Our Weekend!

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! We are in need of some lazy days and naps over here after all the "go go go" this weekend, but we had a blast. :)

On Saturday, we held a luau graduation party for my youngest sister, Gina, who just graduated from high school. We set it up in our grandparents' back yard which is basically a mini Hawaii already, so it was perfect! It was so fun to get the whole family dressed up in luau clothes and to listen to Hawiian music and reggae. 

 For food, we had pulled pork and pulled chicken with Hawaiian sweet rolls, and of course all the good sides like macaroni salad and baked beans. We broke out the margarita machine and used it to make yummy pina coladas and strawberry daquiris. Rum and summer just go together, don't they? We also had a gorgeous cake and cupcakes that were pina colada and rasperry mojito flavored.

It ended up being a great evening filled with family and friends. We ate to our hearts content, played a few rounds of corn hole, and then ended the night chatting around the outdoor fireplace. I can't think of a better way to kick off summer! (And Gina was so happy and appreciative...congrats, my girl!)

 

 

  

We spent most of Sunday recovering and running our usual weekend errands, because we knew Monday was going to be another long day at Disneyland. Every year, for the past 4 years now, Brian and I have made it a tradition to go to the Disneyland Flag Retreat Ceremony on Memorial Day. Sometimes they have the USMC band playing, which is really cool, but this year they had the Disneyland marching band. They play patriotic music and call all the Veterans and enlisted military to come up to the flag pole while they sing the national anthem and retreat the flag for the day. It's a beautiful way to honor the memory of our fallen, and to show appreciation that we live in a country where we are free because of all the brave men and women willing to defend it. I love seeing all the Veterans, young and old, up there still so proud to have served. Brian took Baylee up on his shoulders when they called up the U.S. Marine Corps and it made me one proud wifey. I am so blessed to have a brave patriot for a husband. 

We will definitely continue the tradition and go every year. This year, we brought my Papa and both him and Brian were given buttons that said "Thank you for your service." on it. (Papa was in the Army.) Just anther reason why I hold Disney so close to my heart...they never forget our military!

 

And now...let summer begin! We already have triple digit weather predicted for this week. You better believe it's pool time!

Until next time! XoXoXo

 

Friday Favorites: Just Keep Swimming!

 

Swimsuit season is right around the corner, and for some of us, it's already here, so I thought I'd share my favorite styles for all the little chicks this year. There is nothing cuter than a baby or toddler in a tiny little swimsuit, and this season there are some adorable styles to choose from. I'm loving all the pretty florals and the solids that have ruffle and fringe detail. Definitely going to have to snag up some of these suits for Baylee to wear this summer on beach and pool days! 

Here are the links to my featured picks clockwise from top left:

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 

I am so excited that summer time is finally here! We are kicking it off tomorrow with a Luau themed graduation party for my little sister. It's a perfect way to welcome the season of fun in the sun! I hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday weekend! I leave you with a pic of my little two-teethed bathing beauty from last summer...oh, time...you're such a thief! ;)

 

Until next time! XoXoXo

 

Secondary Infertility: Third Update

 

I was really hoping I wouldn't have to write this third update (if you're behind, you can read my original post here), but alas, all upping my Clomid dose gave me was 3 more pounds of weight gain and a perfect 28 day cycle. This is great, considering it's been years since that has actually happened, but so frustrating that there was no baby as a result. I have finally hit my breaking point. I need to take a breather.

Am I throwing in the towel? No way! But my body needs a break. Being on Clomid has caused me to gain a lot of weight, and I need to lose it before I try again. The only other time I was this heavy was when I was pregnant, and it's making me feel sluggish and unhappy with myself. So, instead of focusing on trying to conceive, my focus for the next few months is going to be on losing the weight and keeping it off. I really think that in the long run it will not only help my health and well being, but it may actually help me conceive. When I conceived Baylee, I was in great shape because I had been "sweating for the wedding", so I'm sure that had a lot to do with why she was conceived so quickly. With that being said; I'm going to give it a shot!

Am I bummed? A little, but I'm trying to not let it get me down. When my period came this cycle, I had my day of hating the world and then I realized how dumb I was being. I have so much to look forward to this summer like Baylee turning 2, beach trips, Disney days, and a huge 21st birthday celebration for my sister in Las Vegas! How can I let myself be sad when I'm surrounded with so much happy? :)

The eating healthier started yesterday, but since I have a few reasons to cheat (My sis, Gina, is graduating from high school tomorrow! Woohoo!) I won't go hardcore until next week. Then it's on! Working out daily, protein shakes, and detoxing are going to be my life for at least the next month or so, so I apologize to my friends and family if I'm no fun! ;) This is important to me, though, so I have to let it take precedence; even though I'm going to miss ice cream sooooo bad!

Thank you again for all your support everyone! On top of getting healthier, I am very curious to see what my body does on its own after three rounds of Clomid. Who knows? Maybe I'll get lucky? :) For now, I'm just going to focus on being an already blessed mama to this big girl of mine, and teach her that when life doesn't go your way, you just smile and make protein pancakes!

 

Until next time! XoXoXo

 

Mama, You're Doing Great!

I read an article recently about why today's moms are so exhausted all the time, and it pointed out the fact that we are all just plain overflowing with too much information. I thought about it, and I really couldn't agree more. We have Google and Pinterest at our fingertips at all times, and it becomes hard to decipher truth from opinion when it comes to getting parenting advice from the Internet. 

No matter what, someone always has something else to say about every parenting choice that exists. It's getting to the point where we are being encouraged to not trust our own pediatricians' recommendations regarding vaccines, newborn care, etc. We are warned to be terrified of SIDS, autism, car seat safety, allergies, cancer, poisoning, and accidental drownings. First hand accounts of families being affected by these terrible things keep us up at night. Worst of all, we are a generation of "mom shamers" where no matter what decision you choose to make for your own child, other moms have no problem putting you on blast explaining why they think you're wrong.

Well, I'm not here to do that. I just want to tell you, Mama, none of that matters, and you're doing a great job! 

It shouldn't matter whether we breastfeed, formula feed, baby wear, or push our babies in a stroller. I truly believe that the choices someone makes for their child are theirs alone, and that unless they are putting their child in flat out danger or breaking a law, then everyone else should just bite their tongue. In my short two years of being a mom, I have heard my share of unsolicited advice. At first, I was eager for knowledge, so I would nod my head and soak in every word,  but at a certain point it became overwhelming and conflicting. It started to put me in a parenting slump. I had to teach myself to take it with a grain of salt and then roll my eyes later on at how ridiculous people can be. While you may mean well, giving another mom advice, the truth is that no one knows her child the way she does. What works for one may not work for another, and we need to respect that.

Now this doesn't go to say that we shouldn't have our own opinions or have advice ready for those who seek it from us. I, myself, love to give advice to the lost mama who can't get her baby to sleep on their own or who has questions about exclusively pumping. I also have some strong opinions about certain parenting methods, but I would never shame other mamas for disagreeing with me or doing it differently. Everyone has their own parenting style, and really I think we need to give each other a break. We are all in the same boat trying to be the best mamas that we possibly can. The very least we could do is build each other up instead of breaking each other down!

So, here's to you...the working mamas, the stay at home moms, the breastfeeders, the formula feeders, the baby-wearers, the stroller pushers, the moms with singletons, and the moms with multiple kids...YOU ARE AMAZING! You deserve a pat on the back and a glass of wine, because at the end of the day all our kids are fed and happy, and it doesn't matter how they got there; just that they are. :)

 So give yourself a break, mama, and don't google it this time. Talk to your doctor, your co-parent, or just plain go with your gut. Let's make a pact to simplify this parenting gig, after all, they were doing it long before Pinterest, right?

Until next time! XoXoXo 

Today With Bay!

6:45 Coffee time!

I've been up since 5:30 waiting for the girl to wake up, but she's still sleeping so I decide to make my coffee.

 

6:50 Harry Potter

I recently just watched all the Harry Potter movies for the first time and now I totally understand the hype! I've decided to read all the books, and I'm currently halfway through Chamber of Secrets.

 

7:45 Baylee's awake!

Yep, I got another hour to myself! Amazing! And she woke up in a great mood after getting a good night's sleep which hasn't happened in a while! :) 

 

8:05 Teddy Bear toast! 

 

8:30 Baby Einstein

Some mornings I just can't handle any more Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, so we watch Baby Einstein DVDs instead. Baylee loves telling me what she sees, "See, Mama, bird eating!" 

 

9:15 Coloring

 

9:45 Tea Time!

 

10:00 Dinner Prep

One of the easiest meals in the world. Put some chicken breasts in a crock pot with a few cans of cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup and cook on low for 8 hours.

 

10:20 Swing time!

 

11:00 Milk and "Lumpy" 

Baylee is recently obsessed with "Pooh's Heffalump Movie" and asks to watch "Lumpy" (the heffalump's name) on a daily basis. Thank goodness its cute!

 

11:45 Nap time!

2:15 Rise and shine!

And thank you for taking a 2.5 hour nap!

 

2:30 Picnic on the porch 

 

2:45 Splashin' in the water table

 

3:45 Target run!

4:45 Back home and having a dance party!

To the Disney Sing-a-long DVD of course. ;)

5:15 Daddy's home!!!

 

6:00 Dinner time 

 

 6:30 Back outside for more splashing!

 It was 90 degrees all afternoon so we took advantage and let Baylee play outside some more. I am going to love the long summer nights that are on the horizon.

 

7:15 Tub time!

 

7:45 Jammies and a movie. 

 

8:00 Dessert

We have a graham crackers dipped in milk obsession around here! Bonus points if you spread on some Nutella first! 

 

8:20 Story time 

 

8:30 Good night, my little sunshine. :)

 

Until next time! XoXoXo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mothers' Day Weekend

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a nice, relaxing Mothers' Day weekend. My Grandpa, on my Dad's side, turned 90 on May 4th, so the whole family got together in Monterey, CA this weekend to celebrate him and Mother's Day. Road tripping with an almost 22 month old was quite an adventure, but I was so happy that we did it!

The drive for us is around 6 hours depending on how many stops you make and traffic. Luckily, my sister Nicole came with up for the trip up so it was very nice to have some extra help. We were hoping Baylee would nap most of the way, but she had other plans. She napped for about 20 mins and then woke up crabby. We scrambled to try and keep her busy, and laughed at the craziness! Five and a half hours and three stops later, we made it to Paso Robles where my Dad and Grandpa were staying at my Aunt's house. We let Baylee work out her wiggles for a while (I think she made my Dad follow her up and down the stairs about 8 times!) so, thankfully, she ended up sleeping the last hour of the trip. 

 

We stopped at my other Aunt's house in Salinas for a few hours to have dinner and visit with my Aunt and cousins. We only get to see each other a couple times a year if we are lucky, so it was so nice to spend time with them, and, of course, Baylee had a blast with all the extra attention!

We finally got to our hotel later that night and Baylee went in to full hyper mode running around the room. We desperately tried to get her to settle down and watch a movie but she wasn't having it...not with a huge fluffy white bed to bounce on! The pack'n'play was her enemy, so Brian and I finally managed to get her to pass out between us around 11:00pm. She slept until 7:00am, which wasn't too terrible, but definitely not the 10 to 11 hours that she usually needs. Who needs sleep on vacation though, right? :)

Later that morning, we went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Baylee had the time of her life. It is such a kid friendly aquarium (especially for the toddler to preschool age range) and she could have stayed and played on the playground there all day if we would have let her. Of course, all the fish were either "Neeemo!" or "Dowwwy!" (Nemo and Dory)

 

 

 

When we left, Baylee's short night's sleep caught up with her, and she was passed out in the umbrella stroller before we were a block away from the aquarium. Poor thing. (P.S. I'm in the market for a nicer umbrella stroller that reclines and has an undercarriage. Any suggestions?) 

 

Once we got back to the hotel, we had a huge lunch with the whole family and watched the Kentucky Derby on a big screen. My Grandpa is very in to horse races, so this was a perfect party for him! Our horses that we bet on didn't win, but I got to have a pomegranate cosmo, so that was a win in my book! My Grandpa was hooked up with the presidential suite at our hotel, so we brought the party to his room where we snacked some more and gave him his gift of a new blue rocking chair for his porch. He was so happy, and you could tell that he just felt so loved! I asked him if he had fun and he said "All of this is great, but seeing all of you together is the best part." :)

 

The next morning was Mothers' Day, so we had a slow morning. Baylee slept much better, thank goodness, and we spent the morning drinking coffee and milk and snuggling in bed. Brian even had flowers delivered to our hotel room for me. So sweet! We met up with the family again later that morning for a delicious buffet brunch in the hotel. Baylee and I, of course, rocked our matching shirts from Tink & Key and they were a hit!

 

After brunch, we drove to Carmel for some shopping and to let Baylee play on the beach for a while. It was too cold to do any real beaching, but we brought some sand toys and let her dig and sift. She had so much fun...I can't wait to take her to the beach this summer! We went to all the shops, and stopped in at Tiffany & Co. to try on rings that we could never afford, but made some bath bomb purchases at Lush. ;) It was super nice and relaxing, and a great way to end our weekend. 

 

Before we left, we made sure to take a cousin picture on one of the hotel beds. We "replicated" a picture that was taken of all of us around 15 years ago, and it turned out epic! All of the Aunties and Uncles loved it so much.

 

Family really is everything. :)

 

We got home last night in about 6 hours, and thankfully Baylee slept half the time. We didn't have my sister this time, so I spent the last half of the drive mostly facing backward, but we made it! My girl was so happy to see her crib! Maybe one day she will be a world traveler, but right now she's my little homebody baby. :)

 

Until next time! XoXoXo