Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This week, I did NOT go to see Sex And The City 2 alone. I NEVER want to do typically social activities by myself. I have plenty of friends, and NEVER crave the alone time.

I did not copy the Lightroom Preset that Mckmama so graciously shared on her blog a while back. I am very creative and NEVER take a shortcut just to save time. I did NOT use said preset to edit this beautifully sweet picture of my days old baby boy that needed a little pizazz.....ok maybe I did

I also did NOT realize that the baby boy name my husband and I agreed would be the name of our second son, should we be blessed with one, was number 3 on the "most popular baby boy name list" and therefore decide I no longer like it. I will NOT decide my child's name based on what is popular. I would NOT care if he shared his name with 8 other students in the same class. We do NOT have the names picked out for our children already, that would be far to silly. I do NOT daydream enough to have named four children.

It has been a busy week for me. What have you NOT been up to?

Things I wish someone told me while I was pregnant

GO TO SLEEP! - I wish someone would have given me this invaluable advice (ok, they did, but I wish I would have listened) Instead of going to the movies or cleaning the tub, I wish I would have gotten so much sleep that I would have had a surplus. Maybe then it wouldn't have been so hard to get so little sleep in the beginning.

BREASTFEEDING = HARD - I probably heard this once or twice too, but it definitely didn't sink in. I never entertained the notion that it wouldn't go perfectly, so I didn't prepare for any issues. I didn't factor in how long it would take to pump, or that breastfeeding anywhere but your house is just about the most uncomfortable activity. There is no back support, you can't bring your boppy everywhere, and it quite often ended in a sticky mess. I took a breastfeeding class, but it was not enough information. I wish I would have gotten more support, I feel like maybe then I could have breastfed for longer.

BREASTFEEDING IS WORTH IT - As hard as it was, it was probably the single most rewarding experience I have felt to date. There is nothing that compares to nursing your baby; the closeness and connection can not be expressed in words. I would have loved to have been better prepared, in which case, I think I could have done it longer than 4 months.

GUILT - This one I did hear about all during my pregnancy, but I just didn't understand it. I never knew guilt until I became a mother. Suddenly, I feel guilty for everything. I remember feeling guilty for taking a shower, because he awoke hungry while I was showering and had to wait five minutes to eat. I experienced extreme guilt over the decision to stop breastfeeding. The list goes on and on. I know that it is silly to feel guilty for things like this, but I can't control it.

POST PARTUM DEPRESSION CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE - Growing up, I heard about PPD and I thought, there is NO way that I can have that, I want to be a mom more than anything. I really thought it was something that happens to women who never really wanted kids and didn't have the "mother" gene. I am here to tell you that I was DEAD WRONG. I won't go into detail here about the exact feelings I felt, because I just don't know how to put it into words. My friend from college, Rebekah , wrote about it on her blog and she really described it more perfectly than I ever could. I was so ashamed of this that it took me months to even admit my feelings to anyone. I have since learned that there are preventative measures you can take.

• Get a support person before you give birth. Pick someone who is VERY close to you. Ask them to watch your behavior very closely and if they notice anything strange to offer to talk to you about it.
• Make sure your support person knows that this might not be something that is easy for you to talk about. The shame that accompanies this feeling is overwhelming, so your support person might need to be a little pushy.
• Tell your support person to remind you that what you are feeling is normal. It is also OK to see a doctor, if you think you are losing control of your emotions.

I really wish I would have taken these precautions when I was pregnant, I might have saved myself 3 months of anguish.

PULSE OXIMETER TESTING - I wish I would have known about this little test that can detect a heart defect. The most common birth defect and cause of death in infants is a Congenital Heart defect. My little brother was born with one, and died only a few days after he was born. Some CHD's can be detected with ultrasound, but others can not. A pulse Ox test is a strip placed on baby's foot that measures oxygen. When performed between 24-48 hours old it can detect an otherwise undetectable heart defect, thereby SAVING YOUR BABY'S LIFE. If the results show less than 95% then your baby should have further testing. The best part is all you have to is ask. Because the test is so inexpensive, hospitals don't have a problem running the test, but you must ask for it. More information can be found at Cora's Website.

SAVOR PREGNANCY - It is hard and uncomfortable, but you will probably miss it. So, treasure the time that you get to experience the little one inside you. It is a special gift that, sadly not all women get to experience.

TAKE MATERNITY PICTURES - I know some women don't feel comfortable showing their skin, but you will love to have the memories, and there are some wonderful photographers out there that will make you look great, even if you are 3 days from giving birth, like I was in this picture. The wonderful photographer who shot my maternity photos, is sadly not in the area anymore. Her husband was relocated to Kentucky, so if you live near there, you should give her a call, she is great! If you are in the Central/South Florida area you should check out Kallima Photography I have never had the privilege of using her, but I have followed her blog for a few years and her photos are impeccable, you will not be disappointed.

photo credit Keesha Harvey Real Moments Photography

crawling

I am now the mother of a mover and a groover. Yes, he now crawls and I am wildly unprepared for his new found freedom. Until I get all of my supplies in order to baby proof my house. I am keeping a diligent eye on the little Caterpillar, and let me tell you THAT is a full time job!

Wordless Wednesday

I'm sorry, I have what?

That was the first thing I said when I learned about Helicobactor Pylori, or H. Pylori, as it is commonly referred to. According to the Mayo clinic it is a a "bacterium known by the same name that infects the stomach and the first part of the small intestine" ( http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/h-pylori/DS00958 )
I was having routine tests to prepare for an upcoming surgery when I got the call: "You have a bacteria, and we don't normally treat it unless you have symptoms, but you don't, so we aren't going to do anything unless you start presenting symptoms."

"How did I get this?" I demanded, but they didn't know. Some say it comes from contaminated food or water, but no one knows for sure. I was a bit taken aback. I got off the phone and went on a fact finding mission about this disgusting little bug.

I scoured the internet and found very valuable information. I found out that the blood test I had was not definitive; it meant that I either have an active infection or I have had this infection in the past and developed an antibody for this that is present in my blood stream. I asked my primary doctor for the more definitive testing, and she said she did not know about any further testing. I then made an appointment with a Gastroenterologist.

I did more research and read that "It is estimated that 40-50 percent of people in developed countries and more than 90 percent in developing countries have this bacteria." (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/risk/h-pylori-pancreatic) The kicker is that only 20% of people who have this bacteria will ever show symptoms or develop a peptic ulcer. More importantly, "In 1994, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified H. pylori as a carcinogen, or cancer-causing agent." (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/risk/h-pylori-cancer) I read that H. Pylori has been known to cause gastric cancer, and it is suspected to also cause Pancreatic cancer, and MALT lymphoma.

At my appointment with the Gastroenterologist I expressed my desire to have more definitive testing to see if I have an active infection. Tests were ordered that were unpleasant, at best. Then I waited. I finally got a call that my test was in fact positive. There was live bacteria swimming around my gut. I asked about treatment, but I was told they normally do not treat this bacteria if there are no symptoms.

"WHAT?"

I could hardly believe my ears. I asked to speak to the doctor directly and waited for him to call me back. When he finally called I asked him to be treated, and he repeated the same spiel to me. I asked him if he was aware about the studies that this bacteria causes cancer. He told me that he was aware, but that was only a factor in people that have had the disease for 10 years or more. I asked him, if he didn't treat me how was I suppose to get rid of the bacteria so I didn't end up with it for 10 years, and then get stomach cancer. He then agreed to give me the antibiotics.

The antibiotics were awful. I had to take 1500 mg of clarithromycin and 1500 mg of Amoxicillin along with 60 mg of lansoprazole. Folks, that is a lot of antibiotics. The side effects were not fun either, my least favorite was the horrible taste. Nothing got rid of it and it made me very sick to my stomach.

Things were looking up as I finished my last couple days of the 14 day treatment, when I found some more disturbing news. "Up to 20 percent of patients with Helicobacter pylori infection are not cured after completing their first course of treatment" (http://www.utdol.com/patients/content/topic.do?topicKey=~gi0iITvAhVEvR5) Again, I was upset. I never imagined that this medication would not kill the little bastards. After I finished the meds I requested a second test to determine if the bacteria had been eradicated. The doctor told me that he would not order a second test just for "my peace of mind." It was time for me to find a new doctor.

I found another Gastroenterologist and gave him my whole long story. He immediately ordered another test to determine if I was rid of the little buggers. This test was not unpleasant at all; I had to drink a small amount of liquid and then breath into a bag.

My results came in a few days later and my doctor was surprised. He said that I had the "highest positive reading he has ever seen in his practice." I then asked him what the next step was. He said that we could continue to just blindly treat with stronger antibiotics, or he could go in and take a biopsy of my stomach and run a culture on it. He told me that this would determine exactly what strand of the bacteria I had and what it was sensitive to so I could take the proper combination of antibiotics this time. I agreed to do the second option. (Which I feel should have been the first option I was given, so I didn't develop un-needed immunities to such widely prescribed antibiotics like Amoxicillin and Clarithromycin.)

I had this procedure a couple of weeks ago, and it went well. I was peacefully sleeping thanks to Propofal (that is the Michael Jackson killer, for those interested, but it was administered by an anesthesiologist so I wasn't worried).

I awaited *patiently* for my test results, when I got a call from the P.A. at my Dr's office. My biopsy tested positivity for H. Pylori, but the culture did not grow any bacteria. I asked why this happened. She told me that, most likely, the live bacteria died while in transport to the laboratory. So, I came away from that procedure with NO new information. With no other option, my Dr. prescribed me a new set of medication that may or may not kill the bacteria.

I am currently taking 80 mg of Nexium, 2080 mg of bismuth subsalicylate, 1000 mg of metronidazole, and 2000 mg of tetracycline daily. This new medication regimen requires to take medication 4 times a day for 14 days, and unfortunately the side effect of these medications is dizziness, and nausea. I remain optomistic that this will be my final treatment for this frustrating illness.

My purpose in writing this post is not to complain about my battle with this little bug, but really to spread awareness of this infection. Everyone has heard of HPV (the cancer causing virus), but noone has heard of this cancer causing infection that effects far more people world wide. A vast majority of whom don't even know they are infected. If this post can inform 1 person, who requests to be tested and treated, then it was worth it.

I will post updates as I continue struggling with this bacteria.

NOT me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This week I did NOT forget to put the changing pad in the diaper bag. So, I was NOT forced to change my son on my lap in the handicap stall for fear of the disgusting changing station touching my child's bare bottom. I NEVER forget to put things in the diaper bag. I am so organized I ALWAYS have 2 of everything I would ever need on an outing.

I also did NOT barter with my husband this week just so he would go out and get me a Wendy's Frosty. I am health conscious and I never crave the cold, chocolate goodness that is a Frosty. My husband and I ALWAYS do things willingly for one another, we NEVER make deals with each other for free time or goodies.

I did NOT cry at the finale of last night's Lost. I have far to much to do to become so emotionally invested in a television show. I NEVER waste time watching television.

That is what has NOT been keeping me busy this week. What have you NOT been doing?

Cinco De Mayo

If you are unfamiliar with this story please read it here: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local-beat/Students-Wearing-American-Flag-Shirts-Sent-Home-92945969.html

This recent controversy has got me thinking. Most people commenting on the sites reporting this story are furious with the administration of the school, and say these boys' rights were being infringed upon. I disagree. I know it is rather "liberal minded" of me and a lot of you reading this are going to disagree, but hear me out.

I read hours of reports on this incident, and what some of them don't mention, is that the boys in question wore this attire with hurtful intention. There were reports of them yelling, "We live in America," to Mexican/American students who were celebrating in the cafeteria. It was after this incident that the administration escorted the boys to the office.

It seems to me that it was just as much the attitude of these boys that got them into trouble as it was the colors on their shirts. If they wore these clothes with deliberate intention to hurt other children by demeaning their race, then they DESERVE to be punished. I believe that the vice principal was serving the best interest of all the children because their actions might "incite a confrontation", and confrontations mean hurt kids.

Wouldn't these parents be just as mad if their child had to go the the ER because of a confrontation. Also, it is important to note, that these children weren't suspended or punished in any way. They were only sent home for the day to avoid any harmful encounter that might occur if the issue was left unresolved. I feel it would have been more unfair if the Mexican/American students celebrating Cinco De Mayo with out malice were sent home to avoid confrontation with the American flag students.

Wearing of the Confederate flag was banned in my middle school, not because of it's historical element in our country's past, but because the attitude of the people wearing it was HURTFUL, and I feel that this situation is no different. Had these boys worn their clothes without running their mouths, they would have finished out their school day peacefully, and there would be no controversy. If the school officials would have sent them home under these circumstances, that would have been a reason to get upset.

I feel that we, as Americans, have a pompous mentality. These boys were wearing the American Flag, so regardless of their actions, or attitude, they were right and all of the people wearing the Mexican flag were wrong.This thinking is SHAMEFUL. We need to remember that this country was founded by IMMIGRANTS, so we would do well to learn of few lessons of tolerance.


The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Emma Lazarus

This is written on the pedastal at the base of the Statue of Liberty.

<>

Night Owl

Lately my child has had a problem staying asleep. He has been waking multiple times a night and sometimes staying awake for hours just playing, or screaming. I am not quite sure what to do about this problem.



He started sleeping through the night (7-8 hours) at about 4 months old, around the same time I stopped breastfeeding. At about 5 months old he started sleeping 10-12+ hours a night. He did have the occasional wake up during that time, when he was sick or teething, but he usually was soothed and went right back to sleep.



Recently, everything has changed and he wakes up MUCH more often. One night he awoke every 30 minutes for 5 hours. He will cry until I come into his room then he starts laughing and wants to play with me. He has even managed to stay awake anywhere from 1 to 3 hours in the middle of the night playing in his crib and screaming for my attention.



Our nighttime routine has not changed since he was 3 months old. I have given him medicine for his teething gums before bedtime, but it did not solve the problem. I have tried making his room warmer, and cooler, that didn't make a difference either. He goes to bed on a full stomach so I can't imagine he is waking up hungry.



He is very good about falling asleep on his own when he goes down at 9:00. I have found that if I pick him up when he wakes it does much more harm than good. Because, I think that, to him, this means that he doesn't have to go back to sleep, so I soothe him while he lays in his crib. He also gets a bottle (if he is awake longer than an hour) in his crib. If he seems to be in pain from his teeth, I give him teething tablets, Tylenol or Motrin.



I don't really know what else I can do to help my little guy get a good nights sleep. I am not sure if there is an answer out there but I would sure like to find it.

Rage

My husband suffers from video game rage. He plays a video game to relax, but gets so angry playing this game that has :

1. broken a controller
2. cut his hand by punching an inanimate object
3. threw his headset and controller
4. punched his controller

I am sure he has done much more that I either can't remember, or was not home to witness. I am at my wits end. I don't know what I am suppose to do to deal with this. I don't want to act like his Mother, but I feel like I am a parent taking a game away from a child. It really feels like he is a 10 year old.

I have suggested he stop playing when he reaches that point, but he has yet to do it. I have also threatened to throw out the game, hoping that he will take more control, that hasn't worked either. He says he doesn't want to teach our son to have such a bad temper, but that isn't illustrated in his actions while he plays. He is a very gentle, loving husband and father, and he is never violent with us. He only yells at this game. How do I break my husband of this bad habit?

I am wondering if other people suffer from video game rage, and if there are, what they do to keep their anger under control.

Health and Wellness

I had to have surgery yesterday.

On Monday morning at about 2am I started bleeding very heavily. Since it was a "female issue" I will spare you the details. It did land me in the ER hooked up to IV's and medication for anemia at about 4am. I was told I needed to have exploratory surgery, D & C, and possibly an ablation.

Everything went fine and did not need the ablation. They did have to remove my IUD and have determined that to be the cause of my problem.

So, today I am relaxing at home being taken care of by my wonderful husband. I am in a little bit of pain, but I'm taking pain relievers. Doc says that by tomorrow I should feel right as rain.

Thanks to my friend Yesie who took care of my little guy yesterday while I was at the hospital.

Wordless Wednesday

Read more: http://www.mylivesignature.com/mls_wizard2_1.php?sid=54488-147-FED063ECC757775EB7BB0DC55FD3B959#ixzz0lzSRnJdr

Chop Chop

Is a delicious recipe my friend Yesie taught me. I have had to improvise a little bit, because I do not have a rice cooker. It is still just as yummy, though!

Here is what you will need:

3-4 chicken breasts (thawed)
Sazon Goya seasoning packets
Boil in a bag white rice
1 block Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream
Iceberg or romaine lettuce
1 tomato
2 green onions
salt and pepper
olive oil

Start by seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper then 1 packet of Sazon Goya (coriander and Annatto variety)

Cut the chicken into cubes and place in a heated pan coated with olive oil.

Cook until done.

Fill a medium sauce pan with water.

Salt liberally until you can taste salt in the water, then add a drop of olive oil.

Add 1 packet of Sazon Goya and 1 bag of rice and boil according the the box directions (the water will be orange)

Chop tomato, Lettuce, and onions and shred the cheese.

In a bowl add rice then a little bit of cheese.

Then add chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, and a little more cheese

Top with sour cream, and onions.

It takes under 20 minutes.

It's so good and good for you.

So, don't stop at McDonald's this week when you don't much time to cook dinner for your family. Make some Chicken Chop Chop instead, your family will thank you!

NOT Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This week, I did NOT stay up late to catch up on all of the Flash Forward episodes that I have missed. I know that I need to get into bed at a decent hour, and I never get so caught up in a television show that I lose sleep over it. Nope, NOT me, I am much too responsible for that.

I did NOT have three cups of coffee the morning after my Flash Forward marathon. I NEVER need that much caffeine just to make it through the day. I am always well rested and alert regardless of what time my little alarm clock decides to wake me up.

This week I did NOT give my son a teething cookie while I was cooking dinner just to keep him quiet. I know the value of a nutritious dinner, and I NEVER compromise my son's appetite by feeding him low value foods that close to dinner. I do NOT need to coax the quiet out of my child by using cookies. NOT me!

My son did NOT scream the entire time I was on the phone with my bank, and I did NOT miss everything the nice customer service representative said because of my screaming child. I also did NOT have to call right back after my son fell asleep in order to actually get the information I had originally called about. I am a terrific planner and I NEVER make important phone calls around my son's nap time when he can be cranky.

Now that you know what I have NOT been doing, what have you NOT been up to?

Pink Blanket

I was given a beautiful pink blanket by my friend Fallon many years ago. It has Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Belle embroidered on the corner, and it is very soft. From the moment I opened it, I knew that it would someday be my daughters blanket, and because of this, I kept it very safe. I put it into a box, along with a few stuffed animals and put it away for "someday."

When I found out I was pregnant, I immediately took the box out of my closet and opened it. I pulled out this perfect blanket and I daydreamed about my daughter. What she would look like and who she would be. I folded her blanket, and put it in the closet of what would be a nursery.

In the early weeks of my pregnancy, I never entertained the idea that I would have a son. I thought I would have a son eventually, but I never thought that the baby I was carrying would be a boy. People would often remind me of the possibility that I would have a boy, but I let it go in one ear and out the other. I picked crib bedding and a nursery theme, and often referred to my baby as "she" or "her". My heart was convinced.

This month last year, I made an ultrasound appointment to find out the sex of my baby. I was excited, mostly, because I thought, I will finally be able to start buying up all of the things I had picked out for our baby girl. I had one moment of panic right before the appointment, where I imagined that it was a boy, "What would I do?" But, that quickly passed, because I honestly could not imagine the technician telling us it was a boy, so I didn't worry anymore.

When the technician revealed our baby's sex to me I felt only happiness. I went into that room fully expecting (pun intended) to have a baby girl, but I walked out knowing I would have a son. I know I had expected it to be a girl, but I never realized how much I wanted a boy until that moment. All of the nursery ideas and pretty pink objects dissipated from my mind, and I begin to imagine lizards, trucks and mud pies.

I was so excited about our baby boy that I completely forgot about the pink blanket waiting patiently in the closet. I found it the evening after our ultrasound, as I went to christen our son's closet with his first outfit. I had a moment to reflect about the past 20 weeks, and how my dreams and hopes changed so suddenly. I picked up the blanket, looked at it for a while, then folded it back so nicely and placed it back in it's box, and inside my closet.

As much as I love that little pink blanket, I wouldn't change a thing about my life. My son is the greatest gift I have ever received, and I am so glad that I didn't get the answer I had been dreaming of on the warm day in May.

The pink blanket is still waiting for "someday" and the perfect little sister.

Insomnia

It's a scary word, made even scarier if you have small children at home that demand your energy. Every time I hear someone mention "insomnia," I get very nervous and fear that I will jinx myself right out of a good night sleep.

I suffer insomnia pretty frequently (about 2-3 nights a week.) The only period of time I didn't find it difficult to get a good night sleep was in the first trimester of pregnancy. I was nauseated A LOT, but I never had to worry about falling or staying asleep!

I don't know what the cause for my insomnia is. My mind just runs on Energizer sometimes and like that damn pink bunny it keeps going and going. I have tried several things to relax: hot tea, warm milk, a hot bath. I have even went as far as bathing with calming baby wash, you know the one that "clinically improves sleep."

I saw my doctor a few years ago and he prescribed an anti depressant. I was a bit confused, because I was not depressed, I was tired. I took the Welbutrin for 30 days and didn't notice a difference, so I didn't refill the script.

Recently, I saw a Psychologist to see if he had any insight into my sleep deprivation. He talked me through some mental exercises to get my mind to settle down, but they haven't really helped me either. I have very little experience with sleeping pills (I have taken ambien twice.) Over the counter sleep aids have no effect on me (Tylenol/Advil PM, NyQuil,simply sleep.) I really do not want to go the "sleeping pill" route, because I do not want to have to rely on drugs for the rest of my life to get peaceful sleep.

I am interested in finding a natural way to get to sleep (and stay asleep for 6-8 hours.) I am open to ideas if you have them, and I will share my experiences here, in case there are others looking for a sleep solution.




Read more: http://www.mylivesignature.com/mls_wizard2_1.php?sid=54488-147-FED063ECC757775EB7BB0DC55FD3B959#ixzz0lzSRnJdr

Global Resort Homes One Week Orlando Vacation Review and Giveaway!

As you may know, Disney is offering a special military discount this year. They are offering $100 4 park hopper passes (up to 5). Luis and I have been hoping to attend this year to celebrate Little Luis' 1st birthday. We have been looking for hotels and found a few, but none under $700 for the trip. Which is a very good price, however, I just don't know if we can swing it, in addition to tickets, gas, and food.

I'm still crunching the numbers and trying to find a way to cut costs so we can take advantage of this great opportunity. When I came across this fantastic getaway

http://mysentimentexactlee.com/2010/05/global-resort-homes-one-week-orlando-vacation-review-and-giveaway/

Lee at mysentimentexactlee.com is offering a free 7 day 6 night vacation at a resort from Global Resort Homes in Orlando. These aren't just your average rental houses. They are luxurious homes with tons of amenities, just miles away from Disney. I love to be able to stay at anyone of their fabulous resorts.

Thanks Lee! I have my fingers crossed.

Candy, Anyone?

Have you ever wanted to smell good enough to eat? Me too, and the good news is YOU CAN!

I recently ran across someone who smelled like they bathed in cotton candy. I asked them if it was perfume, or if they had, in fact, just consumed an entire truckload of the sweet stuff. She told me that it was perfume, but she didn't know the name of it. She only knew that it was from Victoria's Secret.

I was on a mission to find the scent. I went to Victoria's secret and smelled dozens of perfumes before I hit the jackpot. Candy, Baby is part of the Beauty Rush line. There are various products you can buy with this delicious smell, but the one that I wanted, the body spray, they were out of.

I had to find this spray, so I proceeded to go to five more stores before I finally found one that was not sold out of this spray. It must have been destiny for me to find it at this store, because they also had lip gloss in my new favorite flavor (last one, HaHa suckers) In addition, I bought this souffle moisture cream which feels like silk. Cotton Candy flavored silk.



So, tonight, I am relaxing. I'm feeling like silk and smelling like Candy.





Read more: http://www.mylivesignature.com/mls_wizard2_1.php?sid=54488-147-FED063ECC757775EB7BB0DC55FD3B959#ixzz0lzSRnJdr

Wordless Wednesday

Mmmmm Good

I made this really easy, delicious pasta for lunch today

It has a great olive oil and garlic taste, with a spicy kick. It is my favorite pasta and a "go to" dish around my house for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Here is what you will need
1. 1 box wheat Spaghetti noodles (wheat is sweeter and healthier so go for it)
2. extra virgin olive oil
3. red pepper flakes
3. minced garlic
4. italian seasoning
5. dried oregano



Put the pasta on to boil. Then start chopping your garlic. I chop about this much garlic




I'm going to be honest, if I have minced garlic in a jar I use that. Don't judge me. But, when I have to chop it myself I chop about this much.

When the pasta is done drain it and pour into a serving/mixing dish. Add the olive oil and be generous, you don't want dry pasta. I don't measure it, but if I had to I would say 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups (that is for a 4 person serving). Next, add the packet of Italian seasoning, about 2 tablespoons of oregano, and red pepper flakes to taste (the more, the spicier) Finally, add the garlic. If you are like me and prefer to scoop it out of the jar....it should be about this much



Mix well. Salt and pepper to taste and ENJOY!!

As I said, this is also a really good recipe for dinner. I have been known to add chicken, or pair it with steak as a side dish. And best of all, it takes under 10 minutes.

I may have writen this post because I watched Julie and Julia and was inspired.

I might even make this a regular segment.

So, in the words of Julia Childs:

Bon Appetit

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Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This week I did NOT bathe my child in his baby pool because he was NOT swimming naked. My son gets bathed in the bathtub like a proper 7 month old. I always make sure he has his "little swimmers" and swimming trunks on in the pool so I don't have to clean up any pool poops. I am very prepared for any and all activities on unusually hot Virginia days.

I did NOT eat 2 spoonfuls of peanut butter for "breakfast" this week. I know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So, regardless of how tired or busy I am, I always eat filling, nutritious meals.

While my son was napping this week, I did NOT take a nap with him while there was plenty of housework to do. I am a dutiful wife, and house cleaning is always at the top of my list right under motherhood. I NEVER take naps during the day and waste crucial time that could be spent doing far more productive things.

That is what I HAVEN'T been up to this week. What have you NOT been doing?









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Mother's day

Today is my first Mother's Day! I had a great time. Apart from getting to sleep in, we went to the park and had a picnic, then we took Little Luis to swing on the baby swing for the first time. Then we walked around the lake at sunset. It was beautiful. The weather was perfect, I couldn't have asked for a better first Mother's Day. Here are some pictures of my day:

What is in a name?

One afternoon, 26 + years ago, a baby was born with blue eyes and red hair. Her parents were happy, but they needed a name. After much deliberation they thought they would name her after both of her grandmothers, and give her a first name that they both liked.

Heather Christina Mae Jones it was (not so bad, yet)

Jump ahead 5 years. After the death of her father, her mother remarried, and she was adopted by her step-father. Due to the circumstances surrounding her father's sudden death. Her mother decided that she didn't want to remove her original last name, just add one more name to the mix.

Heather Christina Mae Jones Lewis...now we are getting somewhere.

She grew up and was usually called Heather Christina, or Heather Mae (except for in the 2nd grade when she went by Christie because there were three other Heather's in class). It was fine, until someone asked what her middle name was. Sometimes she took the easy way out and just gave them one of her many middle names. Other times she let it all go and then had to explain why she had five names.

This would always mean more questions: How did your dad die? Does your birth certificate say all of those names? How does that fit? What does it say on your ID? Occasionally she would tell someone her middle name was Christina and leave it at that, until someone called her Heather Mae, and then there was confusion followed by explanation and then more questions. She often wondered about what it would be like to just have three names like everyone else.

One day she met a boy, fell in love with that boy, and wanted to marry him. It was then she realized that her name would grow again. "It won't fit on my driver's license", she thought.

Heather Christina Mae Jones Lewis Gonzalez

That is just ridiculous! The only people with 6 names are members of the British royal family, and she wasn't one them. She thought there was no solution to her problem, but that didn't stop her from marrying the boy. She loved him and even if he had two or three last names, she would have taken them all on. After all what's one more when you have six.

After the ceremony she went to the Social Security office, marriage license in hand, and asked to update her name. The secretary said, "What do you want to change your name to? "What do you mean?" She asked, "I want my husband's last name." "Well", the secretary said, "with a marriage license you can change your name to whatever you want." "Can I delete some", she asked. "Sure", replied the clerk.

Heather Christina Gonzalez walked out of the office lighter than air, and three names shorter. And she lived happily ever after, even though her family still calls her Heather Mae.











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A Nightmare on Elm Street

Once upon a time, before we had children, we were carefree movie goers. Atleast once every weekend you could find us nestled in the cozy stadium seats, popcorn in hand, glued to the screen. After we became parents, we gladly traded stadium seats for high chairs and popcorn for dry cheerios. Needless to say we still do miss seeing movies, and occasionally take the plunge and opt for a baby sitter. This weekend that is exactly what we did.

A Nightmare on Elm Street: A Review

* photo credit http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00021993.html*

Overall, I was entertained, but I walked away a bit disappointed. There are quite a few scares, so if you are interested only in the "fear" factor, then by all means this is a flick for you. However, if you are looking for more depth and and story line progression than the original, look elsewhere.

I feel like Rob Zombie's Halloween set the bar for horror remakes. I think it is important that we see something different from these films, a reinvention of sorts or at least an expansion of the original story line. I do not feel like this movie achieved this successfully.

There was never a period of longer than 90 seconds that did not contain a dream sequence. Therefore, how could there be any substantial amount of exposition. I feel like the original film did more in the way of story line, while this remake was more about suspenseful, bloody kill scenes.

That being said, Jackie Earle Haley did a good job as Freddy. He was terrifying. The other actors were mediocre at best and paled in comparison to Heather Langenkamp and Johnnie Depp.

My score is a 6 out of 10. It isn't the worst, but it certainly isn't the best. What did you think of this movie?

Superman

Recently, Luis and I were bathing the baby and getting him ready for bed. He was christening his new Superman Pajamas (cape included). Before bed Luis took him on his inaugural flight (fun was had by all), then went down stairs to make him a bottle. I stayed upstairs with the baby.

Little Luis, who has been attempting to crawl for weeks, was in his crib and for the first time ever CRAWLED from one side of his crib to the other. It was a total of 2 movements, but HE DID IT. I called Luis to hurry and come back, but by the time he was made it back, sadly there was no more crawling. Scooting, rolling, and pivoting, yes, but no crawling.

We picked him up so we could read him a book say goodnight. As we sat down Luis exclaimed, "IT MUST HAVE BEEN THE CAPE"







He has yet to crawl again....so I am inclined to agree.



It must have been the cape.





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