Spring has arrived; Mom of 2 Advice & Baby Update!

It's been a little while since I've posted. A viral tornado swept through our house and took myself and Easton out for a solid two weeks. Easton was admitted to Mott's Childrens Hospital and at one point, I was at St. Joes down in Ann Arbor - it was that bad. I wouldn't have wished that sickness on anyone. But thankfully we're over that, the weather is getting much better, and spring is finally here! Our house got a much deserved deep cleaning and disinfecting after our nasty cold battle, and things are looking promising for this upcoming summer. Don't get me wrong, I love a good snowfall. When you look outside your front window and the snow is falling perfectly and it glistens in the street lights. But if it were my ideal world, snow would be gone after January 1st. With the kind of winters we get here in Michigan, I am GLAD that spring is here and the snow has melted. Even though it looks brown and dirty and nasty outside, I'll take it!

It's a couple minutes past 8pm and dinner has been made and ate, dishes are done, bath time is completed, pajamas are on, two more loads of laundry have been done, and a bottle has been warmed up waiting for little man to drink himself into a full-tummy-slumber. It's been one of those days where nothing goes as planned. Easton wanted to be held the entire day, and when he wasn't being held or sleeping, he was screaming to be held. During breakfast, he continued to test me by picking up pieces of food off of his tray, looking right at me, and throwing them on the ground. Then when I would tell him "No" he would cry for three minutes. Then, stop crying and do it all over again. He cried while attempting to go down for a nap, tears streaming and his voice yelling, as his eyes are closed and he's fighting it. He insisted on standing in between my legs screaming while I prepped dinner until I would pick him up, which I had to do in order to even get dinner made. In that moment was when I decided it would be an early night. Right from his high chair after dinner, he went straight into the bath where he then insisted on standing up, and getting mad and yelling every time I told him he had to sit down. He fought like crazy when he had to get his pajamas put on. And now, well he insisted on sitting on my lap and screaming until I would pick him up and put him there. Tonight is a night where I will thank the inventor of TV and Disney for allowing me to have DVRs of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse saved. Today was a day where it was exhausting being a mommy. Although I wouldn't ever even think about trading the job for the world, today was tiring and testing. I have learned the hard way that when it comes to parenting, there will be battles that you should fight, and battles to just let go. If you fight every little thing, you will be a crazy person! Tonight during dinner I thought to myself "why won't you just eat your green beans? Or your watermelon? Why do you only insist on eating your hamburger that is coated in ketchup?????" and then I reminded myself, this isn't a horrible battle, it isn't going to kill him to only eat his hamburger, and he will be fine. Before I actually became a parent I would tell myself "I won't make three different meals for all of my kids, they will eat healthy, there will be no "ifs, ands, or buts" about it. But tonight, I let go of the battle. It just wasn't worth it today. Maybe tomorrow will be different. Maybe tomorrow he will want to eat the good foods, but today just isn't that day. Now, when he refused to sit down in the bath tub, that was a battle he would not win. We must of spent a total of 15 minutes, doing the same thing over and over. He would look at me, throw his duck over the bath tub ledge, I would bend over and out it back in, he would stand up on the side of the tub, I would him "No Easton, you need to sit down", he would look at me and yell, and I would sit him back down, and he would cry for 30 seconds of so. And the whole thing would start all over again. He finally got it because he went to stand up, I said "No, sit down" and he looked at me for a second and sat back down and then carried on playing. Not once did he try to do it again. I've learned that repetition works with my child. He gets it, after awhile, I just have to be consistent and patient. Today, there was a lot of consistence and patience. And lots of prayers.

Since I was so sick with that horrible viral infection, I completely lost track of time. I'm already 18 weeks and a couple days along in this pregnancy. It's flying by and I wish the days wouldn't go so fast, but they are. My mom and I went to a wedding shower this past Sunday for my cousin and the food was delicious. It was one of the first times where I really had a full appetite and I actually ate like a pregnant girl. I've continuously lost some weight from the beginning this time around, just like I had with Easton, but in my first pregnancy I had gained it all back by now. I'm not quite there yet because the infection really took its toll on me and I ended up in the hospital because I couldn't keep anything down and I was so dehydrated. But if my appetite stays the way it was on Sunday, I should be in good shape. Here's a pregnancy update:

18 weeks, 2 days

Liz Lange Navy & White Striped Maternity Dress from Target

This dress is so comfy and soft, and fits great! I love it so much I just might go back and get a couple more in different colors for this summer! A pregnancy must have!!!

How far along? 18 Weeks

Total weight gain: I'm still down a couple pounds but my appetite is back in full swing so that should change soon.
Maternity clothes? A couple shirts and a dress! My normal pants and yogas are still good though!
Stretch marks? Only the ones I have from before.
Sleep: It's getting harder and harder to get comfortable and I've noticed I'm getting up more often to go pee.
Best moment this week: When Easton fell asleep on my stomach.
Miss Anything? A spiked lemonade sounds pretty good with spring approaching, but that won't happen for awhile.
Movement: Oh yeah, especially when I lay down for bed at night.
Food cravings: Pasta, pasta, and more pasta this week.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope.
Gender: Unknown.
Labor Signs: None.
Symptoms: Last weekend I had a couple braxton hicks that we're no fun at all.
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy now that this cold is over with.
Looking forward to: Finding out if we're having a boy or girl in two short weeks!

Since I will be a mommy of two under two, there are a couple of things we will be changing. Summer is approaching, which means lots of exercising, playing at the park, outside activities, and the zoo!!! Since we are constantly on the go, and my stroller is my life savor right now, I know a double stroller will be a necessity with baby number two; as well as an upgrade on our diaper bag. I think I must of looked up strollers online at least once a day for the past couple of weeks, but I just can't decided. Do we want a front-to-back or side-by-side? What are some things that are a must have in a double stroller? What should I expect out of them? And the same with a diaper bag? I use my diaper bag all the time, still, with Easton. The last thing I want to do is carry around 2 diaper bags so I know I will need to upgrade to a bigger one so I can fit everything for both little ones into it. What's the best one? What brand? What should it include? I'm just so lost. For all of you moms of two or more little ones, what kind of stroller do you use? Diaper bag? Any advice? Have you found one you absolutely love and couldn't go without? Any and all advice will be greatly appreciated! You can leave it in a comment below or feel free to contact me on here or on my facebook if you'd like!!! Coming up soon here I will definitely be doing some reviews on baby products, so keep watch!

xoxo,

Christine

Baby Andrews #2 - Weeks 15/16

Hey there!
Last week I was pretty sick with a horrible cold that hit our house and not only knocked myself out, but it took Jake and Easton out for a couple of days as well. My dad got lucky and was the only one who didn't get it, but the rest of us were pretty rough so I didn't do my weekly pregnancy post. I'm not going to fill out two different questionnaires, I'll just do one combined. This past week I have been feeling a lot of movement! YAY! We had a doctors visit at the beginning of this past week and everything looks good. Babies little heart beat is coming in strong at 154 beats per minute. We couldn't get an ultrasound yet to check the gender, but we did schedule it for April 8th! It seems like forever away but I know it will go by fast. I have to get some blood work done this upcoming week so hopefully that comes back fine. I have been feeling sick randomly this past week, and of course, I started feeling nauseous about an hour ago and it still hasn't gone away. This pregnancy has been completely different from when I was pregnant with Easton, which has lead me to believe that this time around it may be a girl. Jake has a "gut feeling" it's a girl too and he's even had a dream that it was a girl. But, who knows, every single pregnancy is different and either way, we will adore and love this baby that God has gifted us with. 4 months down, and a long hot summer to go! I don't have any good pictures because I've been feeling so yucky and, well, they wouldn't be flattering at all lol.

How far along? 16 Weeks

Total weight gain: I'm still down 4 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight, but I've gained 2 pounds since my last visit so we're slowly making progress.
Maternity clothes? I've been wearing some of my maternity shirts from before because it seems like my stomach is growing twice as fast as everything else. But all of my usual pants and jeans fit just fine.
Stretch marks? None yet, and I'm still doing my daily cocoa butter and bioskin oil treatments.
Sleep: It might be time to get a pregnancy pillow soon because I can't seem to get comfortable or stay comfortable at night. I used one of my friends last time because I didn't want to spend all of the money on one if I wasn't going to like it. This time around I think I'll buy one and I'm sure it will be totally worth it!
Best moment this week: When we had discussions about baby names! So exciting!
Miss Anything? Spicy foods! I used to have a high tolerance for spice, but this time around, baby isn't having it. I can't even eat Mild wings from Buffalo Wild Wings :(
Movement: It's like there's a circus going on in there!
Food cravings: Jake had to go to the store to get me not one, but two boxes of Choco Tacos this week. None of them are left. Whoops!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not anything particular, but a lot more sick feelings this week then the past couple of weeks.
Gender: Not sure, but I have a weird feeling there's a mini-me in there!
Labor Signs: None.
Symptoms: Yucky feeling. If this snow would melt and it would warm up, that might make me feel better ;)
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Because I'm happy; clap along if you feel like there's a baby in your belly!
Looking forward to: Finding out if I can unpack all of Easton's baby clothes, or if our budget is going to take a hit with all the new pink and cheetah print stuff I'm going to just haveeeeeeee to buy!

xoxo,

Christine

Kale Chips - Done 2 Ways!

Hey everyone!

Sorry it's been a little while since I've posted, I know I promised a recipe. Last week I had a pretty nasty cold that took forever to kick, but I'm finally healthy again! Before I got sick, I was on a recipe kick. And it just so happens that Jake came home from work and told me about how a coworker of his made some homemade Kale chips and Jake actually tried them... and actually liked them! Since I've been trying to get everyone in the house to eat healthier (including me!), I figured I would take a stab at it and attempt to make my own. I read a ton of different recipes online, but all of them were different so I just decided to wing it, and to my own benefit, they came out great!

I decided to make two different kinds because I am a crazy person when it comes to BBQ potato chips so I thought, if I could make some kale chips that were just as yummy, I'd be set. Well, Jake isn't as crazy about BBQ as I am so I did some more milder ones for him, parmesan and garlic. Personally, I think they both came out delicious and I will definitely be making more! I know they are good because I made all of our friends and family try them, over and over again, to reassure myself, and none of them complained! So here's the recipes, this time, equip with pictures!

Parmesan Garlic Kale Chips & Barbecue Kale Chips

* I had one large bunch of Kale and made that one bunch into two different flavor batches. The first couple of steps of prep are the same for both, since I made everything together up until that point, and then separated them into different batches. * One large bunch of Kale, split into two, makes about 1-2 cups of each flavor, so 3-4 cups total. You can use more or less Kale if you'd like, this recipe is pretty easy to "eye-ball" so you can add or subtract the other ingredients by using your "gut-instinct". *

Ingredients:

One large bunch of Kale 
Olive Oil - I used an Extra Virgin/Canola Oil Mix
Minced Garlic
Parmesan Cheese
Salt
Pepper
Barbecue Seasoning


Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with baking or parchment paper (this isn't necessary but it makes for a very easy clean-up). Wash your Kale. Dry it - and make sure it's REALLY dry. If you have a salad spinner, that would work great. If not, be sure to dry it very well with a towel and let it sit out for a little while to make sure there is no more water on it. Once your Kale is washed and dried, cut it up into large pieces. The pieces don't have to be small, because the Kale will shrink a lot while baking. Place the Kale into a large bowl. Here's what mine looked like after cutting:

Next, pour on your Olive Oil. I used 5 heaping tablespoons, but you can be the judge of it if you think you need more or less. Also, add in 3 tablespoons of minced Garlic. Now, mix well. Get in there with your hands and make sure all of the Kale is coated. Now split up your Kale mixture onto both baking sheets, Making sure there is enough room on each for proper baking and make both sheets even with Kale.

For Parmesan and Garlic Kale Chips:

Once your Kale/Olive Oil/Garlic mixture is on your baking sheets, sprinkle a generous amount of Salt, Pepper, and Parmesan cheese over all of them. This is what mine looked like:

For Barbecue Kale Chips:

Once your Kale/Olive Oil/Garlic mixture is on your baking sheets, sprinkle a generous amount of Salt, Pepper, and the Barbecue seasoning over all of them. This is what mine looked like:

Next, cook in the oven for 8 minutes. Remove both trays and toss them around, but be gentle, they are fragile.

This is what the Parmesan Garlic chips look like at 8 minutes:

And this is what the Barbecue chips look like at 8 minutes:

Once you've tossed them, place back in the oven for another 8 minutes. Toss one more time, then cook for an additional 2 minutes. Then remove the trays and allow them to cool fully. The longer you let them cool, the crispier the chips will get.

Here is what the Garlic Parmesan chips look like once they are done:

And here is what the Barbecue chips look like once they are done:

As most of you probably know, I sell Tupperware products. We carry a line called Modular Mates, they are air-tight containers, and that's what I used to store my Kale chips in!

I loved these! They were very easy to make, I mainly eyeballed everything, and they are so healthy for you so it's a "win" all across the board. You can try other seasonings and what not too! Next time I am going to try some of the Hidden Valley Ranch Packets on them and see how that turns out! I hope you try these and they are just as yummy for you as they were for me! Enjoy!

xoxo,
Christine