I wonder who I would be....

I wonder who I would be if I had never became a mom. I'm sure I wouldn't be so pale as I am now. I would probably have more time to stop by the tanning salon. My hair probably wouldn't have as many split ends. I tend to lose track of the last time I got my haircut these days. My eyebrows probably wouldn't look like caterpillars because I would probably remember to get them waxed on a regular basis. So basically I would probably look more put together than I do now. I would probably be that girl that wears all name brand clothes because I would have money to spend on them. Instead now, I use all that money to buy diapers and wipes and baby food. I would probably be the girl that could meet her friends out for a drink after work, but instead I'm giving my baby a bath and reading bed time stories and singing my baby to sleep. I would probably be more rested and not have dark circles under my eyes from waking up at 3am to play with a baby that did not want to go back to bed. My house would definitely be more put together. The clothes would be folded and put away, instead of sitting in the laundry basket, there wouldn't be dishes in the sink, dinner would always be ready at the same time every night. Instead I'm having to make sure my baby isn't playing in the toilet water or pulling forks and spoons out of the dishwasher or dragging pots and pans out of the cabinets. If I had never became a mom I would probably be a little bit skinner and would have more time to workout and run instead of catching up on sleep. If I had never became a mom I would never fully understand how precious life is. I would never know how fast time flies. I would never learn that being a mom is the hardest, yet most rewarding job a person can ever have. If I had never became a mom I would have never found out who I really am or who my husband really is. If I had never became a mom I would have never learned who my true friends are or how much family really means to me. If I had never became a mom I would never fully comprehend how much it can actually hurt YOU to see someone you love, especially your own child, cry and be in pain, and that you would do anything in the entire world to take that pain away. I would have never learned that when he is hurt, it probably hurts me more than him. If I had never became a mom I would never understand the true meaning of a mother's love. I would have never learned how hard it actually was for my mother to do what she did. If I had never became a mom I would not be as happy as I am today. I would be a woman who had no purpose, no direction. I would be lonely and I would be missing out on something way better than working hard, working out, being tan, and being successful. Sure, it's great to be those things, and you can do all those things while being a mom, but the women that choose not to be a mom or think that they won't accomplish their bucket list if they become a mom, have no idea what they are missing out on. They would probably say I don't know what I am missing out on because I am a mom and all the sacrifices I have to make. The thing is however, is that I have the best of both worlds. I can do all the things that they are doing AND be a mom. I can have dreams and goals and a huge bucket list. I don't need to complete a bucket list before I can be a mom. People that believe that think their life is "over" when they have a child. To me...my life has just begun.

Being a Mom

Every mom knows that being a mother is one of the hardest and rewarding jobs in the world. Every day is a blessing and it's hard to believe how much work goes into each day. I feel like I have a different choice to make regarding my son on a daily basis and as a first time mom it is very hard to know if you are making the right one. At the end of the day if my son is happy and content then I think I've done my job as a mother. A mother can never love too much. Some days seem longer than others and it seems as though the hours just drag and drag, but the weeks go fast and I think the years will even go faster. I think back to when Hunter was a newborn and I honestly do not know how I did it. I felt clueless on what to do and I'm not sure I even knew the right thing to do, but it's so true that your motherly instinct just kicks in. You just KNOW what to do and what is best for your child. Sure, there are times you have no idea what to do if you can't get rid of his diaper rash after slathering on Desitin or why he's crying at 2 in the morning and won't go back to sleep, but eventually, everything falls into place. Every day is a new lesson for me. I learn new strategies daily on what works best for my son. I've learned that he rubs his eyes when he gets tired and wants to go to sleep, or he'll cry if he's hungry, or he'll lift up his arms to you if he wants you to pick him up. When I smile, he smiles and when I laugh, he wants to laugh with me. The thing about motherhood is there is always someone out there that thinks they know what's best for YOUR child. There are lots of tips and advice that I have used and I found it comforting to hear what other mom's did and have gone through. It's hard to know what's right or wrong, but at the end of the day if your baby is happy, loved, and has a full tummy, I think you're doing your job. I've learned that while I'm taking care of him, he's taking care of me too, and he doesn't even know it.

Where has it all gone?

Well, it has been quite some time since I've let you all in on what's going on in my life. I just really got caught up in LIFE! I started a new job so now I'm working during the day, which has become amazing for myself, my family, and my relationship with my husband. I'm not sure how much longer we could have handled me working at night. When I was working at night that didn't leave us much time for the bedroom and as most of you know, when you have a new baby in the house, most of the time you spend in your bedroom you are not awake for. We got married in October and we definitely skipped the honeymoon stage and never really got to be newlyweds. I wouldn't change it for the world though. Our little guy is worth it! Anyway, back to life! Little man is walking with his little walker and stands up next to the couch and walks all along it. He's going to be walking before we know it. I'm not real sure how I feel about that. I feel like he needs me less and less each day and at times I miss when he completely needed me to do everything for him. But, I love love love love watching him grow and learn. He goes to daycare now and it has been so fun to watch him interact with other babies. It's so exciting to watch him become a little boy! At times I miss being home with him all day everyday, but I like working and I like that he's getting time with other children and teachers.

I recently started buying diapers and wipes off of Diapers.Com and let's just say, I like it! I love that it arrives to house super fast and I don't have to pay shipping! Gosh, babies are expensive. How do people do it when they have twins? If I could spend every cent on little man, I totally would. But I guess I need to put gas in my car, pay the utilities, pay the house payment, and put food on the table for the hubby and I...I'm sure some of you can relate, if I won the lottery, I would definitely be spending/saving most of it on little guy. I guess that's what happens when you become a mom. Everything changes, priorities change, views adapt. That's what makes life so eventful and so fun. You can't predict anything and you just take it all as it comes. I've definitely changed as a person. Thanks to my son, he's made me see what life is all about, what it has to offer. I can't wait to see what else he is going to teach me.

We had a great Easter!!! I think he had fun on his first Easter egg hunt!! :) AHHH! Pure happiness!!!

Never Take Anything For Granted

Life is so short. No one knows exactly when our time will come or when our loved ones will be taken from us. That's life. I wonder sometimes how much different we all would be if we knew the exact moment when our life would end. Would we do more things knowing tomorrow might never come? Would we be nicer to the cashier at the store? Would we say "I love you" to our husbands, our children, our parents? Would we call our parents more then we do? Gosh, I don't know. Maybe knowing would make us go crazy. It actually definitely would make us go crazy. We act the way we do because we think we will be given one extra day to make things right; to fix things. But what if we don't? What if we don't have that extra day to apologize or to tell someone how much they mean to you? I never realized how precious life is until I had a baby. I want to see him do so many things. I want to see him walk and hear his first word and to listen to all his giggles. I want to watch him go to kindergarten, play baseball, and I want to go to countless track meets and watch him. Or band concerts if that's the route he chooses. I want to see him graduate high school and get married and have children of his own. I don't want to miss any of that. When I had a bridal shower all the guests wrote advice on a notecard. Over half of those notecards told me to never go to bed mad. I think that is so true. We need to end each day on a positive note. No one wants to wake up with a heavy mind. I want everyone to know that I care and love them at the end of the day. Each morning is a reason to celebrate life. God has blessed you with one more day to do better then the day before. Everyone says to never take anything for granted because you never know when it will be taken from you. Live each moment like it's your last. There's no way we can actually do that because deep down, we know that it's not our last. We always assume that we have another chance, another opportunity. Eventually that will not be the case. We live to learn. I want to be a better person. I want to be a better mother, a better wife, daughter, sister, friend. I want to LIVE. I want to be kind to people I don't know and be happy, because there is always a reason to be happy. It can always be worse. I have experienced a lot in my 24 years, but I am sure that I have experienced more good than bad. There are so many people out there that have it worse then me. I have great friends, parents that support me and love me, a brother who has become my best friend, a husband who thinks I'm the greatest woman in the world, and a beautiful baby boy who needs me. I have a roof over my head and I put food on the table. I laugh more than I cry and I think more than I speak. I am blessed. I have worked to get where I am, but God has and is blessing me and the people in my life. What more could I want? There's tons and tons of things I want, but I've got everything I need. I have it so good. SO GOOD. Life is beautiful. 


My dad is a birdwatcher. He loves birds and when I was little he would take me bird watching. He loves it and I grew to love it. There's a peace about looking at birds through binoculars. They are magnificent creatures that just float through the air. They are beautiful and strong and are independent. My dad taught me to notice the little things. He taught me to appreciate everything around me. He makes me notice the rain, the dark clouds, each little piece of grass, a flower petal, an ant walking on the ground. My favorite thing when I run in the early mornings (it's been a while since I've done that), is taking a deep breath and seeing my breath in the air. I don't know what it is, but I love it. How many times do you notice something like that? Every time you walk outside in the winter? When do you really notice the frost on the windows in the morning or the dew on the grass? When do you really see the colors of the sunset? We always notice the bad things. The wrinkles around our eyes, the gray in our hair, our muscles that aren't toned. We are so quick to pick out the things that are wrong, when really, we should be focusing on the things that are right. When I stare at Hunter I notice every little wrinkle, every hair. He's so new, so fresh. I don't want to miss anything about him. What would life be like if we stopped being so busy and just noticed what was around us? If we just appreciated what we had right in front of us? We will never know. Life is so wonderful, but we tend to forget that when we get all caught up with everything else going on. 


My daddy taught me to see that life is beautiful. There is something beautiful about every moment of every day. Embrace it. Look at it. Capture the moment. Breath. Live. We never know when our last day might be, but we have today. We have it now and that's all that matters. 

 My Daddy 

Us

Why are we so busy?

We rush, rush, rush every single day. Why? What's the point? We are so wrapped up in the fast paced lifestyle we are all living. I get so worried about getting things done; the laundry, dishes, paying the bills, cleaning, etc...It will all get done eventually right? Yes, of course. I can't put all these duties off forever! Since I've basically been a stay at home mom for 6 months (I work at night), I have realized I don't know how working moms do it! How do they work all day long and then still find time to snuggle their children and get all these things done that I do during the day!? It amazes me! I know I probably can't be a stay at home mom forever. Unfortunately, I'll probably get a day job sometime, but I am so blessed to have stayed at home for as long as I have. I treasure this time with my baby boy. I am home all day and I still don't get all the dishes and laundry done. Working moms would probably laugh at me and think, "Girl, you don't know how good you have it! I could get so much done if I stayed home all day!" Haha! Okay, maybe not, but still. Everyone gets into a routine which makes life easier. I am in this routine now, but if I had to get a job, I could make it work and it wouldn't be a problem! A few jobs opened up that I would love to have. Don't get me wrong, I love being home with my little guy and I would rather stay home with him then work, but I would like to get some experience in a field that is of interest to me. Everything can change so fast. I wish there were more hours in the day to spend with my family. When Ross gets home from work I have 3 hours to spend with him and Hunter. We have 3 hours to be a family together. That stinks! But that's life. I would rather have 3 hours, then zero. We make it work. That's what has to be done and that's what will be done!

This week I made broccoli and cheese soup, roasted-red pepper, sun-dried tomato chicken pitas, and pulled pork. Tonight we are having leftovers and tomorrow night if we stay home, I will probably make baked potato soup. I never know what our plans will be on Friday nights so I just try to keep an open mind.

For the broccoli and cheese soup, I took a recipe and modified it a little. I've noticed that ever since I started cooking more and trying out new recipes, I have learned how to add to them or change something.

Here is the recipe I used for the broccoli and cheese soup.
I didn't add the small onion because the hubby doesn't really like onion and I didn't add swiss cheese because I forgot! I added 4oz of cream cheese though and a can of cream of mushroom soup! My husband loved it and we are having leftovers tonight!

Here is the recipe I used for the chicken pitas.
I didn't shred the chicken, I just cut it up in cubes. I couldn't find sun-dried tomato oil so I used some roasted-red pepper dressing that I found in the salad dressing aisle! I also couldn't find sun-dried tomatoes so I just used a sun-dried tomato spread that I can't wait to try on a sandwich soon! I used a little more of the balsamic and roasted-red pepper dressing because I used more chicken. This is a great recipe and so easy to make!

Here is the recipe I used for the pulled pork. AMAZING! So easy! I love the fizzy taste of the diet pepsi that is added!

I just love trying new recipes. I love trying them and having them taste great! Haha! It is such a satisfaction; cooking. So rewarding.

Oh gosh, I did this ab workout two days ago and I am still SO sore today! It's such a great feeling though. I am addicted to that pain. I better get another workout in today! You should too!

Well, I should probably put away all the laundry I did yesterday...or maybe I'll just stare at Hunter while he's sleeping. Besides, what's the point rushing around? I can always rush, but tomorrow Hunter won't look like he is today.

Between diapers and miles...

A Brand New Year

Ahhh, 2012 is here! 2011 was by far the best year of my life and I cannot even imagine what 2012 will bring. I am so excited to watch my little Hunter grow and learn and change. Each day he learns something new. He makes my life so great and he keeps me on my toes. He will be 6 months old tomorrow. Completely blows my mind! He has gotten so big and has learned so much and his personality is starting to shine through. I love it. He's so funny and I love his little smiles and giggles. He is going to be a year old before I know it. 


A new year always brings changes. People always have all these resolutions that they want to do and usually by the time March rolls around they don't even remember making them. I've never been big on making new year's resolutions. I think it's because I don't like to fail so if I don't make one then I can't fail! Ha! That sounds pretty lazy now that I think about it. This year I got to thinking that there are a few changes I would like to make. I don't know if I would actually call them resolutions but since it's January 1st, 2012 we can call them that for now. 

• I want to be a better mother, wife, friend, daughter, sister. -I want to be the best I can be when it comes to each label in my life. I want to be a better mother and learn the best things for my baby and how to make him the happiest baby in the world. I want to be a better wife and support my husband even more than I already do and love him and just do my part in this family. I want to be a better friend and be there for my friends and I want them to know that I care and love them. I want to be a better daughter and sister and make my family proud and I want them to know that I will do anything for them. I want my family to know that I would not be who I am today without them. 
• I want to keep meal planning. -I want to make sure that I keep planning meals for my family and save money when it comes to food. 
• I want to focus on the little things. -My baby boy is growing so fast and each day I try to take time to just stare at his beautiful, innocent face. I love to watch him sleep and take in breaths, stare at his plump little lips, feel his little hands and feet, and just admire how wonderful he is. He is definitely a gift from God and I am so blessed that God has given His son to me to raise. I just want to make sure that I don't get caught up in the rush of life and I focus on everything that is right in front of me. I need to just enjoy each moment as it is happening, because once a moment is over you can never get it back. 

I guess I don't have that many changes that I want to make, but I think you always need to think about what you want to do better in your life or you will never have anything to work towards. You have to realize that everything you have right now could be done tomorrow. People aren't in our lives forever so we need to enjoy the time that we spend with everyone that we hold dear in our lives. Tomorrow I could wake up and my whole life could change, but right now, this moment, is all mine. I don't want to wake up tomorrow and regret not living, not loving with everything I have and more. I don't want to regret not being the best I can be. I want to wake up tomorrow and be content with the life that I am living. I think when you have a child you realize how precious life is. You become more aware of what is around and what is happening around you and in the world. You want to make sure that nothing can harm your child and you want them to be the happiest child ever. 

Each day I will probably realize something else I want to change or learn and that's the way it should be. You should never be content with what you know now. You should always want to learn something new. A new year is sometimes what people need to start fresh. They feel like they have a clean slate, a chance to start over and become the person they want. It's all about dedication. You have to be dedicated to change. You can't get discouraged. You must always keep the goal in mind. Once you have your goal, never stray from it. Just go get it. Once you get it you will feel a million times better than if you don't get it. 

Challenge yourself. Challenge the ones you love. Live. Love. Laugh. Focus on what you have right in front of you. Enjoy each day even if it doesn't go exactly the way that you wanted. Be thankful you were able to hear your alarm clock go off and be thankful when you lay your head down on your pillow. Take a deep breath outside and just notice the colors and smells of the world around you. Notice the trees, sky, birds, grass, rocks...We make everything so complicated when really we just need to think of everything as simple. We have one life and that's all we get. Appreciate it, appreciate others, appreciate yourself. 

It is the simple things...

Hunter experienced his first Christmas this past weekend. As I probably have said before, everything Hunter is learning and experiencing is more exciting for me then it probably is for him! I took so many pictures of him opening his presents and of course his stocking. Santa did not forget my 5 1/2 month old! When we made it to my parent's house, which was our last Christmas of the weekend, he loved their tree. He loves all Christmas trees but as I was helping him stand in front of it I couldn't help but notice how he just stared at the lights on the tree and felt the branches. Can you imagine how different the branches must free compared to all his soft, fuzzy clothes and blankets? Everything he is learning, I learned too. I once felt all these different textures and saw all these new things. It doesn't take much to make a baby happy. Heck, the other day I gave Hunter a water bottle and you would think he won the lottery! As we were spending time with our families over the weekend, I once again was hit with reality at how fast life can change and how precious the time is that we share with our loved ones. We never know what is going to tomorrow or even an hour from now, but we have those memories that eventually fade a little more everyday, but we never lose the feelings we had when we were with the people we love. Christmas is a magical time and I think that having a baby around makes you realize how much magic there really is. You get to live like a child again. I wish I could look at life like Hunter does. I wish I could see everything for the first time again. I think I would be much more appreciated. Hunter teaches me more then I think I teach him. 

Hunter opening his first tractor! 

I made three desserts for Christmas and I think they were a great hit. I made a cheesecake and was pretty nervous about how it would turn out, but I thought it was pretty good for a first time! Cheesecake is kind of confusing because the middle isn't suppose to be completely firm, but it turned out great. I also made reindeer cookies and santa hats. 

Reindeer cookies!

Santa hats!

White Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

Now, it's time to get back into the swing of things. Pick up the house, find places for all the gifts we received, and start the weekly meal planning again. Gosh, when you get off your regular schedule it is very hard to get back on. I have to find time to run this week. The weather here for December has been super mild and I need to get in a couple runs soon. I miss those roads, or well, sidewalks. Hunter is sleeping in his swing so I should take advantage of this quiet time and get some things accomplished. 

Hanging out in his Fisher Price swing. This thing has been a lifesaver!

Until next time...between diapers and miles.