the calm before the storm

This past weekend was so calm and perfect. We had baskets of laundry to do and some cleaning, but we ignored it all to be here.


Its amazing there are only 4 more days until Christmas! This is by far the fastest Advent...but i think one of the most fruitful advents in the littlest ways. I have almost daily gone through the story of the birth of Our Lord with Sophia (as a bedtime story), and this makes me meditate on the beauty of the Holy Family every night. Sophia and I also attended our first posada for the first time last Friday too. We got to reenact the scene of the Holy Family knocking at the door asking for a place to stay on Christmas eve. It was moving to be pregnant and asking for a place to give birth and no one allowing us in. Needless to say, I am ready for the birth... the birth of Baby Jesus that is (not me).

As for myself... i am far from ready to give birth. In fact, I am still contemplating how this is all going to go down. I mean, I know how its going to happen... but trying to plan without planning too much, you know?

Anyways, I don't see myself having time for another entry before Christmas...so MERRIEST of CHRISTMAS to you all dear friends.

23 weeks

here's me...at 23 weeks with my girls!
i am so excited knowing i have 17 more weeks to go (hopefully less and not more). we had another positive doctors visit this past week, so i treated baby girl to a nice strawberry milkshake and some fried chicken and waffles. she's been so busy on the move in my belly and i love it so much! i'm not used to doing weekly belly shots... but if i remember i think i'm going to try to take them weekly from now on.

Dear Baby Girl,

You are my little Hope and Light. I dream of you everyday and wonder what kind of person you are. I wonder what kind of personality you have and how amazing of a person you will be in this world. I just cannot wait to see your face and shed tears of joy. You love to move around a lot, but you have your days. Some days, i seriously think you sleep 12 hours..and other days you have a dance party all day long in my belly. I love the party days the best. I anticipate your birth so much. Although, umma is a little unprepared right now and not sure how your delivery will go.. i just can't wait to hold you at the end of the tunnel. You are Light.

Your appa thinks you are going to be the most chill baby in the world and just the best (like your sister). Your big sister talks about holding you, changing your diaper, bathing you, and rocking you to sleep everyday (although she will only be 2 still when you are born). She tells me everyday that she wants to hold you. She does poke at you a lot and wonders why you aren't here yet.

i love you so much,

umma

Flashback Friday

This was us last year on this same exact weekend.

We went on our 1st official date since Sophia was born! And...shamefully to say she was 18 months old. I know... we got so busy and caught up with being day to day parents that we never snuck away for the evening alone. Although, (totally guilty again), this was also my husband's Christmas party for work, so it was kind of like a mandatory "date night." I were so nervous and anxious, but so giddy and excited to get dressed up and to leave for a party with my husband. I still remember the feeling walking down the hotel lobby.

Not only that.. but it was exactly a year ago (the day after this picture) that I officially weaned my daughter from breastfeeding. It was such a bittersweet moment. I felt ready to wean her, yet the bond and love of nursing for those 18 months made me want to cry at the thought of being officially done and graduating from this most beautiful stage. BUT, it happened...and it happened so naturally. We were at church and she was tugging at my shirt and begging for me to nurse her. It was the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and I was looking at the statue of Our Lady at church and praying in despair. I felt torn inside to say "no" to my baby. So, I prayed that Our Lady of Guadalupe will help me because I am not strong enough for this alone. So... i left it up to faith and nursed my child. This was the VERY LAST time she ever asked me to nurse her again. I couldn't believe it.. we were done.

Coincidentally, we had a date night planned this evening... but it kind of fell through. So, we're going to have another fun evening planned.. just the 4 of us..husband, Sophia, myself and the little one kicking in the womb.

Have a great weekend everyone!

St. Nicholas

The other day we celebrated the feast of St. Nicholas. Normally, there are small traditions done on this feast day, such as the child waking up that morning to a piece of candy in their shoe. We decided to create our own family tradition by giving our child her Christmas gift on that day (which was a play kitchen). I have reminded her several times that Christmas is approaching and it is the birthday of Jesus. She knows that and is pretty excited. I want the focus of Christmas morning and day to be about the birth of Our Lord...and what she will give to Him. What we will all give to Him.

Needless to say, I don't think she's disappointed that her gift came a little earlier this year. I figured...she will be opening enough gifts as is from grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends later Christmas day. But for our family, Christmas morning will be about waking up and celebrating the birth of a new babe.

our Christmas card

i've been hit hard...with a spurt of the nesting stage these past week 2 weeks. i've been driving my husband mad probably with having to clean out every nook and cranny of our home here..and wanting to get everything ready for CHRISTmas. this includes...home decorating, buying gifts ahead of time, baking, and finishing up our Christmas cards to be sent out. So...here it is, our Christmas card photo for this year: i just realized...i'm probably nesting for the most important birth of all..the birth of Our Lord. i couldn't understand why i was nesting so early (because with my 1st pregnancy, i didn't feel this way until the very end)... but i'm taking advantage of my nutty behavior because i'm sure its to go away soon.

in the meantime... i don't want to lose focus on what is most important here. afterall, Christmas isn't about all the material gifts, or the cookie baking, or the pretty lit Christmas tree... but it is something so intimate and sacred..the birthday of a tiny babe that will change the world. i have been reminding my little Sophia around here that Christmas is JESUS' birthday...and we will be having a BIG BIRTHDAY party for Him here..with cake, of course : )

what are some Christmas traditions you do to celebrate the birthday of Our Lord?

ps: our picture was taken by my bff..she took it for us on Thanksgiving day this year. : )

Happy Post!

December, I welcome you with a joy-filled heart! This is one of my favorite months... i play Christmas music non-stop and find excuses to turn on extra pretty lights around the house..just because. : ) Here are a few things that have been making me happy around here..

Our Christmas tree is up! Sophia actually helped us decorate the tree this year. Although we do have several of the ornaments just on the lower half of the tree (kind of awkward, yes) and she rearranges them daily... it makes me happy. So i let her.

I really enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner this year, and I enjoyed thanksgiving leftovers even more. My baby bump likes it a lot. : )

This baby craves coconut water and flesh! My husband was kind enough to hack into this one, put three straws..so all 3 (ahem 4) of us can enjoy it together. We couldn't stop cracking up while drinking it.

Lunch dates with the cutest kiddo.

Laminate floors! I have dreamed about getting our nasty carpet removed forever..and my dream came true! My husband installed all the flooring himself. He is so manly. I love him. :) PS: Just don't mind the mess in the background.

What makes you happy lately?

Thankful for...

S I S T E R S

via

I hope everyone had a very blessed Thanksgiving. Our's was extra special this year because we found out that our little Sophia will be having a baby sister!!! So, surprise... i am expecting! I'm about 21 weeks now and thrilled to find out that we are having another girl!

These past few months have been quite a difficult one... we had a miscarriage over the summer and then a few short weeks later found out we conceived again! It was a total shocker and the back to back pregnancies have been very hard for me physically and emotionally. But, now that I'm half way done with this pregnancy... I am starting to feel the strength and excitement of sharing with you and the whole world of our new bundle of love that will be joining our family.

We actually never found out the gender when we were expecting Sophia and it was such a THRILL finding out after 2 hours of pushing and labor.. but with this baby I felt that I really needed to find out. Its been such a long journey getting here...and I just wanted to feel a bit more connected with this beloved unborn. I was nervous it would take away from the birthday, but it really hasn't. It fact, there's been a smile on my face from when the ultrasound technician told me 'its a girl' that hasn't left my face.

I secretly wanted another girl so badly. I reallllly wanted to give Sophia a sister more than anything. Since I don't have a sister and am totally envious whenever I see other girlfriends that have sisters... i really wanted this for Sophia... something i never had. So YES, I'm having ANOTHER GIRL and I CAN'T WAIT to see the love and hate relationship these girls will have together.

gold hearted gum giver

Sophia's newest obsession is chewing gum. She can pretty much sit there all day, unwrapping gum, sticking a new piece in her mouth.. feel content until the flavor is gone...and then of course unwrap and put in a new piece. So, when I was planning on our long flight to and back to the East Coast, I surprised my little girl with a whole packet of gum in her backpack. (you should have seen how big her little eyes got when she discovered the whole packet was her's!) and she was content for the rest of the flight. She may have gone through a whole packet of gum in 5 hours, but she was happy. So.. we were happy.

but..i just wanted to share another gum story that happened the other night that warmed my heart..and made my heart grow a little bit bigger. Sophia had 2 pieces of gum in her hand..she gave one piece to her dad and then I asked her for the other piece. She realized she wanted to give me some gum..but felt so conflicted inside because she only had 1 piece in her hand. She held it for a few seconds, and then gave it to me. (and i really didn't want the gum, i was just testing her...yes i'm a mean mom). But, it made me realize the charity in Sophia's heart...and in return I gave her a whole packet. which then of course she just grabbed one piece and gave the packet back to me. She never stops to amaze me. That evening, I realized she is even more like her loving father. My mother-in-law always said to me that her son is one of those guys that would give his shirt off his back to someone who didn't have one and needed it. And its true, for as long as i've known him he is this way.. and i love that my daughter is this way too.

life

i have been totally m.i.a from this blog. needless to say... we've been busy traveling. We spent pretty much all of october and beginnings of November on the east coast. we enjoyed every bit of fall foliage, cold weather, hot apple cider, pumpkin farms, warm clothes, even a day of snow and everything fall-ish (is that even a word?) Everyday was breathtaking, waking up in the country.. hearing nothing but nature.

We spent a day in Washington, DC. Went to the eastern market flea... had the best pizza at Seventh Hill Pizzeria.

This is our favorite dairy farm. Broome's Dairy!

We even got to visit our Alma Mater! Franciscan University of Steubenville. It was surreal being back on campus, now married.. and to bring our daughter!

This girl loves to fly. She is not like her mother. And I love that about her.

mini happy!

i know its been a while dear friends.. but i have a good excuse for my lack of blogging. please be patient with me... and i will soon reveal the great news. in the meantime.. here are some mini things that have been making me happy!

Blizzards @ Dairy Queen! Can you believe I just had my 1st blizzard a few weeks ago? Needless to say, i'm hooked. i blasted mine with reese peanut butter cups.. heaven in each bite!

went vintage shopping over the weekend with the bestie. my fav purchase were these killer earrings. can't wait to dress up an outfit with these gems.

we have a very natural light friendly house. after 3 years of sleeping in bright bedrooms.. i bought dark curtains.. and ever since we've been taking long naps. why didn't i do this sooner?!

our dear friends from Sacramento came to visit us. Sophia loves that we asked her to hold his hand as we cross the street.

a wedding..

2 men and a baby! My Sophia with her dad and uncle.

my family.

us. Sophia and I had matching color dresses and leopard shoes. :)

went to Dry Bar in Brentwood before the wedding. I was obsessed with the outcome. I'm definitely going back.

we went to a beautiful wedding last weekend. It was probably one of the classist (is this even spelled right?) wedding I have ever gone too. The reception was at Lawry's in Beverly Hills and the food (and chocolate fountain) couldn't have been any better. I love going to smaller weddings where the whole atmosphere feels more intimate and more romantic. Congrats to the happy couple!

photoshoot {kendall Jenner}

Celebrity stylist Kayla Mcgee & I

Kendall Jenner & I. She's 5'10'' and i'm 5' 1'' :(

sorry its been a while. : ( i've been caught up doing some big projects and at the same time not doing very much at all.

i just wanted to share a recent photoshoot that I was able to assist style on. it was for a sherri hill prom dress (#1 prom dress designer in the world) collection and i got to help style for model Kendall Jenner (not Kardashian!) I've been lucky enough to meet celebrity stylist Kayla Mcgee and to be able to assist/work with her on this shoot.

happy weekend!

hope your weekend is filled with love with your loved ones.

not sure what i'm doing yet, but it will be with the two loves of my life (my hubby & daughter).

image.

happy post!

these are the things that have been making me happy lately...

(going clockwise)1. wearing fabric headband that i made

2.discovering healthy and delicious local restuarant

3. my child watching Korean cartoons and learning

4. glitter nail polish

1. shopping at Wholefoods, and making meals out of fresh ingredients.

2. have red matching shoes with Sophia. i have a weird obsession with red shoes.

3. writing in my "Quotable Kid" journal every night of Sophia's funny sayings.

4. eating Korean sushi (kimbap) leftover in the morning covered in fried eggs.

thinking of fall..

i have fall on the brain and dreaming of these two lovelies.. <3

dress 1

dress 2

weekend recap

what a great weekend! Saturday we went to a friend's house for a BBQ and let all the kiddos play in the blowup pool. my friend made the yummiest fajitas and taquila marinated and grilled peaches (my only regret was not taking pictures of them). I was obviously too busy scarfing it down. :/ after dinner the mommies got to sneak away for a little while for some shopping.

sunday's are turning out to be the best day of the week lately. we found a church that we love. its almost like a hidden gem among the most beautiful neighborhoods. (we dream on moving there one of these days and just walking to church).then we just hang out downtown.. eating good food, dessert on froyo's... and listen to street music.

citrus cake {stella cake}

i usually am the designated baker for any family birthday party. yesterday was my dad's birthday and i made a citrus cake with lemon curd filling and orange lemon icing. it turned out delicious!

i saw this recipe a while back and new that i had to make it before summer ended. the only bummer was that it called for blood oranges and since blood oranges are seasonal only in the fall, i used grapefruit instead to decorate.

PINKalicious {book+food}

Sophia is currently fixated on this book. i love reading books with sophia that have to do with food and then we make the book come alive by making something very similar to it. in this case it was pink cupcakes! in the book... this little girl eats too many pink cupcakes and end up turning pink and eventually RED. Although, i know my sophia would love to eat just as many cupcakes to turn pink (maybe even red).. i prefer not. SO, we made a healthier alternative without compromising the flavor. we made beet cupcakes with drops of chocolate. In the words of my two year old, "it taste good, mom!"


rinse and roast 2 beets. 400 degrees for 1 hr. cool and peel skin. 1 large beet for batter. 1 medium size for the frosting.
puree the two beets. i used my beaba baby cook to puree it. i use this instead of my food processor...just easier to wash and handle. i love it.
look at the bright and beautiful color. no food coloring added! i love that!
once baked, the color is still so vibrant. it almost looks like a red velvet cupcake.
once i frosted it, i sprinkled some more dark chocolate pieces on top.
isn't the color of the frosting amazing. this frosting tastes so good (and i'm actually not much of a frosting gal). i think i found the frosting recipe. aaand there is my anticipating toddler in the background chanting "cupcakes! more cupcakes mom!"
very moist inside with pieces of dark chocolate. yum! we have honestly had at least 3 cupcakes today, including one at breakfast... and i didn't feel guilty once for doing it.
ps: you and your kiddos will never know you're eating a vegetable. beets are very good for you and many people skimp out on it because it can be intimating to cook. but, once you realize how easy and tasty it can be, you'll thank me : )


here's the recipe for the cupcakes and frosting. I just added about a cup of dark chocolate pieces to the batter before baking.