There is something i need to do.....

Um yeah that "something" is ---- post my halloween pictures of ash and friends before Thanksgiving takes place :)

enjoy my little peacock and her best buddies!

Cutest pumpkins in the patch...

It is a dreary Monday morning in Akron - which means one thing - It is definitely time to start thinking about next weekend! ....And with next weekend being Halloween, it makes sense that you would take a few extra days to prepare.

I bought my pumpkins a while ago, but i waited until this week to do the carving so they would look their best for the actual holiday. Anyways, I started searching online for ideas this morning and I found some awesome pumpkin carving templates from HGTV.com. They have easy ones and more advanced for the artistes out there, but they are really cute so definitely check them out.

I will post some pics when my pumpkins are done. If all goes well, my doorstep will have a mummy, an owl, a frankenstein, and maybe some bats!! Inside my door, you will probably find me mowing down the baked pumpkin seeds i plan on making after all of the carving is complete :)

its nice to "get ready"

last night i took a picture of myself.

Because i did my hair

and because i did my makeup

and because i went out on the town

(with my little doll baby and husband).

And it felt good not to be a shlep staying home.

Never mind that we got home at 8:15 from a fancy dinner with friends

We had so much fun

...and it had to be documented :)

and for the record....we had 2 kids under 2

(and one little baby that is 3 weeks away from being born)

behaving like little angels for over 2 hours.

what a lovely friday night :)

and for my monthly post....

Ashlyn is sleeping, Pat is at class, i am somewhat caught up on work and i figured it is a good time for an update.

As per usual, I am exhausted and busy...but i kind of see some light at the end of the tunnel. Ashlyn has finally emerged from the "month from hell" where she literally never slept longer than 90 minute stretches for an entire month. I think vacation, teething, a slight cold, and God knows what else were to blame - but thankfully we are kind of back on track now. She wakes up twice a night and only naps for 15 minutes but - whatever, progress is progress. I was a freaking zombie!!

So anyways after that sh*tstorm, September has kind of been a "rebuilding month."

I am working on all kinds of stuff that kind of fell apart - For example, I finally hit the end of my rope with some crazy ass back pain i have been dealing with (since I was about 5 months pregnant) and i started physical therapy. (ummmm like a year later than i should have). In my mind i was kind of hoping for luxurious massages that happened to be covered by insurance, but in reality I go in a couple times a week for some very painful deep (DEEP) tissue massages followed by butt kicking workouts. Apparently my pelvis was all out of whack twisted and my back is basically a bunch of golfball sized knots because of the twisted pelvis, scoliosis, ohhh yeah and that effing 49 pounds of extra weight i was carrying around :).....I do think the PT is helping though - and between you and me, even if my back hurts forever, these twenty minute naps i get to take with heating pads and stim thingies make it all worth while.

Also a big part of my "rebuilding" was starting a new blog...........hold your laughs. I realize i don't even get a chance to write on this blog but my friends and i needed a good place to exchange ideas for fun stuff to do locally so i started a blog where i highly encourage friend participation with the posting. If you are curious - come visit at www.fabulousakron.blogspot.com It is a work in progress but i am having fun with this new little endeavor.

What else is going on?.... I had my fabulous friend Annemarie in town visiting from San Francisco this past weekend . She was in Boston and Pittsburgh for work so she decided to stop through on her way back to California. We had a really great time together- Its always so fun to reminisce and fill each other in on random gossip (most of which we pulled from random facebook posts but pretended like the people we were talking about were still close friends....ummm don't act like you haven't done that).But anyways she is totally one of those friends where you can literally go years without seeing her then you pick up like you haven't missed a beat the second you finally meet up again. I am lucky to have quite a few friends like that :)

My hair is shorter and darker. To be honest, it is shorter and darker than i would have liked but whatever. It doesn't look awful, but it doesn't look great either. I am so not a medium toned hair kind of girl. I like my hair super super light....and i like other peoples hair super super dark and rich. This is just kind of dark blonde with some red in it. I feel frumpy...and frumpyness inevitably will lead to me going to the hairdresser next month and telling her that i want to look like gwen stefani....even if it means all of my hair will break off. whatever. im really annoyed. You wont see a picture of this "do."

I have been working A LOT lately....and it has gotten infinitely harder to get everything done now that Ashlyn crawls....and stands...and falls.....and licks floor vents like they are delicious candy (don't ask). I swear this little girl is nuts! We still get a ton of play time in during the day and i am still discovering what an awesome little multi tasker i can be, but i love when i get eveything wrapped up and have a little down time the most.

Ohh and speaking of multitasking, my sister Kristen is totally pregnant with #2 and due in March! She looks super cute preggers again and we are all dying to see if she is going to have a boy or a girl....hmmmm kind of makes me think about a baby#2 :)...kinda.

so anyways... September was a good month. Lets hope October is Awesome and I hope all is well with all of you out there too!

tootles!

KOB

hello?.....anybody there?

Where did all of my blogging time go? No seriously? How is it possible that i have been so absent?

I seriously miss this blogging business, and honestly, blogging aside - i miss having free time.

i'm not complaining.... i am just stating the facts. I honestly have something every minute of the day (and night) to keep me busy.

Ashlyn for real (seriously) does not sleep. She isn't cranky, she rarely even seems tired. She wakes up 42 times a night. We love her...she wakes up again....we let her cry....she never gives up... and i just cant figure it out.

I have a set schedule. She eats tons of food. She has a super cute princess castle projectable nightlight, a snuggly blanket, cool jammies, warm jammies, multiple pacis to pick from if hers falls out - anything a baby could want or need - and yet still - she doesn't sleep.

I am starting to get tired. I lasted a really really long time but i am at the point where she needs to give in or im going to be a full blown crazy person.

I went for a walk yesterday with my friend Amanda. On my way over to her house i had to take a detour to get to a gas station because my gas light had been on way too long and i got lost. So i gave up and drove to her house on fumes. Not smart but i did end up getting to a gas station later. THEN -Somehow i lost my cell phone while we were walking. So i watched her 2 kids and ash at her house while she retraced our walk in her car ( i didn't know my way around) and she magically found my phone.thank god. so i went home...THEN she called me to tell me that i left ashlyns paci on their couch and that she would hold onto it until we met up next time. THEN she called e today to tell me that i ALSO left my sunglasses at her house.

ummmm...... i am worried about me.

i need to get it together.

BUt enought about my shortcomings lets talk about the ohter random stuff i have been wanting to blog about.

1. Pintrest: i love it. Can't get enough

2. I am tired. I am busy, but i still cook some fab dinners. I will post recipes for some new stuff soon.

3. Ashlyn's birthday is december 17th. Of course that means that have started planning details for her "winter wonderland" bash (in august). It is going to be amazing!!! I am determined to make this little chica love her christmas time birthday. It really is the best time of the year.

4. I am turning 28 on Sunday. Pat got tickets to go see the Cleveland Orchestra at this outdoor amphitheater by our house. We are going to pack up the baby, a picnic, a blanket, listen to the gorgeous music and watch the fireworks. I am SOOO excited....about the orchestra....not about being 28. How the efffffff am i 28 already?

5. My bestie Annemarie is coming out from California to visit me at the end of September. I am so excited. She is one of my oldest friends. We used to do all kinds of weird shit together and we shared an undying love for N'Sync. She had the Lance Bass cover of rolling stone framed for me to put in my dorm room. And yes that does mean that i loved lance (she liked joey Fatone) my gaydar was waaaay off apparently - however i did kind of like him because he was sort of chubby and the only one that couldn't dance.

6. I sent my little brother a care package for his apartment. He graduated form college last May and he is living in Salt Lake City Utah. Among the many treasures i sent him was a spice rack. You know you are old when you are sending your little brother a spice rack in the mail. ( weird = yes. He likes to cook though so i thought it was nice).

7. Pat and i booked a family vacay to Florida for 11 days at Christmas. I CANT wait.

8. We are heading to South Bend Indiana for the ND home opener. I have been reallly freaking excited for football season to start. My sister got Ash an ND cheerleader uniform that i am dying to get her in.

9. Pat is working way way too hard. We both are, but he is out of the house more so it seams harder. He is getting his MBA right now and has class three nights a week. On top of a very demanding fancy pants job he is basically working like a crazy person. I miss him.

10. I didn't even post about the awesome vacation we took a few weeks back to Charleston South Carolina and HIlton Head. Ummm if you haven't been to either, i highly suggest both. Charleston is a GREAT place to take an anniversary trip with your hubby or BF. There is so much to see and such amazing restaurants. I am going to post about this next time i get a chance.

so i think thats it for now. iam back. Ashlyn managed to stay asleep while i typed this and i think i might try to actually go to sleep now too.

Hope you all are having fabulous weeks.

Happy end of summer!

KOB

oh my god i'm getting old

so i am being "cool" chillin at home on a saturday night and i'm looking at facebook (don't be jeal). I came across this picture above - it is from the night Pat and I got engaged....I had just turned 22!!! I look so young....i was so young and i can't help but think how fun and easy this time in my life was

and then i saw this picture...which i will admit i thought was a flattering picture (in all of my spray tanned glory)...but Jesus H i look so old. I mean i have wrinkles...and that baby in the purple? oh yeah she is mine!?!?

i can't get over it. How are we 22, drinking beer, having New Years parties one day.... then, what seems like the next day -you are sitting at home on a saturday night looking at m-effing one piece bathing suits online while simultaneously checking the baby monitor and facebook???

i am kind of freaked out by how fast time goes by. This february will be our five year anniversary - the top picture was a little over six years ago. We have been dating for 10 years in October....Our baby is 7 months old already. I mean seriously! Stop! This is all going by way too fast.

groundhog day

Apparently i am a total creature of habit....I have been coming up with all of these "new ideas" for blogs that i should write about things i am currently loving and every time i start, i realize i already wrote about that thing i loved last year.

For instance - whatever those golden cherries are called - I'm seriously obsessed with them. They are like tiny little peaches and the color is just to die for. i wanted to write about those but i have already been there and done that. Ummm i am also in love with my pink hydrangea bushes in my backyard. A friend of mine is having a baby girl any time now (she was due on tuesday) and i am dying to make a big pink bouquet for the new addition - BUT i already wrote about those last year when they bloomed and included pictures.

So what else? oh recipes. I'm pretty sure i make all of the same things from season to season, but just in case i haven't already posted on this...try it and you wont be sorry. I can't risk this amazingly blurry cell phone picture going to waste!

I went to our little local farm and bought: avocados, grape tomatoes, english cucumber and a red onion. I had fresh basil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, salt, pepper, olive oil, and parmesan at home. I just chopped everything up and mixed it together in a bowl. I let it sit in the refrigerator for about an hour.....then i grilled chicken (with Lawry's, montreal chicken seasoning, a touch of cayenne, and a drizzle of olive oil.

i chunked up the chicken and mixed everything on my plate. Because i like sauciness and giant heaps of delicious food.... you could easily serve this as chicken with a side though.

it might be a repeat but whatever - pretty sure most people arent checking the archives.....actually i am pretty sure no one is really reading anymore since i hae been so lax with posts - but thats another issue.

and just to make sure that this post is sufficiently random enough.....here is a picture of me making a REALLY stupid face trying to get Ashlyn to smile.

and you are welcome.

6 months!

i started some big time rumors on facebook with this pic...as much as i would like to claim that ash is a baby athlete genius early bloomer (which she kind of is), she definitely can't walk yet. She can however stand when propped up against something and her ballerina form is pretty much amazing :)

here i am trying to be a baby photographer again. I seriously love these little blocks too. They were a gift from my lovely friend amanda and she got them at bbblocks.com if you are interested.

my little ballerina, just loungin'

eating her shoe...

and just being sweet.

:)

just getting back....

We went away to DC for the 4th of july t visit clint and tara (pats brother and his wife) and we had so much fun. I could 1o0% live in DC. We walked around old town, went crab picking, saw some fireworks, hung out at the pool, got tan, the boys golfed....It was an all around super fun weekend.

ash loves her gorgeous aunt tara...

I managed to pull of the "human babyshield" that blocks my humongousness pretty well in this picture. UGGGG - i love this dress but every time i wear it and then see pictures i want to die. I look like a linebacker.

and here we are on the couch just waking up. Ashlyn is totally shakin what her momma gave her. She has one caaaaaute little bubble butt.

and seriously is there anything better than a baby in just a diaper?...Yes.... A baby in a diaper taking a picture with their cute dad!

hope you all had a fabulous 4th of july.

Ashlyn's Baptism Weekend

Life has been so busy lately! the last 3 weekends have been big family events...My brother in-law's high school graduation, my other brother-in-laws wedding reception, and most recently ashlyn's baptism and fathers day. All of the family time has been awesome but i am exhausted.

we had a really nice ceremony at pat's high school. Our regular priest was out of town for like 100 weeks this summer so we opted for a small family mass. Kristen and Jim were the god parents.

Ashlyn wore a baptism dress that my moms grandma made. It was so pretty and very cool that my mom, both my sisters, me and little cousin Amory wore it before her.

Obviously Ashlyn hates being the center of attention.

and one last pic of the 2 of us in church.

BOring post - sorry. i'll come up with something better soon (which probably means in the next 3 weeks).

my ass is back!

okay - i guess all of me is back...not just my toosh but whatevs.

This mom business is time consuming! i've got it down, but now that i am working from home more hours than before the blog has been suffering. It has been way easier to choose cuddle time over recipe updates :)

so anyways, what have i been up to??

Like i mentioned above, i am working from home. I honestly couldn't have a better situation and i'm really thankful for it. I basically set my own schedule and work as many hours as i can doing account work for the clients i had before i left on maternity leave. Most of my work is done over email so it doesn't matter if i happen to have a screaming/teething psycho on my lap. And when a little more face time is required, i am actually able to bring Ash into my office and set her up in her stroller while i have internal meetings. Lots of people volunteer to walk her around the office or hold her...or listen to the wiggles on itunes in their office....She has sort of become the office mascot - its awesome

My co-workers/bosses deserve medals. I want to write into the paper and tell them how fabulously mom friendly they have been. and let me tell you - It makes me want to work so much harder to keep my position and to keep my clients happy knowing how flexible they have been to accomodate my new "situation". I wish more workplaces would do this for people. mom's are pretty freaking amazing multi taskers when given the opportunity.

ummm in other news we have been traveling a ton! By the end of July Ashlyn will have visited 11 states total (maybe 12?) which is not too shabby considering she is less than 6 months old. we have been to Florida, California, Arizona, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin so far...and by the end of next month we will have logged trips to DC, North Carolina, South Carolina, maybe Georgia. Thankfully she is a really good traveller. She has a knack for sensing when there is an hour left though and then going completely ape shit.

This weekend, Pats brother and my new Sister-In-Law are having their wedding reception. The little boogers ran away to aruba and had a romantic little wedding ( w/ just the 2 of them) a few weeks ago. Now we are joining in for a friends and fam reception and i cant wait. I got the CUTEST dress ever. Its BCBG....and let me tell you. They are my go-to these days (and always). It is pretty hard to feel hot these days, but their drapey sexy mama dresses do the trick. I don't have any more "baby weight" to lose (which doesnt mean i don't have weight to lose....it just means that i am down 49 pounds from my fat ass pregnant self) but i just cant pull off a lot of what worked before. i'll post some pics from the weekend next week :)

so - i guess i' am back. i havent looked at any blogs recently so im looking forward to catching up with all of you soon!

martha stewart monday

here is the deal. I am an all or nothing kind of gal.

I am either a total martha stewart super mom or a total unshowered shlumpadinka.

there is no middle ground with me.

in an effort to veer more towards martha-ness, i have decided to record the efforts of my good days (on mondays) so that i am forced to repeat them more often than not.

hopefully i will carry through with this week after week....and obviously if you want to follow suit and share your awesomeness...let me know and i would love to see it.

So anyways: Martha Stewart Monday #1 is all coooking related.

I am (occaisionallly) an awesome little chef.

On a good week, i grocery shop with a list, and then i come home, put the groceries away, and record on a little white board on my fridge what it is i will be making for that week.

most of these things were made last week - but 1 or 2 are just blogs that never happened. They are all chicken related, but with one pasta dish mixed in. (we eat a lot of chicken) what you should notice though is the repeat of ingredients also used in new and different ways....which i think is super important when you are trying to keep grocery expenses down.

without further ado....here are some good diner ideas (if you want them):

Chicken Enchiladas with avocado Tomato salad

( i have posted a similar recipe for this before...but i love it so much you are gettting it again.

I usually buy a rotisserie chicken for this and just use all of the white meat that i can get. I put the shredded chicken into a bowl and mix in most of a can of diced green chilis, chopped white onion, salt and pepper, a little bit of Tapatio hot sauce (the BEST stuff out there), and some sharp cheddar cheese. I mix all of that with my hands. then spray a pyrex dish (11x13?) with some pam. Fill in corn (or flour if you are my husband) tortillas with a generous portion of your chicken mixture. I think flour tortillas get soggy and corn is better but do whatever floats your boat. Place the tortillas with the folded side down in a row (right next to each other in your dish). pur over either green or red enchilada sauce....a little more cheese....maybe some jalepenos and bake for 20-30 minutes at 350.

the tomato avocado salad is the perfect solution for something a little light that you can serve on the side with a mexican dish. I hate when there is something heavy like refried beans served with a heavy main dish. sooooooo anyways, just cut up some ripe avocados, and slice some tomatoes (i used a fancy blend of tiny tomatoes). Chop up some cilantro....add salt and pepper and a tiny bit of olive oil and voila! it is delish.

Baked Chicken Marsala w/ Caprese Salad

I just used boneless skinless chicken for this one....once the chicken was thawed i added lawrys (seasoning salt) and pepper and baked it in the oven at 400 for way longer than i should have ( i seriously hate juicy chicken) you of course can cook this for as long as you want though. While that was baking i sliced up some baby bella mushrooms and a tiny bit of red onion. you really do have to chop red onion in super tiny thin pieces for it not to be overwhelming. i set that aside and melted about 1/4 to a 1/2 a stick of butter into a pan on medium heat. Add in about a 1/2 teaspoon of chopped garlic. When everything melts, add in the mushrooms and the onion. Pour in a large splash of Marsala wine too. probably about a 1/2 cup to a cup. let the mushrooms cook down and all of the flavors will start to blend. I let it simmer for a while. The marsala really doesn't taste good until it cooks for a while. Then right before i take the chicken out of the oven i added about 1/2 Tablespoon of cornstarch to about a 1/4 cup of cold water (in a seoerate dish) mix that up. It will just look like cloudy water. Add that into the mushrooms a little at a time until it thickens up. Str it constantly. You prob wont need all of the cornstarch and water. It turns into a sort of mushroom gravy that you just spoon over the chicken.

The Caprese is just like the salad above but with basil instead of cilantro and some thin slices of fresh mozzarella and balsamic vinegar....again - something like rice could be good with this too, but this was lighter.

Homemade Pasta Sauce with Whole Wheat Fettucine

Add a large splash of olive oil to a big sauce pan. Once heated, saute some onion, garlic, chopped white onion and diced green pepper. Let those ingredients soften and start to slightly brown then add in about 1 pound of ground beef ( i use 96%lean). brown/cook the meat completely. Add in two 14.5 oz cans of Diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil. chop up some fresh basil and sliced baby bella mushrooms. add 1/2 of the basil and all of the mushrooms. Also add some italian seasoning, salt and pepper. You will need a lot...but add according to your taste. I used 1/2 a package of "good seasons" salad dressing seasoning because i was out of italian seasoning and it was actually really good in the sauce. let the whole concoction simmer for at least 30 minutes to an hour. it just gets better the longer it goes but keep the heat low. Boil the water for the fettucine and cook for 9-10 minutes for al dente pasta.

Garnish the pasta with fresh parmesan and the remainder of the fresh basil.

You will have a ton of sauce left...i freeze it and just keep it in the freezer for next time....so that you can be awesome TWICE!!!

Crock Pot Chicken Chili

Again...shred the chicken from a rotisserie chicken and put it into your crock pot.

mix into your crock pot a can of cannelini (white) beans, garbonzo beans, and black beans...all drained and rinsed. Chop up some fresh corn and some white onion and throw that in there too.

Chop up one of those multicolor packs of peppers. I like orange red and yellow. Then add a can of diced tomatoes. Juice and all. Add in some (ummm maybe 1-2 tablespoons) of mexican chili powder, salt and pepper....and seriously whatever else you like in chili.

Cook the chili all day long and garnish with sour cream, fresh cilantro (my fave) and some tapatio.

My sister Lauren and her boyfriend Josh made this for us the week Ashlyn was born and i loved it!!!

Lemon Chicken.

This one is sooooooo not healthy....but sooooo good so its okay (every once in a while - like twice a year) :) It is a complicated recipe though and I don't feel like typing it out right now Sooooo if you are interested in finding out how to make some seriously ridiculous restauranty good chinese food, just email me :) for now. I will just post the picture of it to prove a little more martha-y ness.

this was a long post.

i bet no one is even reading anymore.

If you are though...i hope you try some of these recipes. They are all really good and very conducive to having a ton of leftovers....which only makes your life easier...and i like easy (most of the time)

Happy Monday!

my boobs

yep you read right...this post is about boobs. They are the COO to my little CEO Ashlyn and they pretty much determine when and how everything happens in my life theses days.

i have not gone to bed, eaten breakfast, left the house, or brushed my teeth without first flashin a little boobage to the Boss...not even once in the last 16 weeks have they stayed put and behaved like they did for the 27 years prior to mommyhood. they were kind if useless and unimpressive before but i mean seriously...my life...and her life revolve around these puppies these days and that is why they are getting their own post on here.

my boobs have never felt so important.

And just to clarify, the boobs i am referring to aren't the old school boobs i used to sport - These are like big time boobs. They are the boobs i always thought i would spend $8,000 to achieve. They are a source of pride when i feel like i had to (at least temporarily) cash in the rest of my body so that i could have a healthy wonderful cute baby. Call me a weirdo but i do appreciate that when god taketh away a human sized waist he did giveth me with some bigger knockers to detract attention

They are little sources of nutrition for my baby and surprisingly artsy inspiration for me too ;)

After all the build up -I bet you want to see them right?

Well unfortunately for some - I am classy enough and smart enough to know that posting a picture of my boobs online is "bad" and not really my style. I'm just hoping (fingers crossed) that i haven't done something socially unacceptable by writing about them and posting this frosted version of "my other" boobs below :

Boobs are okay when they are artsy right?

yep. I did it. I bought flesh colored fondant and made boob cupcakes. That is how boob centered my life is these days.

Not because i am creepy and obsessed with myself.... but because i happened to handle the task of planning the menu and decor for my brother in laws Bachelor party that was hosted at my house a few weekends ago while i was staring at ummmmmmm my own boobs during a flashing/feeding session with Ash.

i struggled with finding what kind of decorations i could do that guys would actually appreciate and the answer was literally right in front of my face! BOOBS!!!! so regardless of the ridiculous tackyness of boobie cupcakes, i did it, and i think they liked them.

Easter baby

i haven't been able to log into my blog for the last week - no clue why. Anyways, now that i am back...i am going to stage a comeback. A big one.

But, first - check out the baby love:

boom.

BOOM.

ON A HAPPIER NOTE....

i chopped off all of my hair this week (10 inches actually) and someone at the grocery store stopped me and said one of the nicest darn things i have heard in a while. She said:" you are a very chic mom"

it made my day.

It also made me laugh because that literally was the first day that week (okay maybe month) that i hadn't worn yoga pants with a big ole' fancy face of no makeup.

i'm loving the new do and higher maintenance look. My pony tails were getting out of control....and what better way to force yourself to put some effort into your appearance than to try a new haircut.

Oh and i have to recommend a great little hair product i discovered this week too......Bumble and Bumble "texture" is awesome. I tend to love when my hair looks piecy and messy (especially in the summer)....this stuff totally does that. It is matte too so your hair doesn't look greasy. Seriously, try it. People will probably stop you in the grocery store to tell you that you look like a beachy mermaid...and in my book - that is a very good thing.

As far as my last "horribly depressing" post goes. NO need to worry about my mental stability. I will be booking some flights pronto so hopefully these sad days will be a thing of the past :) thanks for your nice comments though.

i'll try to find something more fun to talk about soon!

just bummed

i think i am having a break down.

My baby is finally sleeping for a good chunk of time and i have been up for hours crying.

I don't know why today is particularly hard, but i just have an overwhelming sense of guilt for being so far away from my family. I miss them so much and too much time has passed since we were all together last.

It makes me feel like a bad person. These are all of my favorite people...and i NEVER see them.

p.s....

i'm holding Ashlyn listening to lil wayne while posting on this blog.

maybe i should start listening to baby advice

...she is kinda gangsta though

ha ha...dont tell dad :)

i need to clarify....

there is a reason i don't get paid to write my thoughts.

i have a very hard time conveying my full thoughts and i think sometimes just shooting out a portion of my thoughts makes me sound like an ass.

i don't hate all baby advice...and saying that i did - made me sound like a total jerk. I realized after the fact that a lot of credit should be paid to my friends, my sister, my mom and all the blogs i read too.

I stay away from annoying friends and annoying blogs - in reality, it just so happens that A LOT of what i know about babies and baby gear has been learned from other people. I actually forgot to mention one other book that i seriously read all the time - that has helped me to stay off of the psycho mom list at the pediatricians office....becasue without it - i think i would call that helpline 3 or 4 times a week. "What to expect the first year" is filled with facts that help you understand milestones and what you should expect as far as your baby's development goes...and knowing that stuff is important and not necessarily something that you just know on your own.

I really hope i didn't come off as a know-it-all mom.... i was only trying to make the point that books....and people..... that act like they know the one, only, and best way to raise your kid suck.

a good portion of all of my conversations with friends revolve around baby stuff.... and i love that. None of them are know-it-alls and i love hearing their suggestions. i also love reading about what other people are doing with their baby's online.

sooooo i hope that clears up my true feelings on the topic.

No more serious shit....my next post will be about my boobs.

:)

Stay tuned.

baby advice is annoying.

As of late, I am settling into my new routine as a stay-at-home-mom, but just this week started to integrate a few hours of work in as well. I have really lucked out working for some great people that are allowing me to continue working (on a much much smaller scale) from the comfort of my own little casa just so that i can kind of stay in the swing of things and have a few adult conversations throughout the day...all while wearing my pajamas and staring at ashlyn in the next room over of course! i am so fortunate for this situation, and i know it.

Anywyas, because i am now working a little bit I am focusing a little more on getting ashlyn on a schedule...a flexible one...but a schedule nonetheless. I had heard a ton about "babywise" so I downloaded it onto my kindle and i am about 1/2 way through it after the first day. Except for "what to expect when you are expecting" this was my first baby book. I was just looking for a bit of predictability when it comes to nap time so that i can schedule my work time accordingly.

I am soooo not the "i read books on raising children" kind of mom. Most of them i find to be so annoying and almost insulting to your intelligence - like it really freaks me out that someone had to write this stuff down because there are actually moms out there that just sooooo dont get it. But Babywise was sold to me as being a little different. It is about parents taking the lead and making decisions for their baby...but with some structure.

that was similar to my philosophy so i tried it.

Long story short.... it is what i was already doing but in a slightly different order.

the book tells you to feed your baby...play with your baby....and then let your baby sleep at 3 hour intervals.....except for night where you skip from feed to sleep.

Ummmm i go feed, sleep, play most of the time and it seems to work great, but apparently inverting the 2nd and 3rd activity in this cycle is where i go all wrong...according to the book if she was feed, play, sleeping she would be sleeping 9-11 hours straight at night.

really? i'm not buying it.

i just don't see how that little tweak will change her world.

i don't know though...maybe it will so i am (sort of) trying it....and i'll admit, i am trying it out of guilt.

Guilt sucks.

Ashlyn sleeps well right now - i get a five hour stretch from 10-3 and then she usually gets up to eat again at 5 and one last time at 7am. It is manageable and she goes right back to sleep when she does get up so honestly, I'm not complaining. i am not a zombie mom that is crazy that struggles through every day deprived of sleep. Our daytime routine is great too....even if she isnt napping she is super content to spend time in her bouncy chair while i make dinner, take a shower or sweep the floor (or whatever).

i guess i read the book for 2 reasons:

#1 improvement is never a bad thing

#2 i guess i wanted some kind of validation that what i was already doing was the best way

so i read the book.

bad idea.

not the book necessarily...but i realized that it is just soooo counter productive to look for validation anywhere besides paying attention to the fact that your baby is happy and content....And i think sooo many people make this mistake.

My feeling is that there should seriously be a disclaimer on all baby advice that says "listen to this only if you are smart enough and confident enough to totally dismiss it if it is going to make you crazy"

I have learned one thing after 3 months of being a mom that i care to pass along:

everyone (in the whole wide world) except for your baby will tell you that you should be doing something different and or better than what you have already done..... and it will make you CRAZY.

There. Thats it. That is my one piece of baby advice. My friend stacy told me this before i had ashlyn and it really was the one thing that made me feel super confident about being a mom. I do believe that you just figure it out. As long as you aren't some crazy meth head...as long as you have the desire to be a good mom....stay confident in your abilities, stay in charge....and you will succeed. Don't read books like they are the bible and don't pay attention to the crazy loads of unsolicited parenting advice unless you are truly ready to defend in your own mind that what you have already done is probably just fine. Oh, and learn to decipher between what interests you and what will just end up making you feel inadequate. forget the bad stuff and stay positive!

i am going to just keep doing what i am doing and hope for the best.

forget the books!... i don't have time for them in "my schedule" anyways lol...jk.

my boobs

yep you read right...this post is about boobs. They are the COO to my little CEO Ashlyn and they pretty much determine when and how everything happens in my life theses days.

i have not gone to bed, eaten breakfast, left the house, or brushed my teeth without first flashin a little boobage to the Boss...not even once in the last 16 weeks have they stayed put and behaved like they did for the 27 years prior to mommyhood. they were kind if useless and unimpressive before but i mean seriously...my life...and her life revolve around these puppies these days and that is why they are getting their own post on here.

my boobs have never felt so important.

And just to clarify, the boobs i am referring to aren't the old school boobs i used to sport - These are like big time boobs. They are the boobs i always thought i would spend $8,000 to achieve. They are a source of pride when i feel like i had to (at least temporarily) cash in the rest of my body so that i could have a healthy wonderful cute baby. Call me a weirdo but i do appreciate that when god taketh away a human sized waist he did giveth me with some bigger knockers to detract attention

They are little sources of nutrition for my baby and surprisingly artsy inspiration for me too ;)

After all the build up -I bet you want to see them right?

Well unfortunately for some - I am classy enough and smart enough to know that posting a picture of my boobs online is "bad" and not really my style. I'm just hoping (fingers crossed) that i haven't done something socially unacceptable by writing about them and posting this frosted version of "my other" boobs below :

Boobs are okay when they are artsy right?

yep. I did it. I bought flesh colored fondant and made boob cupcakes. That is how boob centered my life is these days.

Not because i am creepy and obsessed with myself.... but because i happened to handle the task of planning the menu and decor for my brother in laws Bachelor party that was hosted at my house a few weekends ago while i was staring at ummmmmmm my own boobs during a flashing/feeding session with Ash.

i struggled with finding what kind of decorations i could do that guys would actually appreciate and the answer was literally right in front of my face! BOOBS!!!! so regardless of the ridiculous tackyness of boobie cupcakes, i did it, and i think they liked them.

Bunny Baby

....And if delightful recipes aren't your thing, perhaps adorable bunny babies are:

here is Ashlyn modeling her bunny jacket and bunny boots....

....and here she is again in her bunny boots and bunny cape!

i LOVE these little girl outfits!...and i also love love love the little girl wearing them!!

Now we just need to find the perfect Easter dress to accompany all of these cute little things!

Chipotle at home...but better.

This little diddy was inspired by a Chipotle burrito bowl. I made it a little lighter though (no cheese, sour cream, or guacamole... and although i am sure all of those things would be great if added - this really was delicious as-is and so easy to make.

Basically i just trimmed the fat off of some boneless skinless chicken breasts (which i am PSYCHO about - seriously. I remove anything that comes within a half inch of touching fat).....and once the chicken was safely de-fatified- i salted, peppered and "sauced" the chicken in this sauce below.

annoying that it is sideways right???? i had a really hard time with the pictures today :)

in case you cant read sideways this was "Hot Squeeze" Sweet Heat Chipotle Sauce.... it is seriously good. It gives the chicken a really smokey (sort of spicy flavor) that is as they claim, actually sweet too.

the chicken went into the oven at 400 for about 40 min. Don't listen to my chicken cooking timeline though. I really like dry chicken and i have forced my husband to like the same. Weird I know. It has to do with the fat issue and juicy chicken just grosses me out. So anyways maybe you should try to do this at 350 and check it after 25-30 minutes?

While the chicken was cooking I opened a can of black beans, and a can of green chilies. I chopped those up along with some white onion, cilantro, and grape tomatoes.

I combined the beans, the chilies and the onion on medium heat in a pot. Let that hang out until the onion has softened. You probably want to season this a bit too.

While all of that is going on start boiling some water for rice. I used white only because i had it on hand. I am sure you could use brown too if you wanted to be healthier. Let the rice cook and when it is done squeeze the juice of a 1/2 of a lime (or more if you want) onto the rice. Toss in most of your cilantro too. This really makes the most delish rice ever. The cilantro totally changes the flavor and is probably the best part of this whole dish.

build your plate with rice on the bottom, the beans and chilies next then top it with the chicken and a tomato cilantro garnish.

My husband ended up mashing all of this together and eating it in a tortilla but whatever. It still tasted the same :)

Oh and for dessert, we had my dad's favorite....which i have posted on here before but it was too good to skip.

Fresh red raspberries with a little bit of heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar served in a martini glass.

so easy. so fancy...and sooo good.

....and fr the record my little superstar baby chilled on the counter top in her bouncer chair whle all of this was going down. I think she likes to "cook" too. She never freaks out during dinner prep time :)

My other super easy stuffed chicken recipe is coming next. Get excited!!! :)