Friday, January 24, 2014

20 days

praise. the. lord.

there are only 20 days left in this pregnancy. and i am so excited.

i cry. i get pissed. like royally pissed. then cry more. and then some more after i apologize. nothing sounds good to eat. i'm tired. and then i cry because i'm hungry and didn't get a long enough nap. this is my daily routine. lovely.

i'm not excited that m will not be "the only one" anymore. i'm not excited that i will never be the LOOK of pregnant again. but i am thrilled that this baby boy will be out of me and in our arms. he is giving me a run for my money. throwing up. back ache. no sleep. going so nutty in my tummy that it literally hurts my skin. we aren't opposed to meeting you early little d :)

lately:

we've been battling MINE! NO! MOMMY TIME OUT! and everything else toddlers love to say to their parents when they don't want to listen. she is two-that's for sure. being that my temper and patience are both something i'm acquiring less and less of with every passing moment, i'm discovering the firm tone doesn't work as well as the asking nicely way of words.

potty training. kind of. we aren't in the serious-diapers-in-the-trash phased yet but we are getting close. she tells me when she has to poop, then hides. tells me when she is peeing. she hates hates hates having her diaper changed. she doesn't like the potty yet. so, we'll get there. i'm not in a rush. baby d arriving is enough of a change for the time being. panties and big girl beds can wait!

she knows her colors. can count to 10. can sing her ABC's…well, 20 out of the 26 letters for sure. she is so smart and makes me laugh and smile every day.

when she is hurt she says 'come herrrreeee' because we say that to her. a lot. "mila sad" is also a very common sentence. she know's her emotions, she knows to tell someone not to hurt her, 'my body'.

 we had a small baby shower for duke and it was perfect. i love the girlfriends that i have and duke is so lucky to be welcomed into this amazing family. 
 rachel is due with a boy 10 weeks after me! so excited for my brother and sis-in-law!!

 we've had some crazy warm weather here in cali. i'm trying to resist napping and enjoy getting my vitamin D! and no, i'm not naked.
my bunco girls nights are something i always look forward to. we went to Basil for dinner-my favorite thai food. it was probably the last time i will be this pretty for awhile!

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Charred Corn Chop Salad

this is simply heaven on a plate. we love it. it is healthy, fresh and just perfect. it's on our weekly food calendar every week and man, it really is just it for us. even boss man loves it. he requests it.



2 C corn
1 sweet potato, cubed (I use 5-8 small ones or a few large)
Half a red onion, chopped
1 T olive oil

1/2 LB ground turkey (I use up to 2 depending on leftovers)
1 t ground cumin
1 can black beans

1/2 C sour cream
1/2 C buttermilk
1/2 t chili powder
1 bunch scallions

4 romain hearts, chopped
1 avocado
1 C grated cheese (we like pepperjack)

Mix buttermilk, sour cream, whites of scallions and chili powder. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Toss corn, sweet potatoes and red onion with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Bake @ 400 degrees for 30 minutes; stir every 10 minutes.

Cook ground turkey. Add black beans, cumin and 1/4 water. Simmer. (I don't add water; just leave juice from ground turkey)

Divide lettuce to plates, add ground turkey mixture, sweet potato mixture, greens of scallions. Top with cheese, avocado and dressing!

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

the Marks family had a wonderful//busy//Christmas! we saw everyone on both sides of the family; had brunches, breakfasts and dinners. lots of presents. lots of memories made. it was our 3rd and last Christmas with just sweet M. next year we will have two babies and it will be even more special!




for New Years Eve we went to dinner at Boss mans favorite restaurant and enjoyed it with close friends. we were in bed and snoozing by 10:00. it was perfect! 

now that it is officially 2014….that means we will be a family of 4 so soon! and i couldn't be more excited. as much as i do enjoy being pregnant, the entire journey from the 1st of 2013 to now has been long and tiring. it has been the most challenging of my life. the most challenging of our marriage. it was an expensive year. and year that included more than a few health scares. a few new babies were announced.  

at the end of the day, i am glad 2013 is over. i am ready for 2014, to complete our family and move forward making memories! oh, and Boss man is going to be 30! that is really exciting too!!