a youtube video

every time i watch this video or listen to the song, it just makes me happy.  heehee!  i don't know if you've seen it.  but i like it.

this is the original news story:

and this is the auto tune version:

hahahaha! i just get a kick.. and sometimes i dance & snap my figures along with it. heehee!

and this is just my ultimate favorite video of fox.  he was about 3 months old:

sometimes, i just like going back through the videos & pictures of when he was a baby & i just fall back in & more in love with this precious boy!!  i'm so blessed!

recent pics

i really love having an iphone 4.. i use it more than my regular camera because i always have my phone with me.  and the camera is pretty good on the phone.  and i looooove the instagram app on it.  i understand it better than the hipstamatic app.

here are some recent pics from my phone: 

mr. cool is ready for his license!

yummy pizza

one afternoon, we laid on a blanket in the yard & looked at the clouds & watched for "birdies"

i love this boy!!

my baby boy enjoying a little treat!

caught fox on top of the toilet.. trying to brush his teeth with my brush. told him to get down & this is him saying "no!"

pulling the grass in the yard!

fox's first pets, crisco & goldie!

he was trying to take off his shirt & got stuck!

fox's new smile!  love him!

wee bit wednesday

{one} how often do you do laundry?well, i basically do it throughout the week.. or i do a few loads a week.  the biggest problem i have with laundry is folding & putting them up right away.
{two} what is your favorite type of cookie?Hmmmm…chocolate chip, m&m's, peanut butter.. i'm not picky
{three} what would you do with an extra $2000 per month?pay off debt & save!!
{four} what was/is your favorite subject in school?science.. biology.. anatomy.  and band! 
{five} have you ever ridden in a hot air balloon?no and i don't think i want to.
{six} what was your high school mascot?Rebels!
{seven} if you had the chance to go into space, would you?nope, too scared my rocket/shuttle would blow up!
{eight} how often do you go dancing?never, going dancing or to clubs isn't really a place for a married wife & mother.  just saying... used to go salsa dancing in college.  i miss it.  but we do crazy & silly dancing around the house with fox.  ;-)
{nine} would you rather drive or fly?i like road trips.. if i'm not having to drive.  but i like flying, too.  but i'm always really nervous about it.
{ten} have you ever been caught re-gifting?i don't think so... and i don't think i ever have.

a website

today, i thought i'd share my hubby's website.  he's quite a talented fella.  not only is he an extremely talented musician with a voice that just melts me... he's a very talented graphic designer/artist.  

he does a lot of graphic works & designs/builds websites on the side.  our hopes for him in the future (hopefully near future) is for him to get on church staff full-time (worship/creative arts) & continue his schooling & graphics work on the side.  and i can be a stay at home mommy to our babies & support my hubby 110% along the way.  ;-)

so i'll share his website:

www.brandoncotten.com

he hasn't updated it in a while.. almost two years.  but you get the point of the type of work he does.

and we're not in albuquerque anymore *sad face*
and we had our baby boy.

if you ever need some graphic works/websites, shoot him an email (found on his website)!!

seriously, check out the site!

16 weeks & baby bump

baby bump @ 16 wks (hand under bump)

baby bump @ 16 wks (hand over bump)

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along: 

16 weeks

Size of baby: 

about 4.5 inches long

size of an avocado

Maternity clothes: 

well, i've finally pulled them out of the box.  i've worn a pair of my maternity jeans.. and it's only because my regular jeans were dirty.. and i was lazy with the laundry.  i was going to wear a maternity outfit the other day because i needed something dressy & all my dressy clothes were dirty.. but i just looked ridiculous in it.  ha!

Gender: 

don't know yet!!  but may 12th is the day we find out the sex of the baby!!

Movement: 

sunday night, i felt the baby for sure.  i've felt a few flutters now for a few weeks.  but sunday night was definite.  i was laying in bed & felt a kick/punch.  so i gently pressed back & the baby kicked/punched back.  and i've been feeling the movements every day!

Sleep: 

sleep is pretty good.  wishing i could take naps after work, tho.

What I miss: 

hmmm... this week i miss albuquerque.  because that's where fox was born.  and i loved my hospital & city.  and i miss fox being little.  i can't believe he'll be 2 in just a few short months.

Cravings: 

nothing really

Aversions:  

mexican food

Symptoms: 

i hate throwing up.  i don't really have nausea, but just throw up on a whim.  it's gotten better, i can tell.. but i want it to be completely gone.

Best moment this week: 

• see movement above.
• i went to the baby doctor yesterday & got to listen to the heartbeat.. and even heard the baby kick a few times.
• fox was in his daycare's Spring program.  his class performed The Wheels on the Bus Tuesday night.. and he was quite the performer.  and the only one in his class that did all the motions.  i have a video, but it's really crappy & when i uploaded it, it was horizontal.. so i'll wait til i get the dvd from his school so i can share.  i was so proud of him!!  i think the proudest i've ever been! love that boy!  and since we don't have family here, our sweet friends, Brook, Ashlyn, Austin, Brett & Angela, & Stephen, Rachel & Adalie came to cheer & watch Fox perform.  blessed to have great people in my life & friends that are family!!

wee bit late.. again

normally, i have time everyday to get on & visit my favorite blogs, but yesterday i was so busy & didn't get to do my wee bit wednesday.. so it's one day late.

{one} have you ever fainted?yes, the last time i fainted was when i donated blood (in case of transfusion) for my mom's exploratory surgery (when they found the cancer).. i was fine after donating & me & mrs. denise went to see my mom & we were headed to the hospital's cafeteria for lunch.  as we were waiting for the elevator, i told mrs. denise i felt weird & she stated that she had too, but it passed.  and then i said "mrs. denise, i can't see anymore".. and the next thing i know is i blacked out, but knew that the nurses & mrs. denise had dragged me to the waiting room & had me drink orange juice.  it was a little freaky.  didn't want to be hospitalized!
{two} what is your favorite casino game?i've only gone to casinos to eat.. not play games.
{three} do you have a good sense of direction?i think so.. for the most part.
{four} laptop or desktop?i like the convenience of a laptop.
{five} what is your go-to hair style when having a bad hair day?ponytail
{six} do you read the newspaper on a daily basis?no.. i read foxnews.com
{seven} do you have a favorite celebrity chef?chef gordon ramsey & the cake boss guy.
{eight} what tv show would you like to make a guest appearance on?the office.
{nine} do you have satellite radio in your car?no
{ten} what was the last movie that made you cry?hmmmm... i can't remember.. i think it was little women playing on tv.

a recipe

i am still trying to finish out the 30 days of me that has turned into "half a year of me"... ha!  i'm horrible.

i'm not much of a cook.. and i don't pretend to know what the heck i'm doing when i'm in the kitchen.  and i cook the same meals over & over & over & over again.

so i'm sharing an easy recipe... that i've been thinking about to make for lunch (or dinner).

turkey/tortilla wrap:

•  turkey lunch meat
•  flour tortilla
•  cream cheese
•  chunky salsa
•  lettuce
•  shredded cheese

1. warm the tortilla. 
2. spread cream cheese on one side of tortilla
3. layer turkey meat, lettuce, cheese, chunky salsa
4. roll it up & enjoy

something else, i've been kinda craving is my mom's pico de gallo.  so i'll share that as well.

pico de gallo: 

depending on how much you want, depends on how much of the ingredient you get.

• 2-4 Roma tomatoes: finely diced
• 1 small onion (white): finely diced
• cilantro: you'll want just one "bushel" or whatever you call it & freeze it before you use it.
• 2-3 limes
• salt
• jalepenos: optional

1. Finely dice/chop the tomatoes & onion.
2. Chop the cilantro.. just the leafy part. much easier when frozen
3. Cut limes in half & squeeze juice into bowl that contains other ingredients.
4. Add salt to season how you like it.
5. Add chopped jalapenos if wanted.
6. Combine & mix
7. Chill in fridge

i love to make some carne asada to go along with the pico de gallo which i place over white rice.  or you can grill chicken.  sometimes i just like to eat pico with rice! 

so i'll just give you the recipe for carne asada that my mom would use.  this is a really simple recipe.

carne asada:

• flank or skirt steak (sometimes, i just use a regular steak)
• 2-3 limes
• garlic
• salt

1. trim your steak or cut it in strips.. sometimes i just get the small steaks where i don't have to cut it at all.
2. place steaks in a baking dish.. depending on how many you are making, depends on how big the dish.
3. mince garlic cloves (also it depends on how much you are making & you don't want it to be really garlic-y)
4. place garlic over steaks
5. squeeze lime juice over steaks (just enough to marinade it)
6. flip the steaks to make sure you get the marinade on both sides of steaks
7. cover & marinade it overnight or for several hours
8. pre-heat oven @ 350 degrees... and cover casserole/baking dish with aluminum foil.  cook until steak is tender.. at least 30 mins.  (i haven't made it in a while.. so i don't really remember how long to cook it).  or you can grill the steaks!

 so there you have it!  some good ole recipes for you!

fox is getting too big!

my little man is getting too, too big!!  and i am quite sad.  he just turned 20 months old.. meaning less than 4 months before he turns 2 years old!!  i can't believe i'll have a 2 year old in a few short months!  

he is such a blast right now.  he looooves being outside.  he loves animals, especially birdies.  and is talking so well!  he knows a lot of words.. and animal sounds.  he kinda has a raspy, husky voice.  he's helping around the house.  and he's so smart.  but sometimes, he's too big for his own britches!  and he is such a sweetheart!  i just love him.

:: some of my recent favorite things about fox ::

• he will grab my face with both hands and just kiss me or move my head towards his face & when i kiss him, he'll pull my face away & back down until we kiss again & so on.
• he helps load the dishwasher.  i will show him how to place a sippy cup on the top rack & i will hand them to him one by one & he will place them all in there... he also does the silverware (minus the knives) & his little plates/bowls.  
• sometimes, he likes to stand on the dishwasher door when things are being loaded.
• he takes & throws things away in the trash.

• he places his dishes in the sink.  brandon taught him how to drink the milk from the cereal bowl..so one night, after eating cereal, fox took the spoon & ceramic bowl to the sink & we heard a ding/crash & i was like "oh my gosh, he has that breakable bowl".. and we heard another one.. brandon ran to the kitchen & saw that fox had put both the spoon & bowl in the sink.  haaaaaaahahaha!  he's a smart boy. sidenote:: i am not enforcing fox to do any chores.. but he freaks out & wants me when i am needing to get chores done or cook.. so instead of stressing & allowing myself to freak out or get irritated or allow my blood pressure to go up, i've decided to involve him with whatever i am doing.  and he loves helping his momma & dada.  he feels like a big boy! 
•  he teetee'd for the first time in his little potty Monday night.  i was so happy & he started clapping & was so proud of himself!!
• he knows most of his friends' names & asks for them.
• when we ask him to say an animal's name, he makes the animal sound.
• how he goes crazy & asks for Barney in the mornings.. or any time of day.  but i'm honestly tired of watching Barney.
• i love when he & brandon wrestle & he just gets so tickled & laughs so hard.
• i love when he looks worried & gibber jabbers to me whenever i'm throwing up (thanks to pregnancy)
• i love snuggling in bed with him.. or when he wakes up, gives me a kiss & goes back to sleep.

:: here are some recent videos of my boy :: 

 

even though, fox is getting older.. he will always be my baby.. my first baby love!!  i get so giddy just thinking about him.. and how much i love him!! 

wee bit o' jess

{one} what is one food that, as an adult you love, but as a child you said you’d never touch?green beans.  hated it with a passion.. now, it's one of my favorites!
{two} did you go to college? if yes, what was your major?i did go.  for the first 2 years, i was pre-med.  switched to exercise science (pre-physical therapy) my 3rd year. withdrew my 2nd semester because my mom was dying of cancer.  planned on taking the next year off to chill & regroup.  got engaged, dad said i needed a degree.  so i switched to general studies & got my associates so i could get married.  so after i have this child, i plan on going back to school.  probably for nursing, dental hygiene.. something medical for sure.
{three} what’s the most wild animal you’ve seen in real life (not counting the zoo)?hmmm, a deer?  i'm not the most adventurous type & will not put myself in situations to see wild animals.
{four} have you ever been to a fortune teller?no
{five} can you juggle?no, i fail at it.
{six} hardwood floors or carpet?i like hardwood floors.
{seven} is it called “soda” or “pop”?coke.  it must be a southern thing.. because i think we refer to everything as coke, but if you want the actual COKE, you say Coca-Cola.  but i've said soda, too.
{eight} what was your first car?1996 Toyota Corolla
{nine} what is the most decadent dessert you’ve ever eaten?hmm, i'm not sure.  maybe something we had on our cruise for our honeymoon.
{ten} how often do you rearrange your furniture?rarely.  last time, i rearranged was to make room for our Christmas tree.

15 weeks & baby bump

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along: 

15 weeks

Size of baby: 

about 4 inches long,

size of an apple

Maternity clothes: 

still haven't sported any maternity clothes, yet. can still fit in my jeans & shirts, but i was planning on getting them out this weekend, just so i'll have a different wardrobe & my Springy clothes.

Gender: 

still don't know.  i'm guessing i won't find out until i'm 20 wks, which will not be until the middle of may.

Movement: 

i think i've felt the baby move a few times.  not sure.  i hate this stage in pregnancy when you have to go weeks without an ultrasound to know baby is okay & don't really feel any kicks, you know?  i know i'm not miscarrying, obviously, but just that ultimate peace of mind.

Sleep: 

sleep has been pretty good.  i take naps whenever i can or whenever fox allows it.  ha! saturday, we all took an almost 4 hours nap.  it was wonderful!

What I miss: 

not feeling yucky.. and being able to eat whatever i want.

Cravings: 

nothing really, but i've been eating a lot of pickles...oh!  and just plain rice & beans.  weird, i know.  but i've just been wanting that a few times a week.  haha!

Aversions:  

mexican food..well, at least their ground beef.

Symptoms: 

i still hate throwing up.  and that's really all the symptoms i have.. with an occasional headache.

Best moment this week: 

well, so far this week.. i love when fox pats my belly & says "baby".  and my hubby went grocery shopping for me last night & brought back these treats...

pregnant, much?!

oh!!  and last week, brandon & i finally picked out & agreed on our baby names for either a boy or a girl!  yay!!  so glad that is out of the way!!  yaaaaaaay!

heeeee's baaaaaaaack!!

he's back, he's back, he's back!

glad to have you home, bubba!

my brother made it back safely from afghanistan!!  wooooohooo!  and praise God!!

my brother was away since mid August & just returned this past Sunday.  i was unable to make it to his unit's homecoming & i am so looking forward to going to Louisiana in a few weeks for when he does come home for a few weeks!!  i can't wait to hug him & let fox play with his uncle!

my bubba & his friend with new towels that were donated to the marines

i'm so glad i can now rest & sleep easy.. and have a more peaceful mind.  but most of all, I am so grateful for God hearing all our prayers & cries by bringing him & his unit back home to us.  and i am so grateful for the love & support of so many family members, friends, and churches that sent care packages to him & his friends... and sent up prayers, as well!   

pictures of him while in afghanistan:

he's the one in the back with the rocket

pretty sure he's the one in the center

taking biometrics of an Afghan man

semper fi!