Getting Ready for Baby + My mom is Amazing!

With (hopefuly) less than a month to go - I am almost finished with everything I wanted to have done before this new baby gets here!

Things have been so busy and this pregnancy has been a lot harder than my first! LOTS and LOTS of decreased energy - although that may have something to do with chasing around a very active two year old all day long.

Here is my most recent BABY BUMP pic - at 34.5 weeks:

This post is mostly to show you the AMAZING things my mom has made for our Little Ox #2. I like to rave about how amazing my mom is because she - well she's just that - AMAZING!

She is so selfless and so loving toward other people - it amazes me. AND on top of all that she is so talented. When I was pregnant with my first son - she went all out and sewed him over 40 adorable spit up rags, his own crib set, sheets, and a quilt. Since then, my husband and I convinced her to open her own Etsy shop - which is something she has wanted to do for a while. And she did!

CLICK HERE to visit her shop.

Well, since I got pregnant with #2, she wanted to do the same kind of thing for this baby. I LOVE it all SO much I just had to share it with the world. We are doing #2's nursery in nautical theme - full of whales, anchors, and lighthouses galore! Here is just a start of what she has done for us so far:

Boppy Cover:

Car Seat Canopy:

with WARM minky underside

A Spit up Rag/ Receiving Blanket Set:

AND the one that blows me away the most-

A Car Seat Cover with matching hood:

She did the last one with NO pattern and the hood is absolutely perfect. 

She is also making #2 his own crib set as well that will include - a crib skirt, a quilt, two sets of sheets, and a diaper stacker.

Everyone should really check out her website and share it with your friends!

www.etsy.com/shop/mimasnurseryshoppe 

Gender Announcement!

I forgot to post this but this is what we did when we announced the gender of Little Ox #2!

WE ARE SO EXCITED to be having another little boy and a little BROTHER for Josiah.

Refreshed at 16 Weeks

I think it is crazy how fast this pregnancy is flying by compared to the last!

16 WEEKS.

Some of the best parts right now:

• more energy
• less nausea
• Showing - instead of just looking like I gained weight out of nowhere!
• BABY WIGGLES
• Name planning

Some of the not so great parts:

• nausea (even though it has lessened)
• back aches
• headaches
• ligament stretching - UGH.

On top of that - I have been having issues with my tailbone - which has been painful at times.

However, all of this brings me to today and 

PiYo.

I only just got this program today and I am going to tell you why I already LOVE it.

The last few weeks my body has been aching. Even though I have been working out, I felt like my body needed something different. I started pondering over a few ideas and programs - and ultimately landed on PiYo. I knew I wanted to get it eventually, but I wasn't thinking in the middle of my pregnancy. However, I knew I needed yoga or something to get my body feeling refreshed AND worked out all at the same time. BOY am I glad I chose PiYo over everything else I considered. 

And like I said - I have only done the first day. Since I was pretty familiar with yoga and pilates, I skipped the foundations video and started with lower body - and here is why I fell in love immediately.

• MY tailbone and lower back have IMMEDIATELY improved. 
• My mind AND body feel so refreshed.
• It was exactly what my body was telling me it NEEDED.

And just a little bonus to throw in there:

• One move made me have to stop a second because I could feel our little baby flippy-flopping all over the place. MAGICAL :)

So get PiYo. End of story. 

Little Ox #2 - Week 10

10.5 WEEKS!

Our little baby is one-quarter of the way done! :)

It is exciting that our baby has moved from an embryo into a fetus this week! Yay!
This pregnancy seems to already be moving a lot faster than the time before - no doubt, because I have another little one keeping me busy :)

It is weird to think that I am already 25% done with this pregnancy!

Luckily the nausea is starting to subside, because the last two weeks it got much worse and it was very difficult to eat.

Plus, last week we were able to see our little one for the first and and hear its little (but LOUD) heartbeat. That is always SO exciting, just watching the baby grow and change every time you go in for a new ultrasound.

We probably wont be as lucky as before - with Josiah we had around 18 ultrasounds throughout the course of the pregnancy - which was AMAZING, even though some of them were for scary reasons at the time.

I am figuring we wont have that many this time, so every chance we have to see our baby on that ultrasound is exciting! :)

Not showing much yet, but my lower abdomen is definitely already starting to harden up. Love the progress!

This week or next week I will be starting my first trimester blood work and have to do the 2 hour sugar test. BLEH! Wish me luck! :)

Little Ox #2 - Week 8

A little behind on my week 8 post. (I will actually be 9 weeks on Thursday).

Only 2 more days until we can see our little one's heartbeat and get our first picture of him/her!

Here is what I hate right now:

• nausea!!!!
• fatigue

Yeah, that's about it. But don't think it is all "easy-peasy" since I only hate those two things right now. If you have ever been pregnant you know how much these TWO simple things can debilitate you. 

It's also interesting how different these two things are compared to my last pregnancy. 

With Josiah, nausea KILLED me. I could hardly eat. In fact, I believe I lost 10-15 pounds the first trimester because of how little I could actually eat. And it wasn't cute little morning sickness that went away after noon hit. It was ALL DAY LONG - literally from the second I woke up until the moment I fell asleep. 

With this baby, I knew how miserable I was last time, so I have to force myself to eat, nausea and all. Same with fatigue. Last time, it was easy to take a long nap in the middle of the day, then get up and get things done. But things change when you have a toddler.

I now do not have the luxury of laying down for a mid day nap and moseying through chores when I wake up. I don't have the ability to lay in bed all day complaining about being hungry but not being able to eat.

Welcome to motherhood. Suck it up, Kimberly. I do not have time to let myself feel sick or tired because I have another human life (besides the one growing inside of me) that needs love and constant attention. Luckily, this has actually benefitted me! Forcing myself to eat - even though nothing sounds good - makes the nausea go away! And not doing chores because I am too exhausted means more play time and attention to my little one year old who needs me. :)

Week 8 Stats:

• Symptoms:
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Movements:
• None yet!
• Cravings:
• Mexican Food
• Fruit Popsicles

A Late Christmas Present is to be Expected.

I am not sure if you have ever experienced this, but the joy, excitement, and rush of love you get when you see the "Second Line" - is so amazing!

The Oxford Fam is expecting another little one coming early January!!

Our little family is beyond excited for this new adventure in our life. It still seems so unreal, but we are praying that this little miracle of life will continue to grow and bless us with its presence at the beginning of next year.

I will officially be 6 weeks along this week and I am excited to share with you my journey through my second pregnancy. I will be committing to one post a week that is focused on my pregnancy, our excitement, and how we are preparing for this new life to join our family.

Although Josiah is still young and doesn't really understand what having a sibling means - we know he is excited too ;-) 

I love seeing him and hearing him point to my belly and say "baby". It is one of the sweetest things ever.

See, doesn't he look like a proud big brother?!

Zucchini-Cucumber-Cashew Soup

When I started The Ultimate Reset this past week I was a little skeptical about this recipe on the meal plan. It sounded good but I also couldn't really imagine how it would taste, but I thought I would give it a shot! However I did make a few changes to it to give it my own take - and I thought I would share the recipe with you. *(Recipe at bottom of post)

Zucchini-Cucumber-Cashew Soup (4 servings)!

1. First, you soak the cashews in 2 cups of water for 1 hour.

   2. While your cashews are soaking, peel and chop all veggies and cut into chunks.

   3. Chop your fresh herb mixture. I used basil, cilantro, and parsley. Feel free to use your favorite herb        mixture to taste, then fill a pot up with water and boil it on medium heat.

   4. After the water is boiling, pour veggies in boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Then drain.

   5. Pour all components into a large bowl or blender. (Our large blender was broken so I had to blend      separately in a Bullet! It took a while longer but it worked! That is why I mixed mine in the bowl          first). Pour in cashews (+the soaking water), then herb mixture and pink Himalayan salt to taste. Then    cooked veggies. Blend!

   6. ENJOY! :)

Zucchini-Cucumber-Cashew Soup (4 servings)

• 4 oz. of whole raw Cashews
• 2 cups of water (plus more for boiling), separated
• 3 zucchinis
• 1 1/2 cucumbers
• 3 small carrots
• I added 1/2 onion (but that is optional)
• Herb seasoning Mixture
• I used basil, cilantro, and parsley
• Pink Himalayan salt, to taste

Feel free to play around with the veggies, but keep the amounts relatively the same :)

Enjoy!

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Excellence rather than Perfection.

It is so important to remember that in any area of life we are never going to achieve perfection.

I am NEVER going to be a perfect mom.
I am NEVER going to be perfect at working out.
I am NEVER going to eat perfectly all the time.
I am NEVER going to be a perfect wife.
I am NEVER going to be perfect at my job.

I see so many people striving for perfection and then beat themselves up because they have failed. Well, you will always fail when your goal is perfection.

It is okay to not be perfect or not do something perfectly.

What is the purpose in an unattainable goal? Why wear yourself out in a never-ending search striving for something that is impossible? You are only setting yourself up for failure, heartbreak, and self defeat.

Our goal should be progress, excellence, achievement. Our goal should be self love and personal development. Our goal should be anything but perfect.

I am also not saying that we should not strive for excellence, be lazy, or throw out goals all together. FAR FROM THAT.

We need goal. We need something to strive for. These things can fuel us, keep us on track, and make us the best versions of ourselves we can be.

We NEED more of these things and less of worrying about having the perfect body, being the stepford wife, and the A+ mom everyone dreams of.

How will you be committed to excellence instead of perfection today?

When will YOU start throwing away the idea that perfection is attainable?

Summer Slim Down. Are you up for the challenge?

We are starting a new group in just a few short weeks and if you feel like now is the time for you, let me know!  I could not have done it by myself. I am SO thankful every day that I have people on this journey with me to support, encourage, and PUSH me daily to do the best that I can do.

Summer is only a few months away and it is also the perfect time to get a jump start on creating a healthier life for yourself! And what better time than with TWO amazing programs on sale!

Join me!  I will be starting the Ultimate reset soon and I would love a few people who are extra motivated to hop on board with me. 

Message me or email me so we can talk!

Ergobaby Babyyyy!!

We are LOVING the Ergobaby carrier today! When J was younger we loved our Moby Wrap and used it to death! And we still love our Moby. But it doesn't seem to work as well now that he is a lot bigger and heavier - so he usually prefers to walk himself. 

BUT...

since we haven't been using the Moby Wrap and since we are going on vacation soon (doing LOTS of walking) we decided to finally get one after seeing and hearing SO many good things about them! (Plus Target was having an amazing sale at the time.)

Also, Josiah loved #babywearing as much as I did - and I think we were both missing it. The only thing I worried about was that he would not want to be carried anymore. (you know, since once a toddler gets the taste of freedom and independence - there is no turning back.)

However - HE LOVES IT. 

YAY!

1 point for mom 

1 point for baby

10 points for Ergobaby!

Everyone wins.

I was testing the three carrier ways out and every time I took him out - he would cry and want back up! 

I think we will use it a few times a day until our trip so we can wear it in and get him used to it.

Pros:

• love the comfort
• for mama and baby
• light feeling
• not too hot
• puts pressure lower in hips rather than back
• front, back, and side carrying
• safe for baby's hips
• sleeping/weather "hood"
• cute colors
• easy to put on/off by self

Cons:

• Not outward facing (although I didn't care for that much anyway)
• although they now have Ergobaby 360 for that.

Any other baby wearing mamas love their Ergo?

In the Blink of an eye

My baby boy is 15 months and 3 days old today. It is hard to believe sometimes that I have a TODDLER. I remember when he could hardly hold his head up, the first time he said da-da, and the rush of joy and love I felt when HE wanted to kiss ME for the first time.

I found this old picture that was taken a year ago. J was barely 3 months old.

and here he is yesterday at 15 months old:

That same amazing smile that lights up his (and everyone else's) face. That same soft face and beautiful brown hair.

The same blue-gray eyes, just like his mommies. The same silly attitude and olive skin like his daddies. 

I love seeing the little boy that he is growing up to be (even if it is a little naughty every now and then!) ;) I wouldn't trade him for the world and I am SO blessed to be able to stay home with him and enjoy every second taking in his AWESOME-ness.

Just needed to get that out. I am a little emotional right now. Why do they have to grow up so quickly?! 

Barnyard-Themed First Birthday!

Josiah's birthday was in January but since it happened before the website launch, I thought I would make a post about the party! It was very much "Pinterest inspired" and it turned out exactly how I pictured it. He enjoyed himself and LOVED all of the decorations!

I will start with the food since I LOVED the clever names for all of the food.
It was an afternoon party, so we mostly had appetizers and cake.
Here is some of the food:

Included is:

"Farm Fresh Eggs"

Deviled Eggs

"Barnyard Chicken Sandwiches"

"Chicken Feed"

Chex Mix

"Pigs in a Blanket"

"Hay Stacks"

Rice Crispy Treats

"Garden Veggies"

Along with that. Here are a few more shots of the table, as well as the decorations. We even had a friend of our bring in hay bales for the gift table (which also allowed Josiah to feel like a "big boy" sitting on them while opening his gifts.

And more decorations...

Last but not least, THE CAKE.

We bought a small and large cake for the guest but I also made J his own "healthy cake" - and he didn't even know the difference ;)

Found it here: 

http://whisperedinspirations.com/2011/05/30/babys-first-organic-birthday-cake-recipe/

Pure joy.

For party favors, we wanted to keep it simple. We stuck with the rustic/farm theme and tied up brown paper sacks with burlap ribbon and gave everyone homemade caramel corn and chocolate chip cookies.

What were your little one's first birthday themes?