really want to bring up. Feel free to skip this part if you don’t want to hear about my personal beliefs regarding God & religion.

I wanted to mention how much I LOVE my Thursday Bible study. The women that I meet with are such STRONG, inspirational people. Not only do I feel like I’m growing spiritually, but it’s also so nice to meet with other Moms who are going through similar situations or have been through the situation & can offer suggestions & advice.

While discussing our devotionals this week, the topic of unanswered prayers came up. It’s often a thought that we don’t think about. I mean who remembers to say ‘thank you’ to God for NOT answering a prayer request?

I know for me personally, I had really never thought about it. Remember that high school or college boyfriend that you prayed to God about? The one that you would do ANYTHING for to make the relationship work? I know I do, and I think most women can relate to that in one way or the other.

It really put things into perspective. If God had answered my prayers, I would not have the wonderful family that I have today.

I wouldn’t have my little G baby, and I probably would have never met my best friend, my husband.

(they melt my heart)

It’s EASY to say ‘thank you’ for answered prayers. Getting the new job, positive changes in your health, making it through a day you thought was impossible, & many other things. But what about all of those prayers that God said ‘No’ to. At the time you may have been mad or upset. I know I have, I even pushed away from God for a while.

Now I have to just remind myself that when I do get a ‘no,’ that He may have a better future for me. As I was doing my devotional Monday night, I happened to stumble upon this verse:

“In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the Lord establishes their steps.”
Proverbs 16:9

I think He may have directed my eyes to that verse for a reason. God knows our future. He has everything outlined for us. Even in times of despair & heartache, He knows what He is doing and you have to trust in Him.

And I just want to end with a verse for a song I still love, ‘Unanswered Prayers’ by Garth Brooks.

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you’re talkin’ to the man upstairs
That just because he doesn’t answer doesn’t mean he don’t care
Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers

How to Win Over Anyone

I’ve been holding out on you all.

I have a recipe that I MUST share. It’s too good NOT to share. If you ever need to get on someone’s good side, or need some extra brownie points, just feed them this.

Before leaving for the beach I made a snack that had been on my ‘must make’ list for a while. Sally’s Salted Peanut Nutella Puppy Chow. When I first told Craig what I was making he looked at me like I had three heads. ‘Puppy chow?! You mean the stuff that comes in the can that you feed to dogs?!?!?!’ Yes Craig, that is EXACTLY what I plan on making & serving to humans.

He then tried a handful…verdict? I had to HIDE IT FROM HIM, otherwise we wouldn’t have any left for the beach trip the following day.

You guys…I am NOT lying when I say you CANNOT eat just one bite. There is NO possible way. I PROMISE you. Not only did we polish off nearly the entire batch, Craig has been begging me to make it again nearly everyday since we have been back. It’s just THAT good. I’m being honest here when I tell you this is one of the BEST recipes I have EVER made. Not only is it incredibly easy to throw together, but I can guarantee everyone will be going back for seconds, thirds, fourths & fifths! That is a very bold statement, but I stand behind every word!

I have copied the recipe directly from Sally’s blog below, only because my Mom wanted the recipe & I know her well enough that she won’t click the link above to it. So here ya go Mom  

Sally’s Salted Peanut Nutella Puppy Chow

makes approximately 7.5 cups. This recipe is gluten free.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter (or unsalted)
• 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons Nutella (or the entire small container of Nutella)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/4 cup salty peanuts (dry roasted, honey-roasted – whichever you prefer) (I used salted, dry roasted)
• 6 cups Rice Chex cereal
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

1. In a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter and Nutella.  Stir constantly until smooth.  Add salt. Remove from heat.
2. Pour the peanuts and cereal into a large bowl.  Top with warm Nutella mixture and gently mix it around to coat each piece of cereal.
3. In a large zipped top bag or covered container, add the powdered sugar. Pour the Nutella covered cereal into the large bag or container. Seal the bag or container and shake until all the cereal is coated with the powdered mixture.
4. Discard excess powder and enjoy. Store at room temperature up to 2 weeks. (I kept it in the refrigerator, and it was EVEN better cold )

Notes

RECIPE SOURCE: SALLYSBAKINGADDICTION.COM

This is my new go-to snack recipe. I CANNOT wait to break this puppy chow out during some Ravens games this fall!

And of course because any blog post would not be complete without it, I must give you a Gabriella update.

The only thing I have to say is she is getting WAY TOO BIG WAY TOO QUICK.

^ does she not look like a little girl there, rather than a baby?! GAHH! Slow down G, slow down.

This weekend we put away her ‘baby’ stuff, like her swing & her bouncer. She has just outgrown them. The swing we could of maybe gotten another month out of, but she really doesn’t use it anymore…and because she is about 18lbs. (if not more), the things sounds like it is really straining to even swing an inch left to right!

^teeny tiny baby Gabriella. ❤

When I put her in her bouncer, this is what I would come back to:

Her legs were EVERYWHERE. And she was just not really entertained by it anymore. She preferred to eat the little bird on the top of the light display.

We also decided to lower her crib completely down. There are three settings, a high, middle & low, but since she is trying to pull up on it, I told Craig we should probably just skip the middle & go straight to the low. Otherwise we would probably have to adjust it again in a month, if that.

She also enjoys just sitting in her crib when she doesn’t want to nap. She will just sit there & play with the bumpers.

I know it’s hard to see, but she is just sitting in the little corner staring at the monitor. Girlfriend knows exactly where to look for the camera.

I definitely miss the ‘infant’ days, just watching her lay there & squeak (baby squeaks are the BEST!), but everyday gets more & more fun!! You can just see her soaking up the world ALL the TIME! It’s SO COOL! … I did ask her if she wanted a baby sister or brother & she just looked at me & smiled.  Good sign- guess this just means we’ll have to work on that for her soon

And that was our weekend, spending time as a little family & enjoying every second of it! These are the BEST days. ❤

I hope that you have a wonderful day- I know Monday’s are often hard, but just remember Monday means it’s time for a fresh start!

Last, but not least, I HIGHLY recommend you go out & buy this today.

I promise your Monday will probably be the greatest Monday ever. Oh, and I dare you to just eat one serving. HA! Good luck with that one

Ever had puppy chow? If you have, what’s your favorite kind?

The kind above is my new favorite, I used to really like the ‘limited edition’ kind that came out around Christmas time, but now I don’t have to wait all year for that one!

Best thing about your weekend?

Watching Gabriella find a new favorite toy. She got a new hand puppet & whenever she sees it she just laughs.

All It Took Was a Little Spice

As time goes on, we learn SO much about little miss Gabriella. Just like any parent you go through your ups and downs; times can be REALLY trying, but then the next day you swear you have the perfect baby.

Recently Gabriella entered a new phase. As a parent you will sometimes just tell yourself, ‘oh it’s just a phase & it will pass soon.’ It makes you feel better. 😉 But this phase was something that I haven’t really heard of too often, or at least I didn’t think it was all that common.

Suddenly she didn’t want to eat solid food. She went from polishing off a jar of food a night to completely ignoring it. We would try to feed her with a spoon and she would just purse her little lips together.

I didn’t know what to do. I was a little surprised, only because who wants to NOT eat ‘real’ food?!

I had a bunch of those organic food pouches, and usually we would pour some into a bowl and then feed her with a spoon. Instead I tried just feeding her directly from the pouch, she LOVED that idea…at first. When she started refusing the pouches I was really at a loss.

Another part of a baby eating solids is that it helps them sleep better, because they are getting additional calories during the day. I have been struggling with Gabriella’s sleeping. She is still getting up every TWO to THREE hours. So that means I get maybe five hours of broken sleep a night. I’ve kind of gotten used to it, but at the same time some days it can REALLY take a toll.

I became woman on a mission. I NEEDED to figure out how to get my child to like to eat solid food again. As I was sitting on the couch one afternoon, I was drinking a fruit smoothie and it dawned on me. Make Gabriella a smoothie!

I had a TON of fresh fruit, all of which she had tried before, and I decided to throw it in a blender & make enough for a few days…and some for Craig & I too! It was a mix of watermelon, cantaloupe, peaches, plums, a banana & lots of blueberries. Girlfriend cannot get ENOUGH of blueberries!

Of course I had to try it before feeding it to her, as I do with all of her food (excluding breast milk, because well, that would just be gross). I’m not going to feed her something I wouldn’t eat! I thought it was DELICIOUS!

Next up, testing it out on the true taste tester:

(we strip her down before feeding her, she likes to make a MESS 😀 …and I let Craig do the feeding so that I could play paparazzi 😉 )

At first she wasn’t sure what to think…

But shortly there after she was grabbing at the cup for more.

She drank about half of the cup that we gave her, which in my book was a win! It had been a few days since she had eaten anything (because breast milk, of course), so the fact that we got something in her belly was a small victory.

The next day I was texting my Mother in law & sister in law about the issue. They both suggested trying to feed her more, only because like I said earlier, it should help her sleep longer at night. My sister in law said that I can buy those pouches online that I can clean and refill myself, instead of buying them. I immediately went on Amazon & ordered some. I had no idea they existed. She also suggested just giving her a bunch of food to choose from all throughout the day, rather than just at night before bed. So yesterday I was on a mission to get her to eat solids, at least a little bit.

Then another thing hit me…(I’m just full of ideas lately 😉 ) try some kind of spice in her food. I mean who wants to eat plain food?? I don’t know about you, but I’m a HUGE spice/ sauce/ seasoning fan. Craig laughs at the fact that I will use a sauce on nearly everything. (My parents can also tell you MANY stories of my ketchup loving days when I was younger…I still love the stuff, but I don’t use it quite as much. I mean I put it on EVERYTHING as a child…including fresh fish….oh my! what the heck was I thinking?!)

Once Gabriella woke up from her afternoon nap, it was time to try something new. I mixed up a serving of oatmeal (baby oatmeal), sprinkled it with cinnamon, then smashed in a quarter of a banana. I sat her on the floor, and crossed my fingers for the best.

Well, not only did I have success, I had a HUGE SUCCESS!

(thanks for her shirt, Mom 🙂 )

She LOVED it! Gabriella ate the ENTIRE bowl of it, she was LUNGING for the bowl. She couldn’t get the spoon fast enough! I couldn’t believe it. The whole time all that she needed was a little flavoring. Can’t say that I blame her, but why didn’t I think of it before?! I can’t wait to experiment with a few more new recipes to see how she reacts to those.

Now let’s just hope I can’t get longer periods of sleep out of my little chick! 🙂

Moms out there: Any one else experience this? Any favorite baby food recipes/ websites? I have a baby food cookbook that I love, but of course I’m always checking Pinterest for other ideas too.