First Birthday

Tristans First Birthday was a success. All our closest friends and family showed up and had a great time. His cake that I made him turned out great! Too bad his Daddy deployed (after a hundreds of schedule changes) a day afterwards.

Favorite Summer Recipe

Chili Chicken Kabobs

YIELD: 4 KABOBS
PREPARATION TIME: 15 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 10-15 MINUTES

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Details

Kabobs are the perfect dinner for a hot summer’s night! Try this simple, quick and delicious recipe from The Eat-Clean Diet for Men!

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp / 45 ml best-quality olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp / 22 ml balsamic vinegar
• Juice of one fresh lime
• 1 tsp / 5 ml chili powder
• 1/2 tsp / 2 1/2 ml paprika
• 1 large onion, chopped into thick pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• 1 tsp / 5ml cayenne pepper
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 lb / 454 g boneless skinless chicken breast*, cut into 1 1/2 inch / 4-cm pieces

*NOTE: Use pork, beef or bison tenderloin or turkey as alternative kabob meats. A sturdy, meaty fish such as salmon works well here too.

Preparation

In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and lime juice. Season with chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pressed garlic.

Place the chicken in a shallow baking dish with the sauce and stir to coat.

Preheat the grill to medium high. Thread the chicken onto the skewers, alternating with chopped onion pieces. Discard the marinade.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill the skewers for 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear.

Easter Sunday!

We woke up and went to church then to Brunch at BUBBA'S with our navy family and roommates. We went for a walk and hung out and grilled out. What an amazing day! Since Jason leaves for his long deployment in about two weeks, it was awesome to have a break from his regular deployments to spend with us!

New Words

Tristan's first word besides mama and dada was "tickle"- who knew? I guess cause we rough house so much and are constantly tickling him, he picked it up and loves to say it. We also taught him "papa" for my dad!

First Steps Video

First steps! It's time to baby proof! Tristan's first steps were very exciting but it was the start of my never ending workout!

It's not a Diet, It's a Lifestyle

This is the Volume that changed it all. I needed to change my life. I was not happy with my body. I was tired all the time. I had no energy and no strength. That was not fair to my son. So I've lived a clean lifestyle for about a month and it's amazing. My body is completely transforming- i've lost weight and inches and the definition is amazing. I have so much energy and strength. Remember exercise is only 10% and genetics 10%; leaving nutrition which is a whopping %80 of a clean eating lifestyle. So stay away from simple sugars, saturated fats, and basically anything that didn't come straight from the source. I challenge you to change your life!

And the Chase begins!

3.22.10
Tristan took his first steps and is into everything and anything. He's a rebel child and doesn't listen to anything I say. His first word is of course, NO! video's to follow later...

First Haircut

3.13.10
We tried to wait until his first birthday but his hair became way to out of control. Plus we wanted to do it before Jason left for overseas (that date keeps getting moved, but I'm not complaining). It was even more special that his Auntie Dalenna and Godmother could cut it for the first time too!

Shamu Strikes Again!

Yesterday a trainer for Seaworld died after decades of service. She was killed by an Orca whale named Tilikum, who apparently grabbed her off the deck where she was rubbing him, and swam around the pool thrashing around her body and subsequently drowning her. If you know me you know I don't particularly like animals, and I'm terrified of all water creatures. So I'm wondering why it's not okay for people to go whaling for food, but it's perfectly okay for a whale to kill THREE people? Yes THREE, this whale has killed THREE people in it's 30 years of life. Don't you think now maybe the time for this animal- the largest Killer Whale in captivity- to be let go (and you can take that in several different ways). We put dogs to sleep after they bite someone, but a whale tortures three people and it's okay because we are the ones who kept him in captivity. Let me leave you with the quick definition of terrorism: "the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals". Point made!



http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-02-24-seaworld-whale-death_N.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilikum_(whale)#Tilikum

Hokey Pokey

Tristan has learned to stand on his own! I give him about another 2 weeks to fully master walking! I am so exhausted by the end of the day just chasing him around the house, I could not even write my paper last night! I am so excited that Jason will be home for three on Friday so maybe he will get to see Tristan walk before he deploys for 7 months again!

YMCA

We joined the Y this past month and so far it has been a great experience. Childwatch is by far the greatest benefit over other gyms. I take classes every morning at the Mount Trashmore location and have already seen a great difference in my energy and my body. You can visit any of the locations around the South Hampton Roads Location. After having a baby women struggle with getting their bodies back in shape because they don't have a sitter or time but I challenge you to give the Y a chance. I love it! Here is the video and the website link check it out:

http://www.ymcashr.org/

Teething

Tristan finally at 9 months olds got his first two bottom teeth. Here are some teething tips for new moms offered by the Mayo Clinic:

• Rub your baby's gums. Use a clean finger, moistened gauze pad or damp washcloth to massage your baby's gums. The pressure can ease your baby's discomfort.
• Offer a teething ring. Try one made of firm rubber. The liquid-filled variety may break under the pressure of your baby's chewing.
• Keep it cool. A cold washcloth or chilled teething ring can be soothing.
• Dry the drool. Excessive drooling is part of the teething process. To prevent skin irritation, keep a clean cloth handy to dry your baby's chin.
• Try an over-the-counter remedy. If your baby is especially cranky, acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) may help.
  

Flu shot Reaction

Friday around 11 Tristan got his follow-up seasonal flushot. He was fine the rest of the day and on Saturday night he was scheduled to have a sleepover with my aunt and cousins so mommy and daddy could have a night out. At around 2 o'clock in the morning my aunt called and said he woke up crying and wanted to cuddle and was very warm. We picked him up and gave him the amount of tylenol on the bottle. Later Sunday afternoon he got so hot and flushed we decided we had to take him to the hospital. When we arrived his temperature was 104.5. They gave him a mega dose of tylenol and motrin and admitted him to make sure the temp came down. They also told me the back of the bottle dosage of tylenol was not enough and it was a "safe" dosage. So I do not know if Tristan will be getting a flu shot again!

Earthquake in Haiti-Maison Fortune Orphanage

A good friend from high school arrived in Haiti a day before the earthquake struck to volunteer at the orphanage his Dad has supported and engineered for nearly 10 years now. While my friend is okay the country is not. The orphanage was not structurally affected but children are sure to come piling in as news of their parents death and the need for survival faces them. Maison Fortune is taking donations of anything all the time if you have the time or money to contribute!

Mr. Giggles!

He is such a flirt!

Swim Lessons!

Because Jason and I are very well versed swimmers, we find it really important to get Tristan accustomed to the water and eventually teach him how to swim skillfully. This past Saturday he had his first swim lesson and absolutely had a blast. He had no fear whatsoever of the water and enjoyed every minute of it. If you are interested in lessons we take them at the YMCA where we are members. It is $38 for members and $90 for non-members for an 8 week class.

Life as I know it Just Got WAYYY more Exciting- He's Crawling!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today January 12th is my 23rd birthday! Of course it is also the first day of school. Thankfully my classes have all been enjoyable this far. I had a surprise birthday party thrown this weekend in my honor by my roommate and best friend and husband. Good times with great friends was all I wanted and is exactly what I got. Well of course I also go a Dooney and Burke bag from Jason which was a nice treat.