Top 10

1. We had a fun weekend celebrating the marriage of one of Ryan's good friends. We had so much fun hanging out with friends who we don't get to see often enough. Lucky Hayes got to spend some quality time with Landen, Uncle Scott, and Aunt Kristie while we were at the wedding:)

2. Why do people feel the need to discuss details of tv shows on facebook as they are happening? Why?

3. So proud of the La Tech Bulldogs!!!! Go Dawgs!

4. My favorite meal of the day? Breakfast. The meal I have the least amount of time to prepare and eat? Breakfast. I need to find a solution to this constant craving for eating hashbrowns, sausage gravy with biscuits, and fluffy pancakes in the morning while still in my pj's and at a relaxed rate. And with a big mug of hot chocolate. And eating that food at night does not satisfy this food fantasy of mine...

5. I love how Hayes tries to copy so much of what we say. Although, in true toddler fashion, it mostly happens when no one else is around.

6. Tomorrow is the first day of October. How did that happen so fast?

7. My car decided to not start after I dropped Hayes off at daycare Friday. So, car got towed and Katie got a rental because who knows when I will get my care back. Ugh. Automobiles can be so annoying.

8. In reference to #4...I don't need all of those hearty breakfast foods in one meal...just one option will do. But the pj's are a must.

9. I am working on building a collection of crockpot, freezer and super easy meals to have on hand after baby comes. This is actually what worries me the most...making healthy meals for our family to eat when we have a newborn and toddler around.

10. Pray for my sanity. And stress management. I could use it.

Chicken Fried Rice!

Just to clear up any confusion right away, there is no fried chicken in chicken fried rice...Kristin;)

I love Chinese food and my favorite dish is...Chicken Fried Rice. I decided to make a healthy version for supper tonight and it was delicious!

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 cups brown rice, cooked
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs
liquid aminos (or soy sauce)

Start by cooking your chicken. I marinated mine in a teriyake sauce and had Ryan grill it earlier in the week. Chop up your chicken and set aside. Cook your rice and set aside. Just a note if you don't usually cook with brown rice...it has to simmer way longer than white rice. You could also cook this earlier in the week and store in the fridge until you are ready to prepare this meal.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add peas and carrots and garlic and allow to cook for a few minutes or until veggies are thawed. Add eggs and scramble in with veggies. Once eggs are done, add rice and chicken and mix well, cooking until all ingredients are warm. Season with liquid aminos (a healthier soy sauce substitute). Enjoy!

Maternity Pics with a Preggo Update!

We recently made a trip to Louisiana to visit family and friends one last time before McBaby #2 joins us. While in town, we took some maternity pictures with the super talented Lisa Gwin. I am so lucky to have Lisa in my life. Not only is she a close friend, she is a photographer genius! Here are just a few of the amazing pictures she captured of our family:)

 

 

Now for a much over-due pregnancy update...I'm now at 30 weeks. Where is time going??? I still have normal sized ankles, which I am super excited about. The doctor has been pleased with progress so far. My appointments have now started on the every other week cycle. That means we are definitely getting closer...crazy! I definitely have more aches and pains, but I expect those with this growing baby.

 

The new baby room is getting closer to being done. I decided to wait for McBaby's arrival to order bedding and I want to add a little more art to the walls, but other than that we are ready! I am very thankful that Ryan can't handle sitting on a project. The room was painted very early on in the pregnancy and as soon as any thing for the room has arrived, Ryan can't wait to assemble/hang it. It certainly takes a lot of stress off of this momma.

 

Get ready to cast your votes for McBaby's gender! The poll starts soon!

Vanilla Ice Cream with Caramel...

So I keep typing and then erasing what I type. I seem to be having a hard time figuring out how to write this post...

In my line of work, I get to know some truly amazing people. They become friends who are willing to share their lives with me. They know all about my life and my babies and our adventures. We share good times and bad. The part that never gets easy is watching these friends pass away.

I recently lost one of my dear friends. She is one of the most amazing women I have ever known. She lived with a disease that left her mind in tact while it took her body prisoner. Her last few months were spent trapped inside of a body that had given up on her.

She faced this disease with more courage than most thought possible and she fought until the very end. Many didn't understand why she fought as long as she did. I don't know that anyone could truly understand her fight unless they were in her shoes. Her faith throughout her disease process will always be an inspiration to me. I love my job because I get to work with people like her. I work hard to make a difference in some one's life. They, in turn, make me a better therapist and teach me lessons that I will always remember.

Vanilla ice cream with caramel? It was my sweet treat tonight. And my friend's favorite dessert. Besides a Wendy's frosty, of course. I fixed her countless bowls of ice cream with caramel over the last year. And I don't think I can ever eat a bowl of it without thinking of her and the mark she left on me. She taught me to face everything in life with courage, to live life to the fullest, to never give up, and to enjoy the little things in life...like caramel sauce;)

I don't know that I can ever articulate the impact she had on me. I take comfort in knowing that she is now free from the confines of her body. She has been reunited with her husband in heaven and I like to think that I have 2 beautiful guardian angels with a great sense of humor watching down over me now.

A boy's best friends...

My super talented photographer friend, Lisa Gwin, recently did mini sessions themed around "My Favorite Things." I loved the concept of these shoots. All little kids have their favorite childhood toys and I think it is such a good idea to capture it on film so we never forget.

 

Meet Dog and Bunny. They have the taxing job of being Hayes' best friends.

 

 

Hayes makes my heart melt when he gathers Dog and Bunny up for a big hug and says "awwww."

 

 

Not only are Dog and Bunny good for cuddling, they are also helpful with the teething process...

 

 

I love this stage that Hayes is in. My baby is still a baby as long as he loves his stuffed animals, right?

Top 10!

1. Yay for Notre Dame, LSU, and La Tech victories this weekend! And a super big congrats to ULM on beating #8 Arkansas:)

2. Hayes had his second haircut...didn't go as well as the first. There may or may not have been screaming and flailing...

3. I'm feeling a little crafty this week...look for some fun new projects coming soon!

4. New Hayes words from this weekend: almost and moose.

5. I had leftover crock pot chicken and used it to make quick quesadillas tonight. Whole wheat tortillas, sauteed onions and bell peppers, and a little cheese made for a delicious mexican dinner!

6. I got a few new Lia Sophia pieces this weekend and I am obsessed with them! I will post pictures soon:)

7. I am on the search for a maternity dress to wear to a wedding later this month. Why must it be so hard to find a maternity dress nice enough to wear to a wedding that doesn't make me look frumpy and doesn't cost $85?

8. Rookie Blue season finale...are you serious???? Sam and Andy are killing me, but what else is new? And I do realize that 99% of my blog readers have no idea what I'm talking about...

9. So happy pumpkin spice lattes are back at Starbucks! I made a pumpkin cream cheese bread yesterday that was quite scrumptious...I will attempt to get the recipe posted this week.

10. Pray for Trey! If you are on facebook and are from anywhere near West Monroe, you have probably seen this slogan. Trey is a fellow WMHS Rebel who was in a diving accident, breaking vertebrae c5-c7. He has been making incredible progress so far while sharing his faith with everyone he comes in contact with. Pray for Trey's recovery as well as his wife and 2 kids. He is showing everyone what it means to have faith, even in a difficult time.

Happy Grandparents Day!

We did not get to celebrate today with any of the grandparents in person, but we did have a few skype dates. Getting a picture of Hayes near this message board was nearly impossible. I must say though, he is still adorable even when he is pouting.

And because it's Grandparents Day and grandparents love pictures of this boy, here are a few more.

We love all of our grandparents and great grandparents!

Top 10!

1. Happy Labor Day! It's been a rainy one in Ohio...but the grass is happy!

2. We took a family trip to Ikea this weekend. One of our purchases was a soft tool set for Hayes. Once we got home, he immediately started hammering away on the baseboards, baby gates, couch, time out stool...etc. I know I've said it before...but 110% boy:)

3. Other cute things Hayes learned this weekend: how to shake hands, how to say yellow, blue, and Irish, and how to roar like a tiger.

4. Lately, our range has been tripping the breaker everytime we turn the oven on. This happens multiple times during pre-heating. It wasn't doing this until recently. I can't even begin to tell you how frustrating this is. We don't even know who to call, electrician or range manufacturer....or a therapist to help deal with my rapidly declining sanity.

5. I am currently making stuffed bell peppers for supper. If the oven cooperates long enough to cook them and we get to eat them...I will share the recipe:)

6. I keep finding these adorable family with newborn pictures on Pinterest that I NEED once baby is here. Question is, who is going to take these? Why must all of my photographically talented friends and family members live so far away?

7. I recently discovered ASOS, a clothing website. I have found a couple of cute maternity pieces on sale...and the prices aren't too bad. I am planning on doing a maternity fashion post soon...I will share my finds:)

8. Just realized I never did my preggo update post last week. Probably because the pictures I had Ryan take did not turn out well...at all. We will keep trying this week!

9. I am so happy football season is back! The Irish and Tigers had a great first weekend. We had jambalya, of course. It only seemed right.

10. Pray for those affected by Hurricane Isaac. Many people have lost everything due to flooding and need prayers as well as supplies.

Banana Bread!

Our neighbor, "LoLo", loves to bring Hayes treats...like bananas and animal crackers. LoLo gets bananas for free at her office and they have been multiplying in our house ever since she found out how much Hayes loves them. This weekend, I had a stack of ripe bananas...hmmm, what to do? Oh, make banana bread, course!

I found this recipe on Pinterest and loved it because it seemed super easy and was healthy. I found it on this blog.

{Banana Bread}

2 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
7 ripe bananas, smashed
1/2 cup applesauce, unsweetened
4 large egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
baking spray

Preheat oven to 350 and grease 2 loaf pans.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl with a whisk.

Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add in bananas, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla. Slowly add in flour mixture, but be careful not to overmix. Stir in nuts, if desired. I didn't add them into ours.

Split the mixture between the two loaf pans. Bake on the center rack for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the bread cool for 20 minutes before slicing.

This bread is very, very moist...and very, very dense. I'm ok with this. I think it's easier to eat when it's dense while driving down the road instead of crumbly bread. This bread was a hit with the kiddo!