MALE BASHING MUST STOP!!!

I’m so irritated by the constant male bashing that’s rampant in our society. The King of Queen’s ‘dummy’ husband always getting into trouble or the endless ‘he’s just a man, out there cheating, etc. and not caring about anyone’ kind of mentality that every women who calls into Roula & Ryan’s Roses [which I don't miss each week] describes.  

Relationships are hard. Men can be scumbags but so can women….doesn’t mean they all are though.

I just want to hear more about the AWESOMENESS of what men are doing for their women lately. I know it exists but I’m here to profess the glass half-full side.

I can attest that I’ve been in both types of relationships but that my Paulie is an amazing man who gives to me in bountiful ways I could not have imagined and pregnancy has only brought that out more and more…

The first time I experienced this I knew I had someone in my life that I didn’t think existed up until that point. I woke up in bed and couldn’t move my neck! Having a bout of claustrophobia and hypochondria (don’t know where I got that since my parents were both nurses and didn’t have the tolerance for minor cuts and bruises) I did what most people would in that situation and freaked out! I started crying and panicking and thinking I had been paralyzed sleeping in the night somehow. It was an awful feeling. Paul panicked because of my mere excitement but finally realized I was in no actual physical danger and told me to lay down, be still and start breathing. He started rubbing my neck and didn’t stop until well after I had calmed myself down enough to slowly fall asleep through the pain. I woke up with a sore & stiff neck but little did I know that he didn’t sleep the rest of the night from 4:30am or so on because of the panic I caused.

There have been so many instances like this…where mere attentiveness, support, compassion, communication, etc. have played a role in me knowing that I am loved through and through! Remembering my favorite candy bar and buying me one at the store, surprising me with a trip or sending me a crazy picture on my phone when he knows I’m having a rough day (shown above and left). He’s there for me in each and every way a man can be there for a woman! He is my rock! He is my rock star! He is just one example of proof that amazing men are out there taking care of their women.

As I hear the little words like ‘I love you,’ ‘you mean the world to me,’ ‘you’re going to be a great mother,’ etc. which I am grateful for, it’s not until I hear about the way that other women are treated in their relationships that makes me so grateful that I have a man who is comfortable enough in his skin to share those precious, special moments with me like being at every dr. appt & ultrasound, aptly awaiting for our baby girls’ arrival and thrilled to death about waking up at 3 in the morning if it means HE gets to feed her. I don’t have to worry about him going to have a drink with the boys and stepping on the boundaries of our relationship. I don’t have to worry about him ignoring or talking bad about me or our relationship. I know how much he cares…because he shows me each and every day!!!

He has had an amazing upbringing from his parents and still has a long list of friends who are so interested in his life. I’m not bringing this up to boast that I have the BEST man in the world, which I absolutely think I do but rather to shine some light on the reality of the situation that the coveted wonderful masculine, hunting/gathering type man who still wants to cook you homemade chicken noodle soup and deal with your tired cranky butt when trying to get you to go to bed DO EXIST!!!!

I guess that’s why as the weeks are dwindling and there is only a small amount of time left before our sweet angel joins us in this world for us to hold and love I can’t stop thinking about how amazing it’s going to be for me to hold her. BUT how I am almost looking forward just a little bit more to watching my sweet Paul’s face LIGHT up as he holds his daughter for the first time! Brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. [darn nonwaterproof mascara] It’s not a feeling that can be portrayed or lived vicariously but one that is very real to me and makes me so absolutely thankful that this is the life I live and that Paul is the man I get to hold every night when I go to bed and kiss every morning as I leave for the day. My fairy tale did come true [God blessed the broken road] and I hope my relationship is proof that it is possible.  

I KNOW there are GREAT men out there...just my love story of ONE!

Year in Review...a little late!

As 2012 has come to an end (and January 2013 too...I'm a little behind) I can't help but think about the amazing journey we've been on just this year alone. Feels like several years worth of happenings have happened in 2012.

It's been a wonderful year full of a ton of memories, most of which have been a pure blessing!



My parents and sisters in Austin are all doing well. My baby sister Casi & her husband Carl welcomed their little boy William Teal Wickham into this world on February 28th, 2012. We have enjoyed watching him grow, laugh and now start to crawl. He'll be walking before you know it. He's actually about to celebrate his first birthday in just a few weeks...how time flies!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

 



My older sister Jami & her husband have had a fun-filled year especially with their oldest daughter, Skylar, turning 5 and going to Kindergarten this year. Her little sister, Lenea, isn't two steps behind her though and growing like a weed. They are the sweetest little sisters to each other.









My loving parents have enjoyed hearing the news of their first St. Pierre grandbaby, which will make their 4th grandchild, our little girl making this their 3rd girl grandbaby.

Our St. Pierre family whom we get to see a bit more since Memere & Pepere (the french version of grandma and grandpa and definitely what our little one will be calling them) are in town for us to see more often. They are elated by the news of having their very first grandgirl on their side.

Renee, Paul's only sister, & husband Mark have their hands full with 3 active little boys, all doing so well! Their oldest Sammy celebrated his 7th birthday this year, with Noah (the middle boy) celebrating his 4th birthday & baby Levi celebrating his very first birthday. Levi was all of 16 days at our wedding last year. What a miracle it is to remember that they were even able to make it.

      

 

                                                        

I have soo loved being a part of each of these amazing families and watching everyone grow! Family is a pure blessing! However, despite how much I've enjoyed watching each family undertake small or large undertakings and successes, it amazes me that Paul and I will be welcoming a baby girl into this world in less than 6 weeks time! It was at the beginning of this year that we were planning for our Costa Rica honeymoon, me studying for my CPA & just winding down from our wonderful wedding and now a year later that all seems like a memory much further back than just a year as we are in full swing of getting our house prepared for little Brie-Ella! [no that's not the real name]

I have made significant progress towards obtaining my CPA and with a few final hiccups I am still waiting to take (fingers crossed) my very last test in 10 days time. What a relief and momumental accomplishment it will be! I can't wait to announce it to the world.

 

...for now we just WAIT and continue to cherish the memories we have already!



Baby bump & move

Yesterday I had one of the most amazing things to happen thus far in the pregnancy, other than finding out we were expecting. It happened yesterday at work when I felt our little girl move for the first time!

There have been other times that I might have felt a little somethin'-somethin' but I wasn't sure it was anything other than just gas... ;) BUT I know I felt her yesterday while I was sitting at my desk at work. It was about 12 seconds of pure excitement for me! I didn't have to wait to see her on a television screen while having an ultrasound or listening for her heartbeat on a Doppler machine. I could feel her little feet or arms or something moving away inside me like I was her own little jungle gym. Paul and I have already gotten to see her a little crazy & jumping around. It was at our ultrasound to determine if she had Turner's or Down Syndrome...so you would think there would have been a more somber mood but all anyone could here outside the ultrasound room was Paul and I laughing as we watched our little gherkin jumping with her arms flailing about. I guess she was excited about her legs...lol. Paul said "I guess we've got a little soccer player on our hands". :)

Life with baby is totally coming alive in full force! Next step: find a way to share it with my Paulie in a similar way I get to experience her! He so desperately wants to feel her move.

The idea that he wants to be a part of it among other things is so exciting to feel. I guess when you're not expecting, you of course think about how a baby will change both you & your spouses life. BUT when you are pregnant you get to share in the miracle of your pregnancy with your spouse and I've been so wonderfully blessed to have an absolutely amazing man that has been there hand in hand through everything and dying to help & share in each wonderful moment together. I love seeing him rub and talk to 'the belly'. Soooo cute! He's the foreman at our house guiding our big cleanings and reorganization projects. I love it!

Here's a sneak peak at the nursery changes going on...
                                                                         ...many more changes to come!

...so at 5 & 1/2 months I finally feel like a fairy that's gotten her wings! I finally got a little baby bump & I'm really loving it! I finally feel like it's proof to the outside world that our little girl is in there...living it up! Quite literally! 

It's also caused the NEED for maternity pants. My belly has finally pushed its way out of my 'regular' pants. But ohhhh weeee, maternity pants are super comfy! I don't know if I'll ever go back to 'regular' again. ;) 

Halfway Point!!! Lemon to a banana...

I can't believe it but we've made it to the half-way point! We're at 20 weeks of the total 40 weeks that will be needed to 'cook' this little bun in the oven.  

At this point, our little baby girl weighs about 10½ ounces and is roughly 6½ inches long head-to-toe. Just in this trimester alone we've gone (relatively) from a lemon to a now banana. I love all the food references for sizes...cute way to identify with her. 

She is now starting to hear sounds, both from the inside the uterus and on the outside. She can't identify any noises yet, but in time she will soon recognize both Paul and my voice over anyone else’s. She can now be startled by loud or sudden noises (oops) and can hear my heartbeat as well as growling stomach.

...they say it's a good time for lullabies and bedtime stories although I'm still a little timid to read to my own stomach. ;) Paul loves touching the little belly and talking to it though so I don't think it'll be tough to get him to read a story or two. :)  

...I still can't believe that already at the half-way point she is pretty much a fully formed (all fingers, toes, ear bones, skin, genitals, etc.) baby...just iddy biddy! ...but she definitely still needs time to continue to grow, build immunities & have the rest of her little parts form completely inside her safe, warm home for now. Her heartbeat has dropped from a whopping 175 to a still incredibly fast 148 in our most recent doppler scan. My dear friend Misty lovingly refers to our little nugget as helicopter because of the quick heartbeat..lol. :)

...and even though my baby bump is still pretty unnoticeable, looking more like I had a large lunch that a sweet baby girl growing in there, I've already had my belly rubbed by several people. Although I thought I would be put off by the notion of people touching a very self-concious area, it was kind of sweet. It's a loving connection people want to make with me and the little one...and surprisingly not off-putting at all. Although if a stranger comes up to me in the grocery store and touches me I think I might just deck them ;)

Along with the the few extra pounds I've picked up from the pregnancy it's been a pretty smooth ride thus far. Really nothing to complain about with mild nausea which has dissipated in the 2nd trimester and some aversions to food, still no sausage or beans for me PLEASE! A special loving thank you is needed here for Paul who has cooked specific things I though I wanted to eat only to set them down in front of me after slaving away in the kitchen and having me push it away and say 'I can't eat that!' He's been such an amazingly sweet husband listening to every 'I don't feel good' with a sympathetic ear and going out of his way to make sure I'm happy and comfortable. I don't know what I'd do without him. 

I honestly think the hardest part so far has been 'the worry' which after talking with several moms is not something that is going away any time soon. Sounds like it just changes from 'are they developing properly' to 'are they breathing' to 'are they going to break their leg jumping over that' kind of worries. I guess that's why God makes us all little rebels as kids so we can appreciate our parents 1000% fold when we become parents ourselves. ...so in that sense I guess I deserve a little worry...ok a lot of worry! Turning on the gas as a 3-yr old every opportunity I got might come back to bite me ;)

It's been such an amazing experience to share with our friends and family who have been so supportive and excited for us. I think the best reaction we got had to be from Paul's sister Renee who screamed sooo loud over Skype when we told her she scared her own little one. Although our entire family each had very loving/amazing reactions to the news considering everyone thought we were waiting 5 or so years to even try. So much fun to announce it to everyone!

We're constantly getting ready in every facet in our house thinking about safety, the pups and how their lives will be different, getting oodles and oodles of things from friends and family. I have two full tubs of maternity clothes already and we have been lucky enough to get several things we would've had to pay for on our own including a fabulous breast pump, car seat with base, bassinet, boppy, changing pad, etc., etc. It's awesome to be a sister of 4 and the last one to be pregnant...lots of great advice and generosity galore! I love you Jami, Casi & Renee...best sisters a girl could ask for!

...the preparation even got kicked into high gear this last weekend when we picked up our gorgeous baby furniture...a beautiful set that will last us for several years to come! I'll be posting pictures soon once the room is painted and prepped and all the furniture is set up --- thanks to my wonderful hubby!

The beauty of pregnancy cannot be conveyed to you through words...it's really one of those things that you have to experience for yourself, from your husband being so overprotective/sweet/kind/understanding to all the love you feel yourself already taking on just with the idea of the little life inside you. It's been the most amazing thing I've ever experienced and I'm so grateful that it came at a time in our lives that it's an amazingly welcomed/wonderful addition. We are as ready as two people nervous about the adventure we are embarking on could be!!! I often get teary-eyed (yes from the hormonies) but also from the idea that life just seems soo perfect right now. The family we always knew we wanted is half-way home to us in the shape of a sweet innocent little baby girl...and while we are sooo impatient about the journey at times we are definitely living in the moment and relishing in this time! God is good!!!

We're still very excited for our 20-week ultrasound coming up, scheduled to count her fingers & toes and make SURE it's a little pinky and not a little baby bluey. ;) I'm also hoping to feel her moving around soon...I've heard it's an amazing once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience. :)

For now that's all on baby...although I could write forever about the process thus far and how excited we are! More ultrasound and nursery pics to come :)

Isagenix Day 7: cleanse day over, 6.8lbs down & feeling GREAT!!!

Now on DAY 7 of the new Isagenix program we started. It feels SOOOO GOOD to finish our first cleanse day! Although, I definitely needed some motivation (shown here, if you're interested) but Paul & I both made it through helping to  motivate each other. It FEELS so good to get over the mental struggle & conquer & we didn't even cheat. NOT ONCE!

I WASN'T expecting these kind of results! Seriously! I'm down 6.8lbs overall BUT even more importantly that that, I feel sooo much better OVERALL, including energy, clarity & focus, no aches & pains & just how I feel about my body in general. It's amazing what your body can do if you give it the right nutrients, time and attention. :) I will say that Paul is feeling better and better too! He's down a little more than me, right at 7lbs. and says he feels like he has more energy and feels better in general too. He's also stopped taking his sleeping pill at night and is able to sleep just fine through the night. We are both so AMAZED at the progression of our health journey & excited to see what else we can accomplish.

So this morning we started back on our shake days with our IsaLean Pro Shakes. I had the chocolate one (which is sooo yummy and tastes like eating chocolate ice cream) so for me it was like treating myself after working hard through the cleanse day. So we'll have two shakes today with snacks, lots of water (I mean LOTS), and then we're going to have a nice dinner together (low-cal of course) but we're both looking forward to it.  

After just a week of trying the Isagenix I am already trying to figure out ways to incorporate this product into my diet long-term. I think we, as a society (myself included) spend so much time on certain useless things while, as one of our friends pointed out, some of us struggle with focusing on the 'right' things in life that our for our betterment overall. I personally think finances (see my Dave Ramsey blog if you're interested on what we are doing with our finances) & health are the two that UNFORTUNATELY take a backseat. So it feels great to feel like we are on a good track for both. Frees up more time to accomplish some of my other goals but that's for another blog ;) 

So a little about the program because I think it's important to share what works and doesn't work. Even though I've never been extremely overweight, weight has always been a struggle for me. I was muscular growing up but was always the heaviest of my sisters and closest friends. And anyone who's dealt with this kind of struggle knows that it weighs heavy on your heart dealing with those emotions day in and day out. So over the last couple of years I've been trying to find a balance, try everything from heavy exercising, eating very minimalistic, learning about good and bad foods, trying the wrong and right techniques. However, I never felt like I FINALLY found the perfect balance or the processes that work completely until Isagenix. 

The Isagenix team has put all of that effort into making the perfect formula and plan for helping keep everyone on track with the amount of nutrients as well as the right kind of nutrients in your diet. 

So here's a little more information from Isagenix about the program we're on, & no, I didn't write this myself ;)

30-Day Cleansing and Fat Burning System with IsaLean^® Pro Shake (please see my website if you'd like more information)

 Losing Weight and Building Lean Muscle Never Tasted So Good!

Whether you’re looking for an option to shed stubborn pounds, eliminate visceral fat, improve muscle recovery or increase muscle growth, you have a powerful, effective option to amp up your results.

IsaLean Pro Shake is a supercharged meal replacement packed with nutrients and a mega dose of whey protein to assist with weight-loss and/or muscle-building goals, specifically geared towards athletes and physically active individuals. IsaLean Pro Shake is formulated with 35 grams of high-quality protein, healthy fats and energy-boosting carbohydrates along with a broad performance spectrum of vitamins and minerals.

IsaLean Pro is formulated to help:

• Boost metabolism and overcome stubborn weight-loss plateaus while eliminating visceral fat
• Stimulate superior muscle recovery and growth in athletes, those looking to gain muscle and physically active individuals
• Assist with muscle retention and muscle tone to help you age gracefully
• Maintain muscle, bone, and supports antioxidant status (glutathione)

Important Videos: One of the things that I've found incredibly informative are a few of the videos on toxicity in our society & how this product will help althetes.

PICTURES TO COME! =)

Live like no one else now so you can live like no one else later! ...that's what we're doing. :)

Just like you...I am a victim of our cruel society in which we WANT everything! And we want it right NOW!

HOWEVER, Paul & I are on our way, with millions of other Americans, to start breaking that trend! Having a car payment, student loans, credit cards and even a house payment doesn't have to be 'the way' we live! We can all break out of that awful cycle by having a plan. The best plan I (or rather he) has come up with is Dave Ramsey's plan. http://www.daveramsey.com/home/

So basically... 'The Plan' is...

Pay the minimums on all of your debt for everything BUT your lowest outstanding debt, paying the absolute MOST you can towards THAT debt each month.
...then once that debt is gone (pause for a YAY!), then roll all of your extra income into payments paying off your next lowest debt! (YES, it's really that simple!)

Now this plan involves a 'mental shift' to put it lightly! You have to go from living outside your means to living well beneath! You might hear some people call it the 'rice & beans' method. This is where you should NEVER seeing the inside of a restaurant (which is the only rule Paul & I break...for shame!), cutting out all of the unnecessary crap (Starbucks for me) being mindful of your budget, etc. Now I'm not going to lie this has been incredibly hard! When you want to buy that one thing that for you wasn't a big deal before you started this crazy plan...come on it's only $50 but now it is because it means halting your plans, shifting things around so that you can have that now. Is it worth it? Do you truly need it that bad? It's been tough to say no to Paul or myself when I want something....but hey that's what makes this a goal, why it's so important to look ahead at what we are gaining and it's also why not everyone can do it!
But for us...it means giving ourselves the best start our family can have! Savings for our future & our future family, no matter how big ;)

We have done soooo well after our wedding starting this Dave Ramsey plan...we have paid off my credit card (some left over stuff from our wedding), a small loan & we've almost paid off Paul's truck...all the while paying lots of medical bills (for me and my gallbladder issues), the random trip for family events, CPA tests & study materials, etc. We've done sooo well over the last few month and only have about a year to go before we can scream "we're debt FREE!!!!" on Dave's shows (everything but the house anyway). Every Friday people get to call in to share their story and scream "we're debt free". I can't wait for that day!

...it doesn't stop there though...we're only on Baby Step 2 (paying off debt). Here is some more information on the baby steps from Dave Ramsey - http://www.daveramsey.com/mobile/baby-steps/, but the basic idea is 1) save $1K 2) pay off everything but the house (huge accomplishment for most) 3) save 3-6 months worth of expenses 4) increase 401K contribution to 15% 5) save for kids colleges 6) pay off your house early & 7) build wealth and give!

It's basically a life-time committment to ensuring your future! Therefore it's the perfect plan for me...keeping your focus on both the details as well as your long-term goals! I love it! Love feeling like we are in control of our financial future :)
My sister & her husband are on it too...we're helping keep each other on track! Helps when the rest of the world thinks you're crazy I guess. So if this kind of plan would help you as well, I say 'go for it'! Life is too short to constantly be paying our hard earned money out in interest to every type of credit company out there. You DON'T HAVE TO always have a car note, credit cards, etc. to live! On another small note of accomplishment: we were able to knock down some of our normal monthly bills like cable, car insurance, etc. by asking our providers to work with us. Paul got $50/month knocked off of our cable/internet service. Now we are thinking of cutting the gym and just walking in the neighborhood & changing car insurance companies (potentially cutting hundreds of dollars off each 6 months). We're doing sooo well! I'm sooo proud of us!

A little more Dave Ramsey advice - "Live like no one else now, so you can live like no one else later!" ...that's what we're doing anyway. :)

You can download the calculator here to see how quickly you can be debt-free too!
http://www.vertex42.com/Calculators/debt-reduction-calculator.html

Cupcakes! Again! ...this time it's Salted Caramel Mocha cupcakes!

Little bites of heaven in all different flavors and styles...the overly sweet & decadent doesn't have to be the only way to rock a cupcake! =)

Some of the best cupcakes I've ever made have been savory cupcakes including bacon maple cupcakes (which I will try my hand again at on Saturday for my sweet sister-in-law and family) and my newest creation, salted caramel mocha cupcakes with homemade caramel...which by the way is the sweetest, yummiest, gummiest, ooey gooeyness ever :) I saw one post recently about buffalo wing cupcakes. I think that may be a bad idea in reality, so I'm leaving that one alone for now. Dried hot wing with overly sweet icing underneath...ummm, I think I'll leave my wings at Buffalo Wild Wings for date night with the hubby for now. ;)

I fell in love with the Salted Caramel Mocha drink at Starbucks and decided to test my baking skills with these basic ingredients. How hard can it be, right??? ...So as I read the basic instructions of a recipe that I found online, I assumed like many other things in my past that making homemade caramel sauce was truly just as easy watching how they make it on TV. All you have to do is heat up a little sugar and a few seconds later you have some amazing sauce to drizzle over everything.

I quickly realized as I started cooking that this was going to be a LITTLE more complicated than originally thought. My sugar started burning so I took it off the heat and put it in a bowl...and it started hardening on EVERYTHING! My spatula, my bowl, my fingers were all hardening like super glue. So I dumped in heavy whipping cream which bubbled up and scared the heck out of me. So I figured there may just be just a little bit more to the story. So I did as my cooking-smart hubby does and youtube'd how to make caramel sauce and found this lady who apparently has her own cooking youtube.com thing going on. She's got tons of great posts with different recipes to try out. So fun: http://www.youtube.com/user/LauraVitalesKitchen. Her caramel sauce post was very helpful for timing and color techniques. Ok, so maybe Paul was right just this once ;)

All I could think while I was watching it though...is 1) that looks super easy, why couldn't I do that ;) & 2) Paul should do this, he'd be great!

So here goes...

Salted Caramel Mocha Cupcakes!!!

Caramel Recipe Ingredients:

1/2 cup water

1 cup sugar

3/4 heavy whipping cream (or 3/4 cup milk & 1/3 cup butter as I used for a substitute)

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tbsp butter 

Heat sugar and water over medium high heat until the sauce turns a nice deep amber color. Make sure you use a deep pan to avoid splashing caramel on your skin..ouch!

Once the caramel turns the nice amber color you want...as seen below...remove from heat and add the heavy whipping cream (or substitute). BE CAREFUL during this part. The heat of the caramel and the introduction of the cold liquid causes it to foam and bubble up...it's a little scary if you're not prepared for it. 

Return to heat and add the butter. Let the butter melt and continue to cook for a few minutes. Add salt if you want, although I held off on the salt and the vanilla from the original recipe because I was planning on garnishing the cupcakes with salt and didn't want too much of a good thing.

Additional cupcake ingredients:

Any basic chocolate cupcake recipe

Chocolate frosting

Vanilla frosting

Cold-pressed coffee

Kosher Salt

So the cupcakes weren't anything fancy this time, just a simple chocolate cake recipe with cold-pressed coffee instead of the regular water equivalent. Shhhh...I used duncan hines cake-mix for this one. I wanted the star of the cupcakes to be the caramel :)

After the cupcakes and caramel are cooled, you scoop out the center of the cupcake...using a round teaspoon measurer and replace the center with the gooey caramel sauce. Place the very top of the scooped out cupcake piece back on top of the cupcake to cover the caramel for frosting. 

I used some yummy chocolate & coffee flavored vanilla icing mixed together (piped out of a ziplock baggie of course).

Now for the FUN part...drizzling the cupcakes with MORE caramel sauce and sprinkling with kosher salt.  

Only a few minutes later, and every dish in the house used, you have this fabulous creation...I can't wait to share them with my work buddies =)  

I hope they like them!

I've realized slowly that my passion for creating yummy treats and/or designing something fun is really quite special to me. I'm always looking for a way to create something interesting and new. Paul and I are constantly thinking of different ways to add creativity and pisaz to our dinner parties, a true passion for both of us. It's a fairly new passion for me and something that I hope to continue to explore often! :)  

This one is a little bitter sweet since it's for a going-away-gesture for one of my good friends at work Joanna...she's going back to school and leaving us @ Universal :(