Be Thankful.

Is it really November? Better yet, are we really almost done with November?? As the year heads to a close, I find myself reflecting back on the past eleven months pretty often. After all, what else do I have to do during Vaught's naps? One New Year's Resolution that tops my list of resolutions each year is to have a more grateful heart, to be thankful. Each year I vow to try and be more appreciative of my blessings each and every day. I think that when we stop, close our eyes, and count the numerous blessings we all have in our lives, we realize that we're much better off than we sometimes think--even when we think we've hit bottom.

Until September 25th, I might have deemed this the absolute worst year of my life. This is not to say that I've been miserable all year, but it's been a year of challenges that I definitely feel brought at the worst in me at times. The birth of my son changed all of that though, and as we near 2015, I am preparing my heart to be completely open, completely thankful and humble each day of the new year.

It's totally natural for us to sometimes forget our many blessings, and what better time to be reminded of them than Thanksgiving? As I sit and think about what it means to be truly thankful at six o'clock on this cold yet beautiful Thanksgiving morning, I think about all that surrounds me that makes my life truly worth the living. With a humble heart, I give you a list of the things I'm most thankful for.

1. Family.

A husband and son that love me more than anything, parents and in-laws who love and care for us unfathomably...the love I have between my family and Eric's is extraordinary. I'm thankful for a husband who works so hard for us and for our little boy who has brought us more joy than I could ever imagine. I'm thankful to always have people I can call on for support and guidance.

2. Health

Even in the midst of trying to become as healthy as I can be for myself and for my family, I have to appreciate my body just as it is every day. With a little help, it made a perfect, healthy baby. It carried him for nine months and delivered him with ease, just as it was designed to do. I can walk and talk and I have the strength to pick my baby boy up when he cries. It may seem like a small thing, but it's still something to be thankful for.

3. Friendship

From girlfriends who are like family to sorority sisters I'm still very much in touch with, I know that I can always call on these people when in need. I'm thankful for the laughs, cries, and good times with each of them. I'm thankful for those "little friendships" with people I may not be very close with but are always there to support.

4. Freedom

I know that things in our nation are nowhere near perfect right now... As a matter of fact, they're probably bound to only get worse in the coming months, maybe years. Even still, I'm thankful to be an American. I'm thankful that I can be a Christian and know I won't be persecuted or killed for it. Unfortunately, it seems like it may not be that way forever, but I'm still grateful for the freedoms we have. I read about the horrible things taking place in other nations, and I realize how blessed I am to be free.

5. Jesus

There's just something about that name. If everything above is ever taken away, I know that I'm still not totally hopeless because there is one thing that no one, nothing can ever take from me, and that's my home in Heaven. I'm thankful for a God that loves us even though we don't at all deserve it. I'm thankful for His love, mercy, and grace. I'm so undeserving, yet He loves me just the same. Do you know Him?

 

Of course there are tons of things in between for which I'm thankful: a roof over my head, the love and companionship of my dogs... Starbucks. But these are the golden five, the things I pray I never take for granted. I wish you the very Happiest Thanksgiving!

 

What are you thankful for?

Vaught is Two Months!

I can't believe our little guy turned two months old yesterday! Time has flown, but at the same time it feels like I was pregnant forever ago!

Weight: 13 pounds

Length: 23 inches

Two Month Checkup: Vaught is right on target with where he should be at two months. We saw a new pediatrician today, and she was very happy with his developments and measurements. He got three shots and an oral vaccine; right after the shots he screamed for six seconds, then looked at himself in the mirror and giggled. I've given birth to the strangest child! The doctor said we could probably try some solids (rice cereal or oatmeal) when he's about three months old, so she gave me some pointers on incorporating that into his diet. He was asleep before we left the doctor's office and is now napping in his swing. We are very blessed with such a happy baby!

Food: He takes 5-8 ounces at each feeding. We'll introduce solids sometime around three months old.

Back to Breast...Kind Of: A few weeks ago I noticed that I was still expelling breast milk, so out of curiosity, I plopped my boob out in Vaught's face (TMI?) one day just as he was nodding off for a nap but was still smacking his lips for his bottle. He took to the breast like we had never even stopped. I could not believe it. I pulled back to see if he was even getting anything and sure enough, he was. Since then, I make a point to breastfeed at least once a day, at a time where we're both relaxed and in good spirits. Sometimes he'll refuse, which is fine, but most of the time he will drink for at least a few minutes before nodding off or turning his head. The doctor we saw today can't believe he and I are able to do this without him getting an upset stomach or me getting mastitis, but "more power to you!" she told me. Once he's officially in childcare on Monday, I'm not going to do this anymore, but it almost makes me wish I'd never stopped after that first week. There are so many hormones involved with breastfeeding that even though he was doing well, all the chemical changes going on in me were too much to handle at the time. I have not regretted a single decision I have made as a mother, but I almost wish I'd just sucked it up and stuck with the boob.... though I'm thankful to not have to wean him off of anything for daycare!

Sleep: Again, read my post on sleep training if you haven't already. It works. He was getting 7-9 hours from about four weeks old, and for the past week our window has been more like 8-10. A full night's rest for infants is about eleven or twelve hours; we're almost there! But even if he were to sleep the way he is now for a while I wouldn't mind at all, for I am getting more than enough rest! He rarely cries himself to sleep now when we put him down in the drowsy state. He'll babble and coo then drift off.

Clothes: He's officially outgrown size newborn :( He wore his last newborn outfit the day he turned seven weeks old. I washed it and retired it that evening. Most 0-3 clothes still have enough wiggle room for him, and he can wear some 3-6 pieces. Nearly all of his sleepers are 3-6 months for the length; he is so long!

Diapers: I spoke too soon about Huggies and Luvs; Vaught starting leaking out of both of these and I watched several diapering videos to make sure I was doing it right. Back to Pampers we went and they are back on top. He's been wearing strictly Pampers for two or three weeks now and we have not had a leak or a diaper explosion. He's in size 1 still, and I had to buy my first box last Friday. He's got several bags and boxes of size 2 diapers, but I am sending those to his daycare for him to wear there. They might be a tad big on him but will be perfect very soon! I shouldn't have to buy diapers for daycare for a little while!

Developments: Vaught's been able to lift and turn and hold his head since he was born, but now he's getting much more coordinated with it. He loves tummy time and is trying to hard (grunts and all) to push up with his hands. He'll get it before too long! He smiles and giggles; his first real giggle scared him and he began to cry then started giggling again. I so wish we'd caught it on video! He has also taken up Babble, the official language of infants! He will now entertain himself in his swing or on his mat for up to twenty minutes, just babbling and cooing away. I can't get enough of it! He also seems to be noticing us more and will turn to look at us when we talk to him.

Learning the Cries: Contrary to popular belief, YES my child does cry sometimes! They say you'll learn what each of your children's cries mean, and I have learned the three that Vaught has so far...
The Whine: this typically signifies "I'm not getting enough attention" or "I'm hungry." If he doesn't get fed or get some attention within a few minutes, it escalates into...
The Cry of Despair: full-fledged, red-in-the-face, gasping-for-air wailing. He strangles himself sometimes, it's that serious. I don't hear this cry very often, but when I do it breaks my heart.
"Help, I'm in Pain:" I have only just discovered this cry and it was when Lola got really excited one night; I was playing fetch with her and had Vaught in the floor in his Bumbo at the same time. Her tail wags at a speed of about 150mph and she whacked him in the face with it. I'm sure it felt like he got slapped (it hurts us when she hits us in the leg with it!) and he cried for a couple of minutes. It wasn't wailing, but at the same time it was such a desperate sound. I held him to me and "shhhh"ed him for a few minutes and all was well. Lola got a spankin' and hid underneath the kitchen table for an hour.

Likes:
Tummy time
Sitting up (with support)
His Bumbo seat
Bath time
Napping on mommy's chest
Napping in daddy's arms
His swing (BIG thanks to Holly and Jonathan for letting us borrow it!)
Mealtime
Sucking on his hands and fingers
His car seat and riding/strolling. We go out all the time--never a peep out of him.
Lola... except when she slaps him in the face with her tail.
Being sung to & music
His crib...but only at nighttime. With sleep training, he's learned not to cry himself to sleep. He usually babbles then drifts off.
The vacuum... when he's fighting a nap, I just run the vacuum. Problem solved.

Dislikes:
Suck-sucks. I've not completely given up, but I don't force them on him.
Being hot... This is the only time he will cry in his car seat.
Not getting fed within 10 seconds of his "I'm hungry" whine.
Being swaddled... I think we're official done swaddling.
His crib if it's NOT bedtime. He will no longer take daytime naps in there, which is fine. I just put him in his playyard or swing.

Pictures

Our last newborn outfit at 7 weeks old!

Probably  my favorite picture of him... ever.

His half-smirk that is 100% me.

Bathtime with mommy

We've had such an amazing two months with our precious baby boy. We're looking forward to a fun-filled Thanksgiving Day with family tomorrow! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

 

Christmas Wish List

I feel a little vain writing this post, as I have never in my life made a Christmas list. On top of being taught that it's selfish to make a list of things you want for Christmas when there are millions of children and people who don't get anything, I am super easy to buy for, so even if our parents had wanted us to make Christmas lists, there would never be a reason for me to do so. As an adult and now a mother, I want to stay true to this virtue, and Eric and I agree that we'll raise Vaught the same way and teach him to just be thankful for each gift he receives for Christmas and his birthday.

Buuuuuuuuut....

I'm human and of course there are things I would love to have for Christmas! Unlike a lot of other people though, there's no way I could come up with a list of dozens of items. For me, it's just a few! If I weren't a grownup with bills to pay and a family to help support, this would be my perfect (slightly selfish, very expensive) Christmas wish list!

1. Nike Free 4.0 $99

I absolutely love these running shoes! They're great for weight training as well, though my husband swears on his Chucks! I can't get enough of this grey and robin's egg blue combo! These may very well be my actual Christmas gift from Eric; we're both in need of a new pair of tennis shoes and decided that that could be our gift to each other this year.

2. Patagonia Half-Zip Pullover $99

 

I'm a sucker for sweatshirts and pullovers, and I've been eyeing one of these for a few years. I'd like one in a neutral color like grey or navy.

3. Victoria's Secret Body by Victoria Bra $44-$50

 

This is my personal favorite and hands-down BEST bra by Victoria's Secret has! I have one in every common color and a few with cute designs on them. But if you read my 8 week postpartum update, then you know that all my bras are now too big. I need some new ones pretty soon!!

4. Nike Gym Bag (with allllll the goods)! $200+

 



A little over a year ago we were eating at Buffalo Wild Wings when some a-hole broke into my car by busting out one of the back windows. He or she stole everything on my backseat, including my The North Face backpack and my gym bag (with my brand new Asics inside) of all things! He even took my dog's leash! Anyway, I would love to have a new gym bag stuffed with all the essentials I need when I go to the gym. I don't shower at the gym now that I'm at a commercial place a mile away instead of a huge club, but it'd still be nice to have all these goodies just in case.

5. Dooney & Bourke Florentine Stanwich Satchel $368

Ahhhh... Hello, lover! I actually have this exact bag; it was a Christmas gift from Eric last year (hats off to him--he could not have done any better!!!!!!!!!) I immediately fell in love with it (you wanna talk about being vain and selfish?!) I had never seen a bag so beautiful or so me. I'm not a huge label fan--I don't want the designer's name plastered everywhere, which is so tacky (no Michael Kors for me). But this bag is 100% perfect. They now have an entire Florentine collection, and I am dying to make my own personal Florentine collection. I absolutely LOVE this bag!

 

 

 



Crockpot Tomato Soup

...even easier and just as fabulous as the crockpot chicken noodle soup I made earlier this week. Once again, I pinned a few tomato soup recipes on Pinterest, but ultimately used my noggin--and okay, my mother-- to compose an original recipe to call my own. Until this week, I had only used my crockpot once and it was for rotel dip... They say that the crockpot is your best friend during your first few years as a wife. That was not true for me until this week, but now that I've discovered the hundreds of recipes for this thing, I'm unlikely to ever cook anything in my oven again.

Ingredients:

4 cups Swanson chicken broth (I use low sodium)
4 14-oz cans of pureed tomatoes or 5-6 pureed tomatoes. Although it tastes absolutely wonderful with canned tomatoes, next time I'll try using real ones. My blender has a puree setting, but I really didn't feel like pulling that thing out today.
2 tbls extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
1 tsp parsley
1-2 tbls heavy whipping cream
1/2 tbls minced garlic
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese (Shredded) for topping

Combine your broth, tomatoes, and EVOO in your crockpot and turn it on the appropriate setting (Low or High) depending on what time you begin. I started around 10am (Eric gets home at 4 on Fridays), so I put my on the LOW 6 Hours setting.
Stir your mixture, then add a tbls heavy whipping cream (if you end up needing another tbls add it later on). Add 1/2 tbls minced garlic and let simmer for a few hours or until you're almost ready to serve. Then add your salt and pepper, thyme, basil, and parsley and stir. If you need another tbls of heavy whipping cream, go ahead and add that. Do some taste-testing (and get a second opinion--in my case Eric) to see if you need additional salt/pepper. Season as much or as little as you like!

Top each serving with a little shredded parmesan cheese and serve with crackers and grilled cheese!!! Easy and perfect for this chilly November weather!!!

#4thTP... 8 Weeks Postpartum

Pounds gained in pregnancy: 29

Pounds lost since delivery day: 37

To go: 42

Accomplishments & NSVs

GOODBYE, PLATEAU... It's a slow goodbye, but it's making it's way out of my system.
I'm back at my pre-pregnancy weight after I've really buckled down on logging calories and measuring portions. I have to be extremely accurate when doing this, but it's so worth it and always works for me.
I can run a mile without stopping again, finally! I've been doing two mile sessions on the treadmill, but I would have to alternate with some walking in there. Since I want to focus more on lifting weights now, I don't plan on running as much, but I will always be a runner! It makes me feel amazing.
NSV (Non-Scale Victory) this week: all of my pre-pregnancy bras are too big and there are gaps between my boobs and the cups. The old saying is true: boobs go first. It's a great excuse to visit Victoria's Secret to be re-measured :)
My favorite pair of black leggings from last winter are so saggy; my husband had to point this out to me while I was cooking one night and couldn't keep them up for anything, so I had to go take a picture. They used to sit really high on me, but they wouldn't stay at or above my bellybutton.

 

Nutrition

Now that I know that cutting calories and measuring portions was the key in getting past my plateau, I'm doing it much more religiously and it's getting easier each day. I've made healthier choices when we go out to eat and even though it's hard sometimes, nothing compares to how accomplished I feel when I leave a restaurant and know that I made smart choices for my body.

We try to cook at home most nights and aside from our burger cookout we had last Friday night, baked or grilled chicken is still our go-to! Since it's so cold though, we also had a soup and grilled cheese night last night and we're planning for a few more of those soon! Give my Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup a try!

 

These stay on my kitchen counter... next to all the baby bottles!

Workouts

If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you know that I'm getting my workouts in, even if it's 10 o'clock at night. I don't always wear my Polar watch, but I love knowing exactly what I'm burning after a good sweat. If you enjoy working out and want to know more about these watches please don't hesitate to ask me! A girl at my gym saw me wearing mine a few weeks ago and asked me to come to the bathroom with her to make sure she did the belt right (she hadn't--she was new to Polar). These things are great!

 

I'm still following the four-day rotation Eric and Dave made for me, but sometimes I combine them into two-day workouts and alternate every few days. I eventually hope to find a local babysitter to watch Vaught for an hour or so while Eric and I go to the gym together; I'm always more motivated when he's with me.

Goals

The Fourth Trimester Project has gone extremely well. There are four weeks to go in the Project, though my journey will continue far after the 4thTP is over, so I won't do another update until December 18th when I'll be twelve weeks postpartum. By then, I hope to...

*lose another 2% body fat. I have already lost 1% (2% was the goal for November), so I feel sure that I can get there!

*lose 10 pounds, making my total loss since delivery day 47 pounds! This is the ultimate challenge especially during the holidays.

*Begin working on our home gym... This is something new that my husband and I have talked about. After cleaning out the garage during one of Vaught's naps one day (don't ask me what possessed me to do it aside from boredom) we realized that we actually have an extremely spacious garage--enough for some gym equipment of our own. We began talking about the costs and efforts we'd have to put forth in order for us to "build" our own gym in our garage. Realistically, we would just need a bench, bar and weights, and a few sets of dumbbells, plus a large mirror to put on one wall (I have to have a mirror). Eric says a squat rack is necessary, but those get expensive and are hard to find at a bargain. Anyway, we're going to start setting some funds aside to get some equipment and also searching junk stores and garage sales. I think it'd be great if we could both train at home!

*Thanksgiving Day is a week from today, and I still have a goal to stay under 2,000 calories.. yes, I will log on Thanksgiving! Add me on MyFitnessPal: kpace9009

 

Up Next:

I'm working on a review of my Fabletics purchases!!! I'll Instagram when it posts! I love Fabletics!!!

And speaking of Instagram...

Pictures

15 Days vs. 8 Weeks Postpartum

I did a comparison photo of me at 15 days postpartum and me before my workout last night. I showed the side-by-side to Eric and said, "I'm not even going to put this on Instagram... I look the exact same." Despite being about 10 pounds lighter now than then, I could hardly tell a difference in myself. But Eric said, "Are you serious?! I can see a huge difference!" He went on to say that even if the picture doesn't show it that well, he can tell and my family can tell because they've told him. He told me to not be so hard on myself and to keep at it. I know he's right. The picture might not say much, but the way I feel and the way I'm  performing say it all. I train so hard sometimes I just cry. Whatever I'm feeling, I let it out right there at the squat rack or on the treadmill (and no one can tell because I'm sweating like a maniac).  I am trying so hard, and the picture above just kinda put me in a downer because to me, I can't really tell a difference. But in the back of my mind I know Eric is right, and I know that I'm making progress each day that I keep at it. I love the support I receive from my friends when I post a progress picture, but I think that I need to take a step back and realize that I've got all the support I need right here at home. And my motivation for it all is currently napping like an angel in his playyard :)

This maternity tee fit like a glove in the final weeks of pregnancy. Now it's
one of my favorite lounge/workout tops!!!

I wore this outfit to visit Vaught's daycare today... I have
been waiting for TWO years to wear it... I felt fabulous!

 

 

And if you've not tried the Caramel Brulee Latte at Starbucks, you're missing out!

 

 

 

...Because I Make the BEST Chicken Noodle Soup

You've all seen that Swanson commercial, right? Well, with all the TV watching I'm doing while at home with Vaught, I see it at least a dozen times a day and each time I do, my mouth waters a little and I get the urge to go buy some of that broth and make my own version of chicken noodle soup.

And so today, I did.
 

Eric has actually been asking me for about three years to find an original recipe for soup to recreate. We made some once a couple years ago; I remember us just throwing a bunch of vegetables into a pot with some broth and olive oil, and it was pretty good! But today I was inspired to create my own chicken noodle soup recipe and use the process of trial and error to get it just right. It may not be perfect, but I promise I wouldn't post this recipe if it weren't really good, as approved just so by my husband--the ultimate food critic!

 

Just know that even the most basic housewife (aka ME) can make this easily. All you need is a crockpot or stove pot and a little bit of time. Yes, I did use Pinterest to an extent, but I also called my mother three times today with questions about the soups she has made (by the third time she picked up and said, "What now?!"). Geez, mom. Anyway, it's nearly six o'clock now, and I have put together a perfect chicken noodle soup recipe to rival all those of the people on the Swanson commercial.

 

 And with that, I give you the most simplified version of chicken noodle soup there ever was.

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts--buy these in the big package at Kroger and have some leftover for grilling :)

1 pound of mixed vegetables--buy a can of mixed vegetables or a couple that equal one pound. If you prefer to slice and dice your own veggies, that's fine too, but I don't have the patience for all that. Like I said, this is the simplest recipe for soup!

1 small white onion for flavor--I chopped about a fourth of it then threw the leftover stump in for flavoring.

2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil--if you don't cook with EVOO, please start.

Basil leaves--see below

Thyme--This and basil leaves are the types of ingredients I get pissed off at because they seem impossible to find in the produce section; they're not. They are with the organic produce, near the salad section. They come in little packs. Easy!

6 cups of Swanson chicken broth--I used lower sodium kind since my body hangs onto salt like it's going out of style.

1 cup of water

Salt--for taste

Pepper--for taste

2 tablespoons of parsley-- buy the real stuff and chop it yourself or buy it already chopped in a shaker. I had a shaker, so I stuck with that, but you'll find this in the same area as thyme, basil leaves, and all those other awesome herbs.

1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic--you can dice garlic cloves yourselves or buy the stuff in a jar. I had some in a jar (we cook with it all the time), so I just used that

Egg Noodles... unless you're a spazz like me and totally forget the "noodle" part of chicken noodle soup. Luckily I had some spaghetti noodles, so I used that. I didn't use a lot of noodles though; I wanted it to be more soup-y instead of noodle-y.

 

 

It seems like a lot of ingredients... It is, but it's not. They're simple and easy to find, and you probably already have at least half of them in your kitchen. As for the price, I spent about $20, but the only things I had to buy were the chicken breasts (and I bought the big, $14 family pack), chicken broth, thyme, and basil. If you had to go out and buy everything above, I'd estimate that it would cost about $30.

Directions: The Fun Part

Pre-heat oven to 375.

In an oven-safe dish, cover just the bottom surface with a little chicken broth. Place the two chicken breasts side by side in the dish and bake for about 40 minutes.

 

 

While the chicken baked, I poured 6 cups of Swanson's lower sodium chicken broth into my crockpot, along with 1 cup of water and a pound of mixed vegetables from a can. I diced a fourth a cup of onion, a pinch of thyme, and a few basil leaves and poured those into the pot. I then poured in 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic, and a dash of salt and pepper.

This was another way I simplified it; I just used canned veggies that I had instead of cutting up my own. I turned the pot on high heat (four hour setting) at about 12:30pm. 

 

Baking the two chicken breasts took about 40 minutes, and when I pulled them out of the oven I went ahead and shredded the chicken with a knife and fork (I forgot how easy this is to do with baked chicken when it's still really hot)!

I poured the shredded chicken, along with the broth it cooked in and additional broth from the chicken itself into the crockpot. Chicken has a lot of natural broth in it that will add lots of good flavor to your soup.

 

Make sure to pull those little leaves OFF the thyme; biting into the stem is not fun!

 

 

My last step was adding noodles. I just used a bundle of the spaghetti noodles I had (I forgot to buy egg noodles) and broke them into tiny (about an inch-2 inches long) stems and threw them in the crockpot. I didn't want the soup to be overcome by noodles--I like my soup really soup-y.

 

 

Everything was in the crockpot and ready to roll by 1:30 and it simmered until Eric was home around 5. What goes hand in hand with a humongous bowl of hot soup? Grilled cheese of course! I made one for me, two for Eric, and we sat down for dinner by 5:15 (Vaught was down for his looooong evening nap by then). Eric is seriously the ultimate food critic, and he should be because he's a fabulous cook, so I asked him if there was anything I should change. He's a major pepper-lover, so his only suggestion for me was to add more pepper next time, but that is why I put salt and pepper "to taste!" I think I ended up using about half a tablespoon of each. Aside from that, he kept saying over and over that the soup was perfect and delicious!

 

I'm not a big cook, but now that I'm a mother I figured it'd be a great time to become one. I'm happy to have compiled my very own chicken noodle soup recipe that I can throw together in our crockpot any time we need a quick, hot meal!

 

 

Next Crockpot Creation.....

Tomato Soup... Coming soon :)

What I did with 2 Months

     Ever wondered what a mom on nine weeks of maternity leave does? Yeah, me neither. I had anticipated two months of hell as I struggled with the trials and tribulations of being a young, new mother with a screaming baby. I expected colic and acid reflux because it seems like everyone's baby had that. I expected eight weeks with hardly any sleep. I expected endless days of messy hair, no makeup, and sweatpants every day. I expected that by the end I would be so ready to return to work I couldn't stand it....

     What I got was just over two months of absolute bliss with the sweetest little baby I'm pretty sure there ever was. Seriously, this child is so calm. Clearly, he's taking after me and his dad. I had one rough week (the first one) that I can barely remember now, but I'm so in love I'd do it all over again. I got a baby who sleeps and sleeps well and has been since he was about a month old. I got a baby whose belly isn't at all sensitive; I've used Similac Advance, three different generic brands of this formula, and the Enfamil version. He takes all of them well and has had no tummy troubles. I got a baby who loves bath time. I got a baby who practically only cries when wet or hungry. Case in point: I have whacked him in the face twice with my humongous purse (accidentally of course); he scrunched up his nose, gave me a dirty look, then went right back to sleep. I got a baby who has been my saving grace, my reward for all the heartache I've experienced this year. I strongly believe that when we experience hard times and keep our faith in God through it all, He rewards us. I know I'm not perfect, but I also know that Vaught Charles was God's very special gift to me and my husband. Vaught is God's way of saying I told you I would pull you through. And I'm so grateful that He did.

     Okay, back to the point of this post. It took me a while to realize that all the bad things I'd heard about new babies and being a new mom were probably not going to happen to me. Just as with pregnancy when everyone was telling me to wait until I was miserable (I never was), none of the new mom stress has really applied to me. So with all the time I've had on my hands (and the time left--less than two weeks until I return to work), I've gotten really clean, really creative, and really... cultured??

1. Cleaning. You could eat a meal off my floors at any time during the day. I've kept my house that clean. I even completely cleaned out our garage during one of Vaught's long naps one day.


Basically, our garage doubled in size. There's still junk, but it looks much better!

2. Laundry. We are never in need of a matching sock or t-shirt; the laundry stays done! It doesn't always get put up right away, but at least I know we've always got clean clothes!

Laundry stays done, but I still look like this every day. So attractive!

3. TV. I have probably watched more TV in the past eight weeks than I have in my entire life. I have fallen in love with TLC, particularly 19 Kids & Counting. I've come to love the Duggar family! They're such a sweet, wholesome bunch with a family and faith-centered TV show. It's hard to watch it and not love them. My new favorite show is Extreme Cheapskates, and we watch it every Wednesday night (our one night without football). It's such a horrible guilty pleasure, and I laugh the entire time. I have watched the entire series of Sex and the City at least three times on E! Is it even possible to tire of Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha?!

4. Blogging. I never know when inspiration for a blog post will hit, but when it does I get right to it! So I found myself blogging from my phone when feeding and rocking Vaught and from my laptop during his naps. Then one day I suddenly had the urge to give it a complete makeover--I think it looks much more professional now. I've enjoyed blogging about my workouts and the Fourth Trimester Project. It's the perfect way to hold myself accountable.

5. Target. Ohhhhhh my gosh I can never get enough of Target. I take Vaught in his car seat, put him in a cart, and just walk around, sometimes for up to two hours. And I always stop by the Starbucks for a latte or iced coffee while we stroll around. We probably do this two or three times a week; I feel like the employees should know our names by now.

They say "sleep when the baby sleeps," but fortunately, I've not really had to. Vaught has been such an amazing baby, it makes us nervous to even think about Baby Pace #2!

I am, however, enjoying some good afternoon naps and LOTS of snuggles with Vaught Charles. Less than two weeks until I return to work, and we are going to make the very most of them!

Rebel Dip

If you're ever asked to bring a dish to a party (tailgating, office get-together, whatever!), rest assured that there is absolutely no way you can go wrong with a dip. As a high school teacher I hosted one or two small get-togethers in my classroom each year and what did my students always ask me to bring? The dip, of course! Because it's not a party without something hot and delicious to pile onto chips or crackers!

     I also have to admit that dips are my biggest weakness, my "problem food," if you will (don't say you don't have one). For some people it's sweets; my mother cannot get enough cake and chocolate! But me? Dips. I can destroy a bowl of Rotel or French onion dip in a matter of minutes. My stomach is a bottomless pit when chips and dip are involved, and self control around the dip bowl has been one of my biggest challenges when trying to eat healthy. Even still, I will always say that a great dip is a staple for a great party!

     Anyway, after the success of my Jalapeno Popper Dip, my husband asked that I give Rebel Dip a go. As you can see, it's a simple recipe from a dish we were given for our wedding, but it's been displayed in our kitchen for nearly two years, and I couldn't believe we hadn't tried it yet. Since I had all of the ingredients we needed, I decided I'd give it a whirl for our dinner Sunday night.

     It's really as simple as the dish says, but I added a leftover jalapeno from Friday night's dip to give it a little extra kick. In addition to that, I sautéed some mixed vegetables, and we had Rebel Dip as an entrée with crackers. I also used all nonfat cream cheese and low fat cheddar cheese. Cheese is cheese at the end of the day, but this did help a little as far as the fat content and calorie count go :) Make it any way you'd like!

DISCLAIMER: You are NOT committing fan blasphemy if you make this dip and are not a Rebel fan (but why wouldn't you be?!) I have seen the same recipe on similar dishes referred to as "Bulldog Dip," "Tiger Dip," Razorback Dip," etc, etc :)

 

This is the cream cheese and hot wing sauce melted together.
I heated it for about two minutes in the microwave and let the
oven do the rest!

My chicken was "chunkier" instead of shredded; I will take the
time to shred it next time!

I asked Eric which of the two dips I've made he liked the most, and he said the jalapeno popper dip, hands down! I have to agree and probably because there's more to that dip. I mean, when bacon is involved you can't go wrong! But I think I could spruce Rebel Dip up next time with some chopped onion and crispy bacon to give it even more flavor. I have to say that when I need a dish fast this will be my go-to!!! Enjoy!!!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

     Last night we had two of our best friends over for supper. We met Cliff and Jessica in the spring of 2013 and the four of us immediately became friends. They were the married the same day as us, and Jessica is now my go-to hair stylist! It was so relaxing to have friends over for the first time since Vaught's birth, and the four of us always have a great time together!

     In the final few days of pregnancy, I began craving jalapenos and have done so since Vaught was born. I scramble them with eggs, eat them in brown rice, and smother baked chicken with them. I'm a little bit obsessed with jalapenos right now! So I began pinning different jalapeno dips and recipes on Pinterest and decided to give jalapeno popper dip a go last night. This is actually a compilation of three different recipes I found.

Beware: this stuff is addictive!!! It's officially going to be my "dish" I bring to family events and cookouts! 

Ingredients

1 cup of mayonnaise

2 eight ounce packs of cream cheese softened (I used low fat cream cheese and added one more instead of just using two; two would have been plenty, so I'm recommending two!)

1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

6-8 slices of diced, crispy bacon (I did six slices; next time I'll do eight).

Chopped green onion (just buy one bundle and chop that)

5-6 chopped jalapenos--deseed them if you don't want it super hot. I kept the seeds on purpose so it'd be pretty fiery.

 

Topping

1/2 Cup of crushed Ritz crackers

1/2 stick of melted butter

1/4 cup of parmesan cheese

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350

Combine all of the ingredients in an oven-safe dish or bowl and stir with a spoon. This is a bit difficult; just mix it the best you can!

I combined my ingredients in a bowl before moving them to an oven-safe dish.

 

Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until dip begins to bubble.

For the topping, sprinkle the parmesan cheese and crushed crackers over the top of the dip and pour the butter over that.

I served it hot, but one Pinner says it's just as good served cold. Also, we dipped with tortilla chips and Ritz crackers; both were delicious!

ENJOY! And don't say I didn't tell you it was addictive.