Thank You!!

Real quick, I just wanted to thank all of my readers and people from SITS, stopping by yesterday. I had an absolute wonderful day being 'Featured Blogger' and have some new followers from it. I am so excited! I'll try not to let you down :) I never expected so many people to comment and read my posts yesterday. I was absolutely blown away!! For all of my new followers, slowly but surely, I'll try to make it by your blogs. To the people that have questions for me, I'll answer them as soon as possible. Hopefully it won't take me a year! :) Thank you all very much again! I hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Mama Needs A Break

First of all, I want to say that I am so, so very excited because I am featured blogger at SITS! For all of you that know what this site is, you know it's awesome! For those of you that don't, you should go check it out! So take a look around. Grab a cup of joe. Stay for a while! And of course, thanks for stopping by! :)

Just like any other mom out there, we absolutely love and adore our children and of course would do anything under the sun for them, but sometimes we just need a break! Of course, if I could, my break would be a long weekend in an extended stay spa, but who am I kidding! The thought is nice, anyway. I very rarely get to get out of the house by myself. We all know how hard it can be dragging the car seat in and out of the car to get where we are going. Especially if it's just to go to the grocery store to get one item. Hasn't anyone thought of drive through stores yet? Well, tonight, I finally got a small and well deserved break. Davis has been doing pretty well lately. His four hour schedule is working out well, but man, when that boy is upset, he sure lets me know! My best friend had wanted me to come meet her for a glass of wine tonight and the thought sounded oh so nice! I seriously didn't know if I was going to be able to make it at first, on the count of Davis. Michael's schedule is still absolutely nuts and I didn't exactly feel like taking Davis to the restaurant with me. I was feeding him his cereal and a five o'clock alarm starts siring in my ears. What is wrong with this kid!? I can't shovel the food in his mouth fast enough for him to eat! If there was an automatic spoon that fed him, I would buy it. Right in the middle of him eating, and me trying to get him to calm down, the most wonderful noise flooded through my ears. The garage door was opening! Yes! Michael was home! I did feel pretty bad that right when he walked through the door, he was greeted by a screaming baby and me wanting to rip my hair out. He just looked at me and said, "Go on. Get out of here. You need a break." No arguments here! I'll take it and run! Ahhh....time to myself. But what was so weird was I was actually ready to get home. Part of me was sitting there thinking how nice this is. Finally a break. Finally time alone to myself and not have to worry about diaper changes for a few hours. And then the other part of me was thinking how I couldn't wait to see him when he woke up and I could bathe him when I got home. I was also wondering if I should call and make sure he had finally calmed down, but I decided against that one. Maybe it's baby steps. I did get to enjoy myself for a few glasses of wine out with my friend...and still home in time to bathe my little monkey.

Wordless Wednesday

I love, love this picture! My little cuddle monkey :)


I'm trying to scoot, mama!

I've Come To Realize

Am I getting old? Or maybe my mind just wanders too much and I think about everything! Maybe it's having my own family and realizing things have changed, won't ever be the same as before, and I'm absolutely more than fine with that. Maybe I've been smacked across the head with a brick of reality and woken up just a tad. Who knows. But here is what I've come to realize.

Yes, this is random and in no order:

I've come to realize:
I am absolutely nothing without my family. They are my backbone and get me through the day.

My family is my life line. I may not have a large family, but what I have is close and amazing.

My son is my life.

I really, really miss my friends. I am so homesick and wish I could see my old friends more.

Let by gones be by gones. Things happen in the past. Forgive and move on. I am a new and changed person.

I love wine. Yes, love it. And I secretly wish I was an awesome wine snob. But I can pretend, right? Swirl, Sniff, Smell. I got this!

I love working out! I know I'll never have the perfect body, but I want to feel comfortable in my skin.
I really wish I could write for a living. And I mean actually get paid. Cash flow, baby!

I'm obviously addicted to blogging and never saw this coming!

I fall more and more in love with my husband and just think he's the best guy ever. He's my rock and together we roll!

I secretly would love to go to culinary school. But would hate to work in a restaurant. So, umm...

I have an amazing group of friends. Sometimes, I don't know what I would do without them.

I would give anything to back to Italy, but I want to go everywhere. I think I just want to relive my honeymoon!

I am turning into my mother

I have become organized. And I mean I have a binder with daily routine organized.

I feel chaotic without some type of schedule now.

I wish I was the Baby whisper and could read Davis' thoughts. My magic 8 ball broke.

No matter the amount of money in the world, it would never compare to having my wonderful family.

It feels so good to reconnect with old friends!!

God has truly blessed me with all that I have and for that, I am thankful.

Love Is....

What is love...(if you're a goofball like me, you have the song stuck in your head and the old skit from SNL playing in your mind!) For each and every person, it obviously means something different, but maybe a lot of different somethings. Over the year, my somethings grew to a whole new level having Davis. I never knew I could love someone so much, but in a different way that I love Michael. My heart feels full and content, like this was meant to be in so many ways.

Love Is...

Parenthood

Love Is...waking my sweet baby in the morning to see his first sweet smile of the day. Getting to watch him grow day by day, and to experience and learn new things. To watch him explore the world and get just as excited with him, as if I'm experiencing it for the first time too. Knowing nothing else in the world matters, as long as I have my family. Doing anything humanly possible to keep my sweet baby safe and happy. Singing in the middle of the grocery store to stop those tears. Dancing around the house like a monkey just to make him laugh. Making up new and awful songs daily with his name in them. Getting peed, puked, and everything else on and the thought of it making me mad, not even enter my mind. Watching Michael with Davis and my heart melts. Knowing Michael is the best father, daddy and husband. Loving that Michael would spend every waking second with his son if he could. Knowing he can't wait to teach him things that his dad taught him. Having to clean spit up off the floor who knows how many times daily. Knowing my wonderful husband and I created this wonderful baby and it's the best thing we've ever done together. The little flirting stage that he's in and loving every minute of it. Waking up in the middle of the night because it's diaper changing time once again, but then he smiles and makes it all better. Being completely exhausted during the day at times, but find the energy to be a goofball with him. To cherish every single moment with him, big or small. Not take anything for granted. Knowing he is a blessing. Realizing he is a true awakening. Laughing with him. Learning with him. Growing with him. To try and teach him as much as possible. Try new things. To try and be the best possible parent that I can be and knowing I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world!

What's For Dinner Wednesday?

This recipe was great and simple and also under 400 calories! Yes, that's right! It was a perfect combo of sweet and tangy/sour, falling off of your fork. Perfect portion size, also.

Honey-Soy Glazed Salmon w/ Spinach and Peppers

1 tbs honey

3 tsp low sodium soy sauce

1 1/4 pound skinless salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 tbs canola oil

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 tbs chopped fresh ginger (I honestly can't tell you how it is w/ ginger b/c I'm allergic. But it's still delicious w/out it!)

3 bunches spinach, thick stems removed

1 tbs toasted sesame seeds (mine aren't toasted and were still great!)

-Heat broiler. In a small bowl, combine the honey and 1 tsp of soy sauce

-Place the salmon on a foil lined broiler proof baking sheet and season w/ 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Broil for 5 minutes. Spoon the honey mixture over the salmon and broil until the salmon is opaque throughout, 2 to 5 minutes more.

-Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes; stir in the ginger

-Add the spinach and 1/2 tsp salt and cook, tossing, until just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tsp of soy sauce. Serve with the salmon and sprinkle w/ the sesame seeds

Per Serving: 321 calories; 15g fat; 36g protein; 10g carb; 6g sugar; 3g fiber 119mg calcium

Happy Eating!

Our New Schedule

Davis is 5 months old as of yesterday! The past few months have literally zoooooomed by! And a little too quickly for me, I might add. He is at such a fun stage right now and we are seriously loving it. He laughs at everything, which of course makes me just feel like I am the funniest mom around. Overall, Davis is such a happy baby and he really cracks me up. I am fascinated by every new thing he does, big or small.

He's getting better at sitting up on his own, but still falls over a little bit. He is still sleeping in his swaddle at night. We tried having him not sleep with it, but that didn't go over too well. We even tried a sleep sack, but since his arms are out, he wasn't quite used to it. He just loves being all bundled up and sleep great with it. So, why knock it just yet I guess.

I moved Davis to a new schedule and it's actually going great! He was eating every 3 to 3 1/2 hours and now he has moved to a 4 hour schedule. I love it! It gives me so much more time to do things and run errands when Michael is home and I can get out alone. So now I feed him at:

8 am and then solids around 8:30-9

12pm and then solids around 1ish

4 pm and solids

7pm bedtime

10pm dream feed

I am still breastfeeding and decreasing the amount that he gets at 10pm. I think within the next week he won't have that feeding anymore and will be down to four feedings daily plus solids. He's actually down to a little over 1 ounce and it's going great. He usually falls asleep around 7:30 and sometimes will wake up around 5am for a diaper change, and then sleep until 8am when I feed him. We bought those 'Baby Dry' diapers which are supposed to last 12 hours and actually work wonders. Davis is still a peeing machine, but getting so much better. So that's pretty much it in a nutshell.

I am so curious to see how much weight he has put on since introducing solids to him. I sometimes do 'Mommy & Baby Yoga' with him and I think my lil butterball turkey has some extra stuffing these days. It is seriously getting so much harder and can tell a difference the next day. Whoa, baby!

What's For Dinner Wednesday?

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Dried Fruit & Goat Cheese



1 tablespoon butter

1/4 finely chopped onion

1/4 pitted and coarsely chopped dates (or prunes...sounds ug but good!)

1/4 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1/4 cup crumbled soft fresh goat cheese

Kosher salt & ground black pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast

4 slices of bacon

2 tablespoon olive oil



***I use the dried, bagged apricots and prunes/dates that are found in produce section

**Also, turkey bacon is really good as a substitute for real bacon and so much better for you!

*And if you're cooking for 2, obviously just cut in half

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Heat butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft and lightly browned, 5-6 minute. Set aside to cool

3.Put dates and apricots in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add parsley, thyme and reserved onions; pulse briefly to combine.

4. Transfer to a small bowl, gently fold in goat cheese and season to taste with s&p

5. Set chicken breast on a cutting board. Use a thin, sharp knife to slice a pocket in the thicker side of each chicken breast, not cutting all the way through. Stuff the breast, spreading the stuffing evenly.

6. Wrap 1 strip of bacon crosswise around each chicken breast. Tie with kitchen string in a few places, being sure to secure the bacon. Season with s&p.

7. Divide oil between 2 large skillets and heat over medium-high heat. When pans are hot, put 2 chicken breasts in each skillet (or use 1 skillet and cook in batches) Sear until nicely browned, 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a baking sheet.

8. Bake until chicken is cooked through, 12-15 minutes, turning breasts over about halfway through baking time.

9. Remove chicken from oven, cut off string and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

(This is really good with roasted broccoli or cauliflower!)



Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

My men-Loves of my life
His new play gym :0 He loves it!

Loooves those hands!
My sweet baby!

The Baby Food Debate

Jar Food vs Homemade Food

I have recently had several conversations about the differences between jar food and making your own. I am making Davis' food right now and before I go any further, I don't want to come across as I am trying to persuade you to doing something different. Just wanted to share some facts of making your own. If in any way, this causes some sort of debate, or sparks something that makes you upset for any reason, I apologize and feel free to move on.

Sometimes going to the grocery store and buying the pre-made food is just so much easier. Why do something differently, especially when it takes more time to prepare? What happens if you run out of your already made food and you aren't at home? Well, obviously plan B. Go buy some! Check a couple of things: Buy the jars with the most calories. Unlike most women who look for 0 calories, obviously baby needs them. If only life were that easy! Also, make sure there are no added chemicals and preservatives. Sometimes, that is the tricky part. You don't always know.

Some benefits of homemade food:

More Nutritious
Making your own food actually retains more of Vitamins A and B, along with more nutrients. Unfortunately, many of the vitamins are destroyed in the jarring process because of the use of very high heat and pressure. Some baby food also has thickening agents and additives such as corn starch, flour, or tapioca. Preservatives include partially hydrogenated oils or trans-fats, which are linked to diabetes, cancer and heart disease. This means more filler, less nutrients. Making homemade is more bang for your buck!

Taste
Of course no one actually remembers what baby food tastes like...unless you're curious and take a couple of nibbles :) Jar food actually tastes less like the real thing. Fresh just tastes better. Jar food isn't seasonal and also doesn't come in every type of fruit or vegetable. Some children get used to bland, smooth, jarred foods and have difficulty being reintroduced to the same real foods and textures later.

Less Cost

The cost for making your own baby food is often less than buying commercially prepared baby foods, if you shop smart and cook in larger quantities. For instance a four ounce jar of baby food ranges in price from .60 - $1.20 each, depending on brand and place purchased. With just one sweet potato, I was able to feed Davis for a little over a week with it. You can also pour your food into an ice cube tray and save large quantities.

It's super easy to make and takes very little time. Now, with that being said, hope no one is offended, just wanted to share some things.

What's For Dinner?

I made this for dinner last night, but just didn't get a chance to post it. Believe it or not, I have been asked what I eat for dinner by several people. I'm no Betty Crocker, but love to cook. As long as I don't give Michael food poisoning, I think I'm on the right track!

Prosciutto-wrapped Pork w/ Sweet Potatoes and Pears
(Hands on time:15 min; Total time: 45 min; Serves 4)

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound),
peeled & cut lengthwise into wedges

2 firm red Bartlett pears,
cut into wedges ( I didn't find these & think I grabbed Asian)

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 sprigs fresh thyme

Kosher salt & black pepper

1 1/4 piece pork tenderloin

1/4 pound thinly slicked prosciutto

1 tablespoon honey

-Heat oven to 425 F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes, pears, oil, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. ( Just shake it on there!!!) Roast for 15 minutes

-Meanwhile, wrap the pork in the prosciutto, slightly overlapping the slices to cover the pork completely.

-Push the veggies to the edges of the baking sheet, place the pork in the center, and drizzle the pork with the honey. Roast until the pork is cooked through and the sweet potatoes and pears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. let the pork rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with potatoes and pork.



Easy peeezy! This was sooo good. The sweetness of the pears & honey mixed with the pork was amazing. Michael liked it so much, he took leftovers with him to work today.

Enjoy! :)

Wordless Wednesday

My sweet baby, all ready for bed. I could just squeeeeeeze him forever. The pacifier he has on his outfit is great. It says, "Pull To Sound Alarm" Perfect!Daddy Jr. already! King of the sofa! He's all hunched in a ball in this picture and makes him look like a linebacker! Haha!
My sweet cheeks! Little Gerber baby.
My Love!

Don't forget to vote for me! Thank you so very much! :)

Hopes For 2010

I don't ever really make New Years Resolutions because let's face it. I can't keep them. It's usually the same thing, that is go work out more, eat better, lose weight..blah, blah, blah. So I'm not doing this year, exactly. Instead, I'm going to make more of goals for the year.

-Be the best mom/wife that I can be. I need to try and stay calmer whenever Davis decides to scream at 4am. Sometimes I just want to rip my hair out! So instead, I need to practice calm breathing or something!

-Of course, workout more! I do pretty good with this, but it's easy to make excuses when you just don't have the energy or don't feel like it at all. But I need to remember I feel much better after I workout!

-Cook more! Michael and I split up the cooking, but I really want to cook more. I am obsessed with 'Real Simple' magazine. They have some of the best recipes that are good for you and real simple to make! I would love to take more cooking classes and learn more great recipes. And baking!

-Volunteer: I have tried to get involved with such things as Make a Wish, Food Shelter, and a couple of others. No one needs volunteers. How is that even possible. I want to try and get involved with something. And hoping that I can find a mommy's day out for Davis!

-Go to church more. Ever since Davis has been born, it has been so hard to get to church. The times are either really early, or really late and then it feels like the whole day is over. They are also during his nap times and I'm a little nervous that he will scream the whole way through.

-Get more organized! I actually have my life in order pretty well, but still some things that once again, make me want to rip my hair out. Maybe I should call HGTV and have them come help me out! Again, thanks to Real Simple, they have great tips. I know, I know. If you know me, you're probably reading this, thinking, what has happened to my friend? Hey, things happen. I'm still the same, just a little more focused on what is important and needs to get done. Yes, it's strange even for me!