And Then There Were 5

Unbeknownst to us at the time, there were actually 5 of us in this picture, not 4.

Baby #2, currently the size of a peach, is due at the end of July. That’s right, I’ll be big and super pregnant during the hottest time of the year, counting down the seconds until I can get momentary relief (between contractions) in the ac’d hospital.

There have been a few differences with this pregnancy. With Ryland, I had very mild, almost non-existent nausea which I only really noticed once or twice. I was definitely super tired during the first trimester with him, but my energy came back with a vengeance at week 13.

This time around, from weeks 6-9, I had pretty bad morning all-day sickness. As you know, I love my morning smoothies but during that time, I had to choke them down. Nothing was appealing to me and all I really wanted to eat for the most part was soup and crackers. I take a commuter train to and from work every morning which felt more like a roller coaster each day. A coworker of mine actually guessed I was pregnant before I even said anything because I was basically green in the face. My digestive system was also totally out of whack. I’d eat a small/normal amount of food and feel bloated, full and uncomfortable for hours after.

Thankfully that started to subside for the most part right around Christmas. It would’ve been really lame if I was too sick to indulge on turkey and cookies. I didn’t really notice any tiredness, other than the usual from staying up later than I should. If I was extra tired, my toddler kept me too busy to notice.

I’m in my second trimester now and aside from my pants getting tighter, I’m really not having any major symptoms.Although, if I get up too quickly, I get pretty dizzy and have to hold onto my desk or something close by for a minute, which is probably due to increased blood volume and low blood pressure. Other than that, I’m feeling good!

Symptoms aside, something else that makes this pregnancy a little different is that it wasn’t planned. It wasn’t a huge shock, but we kind of thought we’d wait a year-ish. And to be honest, a whole lot of panic and stress followed that positive pregnancy test. My main concern is whether or not I can finish school before baby comes. I have until September to complete the program but it will be a hundred times more ideal if I can get it done before the end of July. We also live in a small condo and will definitely need to upgrade…but those of you that know the Vancouver housing market also know that it’s kind of a huge nightmare. And lastly, there’s the financial aspect. Let’s be honest, kids ain’t cheap!

OK…and a possibly very irrational concern is that I just won’t love this baby as much as Ryland. I love that guy more that I could’ve ever imagined and I just haven’t figured out how it’s possible to love two people that much. But according to everyone it is, so I’ll just go with that.

OK, ok, one more. I also know what labor feels like now…!!!

With all that being said, we’re really excited. We knew we wanted a second child and while this may be a little sooner than expected, I feel extremely blessed. They’ll be close in age and hopefully best buds (when they’re not beating each other up). Poor Parker though, now he’ll have two kids harassing him all day! Ryland uses him as a stepping stool, a couch, a leaning post…whatever suits him.

My entire pregnancy with Ryland was pretty uneventful, up until delivery day. There was a whole lot of drama which has me a little concerned about round 2. But I’ve rambled on enough for today so I’ll get into that in my next post or shortly there after.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day :D.

 

Whole Wheat Blueberry Oat Muffins

I decided to change things up from my usual banana-based weekend baking and made some of these instead:

I used the recipe from The Lean Green Bean as a base and made a few minor modifications. They turned out perfectly – bursting with berries, moist, sweet but not too sweet, and very much toddler approved. Little dose he know, I snuck a big old zucchini in there ;). They’re perfect for a quick snack or breakfast and were also insanely quick and easy to make, basically the most important factor according to me.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Oat Muffins (adapted from The Lean Green Bean’s recipe) ~ 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cups organic, naturally sweetened vanilla yogurt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 small to medium sized zucchini, finely grated
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, plus another 1/4 cup to place on top of muffins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° and either grease or line a 12 cup muffin pan.
2. Mix together coconut oil, egg, yogurt, vanilla & grated zucchini until well combined.
3. In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients together.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients; mix well.
5. Fold in 2/3 cups blueberries.
6. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full.
7. Gently press 2-3 blueberries on top of each muffin.
8. Bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle of muffin comes out clean.
9. Let cool for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

I made these on Sunday and put 1/2 in the freezer for safe keeping. That way i’m not tempted to finish a dozen muffins in half a day ;). The modifications that I made were omitting the sugar, using vanilla instead of plain yogurt (since I omitted the sugar), coconut oil instead of butter & the addition of a zucchini. I was a little worried that they would have that really flour-y taste that can come with using whole wheat flour, but they absolutely did not.

And here, because I just can’t help myself:

I could just take a bite out of those little legs. I won’t, obviously :D.

Have a great Tuesday!

Simple Ways to Move Your Butt

Hi there!

I discussed the importance of exercise in my last post, and it might have gotten a few eye rolls, but I hope it also offered some encouragement.

I understand that life is busy and that it can be really difficult to find the time to exercise. Between a 10 hour work day (which includes my commute), getting dinner and lunches ready, hanging out with my kiddo, walking Parker, cleaning the house….and ahem…watching The Bachelor, sometimes the last thing I want to do is work out. But I do it anyway. I look at it as a part of my schedule, just like brushing my teeth. And I feel much better because of it. There’s never a time when I’m like “dammit, I sure wish I skipped that workout!” It could also have something to do with my intense stubborn streak…I’m a Taurus so there’s that.

I’m making myself sound like some hardcore athlete/gym rat here which is totally not the case. Since Ryland was born, I actually only go to the gym about 3 days per week for an hour tops. I do a spin class on Monday nights and about 30 minutes of cardio + 15 minutes of resistance training mixed with a few pilates moves on the other 2 days. There was a time in my life that I was at the gym six days per week, 2 hours per day. I can guarantee that part of history won’t be repeating itself.

About once a week I take Parker for a 5k round trip hike close to our house. It’s quick and easy, but I always get my heart rate up and break a sweat. The other days mainly consist of lots of walking. And I am a FAST walker. I could never go for a leisurely stroll, my legs just won’t let me. I pop Ryland into the baby carrier for some of our walks to add resistance (26+ lbs to be exact!).

?

Point is, I move everyday. I take stairs instead of elevators and I walk at any available opportunity. To and from the train station, on my lunch breaks, around the office a couple times a day to stretch my legs. I get all twitchy if I sit too long. Sometimes I’ll just randomly do some squats. I used to do them while holding Ryland…but that’s getting a little too difficult these days ;).

Ok, ok, so now that I’ve covered what I do, let’s talk about what you can do!

• If you loooove vegging out in front of the TV, do jumping jacks during commercial breaks. Or sit-ups. Or squats. Or all 3.
• You can also do one or all of these things during bathroom breaks.
• If you have a set of stairs that is accessible to you, climb them once a day.
• Park your car at the far end of the parking lot.
• Put on music and dance!
• Follow workout videos on YouTube or buy your own.
• Walk, walk, walk. If your destination is within walking distance, walk there!
• Get a pedometer. You’ll be more inclined to move if you’re trying to reach a goal.
• If you work at a desk all day, write/set little reminders to get up and stretch your legs here and there.
• Love dogs? Thought about getting one? Do it! They’ll get you out walking everyday!
• Join something. Always wanted to try salsa? Yoga? Go for it! It all counts as exercise!
• Get a workout buddy. Encourage and motivate each other to stick with it.
• Explore the outdoors. Find local trails and hikes and get out there. There’s nothing better than fresh air and dirt under your feet. (Well, under your shoes).
• Live by the mountains? Go snowshoeing or skiing. Live by the water? Go for a swim. (Assuming the water is clean and warm-ish). I love swimming but I’m not a fan of public pools so I try to get to some nice lakes during the summer.
• Sign up for a walk/run for a good cause and start training for it.
• Get a trial membership to a gym. Give it a few sessions before you decide to sign up.

Once your start incorporating little bits of physical activity into your daily routine, it will get easier and easier and you’ll continue to add on to those little bits. You’ll start to feel better and that right there is one of the biggest motivators to continue moving. It’s never too early or too late to start. I also find that the more active I am, the healthier my food choices are.

I try to do bits of exercise in front of Ryland and I also make sure he gets outside everyday (unless it’s even too miserable out for Parker). One of my biggest mom goals is to make sure Ryland knows just how important it is to be active. When I was a kid, I was always outside. Rollerblading, swimming, riding my bike, playing soccer or softball, running around with friends. Sure I watched a bit of TV, but it was never my first choice and my parents made sure of it.

With all this being said, I’m also human and I definitely have moments or days when I’m just a lazy sloth. And we’re all allowed that once in awhile. If I go away on a tropical vacation, I do not step foot into the hotel gym. I say I will, but I don’t. You’ll find me on the beach or at the pool bar, thanks. With high-calorie margaritas and snacks in hand.

This was taken on our honeymoon in the Bahamas a few years ago. There was most definitely a Corona in front of me!

This post was meant to be encouraging and motivational…I very much hope that it was!

Have a great day :D.

 

Holiday Highlights (and Lowlights…)

Hello & Happy New Year! I’ve been MIA for a few weeks which was not my intention. There were numerous times that I wanted to sit down and write something, but between an awful stomach flu, traveling, last minute Christmas shopping, and all the other holiday chaos, it just didn’t happen.

I had a couple of weeks off work which was awesome because it meant more time with Ryland and Parker. Unfortunately, the first few days of my holidays consisted of the worst stomach flu that I’ve had since I was a kid. I couldn’t eat or drink a thing but thankfully the worst of it only lasted about 36 hours. Even better, I was completely fine by Christmas Eve day.

We spent about 6 days at my parents house over Christmas. Visits with them always consist of lots of R&R for me since they’re obsessed with their grandson and keep him occupied pretty consistently. My grandma, uncle and little cousin came out for a few days too which was really nice. To say I indulged on turkey & sweet treats is an understatement :/.

We had a pretty relaxed NYE. A couple of our friends and their baby came over and we just hung out and rang in 2016 together (quietly due to sleeping little ones!).

Now it’s back to the grind. Ryland and I slept in lots over the holidays so it was a little rough getting up with the roosters yesterday morning. Ahhh January…everyone’s favorite month, I’m sure ;).

Work’s busy, school is busy, life is just plain busy. I don’t really make specific new years resolutions, but I do intend on always making family a priority over everything. We can get so consumed with life sometimes so it’s especially important to set aside time for the people you love everyday. I don’t ever want to look back and be disappointed with myself for not doing that. I catch myself scrolling through Instagram in front of Ryland which is personally just not something I want to be doing. I can see what’s going on in the not-so-exciting social media world when he’s in bed. I will never come across anything in the cyber world that is more important than time spent with my son.

Speaking of social media, I think it’s important to give ourselves a little reminder from time to time that we shouldn’t ever compare our lives to the lives of others as portrayed through the internet. I read a quote awhile back…”Comparison is a thief of joy.” I could not agree more. People glorify their lives and rarely post about financial, relationship or general downfalls. Myself included. I post pictures of a very happy toddler, not any of him having total meltdowns. I would never post a picture of Duncan and I in the middle of an argument.

We may look at someone’s life through social media and think “wow, everything is just so wonderfully perfect for them.” But that’s just not realistic and I personally think it’s very important to remember that, especially in a world where social media is becoming so dominant. I’m going to do my best to instill this “little reminder” into the minds of Ryland and any future child(ren) that I may have. My worst fear is to raise kids that feel inferior or inadequate in any way, especially because of what they are seeing or being told through the internet and any form of media. It terrifies me, actually.

I guess a general resolution I’ll make is to be the best version of myself that I can. Sounds cheesy, but I believe that to be a good wife, mother, daughter, friend and so on, I need to take care of myself and work hard towards living a positive life. So that’s what I’m gonna do!

I hope you’re holidays were wonderful and left you with even better memories. I also hope that your 2016 is filled with lots of health, happiness & inspiration :).

 

 

Weekend Things

For those of you who tuned into A Touchy Subject ~ Part I last week, you might agree that it wasn’t the most upbeat post. But, much like everyday life, it can’t all be rainbows and butterflies because that’s just not real. I plan on continuing to post on the topic every week or so because there’s a LOT to tell. And like I mentioned in the post, I know people out there can relate. I follow certain blogs strictly for that purpose; I feel like I can somehow relate to the author.

And also, thank you for tuning in, if you did. Every word was straight from the heart and 100% honest. Or better yet, Real Talk.

OK, onto some Weekend Talk. On Friday Ryland and I went to the happiest place on earth (IMO), Trader Joe’s. I LOVE that store and basically everything in it. So I bought basically everything in it…even though the Canadian dollar has seen better days :/. But their prices are low so I figure I still beat the system. If not there, then I still saved on gas!

But either way, I bought tons of my favorites, these being one of them:

Have you tried these??? If not, you just have to. They’re crunchy, delicious, basically guilt-free and just the best snack ever. Ryland and I ate the whole bag in one sitting and patted ourselves on the back after for eating so much green ;).

I also bought some stone ground tortillas and whipped this up:

I spread some garlic tomato sauce on the tortilla, sprinkled it with oregano and shredded Havarti cheese, and topped it with spinach and red onions. It went into the toaster oven at 375° for about 8 minutes and was consumed in half that time. I gave the kiddo some, positive that he’d peel off the spinach, but nope! It was a good  lunch. So good that this happened:

He’s literally asleep here. What a guy.

I baked some cookies too because ‘Tis the Season. I went with my favorite, Cake Batter Cookies. Not only because they’re delicious, but I’ll admit it, they’re SO easy to make.

I brought a bunch to a Christmas party on Saturday night and one of my friend’s called it “the perfect cookie.” I’ll take it ;). I’ve made these the last few years and always follow this recipe. Warning – don’t go to this website unless you’re prepared to drool heavily. Sally is a baking goddess.

What else can I tell you…well I won’t talk about how it was windy and rainy and miserable out for most of the weekend because that’s just depressing. We watched a couple more overly cheesy Christmas movies and as mentioned before, we went to a Christmas party at our friend’s house. An Ugly Sweater Party to be exact. It was really fun, especially because there were lots of kiddies there in ugly sweaters too. Ryland stayed up wayyyyy past his bedtime but he was just the cutest little party animal. He was pretty worn out on Sunday and spent some quality time catching up with his beloved elephant blankie.

Ok…I’ve talked your ear off enough today. I’ll see you in a few!

Creamy Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

I don’t know about where you are, but it rained and rained and rained all weekend here in Vancouver. But it also warmed up a little, so that’s a plus.

There were a few different outdoor Christmas events that we wanted to check out, but they just wouldn’t have been all that fun in the downpour, especially with a toddler. It was more of a stay-inside-and-read kinda weekend.

It was also an oatmeal-for-breakfast kinda weekend, and I put together a pretty delicious and extra healthy pot on Saturday and Sunday morning. It was full of apples, cinnamon, and creamy vanilla yogurt. It was like having dessert for breakfast, but with zero guilt. Win win. I love oatmeal, I think that’s because it reminds me of my childhood.

Creamy Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal ~ 2 servings

Ingredients

• 300 ml cold water in a small saucepan with lid
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2/3 cups quick oats
• 2 small apples, diced into small pieces
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt

Directions

1. Bring water and salt to a boil in a small saucepan covered with a lid.
2. Add oats, apples, and raisins to boiling water, stir, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
3. Mix in yogurt and sprinkle with cinnamon.
4. Enjoy!

Well of course I need to talk about why this bowl of oat-y deliciousness is so good for you. Lets start with the oats:

• lower bad cholesterol > reduces risk of cardiovascular disease
• control blood pressure
• high in antioxidants
• high in soluble fiber, particularly beta-glucan, which strengthens the immune system, making it better equipped to fight bacterial infections
• beta-glucan also stabilizes blood sugar and reduces the risk of Type II diabetes
• great alternative to those with a gluten allergy (as long as the oats are certified GF)
• play a role in preventing childhood asthma

The list goes on, but you get the idea. Oats are basically EXTREMELY good for you.

And so are apples.

• rich in flavanols which help to reduce to risk of certain cancers
• high in soluble fiber > reduces cholesterol and stabilizes blood sugar
• detoxifies lives
• boosts immune system
• high in antioxidants, some of which play a role in the prevention of cataracts
• chewing on apples increase the production of saliva which reduces tooth decay

And so on and so on.

Yogurt is full of calcium and probiotics*, and cinnamon not only adds a delicious, warm flavor, but it is also an excellent blood sugar stabilizer.

Ryland loves oatmeal, which is great. Duncan…I’m working on it.

In case you’re wondering, there are only 18 days left until Christmas. Can you believe it??? I’m currently watching a super cheesy Christmas movie. The cheesier the better :D.

Have a great day!

*Not all yogurts have probiotics. It will generally say somewhere on the container whether or not they’ve been added in.

 

 

Fall Family Photo Shoot

We have had a ROUGH few days around here. Ryland has been fighting a cough and cold, I’m pretty sure his molars are coming in (but I can’t check if I want to keep my fingers!) and I think he’s also practicing for his terrible twos. He threw himself on the ground and had a meltdown for absolutely no reason yesterday. I’M EXHAUSTED. I also feel really bad for the little guy when he’s miserable like that.

On a more positive note, we got our pictures back from our mini photo shoot this past weekend. I love them. The photographer (owner of Ridge Meadows Photography) really knew her stuff and she got tons of smiles out of Ryland who usually puts on his poker face for the camera. The location was perfect for the sunset background I was hoping for. Here are a few favorites:

And this might be my favorite picture that ever existed:

Pure, innocent joy.

It was pretty chilly out but the session was only 20 minutes which was awesome, especially considering how many great pictures where shot in such a short time. I will definitely be going back to this photographer when I decide we need more pictures :).

Alrighty, time to get to my daily list of the million things to do. Have a good one!

Friday Favorites

Hi!

Seriously, TGIF. It was nice to have a little break from work on Wednesday, but it was so busy the other 3 days that I felt like my head was spinning. In case anyone’s interested in what I do for a living, I’m a legal assistant. It’s a good job, great company…do I want to do it for the rest of my working life? Not so much. I’m really hoping to go somewhere with the whole nutrition deal.

Anyway.

A few blogs that I follow do this “Friday Favorites” thing so I thought I’d have a go at it. But first, here’s a picture from a Remembrance Day parade that we went to. It was a really great event. I started to get choked up thinking about my Grandpas and all of the other amazing men & women out there. There really is a lot of good in this world.

Before we went to the parade, I put together this smoothie bowl.

It was super tasty and refreshing, and of course packed full of nutrients.

I. LOVE. PEANUT BUTTER. Usually just the all natural, unsalted, unsweetened stuff, but I bought a jar of this stuff and it’s ridiculous.

How much is too much PB??

They have a few different flavors which you can bet I’ll be trying as soon as this jar is done. Which will probably be in the very near future :/.

It’s currently cold, grey, and rainy, but it was gorgeous on Remembrance Day. There’s just something so beautiful about fall colours. Not to mention that handsome fellow sitting all pretty for the camera.

And then there’s this face, my favorite face in the world. I just can’t get enough of this guy.

Sometimes I miss how tiny he used to be (well all the time, actually), but he’s just so much fun these days! A few weeks ago he started giving us really tight hugs…my heart explodes every. single. time.

And of course Fridays themselves are a favorite of mine. Even though they’re just a little different since Ryland came along ;).

A few girlfriends and I are going out for a little girls night tonight so I’m pretty excited about that. They definitely don’t happen as often as we’d like…life is really friggen busy when you’re a grownup! We also have a mini family photo shoot on Sunday so I should have some pretty awesome pictures to share next week. Other than that…the usual weekend chores will surely be calling my name. Yay :/.

Have a great weekend!

“Fast Food” for Extra Busy Days

Something that stresses me out immensely is trying to come up with nutritious and tasty meals that all 3 of us will enjoy. This is especially difficult on days that are go, go, go from sun up until sun down. I really want to be one of those people that can write out a 5 day meal plan and spend 5 hours on a Sunday doing food prep, but i’m just not quite there yet. I also know it would make life sooo much easier so I’m going to try my hardest to become “one of them.” But for now, there are times when the basics have to make do.

I love my crockpot. And one of my favorite meals is this Turkey Chili. I can get everything ready the night before fairly quickly, throw it in the crockpot before work, and come home to a ready-to-eat dinner. This gives me some extra time to hang out with Ryland which is always my goal.

And then there’s good old breakfast for dinner. Scrambled eggs with green onions & wholegrain toast topped with hummus, cucumbers, feta cheese and fresh ground black pepper. Yes, a gallon of hot sauce was added to my eggs post-picture.

And lunch for dinner? Why not?! Sometimes a sandwich & smoothie is on par with steak & prawns. No?

This basically couldn’t be more basic. But no matter how simple some of our meals might be, I try to make sure they include healthy fats, protein and complex carbs (because if I haven’t already mentioned it, meals without carbs just ain’t my thing).

I currently have a Cornish hen cooking away in the crockpot. I’m not totally sure what I’m going to do with it yet, but if I come up with something decent, I’ll share the details on Monday. If there is no mention of Cornish hens, then it clearly ended in disaster.

On another note, I was up with a very congested and unhappy toddler from about 12-2:30 am so i’m just a tiny bit tired at the moment. Excuse me while I  zombie walk to the kitchen to pour my 18th cup of coffee :/.

Basically.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Halloween & 60th Birthday Celebrations

The cutest little cow I ever did see.

Moo.

We spent the Halloween weekend at my parent’s house on Vancouver Island, and what a great weekend it was. My mom & dad are just over the moon when they’re hanging out with Ryland. He can do no wrong in their eyes. Also, my mom puts chocolates on our pillows. Reese’s PB Cups for Duncan, Aero for me. Speaking of which, I ate every single mini Aero bar that Ryland scored while trick or treating…and I’m way too embarrassed to reveal the exact number. Never mind my dad’s birthday cupcakes, the waffles and whipping cream for breakfast, and a few (ok, more than a few) crisp apple ciders. But I worked extra hard at my spin class last night to get rid of some of the guilt and excess calories so I’m even. Yeah, sure thing.

On Friday we did some exploring and came across this little gem along the water:

There are so many beautiful lakes, beaches and trails on the Island (us British Columbians call it “The Island,” as if it’s the only island on the planet). And they’re never jam packed the way everything here on the mainland is. What do they say about life on the Island…”twice the fun, half the pace.” Totally true. I’m instantly in relaxation mode the second we get off the ferry. I sleep better, too. Must be something in the air.

We celebrated my dad’s 60th birthday on Saturday before heading out for some trick or treating with our little cow. We had these t-shirts made, which we all wore, and they were a pretty big hit.

It totally looks like Ryland on the shirts, but it’s actually my dad when he was 5 months old.

We had some ribs for dinner and cupcakes for dessert, (a HUGE hit with a certain toddler), and then my dad opened his presents. He got a bit choked up when he opened the little book that I made him. That’s saying something because I think my dad has cried twice in my lifetime, each lasting for about 12 seconds. I did good! And he loved Ryland’s finger-painted masterpiece. It went up on the wall immediately.

Now let’s go get some caaaaandy!!! I have the sweetest sweet tooth ever. I try to satisfy it with fruit as much as possible, but on Halloween, all bets are off. I’ll take ALL the Starburst & Skittles PLEASE.

Cowpokes

And this, my friends, is why you have kids.

There was a small pack of goldfish which we let Ryland have, but other than that, alllll ours. We won’t be able to get away with stealing all his candy next year so we took full advantage this time around. But before that, we let him sort through it all, and I had a huge proud mama moment. He was putting all the Smarties in a little pile off to the side! You’re probably thinking “ok….and???” But in my eyes that makes him a little sorting genius. *Gush.* Ok, enough.

The one downside of the weekend was that Ryland came down with another cold. I swear, ever since he started going to daycare, it’s one after another. I’m told that’s the way it is at this age, but still. I hate seeing him not feeling well. He was still his usual party animal self all weekend, but nighttime was pretty rough. We all know how hard it is to sleep when we’re stuffed up, but it must be a hundred times worse when you don’t know how to blow your nose. Breaks my heart. Our one saving grace is this stuff:

Abundance Baby Balm

It’s meant for diaper rash, but I also put it under his nose and on his chest and feet when he has a cold. It really helps him settle down and it has a very soothing smell, sort of like Vicks Vapo Rub. I love it because it’s all natural and the little tin we have is lasting forever. We also put a pillow under the top end of the crib mattress which seems to help a bit…but Ryland moves all over the place when he’s sleeping so it doesn’t last long. On Saturday night he slept on top of me for most of the night and it was heaven. My shirt was drenched from his sweat and I was in a really awkward position, but there’s nothing better than having your baby sleep on you. I wish it didn’t only happen when he’s sick, but I’ll take what I can get. Thankfully, our little guy is on the mend now, and maybe, just maybe we can go a whole month before the next cold :/. You wouldn’t even know he was under the weather with big smiles like this:

Alrighty, there’s laundry to be folded, a dishwasher to be unloaded, etc., etc., ETC., (it’s never ending!) so I better get to it. Have yourself a really great day :).