Good Food

Guess what? It is 11 AM and Natalie is asleep. She has been sleeping for an hour and a half and she is STILL asleep. We normally just get 40 minute naps around here. It is so crazy I *almost* don't know what to do with myself. Almost.

First I made some yummy snickerdoodle cookies. See the recipe here. I thought I would only get through part of the process, but nope. Here I am!

Oh wait. Here's a tip. Don't blog about how your baby is still asleep because then she will wake up. Oh well. We got an hour and a half!

Anyway, I wanted to blog about some of my kitchen experiments! I'm trying to be healthy and all and still enjoy dessert so here's the latest. Sorry my pictures aren't that great but oh well.

Yesterday I made some fudge! I adapted it from Katie's recipe. I used coconut butter, banana, 1 TB chocolate chips, a little rice milk, cinnamon, salt, and a little agave. I would like to try a version without banana because it was VERY banana-y. But good! And fudgey. Very fudgey.

I made a green smoothie this morning! Yeah. Sorry for the picture. Maybe I should have omitted? Anyway, I had mangos and pineapples and so I googled for a green smoothie with those ingredients and found this recipe. I had all the ingredients so I gave it a shot. And it was YUMMY! I used to buy these creamy mango Popsicles from our local mexican store and I loved them. This tasted so similar! Even with spinach. Yep. It is true. Creamy dreamy mango smoothie: green edition. I also thought for sure I would be adding sweetener (you know me), but this was great on its own. And though the picture doesn't show it this way it was a bright PRETTY green smoothie. And I thought, hey I should make this around Christmas time for Natalie, nieces, nephews, etc. and call it a Grinch smoothie! I thought I was super clever and then googled it just to see. Nope, I am not super clever. Oh well. I still think it is a fun idea!

Sorry no pictures of the cookies. They are super delicious though. And if you follow the link above you will find some pictures there. They are yummy!

Cajun Pasta

So last week was Sama's birthday! We planned to go out to dinner. He chose T.G.I Friday's because he loves the cajun pasta from when he used to always get it when I was a server there. So we found some awesome 2 for 1 coupons online and went on our way. Only we soon discovered that T.G.I. Friday's near us was closed. Forever. Sad day. So we went to Olive Garden instead and Sama promptly sent me some an email with some links for the famous cajun pasta. Tonight we tried it!

Yeah, it didn't really taste the same. But it was delicious! Sama says the original was creamier. Mine wasn't at all creamy. We have some leftovers though so tomorrow I am going to change it up with some coconut milk. I think it will be yummy!

This is the T.G.I version. I didn't get a picture of mine but will try to remember to tomorrow. I'll post the recipe if it turns out!

Chocolate-Covered Katie

So a few weeks ago my sister found out she has Hashimotos disease. Now she is eating gluten free. I have had a lot of fun experimenting with gluten free recipes for her. Her son has dairy and corn allergies. So there are a lot of tricky things to adjust with recipes sometimes. As I have mentioned before, I am trying to eat healthy and lose weight. A lot of people told my sister that they lost so much weight being gluten free, but that wasn't happening too much for her. Probably because I kept baking her cakes... So I started looking online at some healthy gluten free blogs. I came across some I really like. These are my three favorites so far:

1. Chocolate covered Katie: Oh how grateful I am to Katie! She has such yummy looking recipes that are HEALTHY!Yay! Not all gluten free, but many of them are. I made her Ultimate Chocolate Fudge Pie today. It is great! It does have tofu. I know what you're thinking....tofu? In chocolate pie? Umm....no thanks. But seriously, it makes it great. And I am not a tofu person. I don't eat tofu! So if I am okay with it, then anyone can be :) I didn't have the same kind she mentioned and I did get a very very slight aftertaste, but it probably wouldn't if I had had the right kind :) There are a lot of things I am looking forward to trying on here!

2. Elana's Pantry: I found this because I was looking for healthier cake recipes since I am into cake decorating but don't want it to be quite so unhealthy. They look great, but I haven't tried any yet. She also has a cupcake recipe book out that I would love to get! The only trouble is that since it is gluten AND sugar-free/low sugar the ingredients in some of the recipes can get a little pricey. That's because it uses alternative (not synthetic) sweeteners that have a lower glycemic index than refined white sugar. Oh and almond flour. THAT is pricey! Sounds like they are worth it though if you can afford it.

3. Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free: So this is more extreme since it is without so many things I am used to eating. But it does actually have some yummy looking recipes! Desserts plus lots of others. I really like her views on how she eats and why and why. Very interesting to read about.

Hope you enjoy checking out some new blogs. I was excited to find out there were "sugar free" sugars. Does that make sense? No of course not. I just mean sugar that is sweet and (so I have read) delicious without being as bad for you! Who knew?

Photo Updates: It's Been Too Long!

Well, it has been a really long time since I posted! So since I can't really go over all the latest, here are some photo updates.

 My first attempt at fancy cookie decorating. The frosting needs a bit of work :)

 Taken on Mexican Independence Day. We walked around a fair they had in Portland and Natalie loved it!

We went to Canada. Natalie had a lot of fun! She liked this little car.

 Natalie likes the high chair. We got her one of her own when we got back!

 Our little niece decided it would be fun to do my and Natalie's hair. Cute huh?

 First attempt at climbing stairs. Her 2 year old cousin didn't want her to. It was funny.

Natalie all dressed up. So cute!

 She likes to climb in the cupboard. Mommy's little helper :)

I started cake decorating!! I am not great or anything, but I really enjoy it. I just have to be sure to give most of them away :)

My best cake so far and my first attempt with fondant. I think it turned out pretty well :) This was a gluten free cake for my sister.

 We went to the pumpkin patch with my dad, my sister, and her boys. I don't know why but this is the only picture I got.

 Just a picture of Natalie looking oh so adorable.

 Halloween cake! I am pretty proud of this one :)

 Dead finger sugar cookies

Halloween cupcakes. I liked these. I learned how to twist two colors of frosting.

 Halloween party at my sister's house. This was the delicious food we had out.

 My mom was a kitty just like Natalie!

 Natalie helped Daddy pick out some new soccer shoes

Natalie loves the bathtub!

 Natalie and me at the church Halloween party

 Natalie and Daddy

All of us together! Happy family!

Little kitty!

5K Today!

So out of pretty much nowhere I ran (okay ran is the wrong word. It was more like walked/jogged) a 5K. Sama works for a great company and they plan a lot of different events. Today it was a 5K and a 10K for employees and their families. And there were a lot of people! Sama asked me yesterday if I wanted to do it and I did. It was kind of sad because I couldn't jog too much because of my knee, but so what? I did it! And maybe walking/jogging 3 miles isn't all that impressive, but for me it was awesome and I feel really good about it!

So after the 5K there was a BBQ for everyone. It was a little disappointing. We spent almost two hours in line (yeah, really) for food that was just okay. But it was really just bad tasting in a way since it was so not worth the wait and we would have been better off just leaving, going somewhere, and getting home MUCH earlier! But we are cheap and the food was FREE! And why did the line take so long you might ask? Well imagine hundreds of people, with four tables of food (salad bar type stuff, but we all know most everyone wanted the meat, right?) and people could go on either side of those four tables, so that should not take two hours, right? Wrong. Because those eight lines suddenly, with no real order to things, turned into two tables of meat with lines on just one side of each table. It looked like it was so they could keep the food warm in chaffing dishes, but did they really think it would get cold with so many people? Whatevs, it was still a great day!

After getting home we heard music playing across the street which reminded me that today was the last week of the farmer's market that is near our house (the music was from the live bands they have each week in case you were wondering why music would remind me of the farmer's market). So I went over and got some delicious blackberries and strawberries as well as our favorite roasted red pepper hummus. So good!

Today totally made up for my bad weekend!

A better Monday

Okay, so sorry for such a downer post yesterday. I just decided that even though it was such a bad weekend., I am going to have a good day. I am going to try to get the apartment cleaned up, maybe go to my sewing class, do some cooking/baking for us. I am just not sure about the sewing class because I feel like having a quiet, restorative day to myself. But we will see. Maybe I need some positive social time with adults! So that's the very flexible plan of the day.

Having a Bad Day

Natalie is still having sleeping troubles and I am reading yet another baby sleep book. My main problem is that I haven't been able to follow through on any plan. This time I am going to write it out (with Sama) and we will figure out a plan of action that we can both live with and follow through for at least 7 days. I am just getting really concerned about her lack of good sleep and of course that part where I would love some more sleep too!

So there was that sleeping trouble. Apartment trouble where everything is just a mess and our garbage disposal broke for the 3rd time since we have been here. And I just didn't want to and didn't have the time to do anything about it. Part of the reason being that I was babysitting for my sister this weekend. It was an overnight thing. Four kids plus Natalie.

The good thing is that I did get some sleep this afternoon while Sama watched Natalie. And he was nice enough to do some cleaning around the apartment. So that is really helpful.

Overall things are still pretty much a mess. I hope it gets better.

Sewing

So I have continued to sew and am getting (slowly) better. I decided to try making some tote bags. I made some mini ones too. One for one of the little girls in our Sunbeams class because she didn't have one to carry her scriptures. And another for my niece. Actually I haven't made that one yet, but I will!

I am also still working on the quiet book for Natalie, but there isn't a lot to show on that yet. Just the page blanks so that is not too exciting. But I'll for sure post the pictures as I get more done!

Running and New Shoes

 So my sister started doing C25K, which stands for "couch to 5K" and I started doing it too! I actually started a couple weeks ago and made the mistake of doing too much too soon. I didn't really know not to go running/walking every day and even after I did, I still did sometimes because I got a running partner and sometimes our schedules weren't on track and I would still run two days in a row. So anyway, I ended up hurting my knee and was told by the nurse to stop running until it got better. So I have been walking, but am anxious to get started again! I have been worried because it hasn't really improved, but I finally gave in and got a knee brace and it has actually really helped! So maybe I can get back to it in a few days! There is a 5K on Thanksgiving and I am hoping to do it with my sister!

Yesterday Sama and I went to Adidas because we had a great discount through his company and I got some new supportive running shoes. I really like them! I am hoping they can keep me excited/motivated for the next few days until I get back into my routine. Wish me luck!

Little Green Cup

Of course Natalie has a LOT of toys! But her favorite the last couple days? A little green cup. Silly girl! But she is super cute with it. I was playing with her this morning and we were doing the hokey pokey together and the whole time she just held on to her little cup. 

New Machine!

I got my sewing machine!! I used it for the first time last night. My sister helped me make a little pillow for Natalie. Check it out!

Ebay--Who Knew?

In order to help me get my sewing machine faster, Sama offered to let me sell one of his old text books that was still worth some money. I went ahead and listed it last night on half.com and it sold a few minutes later. Win!!! I was and still am super excited because I think I can get my sewing machine today or tomorrow!!

It is weird because I have always thought of Ebay as some huge tricky thing to use for selling. And I know things don't always sell that fast, but the whole thing was pretty simple. Sama already had an account on there and everything so I just used that. Yay for Ebay!

A Good Day

Well despite our crisis this morning, we had a great day. We just relaxed and hung out in the morning. Playing and watching t.v.  After lunch Natalie and I went to run some errands. We went to return and exchange a few things and then we went to the bank to deposit some money I have been saving up for my sewing machine. I should be able to get it soon! We also went to the sewing machine store where I spent probably too much time, but who cares? It was fun!

I didn't have to make dinner because we still had some yummy leftovers from yesterday. So that was great. Sama got home early and we all had a nice evening together. So nothing spectacular happened, but after a crazy morning it was just nice. Nice to be with my daughter and husband and just be together and relax. Love it.

First Fall

So at about 4:30 AM this morning Natalie had her first fall. Actually I pushed her out of bed. How could I have done that!!!!??? We did just buy her a crib and she stays there until at some point she wakes up and I am too tired to get her back to sleep by walking around with her. Then she comes to bed with me. Anyway I had her next to me and moved over in my sleep. I guess that whole "sixth sense" of knowing where your baby is wasn't working because when I moved, Natalie did too. Onto the floor!!!!

At first I was calm and thinking hey I know this happens sometimes, she's fine. So I tried to calm her down and after her crying and realizing what had happened sunk in a bit more I admit I started to freak out a little bit. Sama took her so I could "calm down." Which didn't actually happen for about an hour. Our room had been kind of a mess and I am so glad she didn't hit her head on anything. So in my crazed state I cleaned the bedroom, did some laundry, and really just cleaned for awhile. It took me awhile after that to hold Natalie again. I mean I know it was an accident and that she is totally fine, but there was still that huge emotional guilt.

Anyway, we are all fine now. Natalie is fine. Sama was amazing being there for both me and Natalie. Love him!

Quilting

At church I have joined a quilting and a sewing class. The quilting class actually just ended and I have a few quilt block patterns, but without the class they are a little advanced for me. So I bought some new fabric and even got a hand quilter for a good price at a garage sale. Yay. And now I have found a pattern that seems super simple and doable!

here is the fabric:

And here is the pattern I'm using and the link to the tutorial:

I am saving to buy a new sewing machine. Just something simple. I have a used one right now and that will be fine for now. As long as I keep up and keep enjoying this then I will get the new sewing machine. Once I can afford it :)

Friends

So I am still in touch with a few friends that I have known since middle school. One especially that just came to visit me on her way out of town today. When she got here she said my apartment reminder her of another middle school friend's, Chelsea. So I got to thinking. Well we both live in the same city and why the heck haven't I called her yet?! So I texted her and it turns out, we live in the exact same apartment complex! This is just crazy! So we have plans to see each other tomorrow! Yay for reuniting with old friends! Can't wait.

Brooke Van Gory

So I am looking for a new diaper bag that is bigger than the one I currently have. I like it, but I didn't actually choose it and it is a hand me down. Which is fine. I LOVE all the stuff I have gotten from my sister. Anyway though, it is a little small for everything we bring with us. I am pretty sure I over-pack, but I just like to be prepared. Anyway, we need a bigger bag!! In my research for the best bags for cloth diapers (because they really do take up more space than disposables) I found out about Brooke Van Gory bags! And I WANT one! However, they are a little expensive because they are custom made. But check these out!

Look here to see how much these bags can really fit! And here for a review of the bags.

So the exciting thing is that Brooke is going to be doing a giveaway soon. So I am totally entering that! I realize that it is a long shot with so many others entering, but who cares? There's a chance, right? Anyway, as soon as Brooke gets a few more followers on her Facebook page, she is doing a giveaway. Check it out!

I like these patterns, but I still haven't looked at ALL the fabrics there are to choose from. Which is really any fabric since they are custom.

Feeling Like I Would Do ANYTHING For Sleep!!!

Okay so Natalie is not the best sleeper. She just isn't. It has been like that since we moved. Every once in awhile she will go 4 or 5 (I think our record is 6!!) hours straight at a time. But then it is up every hour or so after that. Which means I only get a couple of uninterrupted hours of sleep since she goes down about 7:30 or so. Anyway, she mostly sleeps with us. Which is kind of nice when you are first falling asleep and get to cuddle with her but not so nice for staying asleep. I would love to put her in her crib...awake....and have her stay there all night long!!! But I just don't have that baby. I don't like cry it out. Been there and tried that. Natalie just escalates and screams bloody murder! And then won't calm down for a long time even after you pick her up.

Anyway...All this is just to explain that we have just had the WORST NIGHT EVER!!! Natalie wouldn't stay for more than 45 min when we put her down at night. After going to bed she hardly slept at all. I was kind of a zombie through all this but it was basically sleep for 30-45 min and wake up. Then I would try to get her back to sleep patting her. If that didn't work I would nurse her. Yes I realize I may have just nursed her an hour ago but I was kind of desperate here people! Then repeat about 30 min later. Then finally realize hey! It's the weekend! Sama can help! But I was kind of not sure about that because starting a couple days ago Natalie doesn't seem to like to be with anyone but me when she is upset. Not even her dad?!! Anyway, I finally did ask. And Sama is wonderful so he helped. And an hour later she would be back and it would be my turn again. I am sure she never slept the whole hour. But she would always be awake for me an hour later when it was my turn again. This went on for a few hours. So now? We just got up. I am giving Sama a few more hours sleep and then it is his turn again.

We had a lot of plans today, but I am just exhausted and have no idea if we will actually do anything!

Okay, rant over. Natalie, I LOVE YOU TO PIECES! But, sweetheart, I need sleep!!!!!!!

Heart Healthy Week: Chicken, Salsa Verde, and Avocado in Ciabatta

We had a delicious dinner tonight! I loved this recipe! Not quite as healthy as some of the other things we had this week, but still not bad. I also had mine open-faced so less bread.

AND I made it to tonight with no sweets! Yay me! I feel really good about that. Tonight we had a brownie and ice cream and I actually enjoyed it more than I would have I think if I had been eating that junk all week. And I didn't feel the need to eat more....yet! Hopefully that will stick! Next week is another heart healthy week. I am pretty excited about it.

Heart Healthy Week: Updates

Tuesday was pork with rice and a salad. It was okay but not that great. Probably won't make it again. Here is the recipe if you are interested in a healthy dinner that is okay but not my fave.

Wednesday was the farmer's market. Sama and I had an okay time but we both ended up getting our dinner other places. I had a veggie pizza from Whole Foods and Sama had a sandwich from Muchas Gracias.

Today we had Italian-Style Stuffed Peppers. I thought they were pretty good! A little bland, but you could always add more seasoning, cheese (kind of defeating if you want a healthier meal though), or tomato sauce.

Overall I am feeling really good about these heart healthy meals. They still have a lot more flavor than I thought and are decent. Some are even delicious! I have a few more planned for next week too.

The BEST accomplishment for me this week has been no sweets! I feel super good about that. It is hard, but not as hard as I thought it would be. I have been chewing a lot of gum though :) Sweet enough to keep sugar cravings away. Tomorrow night I get sweets again. The weekend is okay, but next week I will be doing this again.

Heart Healthy Week: Pineapple Chicken Salad

Sama and I are both trying to eat better. Our goals this week are no sweets until the weekend (my biggest weakness!!) and we are making heart healthy dinners.

Tonight was pineapple chicken salad with balsamic vinaigrette. So delicious! We got the recipe from the Mayo Clinic.  I added a little pineapple juice towards the end of cooking the chicken. I also didn't wait to add the chicken and since it was still hot it wilted the spinach a little. Not too serious. Anyway, it was just a little sweet with the pineapples so of course I liked it!

Anyway, I'll try to add the recipes we are trying as we try them this week. We do have plans to eat at the Farmer's Market on Wednesday though!

Father's Day

We had a great weekend! Natalie and I went to my parents' house Friday and stayed the night. My Uncle from the East coast was there and Saturday my sister and her kids came. Sama came Saturday afternoon. Saturday morning we took the kids to the carousel. It was Natalie's first time and she LOVED it! Pictures to come later as they were not taken on my camera :) After we all went to lunch and then back home to play games. Our family loves playing games together. We had a nice dinner and Natalie gave Gumpy his Father's day card. We had her hand print on it as her signature :) Then time to go home. It was a really nice visit!

Yesterday was Father's Day and we went to church. We have a new calling teaching the Sunbeam class in primary. Sunbeams are the 3 year olds. I think it will be a little crazy but I am still excited! I love this age group! We will have 4 kids in our class so not too bad.

I made Sama breakfast (breakfast burritos and cinnamon roll casserole...SO GOOD!). Then we came home and all took a nap and then had a nice dinner together. We made gourmet sandwiches with turkey, tomato, avocado, cranberry, lettuce, and mayo on toasted sourdough bread. Yum!

Anyway, that was our weekend!

Nice Baby

Yesterday morning I woke up with a terrible headache. The beginnings of a migraine kind of headache. It was kind of my fault for staying up too late the night before but however it happened I was kind of worried about the day ahead of me. All I wanted to do was close my eyes and sleep. It hurt to talk and I had a hard time playing with Natalie. But then she decided to take an early nap! And sleep two hours! Thus allowing me to sleep too. So I took some Tylenol and we took a nap together. And after I felt SOOOO much better! Still had a little headache, but no biggie. Later Sama brought home lunch and Natalie took another long nap! After that we all went to the farmer's market. Overall a great day for starting out so bad! Thanks for the sleep Natalie!

Health

I often think about writing more on my blog and then I think of how much I haven't written about and just don't. How silly. I used to do that with my journals. I wouldn't write because I thought if I did I would just have to write a ton updating my whole life since I hadn't been writing. Anyway, maybe a few updates today but mostly I just want to get back in the habit of writing!

Health
This is a big thing for me right now and something I am really struggling with. Why is it so stinkin hard for me to not eat sweets?! Even though I am overweight and my cholesterol is dangerously high I seem to have a huge problem changing my eating habits. It seems ridiculous, right!? I think it is. So I am working at it. Any encouragement is greatly appreciated!

Natalie
Natalie is amazing! I just love her so much. She is so smart and the sweetest little girl. She wins lots of friends by smiling at anyone who talks to her. She is rolling over. She will giggle and laugh but not very often so it is really fun when she does. She is interested in everything going on around her to the point where I have a hard time feeding her sometimes as she just pulls away to look around over and over again.

We started solids a few weeks ago but mostly we just breastfeed. She loves eating other food but everything except rice cereal didn't seem to agree with her. So we have backed off of that for now and every few days she gets some rice cereal. I was excited to start her on solids as she has been so interested in our food, but I am kind of content to wait a little longer now.

Discount Furniture
So we bought a couch when we first moved here from a discount furniture store. It was a good price and we liked it but unfortunately it had just sold. Soooo, we ordered another one and they told us it would be one month. Kind of a long wait but okay. So last weekend it had been a month. We hadn't heard anything so we called them to find out where things were at. And guess what? The guy said he had no idea why we were told only one month because it wouldn't be delivered until mid-July! WHAT? REALLY? And all sales are final because it is a discount place. Whatever. But really? Even though we were lied to? Anyway, they brought us a loaner couch until ours arrives. So we at least have something. It is just frustrating though. But I guess that is why it was so stinkin cheap. Definitely going to rethink buying from places like this again!

Car
We bought a car after we got here. We paid cash and it felt so great!!! I love not worrying about payments. However, it is kind of hard sometimes just having one car. The good thing is that I am not completely isolated here because our apartments are surrounded by all kinds of things. We have a mall across the street, restaurants, grocery stores, parks, etc. So at least there is that. Someday we will get a second car.

Church
We really like our new ward so far. People have been really friendly and nice to us. Last night we had an ice cream social and met a lot of new people. It is interesting because it seems like everyone we talk to also works for Intel. They just have so many campuses here so it makes sense.

Happy Anniversary!

We celebrated our 3 year anniversary tonight. We went to Olive Garden and then to buy Natalie a baby bathtub as hers was too big to bring on the move. Poor girl. She REALLY needs a bath. But she fell asleep on the way home and still didn't get one tonight. I gave her a bath in the kitchen sink but my hand slipped and she hit her head. Not hard and she is totally fine, but it makes me too nervous!!!!

We brought Natalie on our date with us and the host who seated us said that he had a four month old boy as well. When we set Natalie down and he actually looked at her he kind of looked unsure or weirded out or something. Then he asked how much she weighed when she was born. I explained that she was early and just a little baby, but he just kind of nodded and walked away. It was weird. Oh well. Natalie, we love you just the way you are!

Total Money Makeover!
Have you ever read Dave Ramsey's book The Total Money Makeover? If the answer is no, then you should go get/borrow a copy and read it! It is so good. It is so clear that anyone (really ANYONE) can live debt free. Including the house. And then have money saved up for kids, retirement, etc. Like enough to live comfortably on. Or even enough to live in luxury. I can't say enough good things about this book. GO READ IT!

We are currently in the middle of our total money makeover. Sama just started his new (well-paying) job today and I am doing really well with Melaleuca and making good money. So what are we doing with that? We are paying off our student loans. Like REALLY fast. And then we are saving for a house. A nice house that we can be in forever with little or no mortgage. We don't have very much right now especially in terms of furniture. We budgeted for furniture but not very much.  Like $100 a month. We are borrowing a table from my parents and we are buying the rest used. Except a bed. We did indulge in a nice bed. But now we are living quite frugally. To the point that my family thinks I am crazy. I told my mom this morning that we weren't really doing much for our anniversary so she pulled out all the money she had in her wallet and a gift card and told us to go out. That was awesome. We did have a really good time. My sister is pretty shocked that we might not have a couch right away. But oh well. There are worse things. We will soon have the furniture we need and NO debt and lots of money saved.

Maybe you all think I am crazy too. But I know it won't be so bad to live like this for a little while knowing that in a few years we will be debt free including our house, have a lot of extra money, have plenty for retirement, college, etc. That will be wonderful so I am willing to sacrifice a little to get there sooner. There is a footer throughout the entire book that says "if you live like no one else, later you can live like no one else." Basically if you give up some things now then later you will have enough to buy all those things and have all the things you need and want. This book is really inspiring and helpful and just plain awesome.

Moving
So I don't know when I last wrote on here and thought I would explain that we just moved to a new state. From Utah to Oregon. We brought two pieces of furniture with us and that's all. So if what I was saying above didn't make sense, we really have no furniture because we just moved.

Time to go as little Natalie has just woken up. Goodnight!

Blessings: A Car Story

So, Sama took our car to get checked out to make sure all was well for driving to Oregon on Saturday. Well, apparently the back left tire was in bad shape because the brake was slowly getting welded onto the tire. What?! Yeah so all those times we put the emergency break on when we park--totally unnecessary apparently. So that caused problems with the car overheating a lot because it was working extra hard to pull that tire around.  Anyway, we knew our car was old and not the best, but we were still hoping to take it. They gave us an estimate and got to work fixing the problems. I guess it was still okay to drive because Sama brought it back and had plans to go back today to let them finish the repairs. Well....

Yesterday Sama took the car out because he had left his backpack with his computer and brand new camera across town. He didn't make it because the car started banging. He turned around and headed home going as slowly as possible and then....the tire fell off. Yep. It just fell off and rolled away. Crazy.

So where are the blessings in this you may ask? Well I promise they are there. Thankfully no one was hurt yesterday when all this happened. The tire rolled into a really old fence but no other cars or anything. There was no accident. Also, we were very lucky that Natalie wasn't in the car. Again, nothing bad happened, but it would have been a lot more worrisome if she had been there. And finally, this happened BEFORE we started driving a few hundred miles to Oregon. So, blessings! We are so grateful.

Yes, it is too bad about the car, but we were planning on purchasing a new one once in Oregon anyway. So we are going to sell this for whatever price we can get and put it towards the new car.

And now back to packing!

Bedtime Smiles

So Natalie has started doing something interesting. When we are getting her ready for a nap or for bed, she will sometimes fall asleep and then wake up as we put her down in her bed. At this point instead of crying or getting upset, she will usually just start smiling these big adorable smiles at us. It is too cute and I have to remember that it is nap/bedtime and not pick her up and start playing with her. Anyway, I think she knows that if she smiles at us then we will play with her and that smiling at bedtime is so much more effective for getting picked up than crying. And smiling is definitely more fun for us too :)

This Week

We had a great week! Well, not including Natalie having an ear infection. Poor baby. I've been getting plenty of exercise and we have spent a lot of time with good friends. Wednesday we went to eat with some friends and we had more friends over last night. It was just great.

Well I realize this is very short, but I just wanted to give an update. Hope you are all doing well!

Feeling Good

So it is currently 3:10 AM and I am awake. Surprisingly not because of Natalie but because I just can't sleep. And it has been too long since I have posted on here. I will try to be better about it.

So this week I have worked really hard to be healthy. I have done a great job at eating well and getting exercise. I have mostly been going on walks with Natalie in order to get my exercise. I love it! So today Sama and I had planned to go out to eat and I had planned to eat pretty much whatever I wanted. I started with a large salad so I wouldn't go too crazy. And I didn't. Except then I got chocolate cake. Still feeling okay about this. The problem was later when I wasn't quite hungry enough for a full meal and just wanted something little and quick. So then I started snacking on granola bars. Anyway, the end of the day wasn't that great and since it was snowing today I never went for that walk. So I guess today was a learning experience. The good thing is that I am not beating myself up over it. I have felt so good in just a few days of being healthy that I just want to get back to that! And I know I can do it too. I think eating lots of fruits and vegetables has been great and one of the main things that has helped me so much.

In other news. Natalie has an ear infection. Poor girl. We didn't know for a few days. She was fussy and had an elevated temperature so we called the nurse and she said to come in. Good thing. She is starting to do a little better now! She has to take antibiotics for a few days. You know that pink stuff? I remember taking it as a kid and loving it. I thought it tasted so good. My mom had a daycare and when other kids had to take it and I would see it I would always be a little jealous. Anyway, I am just remembering this since Natalie is now taking the same stuff.

Sama is working hard finishing his senior project. I can't believe the semester is almost over! I am excited to move to Oregon, but now that it is close I am realizing that there are so many people I will miss. We aren't that social so it kind of surprised me when I started thinking of all the people we won't see anymore that we will miss. I guess we are a little more social than I thought. I will miss getting together with everyone! I wish I could just have everyone move with us, but of course that is just not going to happen.

Sama finishes work next week. The place he works is moving to another city and since we are moving it is not  realistic for him to start another job. So we will have more time with him! Less money for about a month, but we have enough and will be just fine.

Overall life is really good. I am so happy with how things are going and I feel so blessed with all I have.

Blessing Day

Natalie had her baby blessing last Sunday, March 6th. It was WONDERFUL! We had family and friends there who participated and it was such a special day. Natalie looked so sweet in her dress. Unfortunately she wasn't very happy when we took these pictures.

Fluffy Bum Reviews

Okay, so I now have pictures of sweet little Natalie in some of her cloth! The pictures aren't great quality because the camera we bought for Christmas decided it wanted to die. So until I figure that out, we still have the camera phones :) All of the pictures are of Natalie at 8 pounds except for the Thirsties where she was 7 lbs.

Charlie Banana

I really like the Charlie Banana because they fit really great even on my little tiny baby. I try to use them at night because they have the fleece that keeps moisture away from baby's bottom. They are super cute and really easy to use! They did look HUGE on her though when we started using them at just 6 lbs. But they worked so oh well :) 

GroVia

I really like the Velcro on the GroVia. It is super strong and durable. It is really the only Velcro I have that I like because the other ones, even with using the laundry tabs, get so worn out in the laundry. Obviously they are still in good condition since we haven't had them that long, but I can see them not lasting. These are GREAT though. The whole top part is a fabric that catches the Velcro so you can make it fit perfectly! You can change the insert and reuse the cover, but poop almost always goes off the  insert and so when that happens, we can't reuse it. But that is true for any cover, this one just seems to happen more often.

 Flips

I think I will like these better when Natalie gets a little bigger. They have some great inserts that you just lay in the diaper and tuck under a couple of tabs. But we are using them as a cover over fitted diapers instead of with the Flips inserts because the inserts are big for her. They can be folded down to different sizes, but they just didn't work. I think I will try again soon because she has gained a couple pounds since I last tried. But for a little tiny baby, they didn't work great. Now we really like them as covers though and hope to be able to use the inserts soon!

Thirsties

I LOVE the Thirsties covers. They fit great especially because of the inner gusset. This is the Thirsties Duo Wrap. There is a size one and a size two of these and each can be adjusted to two sizes. So we bought the size one and can adjust it to a small size with the snaps or we can unsnap it for the medium size. With these we use prefolds or fitteds. I had never planned on using fitteds only because I didn't want to pay the same amount for a fitted as for a regular all in one or all in two diaper. But I made some and LOVE them. My husband prefers the fitteds and the covers to any diaper. I guess he likes the all in one Bumgenius size small we have, but he would rather use the covers knowing they are cheaper. 

So that is my review of our cloth diapers. Hope this helps those who were curious about them!

Updates

Valentines
We have had a great weekend! We went to a Valentines dance with some friends last night and had a lot of fun. After we all came back to our apartment and made cake and just hung out. Then tonight we went to a family Valentines dinner. Everything was so delicious and also healthy. Well dessert wasn't healthy I guess but the rest was. And so yummy! We had a broccoli salad with a dressing on it. Sama really doesn't like broccoli but he liked this a lot. Then we had a delicious fruit salad with poppyseed dressing and pizza with asparagus. I never would have thought about asparagus on pizza but it was good! We don't have plans for tomorrow, but I think the weekend was enough as far as celebrating valentines day!

Baby Massage
I decided to start doing massage with Natalie. We did it tonight for the first time and she loved it! I don't know if it is technically a massage because I don't know the "right" way to do it. But it was something and I am going to read about massage to make it an even better experience for us. I was worried she might not like it but it was a good bonding experience and I highly recommend it!

Cloth Diapers
Erin, it is late right now and I only have one picture of Natalie in her diaper, so my goal tomorrow is to take some more pics and post a short blog answering your questions :)

First Outing and Updates

We took Natalie out for the first time today! In public that is and not for a doctors appointment. I decided that Sama and I needed some time for us and so we fed Natalie and got her almost to sleep and went out to dinner. She slept for most of it! It was great. She woke up towards the end and still did okay for the rest of the time. I was so happy to go out with her and Sama! Sama and I got to talk and have a really good time. It was so nice.

I think it will be easier to take her out now. The hardest part is that she still isn't on a consistent schedule. I think that is okay since we are mostly home, but it does make it hard when trying to plan things. Oh well. I would really like to have a schedule, but I am not sure that I want to force it. So we'll just see how it goes.

Friends
My friend Monique came over the other day with her son Ethan. It was really nice to have company. We had people over right after Natalie was born and that was kind of overwhelming at times because I mostly just wanted to rest! But I have been feeling pretty good the last couple weeks and it was great to see friends.

Cloth Diapers
Well we are doing cloth diapers (again)! Natalie was too small for the ones I had bought before she was born. So then I made some but I can't get the elastic right and they didn't fit right and leaked. Not good. So we kept using disposables but it was driving me crazy! I hated knowing that for a couple dollars more than a package of diapers I could just buy cloth. So I talked to Sama and he said to go ahead and buy some smaller diapers. They are Thirsties and two sizes in one so they aren't huge but will still last quite awhile. I took a picture but I am too lazy to hook up my camera and download it so that will come later. Anyway, my favorite cloth diapers are the GroVia and the Charlie Banana that we bought and they do work, they are just look HUGE on her. It is fine with me, but Sama doesn't like it because she seems uncomfortable. Though I haven't noticed that. But I was still impressed that they fit her! Those are my favorite diapers so far. But anyway, Monique gave me the idea of continuing to use the ones I made and just put the cover over them. So that is what I am doing and it works really well. I love it! Cloth diapers are so easy and are saving us money. I recommend it :) I am glad I found a way to keep using the ones I made. I am making more now since I can use the cover over them.

A Tree in Our Apartment
So there is a tree growing in our apartment. What?! I thought Sama was joking when he told me. This actually happened a few weeks ago. There is a teeny tiny branch breaking through the wall, so we called maintenance and they came out. They just plucked it out of the wall and then went outside and cleared some of the branches thinking that one just pushed through from the outside wall. And then they left. Yeah...that didn't work. The tree is back. I am so glad this is not my house and that we don't have to worry too much about this.

Vacation
Natalie will be taking her first trip next month! We are going to Oregon to visit family and look at apartments. We decided that we will probably get an apartment for 6 months. After that we plan to buy a house. We wanted to buy a house first, but it is too much hassle trying to do that long distance and I just don't want to make a big decision like that without having a better idea of the area. So we will hopefully find some good apartments to choose from while we are there and be all set to move in after Sama's graduation. It is coming up!! Time is going so fast.

Natalie Updates
Breastfeeding is still going well. It keeps getting better :) Natalie is starting to hold her head up for a few seconds at a time! She is doing well at everything except sleeping through the night. Can't wait for that day to come!

Pictures

We have been doing great. Natalie and I took our first walk today. I really wanted to take her out before but it just never happened. Today it was a priority or it wouldn't have happened again. But we went and it was really, really nice! Natalie fell asleep so I don't know if she loved it or not, but maybe next time we will time it for when she is awake.

Honestly I haven't been doing too much besides hanging out with Natalie. I am going to try to get out more and do more things with Natalie. Anyway, I am just going to post some pictures for now from Natalie's first month. Including a video of her rolling over at just under 4 weeks! She's a strong baby. Now that she has learned how to roll over it is almost impossible to get her to stay on her tummy for tummy time. She always just turns over :)

Okay so the pictures are out of order a little. Sorry :)

 Getting her nails cut with abuela

 First bath

 With Limhi

 With Limhi and Horte

In the hospital

 With Grammy Van

 We bought this tiny preemie sleeper and it was too big on her!

 First walk