month 11

11 months already?! That is just crazy to me. We've been traveling up a storm the last few weeks and enjoying some sweet time with friends & family in Louisiana.  It was a mixed assessment of how Pier did on our flights (screamed the whole way on flight #1 and giggled the whole way on flight #2) but we made it!  And after some really cold weather in Indiana, the humidity was very welcome.

This month, I've noticed Pier's personality is getting bigger and bigger.  He's got a few baby curls when his hair is wet//sweaty, he babbles the most when it's quiet (which makes him quite popular at daily mass), and he's got one more tooth on the top. He lights up whenever we sing songs and read books.  The funniest thing he's doing right now is when he doesn't want something....he makes the most AMAZING stank face ever.  I've tried so hard to document it in a photo, but it didn't happen.  He's also really into throwing himself backwards when we hold him so he can see the world upside down.  He enjoys being upside down for some reason...weird kid.  Also when he starts to laugh, he throws his head backwards and giggles at the ceiling.

To my dismay, his first word was "Da-da" instead of mama.  I tried my hardest to get him to say mama first but, in the end, Daddy won that game.  I'm still really happy he's babbling and starting to say words... so dang cute!  Pier loves to stand up, but he still can't stand without some help from furniture or mama and daddy.  OH! And he started pointing! I am so proud!!! It's pretty hilarious how AMAZING you think your kids are when they start doing things like that....I'm all "My child is sooooo smart look at him point to a ball. Look!!! Did you see it? Don't you think he's smart? He's going to get a perfect score on his SAT one day, trust me."

It's been such a gift to be at home and show Pier all our favorite places.  We've been soaking up every second with dear friends, grandparents, and great-grandparents.  Pretty certain that he is the most popular baby in Louisiana ;).  Now we're off to New Orleans for a few days to celebrate the wedding of our bffs Jessica (Pier's godmama!) and Bill.  I don't want our time in Louisiana to come to an end!

family photos!

Happy Mother's Day week!  In celebration of the day, I wanted to share a few images from our first family-of-3 photo session.  A few weeks ago, my Indy bestie Valerie took some family photos of us around town (I've now realized that I've mentioned her for three blog posts in a row...sorry Val ha!).  She captured our family perfectly, and I am forever grateful to her for these.

I can't tell you how much these images mean to me!  I get a little teary eyed when I look at them.  For those who know me, you know how deeply I treasure photographs.  Add having a baby (MY baby) and then those photos get all the more special. 

So my child is pretty stingy with the smiling.  Y'all have no clue what I had to do to get those grins ;).  He obviously thinks his mama is crazy.

Pier, thank you for making me a mama.  The mystery of motherhood has been life's biggest curve ball, but it is truly a gift beyond my understanding.  I am grateful that the Lord entrusted this vocation to me, and I look forward to growing and learning more about it as the years pass by. To all the mamas, soon to be mamas, not yet mamas, mamas of all kinds -- I hope you feel loved this week.  God bless you.  St. Zelie Martin, pray for us.

whole 30 week 4

REJOICE! As of Saturday, I finished my first whole 30!  And y'all...I have nothing but positive things to say about it.  Those 30 days weren't always pretty, but boy am I glad I persevered.  The goal of this experiment was self control, and I am fairly certain I succeeded.  There were big health changes (like clear skin, increased energy, ZERO anxiety, and efficient work outs) but the biggest result is that I'm no longer ruled over my desire for sugar.  30 days later, I don't think about brownies all day long.  I don't have to have something sweet after every meal.  I don't need to bake to make myself feel better after a hard day.

I have power over my food choices again.  I am strong enough to say no to birthday cake, or chocolate milkshakes, or homemade cookies.  I can drink my coffee without my beloved cream and sugar and live another day. 

I realized that I must make these choices not only for myself, but for my family.  I don't particularly want Pier to expect dessert after every meal, so I have to set the example.  Don't get me wrong, I would be lying if I said that I will cut sugar out of my life completely.  I still love baking, and I do miss it terribly!  But I think we are going to be more prudent about how we incorporate treats into our diet in the future. 

Moving forward, I plan to stay on a whole 30ish diet Monday-Friday and not stress about it on the weekends.  My baking will be a weekly thing on Sundays, rather than a every other day type of thing.  I now can ask myself, "Why do I want to eat this treat?  Do I really need a piece of chocolate or can I make a healthier choice?"  The Whole 30 definitely gave me the tools that I need so that I can make healthy decisions a constant part of my lifestyle, and not feel guilty about eating my favorite foods every now and then. 

If you are interested in doing this, all I can say just JUMP ON IN!  I was faithful to the program and I have never felt better.  Regardless if the Whole 30 works for you, you will have a great sense of accomplishment after the month is over and you will discover things about yourself you didn't know before the program.

Now, the fun part -- what I ate this week!

Sorry for the lack of photos...Pier has been teething so my days have been pretty crazy with our thrown-off schedule.  I ate breakfast before the sun came up each morning, so there are no breakfast pictures!  I just ate the same ol thing -- eggs with bell peppers, paleo bacon, sweet potato, avocado, and fruit. 

For lunch, it's been either leftovers or turkey lettuce wraps with veggies and sauerkraut.  You can make your own sauerkraut, but I just randomly bought this one at Whole Foods and it's delicious!  Also love to support local business when I can :).

week 4 dinner menu

Greek Chicken Salad - simply roasted chicken, lettuce, olives, red onion, potatoes, and tomatoes with Primal Kitchen Greek Dressing

Crock Pot Pot Roast

Whole 30 Burgers (whole 30 cookbook)  - with avocado, lettuce, sweet potatoes, and apples

Pork Chops (Whole 30 cookbook)  - with salad and sweet potato

Asian Meatballs - over cauliflower rice.  I heated one bag of Trader Joes cauliflower rice over the stove with a little olive oil, ginger, green onions, cilantro, and garlic powder.  Nom Nom Paleo is one of my go-to food blogs...she has yet to let me down!  I like that she already doubled the recipe so this made for great leftovers. 

snacks

I was getting a bit bored in the snack dept until I took a spur of the moment trip to Target and found these gems!!  Flavored olives, toasted coconut chips, and mini Lara bars (perfect when you want a little something extra but don't want to eat a whole bar). 

Here's another random discovery: I forgot to eat before our walk a few days ago, so I stopped at a local health food store that is on our route to see what I could eat for a little snack before dinner.  I'm still nursing constantly and I do cardio every day, so it's really important for me to keep eating so that my milk supply doesn't drop. I found these bars, bought the whole 30 compliant coconut almond flavor, and was blown away at how good they tasted! It is a delicious option when you need something quick.
 

Final Tips:

•  Don't Go it Alone -- my Indy bestie Valerie completed this challenge with me and I'm so glad we did it together!!! It helps to have someone you can text a million wine emojis to when you're baby is crazy and you wanna just give up and they just GET IT.  It was great to have some encouragement and to have someone I could whine to whenever those cravings were getting outta control.  She also has some great Whole 30 tips on her blog so check it out!
   
•  Buy this and this -- These books are excellent resources and they really help you to fully understand what you're getting yourself into.  Every recipe I tried was a hit, and I learned so much about the science of FOOD.   
   
• Chop, chop, chop -- this may seem like a silly tip, but keep a cutting board out at all times.  This helped me a lot with food prep, or if I needed to quickly chop veggies for a snack.  Half the work is done if your board and knife are out ready for you to use!

It's been a good month, friends.  Thank you for allowing me to share my Whole 30 journey with you.  I am grateful for this blog because I think it really kept me accountable -- if I didn't put it out there to the public I may have given up on this completely.  Be on the look out for one more Whole 30 post where I list out my must-haves and where to buy them!  

Missed past weeks? Find them here:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3

month 10

Oh man this month has been fun.  Pier is starting to showcase a BIG personality and I'm so enjoying watching it develop.  He is sweet (yet feisty), smiley (yet serious), and curious about everything (yet indifferent about everything too).  I can't quite figure him out!  But I'm loving getting to know who he is. 

Month 10 has been an eventful one.  Pier got his 3rd tooth, we traveled to St. Louis, and he's starting to get really good at crawling.  He is babbling a lot more, which is really entertaining because I can tell he wants to talk to us!

Also, mama really digs matching outfits. 

Sleep & Food update: HE IS SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT! Like it's a consistent thing that happens in my life!!!! It is a miracle that I never thought we'd reach.  He goes to sleep at around 7 and wakes up at 6:30 every day.  It is a relief to have some normalcy back in our lives and be on a loose routine each day.

As for his eating, he is a CHAMP.  He eats anything I put in front of him, and already has been exposed to a diverse range of healthy food.  I don't really have set meal times for him to eat solid food...he is still crazy about nursing and is happiest whenever I nurse him every 2 hours.  I will say he LIVES for puffs. If he's upset all I have to do is feed him a puff and it distracts him long enough that he forgets what he was angry about.

Pier gravitates towards anything that makes sound.  We have a little piano that he got for Christmas and from day 1 he has gotten such joy from banging on those keys.  Now he can crawl right up to it and play to his hearts content.  He is fascinated by rattles, banging his hands on the table when he eats, and hitting blocks together to make sounds.  He's also doing this thing where he lifts the toys straight up in the air to examine them...so funny.

Ok, this little monkey is a MOVER.  He is constantly kicking (and he's given me a few cuts and bruises).  He is now a professional crawler -- he tries to crawl on me while he plays with his toys AND while he nurses (which as you can imagine is fun for me).  Pier gives me heart attacks every 5 minutes because he's pulling up on anything and everything.  His favorite place in the whole house is my prayer corner... If anyone is wondering, I am now taking donations for the Prayer Corner Disaster Relief Fund.  Hurricane Pier won't stop fo' nobody.

^easiest form of Evangelization ever??!

It's finally warming up around here, so that means we get to spend time outdoors with our Indy Besties!!! We love hanging out with Val and Xavier!

AND we get to go on afternoon walks (some days) when daddy gets home from work!  He's now big enough for the swings at the park and we get the biggest Pier smiles when he's up in the air.  It is so cute.

Pier Francis we are so in love with you.  I can't believe you're going to be one in a few short months...Watching you grow has been the biggest gift and I can't wait to see you become who the Lord is calling you to be!

whole 30 week 3

Another week down!  And I can't believe I only have a week left.  Doing the Whole 30 has been a challenge, but the benefits in the short amount of time have been pretty remarkable.  My anxiety that has crippled me since having Pier is completely gone, my energy levels are consistent, and my skin is clear for the first time since I was 10!  That's HUGE.

Here's what my meals have been like on week 3:

Breakfasts looked a lot like this for the week...eggs, bacon, avocado and or sweet potato, and a bit of fruit.  I know some people get sick of eggs for breakfast everyday but I LOVE them.  And if you make them a different way every couple days you'll look forward to your eggs each morning!

Lunches were again leftovers or my ever faithful tuna salad over greens.

week 3 dinner menu:

Steak fajitas - these are easy, quick, and full of flavor...You also have enough for a few days of leftovers.

Greek stuffed bell peppers with Greek salad - These were filling and refreshing.  It was a nice depart from my usual stuffed bell peppers.

Slow Cooker Chicken Caccitore over cauliflower rice

Pork Tenderloin with baked sweet potato and Greek salad - this is my favorite pork tenderloin recipe. Ina can do no wrong.

Foil packet Salmon with roasted broccoli - I love this salmon recipe, and it's frequently on my dinner menus.  It's a unique spin on salmon, plus easy clean up!!!

Rosemary Chicken wrapped in Prosciutto and Greek salad - This is my go-to recipe when I don't know what I want to cook for the week.  They are sooo delicious and simple enough to whip together when I don't have a lot of time.

And CHIPOTLE!!! We had a super busy weekend last week and I didn't have time to run the store and to cook dinner, so Chipotle it is ;)
 

snacks:

I'm totally getting lazier as this thing goes on, so my snacking has stayed fairly the same.  My favorite this week has been this olive-cucumber salad.  Baby cucumbers, kalamata olives, and a splash of this dressing.

I'll let you know how my last week goes! 

whole 30 tip of the week

Don't let yourself get hungry!!! For real.  When I am hungry, I want all my favorite things (pizza, chocolate chip cookies, donuts, etc). As long as I stay on top of my hunger, I can get over my cravings fairly quickly and chose a healthy option over an unhealthy one. 

Missed past weeks? Find them here:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 4