Happy Homaker Monday 🌸

Hello everyone!

It's another Monday, which is crazy because I feel like this weekend just flew by! I am a little late to my Happy Homemaker Monday, and I apologize for not putting one up last week, but I have been dealing with a sick husband and now a little congested baby. She doesnt have a fever and is very happy, still eats like a champ and just wants to move already, so I know she is no pain whatsoever, but I have been treating her with some saline spray and baby vapor rub on her chest, back and under her sweet little feet!

Anyway, let's get on with today's Happy Homaker Monday 😊

The Weather Today :::

On Today's To-Do List :::

Laundry - I have a mountain of laundry to fold and I have my bedding to wash. My dog is shedding so bad and not only is his hair everywhere on my bedding, but he rolls around in the dirt outside and then during the night, he sneaks up on the bed. I am so frustrated because no matter how many times I tell him no, he will sneak up on the bed when we are fast asleep and can't hear or feel him. So I have all of that to wash.

Living Room - I need to vacuum the floor and furniture because like i said, Tater's hair is everywhere!!

 If I Have A Few Minutes To Myself, I Will :::

Watch whatever show catches my interest. I am very behind on my YouTube videos, so today I started catching up on Almost Daily and turns out my little one actually enjoys watching them with me! She smiles at the people and thinks they are actually talking to her which makes my heart melt! LOL

Favorite Photo From The Camera :::

My new favorite photo of my loves!


Bible Verses, Devotional, Prayers :::

My prayers go out to all those affected by the horrible storms. I also pray for my mental health...I have been in a very dark place mentally and I Pray God will help me through it, not only for me and my well being, but also so I can be strong enough to take care of my family.


Well it has taken me all day to get this post up and going with tending to my little one and housework, it has just been a slow day.

Thank you for baring with me LOL

Hope you all have an awesome Monday further, and I will hopefully be back sometime this week with another post. If not, then you know my situation LOL

Happy Homemaker Monday

Happy Monday everyone!
I hope you all had a very relaxed weekend and hope you're all ready for the week ahead.
I missed coming in for HHM, especially now that I'm getting deeper into Homemaking and loving it!

The Weather Today :::

Today is a warm, sunny day! Been cooking down a little bit, but still pretty humid and warm.

Things That Make Me Happy :::

Being a momma! I love my new role as a mom!

On The Menu For Dinner :::

Haven't decided yet. I have some pork chops in the freezer, so I'll probably do that with some roasted potatoes.

On My To-Do List :::

Vacuum
Dishes
Evangeline's laundry
Wash my bedding

Looking Forward to This Week :::

I have my hubby home today and tomorrow
Eva has her 2 month appointment on Wednesday, which means she's gonna be getting her shots which I'm not looking forward to, but I'm glad she is gonna be having a check up...make sure she's doing okay and is on track.

Favorite Photo From The Camera :::

Thank you for visiting my HHM post. Please visit my Tia's blog, the "maker" of HHM 😊
Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Momma Finally Got Time to Put Up A Post

Got to say...I am so happy to be back! It's been so long and I have been so busy, but I finally managed to get my Little One on a bit of a bedtime routine and now I am able to sit here with a cup of hot tea, Sons of Anarchy and my blog. Have to say...I feel kind of relieved and happy that I am able to finally get things on the right track.

I had my Little Evangeline 2 months ago today! It's so crazy to think that she is already 2 months old, feels like she came screaming into the world just yesterday!

This is my sweet little girl!
Evangeline is a very talkative, very happy little baby. She loves her mom and dad and loves playing games with us. She also loves looking at herself in the mirror haha she literally sits there and talks to herself...also finds herself very amusing!

I did not know I could love someone so much! Eva is literally my whole world and I can't explain the things I will do for that little girl.
When I was pregnant, I didn't know what to expect or if I would be a good enough mother for her, I was so scared that I was going to fail and that I was going to somehow mess this up, but I proved myself wrong and I am so proud of myself. I love being a mom, honestly could not think of anything better!

If you would like me to put up a post about Eva's birth story, let me know and I will get that up for you guys!

I hope you all have been doing well. This momma is gonna head to bed, will be back for my Tia's Happy Homemaker Monday and will put a link to her blog on there for you!

Goodnight all!

°Pregnancy Update - 31 Weeks°

31 Weeks, 1 Day

Happy Sunday everyone! 

Hope you're all having a Blessed Sunday and just chilling with family and enjoying the warm weather! 

I have been trying to get my house back on track after the hectic couple of weeks we've been having. I managed to get it back on track after my baby shower madness, but then a week later, Steven's cousin came down from Idaho and spent a week here, so my house kind of got away from me again! 

It was fun having Zach over for the week! We visited the Zoo, the Dog Beach and even went and watched Avengers: Infinity War which was awesome! But it's time to get back to reality and start getting everything ready for baby girl! ♡

I will be doing another post sometime this week showing all of you the cute stuff I got for my baby shower, so be sure to keep a look out for that! 😊

Now...I think it's time to get on with this post and catch you up on my pregnancy update! 

Baby Update :::

Evangeline measures over 16 inches long and weighs about 3 1/3 pounds (about the size of a coconut) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump up as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. 

She is moving A LOT! Sometimes makes it hard to sleep at night or even just to lay down comfortably. Her kicks are getting so strong as well that she will sometimes stop me dead in my tracks followed by a loud "Ouch!" Lol

It's quite funny because people look at me like I'm nuts and then you'll see the moms that actually laugh because they know exactly what that feels like! Haha

Mommy's Update :::

My energy levels are not where they used to be, but at the same time I feel like I could run a marathon! My body aches all the time which is so frustrating because I can't even do one load of laundry without my back or hip hurting! 

I still have my chocolate cravings, but am trying so hard right now to cut down on the sugary cravings and give baby girl and myself all the healthy and nutritious things we need! 

I have actually found a Third Trimester Meal Plan that I want to follow and hopefully will also take the guilt away from feeding myself and my daughter too much chocolate and sugar! 🙈 

(Please don't judge me!)

Nursery Update :::

So Steven and I decided to actually change our nursery plan because for the baby shower, his grandparents gifted us money to buy her a whole new nursery set! ♡ 

I can't tell you how grateful and Blessed we are! 

I found this GORGEOUS nursery set on BuyBuy Baby's website that I just fell in love with! 

We only got her the crib and the dresser because the dresser will also double as her changing table. 

I didn't see the need for a changing table on it's own when I can just put a cushy  changing pad on the dresser and do it that way! My sister-in-law did that and I thought it was a pretty good idea...better than wasting more money on a changing table. 

So because we got her this set, we are going to be switching our guest bedroom into the nursery because that is the bigger room and I feel we'll need the space. 

The guest bedroom is officially going to be the smaller room! Lol

The crib we have right now, we are going to take it down and give it to someone who really needs one...no charge! 

I can't wait to get her nursery decorated and ready for her! ♡ 

Next Doctor's Appointment :::

My next appointment is May 11th. 

I have already done my glucose test along with the gestational diabetes test (I think that's the same test, so don't mind my brain) 

I haven't gotten a call back from my doctor with any concerns so I think I'm good! 

I also had to get the whooping cough vaccine which was kind of a shock to me because they had my mentioned it before, but as long as it benefits me and baby girl, then I'm all good! 

I think my next appointment should just be a check up! My doctor just usually measures her and listens to her heartbeat and that's about it, unless he tells me to go and get other tests done which I don't think I'll need to do this time around! 😊

I hope you all have a Blessed week ahead, don't work too hard! 

I will be back sometime this week with a Baby Shower post! 

I know it's late, but better late than never right? 

Happy Homemaker Monday

Hi everyone,

My goodness it's been a while, but I tell you, I haven't been MIA on purpose.
I have been feeling very unmotivated to do anything, even cleaning my house has been a mission which sucks! It's so hard being weighed down and feeling like you just want to sit on the couch and do nothing but watch shows all day, but when I do force myself to get up and be productive, then I deal with shortness of breath and aching hips which make it harder to walk! LOL

I know I sound like I'm complaining, but this is my sanctuary where I can vent and tell everything that I am feeling.

Other than the horrible aches and pains, I am still loving my pregnancy and I have so much to tell you all! But that's going to be in another post this coming week!

Okay....time to get cracking on this HHM post!

If you are new to my blog, this post comes out every Monday and it originally comes from my Aunt Sandra over on Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
So be sure to visit her blog because trust me...you won't regret it!

Breakfast Time...What is on the plate this morning::

My hubby has the day off today, but still had a Physical Therapy appointment to go to....so...being the sweet man he is, he brought home a McDonalds breakfast for me. Usually I don't eat McDonalds, but he knows I love the sausage and egg on a biscuit breakfast (not too sure what it's really called LOL so please bare with me)

On today's to do list::

1. Pack and unpack dishwasher
2. Throw a load of laundry in the washer
3. Sweep the entry way, kitchen, dining room, and laundry room

The weather outside is::

Cloudy and foggy. I live in California so I am expecting sunshine and heat especially because Spring is here, but I guess it's not up to us! LOL

If I have a few minutes to myself, I will::

Watch cooking shows. Lately that has been my new obsession! I have caught up on Masterchef Junior, Masterchef and I'm now watching Hell's Kitchen. I don't know why I watch those shows because Gordon Ramsey really gets under my skin, but it's strangely addictive!

Favorite photo from the camera::

Our new little family photo!

Bible Verse, Devotional::

Prgenancy Update - 20 Weeks, Day 6

Hello Friends!

Sorry for being so MIA, but lately I have just been feeling very unmotivated to do anything! I have been slacking on my housework and well...obviously my blog. Hopefully now I can jump back on the horse and keep up with my tasks.

So as you can see, I have reached my halfway point!!!
It's so crazy to think how time is just flying by and it's like I can't keep up with it! LOL

On this post I am going to be revealing what our baby's gender is and the new updates on both Steven and myself.
So without further ado.....:D

Baby Update :::

Baby should be weighing about 10.5 ounces and should be around 6.5 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel, about the length of a large banana. On my BabyCenter app, baby is swallowing a lot more these days which is said to be good practice for the digestive system. Baby is also producing meconium which is a black, sticky by-product of digestion and will accumulate in the bowels. Apparently this stuff will come out in babies first messy diaper, in the womb or during delivery!
Yummy! LOL (Not really!)

Mommy's Update :::

I have been suffering with a horrible congested nose! My OB/GYN actually has to prescribe me some Mucinex because I sounded so bad at my last appointment!

Other than that, I have been great! I love feeling my little bundle kick and move around inside my belly! I will admit, it does freak me out sometimes, but everytime my baby moves, I feel so much joy and just dream of the day I get to finally hug and kiss my little one.

 Nursery Update :::

We finally were able to put the crib together, and so this is what it looks like!

That purple thing draped over the crib is going to hang above it, that wasn't even my idea...my husband actually asked if we could do that!
Bless his heart! Hehe
We also got a cute little Pack-N-Play because for the first month, baby will be sleeping in our room with us so it will make it easier for me to watch, feed, and change!

All that I am needing now is a crib set and just a little bit of some decor to make it that little bit more cute!

Cravings :::

Chocolate is my craving at the moment and has been for about a month now. Chocolate EVERYTHING...literally! I have a variety of chocolate cereal in my pantry, I ate 3 boxes of chocolates my husband gave me for our anniversary and I even finished 4 cups of chocolate pudding!
I'm disgusting...I know and believe me when I say I am not much of a chocolate person...well....I never used to be anyway. My baby must love that stuff and is making me believe that I love it too! LOL
Is that even possible!?

 Next Doctor's Appointment :::

Next appointment is on March 21st, the day before Steven's birthday!
I'm not sure what this appointment is all about, I think it's just a check up to make sure baby's heart rate is where it should be and also if I'm doing okay.
I do have an Ultrasound appointment on February 27th, and that is to make sure that baby has 10 fingers, 10 toes, just that baby is growing normally!

 Gender Reveal :::

And now...the moment you have all been waiting for!!!

Steven and I are very excited to announce that we are having a beautiful baby....

GIRL!!!

I'm pretty sure I gave it away with the purple font and the purple thing we're going to hang above her crib...like a little princess! Hehe
The theme for her nursery are cute little purple butterflies...

 

Her name is also going to be Evangeline Odete.
Her middle name is actually my Great Grandmothers name and I just wanted her to be a part of my daughters life because she means the absolute world to me and it kills me that she won't be here to see my daughter!
If you have followed me for a while and read my previous posts, you will know that that woman is the most important woman in my life!


So that was my 20 week update, I will be back in a couple weeks with a new update....if anything has changed! LOL

I hope you all have a Blessed weekend and God Bless! 

Pregnancy Update - 17 Weeks

Hi Everyone

So since I am starting to feel a lot more in my pregnancy as well as showing a little bump, I have decided to take my Tia's suggestion to doing an update every week or 2 weeks as my baby grows. I think it is an amazing idea especially when I want to look back at this experience and hopefully show my little one one day how grateful and excited I am to be carrying such a Blessing!

Baby Update:::

As you can see, I am 17 weeks pregnant and baby is about the size of a turnip.
(I just want to apologize for the bad quality of the picture, unfortunately these pictures do have to be taken on my phone. Hopefully one day I can get an awesome camera to capture all the gorgeous memories I am going to be making.)

According to the pregnancy app that I am using, BabyCenter, Baby James' umbilical cord is growing stronger and thicker. Baby James' sense of hearing is developing which I am extremely excited about because I do love to talk to my baby and I love that now when Steven talks to the baby, it will be able to hear and recognize not only my voice, but dads' voice too.
The baby's skeleton is also starting to to turn from rubbery cartilage into actual bone...gotta keep on that milk!! Lol

Mommy's Update:::

Lately I have been experiencing some nausea in the mornings which hasn't happened for a while. I thought I had passed that stage when I was able to eat what I wanted and not feel sick by the mere thought of food, but lately the nausea seems to come back every other day or so. It isn't as bad as it was before, I am still able to eat well and keep anything down and smells don't bother me anymore either which is AMAZING!!

I have also started to feel baby move a lot more now! It's the most incredible feeling and I cannot wait to feel how much stronger my baby will get in the next few months.
I also kind of feel bad because I will get so excited to feel the flutters and my poor husband just kind of sits there with a sad look on his face, patiently waiting to be able to feel his baby move! Hehe

 Nursery Update:::

We finally have a crib!
It's not as fancy and it's actually really plain, but I love it! We still need to put it together, unfortunately the people that gave us the crib did not give us all the parts, so we will need to go and buy a few things, but I will make sure to post a picture up on my next update because it should be put together by then! Lol

We are still trying to decide on themes for the nursery. Right now we are thinking of some gender neutral ideas because we still do not know what we are having.
I am thinking of doing either a cute little Disney theme because of the huge Disney fans my husband and I are or I was also thinking of a cute little African/Safari theme because of my background...
(If you are wondering, I did ask Steven if he was okay with that, and his exact words were, "It's your baby and you're in charge of decorating the nursery, you do whatever you want, I'm just here to pay for it all!"...needless to say, I have one amazing husband!)

If any of you have any cute or unique ideas about what to do for the theme, please leave a comment down below! :)

 Cravings:::

Right now, my cravings have been all over the place, it's like I can't have just one simple craving!
I want a lot of sweet things, like chocolate cake, twizzlers, cereal, cookies, and any type of candy really! Lol
I have also been wanting scrambled eggs with spinach and Tabasco sauce....I know....weird!  

Next Doctors' Appointment:::

My next appointment is my 20 week follow up appointment and Steven and I are both extremely excited for this one because we will be finding out the gender of our baby!!

I am going to be finding out first and since I kind of didn't surprise Steven with the pregnancy like I wanted to, I decided that he will be the first person I am going to surprise after this appointment!

Please, if anyone has a cute idea on how I can surprise him, leave a comment below because I have NO idea on how to do it! Lol

So that is it for my 17 weeks update. I will be back in about a week or 2 to talk about any new changes and also to announce the baby's GENDER!!

I hope you all have a Blessed and amazing week further! :)

 

Happy Homemaker Monday

Good evening friends!

I know I am doing this a little later than I planned, but today has been all over the place!

Actually.....we've been all over the place this whole month!
We finally moved into our new home and we only finished packing everything yesterday! I tell you...this momma is so sore and so exhausted!

Okay...enough of my yapping, let me get this post up as soon as possible now! :)

I am linking up with my Aunt Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom so be sure to head over to her amazing blog to read some of her amazing stories and to find some other awesome bloggers! 

As I Look Outside My Window:
I love my new neighborhood. We live in base housing and so there are people constantly walking their dogs and kids playing in the streets. Right now it just got dark and everyone's porch light is on.

Right Now I Am:
Sitting on the couch in the living room watching hubby throw the ball around for Tater. My nerves are a little shot right now because the last thing I need is for the ball or the dog to knock something over and break it!

Thinking and Pondering:
Whether I should look into getting a part time job now. I constantly feel so guilty for my husband having to bring in all the finances and provide for, not only himself, but for me too. I feel I should be contributing a little bit at least so he doesn't feel like he has the weight of everything on his shoulders.

On My Bedside Table:
My Bible, some journals, and my new favorite read - Drums of Autumn by Diana Gobaldon

On My TV Tonight:
I don't really have anything to watch as I finished watching Outlander. The only thing I really watch with hubby is WWE and Total Divas, but other than that I have just been enjoying my book rather than watching TV.

Listening To:
Hubby is watching a Batman movie on Netflix. I am not really into these types of movies, but I love spending time with him, so I thought I would do my computer stuffs and tolerate the loud TV for a couple hours! LOL

On The Menu for this Week:

Monday - Salsa Chicken in the Crockpot
Tuesday - Spaghetti Bolognese
Wednesday - Tilapia with steamed veggies
Thursday - Creamy ranch chicken in the crockpot
Friday - Possibly a date night, so not really sure
Saturday -
Sunday -

On My To-Do List: 
I still have a ton of laundry to do from the move, so need to tackle that tomorrow morning,
Sweep and mop the floors because Tater keeps tracking mud into the house!

My Simple Pleasures:
Lately it's been opening the blinds and windows around the house. I know that sounds weird, but now that I have a house with so many windows, I just love opening all the windows and having fresh air flow through. In the apartment, we only had one window which was in our bedroom and a glass sliding door that led to the balcony, but I couldn't open that because that's where Tater would go and do his business and also because the apartment was right next to a mountain, there would be so many bugs that flew in. So right now, I am loving the amount of light that shines through and the air that flows.

Lesson Learned the Past Week: 
I need to let go and let God. Lately I have been finding it very hard to just let things be and to trust that everything will be alright. I have a very hard time trusting people, and that is kind of taking a toll on my marriage, and so I've learned that if I don't figure out a way to let things go, I am going to lose a lot more than my mind.

From The Camera: 
My very first belly pic!
I know I don't really have much of a belly, but I promise it's there! LOL

Prayer List:
For my marriage. It's not in any kind of danger, but still could use some prayers.
My little niece who is back in the NICU after another surgery.
My family, that they are kept safe here in the States and in South Africa.