This Unfamiliar Road

Our little lady is quickly leaving the baby stage and has become a full blown toddler. She's 18 months y'all...going on 18 years!

Eating: That fun picky toddler eater has invaded my home. Bean is opinionated about her food choices, but at least she can let me know what she likes and doesn't like (or thoroughly enjoyed the day before and has become poison today!). Her favorites are yogurt, cheese, crackers, fruit, eggs, and mac n cheese of course. Veggies are hard! We weaned shortly after her first birthday and she truly did not have trouble at all!

Sleeping: My girl sleeps from about 7pm-7am. On a good day, she takes one 2.5 hour nap. She loves her Mickey Mouse, Seahorse, and 2 sassies (pacifiers) to go to sleep!


Skills: Eliza started walking between 13-14 months and hasn't looked back! She tries hard to keep up with big sister, and truly thinks she's a big kid, too. We can understand most of her words, and her vocabulary grows every day. She can easily follow directions, and enjoys helping out (for now!).

Teeth: A total of 12, with 4 more poking through. It must be hard to be a baby...whew!


Happy Times: Our boo loves going outside, coloring, washing hands, and watching Mickey Mouse. In general, she's still a pretty easygoing kiddo. Eliza is a climber, and really just enjoys doing anything that Peyton is doing.

 Unhappy Times: The 18 month old tantrums have taken over. Eliza has dealt with quite a few ear infections lately, and it seems that there are days she's just moody and irritable. Just a phase....


Stats: 22 lbs, wearing 18-24 month clothing


Oh Eliza Cate,
 You keep us on our toes these days, for sure! As Peyton so nicely puts it, you are "nothing but trouble." Even though you are in to EVERYTHING, I know it's just your way of exploring your world and testing those boundaries. I love watching you learn new things every day. Keep loving life sweet girl!

For the second Easter in a row, I was scheduled to work the weekend. For night shift, that means Friday and Saturday night. Technically I had Easter Sunday off, but I knew I would not be feeling very social.

On Saturday morning, Ben and the kids went to his Mom's house for the day to celebrate and let Mommy sleep in a quiet house. Eliza enjoyed her first Easter egg hunt...taught by the pro, of course!



On Saturday night, I got the best surprise...cancelled from work for the night! I enjoyed the evening with my kiddos...and then promptly fell asleep on the couch.
On Easter morning, we woke up to fun-filled baskets and some more family QT.


 So there we were on Easter morning with no reservations, nothing to cook for breakfast, and rain in the forecast. What did we do? We went to Waffle House of course :)


After breakfast, we got home for a quick Easter egg hunt before the rain came. It was a little cold, so I let Peyton pick out an outfit for hunting...








No cute monogrammed outfits, church, or fancy breakfast this year. Time with my family. It's all I needed.

This month, our fitness goal is all about the zzzzzzz's!

As a whole, our country really underestimates the importance of sleep. We put so much emphasis on filling our schedule that we forget to sleep!

Here are some guidelines to making it a priority:

How Much? The average adult needs 7.5-9 hours of sleep per night! Researchers have discovered that only 3% of the population carry a gene that enables them to function well on 6 hours a night.

How it Affects You: It's not just daytime drowsiness that you have to deal with. Chronic sleep deprivation can cause generalized fatigue, moodiness, and inability to cope with stress. It can also have a negative effect on your immune system and has a direct link to overeating and weight gain.

How To: 
-Establish a consistent bedtime routine and stick to it, even on the weekends
-Avoid screen time right before bed, which can cause over stimulation
-Consider sleep environment, like a dark cool room with the TV off
-Avoid caffeine or sugar right before bed.

Please visit these articles to learn more about sleep deprivation and how to sleep better!

Because I work night shift, I really have to focus on getting good sleep when I can. I have become fascinated with sleep cycles and rhythms.
We sleep in 1.5 hour cycles, and waking in the middle of a sleep cycle can make it difficult to become fully alert.

I use THIS bedtime calculator to determine when I should go to bed to ensure enough sleep that aligns with my sleep cycle.

Check out January and February fitness goals, too!

Happy Snoozing

Hey there! I'm back for the next installment of the Currently series. Let me know what you guys are currently up to!

Currently...

Realizing: Spring is coming! It seems like January and February are the longest months ever, but there is a tiny shimmer of light at the end of the winter tunnel.


Watching: YouTube videos on how to chalk paint.
I took a desk off a neighbor's hands almost a year ago, and it's still sitting in our garage just waiting for a makeover. I need to get going on it!

On Friday, I posted about the awesome deal I got on my NuMe Curling Wand. Since I have pretty long and very thick hair, I prefer big loose waves. I went with a NuMe Classic Wand 32mm.
I am completely clueless about how to use this thing. Thank goodness for YouTube y'all!
Here's my first go (6 hours after I curled)

I love the waves, and it actually stayed that way until the next morning! My hair is so heavy right now, so I was surprised it actually set in. Go NuMe!


And of course, Peyton wanted in on the selfie action ;)

Here is the YouTube video I watched if anyone else is as clueless as I was!
This girl has great tips on different types of curl and what NOT to do! Enjoy

I hope we have all been keeping up with January's fitness goal of drinking more water! It's a new month, which means adding in a new goal. Remember, the whole point of this series is to change habits little by little. So keep drinking that water, and now add February's goal of...

Eating Breakfast!


This one is easy for me because I've always been a breakfast eater. However, if you need some motivation, here are the top reasons why YOU should be eating breakfast:

 1. Weight Control. It's a common misconception that skipping breakfast=reducing calories. The truth is that people who skip breakfast make up those calories later in the day, usually because they are so hungry that they make poor food choices when snacking or eating other meals.

2. Energy Boost. Your body needs food for energy, so you can't expect it to go from dinnertime to lunch the next day with no fuel! Rather than relying on that 3rd cup of coffee to give you a morning boost, try eating something for breakfast. This also affects cognitive function and memory!

3. Nutrient Intake. To achieve the recommended daily intake of nutrients and vitamins, you should rely on breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a healthy snack. It would be very difficult to get the proper nutrients out of only 2 meals!

4. Immune Response. Your white blood cells, which are responsible for fighting infection, need some fuel too! Studies have shown that breakfast eaters have a decreased incidence of cold and flu.

So, what's the best thing to eat for breakfast? A variety of foods is ideal, to include fruits, veggies, whole grains, and a lean protein.
-Grab 'n Go options include:

• Whole wheat toast or English muffin with natural nut butter
• Whole wheat English muffin with egg white sandwhich
• Protein Shake or Smoothie (also ideal if you skip breakfast because you don't have a morning appetite!)
•  Hard boiled egg & fruit
• Low Fat Yogurt & fruit

My personal favorite for breakfast? My protein shakes that are a part of my nutritional rebalancing program. These shakes offer everything I need in a meal and they are delicious and fast! Just what I want to be sure that I stay on target to eat breakfast daily!

What are your favorite breakfast foods?

  Info source

This week's lovelies...

PediaCare Gentle Vapors. When you've been dealing with illness for years weeks, this little plug in unit is a lifesaver. No humidifiers to empty and clean- just a plug in with a little vapor pad. This thing is strong and truly helps the baby sleep better when she's all congested.


NuMe Wand. I've been considering a curling wand, but definitely didn't want to pay the premium! Thanks to IG, I got this one for $36 (regularly $139) SCORE!!! Now who wants to show me how to use this thing?
Daddy Boot Camp. Some fun new things on the horizon for the husband. And no...it's not what you're thinking. Stay tuned!



New Hair. My appointment is next week and I can't wait! I still have no clue what I'm going to do but I'm ready for a big change! Perhaps a little more red? I love this color and these waves.



 Storage Unit. Ben and his Dad built an awesome storage unit for our playroom. I am in love with it! There's hanging space for dress up clothes, and tons of areas for bins and other toys.

What are your faves today?