~Thursday Five~

It's more than halfway through the day, but I'm still making the time to link up with Mrs. Gambizzle at Life as a Sailor's Girl for Thursday Five.  It's where you take a moment to post about five things about the week that have made you content, happy, giggly, adored and blessed. 

One.  Earlier this week, my hubby spent the evening cleaning the entire house.  He did the laundry, washed the dishes, swept and mopped the floors and cleaned both bathrooms.  I'm so thankful for him.  I don't feel like cleaning much lately because of the baby, and I love when he helps me out like that.

Two.  We went to the mall after my doctor's appointment today and were able to find a costume for Baby V at The Children's Place.  I've been looking all over the place, but no one seemed to have one in her size because she barely fits into sizes 0-3 months.  That's how small she is.  Well, we found her a butterfly costume today and, even better, it was on sale for $15.00!  She's going to be so cute in it.

Three.  Since El Paso is still so sunny and hot, I went to look for a hat for Baby V and scored on this cute one at Baby Gap.  It's big enough to fit her until next year, which is a plus.  An even bigger plus--it was on sale and I got it for $1.41. 

You can't tell me that she doesn't look so adorable in it.  I was also able to get her some other stuff on sale, like her first pair of blue jeans and some t-shirts for no more than $3.00.  I'm so glad we decided to stop by the mall on our way home!

Four.  I found out that tomorrow is National Homemade Cookie Day.  Now I know this goes completely against my new post-partum diet and exercise plan, but really?  How could I not make cookies to celebrate?  The excuse I gave my hubby was that I was to bake them and give them away to friends.  I packed enough to give away to them...and left us half a dozen to nibble on (which he allowed me to do because I looked so pathetic when he suggested I give them all away). 

These particular cookies are Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies and I'll be posting the recipe to my cooking blog shortly.

Five.  Speaking of cooking, I'm excited about posting about my first experience with the French Fridays with Dorie cooking group.  We made french cheese puffs called gougeres.  Delicious.  I'll also be posting that to my cooking blog as well.

And those are my five good things.  The one thing I'm unhappy about is that my hubby is leaving again this weekend.  His unit has drill which requires him to go back to Colorado.  He'll be leaving late tomorrow afternoon and returning on Sunday.  I know...again.  Sometimes I don't even know how I do it.  I just do.  And that means no wine festival for the two of us.  Boo hoo.

In any case...Happy Thursday everyone!  Hope it was a great one :)

Baby V's Newborn Pics

I know...this is long overdue.  These pictures of Baby V were taken when she was 6 days old.  I got the pictures almost a month ago and tomorrow, she'll be 8 weeks old.  I know...I'm a total slacker.  My mom has been dying to see these pictures and for me to send her copies of them.  Well mom, here they are.  And your package will be in the mail today!

There were so many photos, but these are my personal favorites.  Okay, I love them all, so these are pretty much all of the photos.  The photos were taken by Theresa of Creative Flair Photography.  Check her website out...she's fantastic.

Now I know I'm completely biased, but isn't she just the most precious thing you've ever seen?  I can't believe how tiny she was.  She's still an itty-bitty of a thing, but it seems like that day was so long ago.  And she's been amazing us every single day since. 

The only thing I hate about these photos is the way I look in them.  I'm huge!  Of course, I had just given birth a few days before that.  And...I'm working on it. Last night, I started running.  Um...yeah...I almost died.  It's going to be a rough getting back into shape and I regret letting myself go (i.e. pigging out and using pregnancy as a scapegoat).  I'll keep you guys posted on my progress.

Anyway...enjoy the photos and Happy Thursday!

Ten on Tuesday

Welcome to another edition of my Tuesday Ten!  Just a set of ten random things that are going on in our crazy lives--in case this is your first time reading my blog.

One.  This week, my hubby and I are starting a workout plan that'll help me lose the weight I gained during my pregnancy (about 20 pounds) and get me back in shape so that I at least get to the point where I can do PT without feeling like I have to keel over, as well as start to look and feel good and healthy.  I'm already fitting into a lot of my pre-pregnancy clothing, but my body has lost its firmness and has been left with lots of pudge!  Part of the plan includes implementing a healthier diet.  I am NOT excited about the plan.  I mean, for someone whose been indulging in whole jars of nutella with, well, just about anything (fruits, pretzels, bagels) for I don't know how long...it kinda sucks.  And last night's workout...let's just say I'm in pain today.  And my husband really took it easy on me.

Two.  Speaking of last night, I made a delicious pasta dish that was in this month's issue of Rachel Ray's magazine.  It's a Ribbon Pasta with Tomato, Dill and Ricotta.  I know, I know, pasta has a lot of calories.  For the record, the cherry tomatoes and dill sauce made the dish seem very light.  Could have left out the ricotta cheese...but hey, it's in the recipe, and it really pulled the dish together.  I posted the recipe on my cooking blog.  And speaking of the cooking blog...I gave it a new look the other day.  You guys should head on over there to check it out!

Three.  While I'm on this cooking topic, I should let you guys know that I joined a new online cooking group (thanks to my friend, Angie).  It's called French Fridays with Dorie.  The group is going to cook through Dorie Greenspan's new cookbook, Around My French Table and post about the recipes every Friday.  Almost two years ago (when I was in grad school), I was apart of the baking group called Tuesdays with Dorie and we did the same thing, only through Dorie's baking cookbook.  I did it for a few months, but then had to quit because I had no time to bake when I moved to El Paso.  I actually got the cookbook in the mail today and am excited to look through it.  Some of Dorie's recipes can be intimidating at first glance, so I'm going to use this time in the group to learn tons of new techniques!

Four.  This morning, we woke up to a very happy baby.  And that's always something to be happy about!  It doesn't matter what time it is when she wakes up, as long as she's in this mood, I'm thrilled.  And Baby V is like this a lot in the mornings...until she is out of her sleepy stupor and realizes that she's hungry.  I like to use that time to talk to and play with her, and to teach her new things--even though she may not understand quite yet.  But she always makes me laugh with her cute smile.  I was able to capture a few pics this morning.  This one is my favorite.  Are you as amazed as I am at how much she's grown?  Look at all her hair.  I mean, ALL of her hair.  She got it from her mommy for sure.  And we called it...we always knew that our baby was going to come out looking like Ewoks since both the hubby and I are pretty hairy!

Five.  Even better...Baby V is currently napping with her daddy in her nursery...on the rocking chair.  Seeing that never gets old to me.  It's my joy!

Six.  The La Vina Winery is having it's fall festival this weekend and we are sooooo there.  I've been to all of them since I've moved here (the winery is about a 30 minute drive from where we live) and the last one I went to, I was pregnant.  It wasn't as much fun.  And this is the first time that my hubby will be with me when I go.  Can't wait.

Seven.  I'm so happy I got a glimpse of some fall weather this morning.  It was actually in the mid-60s for a change.  I'm totally a cold-weather baby, so these extended El Paso summers (where it's 90+ degrees during the day) are so not cool.  It's so bad that I don't even feel like putting up fall decorations (and don't think I will since we'll be moving soon).  Right now, it's hot out, but it was nice to feel it for a while and to have somewhat of a nice breeze when we went for our walk this morning.

Eight.  Next weekend, we'll be going to Utah to visit Malu's grandparents and aunt and uncle.  It'll be Baby V's first trip out there.  It's about a 14-hour drive that we're both dreading.  But they really want to see the baby and it'll be fun once we get there.

Nine.  I got Baby V's newborn photos weeks ago and I still haven't shown them to you guys yet.  I'll do that tomorrow.  They're so cute.

Ten.  I probably should have done Five on Tuesday...it took me forever to get to ten!  Happy Tuesday everyone!

~Laura's Baby Shower~

Yesterday, all of my lady friends (and they're hubbies and kiddies) got together to throw Laura (who is smack-dab in the center of this photo) a baby shower. 

For those of you that are new to my blog, a few months ago, Laura, my friend, Leah, and I were all pregnant.  And we all worked at the same unit.  Our bosses--all guys--referred to us as the "maternity ward" because we were always together, waddling around and hanging out and eating/snacking on something (over 95% of the time).  Leah had her baby back in May, I had mine in August, and Laura hits her 36th week today.  She's having a baby boy, so her her son, Joey, is going to be a big brother--and a great one at that!

Laura's just an amazing woman.  She's a phenomenal mom, wife and Army officer who was crazy to even insist that we shouldn't throw her this party.  We couldn't have been happier to do it.  She's such a great friend and she has taken such great care of our little family.  We had such a great time!



Leah (not shown) makes some awesome diaper cakes!



I got Laura this self-inflatable KidCo PeaPod she wanted and I think I'm going to get one for Baby V.  It's nice, light and compact--especially for trips, so you don't have to lug that big pack 'n play everywhere!



Maddie made an amazing soccer ball cake for soon-to-be Jack!  Laura loves soccer!

So, a wonderful time was had by all.  By the way, I made some really good Sweet Potato Spice Cookies and a great Bow-Tie with Ham pasta casserole for the party.

I posted both recipes to my cooking blog, so head on over there to check them out!

Happy Monday you guys!  It's my last week before going back to work...yikes!

Where Have I Been?

The answer is...nowhere in particular.  To be honest, I haven't been in the blogging mood lately.  I just needed a break--and once you stop, it's kinda hard to get back into it, at least for me.  You know it's really bad when your mom calls you early in the morning and asks you why you haven't posted in a while.  Truthfully, we really haven't been up to much.  Just enjoying my time off with my hubby, Baby V and my friends.  I go back to work in a week.  I can't believe how fast these past 7 weeks have gone by.  And I am dreading going back to work (yeah, I got over missing work 6 weeks ago). 

So, the last time I posted was a little over two weeks ago.  Since then, Malu returned from Airborne school with his parachutist wings.  When you graduate from the school, you get your "wings" pinned on signifying the completion of 5 jumps.  It also means that you're not a "leg" anymore.  This term, which is short for "straight leg" refers to non-airborne personnel and refers to the fact that a paratrooper has to bend his legs in preparation for landing when they jump. Since non-airborne personnel don't jump, they don't have to bend their legs.  At Fort Bragg, which is home to the airborne forces, where almost everyone is a paratrooper, it's almost sacriligeous to be a "leg".  I was stationed there for my first 5+ years in the Army, so I used to give Malu such a hard time for being one.  Now I can say with pride that my hubby is not a "leg" anymore!

So after being gone for three weeks (he had left when Baby V was only 2 weeks old), I was sooooo relieved when he returned.  Not only did I miss him being around, I was just so happy for another set of hands to assist with the baby.  I was just completely exhausted.  It was so cute...when I picked him up from the airport, he immediately and excitedly jumped in the backseat with Baby V and my two sweet peas were back in their little pea pod.

A week after that, however, the hubby had to go to Colorado for three days for some reintegration training that is required by the Army Reserve.  Because I didn't feel like dragging Baby V over there for such a short time (and I honestly did not want to fly with her just yet), we stayed home and I successfully fared through a few days without him. 

Since he's been back, we've just been spending our time at home with the baby, who is now 7 weeks old!  I know, I can hardly believe it myself.  She has her two-month check up in a little over a week.  The hubby will have to do that appointment solo because I'll be back at work by then.  Today, he was telling me (a little jokingly) how he doesn't think he can handle it because she's just growing way too fast.  She's been so much fun and my husband and I have grown even closer because of her presence in our lives.  She's just so cute--definitely a daddy's girl (as seen in the pictures above)--and we can't get enough of her!

We've also been taking the time to support our friends' kids at their sporting events.  It is so entertaining to see three-year-olds play soccer--or any sport, for that matter.  How cute are these kids?

Madisen is the daughter of our friends, Mattie and Eric Finch.  This was the second time she'd gone to practice in her tutu.  What a doll.  She is on the same team as Joey, who is the son of our friends, Laura and Matt Rawlings.  Malu and I absolutely cannot wait for Baby V to get to this age.  We'll be the crazy parents on the sidelines making complete fools out of ourselves cheering her on. 

Last night, Baby V went to her first football game.  Malu decided to test out our baby carrier that night.  I mean, we couldn't bring a stroller up in the bleachers.

 

Our friend, Jennifer, has a sister who cheers for a local high school and it just happened to be the homecoming game.  We joined Jennifer and her sons, Ryan and Dominic.

  Malu, having played football in high school, loves to watch these games.  So we went and had a great time and cheered Jenn's sister, Lexi (in the center below), on while we were at it.

Baby V was such an angel during the game.  She stayed awake the entire time, soaking in the sights and sounds.  When she got home, she crashed and slept through practically then entire night.  We should take her to more of those games.

When we're not at these games, out at friends' houses for get-togethers or out on the town, we've been at home watching marathons of The Office.

My friend, Anna, introduced me to the show when we were in grad school about 2 years back.  Jennifer lent me the entire first four (or five) seasons of the show on DVD months ago and since we have so much time on our hands these days, I decided to go through all of them.  And now Malu is an addict with me.  The show is just hilarious.

And that's where we've been.  Nothing exciting...but just the kind of relaxation that we've both been needing.  And we surprisingly do get a lot of time to relax despite having a 7 week old.  That's just how good she is.

  Today, we spent the afternoon at the outlet mall and it was a pretty good shopping day.  I got a necklace and a purse from Fossil and Malu got a watch from the same store.  Because this is the last weekend that I'm going to splurge on sweets (the physical training regime begins this week), I went overboard while we were there:  a latte from the cafe, pizza for a late lunch, and chocolate gummy bears and a rocky road apple from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.  Yup...overboard.  For the record, I shared all of it with Malu.

Sorry this was such a long post.  I'll try to keep the next few short...and I will be posting more regularly again!

Deployment Survivor Button-Up

So check it out...Amber, a Marine wife over at Goodnight Moon!, is hosting a blog link-up called the Deployment Survivor Button-Up.  What a great idea...so I decided to participate.

If you have survived a deployment or are going through one, then this link-up is for you!  Head on over to her blog, grab her button, tell your story, and link back up to her blog (which is totally cool, by the way).

I have personally survived 1 deployment.  I was deployed to Iraq back in 2004 (as I am in the military myself) and I actually met my husband there.  I'd say that I've been on two deployments, but that's a funny story.  I got back from that "deployment" last December.

OIF (2004-2005)

My husband, Malu, has been on two deployments since we've been married.  He returned from his most recent deployment in mid-June...just in time for our baby's arrival!  For the 5+ years that we have been together, we have lived together about a total of one year.  I won't even go into the Army schools and TDYs that have kept us apart.  Being a dual military couple is no joke.  But it's what we signed up for...and we understand that's the nature of the beast.

So yes...I'm a deployment survivor.  And will most likely have to survive many more to come!

~One Month Old~

It's hard to believe that our baby girl turned one month yesterday.  Seems like it was just a day or two ago that we were bringing her home from the hospital--a little over a week after my expected due date and almost 19 hours of labor.  I'm just now remembering that I never posted my birth story.  Honestly, I'd have to have Malu home for that.  He knows the entire play-by-play and I'd need him to recap for me.  I was just tired and cranky for all of it, so I don't remember minute details. 

In any case, everyone tells me that she's so tiny.  Because I see her everyday, it seems as if she's growing at an alarming rate.  At her 2-week follow up, she weighed in at 8 pounds.  I'm thinking that she should be at the 8.5 pound mark by now.  She eats extremely well (I'm still breastfeeding)...at about every 2 hours and about 30-45 minutes each sitting.

I'd posted the other day about how strong Baby V is.  The other night, she had done the same "wriggle out of the sleeping pad" thing...only she scared me, because when I found her, she had rolled her self onto her stomach on her own.  Luckily she wasn't face down.  She can already prop herself up in the push-up position and lift her head.  She'd managed to turn her head to the side in the process.  So she was okay.  But it just makes me worry about leaving her in her crib, in another room, by herself.  She can also roll over half way.  Almost there!

About a week and half ago, I finally got her into a good sleep routine at night.  So now, she's in bed by 2100, wakes up around 0230-0300, then around 0530-0600 and then again around 0830-0900.  We usually start the day off with a morning walk (for Lucy, of course) and then do another one in the evening.  She loves riding in her stroller, especially on bumpy pathways.  A lot of times, she'll start crying or whimpering when the stroller hits the smooth sidewalk or pavement.  It's the same when we're not on the highways on the road. 

During the day, she takes short naps intermittently.  But when she's not feeding or napping, she's kind of fussy.  And she's not really the type that likes to be picked up, held, and soothed to be quiet--at least not with me.  My friends say it's because she smells me and sees me only as her "food source" and because she can sense how stressed out I may be at times.  Because with other people, like friends (and her daddy) she'll sit still, not cry and have the time of her life.  I try not to let that bruise my ego too much, but sometimes it does hurt.  I mean, what kind of mommy can't make her baby stop crying?  So, I don't like to keep her out and about (like in restaurants or the mall) during the day--unless she's sound asleep.  But the fussiness isn't something that's completely unbearable.  And she has some moments where she's very calm and giggles and coos when she plays with me.

So all in all, it's been a hectic month learning how to care for this bundle of joy.  But it's been one of the best times I've had in my life.  I absolutely love being a mom.  It's such a special feeling--and it makes you just want to make everything right in the world so that the little one can live happy and carefree.  I'm just sad that Malu has missed most of her first month.  But he'll be back in a few days!

Thank you, Vaiosina, for being mom's little angel...and for making our family feel so complete.  You are our everything!