a million photos & zero apologies

My mom recently sent me a coupon code to order a free photo book and it got me thinking about alllllll the photos we have (especially since Mia was born). Then for some reason I thought about all the articles I've read that advise putting down the camera and living in the moment (you know what I'm talking about?), the "rules" about over sharing pictures (there's an unfollow button for a reason), etc, and you know what? I don't care that I take a million photos or that I might be at risk of being an "over sharer"! If anything were to happen to any of us, we would never be sorry for the photos that  bring back a million memories... a way to remember that moment in time and the love and happiness we experienced!

If anything were to happen to me, I would want Mia to look back on our pictures and see how obsessed mommy was with her! I want her to see how her manly daddy ;) was a big ol' puddle for his daughter. If anything were to happen to Eric, I would want Mia to frame the photo that shows a happy 2 year old Mia cuddled in her daddy's arms wearing the dress he picked out for her from Mexico. She looks so beautiful in it and it holds such special meaning to each of us! I want my kids to see that mommy and daddy went on trips together because it was important for us to make time for each other! To reconnect, relax, enjoy each others company and remember how/why we fell in love, and why that love is so worth fighting for! Date nights, though few and far between, are documented because it's one of the little (but big) things we can do to grow closer together instead of apart in this busy life. I want our baby boy to see how loved and wanted he was before even being born! There are good times and there are bad times in every marriage, and all families experience the high's and low's of life. For some reason, the bad times are hard to forget, so I want pictures of alllll the good times because that is truly what I want to remember! Yes, we learn valuable lessons from the hard times, but remembering all the good, the little stuff as well as the big stuff, makes the hard times easier to endure! I want to remember the sweet moments that are too easily forgotten as life carries on, like when Mia had a hard time falling asleep just a few nights ago. She finally called me into her room and asked me to rock and sing her some songs. Usually I sing her a couple of songs and she is ready to be tucked in again and puts herself to sleep. Not that night. My two and a half year old asked to sleep in my arms, and my sweet baby let me rock her to sleep! I don't remember the last time she fell asleep on me (just another reason I want to document) and as much as Mia needed me and the comfort I had to offer her, I needed that moment where my big girl needed to be my baby again.

So, Eric may hate pictures and put up the biggest fight about taking them... and I have family and friends who love to tease me about my picture obsession... but I don't care! I will always be that mom/wife who snaps a few hundred pictures for memories sake then puts the camera away and lives in the moment so that I can truly make the memories that will be attached to the photos!

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26 weeks {babybrink#2}

Size of baby: the size of a scallion (who comes up with this unappetizing food comparisons?!) or nearly as long as a zucchini.

Movements: he finally reached my ribs! One day he was exploring above my belly button and he kept knocking my ribs that whole day. I was hoping to hold out a little longer before he could reach that high, ha ha! Also, his movements are so big now that you can watch the movement move my belly around.

Cravings: I don't recall any specific cravings... maybe that's because I was bad and ate whatever I wanted. No time for cravings when I'm stuffing my face with Krispy Kreme donuts, oops :)

Miss anything: I can tell you that I'm getting to the point where I will miss eating pain free. I've been experiencing more heart burn as my belly grows! Thank goodness I don't totally despise tums! Those were my best friend by the time Mia was born, ha ha!

Random: I'm discovering the faintest signs of linea nigra. I had it with Mia and I must admit, it's not my favorite, ha!

Best moment of the week: so this hasn't only happened this past week, but it needs to be documented! As I've mentioned before, we've told Mia the name we think we will use once he's born (we will wait until we meet him to officially decide if it's the perfect fit) and sometimes we ask her what baby brother's name is to see if she remembers. It's quite common to get this for her answer- "um, baby Jesus?!" It cracks us up every time! She adores baby Jesus so obviously we should name her brother after Christ :)

friYAY

I haven't been the best at documenting our adventures here in Arizona on the blog... and now I have to admit, the only place we dare venture out to is the pool when we aren't hiding in our house (if I could fit, I would curl up in my freezer all day!) from the extreme heat wave we've been experiencing the past few weeks! In fact, we only swim in the morning because I can't stand to be out in 113-115 degrees even if we are in the water, ha ha! So I'm sure everyone will (if they haven't already) grow tired of all our pool pictures... but here's a fun day we got to enjoy with friends! Mia was definitely loving life- donuts, swimming and goggles- what more could a 2 year old ask for?!

Sunglasses c/o Arden Deals

Happy Friday, my friends! We are welcoming this weekend with open arms as we get 5 whole days with Eric! He worked 22 days straight this month (if you're trying to do the math since we got to spend Father's Day with him- 6 of those days were a crazy night shift schedule because of a specific project he had to work on). I didn't advertise this info since he was gone 14 hours a day, but we have never been more relieved for him to have time off and soak up so much family time! Thankfully they have finished the projects and his work schedule will go back to normal (for the most part) and I'm looking forward to regular 3 day weekends with him! So we are definitely shouting Fri-YAY at the top of our lungs!

just some randoms {30}

She's really taken to dressing herself these past few weeks... she did come ask me for help with her shoes because for some reason, she couldn't get them over her tights :) ha HA!

Mia had a rough time falling asleep for her nap a few days in a row this week. One day I noticed in the monitor that Mia grabbed her baby and snuggled her close, rocked her, patted her back, etc. After awhile of "soothing" her baby, Mia fell asleep herself :) It was so sweet to see her little momma instincts come out! And thank heavens it put her to sleep ;)

It all started when I was cooking dinner. "Look at my hinger, momma!" I turned and saw that Mia got into the aquaphor and was rubbing it around her mouth (she gets dry spots around her mouth with all the swimming/sunscreen we do) I helped her rub it in but told her that she's not to get into it again without help from mommy or daddy- it's not a toy! She happily replied with an "OKAY!" while she ran back to her bedroom. Awhile later she came out and said, "look momma! Take it off ma hand!" I guess she thought the tub of cetaphil was fair game since I only specifically mentioned the aquaphor this time (although she's been told the cetaphil is off limits as well) Mia was so, so proud of this mess, ha ha! I felt like I should be mad about the mess (the carpet was fun to clean as well) but I could barely give her a stern "no!" as I was cleaning her up because she was so proud of her lotioning skills, ha ha! Also, let it be known that Mia picked this outfit (she's obsessed with the shorts because of the pockets, and obviously thought this shirt would be the perfect match!) and it just wasn't worth the fight to get her to change her mind before we left to run errands :)

Sweet, sleeping angel who is forever obsessed with Mickey and Minnie mouse :)

"I'm Ariel, mom. Watch!" As she jumped up and down, dunked under the water and pranced around the best that she could in the water, ha ha! Such a fun imagination and she's getting so good at handling herself in the water!

adding to the fam- my fears

I always knew I wanted to have at least 2 kids- I wanted my kids to have siblings, a best friend for life! Eric wanted 12 kids (way back when we got engaged, ha ha!) and well, that just wasn't ever going to happen as long as I was in charge, ha ha! But we found ourselves saying that we weren't sure we wanted any more kids once Mia was born. I mean, I knew I wanted Mia to have a sibling but how was I going to be able to handle it? Mia was an angel baby and it only gets better as she gets older (minus the random tantrums every now and then) but I didn't know how I was going to be able to love and nurture another babe while still being able to give Mia everything I had to give, and that scared the crap outta me. I mean, if it isn't obvious enough, I'm plain obsessed with Mia! We were both caught off guard with just how in love we were with our precious new bundle (and the love grows daily!) and I suspect that Eric worried he wouldn't be able to love another baby as much as he loved Mia. So the simple solution was to avoid the idea of having more kids.... we got it right the first time and that was good enough for us ;)
As Mia grew out of the baby stage and into a toddler, I started to see how a sibling would be just what she would need in the future... but I still wondered how mom's with multiple kids do it?! I would see a pregnant woman trying to wrangle a tantruming toddler and feel such relief that we weren't at that stage yet. I would snuggle my friends little babes but be so grateful that I got to go home and soak up all the loves from my notsolittleanymore Mia. It wasn't until Mia started taking interest in little babies herself (ie: wanting to hold them, etc) that I finally felt like I could manage the idea of expanding our family. It finally felt right... like I wasn't cheating on my daughter by wanting another baby (sounds weird, I know! I didn't get it when I heard other women mention that until I had Mia), like we could actually love another baby as much as our first child, like even though life would be beyond crazy at times, I would be able to give my babies (because Mia will always be my baby!) what they needed, when they needed it! Mia was giving me the courage I needed to swallow my fears and know that it was time!

It has been such a treat to experience this pregnancy with my Mia girl. I've shared multiple times how in tune Mia is with her baby brother and it absolutely melts my heart! Instead of experiencing all the fears that come with expanding a family now, I am enjoying every second of my pregnancy and the day dreams of our future as a family of 4 because I struggled so much before even trying to get pregnant (I did it the same way with saying "yes!" to Eric. I agonized and stressed over the decision to marry him so much before he even popped the question, that I knew without a doubt he was the one for me and I enjoyed every second of our relationship/engagement after that. I never experienced "cold feet" or any other questions or fears if I was making the right decision once we were engaged.) Am I cherishing every second I have with Mia before her brother makes his debut? Yes! Will I miss our one on one time, just being the two of us all the time? Probably a little. But I have no doubts that life will be better than we could have imagined with a new member of the family and Mia will absolutely thrive (eventually, I know there's an adjustment period!) as a big sister! The timing could not be more perfect and while I still have small fears here and there about having a new baby again (hello nursing! you are painful and terrifying at first, but I hear it's better/easier the second time around?)I am so thankful for our baby boy that will be arriving this Fall! We can't wait to be a family of four!

Little momma Mia- obsessed with the baby in my belly... and hers, ha ha!

weekend highlights {Father's Day edition}

This weekend was a special one for me because I got to celebrate BOTH of my favorite people in the world! Sweet Mia girl turned 2.5 and of course, Father's Day for the best baby daddy in the world! We had a simple, low key weekend but it was full of so much happiness! Mia can't get enough of spending time with mommy AND daddy!

• Eric worked the first half of Saturday but Mia and I kept busy with swim lessons. Of course we continued swimming outdoors after lessons ended because Mia is the happiest water baby and it was her special day! (Although I'm not sure I gave her permission to keep growing so dang fast!) 2.5 already... how did that happen?!
• Mia was SO surprised when Eric walked in the door that afternoon and her day became that much happier! I got to sneak out that evening for a little girls night, but to my surprise, Mia didn't want me to go and cried even after I told her that she got to stay and play with daddy. That actually made me feel so good :) ha ha! Especially knowing that she would have a blast with Eric once I was gone!
• I got home after Mia went to sleep but Eric filled me in on their play time... it included grilling outside together (how they could stand the heat I'll never know!) and painting each others toes. That's right! Mia picked out some pink polish and asked Eric to paint her toes... I'm not surprised that he did it for her considering he painted mine when I was too pregnant with Mia to reach my toes :) but then he let her paint a couple of his! I've never even let her do that to me... best dad EVER!

• I planned on letting Eric sleep in Sunday morning but when Mia woke up at 6:00 it was all I could do to go pull her out of her crib and bring her to our bed to watch shows on our phones... I needed more sleep, too! Ha ha! Eric was dead asleep in the photo above, but he still ended up cuddling with Mia and holding her hand while she watched a show, too sweet! 
• I made breakfast for our favorite Father (which is no big deal any other day of the week, but Eric usually makes Sunday breakfasts!) which consisted of an egg white/spinach scramble and cinnamon rolls from a can, HA! Someday I'll attempt homemade cinnamon rolls.... maybe ;)
• After relaxing all morning we went to church, took afternoon naps and face timed our families to wish our amazing dad's a Happy Father's Day! Then we had a manly dinner of roast and potatoes ;)
• Eric ended the night by bathing Mia and getting her ready for bed, playing Snow White with her (tying a blanket around her neck to make a cape that Mia saw in a book, ha ha) and dancing with his little princess. Eric is such a hands on daddy and I couldn't be more grateful... it's no wonder that Mia is the exact picture of the heart eyes emoji anytime he's around :) I treated him to his very own Ben and Jerry's Tonight Dough ice cream to show my appreciation, ha ha!

Of course I had to snap a photo of my people before church... I don't know how she came up with that pose but it's too perfect! Eric picked this dress on our cruise down to Mexico a couple weeks ago and it's adorable on her! She loves it as much as we do!

25 weeks {babybrink#2}

I don't know if I look as big as I feel like I look, or if I'm at that stage in pregnancy where I am just big (and only getting bigger)... but I feel like I look huge, ha!

Size of baby: cauliflower! And the uterus is the size of a soccer ball... totally weird to talk about my uterus, ha ha! But I suppose that explains why I feel so big :)

Movements: all the time and I still love it! He will drag his feet/hands/body parts against our hands (or anything that is pressing against my belly) and it catches me off guard every time as it's a different sensation than the little kicks and punches I'm used to, but it's so fun!

Cravings: peaches and pineapple. I got some of both this week, yum!

Miss anything: yep, I'm still whining about this... I miss clear skin! I asked my doctor if there was anything I could do for my skin at my appointment last week, knowing that his answer would be no :( He reminded me that this is 100% hormones and I'm not doing anything wrong, which I suppose I needed to hear because I do feel like I'm doing something wrong. I think I feel that way because I was cleared up at this point in my pregnancy with Mia, but every week seems to be worse than the last week with this one. Major bummer!

Random: I've been feeling braxton hicks contractions for weeks now each time I workout, but in the last couple of weeks I notice them other times throughout my days... but mostly when I'm exerting energy towards something. Also, I was really hoping to avoid swelling with this pregnancy but I won't be lucking out in that department either. With all the brutal heat we've been experiencing these last two weeks, my legs are starting to swell. I make time to elevate my feet midday (when Mia is down for her nap) and at the end of the day. Pregnancy is so not glamorous, ha ha! But it's worth it!

Best moment of the week: last week I talked about Mia noticing my big/growing belly, well, this week she has been trying to prove to me that her belly is growing as well, ha ha! One night while I was putting lotion on her and putting on her pjs, Mia kept pulling her belly button out as far as she could. I told her to stop a couple of times and when she kept doing it, I asked her what she was doing. She patter her belly and said, "it's big! it's growing!" I was so caught of guard by her answer and couldn't help but laugh and laugh! Silly girl!! Other times she will randomly pat her belly and tell me, "it's growing! I big!!" Mia is so fun... and better enjoy her normal belly for years and years to come ;)

Happ Father's Day {2015}

"A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society."

Oh how I lucked out in the husband department. I love Eric so much and for so many reasons, but one of my favorite reasons is because of the way he loves my babies! He is the BEST daddy and I feel so blessed to experience parenthood with Eric as my partner! Mia and our baby boy are some of Eric's top priorities and they will always know how loved they are by him!

Happy Father's Day to the main man in our lives- we love you so much, daddy! And Happy Father's Day to the dad's and grandpa's that make our lives that much happier!!

happy 2.5 years to my love bug!

Our sweet, silly, loving, funny Mia turns two and a half tomorrow... TWO AND A HALF! Gosh, time really is flying. I remember the newborn days, when a week felt like the shortest, but longest week of my life, if that makes sense (anyone who's had a newborn gets me, right?!) and I never thought the day would come when Mia would turn a year old. But then I blinked and it's been two and a half years. Not fair! I can't complain too much though because life with Mia gets better with each passing month, and I wouldn't trade this stage of life with her for anything!

Mia girl, always wearing our shoes every chance she gets!

- Mia is just a little chatter box and I love it so much! It's so fun to be able to communicate with her and it's amazing to think how much she learns as each month passes! I really need to start recording her talking more!!
- She is so close to being able to recite (or sing) the ABC's in perfect order! She still pronounces "w" like this: "dug-a-doo" and it's my FAVORITE!
- Mia's imagination is really taking off! She's always been great at independent play, which I'm guessing takes some imagination if she's able to entertain herself with her toys :), but it's been really fun to actually hear her voice her imagination. One day she was playing in our backyard when I heard her yell "Ana! Spen!" and took off running. Our yard is quite large and I like to keep her in sight while I'm in the house so I called her back to my view. She came running up and said, "Ana! Spen! Where'd they go, momma?!" I asked, "are you chasing Ana and Spen?!" She got a huge smile and said, "YEP!" Sooooo cute :)
- She is obsessed with singing. I love noticing how much she's memorized when she sings Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, ABC's, parts of I Am a Child of God and more by herself. I could listen to that girl sing all day!
- A certain little 2 year old colored crayon on the wall for the first time. I can't help but laugh because she has quite the conscience! I discovered one line of purple on the wall and asked if she colored on the wall. "Yes! It's funny, momma!" Except I know she didn't think it was funny because she stopped after the one line, instead of making a whole masterpiece on the wall. She stopped once she noticed that it actually left a mark on the wall, then left it until she saw my reaction to find out if that was naughty or okay, ha! She did the same thing with fingernail polish.... she got a bottle open and painted one stroke on her toenail. As soon as she realized it actually worked, she brought the bottle in to me then showed me her toe (very proudly, but apprehensively as she was waiting for my reaction, ha ha) instead of continuing to paint her toes, her feet and the whole bathroom ;) 
- We have officially hit the "what's dat?!" phase! For the most part Mia is satisfied when I tell her what "dat" is and she repeats it once to me... but every once in awhile she gets fixated on asking what an object is over and over and over...
- Mia is mainly wearing 2T clothing but still fits in 12 and 18 month clothes! Size 6 shoes.
- She's wearing size 5 diapers and it doesn't look like we are getting rid of them anytime soon, ha! Which I'm totally okay with right now!   

Summer bucket list

Sunglasses c/o Arden Deals

Can I just say that this has already felt like the longest summer ever?! We moved to Arizona in the dead of winter from Utah on the last day of January... and enjoyed amazing spring weather for like, 2 weeks. 80 degrees came quickly in Arizona and I specifically recall the outfit that Mia wore on Valentine's Day, shorts and a tank top! It has felt like summer since mid February to us only because we were used to much, much colder weather! Even though people have warned me, I've been horrified this week as we've experienced our first taste of what summer is truly like in the Phoenix valley... 113 degrees for the high all week long, and it's already 90 degrees by 7am when I try to get and go on a run! Yeah, I'm dying! So even though it's not officially summer, it's officially summer in Arizona (and feels like it has been for months!) so I'm sharing our summer bucket list for 2015!

1- Swim, swim, swim! I would add splash pads to the list, except that benefits me in no way (what can I say? I'm a selfish mom) I would much rather be in the pool swimming with Mia, than sitting on the sidelines melting my life away while Mia plays at a splash pad, ha!

2- Okay, let's be real. I'll still take her to the splash pad ;)

3- Take Mia to watch a movie at the (very air conditioned, I hope!) movie theaters!

4- Make homemade popsicles. Lots of them! The best part is that they will be packed full of fruits and veggies... perfect way to sneak some extra goodness into our diets!

5- Go out for ice cream... and let Mia get a whole, messy cone to herself (and don't bat an eye at the mess on her face, clothes or hands, HA!)

6- We probably need to do a snow cone date while we are at it. Or maybe a date to Rita's? I've heard amazing things about that place and well? The snow cone/slushy photos are totally appealing to my pregnant taste buds, ha!

7- Set up a fun play corner in our front room for Mia! We've been holding out on her with some pretty awesome stuff (like the kitchen we got her for Christmas... that is still in the box! oops!) to keep her entertained once it was way too hot to spend our days outside. It's safe to say that we have reached that point... Mia will die of excitement when she sees all her new, fun stuff!

8- Paint at least once a week. Finger painting, rock painting, painting pictures on paper, etc. Mia will absolutely love these painting activities!

9- Enroll Mia in some type of mommy and me class once our swim lessons end. I would love to get a dance class but I haven't been able to find anything for kids younger than 3, so now I'm looking into the little gymnastics classes until Mia turns 3! (She has been asking about dance for weeks now!)

10- Soak up all the time I can with my Mia girl! I must admit that I'm totally rooting for summer to fly by as this extreme heat will surely send me to the loony bin in my pregnant state... but Fall means baby time (like, the very beginning of Fall) and life will totally change for all of us (in the best way, of course! but it will take some serious adjusting for all of us) so I will definitely be doing my best to cherish these days with Mia and hopefully create some amazing memories for her!

What's on your summer bucket list?! 

DELISH, easy & healthy CREPES {a recipe}

Eric found this incredibly easy, healthy and delicious recipe for crepes that we absolutely fell in love with! We eat them multiple times a week and I can't help but share the recipe with you all! If you're anything like me, I was way too intimidated to try making homemade crepes until now... I kid you not when I say these are the easiest ever! Enjoy!!

Crepes

150 ml Silk Vanilla Almond Milk

200 ml Liquid Egg Whites

1 scoop Protein Powder of choice

Combine ingredients, mix thoroughly, then pour a thin layer into a greased pan and cook over low-medium heat. Flip when crepe starts to "wrinkle"- don't overcook.

*Since the measurements were given in milliliters we just poured everything into a blender bottle, gave it a good shake then poured desired amount into pan and it's been perfect! SO easy and no extra dirty dishes ;) If we don't use the whole mixture in one morning, we just put the bottle in the fridge and finish the rest off the next day!

*We use coconut oil to grease the pan.

*Eric has what seems like an endless amount of supplements now that he's really hitting the gym hard, so we have been able to play with multiple flavors of protein powder for the crepes. Chocolate is our favorite, but we also love caramel and banana cream pie! We always top the crepes with a ton of berries and banana slices- tastes like heaven!

weekend highlights

We were able to enjoy a special weekend because aunt "mee-mee" came to visit! Eric's sister, Amy, flew down to spend the weekend with us and we were able to soak up the perfect amount of fun and relaxing with her here! We didn't make any crazy plans since it was such a short visit and hotter than heck outside, yet it feels like it was such an exciting weekend!

• Friday afternoon we picked Amy up from the airport... which was not soon enough for Mia's liking! Eric told Mia that night before that she was going to the airport to get Aunt Amy, so I reminded her the next morning when I got her out of bed. Well she cried and cried when I took her for a run instead of "drive in your car to the aiwport! I want mee-mee now!" ha ha! 
• Eric got home the same time as we did and Mia was in her happiest happy place having mommy and daddy home, PLUS a visitor that would be sleeping at our house! Mia loves having company as much as we do! We went to dinner, did some shopping nearby then called it a night!
• I had to take Mia to swim lessons Saturday morning so Amy came along, then we stayed at the pool and did some fun swimming of our own. Mia loved checking out a new pool and the best part was that she was so obsessed with Amy being there that I just got to relax and enjoy the weightlessness of being in the water :) Best auntie ever to enjoy get splashed by Mia over and over, ha ha!
• After swimming and lunch, Mia went down for the longest nap which means that Amy and I got a little shut eye as well. Getting a nap in during the day is something that needs to be documented, ha ha! I need to start fitting time in for a little nap each day to give my body a rest! We had pizza for dinner and just relaxed at home the rest of the night as it was really too hot to go out and do anything (100+ degrees in the evening? Yuck!)
• Amy had an early flight Sunday morning and we were sad to see her go! Mia hasn't stopped talking about mee-mee since she left!

Aside from having a special visitor, this weekend wasn't anything but plain ol' ordinary and maybe not even blog worthy, but it was a weekend for the books! The perfect amount of girl talk, fun and relaxing... plus we can't ever get enough family time in! I hope we get more visitors soon!

24 weeks {babybrink#2}

Size of baby: an ear of corn.

Movements: all the time! This past week I've asked myself more than once if this kid ever sleeps?! Ha ha! I'm feeling him all the time, and he's all over the place in there! I'm still soaking up these cherished moments of feeling him move, especially since they are still pain free (except for the times that he discovers how fun it is to bounce around on my bladder, ha ha!)

Cravings: Rubio's gourmet chicken tacos and chocolate chip cookies from Paradise Bakery. Good grief, I have wanted this junk every week of my pregnancy! I suspect the cravings won't go away once he's born, either ;) I had also been craving Costco pizza for a few weeks now and I finally indulged over the weekend! (I really, really try not to give in to my cravings until they have stuck around for a few days, at least!)

Miss anything: my muscles :( I feel like I have to state the fact that I am so over the moon about being pregnant and so grateful for the opportunity to bring another baby into our family... but I worked so hard to get in shape after Mia and I was really proud of my strength! Obviously my workouts aren't what they once were (and I indulge more than before, ha ha!), and my muscles are quickly fading to a distant memory, ha! Basically I miss being in the shape that I was, especially because of how hard I worked for it. But I wouldn't trade this baby for all the muscles in the world... and I know I'll have my chance to dig in and work hard after he's born!

Random: on that same note, I've lost a lot of motivation for working out. Oops! Between a head cold, our cruise and family visiting my workouts have slowed drastically in the last 3 weeks. Add in the fact that I'm growing a baby (and everyone can actually tell now, which means I'm feeling the aches and pains of it) and I wonder why I put in the effort. I'm still working out 5-6 days a week though because when I think I'd rather be lazy and just take some time off for now, I know I've felt so great up to this point because of the strength I built before getting pregnant, and I know that recovery after delivery will be so much easier if I keep up with my workouts! I remember talking to my doctor at my 6 week post baby check up after Mia was born, and telling him how surprised I was with how easy my recovery was (I was expecting a ton of pain plus not being able to get around very easily, especially with the combination of the episiotomy and tearing that I had) and he told me he whole heartily believes that working out before and during a pregnancy makes a world of difference with recovery, and I would have to say that I agree! So that's what I've been telling myself each morning for the last week as I drag myself out the door to get my workout in!

Best moment of the week: I don't know if this should be considered the best moment of the week, but it's happened on more than one occasion in the last week and I can't help but laugh every time! I have to be honest when I say I feel pretty HUGE! I feel like once my bump popped, it has been growing as if there's more than one baby in there, ah! (Again, it's just how I feel, probably because it took a few more weeks to get the same shape with Mia's pregnancy) Mia has finally noticed the difference and she does NOT hesitate to tell me! My first encounter with her opinion was during her bath time- my belly was itching so I rubbed some lotion on it when she stopped playing in the water and stared me down while exclaiming, "WHOA!" Then she pointed at my belly and said, "dat's BIG!" Ha ha! I told her that baby brother is growing! A couple days later I put on Eric's basketball shorts and a comfy running shirt to bust out some cleaning and discovered that the shirt no longer covers my whole belly, ha (just another thing to make me feel real big right now) and as soon as Mia noticed she started laughing then tried pulling the shirt down to cover the little bit of skin that was showing. I think I embarrassed her, ha ha! (Don't worry, I changed and put that shirt away in the pile of clothes I can't touch for a year!) So pretty much since then she mentions my "big tummy" or "baby brudder's growing!" at least once a day :)

currently

Mia is really into dressing herself these days... ha!When she saw this picture she said, "CUTE Mia!" Also, excuse the fuzzy photo, I need a new phone!

Loving: 2015! This year has been full of so many changes, all GOOD changes! Our move to Arizona has been smooth and good to us! We are expanding our family and giving Mia a baby brother! Huge, huge changes! Plus the little ones like Mia growing each day, visits with family, vacations, reaching goals and creating new ones, etc. We still have have our low moments and downer days, but it just feels good to see how our lives have changed and prayers have been answered this year!

Reading/Watching: I was so excited to finally do some reading on my little getaway with Eric... but wouldn't you know it, I completely spaced buying books or downloading them on my kindle. Major fail!
I'm still on a Hart of Dixie kick :) I've been wanting to play catch up and watch The Bachelorette on Hulu but I've heard this season is one of the worst. I mean, they are all crappy (ha ha), but I've heard she's a real piece of work. But exciting news for Eric and me... we finally went to our first movie since moving to Arizona! We took advantage of my parents being here and escaped to see the Avengers! The movies are such a treat to us now since they are so rare.... but sitting next to a mom who had her 3 year old boy sitting on her lap because she snuck in late was NOT a treat. How quiet do you think he was during that movie? Yeah...

Trying to: plan my last two trips to visit Utah before baby brother arrives! I've been a bit homesick for Utah in the sense that I miss our families, of course! and I really miss the beauty of the state! I need a fix of watching Mia with her grandparents and cousins, my favorite places to eat, the greenery and beautiful mountains!

Wishing: that Eric didn't work such long stretches of hours and days. I really try to keep things happy and positive around here but I gotta keep it real, and that means that I miss having Eric around. I suppose it doesn't help that I'm pregnant, tired and hormonal on top of his crazy work schedule :) I can't wait until he's "done his time" and doesn't have to work the crazy hours anymore. That being said, he's the hardest worker and takes such pride in providing for our family. I'm so grateful for him and everything he does for us!

Excited for: the visits we've had and will be having from family! My parents were here for a week (of course Eric and I were gone for most of that week) and my sister in law is coming this weekend! We love having visitors!! Who's next, friends and family?! ;)

butterfly wonderland

One of our favorite things about moving to the Phoenix valley is all the opportunities we have to go out and have some fun! Our little small town in Utah didn't even have a splash pad- such a shame! So we have been on the go since moving here and having the BEST time! I'm loving the time I get to have with Mia right now because I'm sure life will slow WAY down once baby brother arrives, and honestly? Taking two littles out on my own totally terrifies me! So we are soaking up as much adventure as we can for now!
Another thing I'm loving about this move is the amazing friendships we've made already! My sweet friend, Aubrey, invited us to go check out Butterfly Wonderland and it made for such a fun morning. Mia is obsessed with her kids so she loved following Drake around, and pushing Emery in the stroller every chance she could!
The actual butterfly room was beautiful but so humid! I loved seeing all the different butterflies flitting around but they made Mia a little nervous :) Her very favorite part was the "fishies!" in the little pond... go figure ;) I'm trying to be better about documenting our adventures (seriously, I've hardly blogged about any of it!) so here's a peek into our morning at Butterfly Wonderland!

Aubrey snapped this photo first thing when we walked in the butterfly room... I love Mia's nervous face, ha ha!

She hated that the butterfly was on me but she got a little braver as I coaxed her into a closer look!

We have officially hit the stage where Mia has no time for pictures with mommy!

 My Dress c/o Pink Blush Maternity Mia's Bracelets c/o Poppy Lane and Co

cruisin' and babymoonin'

Eric and I got to escape real life for a few days while soaking up time together, eating all the food (maybe that was just me) and being as lazy as possible ;) We booked a little cruise that took us to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico. We chose this cruise because we wanted a short trip (versus a week long cruise) that was cheap, all inclusive (food wise) and relaxing... which is exactly what we got!
We drove down to California last Sunday and I was totally shocked by the cold "June gloom" weather! It was a nice break considering we'd just left triple digit weather, but I forgot to pack a jacket so it was a little hard to enjoy the cold 60 degree temps! We had planned on doing some exploring in Long Beach before getting on the cruise ship, but in an effort to make sure we knew where to go when it was time to get on the ship, we found ourselves in the parking lot and couldn't leave without paying... so we boarded the ship! It ended up being just what we needed because as soon as we finished eating lunch we made our way to our room where I took a long nap. You'll notice a pattern here real soon- eat, sleep, eat, sleep ;)
Monday was spent on Catalina Island and we loved it! I was expecting the cute little town but we were totally shocked by how clear and gorgeous the water is! Our first stop after getting off the ship was buying a jacket, ha ha! It warmed up to the perfect temperature for exploring but I wore that jacket the rest of the cruise so it was worth the purchase ;) We wandered through the town for a bit before making our way over to the beach. I've never been kayaking before and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try it! We rented a kayak and paddled along the coast line for a bit. It was such a beautiful day and again, the water was gorgeous! We didn't last too long in the water which was a good thing... my back and belly muscles weren't used to that kind of workout... not to mention the fact that my muscles have stretched to make room for a 22 week bump and did not appreciate the workout, oops! We hung out on the beach and I finally got my hands on a pina colada (virgin, of course) which I'd been craving for quite awhile! We did a little exploring on our way back to the ship where we went to eat lunch, lay out by the pool and took naps :)

We weren't really that interested in getting off the ship at Ensenada on Tuesday, but once we arrived we couldn't resist! We just walked to where the shopping was (a street lined with bars and shops, that was all they offered for a flea market) and ended up buying a couple dresses for Mia. Eric lived in Mexico City for 2 years so he was excited about getting Mia these adorable little dresses. He had a lot of fun bartering and talking with the locals. He was asked on more than one occasion if he was from certain areas of Mexico, which was quite the compliment since he's been out of practice with his Spanish. Moving to Arizona has provided him the opportunity to brush up on the language and work on getting the accent back though. When we finished shopping we went back to the ship for lunch (Eric was especially weary to eat any food in Ensenada with me being pregnant- one can never be too careful, or too cheap. Free lunch on the ship ;) ha ha!) then napped poolside again. I may have taken a second nap in our room before heading out to dinner as well :)

Wednesday was our day at see where we'd planned on hanging out (or should I say napping) pool side but it was cold, dreary weather! Now that we are back in the Arizona heat I'm wishing I'd soaked up more of those cold temps, ha! This made for the most boring day considering how small our ship was. We ate breakfast, watched TV in our room (Eric attempted going to the gym but it was more than full), went to a show, at brunch, napped... then after I went a little stir crazy in our room I convinced Eric to play some games with me (after stopping by the buffet for some treats, of course!) and for anyone that knows Eric, you know how much he HATES playing games. Proof of how bored we were, ha ha! We grabbed battle ship then headed to a corner of the ship where Eric could watch ESPN as well. We actually had a lot of fun playing, then it was finally time for dinner! We caught the tail end of a comedian show after dinner then called it a night... it was by far the latest we'd stayed up the whole cruise (which isn't saying much since we were back in our room before 9!) We went straight to bed after dinner each night... I'm not kidding you when we say we took full advantage of relaxing, being lazy, catching up on sleep or whatever you want to call it! With how much Eric has been working and my pregnant state, it was exactly what we needed!

Thursday morning we were up early to eat breakfast and get off the ship before getting stuck in long lines. We headed over to the beach to get a nice walk in and enjoy ourselves before it got crowded (if it gets crowded with the gloomy weather?)... but we called it quits after a few minutes. I was excited to get some cute pictures on the beach but besides a few runners, the homeless and crazyies are the only ones occupying the beach before 8am. Normally we wouldn't mind except they were kind of getting crazy towards us so we booked it out of there. We drove around for a bit before skipping town since it was still so early. We did stop at the most amazing outlets outside of Palm Springs on our way home though... I can't wait to hit those up again next time we go down to California!
This was by far the least exciting trip we've been on, ha ha, but it was exactly what we needed! It was SO good to have that time with Eric and we really did have a blast and loved being able to relax so much! A huge thank you to my parents who stayed out our house to watch Mia and spoiled her rotten! I was slightly worried she wouldn't want us to come home, but girlfriend missed her parents! 5 days later and she's still ecstatic that I'm around!! She keeps saying, "mommy back!!" and Sunday night as Eric and I were doing her bed time routine she kept saying, "miss you, mommy! Miss you, daddy!" Sweet girl, we are so lucky to have her! (Isn't that why these little trips are so amazing, they remind us how sweet life is at home!)

23 weeks {babybrink#2}

Size of baby: a large mango. I thought we hit the mango stage already, but I guess I was wrong? Ha ha! All I know is that my bump is proof that somethin' is growing inside. I just hope there's not a second one hiding in there because it seems like my belly has grow like crazy these past 3 weeks ;)

Movements: he's a mover and I love it! Although I've been noticing that he is getting higher... I feel movements above the belly button now. The days of sore, bruised ribs are getting closer and closer, ha!

Cravings: I don't really recall any specific cravings this week... probably because I went crazy and ate everything I wanted (oops!) If I had to choose, chocolate cake is at the top of my list! Or chocolate frosted donuts, or chocolate milk... I guess this babe is a fan of chocolate ;)

Miss anything: I really tried to soak up being "comfortable" before the bump appeared...especially being able to bend over and pick Mia up easily. I feel like in the 3 short weeks that I popped, my comfort levels have gone downhill WAY too quickly, ha! I'm already missing sitting comfortable without having to adjust my position every 10 minutes ;)

Random: a stranger commented on my bump for the first time this pregnancy! She asked if I knew what I was having yet, but I could tell that as soon as the words spilled out of her mouth she was definitely hoping I was actually pregnant and that she didn't just put her foot in her mouth ;) ha ha! I also heard a couple whispered, "oh she's so cute!" at the pool! I didn't feel cute at the moment so that was nice to hear!

Best moment of the week: soaking up a little getaway, or "babymoon", with Eric! I kind of disappeared from social media last week for privacy reasons, but my parents came to town and watched Mia while Eric and I went on a short cruise. It was just the relaxing vacation we'd been needing and it was SO great to reconnect and relax together! Of course we knew that Mia was in good hands (and being spoiled rotten) but coming home to her was the sweetest reunion! She missed her parents! I'm so glad Eric and I were able to get in one last "hurrah" before we have our boy!

insta-life

Mia's first "swim 'essons!" She still loves them as much as her first day! 

The past few days Mia started saying "I ho'd you?" when she wants me to hold her... and it melts my momma heart into a big ol' puddle every time! #thatpoutthough

We love the big, fun pools... but sometimes a dip in the baby pool in the backyard makes the BEST post nap fun!

H A L F W A Y (I look so awkward in the first photo, not picture ready, but Mia was being way too cute without any prompting so I had to share!) #20weeks

...just doin' her thang. (her toes!!!)

Daddy's biggest helper right here! She dumps the washing bucket no less than 1,276 times, ha ha. I always loved "helping" my dad wash the car and it's so fun to see Mia enjoy this stuff with Eric!

 The cutest, most serious little fire fighter in training ;)

It's obvious that Mia girl is the star of my Instagram feed... it's so crazy to think that in a few short months she will be sharing the spot light with baby brother! Anyway, if you can't get enough of that sweet face (and soon to be two!) be sure to follow us at courtbrink!

dressing the bump {Pink Blush}

The Arizona summer heat I've heard (and dreaded) so much about has finally made it's appearance... and my bump thought this would be the perfect time to show up as well, ha ha! From what I hear, neither one (the heat or my bump) will disappear before October so it's time I learn how to dress my growing body when I'd rather wear nothing more than a swim suit. Yes, we will be spending copious amounts of time at the pool, but I do have to wear real clothing when I'm not swimming ;) I thought I would be buying all the maternity shorts I could get my hands on but I'm quickly learning that dresses are the way to go! So much more comfortable, not to mention light and airy which is what I need in the triple digit heat!

 Dress c/o Pink Blush Maternity

Pink Blush Maternity became my saving grace as they sent me this gorgeous floral maternity dress (as well as this dress that also accommodates nursing as well as the before and after baby body, and the tunic from my 22 week "bumpdate")! Pink Blush has the CUTEST clothing (maternity AND non maternity) which is obviously a necessity, but my favorite part is that these dresses will be so flattering when dressing my post baby body after our little man arrives! Getting dressed with a bump and/or during the in between stage of getting back in shape after having a baby isn't always the funnest, so I'm thrilled to have these cute options to choose from that will make me feel beautiful for many, many months to come!
If you're on the hunt for beautiful, affordable clothing no matter your body type, I would highly recommend checking out Pink Blush! And I apologize in advance if you get sick of these outfits... they will definitely be worn weekly from here until... forever ;)

a mother's intuition... or Mia's

Bow c/o Beck and Belle Bracelets c/o Poppy Lane and Co

Ever since I found out I was pregnant, I kept thinking we were going to have a boy. I couldn't tell you if that feeling came from intuition, or the fact that I only had a boy name picked out, ha ha! When I shared the story of how we surprisingly found out the gender early, I mentioned that I wasn't surprised about a boy, especially since Mia told me she was getting a baby brother. So here's the story :)

On March 5th, exactly one month after discovering I was pregnant (and Mia telling me that night that there was a baby in my belly) Mia told me the baby was a boy. We were doing our nightly ritual of rocking in the chair, reading a story, singing a couple of songs and praying before tucking her into bed. She mentioned the baby (with no prompting from me) and patted my tummy. I told her that baby loved her, and she replied with what sounded like she was trying to call the baby "baby brudder". So of course I asked her if the baby was a girl or boy?... She got a huge smile on her face and said, "BOY!" 

Big sister was right!! I just love how in tune Mia has been with my pregnancy! Baby brother is the luckiest ever to have Mia looking out for him!

22 weeks {babybrink#2}

Tunic c/o Pink Blush Maternity

Size of baby: a spaghetti squash or papaya. Those examples help me guess his size in NO WAY! Oh well...all that matters is that he's growin'! My belly's growing so I'm guessing we are on the right track :)

Movements: I remember getting excited to lay down and concentrate on feeling the tiniest of movements inside, and now I feel them all the time! With how crazy my days have been lately, his movements are the sweetest reminders that remind me to slow down and enjoy the little things! Plus they also remind me that, oh yeah! I'm PREGNANT! :)

Cravings: gimme allllll the junk food. I'm sure this has something to do with the fact that I've been trying to resist the junk with our upcoming babymoon. I seriously couldn't stop thinking about pizza, french fries, ice cream, etc. I finally decided I was going to give in one night and get a pizza from Costco, but Mia saved me from myself when I gave her the option to have pizza or white chicken chili for dinner. She chose the chicken chili! Of course, if I had mentioned the pizza was from Costco, she would have picked the pizza because she LOVES Costco, ha ha!

Miss anything: still missing clear, beautiful skin! Not that my skin was super amazing before getting pregnant... but these hormonal break outs are the pits!

Random: I was on the go every single day this last week and by the end each day my body hurt... It's safe to say that I've hit the stage in pregnancy where I can "over do it". But I haven't hit the stage yet where I can't walk at the end of the day when I do over do it, ha!

Best moment of the week: one night we were all in Mia's room getting ready to say family prayer before finishing Mia's bedtime routing and tucking her in for the night, Eric rubbed my belly and talked to the baby. Mia instantly got defensive and said, "NO! It's MY baby!" while patting her belly (she does this alllll the time, ha ha!) Eric responded with, "I know, but can you share with daddy?" So Mia started rubbing his belly and talking to the baby... ha ha! We couldn't stop laughing once we realized that she was sharing the baby by thinking it was in his belly while she rubbed and talked to it!