Pregnancy Update: 27 weeks

A long awaited update for you guys! So far nothing different has happened since I last posted about the baby, except that we found out we're having a boy and that this pregnancy has been going by so quickly! Michael told me he was initially nervous about having a son because everything will be new again but I think now that we get closer to his arrival, we are becoming more excited! I feel blessed that we get to experience the joy of not only having a daughter but also having a son. I think Lydia will love having a little brother to play with and hopefully grow to love! 

It's been 10 weeks since my last update so here's another one of those simple questionnaires...

How far along: 28 weeks on Thursday :o

Gender: We are having a boy!!

Total weight gain:  Around 12 pounds

Maternity Clothes: I can’t get enough of my denim maternity shorts, I also tend to wear roomy knit shorts when I am at home though. I like the fit of maternity tees so I have a few new ones that I bought this time around and also a pretty dress from Old Navy.

Sleep: So far okay.. I do tend to sleep in a little more but I blame that on Michael since he's been sleeping in now that he works from home permanently! Haha

Miss Anything: My summer wardrobe. I mean, I can still wear a lot of my dresses but all my shorts (except the maternity and linen) are off limits! And a handful of my blouses/shirts are too short.. Also margaritas :)

Cravings: Salty chocolate chip cookies, fried or roasted potatoes, sushi and blts!

Symptoms: I get tired after I eat and sometimes pelvic cramps when I walk long distances, and still tired at times.

Belly Button in or out: In.

Mood: I have been happy though feel down some days. I think it's definitely a combination of the hormones and being tired all the time. 

Exercise: It really depends on how I'm feeling. Most weeks I've been still working out five days a week and sometimes I'm happy with just working out four days a week. I try to focus mostly on toning, low impact cardio, and indulging in longer stretches after I'm finished working out!

Best Moment this week: Having Lydia's bedtime finished last weekend, seeing family on Father's day and going for a walk tonight with Michael and Lydia. 

Looking forward to: Ah, the rest of this month should be fun, and my parents are coming on the 30^th for fourth of July so that will be nice!

On My Mind: Ah, the glucose tolerance test this weekend.  I did fine when I was pregnancy with Lydia but for some reason I always get a little anxiety with tests such as these. And I'm also thinking about how fast everything seems to be moving along this time around.. This week I'll be entering my 3rd trimester!!

Life with Lydia {6.10.17}

Hi friends!

It was almost a year ago since I've last posted all about Lydia. And as I write this post, I have a little girl climbing all over me, and a baby boy squiggling around in my womb. I didn't tell you guys, but we are having a boy! I feel tired lately but mostly blessed as we are getting closer and closer to becoming a family of four. Life with Lydia has been both a fun and interesting endeavor! She'll be 27 months old in a few days and like most kids her age she's into everything.

A few of her favorite things these days are her PJ Masks stuffed dolls, anything and everything Mickey Mouse related, singing, playing outside, and talking. She has been talking so much lately and we're finally able to understand what she's talking about too! She's been able to understand us for a little over a year but was slower to start talking back to us, and using words to express herself. It's been truly exciting to hear what she has to say!

What I'm not so excited about is whenever Lydia gets into these tizzies and throws things, and thinks it's the funniest thing in the entire world. She's especially keen about throwing her food when she's "all done!" Since she's turned two she has been pickier with food and sometimes won't even touch things she used to eat with no problem. It tests my patience, and I am always making sure she's getting enough to eat. However she loves eating fruits and vegetables, likes chicken sausage, peanut butter and guacamole! I have been limiting her snack intake during the day to reinforce the importance of eating meals. I also put collagen in her chocolate milk for a little boost too. I'm just hoping this is a phase!

Lydia is stubborn, independent and active. She's always running, climbing, and tumbling. I really would like to sign her up for gymnastics in a few months because I think she would have a blast! She is also our little cling-on and doesn't love sleeping on her own. She sleeps in her crib and actually didn't mind being in there but things got hairy when we visited my parents in Jersey. She was in our bed with us a good portion of the trip and bed time has been a bit of a battle since then. The good news is that her bedroom should be finished this weekend, and that means Michael and I get our bedroom back. Woohoo! We were sleeping in the guestroom just so she could get used to sleeping by herself again. She has been in our bedroom all her life so it'll be an adjustment, but hopefully nothing too crazy. I think she'll grow to love having her own space and might be even happier to share it with her little brother. Updates and photos of the room to follow!

Now onto potty training... Hm. It's a non-existent issue at the moment but she does like to read the potty book, and sometimes asks me questions. She also tells me when she went to bathroom which is a step in the right direction! I still haven't bought an insert for the toilet or even a little potty only because I don't think she's quite ready for it. We're not in too much of a rush but I am looking forward to only have one baby in diapers in the near future!

Lastly this summer should be really fun, because Lydia is old enough to understand what's going on around her and will love spending most of her days outside. Hopefully we can take her to the beach next time we visit New Jersey and maybe even go to Sesame Place with her big cousin DJ!

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! {8.5.2016}

Hey guys! This week has been so much less overwhelming than last week, I have been feeling more myself and been quite inspired too. So here’s a little roundup of things I’m loving these days...

one // Having a date night last week! Michael and I went into the city for dinner and drinks. We went to Seviche for a few tapas and walked across the Roberto Clemente bridge to a beer bar, and shared 2 flights. I’m not typically a beer person but I found a couple that were pretty refreshing on such a humid evening!

two // Tahini swirled into my yogurt. The tahini thickens and gives the yogurt such a richness, making it taste a bit decadent! Sometimes I’ll add honey to offset the bitterness of the tahini but now not so much, I don't really mind it! I’ve been doing this for a few months now and it made me think of a cool post. What if I shared other unconventional ways to use tahini that go beyond hummus? Hmm *thinking emoji*

three // These “mom” shorts. They are on my wishlist of things to buy before summer ends! I only have two shorts that fit appropriately thanks to squats...  I like that they’re high waisted and aren't too short. 

four // Instagram stories! At first I was a little skeptical because it mirrored Snapchat and I didn't think that was cool of Instagram. However, I’m actually finding myself using it, and might even try cooking tutorials! Like most people, I'm digging the convenience of it being all in one app! To be honest, I never really gave Snapchat a time of day, just know that, Lydia and I will miss the funny filters. Womp, womp.

five // Our CSA goodies this week; we got a watermelon and more green beans this week, a CSA favorite of mine! I also bought some peaches at the farm when I picked up my bag.  I just couldn’t resist! I’m thinking Lydia and I will probably eat some as is, and I'll save some for peach pie bars and maybe these wine slushies :)

six // This photo of Lydia begging for some yucca fries! It isn't the first time she's done this either, I've got quite the collection of pictures to prove it. My sister insists I share a post dedicated to these moments, and I just might!

And that’s all I got this week, until next week my friends!

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!! 

My Method of Meal Planning and What We Ate Last Week

I thought it would a fun post to share how I plan out my dinners for the week. Menu planning is essential in our family because I don't like the feeling of not knowing what's for dinner and I feel more at ease when I have everything decided for the week; that way when I go grocery shopping I avoid buying unnecessary ingredients and not wasting food is such a rewarding feeling! However, if I'm being honest I don't always have a clear idea what to cook on the weekends, those days are either leftover central or something really simple like a grilled cheese or BLT sandwiches or if my in-laws are free we use it as an opportunity to go on a date!

So here's how my planning usually goes.

• On a Saturday I’ll take out a notepad and pen, write down: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Sometimes we eat leftovers in between days, so I usually cook 3-4 dinners a week. Leftovers are wonderful and should not be underestimated because as much as I love to cook, life gets busy!!

•  I seek some inspiration. If I’m having a hard time choosing meals for the week I’ll pick up an issue of Bon Appetit, Every day with Rachael Ray, or Real Simple and check out their recipes. Or I’ll just go onto Pinterest or The Kitchn blog. Sometimes I don’t even use the recipe’s I find but get inspired by the ingredients and flavor profiles.

• I use meal templates. A meal template is like a formula for a meal. For example: fish or chicken + grain or starchy vegetable + roasted vegetable, homemade pizza + salad, tofu/beans stir fry + grains, etc. I like cooking at least one meatless meal a week to save a little money and because sometimes I need a break from eating meat. I like to use meal templates because they help me stay focused, adapt a well-balanced meal and at the same time be changed based on what we're in the mood for. 

• and sometimes I’ll ask Michael if he has any requests! :)

• We typically go grocery shopping on a Sunday afternoon. Most of the time it’s just Whole Foods, sometimes we go to Costco and Whole Foods! My husband is such a trooper and helps keep Lydia entertained while I do my thang. I don’t know where I would be without him;)

• On Sunday evening I schedule the meals for each day of the week and because I’m a silly girl who thinks I own a café I write down the first dinner on our chalkboard wall. 

And that’s it! Hope I can inspire you by sharing what we ate last week based off of my own little method:

Monday:

Turkey Meatloaf with Batata Fries and Roasted Asparagus

Tuesday and Wednesday:

Pork Chops with Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower and Tostones

Thursday: 

Black Bean Burgers with Smoked Gouda Cheese and Sauteed Baby Broccoli with Spinach

Friday:

Grilled Coconut Lime Honey Shrimp, Mango Salsa, Coconut Rice and Blackberry Margaritas to drink. (A rare Friday that I cooked)

I was feeling ambitious last weekend and actually cooked Saturday evening too, the thing is I didn't photograph any of it. My bad it was a late dinner!! We had roasted Korean glazed chicken wings, leftover coconut rice and mango salsa. And on Sunday we ate leftover wings, only I had to make more rice so I made ginger brown rice and huge kale salad. Deeelish!

How do you plan your meals for the week?

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:)

Lydia Renee's First Birthday Party!

Just a small collection of photos from Lydia's first birthday party. While I didn't quite capture every detail on my camera (I somehow forgot to photograph lunch and another banner, whoops!), I am glad I have these pictures to look back on! I'm super grateful for all the help my family handed to bring this party to life and also keeping me sane. Michael helped with the decorations, the cake bunting banner, and made that beautiful flower garland! I made slow roasted pulled pork. I had it cooking throughout the night and before we went to bed, I made Michael pray that it would cook thoroughly before the guests arrived! Thankfully it was perfect, and there was more than enough food to go around.

Mom made chicken empanadas, bacalao salad, a big pot of yellow rice, and salad. She also made those darling brown paper goody bags filled with double chocolate macadamia cookies, sesame cookies and my chocolate dipped coco's. Mom W. made adorable bunny deviled eggs that were also incredibly delicious! I put out some homemade chex mix, a cheeseboard with crackers, some of mom W's jalapeno jelly (so good!) and my brother-in-law's girlfriend made a tasty enchilada dip. For dessert, I had baked yellow layered cake with  chocolate sour cream frosting and vegan dirt cake served with dye-free gummy worms, and of course cafe con leche. Leftovers for days!

The birthday girl slept a little during her party and was initially confused/cranky from the large crowd of people but she eventually adapted, and was enjoying herself! I can't believe she is already one years old. The first 12 months have been such a fun ride and we look forward to new adventures with our daughter, and many more birthdays!