Back!

So New York was nice. And by nice I mean the whole process for me. I'm glad I picked a busy place for my first time away. 

I think if I had picked Scottsdale or Destin the "lounging and relaxing" would've made me really sad. 

I'm going to review each day via a mew post otherwise it will never get done haha

One week

Boy my anxiety is starting to creep up. I'm really nervous about our trip. They are in great hands I just don't know if I'm ready to leave the girls for that long. 

A day sure but 3.5 and we both fly. Ack!

Change Up

So I am a researcher thanks to MR. B but also very indecisive haha. 

I was reading Gramercy Tavern's tastin menu again last night and was just eh about it. 

I started looking at all of the Michelin rated restaurants and went back to Annisa. 

The tasting menu looked fantastuc and was where I wanted to be per person. 

Read a bunch of reviews and they were all wonderful. 

They had a reservation for the same time as Gramercy too!  

So I took to chowhound and posted. Quickly getting Annisa!!!!  Or check on reservations but Annisa. 

So I cancelled Gramercy Tavern and got Annisa!  So excited. 

Food in NYC

So the first day we fly in we'll grab lunch probably at Shake Shack and then we head to the 9/11 museum. 

We know we'll be there a few hours then head back to freshen up before our dinner reservations at Bar-bo-né. 

Sunday we have a VERY early reservation to take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island. 

For lunch we may do Momofoku Noodle Bar or Spotted Pig. Or we may wander around Chelsea Market and find something. 

We'll hang out and go wherever. 

Then back tothe hotel to get ready for dinner reservations at Keens Steakhouse. We really wanted Peter Lugers but all they had was either lunch or a 9:45pm. 

Keens has a ton of history and delicious steaks and mutton chops. 

We'll probably try and go to a bar after this. Maybe one of those secret speak easys and see if we can get in. Heh. 

Monday brings our free day. Other than the Brooklyn bridge I don't care what we do. Katz Deli is on the list for lunch and maybe roam around Eataly and Cental Park. 

We'll go to FAO Swarz to find the girls something I'm sure. 

Then my birthday dinner at the Michelin star...

Very excited about Gramercy Tavern!

Tuesday we fly out at 11 so it gives us enough time to grab breakfast and head to the airport. 

Oh and I really really really want to go to Serendipity3 for the cold hot chocolate or a sundae. 

And I'll have to sneak a slice of pizza and would love a bagel with lox. But we are limited on time and our hotel doesn't have a gym so I have to take that into consideration. 

I'll probably do twoadays a week before and after haha

Birthday Getaway...

So for my 30th birthday we decided to do a small getaway. My aunt and are kids are coming in from St Louis to watch the girls. I am excited and incredibley nervous at the same time. 

I really am worried I'll be super sad abd miss them and I hope they're good. 

They're really good kids but unfortunately and fortunately they have a few idocinrecies and are OCD about some things. 

Geeee I wonder where they got that from heh. 

We'll be pretty busy Saturday and Sunday but Monday we made it to just do whatever and I worry that's the day I'll have a hard time. 

We looked at so many locations and ultimately settled on NYC. 

It will be my third time there but I just love that city. I could seriously live there. 

The two other times I never made it to the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island and already the crown was booked but we'll be able to do the pedestal. 

I also want to walk over the Brooklyn bridge. 

Now that the 9/11 museum is open we got tickets for that as well. 

We'd love to do a broadway show but don't want to cram in everything. 

We've booked our dinners as well. But I'll save all the food for another post. 

Anxiously excited. 

Job

So it's been about 6 real weeks of work and I have to say I really enjoy it. 

My biggest issue is trying to fit the household and girl time in with working. 

I work a few hours in the morning then nap time then lunch and more work. 

Then I race to make the bed, clean, laundry, yard work and have dinner ready. 

But I am extremely blessed to have gotten this oppurtunity and I really hope in the next few months it leads to an actual employee position vs IC. 

I also got an additional 5 hours a week added to the mix at my higher rate so I'm pretty excited about that!  

I'm happy to be able to contribute and pay for my car, insurance (car, and life insurance for me and the girls) plus my cell phone. 

Would be more but as an IC taxes suck big balls. 

That's my update whoot

It's here....

Yay my band came in!  I'll be getting a second band for my birthday. I will not tell you which birthday it is but let's just say my youth will be behind me :/

Mother's Day

So Mr. B took the girls to Walmart to pick out a few things they wanted me to have. 

I love love love that he did this. It will be a wonderful tradition going forward. 

And A really thought of things like how I love soft blankets, an how I love my bubba cup. 

The girls smelled all of the scents tey got me and A 2.0 picked out the pillow. 

Mr. b said he had to go into the card aisle alone and when he came out A had a dozen rozes in her hand haha

And because a bus boy stole my sunglasses at breakfast the day before Mr. B got me an extra gift. Costas!!!!

I also got a new engagement ring since my other kept messing up so my original Mother's Day/Anniverary gift was the band that comes in tomorrow!  I can't wait. 

Here are the pictures

New Ring

So when I got married I had my gradmothers original ring. While not big it meant a lot to me. 

But as time went on my family showed their true colors over and over again (I had forgiven them too many times before) and then one huge blowout where they were so incredibely wrong and mean left me with such a bitter taste in my mouth that I never wanted to look at it again. 

And I haven't. 

I asked for a simple cheap diamond band in 2010 and wore it until 2013 which was our 5 year anniversary. 

I then got this ring..

And I loved it. But micro pavé apparently doesn't work for me. 

When they adjusted the size down and I got it back a diamond was already missing. Fixed it and two weeks later a different one was missing. 

Two months later another. 

They gave me a whole new ring. And for about 8 months it was ok until a prong broke. Normally a broken prong is on the buyer but with my issues they fixed it for free. 

Then two weeks later another diamond fell out. 

So we made the decision to just return and spend more. 

And I found an entirely different ring but one I really love. The bands were super expensive at the jeweler so I'm having another jeweler custom make me two bands to match and should get them in a little over a week. 

I seriously can't wait!  It's been a long month waiting for this beauty!

Working on my fitness

So it's now been a week and a half sunce I started running again. 

I have to say I still hate it haha

But I also know it works for me and well i it ain't broke....

We are officially less than a month until our beach trip. 

Tomorrow is May. So starting tomorrow I will do a 30 day plank challenge and 30 day squat challenge. 

I'll probably throw in some other things but those I'll take seriously. 

I already know I'll be bored with the planking and stall out at 2.5 minutes but hey if I can work up to that and keep planking that long who cares if I don't make it to 5 minutes. 

I do want to lose a few pounds but I really just want to be toned. My size 8 shorts do fit but do create a little muffin top so I'm hoping that can go away. 

I'm hoping with all of my running my cellulite on my upper thighs will be gone too haha

So that's what I'll be doing the next 27 days. Workin on my fitness and eating a lot of salads and drinking a lot of smoothies. 

Lent

So I'm not Catholic but down here Lent is a big deal and I want to teach my girls about why Lent is so important and show that we should be open to religions traditions and well sacrificing. Because obviously Jesus Christ did for us. 

So I gave up soda. I try and drink caffeine free as much as I can but when out or induldging in McDonalds breakfast nothing is better than a coke....especially from McDonalds!

But I have gained back some of the weight I had lost and we have a beach trip with friends at the beginning of June so I figure giving up soda would help my water intake and maybe drop 2 or so pounds in the process. 

Day two and I'm ok. Last night we went to dinner and I'll admit it was tough getting back into just water. 

For the record I drink a good anount of water anyways and always order a soda and water but back in the day that's all I ordered. 

It's more the carbonation. 

I told Mr. B about it and he said "but you're not even Catholic" haha but guess what I have noticed. He hasn't drank soda either. 

In fact he texted me that he drank water at lunch yesterday. 

What a sweetheart. 

I can do this!

Ugh

Cramps sucks....

That is all

Potty Trained!

Ok we're officially potty trained over here and I am ecstatic!  

I tried starting with pee in June and A showed no interest at all. Since she was only 2.5 I did not want to push it. 

We went to Texas to visit friends, came home and she told me she wanted too. 

So from then on she went pee. She also napped in her underwear with no accidents. 

We did pull ups at night but I think from August until now she may have peed twice while sleeping. 

Pooping was a whole different story though!  

She did not want any part of that. 

Bribes didn't work, being sweet didn't, being stern didn't, charts didn't etc. 

Her pediatrician at her 3 year check up said it was normal and to make her sit for 5 minutes after every meal. 

About a week and a half ago we went back and forth for 2 hours with she was going to poop her panties but wouldn't go. I had to be stern but she did it. 

Then a couple of days later same thing. But she did it. 

Then the next day no fight she did it. 

Next day two times that day. 

She skipped yesterday but went today. 

We also stopped pull ups last week too at night. 

Now in the morning she wakes up and get's Mr. B and he takes her potty. 

I am sooo happy and thrilled we are over that hump!  

Now just one child in diapers. I have a feeling A 2.0 will be potty trained much faster, but I won't even address it with her until she turns two other than her pretending. 

Time for a change...

And no this is not a new years resolution thing. I mean some could percieve it that way but I don't. 

My new years resolutions are things likespend  more "real" time with the girls and make time for Mr. B even when we're tired. 

Last year I lost 23 pounds. I hadn't been that weight since when we got married. I felt awesome. 

But I flipping HATE yes HATE running and that's currently the only thing I can do so my good knee doesn't get overused and hurt. Well besides an elliptical and I'm not paying a 70 dollar gym membership (have to drive 20 minutes to the closest one with a daycare and break that to the girls). 

So I stopped. And it was fine until I weaned A 2.0 this fall and then I stopped drinking as much water and I wish I could say the holidays but I really didn't over induldge. But then there's that pesky 10 pounds that has crept back on. 

So while I'm still 13 pounds lighter I definitelt am no longer like yay I feel great like I did at that weight while initally losing weight. 

I also know in life it's unrealistic to say I want to always be 150. 

I truly want to be 150-153 all of the time but wouldn't be super sad to be 155. 

But 155 is my cut off for my 8's to fit (american eagle that tend to run small) and for my cellulite on my legs to disappear haha

I did the plank challenge back when I was working out and it really worked!  I stopped at 2.5 minutes because quite honestly it's flippin boring hanging out for that long. It's all mental. 

I'm really out of shape in my core but I'm on day 4 and ready to go. 

Problem is it's been so cold to run with the girls. But I'm going to bundle them up and do it. No excuses. Een if it's more walking than running. 

So that's that. 

And here'a the plank challenge I'm doing. 

Having Faith in the Rain

These past few weeks have been very trying for our family. 

My mother in law has been in and out of the hospital twice. We're currently waiting on her to see a specialist to do a biopsy. It's unfortunately looking like cirrhosis of the liver. 

Mr. B and my brother in law had been going back and forth taking turns staying at the hospital which made it tough on the girls. 

I got laid off a week ago. They gave me the option to work two more weeks then informed me that I can only work 25 of my normal 35 this week. At this point throw me the 100 dollar bone. 

I have been applying for anything where I can telecommute. It still would be too expensive with daycare to work but now I have a new vehicle so I have to at least cover that expense. 

Mr. B got rear ended. Luckily he drives a work vehicle and it wasn't his fault. And he wasn't injured. 

And through all of this I just know this is our trying time. We've had it pretty darn easy since we've been together so I guess this is just a big test for us. 

I know that God has a higher purpose for all of this going on and if we put our faith and trust in him he will reward us...even when we think thay storm will never end. 

This child

She's too much y'all. 

3 going on 21!

New Year

A clean fresh start. 

You know I am happy that I have this blog to look back on when the girls are older to see how my pregnancy evolved but I always hoped I would make this a nice site haha

Well maybe someday. 

But let's start with me just trying to update a couple times a week. 

For the record I was the only one in the house to make it to midnight. Whoot whoot. 

We watched LSU play against my old Iowa team in the Outback bowl today. 

And if anyone is wondering...no it was not a hard decision who to root for. 

Glad we came out on top. 

I also started my 30 day ab challenge again. 

Last time I made it to 2.5 minutes before I gave up. It honestly just got really boring. 

But even if that's as far as I make it again it was a really great core workout and I could always plank for 2.5 the rest of the month. 

I'm also going to do the trash/donate 100 items. 

I already started. I threw out a toy that was breaking. 

I then will go through every month and pick about 15-20 items. 

We've reached our max capacity in this house and need more space!  Useable space that is. 

I need to take down holiday decorations but won't do that until Mr. B goes back to work so I can take my time and organize. :)

Here aresome pictures from last year.