Birthday Fun

Saturday we attended Max's 2nd Birthday Party. My friend Danielle did a great job hosting and the food was delicious. Her boyfriend can cook his butt off. My favorite side dish was an asparagus and mushroom combination...it was so flavorful. I definitely plan on trying to recreate it.

Nia had such a great time. I am so happy that she gets along with Max. They did almost everything together. His room is filled with some really exciting toys...it was hard pulling Nia away.

Danielle also has a rottweiler puppy and Nia loves animals, she wasn't afraid at all. I met a bunch of new people and Jonathan and I enjoyed getting out.

Hope you all had an amazing weekend.

Pillsbury Pot Pie?

As a mom with a very active toddler I of course try to stick with meals that are quick and require minimal clean up time. My boyfriend does the best he can to keep Nia occupied but sometimes she refuses to be attached to my hip!

Last week I was sitting down, minding my own business as usual, and a Pillsbury commercial came on that featured Manwich. After picking up my jaw from the floor I went straight to their website to find this recipe Grands Unsloppy Joe. After trying this out and realizing how versatile Grands Biscuits were, I started thinking of what else I could stuff inside of them!

My sister used to make this amazing chicken pot pie that I haven't made in a very long time. I wondered what would happen if i made a "Pillsbury Pot Pie."

Ingredients:

1 Can Pillsbury Biscuits
1/2 lb Chicken Breast (Skinless)
1 Can Cream of Chicken
1 Cup Mixed Vegetables

I cut up the chicken breast, lightly seasoned them with salt & pepper. Added a teaspoon of vegetable oil to my skillet, tossed the chicken in. Once the chicken was thoroughly cooked I added the cream of chicken and mixed vegetables. Allowed this to cook on low for about 10 minutes. Preheated the oven to 375. Placed the biscuits on a cookie sheet and flattened them. Placed a few teaspoons of what was in the skillet on top of the flattened biscuits and folded them closed.

I was pleased with the results but I am definitely working on a way to possibly make this better. My mom suggested adding celery and a friend of mine said potatoes as well as mushrooms! I see I have some work to do.

Have you tried anything from the Pillsbury site or plan to?

We Voted!!

This morning I got Nia dressed and we headed out to the polls to vote! I was almost discouraged when I reached an early voting place and they were no longer doing it. However, I stuck to my guns, put Nia back in the car seat and went to the City Clerks office where I registered and we voted there.

I had absolutely no issues and there was no line. Of course the folks working there had a ton of "I Voted" stickers that they gave to Nia.

I hope you all are having a spectacular week thus far!

Work & No Play

A few weeks ago I took on a Supervisor role...just in time for the hectic holiday season! The plus side is, if I survive this then I will be just fine during the regular season. I am pretty bummed out that I won't see my family until after the holidays, but hey sometimes you have to make sacrifices.

We had a pretty interesting Halloween. And when I say interesting I mean, Nia was getting over a cold and she wasn't interested in doing anything. She had a huge meltdown when I got home from work and it was almost impossible to calm her down. At some point she did get herself together and we went to the library.

I miss Nia so much while I'm at work. I love when she gives me a huge hug and lays her head on my shoulder as soon as I come home. Right now we are not in the most ideal situation but we as parents are making it work the best way possible. I know it will pay off sooner or later so for now I try to be grateful for my health and my family.

Overdue Update

This is just going to be a quick recap because with this active toddler, computer time is almost impossible!

June

• My mom became very independent and was walking with her prosthetic leg while using a cane. She also returned back to work.
• We moved back to Chicago due to SOs father being very sick and we are living with his family.

July

• We bought a car.
• I got a job, after being at home for 2 years!!
• Nia is in and out of daycare lol, that's another story. 

We are in the process of our insurance changing and hopefully we can make an 18 month appointment this upcoming week.  I cannot wait until we save up more money so we can get our own place. I am very grateful to have family that we can live with, but I'm used to having my own space. The last year has been up and down, with absolutely no stability and we are very anxious to get back on our own two feet. I know we have to be patient and smart, but at times I want to say to hell with it all!!! Haha. 

This weekend we went to the Shedd Aquarium and had an awesome time. I always try to look for free or very affordable activities to do in and around the city.

Those are just a few photos we took today. I hope you all had a great weekend!

Update!

I haven't posted in MONTHS. My mom was in the hospital from November up until February. The month of December she was in ICU for complications that I'm not going to share because I'm not sure if she wants me to. She isn't even ready to talk about what happened and I completely respect that.

I am currently her caretaker during her recovery process. My boyfriend came out here in the middle of December and he's helping me at so much. A lot of things are still up in the air...as our belongings are in Chicago and we are not.

In any event, Nia has grown SO MUCH. She has been walking since January, now she's trying to run! She loves saying NO, dad, mom, CAT, hi...and her newest word BYE! We are really trying to teach her about not getting physical when she's upset. When she doesn't get what she wants she will hit either myself or dad.

I'll try to upload a few photos of her on Sunday! Hope you all are well.

Trying!!

Hello everyone!!

Wow, I can't believe I haven't posted in so long...again! My mom was hospitalized on Nov 6th due to an infection related to her diabetes. She had to undergo 3 surgeries all in one week to remove the infection which was located in her left foot. She was recently moved to a nursing facility for the rehabilitation part of her recovery. The doctor said it can be 2-3 months for her healing process and for her to be comfortable with walking again.

I am SUPPOSED to be heading back to Chicago at the end of this month. I know my better half misses his girls and we miss him too. He is very understanding of this situation even though it's sort of putting us both in such a blah mood. I have to make sure my mom is ok and he definitely gets that.

Although I'd like to SAY I'll be back at the end of the month, it's not certain. I've been taking care of my moms bills, making sure her car is ok, sneaking her things she probably shouldn't be eating every now and then. You name it...I've been doing it. In all honesty its been very difficult doing this stuff plus taking care of a little baby..but I'm doing my best.

After losing my dad back in 06 I had a lot of regrets. I didn't visit him as much as I wanted to and even the day before he passed I wanted to visit him and I didn't. So that still takes a huge toll on my heart. My mom is at the same nursing center where he was last and I try to go see her EVERYDAY...sometimes even TWICE a day. Tomorrow is never promised.

On a more positive note Nia had her first little photo session yesterday at Sears. I'm so glad my sister came because she got Nia to really smile!! Here we are BEFORE the shoot:

She wore 2 outfits, one a little fancy and the second was more dressy casual! Here's a sneak peek:

In case I am unable to post again for a few weeks...Happy Holidays!!

MIA - Minor Updates

So I've been MIA these past few weeks because I am honestly dealing with some personal situations. For the moment I'm back on the East Coast dealing with some family stuff and I'll probably return to the Midwest very soon.

I'm working on some business cards for my etsy shop and I'm trying to improve my advertising. If any of you gals know of where I could advertise or have any suggestions please let me know!

Nia is doing great her 9 month appointment is approaching fast I can't believe it. I need to update her milestones timeline because she is crawling, standing, cruising and attempting to stand on her own. I'm still anxiously awaiting the "mama" or "dada" but I'm secretly hoping she holds off on milestones until we get back to Chicago lol so dad doesn't miss anything!

In any event I'm beyond tired and I hope everyone is doing very well! Happy Halloween to those who are planning to partake in it!

Still Settling In

This is our first day in Chicago

We have been in Chicago for about 10 days and I am still tired!! We are still organizing some of our stuff and getting rid of our moving boxes but we are making progress!! I follow quite a few Chicagoans on twitter and I am looking forward to meeting some of them while we are living here. I joined a young moms group in my area and I can't wait to go to some meetups. I love meeting new people and making friends so I'm definitely excited for that.

Yay finally no more plane!

Halloween is coming up and I was originally planning to buy Nia a costume, but I think I may try a DIY costume. The meetup group I joined is having a little gathering in the afternoon on the 30th, the kids will be dressed up, there will be snacks and such, so I 'm looking forward to that.

Running some errands w/ Violet the dog

I've been trying to figure out what kind of styles to do with Nia's hair. I usually don't refer to the hair type system, but her hair texture is like a 3C. Its thick, but very curly and soft. I've tried to braid it but it just unravels and she usually puts her hands in her hair when she's sleepy. I might write in to one of my favorite kids blogs and see if people have suggestions! Nia doesn't sleep on her stomach so it also makes it impossible for me to do her hair while she is sleeping (everyone suggests this).

Little diva after her bath & my attempt to do her hair last night!

My younger sister is coming to visit for Thanksgiving...I am so happy about that. When I was living out here a few years ago she came to visit and she loved Chicago! Her plan is to visit us every major holiday! Hopefully we can find affordable flights because flying from NY to Chicago costs a fortune!


I hope everyone is having an awesome day!!

Boy Oh Boy..

I haven't posted in awhile because of the moving extravaganza. I am pleased to say that we have made it to Chicago and we are still getting settled in. At the moment we are at my in laws for a few days until we can get our furniture situated at my boyfriends sisters apartment.

Living in someone elses space is very difficult for me because I'm used to being on my own and having my own rules. I have to remind myself that this is only temporary and soon we will have our OWN place again. That day couldn't come soon enough...

7 Days..

This Monday Nia went to her first Red Sox game, shout out to Latrice! We had an amazing time and I am so grateful to have had that opportunity! Nia definitely had a great time and we plan to put the ticket stubs in her baby book!

I can't believe it's Thursday!! Time is seriously flying. For people who are moving we still have a lot of crap. People are coming by this weekend to pick up some stuff. Here is how I'd like for the next few days to go:

Monday we are throwing out pretty much anything, for trash day on Tuesday
Tuesday I'm hoping to have everything we are taking in boxes
Wednesday...Thursday the latest we should be bringing those boxes to UPS, returning cables boxes & etc to Comcast.
Thursday stay at my sisters

Lord...I hope this works out. Wish us luck!!

10 Days

This weekend was pretty awesome! My mom came up on Saturday morning and we went out for breakfast. After that we went to Carter's and that was madness! Too much cute stuff! We then went to our farewell soiree and had an amazing time! Our move is next week and I've decided to donate some of our furniture. We have a tight schedule and I need for everything to be gone and ready by next week! Hopefully we can stick to that schedule...not like we have much of a choice.

16 More Days!

I can't believe it's officially the 14th! This move is sneaking up on us and FAST. This past weekend my younger sister came up to spend some time with us before our move. I am just so happy to have her in my life. She promised to come visit us EVERY holiday. I am certainly looking forward to that.

My mom is coming up for the weekend. She is having a really hard time dealing with us moving. I can't really blame her. Like I've previously stated she has done a lot for us and it's really great to have her around. I am just really hoping this move is the right step for us as a family. Everything we do is for Nia's future and we want her to have the best so sacrifices must be made.

I finally started cleaning out our chaotic closet! The closets empty but now the living room and our bedroom look like a disaster zone. I'm in the process of organizing our clothes, the ones we are donating, what items we plan to take, things we are selling, the list goes on!

Below are a few pics from this weekend.

Whew!

Anytime I go to blog something comes up. I was originally planning to talk about our move but I'm just not in the mood right now. The subject itself is pretty overwhelming for me and there are some really personal points that I'm not exactly ready to share with the internet world at this time.

However we did finalize the decision to move and we are leaving at the end of the month. I decided to make a schedule of some sort to help get our stuff ready to move. The only things we are planning to take with us are...Nia's pack & play, our tv, computers, game systems (wii, xbox, ps3) and clothes. This week my plan is to tackle our ridiculous closet and separate all of the clothes that we plan to take with us, the rest I'm donating!

Nia's clothes I may take to a boutique and sell them. Next week we are having a huge get together with our friends and my family...like a farewell party. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone but then again I'm sad to go.

Last week I went out ALONE and met up with my sister for lunch. I had a great time. This week I'm planning to do the same! Last Friday my boyfriend and I watched my niece (3) and my nephew (5 months old) for a few hours for my sister and bro in law.

Anyways I hope everyone is having a great week!

Teething 101

My little munchkin is going through it!

A few days ago I felt something sharp while she was nibbling on my finger. I couldn't believe it...a tooth! We try to keep her as comfortable as possible and give her teething toys. Sometimes I even put them in the freezer for a few minutes.

A mom in my online playroom suggested an all natural teething oil that she was using for her little one so I ordered it. Originally I planned to get the hylands teething tablets, but out of impulse (and free shipping) I went ahead and bought the Punkin Butt Teething Oil.

As of now her tooth is actually visible. I've been trying to snap better pictures of it but that is almost impossible lol! It is on the bottom left side.

I know there isn't much I can do to completely relieve her of the pain and discomfort but I'm going to try my best to keep her happy!

Getting Back To Business

Currently I am trying to get my little crochet business up and running. I've been trying to work on the marketing aspect so that I can promote myself and generate some sort of income.

As much as I hate talking about this, I've been home since last October because my job let me go. It was a hard pill to swallow at the time because I was about 6 months pregnant, working on my maternity leave with the company and then bam! I've had a job since I was 17. I've even worked 2 & 3 jobs at one time while holding an internship and going to school! To go from having financial security to a fixed income was really hard for me to accept. I have never been fired before either so that definitely hurt my ego.

For about 2 or 3 weeks after that I was on a serious job search because working was really all I was used to. My sister and my boyfriend probably thought I was crazy. They kept telling me to just stop, stay home, relax. All I could think of was making money! "Enjoy this time at home alone, because after the baby comes that's it." This is what my sister told me one day and I finally got the point! She was absolutely right and I'm very grateful that I listened.

There have been many times where I want to go get a job mainly because I don't like SO having to take on all the financial responsibilities alone. I feel like I should help out more. He always tells me that I already have a job that I'm great at right now, taking care of our little one.

Just When I Thought I Was Crazy...

A few weeks ago my fingers started to swell, I was feeling "light movements" in my stomach, headaches daily and not to mention hot flashes! All I could think of was being pregnant! I began to think, "holy crap...another kid right now!? Not the best time. We are moving soon. I'm not ready. WE'RE not ready. What are we going to do!?" A million things went through my mind.

I bought a pregnancy test and as soon as I got inside I took the test IMMEDIATELY. Not Pregnant.

I wasn't convinced though. The test could be wrong right? I called the OBGYN and the nurse on call talked to me on the phone. She said it sounds like I might have high blood pressure and should make an appointment to come in. She also said it could be just the side affects of the IUD. I didn't tell her about the movements I was feeling in my stomach, in fear that she would think I'm crazy, basically. Heck I didn't even mention this to my SO, I'm sure he would look at me like I lost a few marbles.

I tried to explain to the nurse that I was REALLY REALLY thinking I'm pregnant and that I took a home test and it says negative. She told me she highly doubts that I'm pregnant and assured me the at home tests are very accurate! Honestly I was a little annoyed because I was hoping she would say come in and we'll test you just to be sure, but that didn't happen!

A few more days went by and the thought still lingered in my head...these movements in my stomach were NOT helping at all, so I broke down and took ANOTHER at home test. This one took much longer to come back with the results. The first one said negative instantly...this one was just loading and loading and LOADING.

Finally the results popped up, Not Pregnant! I gave the at home test the side eye, and let out a deep sigh. I've been trying to watch my salt intake and drinking a lot more water. The headaches have subsided and the swelling fingers still come and go.

Today I looked in my Google Reader and saw this post: My Secret: A Phantom Baby and I almost spit out my water. (Dramatic, I know!!) I'm so glad that I'm not alone on feeling the movements. I also told my SO a few minutes ago about these feelings and he told me I was crazy and laughed! Psh!

6 Month Stats!

Yesterday Nia went in for her 6 month physical, so I tried to make her hair look fancy and pin it back on both sides.

Usually when we go in she likes to look around and stare at all the stuff hanging on the walls. Not this time. It was as if she knew her immunization shots were coming the moment we stepped foot into the room and waited for the doctor. She screamed during her weigh in, somehow the nurse managed to tell me she was 17lbs and 6oz, 28 inches long. I was too busy trying to keep her calm.

Sometimes when Nia gets frazzled like that it causes me to do the same. I know she will have her days but I can't help it if her fits affect me that way. I try to rush and get things over with so I can make her happy again!

The doctor came in shortly after to check her eyes, ears, mouth, the usual and again Nia screamed bloody murder!! All I could think about was when she gets the shots...how was that madness going to play out!

Well went the same way, lots of screaming. Here she is after all the crying.


She didn't want to be my friend, haha and decided to hang out with dad.


Poor baby. I'm glad we got it over with, probably not as much as she is.

6 Months Old!

24 weeks ago I went into labor and gave birth to an amazing little girl.

It honestly feels like just yesterday we were packing up from the hospital and heading home. I couldn't believe I was a mom and that this little person depends on us to provide, protect, nurture and love her.

Time has flown by so fast and I'm doing my best to cherish and embrace each day! The first few weeks were definitely a challenge, a lot of worrying and little sleep. Of course we still worry but sleeping has improved tremendously!

I love looking at past pictures of her to see how much she has grown. Jonathan said that it makes him sad because she's not so little anymore. (Dad's princess is growing up so fast.) We look forward to the next 6 months and can't wait to add more milestones to the list!

Nia's Milestones
2/10/11 - Birth
2/14/11 - 1st Time Home
2/15/11 - 1st Doctors Visit
2/16/11 - 1st Bath
3/20/11 - 1st Smile
5/ 12/11 - 1st Train Ride
5/19/11 - 1st Time Rolling Over
6/8/11 - 1st Time Sitting On Her Own
6/10/11 - 1st Plane Ride
7/11/11 - Started Solids
8/1/11 - Started saying "va-va-va"

Happy 1/2 Birthday Nia!!