Life update {4.26.2018}

It's been quite a while since I last posted anything on here. If you don't know by now, I had my beautiful baby boy back in September. Eventually I'll share his birth story! Hopefully I can do that before his first birthday... Which is actually less than five months away. Oh my! 

Anyway, I just wanted to share with you all the things going on with me and my family. Life with two tiny people has been interesting. Having a three year old and a seven month old keeps me busy that's for sure! Life is unpredictable but wonderful. 

Lydia has been diaper free since October. We took her diapers away when Silas was just one month old. It took a little while to get used to going on the potty but once she understood the concept she began to tell me when she needed to go. She goes through good streaks of not having accidents and then sometimes there's days they happen more frequently. This week has been accidents galore and I was feeling lots of mama guilt. I couldn't help myself and at the time I felt like I was doing something wrong. I know it's normal to go through this but I found myself so frustrated and overwhelmed by the situation. I felt so guilty for getting impatient. I needed to stop myself and pray. I prayed to be slow to anger and more compassionate. She is still learning and things will get better. 

However she is sleeping in her own room (without any fight!) which is a huge milestone. She actually LOVES sleeping in her room and looks forward to her bedtime routine. Let me tell you, I feel so at peace knowing she's happy in her own room. For months and months she would put up a big fight every night, and her bed time was always so late. She would always wind up in our bedroom in the middle of the night. As much as we miss her cuddles, we are proud of her and excited for this milestone. Silas will eventually join her. But for now, we are indulging in his baby cuddles for as long as possible!

Silas, our big guy, he is becoming such a little person with a big personality. He is a true sweetheart, loves listening to music, dancing, and eating! We started giving him food around six months but he wasn't into it until a couple weeks ago. Again we skipped the purees and dove right into the baby-led weaning approach. I think his favorite thing to eat lately is roasted apples with cinnamon, spoonfuls of plain full-fat Greek yogurt and banana pancakes. He still loves to nurse though. I think that's his favorite food of them all. :)

I am excited and slightly nervous because he is starting to get onto all fours now. He scoots and tends to move backwards but hasn't quite mastered forward crawling. Lydia started crawling at seven months and Silas is getting closer to becoming more mobile each day! Fortunately for us our house is already baby-proofed. Just need to put the dreaded baby gate back up in our living room. I can see Lydia getting frustrated at it already or better yet trying to climb over it!

As for me and Michael, I have been busy with the kids and tending to our home. Michael's been hardworking between work, church, and us. I love that man.

I am happy I was able to give you all a little update. It only took me four months!! I will be sure to post more things in the future. I forgot how nice and therapeutic it is to write.

Until next time,

Pregnancy update: 17 weeks in!

Hello!

I don’t know about you but when the winter months linger, feel less motivated and rather stay indoors. So, I am happy that the weather is finally warming up and that I can go outside! With my last pregnancy, I was my most pregnant in the winter, and was always warm. This pregnancy I will be in my third trimester in the summertime, and as much as I love warm weather I'm afraid I'll not only be a walking inferno but that I will swell like mad! My plans are to stay hydrated, keep active, and eat lots of pineapple. The last one is mostly because pineapple always tastes better when I'm pregnant!

Speaking of food, I'm really into savory/umami rich foods, and before you guys say "you're having a boy!" (although I might, we don't know yet), I craved the very same flavor profiles with Lydia. Here's what my favorite things are: eggs, burgers, Asian food, bacon, french fries/potato chips, and cheese. I don't eat these foods all the time but will indulge in them every now and then. As far as food aversions, I was initially nauseated by coffee, smoothies, chocolate, yogurt and anything too sweet. It wasn't until the end of my first trimester that I was able to enjoy my morning coffee and those breakfast smoothies again! I'm still not as drawn to sweets as I was pre-pregnancy but when paired with saltiness, (hello, salted caramel ice cream and salted chocolate chip cookies!) I'm interested.

I am trying my best to stay active and maintain my endurance/strength throughout this pregnancy too. I have been successful with exercising 4-5 times a week and have been combining the Fitness Blender workouts (modifying when necessary) with lower impact prenatal routines in the mix, pilates, and of course making time for long relaxing stretches.

Going through this pregnancy-shin-dig again, I have to say the second trimester is the best out of the three and I'm going to indulge in these next couple of months! I thought it would be fun to end this post with the good old pregnancy questionnaire to any questions that weren't covered.

How far along: 18 weeks on Thursday!

Gender: Hopefully we'll know by May! Everyone keeps saying it's a boy though.

Total weight gain:  10 pounds. I notice that I always get curvier in my pregnancies, and I suppose it’s not much to complain about, just can be awkward at times and sometimes complicates picking modest clothing to wear. The other day Lydia ran into my butt and she fell over. She was okay!

Maternity Clothes: Maternity jeans! I think I gave up on my regular jeans around week 10 *sigh* I invested in a couple of asos petite maternity jeans and I love them! Denim shorts from Old Navy, and I also bought a couple of maternity shirts from H&M. And of course all the clothes I had from my previous pregnancy. 

Sleep: Good so far :)

Miss Anything: Don't judge me, but occasionally I crave a glass of wine, specifically red wine, and I normally drink white wine. Odd! 

Cravings: Juicy burgers, blts, grilled cheeses, Japanese food, and again, potatoes (fried, roasted and in the form of chips.) Oh, and pineapple and fresh lemonade!

Symptoms: Sometimes I get a little dizzy and lightheaded.  

Belly Button in or out: In.

Mood: Right now I'm tired mostly because my allergies are little haywire due to the weather... 

Best Moment this week: Finally having Spring weather and going on a walk with Michael, Zoe and Lydia this weekend. 

Looking forward to: Easter Sunday and seeing family!

Exercise: I explained this in detail earlier but I've been doing a combination of cardio, strength training, pilates and barre, and lots of stretching 4-5 times a week; I take off Saturdays and Sundays. 

On My Mind: I feel like I'm not as obsessed with all things pregnancy this time around. (I guess because I have been through all of this before!) I'm enjoying this time with Lydia and making sure she has what she needs. She keeps my hands full! I'm mostly looking forward to the aftermath of this pregnancy and bringing home our sweet little baby! 

A New Addition in September :)

If you follow me on Instagram or know me in person, you probably already know that Michael and I are expecting baby #2 in September! If not, surprise! We are both thrilled to become a family of four and giving Lydia a sibling. I'm 13 weeks pregnant and am finally starting to feel a little less exhausted. Much like my first pregnancy, I only experienced a little nausea in the morning and mostly because my stomach was empty. I am also experiencing the same aversions and cravings, nothing too sweet but lots of fruit, everything salty, spicy and sour. So far I am beginning to think much like my mom and sister that I am one who bypasses morning sickness, however, I seem to get a double dose of fatigue. I did exercise most mornings and it worked as a pick me up but still felt drained after lunch. Nap time became my best friend!

We found out I was pregnant pretty much the same way as last time. My period wasn't due for a few days but I was feeling off and sluggish. I just had a feeling I was pregnant. I told Michael to pick up a test, I took it that night and we waited for the results. I asked him if he could read it and he reacted the same as last time. "Oh boy" HAHA. I just laughed. We were both elated and a little nervous. In my previous post I talked about how we traveled to Puerto Rico in November, and there was an outbreak of the Zika virus back in the spring/summertime. We actually wanted to get tested for the virus before trying for a baby but God had other plans for us! So we quickly made an appointment that following Monday with our doctor to get a script for blood work. At this point we already told my sister and our parents so they could keep us in prayer as we prepared to test for Zika.

After we went to the doctor's office we learned that it was only necessary for me to get tested, and we got a stack of papers about the Zika virus and how the test worked. I actually googled up a storm prior to the doctor's appointment and learned about the horrors of the Zika virus to those who are pregnant. I prayed a lot prior to getting the blood work done and after while I was waiting for the results. I waited about a week until we fond out that I tested negative for the test. I felt incredibly relieved and thanked the Lord for answering our prayers! 

The three of us got to hear the baby's heartbeat a couple weeks ago, and last week we were able to see the baby for the first time via ultrasound! Lydia is still not sure what the heck is going on, but I am sure she'll fall in love once the baby is born. We are planning to find out the sex of the baby sometime in April, and would be happy with either a boy or another little girl. I already have a list of names! :) I may or not share the name on here once we've settled on one.  Now that I have finally posted something, I'm going to do my best by keeping you guys updated as I go through my pregnancy!

Friday Love! {10.21.16}

source

I's been like two months since I've done one of these bad boys, so let's get started!

one// This Sunday Michael and I are going to Chicago! It's for a conference with Harvest Bible Chapel, and it'll be our first extended trip (3 days!) without Lydia. I'm a little nervous because the longest I've been away from her is a full day/overnight! However, at the same time I am looking forward to learning and becoming closer to God without all the distractions.

two// The other day I took a picture of Lydia sitting in her chair and realized I had taken a similar one exactly a year before. 7 months old vs. 19 months old. I think she was just starting to army crawl at that age and now she's running, climbing and dancing!

three// I am easing back into painting. I got out the oil paints that I had bought over a year ago and forgot about. I am hoping it'll help with relaxation and spark my creativity!

pacifier nostalgia 

four// So, Lydia hasn't used her pacifier in two full days! We have been talking about weaning her off of it, but my instincts just told me to just keep it from her and have her go cold turkey. I told Michael we need to be strong and not cave in when she's upset. Yesterday she was a bit of an emotional roll coaster but we all survived. On the bright side she's been sleeping through the night without a fuss! The next step? Have her sleep through the night in her crib :)

five// I'm happy that the weather is finally cooling down! This week has been so hot, and I have been drinking iced coffee in the afternoon when my soul is craving a hot latte. I also want to retire my sandals already and bring out the cozy fall/winter clothes. Today may be dreary and wet but I think it is refreshing, and I can appropriately wear a flannel and sip on a latte without sweating :)

six// After two years of reading my bible on my phone, I got myself a new bible this week and it's beautiful! Distractions are constant in my life, and doing my daily readings through my phone seemed to open doors to more distractions. I've always preferred reading books over screens so the transition from phone bible to real bible has been seamless!

That's all I have for this week, I hope you guys have a lovely weekend!

Lydia Renee's { 19-month-update! }

I always find myself in awe with this little girl... Even when she drives me loco, I am always finding myself awestruck that she is my daughter and that I’m her mama. She just turned 19 months which means in five months she'll be a two-year-old! Her personality is really blooming. She’s strong-willed, passionate, and independent yet somehow still clingy with me especially. Independent in the sense that she's capable of playing by herself and not big on being spoon fed or having her hand held. Yet, clingy in the sense that she craves cuddles, which is fine, until she demands cuddles whenever I am in the middle of cooking dinner.

On talking: She doesn’t form sentences yet but is an excellent babbler! The words she says most have been very enthusiastic greetings such as “hi!” and “bye!!” She also likes to point to her head and say "head-head", and then of course she points to things and asks "whatsthat?!" I'm mama and Michael is "da." Sometimes she tells me "no!" which I don’t always agree with but it’s slightly better than her yelling or grunting her foreign language at me. She also barks. She seems to understand more than she can speak... Kind of like me with my Spanish skills! Though she's not a lost cause like me, and will learn to speak English fluently as time passes.

Lydia's daily activities: Besides babbling, Lydia's days are filled with what I think she believes as "organizing." She likes helping me clean by stuffing her toys in between the sofa cushion or slipping the really small stuff inside the vent.  She is big on reading and spends quite a while engrossed in her animal alphabet book. We are trying to teach her how to make animal noises and decipher which animal makes which sound. She loves playing hide and seek, and being chased too, though she's the happiest when she's outside and exploring nature. She's also happy when she is allowed to watch her nursery rhyme videos. She gets her groove on and I get a work out in, it’s a win-win. The YouTube channels that she loves (and that I can tolerate), are ChuChu TV, Dave & Ava, and occasionally The Farmees. If I sing the songs to her she tries to sing-a-long with me and does a little jig too.

What she's eating lately: Lydia is still a great eater! Her favorite are still blueberries, but now I can confidently add bananas and avocados to the list which were off limits before! During breakfast she’s currently loving oatmeal with cinnamon and maple syrup with a side of blueberries. She will usually have chocolate milk and juice throughout the day. Lunch varies between peanut butter and jelly, Annie’s mac and cheese, or whatever leftovers from last night’s dinner. She gets hungry in between meals and typically eats an applesauce or yogurt kefir squeeze packs. And when dinner rolls around, she will eat whatever we’re eating and sometimes a Biscoff cookie if most of her dinner goes into mouth and not into Zoe’s! 

Sleep: Lydia is still sleeping in crib in our bedroom and manages to sleep through the night. She's been having a hard time going to sleep earlier than 9pm but we are working on it. We are planning on moving her into the spare bedroom once it's cleaned up and painted. I have been wanting her to sleep in her own room for a while now but of course life gets busy and it will be a big adjustment for her. It's one thing to have her sleep in her crib for most of the night in our bedroom (she always winds up in our bed somehow), it's another thing to have her sleep in the crib and be in a separate bedroom all night. Sleep training is hard but I think it'll be good for all of us!

To wrap this up I will say Lydia you are a crazy little girl, and we love you so much. You create messes and have a fiery temper that tests my patience but you make both Michael and I's (maybe even Zoe's) hearts so full, and life just wouldn't be as fun without your silly antics. 

Happy Autumn!

Last Autumn when Lydia was 8 months old, now she is 18 months old!!

"Life starts all over again 

when it gets crisp in the fall."

                       -F. Scott Fitzgerald 

For as long as I can remember autumn has always been my favorite season, and I'm pretty proud of being born around this time of year! I love when the weather slowly begins to cool down and the leaves start changing shades of color. The smell of the air is crisp, and cinnamon sugar becomes the signature scent of my home. Everything just feels cozier. I'll be able to start wearing my fall uniform: a chunky sweater or flannel, jeans and boots. I cannot wait til I can wear boots again!! Food seems to taste better this time of year too. Winter squashes are at their peak, and boy do they taste mighty fine roasted, sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and served over kale. I also like pumpkin pie, pumpkin oatmeal, and pumpkin smoothies heavy on the spices.

There's a lot to love about this season. It seems to always inspire people to get together more whether it's to watch football (not me, I'm just there for the food), go to harvest festivals, host seasonal parties, go apple picking, etc. There's really no solid reason not to fellowship with your people when autumn is here! I am most looking forward to starting traditions with my family. I think Lydia will love jumping in freshly raked leaves, going to our towns harvest festival and helping me bake lots of delicious treats in the kitchen.

What are you most looking forward to this autumn? 

Friday Love! {7.15.2016}

one // Michael had off on Monday so the three of us went to Living Treasures Park and got to see beautiful animals. My favorites were the kangaroos, giraffes and of course the goats! It was a more interactive experience than a visit to the zoo because you had the option of feeding most of the animals, and I think Lydia would really appreciate that when she’s older, I know I did! 

two // I made 2 batches of eggless cookie dough ice cream this week, one for us and the rest for our Thursday night small group. Yummy. I love that the recipe uses malted milk powder which I actually had on hand for a chocolate frosting recipe. Do you guys have any other uses for it? I added also bourbon to our batch because it adds a nice flavor ;)

sources & here

three // I’ve been really inspired to redo our downstairs half-bath. I absolutely love the polka accent wall and this adorable mint green pedestal sink in the pictures above. I’m hoping to get started as soon as possible! Pictures to follow ;) 

four // Michael started a new job on Tuesday! We had been praying over the past few months for the Lord to open doors for him and to provide him with a better job opportunity. The company is much smaller and privately owned as opposed to his former job which is what he truly desired. Praise God!

five // I can't believe this picture was taken last year! The other night I was feeling nostalgic and started looking through all my old pictures of Lydia on my phone and it made me realize how much I missed her chubby rolls. Where'd all the chub go? At least it's still in her cheeks :) 

six // This weekend we're planning on cleaning out our basement aka the abyss. I'm a little scared because just going down there has been anxiety inducing for the both of us! Although I am looking forward to removing all the clutter and the relief that will follow. Please pray that we have a productive organizing experience!

Enjoy your weekend!

Lydia Lately {7.12.2016}

"Though she be but little, she is fierce!” -William Shakespeare 

In a few short days Lydia will be sixteen months old. Her imagination is so big, her love for her family is strong, she's independent and she finds joy in the little things,  all traits that I truly admire! Through this journey of motherhood I am constantly learning how to prioritize my time, be more present and not sweat the small stuff. Motherhood is challenging and just when I think I got everything under control something new proves me wrong, and that my friends is humbling! I'm understanding that it's impossible to be in control of everything and that some days will be more exhausting than others. Though knowing that God's in control keeps me grounded and the encouragement from friends and family who remind me that I'm doing a good work as a wife and mommy does too.

But enough about me-- here's what Lydia's been up to lately:

-she is in the 2% for weight and 7% for height but the doctor isn't concerned because Michael and I are shorties! 

-she's talking on the phone with random objects like my old credit card!

-she's waving to people a lot more now

-she is blowing kisses and giving cuddles 

-she is saying words like "hi" and "mama" in context! she is still babbling but finds ways to communicate with us through body language. 

-she's eating with utensils 

-her favorite foods are blueberries and cheese, especially the free cheese samples at whole foods!

-she is playing with her dolls and "reading" books

-she's dancing every time she hears a beat! we went to a winery and they had a band playing classic rock music and she was dancing up a storm.

-she's growing another tooth on the bottom!

-she asks us for a cookie after she's finished dinner; she points to the jar and laughs like a maniac! 

-bath time is one of her favorite pass times

-she sleeps in her crib most of the night!!! *hallelujah chorus*  

-Zoe and her have a special kind of love/hate relationship; Lydia yells at her but wants to hug her all at the same time.

-she has a strong temper and had a breakdown the other day because we took away a pen from her. she was literally in rage for 10 minutes! 

-she makes us laugh and keeps our hearts full on a daily basis :)

I love you Chubski!! 

Breastfeeding: The End of an Era

I think it’s safe to say Lydia has officially weaned herself. We’re going on day four without nursing and it’s been a gradual process ever since she’s turned one. Nursing three times a day quickly turned into twice a day, in the morning and before bedtime, and then a few weeks later she dwindled down to only nursing at night. Then suddenly she would go a day without nursing and then the next day she would want to nurse at night or in the morning. She was nursing every other day for about two weeks and would only nurse about five minutes or so. Nursing time decreased once Lydia was 12 months old, after that she always got to the point and quickly moved on, she had places to be I guess! 

Because she’s so active, I give her chocolate milk during the day and snacks in between meals. She’s always been a good eater which has been a tremendous blessing and might also be why she was ready to wean herself.

As happy as I am that she weaned herself and is moving on with her life, a part of me will miss our breastfeeding journey and I am a little sad it’s over. I know that may sound odd but she still seems so tiny to me, maybe time has just flown by so quickly that I’m not always prepared to let go. I laugh because when I was her age I was still nursing and my mom eventually had to force me to quit nursing (aka cold turkey) because I was well over two years old and asking her if I could have “nursings.” She told me that she had me sleepover a family friend’s house so I wouldn’t have access to the goods! I guess I figured Lydia would be the same because much like I was, she is a mama’s girl. Though Lydia choosing to wean herself couldn’t have been a more seamless transition, and I’m proud of her!

I feel fortunate that I was able to have a pleasant breastfeeding experience and am even more fortunate to be her mama! She is the sweetest little girl, quirky like Michael and I, and so incredibly sharp. So even though we’re ending this era of breastfeeding, I know we’ll have so much more to bond over as she grows into a little lady and the thought of that just melts my heart. I love you Lydia!

Friday Love! {6.10.16}

one // These pictures of Lydia eating corn last weekend. She was all about that corn and wasn't about to share with anyone either!

two // Buying 10 plantains for $1.99 and yucca for $0.69 a pound in New Jersey… It made part of me miss living in Jersey. We used a few of the plantains for tostones on Tuesday and now that the rest of them are ripening I'm going to make a pastelon tomorrow! And instead of making yucca fries, I'm going to boil chunks and serve them with mojo because it's been a while!

three // This blog post on protecting your marriage. Such encouraging list of things I know and have heard in different ways but always need reminded of. IE: raying for Michael, doing more of those little things, making time for him, etc. Life gets hectic being a mom, and unfortunately I haven't been making my most important relationship top priority. The list reminded me that I need to spend more time praying for Michael and being present for him. Fortunately we are going on a date tonight by ourselves to catch and spend much needed alone time with one another!

fresh out of the oven; feelin' confident with my results!

the next day after being transferred, prayin' ice cream will cover this up!

four // I learned a little lesson in pie baking. I baked a cherry pie with frozen cherries and it resulted in an extremely loose/watery filling, and then I transferred it all the way to New Jersey. Unfortunately when I took the pie out of the foil it was covered in the cherry filling and the once flaky crust became soggy. While I did have a mini meltdown, the pie was still 100% edible and was an excellent base for ice cream. I learned that next time I will be using fresh cherries in my next pie : )

five // Our CSA begins this Wednesday and I am so excited! It'll be our third year subscribing and I feel much more confident with knowing what to do with all the produce. I got a spiralizer attachment for my Kitchen-Aid on Christmas so I'm seeing a lot of zucchini pasta in the future, and possibly use my juicer to make fresh juices. (Confession: I've had my juicer for 4 years and only used it twice in my life!) Though I might need to do more research on kohlrabi and what the heck to do with it. That vegetable befuddles me. Any suggestions? 

source

six // I made these mini oatmeal cream pies and they were really quite good! I didn't get a chance to take my own picture but I found them to have the perfect balance of sweet & salty, the cream filling was delightful and not too sweet, the cookies had a nice kick from the cinnamon and were exceptionally soft as any oatmeal cookie should be!

Hope you all have a beautiful weekend!

Just a little encouragement today...

I'll keep this short by saying Lydia was up most of the night fussing and is now a crank monster. I stumbled upon this scripture and wanted to share it with you all. I don't know what you're personally going through but we all have something that overwhelms us. Some more than others. I hope this encourages you to draw closer to Christ during those times; allow Him to be your comfort and to take on those burdens.

Lydia Lately 5.23.2016

Lydia is 14 months old.  I’m trying my best to cherish every moment, even the not so fun moments. If you’re a mom, you know exactly which moments I’m referring to! The demands from a little person who wants to be carried all day long even though they’re getting heavier, that creates tornado style messes every day, and constantly putting up a fight each and every diaper change. My patience, which I always thought was solid, gets tested every day and now I totally get what it means to be slow to anger. I try my hardest not to raise my voice because it almost always makes the situation worse. Instead of reacting negatively, I’ve been singing more and sometimes it helps calm us both us down. If God uses marriage to sanctify us, He absolutely uses parenthood too, and I’m learning more and more that I need to be slower to anger, more patient and calm even when I’m exhausted. But those moments quickly get better. I could go on and on about how much Lydia is a blessing and that she truly makes it all worth it!

She’s currently fluent in full-blown gibberish, no real words yet other than “no no” and mama, da-da. She has been trying to mimic our words and when she pets Zoe she goes “naaanaaa” which is in the same tone as us telling her to be “niiiice.” While we do encourage her to talk by telling her what things are and play narrative of what we’re doing, we’re not worried nor in any rush. I try not to compare her milestones with other kids because everyone learns things on their own time. She did learn how to walk at 10 ½ months so maybe she will talk a little later. Only time will tell!

Her favorite things to do are dancing, exploring outside (thank God the weather is finally warming up), playing with Zoe, and eating. She is especially fond of “If You’re happy and You Know It” and knows all the moves too! We recently stayed a week at my parent’s house and she got to spend lots of time with her cousin DJ. There were a few fights over toys/attention and Lydia discovered how to bite! I know I already covered the negative sides of raising a toddler, but Lydia sometimes bites us when she doesn’t get her way, please tell me this is just a phase?! 

Lydia is also at the age where she’s creating her own fun with her toys and stuffed animals. I am always so curious to know what’s going on in her little head and what she is gabbing about. It reminds me of how vivid my imagination was when I was little and how much fun I could have on my own. It makes me excited for her to have little siblings and watch them all interact. My sister and I are five years apart in age so we didn’t have many years of playing because she was too cool for playing pretend. This is kind of a side note but I remember the day Aria declared she was done taking baths together and the dreaded day she told me this was her last day playing pretend with me. I was devastated! I consider her one of my best friends now that we’re older but I think it would be better for Michael and I to have kids closer in age, and hopefully we’ll be able to expand our family soon. 

hardcore snacking!

I mentioned one of Lydia’s favorite things is to eat. Girlfriend is so passionate about food! She is so enthusiastic and literally sings when she eats. Her favorite foods are blueberries, yogurt, beans, tortilla chips and applesauce. She isn’t 100% weaned, she nurses at night and in the morning, I don’t really have a specific day when to stop. I am still giving her homemade chocolate milk and have been adding a little chia seeds, and spinach for a little heft which she loves. I’ll definitely have to do a separate post about toddler-friendly meals and snacks! 

To end this post, I want to say how much I'm looking forward to the weather warming up and starting summer traditions as a family. Possibly trips down the shore when visiting my parents in Jersey, going to the pool in town, watching the parades, going to Pittsburgh, and hosting a BBQ or two! Gotta love the summer:)