Cool iPhone Apps For Kids

Entertaining our children today has become so different from just ten years ago. It’s no question that some two-year olds can maneuver their way through an iPhone much better than an adult and I have often found myself turning to my fourteen year old for help with changing a setting on my iPad. Smartphones can be a helpful tool for parents when we just need those few minutes to fold some laundry or mop the floors. Little eyes are so mesmerized by videos of their favorite cartoon characters, learning apps that can teach them letters, or even just scrolling through a photo album of family members. My iPhone has come in handy more than once while strolling the aisles at Target or doing my weekly grocery shopping and I want to share some of my favorite children’s iPhone apps with you, because yes, I am THAT mom.

Endless Alphabet, $5.99 

This one is my absolute favorite for toddlers. Children can interact at their own pace, there is no score or level to complete. It helps with vocabulary and learning the ABC’s while engaging the child with interactive puzzles of moving the letters to their missing places. It’s so simple for little fingers to use and the animations are fun and exciting for them! It’s definitely worth the $$ for this one! Endless Alphabet is available from the iOS App Store.

Angry Birds, $0.99 (or there is also a FREE version)

Any time that I have had a conversation about kids and iPhones with another parent, the mention of Angry Birds almost always comes up. It has been one of the top apps since 2009 and with more and more levels always being added, kids will never get bored! While this app is geared more toward older pre-school and school aged children, there are plenty of teenagers and parents playing as well! Angry Birds is available from iOS App Store andGoogle Play Store.

Color Drops, FREE 

Of course children love to color with markers, pens, crayons and paint but this is a mess free way for them to create beautiful artwork! My favorite animated coloring book with so many different categories of drawing fun. Toddlers and older children can create artwork starting with a blank page or choose a coloring page such as princesses, dinosaurs, numbers and letters. The sound effects are super fun for the little ones but might be get a little annoying for the older kids. While the app is free it only includes one coloring page for each category, additional pages are available for purchase in the app. Color Drops is available from iOS App Store and Google Play Store.

Toy Story Read-Along, FREE

Everyone loves the Toy Story crew, right? This app is an interactive reading experience that my son just absolutely loves! You have the choice of listening to the story being read or you can cuddle up with your child and read it to them. There are also games, a few pages that you can draw and color, and a music feature that plays everyone’s favorite “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”.  The app is rated for four and up, but my son is two and absolutely loves this one. Toy Story Read-Along is available from iOS App Store.

Some other great children’s apps are Toddler Stamps, My PlayHome, Dora’s Dress-Up Adventures, Nick Jr Draw & Play, WATCH Disney Junior, and a great app for all ages,Candy Crush Saga. There are SO many great apps out there and more are always being added. I feel that smartphone use should be limited and parents should always monitor usage and apps, so make sure you are consistently checking that they are age appropriate. What are YOUR favorite children’s apps?

***Originally Posted on East Valley Moms Blog as a contributor post***

If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em! Why Fantasy Football Can Be Fun

It’s that time of year again. NFL team jerseys get pulled out of the closets, husbands start getting amped up from pre-season football games and many of them go MIA for the next five months. Wives start rolling their eyes and complaining about the amount of time the sport pulls their husband away from them, and their honey-dos, while others are excited because this just means more time to go shopping on Sunday afternoons. What many wives don’t understand is that football can be fun, and so can signing up for a fantasy football league.

Growing up, the only football I ever saw was the occasional 49er game on at my grandparent’s house on a Sunday afternoon or Thanksgiving Day games played while we feasted on turkey and mashed potatoes. The only knowledge I had of football was that my grandma really liked Joe Montana and that everyone got excited when there was a “touchdown”. Until I met my husband, I was one of the women that rolled their eyes at the mere mention of football. I hated that he would spend hours with his buddies having their fantasy football draft and then he’d spend even more time watching the games, week after week, yelling at the TV.  I am a very competitive person and what I started to realize was that, “hey, maybe I can beat him AND we can spend more time together.”

This will be my fourth season playing fantasy football and I’ve learned a little bit more each year. There are so many different platforms that offer fantasy football, such as Yahoo! Sports, ESPN, NFL, and Fox Sports, just to name a few. The platform that I love is the free ESPN one and with today’s technology, having an app right on my iPhone is so convenient! I had no clue about football when I joined my first fantasy football league and the only thing I regret about signing up was that I didn’t do it sooner!

With that said, here are my top five reasons that I feel wives would benefit from joining a fantasy football league; whether you like football or not!! You never know, it may grow on you as it did me!

1. Socializing

Really. Who doesn’t like to socialize? Whether the kids and husband are in tow, everyone needs to be around friends while sipping on their beverage of choice, eating finger foods and shouting at the TV because they feel the referee made a bad call. Thousands of people gather on Thursday nights, Sundays, and Monday nights to watch America’s pastime sport, football.  If you aren’t into the sport, instead of staying home and missing a good football gathering, joining a league gives you something to talk about with others when everyone is getting together to “watch the game”. Next time you are out to eat and the whole restaurant starts cheering at the TV, you’ll know why and you can cheer right along with them. Plus, it’s a good excuse to invite friends over on Sunday afternoon.

2. Breaks the Language Barrier

Touchdown, holding, pass interference, what? Do you hear your husband using these words and you have no idea what they are? I had no idea what any of it meant, (well, except for a touchdown of course) and after four years, I still hear the referee make calls that I have to ask my husband about. Being a part of a fantasy football league has helped me to understand the positions, calls being made and who does what on the field. I think my husband and I actually talk MORE now because I can speak his football language.

3. Bragging Rights

Everyone likes to talk a little smack every now and then, right? If you have any sort of competitive nature in you, you will love fantasy football. When your Quarterback throws a touchdown pass or your running back runs 60 yards, you are going to want to brag about it and who better than to those that you are playing against and beating for the week. Part of the fun for me is bragging to my husband, and the rest of the teams, how awesome my team is.

4. Possibility of Earning Money

All of the leagues that I have participated in over the past couple of years have been “For Bragging Rights” and there was no money involved. However, friends of ours and past leagues my husband has played in had a pot that everyone put money into and at the end of the season, the winner gets it all! Sounds great, if you win!

5. Shared Hobby

Not only do I now speak and understand my husband’s football language, there is a lot less resentment between the two of us, having this shared hobby. Instead of being upset that he’s gone out to watch a game or that he wants to watch football on Sunday, I am happy and can talk to him about it. Since we have different teams in fantasy football and we play against each-other, it’s fun to brag to one another about how well our players are doing that particular week or day. We have so many different interests between the two of us that it makes it really nice to share this hobby. I also enjoy discussing with him how my players have been doing while checking my weekly lineup.

Joining a fantasy football league may or may not be your thing, but my suggestion is to at least give it a chance and try it before you knock it! I am so excited for this new season of football to start and really excited that I am a part of not one, but two leagues this year. One of them being our very own East Valley Moms Blog league, which I am REALLYlooking forward to!

***Originally Posted on East Valley Moms Blog as a contributor post***

Impromptu Visit from the Parental Units

This last weekend marked yet another milestone. My first son's fourteenth birthday. I gave birth to him when I was just nineteen years old, living in Hawaii and still a newlywed (of a little over a year).

He's now taller than me, wears a size ten shoe and his voice is getting deeper and deeper by the week. I can't believe he's in high-school now and in just a few short years, he'll be driving. Scary! (that means I'm REALLY getting old).

Between a busy busy weekend and a last minute planned visit from my parents, I haven't been to the gym in four days. Yes, I said four days and it's killing me! Life is happening and it's not the end of the world, but still... the gym is my sanity; or anti-depressant if you want to call it that.

It was so wonderful having my parents here, I miss them so much and wish we could live closer to them. I love their company, conversations and evening walks with my momma. They only stayed a couple of days, and I'm hoping that they will be back soon to visit again! Today marks their 30th anniversary! What better way to spend it than twelve hours in the car together driving home!

30th Anniversary Kiss 

My little swim monkey, loves the pool!! 

Doing Tricks! 

I love my momma!! (Nevermind that it was 109 degrees outside...)

Herpangina, what is that?

105 fever, lethargy, and grumpier than ever.

Let me rewind a bit.. do you remember my love/hate relationship post about parents bringing their sick children to the gym? Well, if you haven't read it, you can find it here.

Yes, my child has been a bit sheltered for the past couple of years. Is that really a bad thing? It's a large debate among parents every-where and I fall on the side of when the time is right it's right. I would much rather throw my child's immune system for a loop at the age of two instead of six months old. Heck, I'd really like to wait until after his third birthday but c'mon, mommy needs her gym time.

I am a stay at home mom and I do "get out". I just choose to stay away from friends with sick kiddos and play groups where I know a parent is bringing their sick child. My child isn't exactly an "easy" child and when he's sick it doesn't make things any better...

So one week after the first cold (from the gym daycare) came about, my tiny human started acting funny again. By acting funny I mean sticking his hands in his mouth gagging himself. Teething again? Sore throat? Strange toddler curiosity? I thought it was the wicked molars until Saturday afternoon's 105 fever.

A fever we couldn't break.

This, of course, led to a trip to the pediatric urgent care. After taking his temperature (rectally if I might add) and checking his pulse, they said, "oh yes, something isn't right." Really? That's why he is here.

That is when the doctor dropped the possible diagnosis.

Herpangina.

Say what???

Apparently, it's a summer virus that affects wee little ones in the form of a sore throat, high fever and lack of appetite followed by sores or lesions on the back of the throat. Nice. Just another virus that he picked up from the gym daycare, and hopefully one we won't encounter again. The high fever was a bit scary, especially when you can't get it to come down very easily.

Today, he is almost back to normal, bouncing around playing, talking and singing. Of course, says dear husband... waste a whole weekend being sick and as soon as he goes back to work Monday morning, tiny human feels better. The story of parenting!

Now it is Monday and time to get back on track. The weekend ended up being kind of a wash and aside from strolls around the neighborhood, workouts were literally non-existent. 

Drink it, Feel it, Share it...

In April I was introduced to something that I never though would have the impact it has had.

I have been trying to eat cleaner for a couple of years now. I never did do a complete cold turkey cut of foods, but have slowly eliminated them and after time, forgot them and don't even want them anymore. Especially after I've learned what they do to my body and have seen how much better I feel without them.

Eating fruits and vegetables has never been a problem for me, I love them. I am not too picky and am willing to try new ones when given the chance. I started juicing earlier this year and felt I was getting "plenty of fruits and veggies" doing it that way. I was healthy. I was detoxifying my body.

But was I really? I was still really tired all of the time, not sleeping well and my skin was breaking out again like I was a high school sophomore. Something was missing and I couldn't quite figure it out.

My yoga instructor had briefly mentioned MonaVie while finishing up class one day and offered up a chance to receive our "Life Score" or antioxidant levels score. I thought, sure! What the heck! I eat lots of blueberries, I juice, and I drink that lovely green juice from Costco called Green Machine. I stuck my finger in the little black contraption that she carries around with her (my husband says it looks like an electronic stapler) and within a few seconds I had my score...

Photo Credit: www.monavie.com 

It was low. Very low... 

The score ranges from red, to orange, yellow, green, blue then purple. The lowest score being in the red range and highest being purple. I was orange. The lowest range of orange, almost red. 

I was shocked. How could I score so low when I ate so well? I don't eat a lot of processed foods, I eat several servings of fruits and vegetables throughout the day but still... not enough. 

That is when she told me about "the juice". Juice that is made from real fruits and vegetables. 100% pureed wild organic fruits and vegetables with glucosamine for your bones and joints, wellmune to get your immune system primed up for fighting off sicknesses, and flax seed oil to help nourish you cell membranes making your cells more susceptible to all of this good nutrition. If I try this juice for 60 days and my score doesn't go up, I will get my money back. 

I decided to try it for a week... see what I thought and then I'd go from there. It's just 2oz twice a day and I could easily add that supplement to my day. 

I was given a bottle of the MX blend to try and just two days later I placed my first order. I am proud to say that I am a distributor and the only regret I've had is that I didn't start drinking this stuff sooner! Even though I was eating healthy and exercising regularly something was missing and I've found the missing block. I can't even begin to list the benefits that I have felt in such a short period of time and now it's completely my passion to share better health with those I care about. Great health starts internally. 

Photo credit: www.monavie.com 

Don't hesitate to leave me a comment with questions, concerns or just to say hi! I love answering questions about MonaVie and just plain old chit-chat about the kids!

High School

I remember how nervous I was going in to high school. The school was so big, classes were spread far apart and my biggest fear was that I'd forget my combination to my locker.

My oldest son starts high school next week. Less than a week away and I am pretty sure I am more nervous than he is. He hasn't said much about it, but I'm sure he's a little scared, right?

In just two days we'll be going to pick up his schedule, drop some money on books, classes and extra curricular activities. I'm most excited about him getting his Freshman ID card - yes, I still have mine. Of course we will pre-order his year book and pay for him to go to dances.

Dances.

Oh my goodness... didn't even think about dances. Homecoming, Holiday, Sadie Hawkins (do they still do that?), Prom... so many. That topic leaves me questioning, will I chaperone? Will he even want me to? I don't even feel old enough to be chaperoning a high school dance! Of course then I start thinking back to when I went to dances, every single dance except for my Junior and Senior Prom, and feel he probably won't want me there and I'm going to have to be ok with that.

Our babies grow up so fast. Seems like just yesterday he was starting Kindergarten and now he's off to high school. Before I know it, he'll be going to college and my littlest human will be starting school. I want to make a change over the next four years, make great memories and really help my son grow in to the already wonderful young man his is becoming.

Sun, Sand & Waves

Vacation.

We needed it.

So we went. 

To Newport Beach, CA. 

We swam and laid by the pool. 

Travis saw the ocean for the first time... 

...and loved it. 

I enjoyed my beach time, and my beach hair. 

And Travis napped, very little. 

I did cartwheels in the sand... 

And stood with my feet in the sand. 

We jumped for joy... 

And did some yoga... 

Made lots of good memories with family and friends. 

I never thought I'd ever move back to California.... but someday, I just might. I loved the area and will definitely be returning in the near future. 

We had so much fun hanging out at the pool, drinking Margaritas at Fred's in Huntington and being silly on the beach. 

It was by far the best family vacation we have been on yet! 

Unfinished me

I have always been somewhat of a perfectionist. Ok, not somewhat, but 100% perfectionist. I strive for flawlessness and always set extremely high, sometimes unattainable standards. Some would even describe me as a little bit neurotic.

It's not always a good thing to want to strive for perfection. It has come back at me several times. Ok, several times one-thousand times...

As of late, I've battled with my inner perfectionism demons. I have unfinished projects, unorganized closets and stacks of paper in my office. These are all things that I never used to have and if I did, I was a major stress case and wouldn't go to bed at night until everything was, perfect.

I blame a couple things for my leniency. Children and my new found love for the the universe and what it has to offer. When I am busy cleaning away or wanting to finish painting bathroom trim that I started three months ago, it is then that I realize my toddler is busy playing in this room talking away to his stuffed animals. Yes, that is a good thing but I also want to be the one he's talking to...

While my teenager is busy being, well, a teenager and wanting his space from mom, my toddler is at such a prime learning age. He is two and at two he is like a little sponge. I can really teach him anything I want right now from how to count to ten in Spanish or the difference between an ant and a spider. I don't want to miss these moments because I was too busy cleaning closets or organizing silverware drawers. The unfinished paint project in the boys' bathroom drives me nuts - Every. Single. Day- but I have taught myself not to care anymore; because honestly, who is judging me for not finishing the job? If they are, then they don't know me and don't really need to be a part of my life.

I am still high strung, and still a perfectionist, but I have learned to control it quite a bit. Analyzing everything I do and how I do it was getting me nowhere.  If something isn't worth stressing over or isn't attainable then, meh, I move on and worry about the bigger, more important things. The things that breathe and giggle and make me smile. My children. My perfect children who think I am the perfect mom.

Five More Days.

It is so hard for me to believe that my little type-A personality baby is going to be two years old in just five days.

Exactly two years ago today, I was scheduling a pedicure for the following day, packing my bags and walking, walking, walking. I remember it all clearly, and can't believe that it was so long ago. Seems like it was just yesterday.

He is amazing, just like his brother. Smart, funny, active and sociable! Everywhere we go, he's raising his hand waving and saying, "hi!" to everyone in his sight. He gets quite confused when the occasional passerby doesn't say "hi" back. I guess I've just learned that some people just don't get kids, like kids or want to be around kids. Others get so ecstatic when he waves, complimenting me on my friendly little boy and proceed to carry on a conversation with him. It's quite refreshing.

He's come around so well... he's sleeping better, eating better and is just, well, happy. No complaints from me. If he's grumpy, it usually means it is because he's tired, hungry or thirsty! Such a difference from the first year of his little life.

On the other branch of the tree... Joey has five days of school left. It's silly that he has to go back for two days AFTER the Memorial Weekend Holiday, but whatever. Once he's done he'll be an official Freshman. Crazy. I remember him turning two and running around with his "gee-kee" (pacifier). Time flies... and I'm enjoying every minute of it. Blessed, thankful and overcoming life's obstacles.

The boys are healthy, Paul and I are healthy and we are enjoying life. That is how it should be. For everyone.

I hear so many people complain daily about this or that, and don't get me wrong, I was there. I get it. But... there is happier, healthier life. Why wouldn't you want to live that way? Things I ponder... Hoping I can help inspire others to want to live happier and healthier!!

Challenges

Today was challenging, to say the least.

It started like most days do lately. Husband rolls out of bed to get ready for work and toddler starts yelling, "mama! mama!" from his room.

I roll over and the clock says 5:45.

The sun is up and I can hear the dog stirring in the family room in his crate. I roll out of bed and grumble and groan. Stretch my stiff, getting old body, get dressed and head to the "awake" side of the house.

Each day starts the same. But each day doesn't always go the same. Today pretty much fell apart. I let my emotions get the best of me more than once. Does it mean it's the end of the world? No way. Will I get a good nights sleep tonight and wake up refreshed tomorrow? Absolutely.

I had a lot of self talk today, mostly negative. I didn't get to work out, it's Thursday and I can't go to bootcamp on Thursdays so of course I didn't make the time to work out at home. My mood goes downhill fast, I'm snapping at the dog, toddler and myself.  I realize what is happening but on days when the dog pees in the house (on the carpet for the first time in 4 months), toddler doesn't nap and I eat a handful of chocolate covered blueberries, I have a hard time remaining positive.

And now, as I sit here and reflect on my day, I realize how blessed I am.

I have two beautiful sons who call me Mom and a loving, patient husband who stands beside me through everything. I have a beautiful home, I am lucky enough to be a stay-at-home-mom and I am physically able to walk, run, bend, stretch, and use both of my hands. So what if my dog had an accident in the house? He's a dog. So, my toddler didn't take a nap "as scheduled", big deal, tomorrow is a new day. I ate crappy? Meh, no one can be perfect and that stomach ache I have will go away.

Challenging. That is exactly what today was and I learned so much about my emotional limits and I also learned that it's ok to have a bad day once in a while. I can't wait to wake up and be blessed with another beautiful day tomorrow.

Take the good with the bad, we all have days in which we feel defeated. Take a step back, a deep breath of fresh air and laugh at all things challenging.

Training for Life

102 was the high today and I'm thinking it feels a little too early to be that hot. I can't believe summer is already approaching and we haven't replaced our air conditioners yet. (They are awfully old and one is leaking so it actually doesn't work...)

Today, I chose to workout at 6am instead of 9:30am and I was happy I did. The sun was already out and shining bright but there was still a nice cool breeze to keep me cool while I ran.

We did three separate circuits today, rotating through each of them twice, with a running lap in between. After taking a few days off towards the end of last week, today's workout was just what I needed. It was hard enough to make me sweat but not so hard that I couldn't get all of my reps in. I worked out with a new girl today and the highlight of my workout was when she said, "Wow! You are in really good shape, what are you training for?" My reply? "Life."

I have been waiting a long time for someone to ask me that so I could respond with "Life."

Who is it that has led so many people to believe that working out, eating healthy and staying fit has to be because you are "training for something"? I feel that if everyone would eat healthier, exercise and educate themselves on proper nutrition we might all be happier! I know for me, when I eat really well and workout, I am flying high. It's my drug and I'm addicted. When I don't get it, watch out.

Lately I've been asking myself what are my goals. At one point I thought that I might want to be brave enough to train and enter a fitness competition. Not necessarily fitness, but maybe bikini. I'm not sure how much support I'd have and I really don't know that I can (or have) get together enough money to pay for all that is involved in doing a show.

I had the goal of running a half-marathon, well, I've done two now.

I had the goal of participating and finishing Tough Mudder, well, I did that and have plans to sign up again next year.

So, what exactly am I "training for" now? Life. I want to feel good and look good. Inside and Out. I want people to ask me, not "what am I training for" but "what are you doing? How are you so happy and healthy?"

I'm working on a list. Maybe a couple lists. The foods I am cutting out, the new workout routines I'll be doing, some certifications I'd like to get and goals I have for my family in general. I'd love to share them with you all when I get them finished! I am excited for new things, the new doors that have been opened to me and I can't wait to look back on this post knowing that I set goals and achieved them.

The highlight of my night? My push-up and plank challenge that I did with my husband. It was fun and now I'm determined to keep up with him. He beat me by one push-up (20-21) and I beat him with a 3:10 plank. (his was 2:45). Who knows, maybe we can start incorporating this little challenge before bed every-night?

Two months later...

Today is exactly two months from when I wrote my last post about PPD. I was feeling very down and thankfully because I recognize it, I can help myself to get better.

February came and went with a blurrrr... dinner with friends for my birthday, a visit from my favorite cousin and more smiles from my two growing boys.

February also brought Tough Mudder. What an experience!! It was both mentally and physically challenging. With the help of my friends and loving husband I even faced my biggest fear. There were tears involved but sometimes that's what helps me conquer something.

















If I said I wasn't tired after all of the obstacles and the 12 mile run I'd be lying. My body hurt, everywhere but my spirits were flying high. Knowing that I set out to face the obstacles and the challenge and accomplished it was SO rewarding.

And.. if I wasn't crazy enough to do that, one of my really great friends and I had signed up to do another Half-marathon together, THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND. Crazy.

We did it and we did it with smiles.



Even though it was the dear husband's birthday he brought the boys out so that they could meet us at the finish line. THAT was my smile for the day!



I took about a week off after both of those events and then started right into my bootcamp 4-5 days a week. I can't stress enough how much exercise helps me. It truly is my drug and I choose to keep it my drug. I don't want to be on Zoloft or Prozac or whatever else there is out there, I want to stay healthy, active and enjoy my life medicine free.

Since I've gone back to bootcamp, I've started doing Boxing/Kickboxing as well which is AMAZINGLY therapeutic. I go at least once a week and for the last three weeks in a row I've gone twice. Making kickboxing my 2nd workout of the day on Wednesdays. I am learning so much more about my body, my core and my inner strength. I can't wait to see what magic it has done for me after a couple of months!!

The Magic 3's. Two of them to be exact.

I am older, wiser, more stubborn and feeling more confident than ever.

I had another birthday this weekend, yesterday. I am another year older and am excited about this. Not excited about the wrinkles that have shown up around my eyes but I am excited that the older I get, the more relaxed I get.

This last year was particularly hard for me, emotionally. I feel that it had a lot to do with something I haven't talked a lot about with many people for fear of judgement.

After giving birth to Travis in May 2011, life was not easy but it also wasn't as hard as other peoples lives. I am thankful for what I have been blessed with inside and out but I was left with deep depression. One that I never thought possible of feeling.

I sought out help in November 2011, at which point both my doctor and the therapist she referred me to said I was "fine and just needed to get out more".

Ok.

Well, at the time I was running 5-6 times a week and granted I wasn't sleeping or going out with friends (which I didn't really have at the time) I felt I was "getting out".

A few more months went by and I was still feeling these sad moments, happy moments and I had a lot of anger built up inside. Towards what? Who knows..

I sought help again.

This time I met with a therapist once a week for about 6 weeks. She was great and helped to instill confidence in me again. I started "getting out" and actually made some really great friends during this time. I stopped seeing her and it's been almost a year since.

Life is such a learning process. We are constantly learning about ourselves, our family, our friends and where the flavor of vanilla comes from (yeah, I won't go there). I know, looking at the past year and a half that I have battled PPD. So many suffer from it, and so many don't get help. I don't believe you always have to turn to medicine for help but sometimes it is necessary.

Today is a new day and I am greeting it with open arms and new habits. I am going to continue eating healthy and exercising and focusing on me and my family while still moving forward in my journey away from postpartum depression.

14-day Waiting Period

It would be our luck to provide a home to yet another animal that isn't "healthy".

Years ago, we adopted two cats and within the first week, one of them presented health issues. These issue stuck with her/us for the duration of her life in our home.

We have had Rocco for 10 days and yes, he is sick.

We aren't really sure what's wrong with him other than GI issues. Kind of ironic, since Travis was born with so many GI issues. Our cat, Lily had GI issues. Joey has had GI issues in the past.

What is it with us and GI issues?

I am not one who is normally very spiritual, in the sense of God. But I do believe in something. What that something is, not sure, but something.

Something, or someone is testing us. We wouldn't be given these challenges if we weren't thought to be able to handle them. Right?

Nothing is easy, I get that. But, come on, really? We adopt the most loving, mellow, passionate little pup and he too has GI issues?

Of course, when we brought him in to our home, we "applied" for pet insurance. We have paid a lot of money in tests and medical bills in the past for our cat and didn't want to take that chance with our new dog.

Of course, there is a fourteen day waiting period for coverage. So, what are you supposed to do in those first two weeks of ownership if the pup gets sick? Yes, you have to pay. And yes you still have to pay for coverage of insurance. I'm not really understanding the whole logistics of it, but it is what it is. I'm sure once his policy goes in to affect on February 7, he will be the healthiest dog for the next 365 days. At least we know if he isn't, we will have help...

I just want my pup to be ok. He's miserable and lethargic and there isn't anything I can do to make him feel better. It's almost the same as when Travis is sick and I can't explain to him why he feels this way. I'm sure he's confused and scared and other than love him, I don't really know what I can do for him.

We wait.

And see how he does over the next couple of days.

During our 14 day waiting period.

Since April is almost over, I guess it's time for an update

Today is April 23 and it's currently 97 degrees outside. Most people complain over and over about the heat, but not me. I love it. It makes me happy and I am a better person when it's warm! I swam for the first time this weekend, a little earlier than I usually take the dive, but it felt so good after laying out in the sun for 15 minutes.

April has flown by just as fast as the rest of the year has and I can hardly believe that Travis will be 11 months old this coming Friday. That means, only one month left until his 1st birthday. Wait, what? Did I say 1st birthday? Yes, time is flying.

I've continued with my hot yoga practices this month at least once a week, sometimes twice. I really enjoy it and how it makes me feel both during and after. I've still been running and even completed another 5k. It was called the "Firefly Run" and it was a night time race through the streets of downtown Phoenix. I was joined by a few girlfriends and we had a blast, ,or at least I did anyways. I ran my fastest 3.1 miles I've ever run and was so proud of the accomplishment. Now I'm resting up for the Warrior Dash coming up this Saturday. Myself and four girlfriends will be dressed in our hot pink tutus and pretty in mud tanks as we move through the obstacle course.

My spring classes are coming to a close with my last final due this weekend. I am so ready for the three month break before I start my Anatomy & Physiology class in August. I don't have a whole lot planned for the summer other than swim, swim and swim some more.

Joey is doing great in school, keeping on top of his grades and we aren't having any trouble with him and teachers. It's such a good feeling to know we are raising such a well behaved boy! I just don't know how to swallow the fact that he will be 13 in just a few short months. A teenager? Oh my...

Travis is all over the place. Can't keep that boy still. He loves to explore and show off his early adapted walking skills. It's hard sometimes because I feel like he is much older than he really is. I have to remind myself constantly that he is still a baby. His tummy issues are getting better, he's fully on Similac Alimentum formula and seems to be handling it very well. He's still having some issues with the solid foods, but I think in time he will outgrow the allergies and his pickiness. I think it's kind of going hand in hand.

Homework break is over, time to get back to work before Travis wakes up from his nap. Can't say that I'll write again soon, because I really don't know...

Cake Balls

So, thanks to Pinterest I have become quite the baker and cooker. (Is that what you call it?) I am finding all sorts of dinner recipes and a few sweets recipes too. I can't wait for summer time to settle in the desert so that I can try the delicious drink recipes I am finding. Now if only I had friends and family to entertain...

For Valentine's Day this year I wanted to try something new. Something I had a taste of at a party I went to a few weeks ago. Cake Balls. Delicious little balls of cake. I found a recipe for Red Velvet Cake Balls here  via Pinterest. It looked pretty simple so I thought, "why not?"

I bought the ingredients and proceeded to make my first batch of balls. (hehe)

I crumbled the cake (and sampled a little too) and added the cream cheese frosting...



I proceeded to roll the mixture into scrumptious little balls... and placed them in the freezer so that I could have them done before the end of the night.



Now.. the hard part was dipping them into the chocolate. Since this was my first time, I really had no idea what it was going to be like or how it was going to work. It didn't go so well, the chocolate was getting hard pretty quickly (like after two balls) and since I was doing only a few squares of bark at a time, I was running out fairly quickly as well.

I managed to get quite a few of them dipped and am hoping to find some blogs that can help me to make them better "looking" next time, because the taste was not an issue. OH-MY-GOODNESS are these delicious. I can't wait to start making more and experimenting with them. I just might have to send them to work with dh, so all of my running doesn't go to waste ;) Or who knows, maybe I can try gluten-free, dairy free or sugar-free???

Teething.

It is truly amazing how quickly time flies when you have a baby. I can not believe that it's already February and little Travis is 8 months old. Joey will be 13 in just 6 short months and my life is on a track that I am pleased with.

Little update (since I haven't written in a while). Travis is still sleeping through the night, usually asleep by 7:10PM and sleeps until 5:30 or 6:00 am. It's wonderful to get a full nights sleep and I have already forgotten how sleep deprived I was when he was still getting up 2-3 times a night. He's napping very regularly as well and this whole schedule thing is amazing. We do the same thing at the same time every day and he knows it. If I have an appointment and it takes us off schedule just a small amount, he's quite the bear.

He was an early teether with the two bottom teeth, got them in one day when he was 4 months old. Now that he is 8 months old, he's been working on the top two teeth for quite some time. I'd have to at least for the last month. Some days are worse than others and today is one of those days. The right tooth is through but he's working on the left one and I hate seeing him in so much pain. Why is it that teething doesn't affect some babies at all and some are down right horrid to deal with? I feel so bad for him that he's in pain, but hey, we all went through this in our life right? So, I know he'll be fine, it just sucks in the meantime.

School is going well for me this semester. I am taking a critical thinking class and also an ethics and criminal justice class. They kind of go hand in hand with one another and I am having fun exploring personal values, thoughts and ideas.

Running. I am running and officially training for a half-marathon. The half-marathon is on March 3 and I am seriously excited! I am running anywhere between 3-5 days a week and my overall health is amazing right now. I'm eating well, feeling well, looking well and have found happiness within myself.

I need to start writing more, I miss it and need to get back into a routine of doing so. Maybe this will be the start...

Wrap yourself around me

I haven't been in much of a writing in my blog type of mood as of late...

The last two months have been somewhat of (yes another) blur. Days, nights, weeks, they all blend together with the same goal in mind. Feed Travis. Feed myself. Get Travis to sleep, shower, sleep, you get the point.

A couple weeks ago we hired a Newborn Care Specialist, after getting to the end of our rope, tired, annoyed, frustrated and plain mad. She came to our house, spoke with us about what we had been doing with Travis and how it was done all wrong, but we did it because it was really the only thing we could do to keep ourselves sane. She educated us on the importance of teaching good sleep skills early on and that if we teach him now, he'll forever keep the skill.

Things around the house are much better after working with her... no more middle of the night feedings and Travis is now napping in spurts longer than 30 minutes. Who would have though you could actually train your baby to sleep? The key? More sleep = More sleep. I've also started him on solids as of yesterday. So far, so good and no reaction other than a little bit more gas in the evening. Hopefully his little tummy can handle it and it doesn't create too much of a problem.

It's now December and almost time for Christmas. I haven't shopped one bit and frankly don't even want to. Joey is going to spend the holidays with his dad in Tennessee and it will be just Paul, Travis and I here in Arizona. Yes, of course, I am happy that it's Travis' first Christmas and all but really, it's about the photos. He's not going to remember it. He won't remember the presents he's given and he probably won't even care to open them. (he was given a present at Thanksgiving and he cried the whole time he was crinkling the paper. The sound maybe?) Call me Scrooge if you want, I'm just not in the mood. Maybe once we put up our tree this weekend, I'll change my mind. Maybe.

I'm ready for the new year. Again. I have personal goals for the year and I'm really excited to embark on a new journey.

Really? September?

Looking at the calendar today, I can not believe that it's already September. Almost one year ago (this month) we were blessed with that little blue line on the pregnancy test. It started the journey that I never imagined. I have learned more about myself, my husband and my family than I ever thought I would.

I really wanted to blog about this journey a little bit more since Travis was born but his health issues have really tied my hands behind my back. I haven't been able to read, work out or even call to catch up with an old friend. BUT, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Travis is 3 months old now and doing much better than he was just a month ago. His food allergies are under control with Neocate and even though we are still working on getting his reflux under control, he's doing much better. He is still a horrible sleeper and hasn't developed any type of routine. He is sleeping about 11-13 hours in a 24hr time frame which to me doesn't seem like enough sleep for his age, but I guess it could be his "norm". I'm hoping to transition him into his room in the next week or so with hopes that he might sleep a little better at night.

In other news, I have started a 30 day challenge for myself. A few weeks ago I started running again but had to stop due to our lovely Arizona temperatures. Yesterday I started up again and am hoping to run at least 4-5 days a week and use my elliptical or go for a walk on the other days. I feel so much better when I am working out, I just haven't been able to get into any sort of work out routine with Travis and his temperament. It's only been two days and I can already feel the difference in my mood and my body.

Time for bed, Travis will be waking me in the wee early morning hours and I'm going to try and go to the track with the hoosband....