Five on Friday!

Happy Friday!

I'm super excited for the weekend.  

Football, cooking, time with my hubby and little man, AND the first official day of Fall is Sunday!  Could it get any better?!  YES! - Add wine to that list.  ;)

Here is my current love this for the week...

1.  I'm going to start with my favorite picture from this week.  Of course it's of my little guy.    Pretty sure I'm obsessed with taking pictures of him.  Now, I will add that he is not always smiling.  Who takes pics of their little ones crying?  Exactly!  So of course they're all happy happy happy pictures!  This kid cracks me up.  He's 8 weeks old and he is becoming a little character.  I'm so sad that he's growing so stinkin fast but it's so much fun watching him change and develop.

2.  This candle from Bath & Body is seriously the best for Fall.  The scent is called "Leaves." It smells so good AND how cute is the mason jar?!  

3.  Yep, this pretty much sums it up.

4.  I love handbags!  I haven't bought a new one in so long.   I came across this beauty and I think I need it in my life.  It's funny how when you become a Mom, your purse pretty much becomes the diaper bag.  Or at least for awhile.  I miss carrying a purse all the time.

5.  We tried a new Tilapia recipe this week.  We love Tilapia but it's such a bland fish that you really need to add tons of flavor.  This recipe was awesome and it turned out to be so fresh tasting!

Ginger and Cilantro Baked Tilapia

1 lb tilapia fillets

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 inch fresh ginger, grated, about 1 tablespoon

1 jalapeño pepper, roughly chopped (optional)

1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves

1/4 cup white wine

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Scallions, chopped for garnish

Extra cilantro, to garnish

Heat the oven to 475°F. Pat the fish dry, season lightly with salt and pepper, and lay in a 9×9-inch or 8×8-inch ceramic or glass baking dish.

Put the garlic, grated ginger, chopped jalapeño, and cilantro in a small food processor with the white wine, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Whir until blended. (Alternately, you can finely chop or mash the aromatics in a mortar and pestle, then whisk together with the liquid ingredients.)

Pour the sauce over the fish, rubbing it in a little. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through. It will be very moist and even a little gelatinous, still.

Serve immediately over brown rice or orzo, garnished with the additional scallions and cilantro.

Hope everyone has a great Friday and an even greater weekend!

Five on Friday Link Up

It's Friday already?  Seriously, time flies when you have a newborn baby!  And boy oh boy, what a week it's been!

~ one ~

This little handsome man.  I'm obviously obsessed with his cuteness.  I didn't think it was possible but I fall more and more in love with him each and every day.  He is my little miracle baby and his Daddy and I adore him.  

~ two ~

Another fantastic recipe!  We actually tried this one weeks ago but I haven't had a chance to post it yet. We had it again this week and I'm so addicted.  It's such a light meal and it's even better the next day for leftovers.  It is the bomb.com!

Sesame and Peanut Noodles

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
12 ounces linguine
Peanut Dressing:
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Zest and juice of 1/2 lime
Salad:
1/2 cup loosely-packed chopped fresh cilantro
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
1/3 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup roughly chopped skinless roasted peanuts, for garnish
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the sesame seeds in a pie tin and toast in the oven until light golden in color, 4 to 6 minutes, and set aside. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente. Do not overcook. Drain, reserving some of the starchy pasta water, rinse and set aside.

For the peanut dressing: Place the peanut butter in a large measuring cup and microwave to soften, 15 seconds. Whisk in with the soy sauce, vinegar, canola oil, ginger, honey, Sriracha, sesame oil and lime zest and juice in a small bowl. Thin with the starchy pasta water if needed, 1 tablespoon at a time. (Dressing should be thick, but pourable.)

For the salad: Place the pasta in a large mixing bowl and add the cilantro and vegetables and toss with the dressing. Top with the chopped peanuts and toasted sesame seeds and serve.

~ three ~

Bath & Body has all their soaps & scents out for Fall!  Eeek!  I'm one of those people that hoards soaps and the plug ins for our house.  Love, Love, Love!  They now have these mason jar soaps and mason jar candles.  I scored the Meyer Lemon scent in the mason jar soap - stinkin adorable!

~ four ~

News Flash!!!  We are going home to Wisconsin for Christmas!  We were just able to make it official this week and we could not be more excited!  My Dad has yet to meet his newest Grandbaby.  The name Marshall came from my Dad, so we are so excited for him to meet his little Marshall :)  I'm also excited for the rest of my fam & friends to meet him.

~ five ~ 

The look of Fall!  Our trees our beginning to change colors.  This is my favorite time of year.  I just hope our weather begins to cool down.  It sure doesn't feel like football season until the weather has cooled down!

Saturday is my hubby's birthday.  It's a little harder to really do much of anything with a newborn, so I decided to stay in, cook him a really great dinner, maybe have some wine on the patio and dessert.  I'm looking forward to celebrating him.  He's a terrific man, my best friend and an amazing father!  

Cheers to a fabulous weekend! 

Five on Friday Link Up

~one~

New nail polish!  It's always a good day when you buy new nail polish colors!
Left: Java Muave-A  Right: Berlin There Done That (my new fave)

~two~

Another fabulous new recipe we tried this past week!  Well, the hubs found it and made it while I was on baby duty.

Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu
We cut this recipe in 1/2 since it's just the two of us.

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - pounded thin
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lb brie thinly sliced (we actually used havarti)
2 lemons - halved
8 paper thin slices prosciutto
1/4 lb baby arugula

Brush chicken on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill the chicken until slightly charred on both sides and just cooked through.  Put a few slices of cheese on each breast, close the cover and let melt slightly about (40 seconds) 
Brush the cut side of lemons with oil and grill, cut side down until golden brown and slightly charred (about 45 seconds) 
Place chicken on serving plates, top each breast with 2 slices of prosciutto and some arugula.  Squeeze the grilled lemon on top and drizzle with olive oil.

SO YUMMY!  And bummer, I forgot to take a picture!  

~three~

I went to World Market last night and came across this...

Is this not adorable?!  I'm loving this look with the classic dining table and different chairs. I am obsessed with this look!

~four~

LOVE, LOVE, LOVING these and these Portofino shirts from Express.  I want one in every color!  So far I've purchased the green sleeveless.  Too cute and can be paired with so much!
AND...right now they are 40% off!  Holla!

~five~

I've discovered a new Etsy shop -  The Mason Bar Company!  If you have a love for anything Mason Jar, you will love this!  I am so excited about these tumblers!  They even fit in your car cup holder.

Have a fabulous weekend!  It's the very first weekend of college football!  Looking forward to some beer & brats!

five on friday!

~ one ~

I'm obsessed with all the fox apparel that Carter's came out with for Fall!  The line is called "Sly Little Guy" and it's OH SO CUTE!   Who knew I'd be so excited to buy clothes for my little man.  

Check out this foxy little guy!

~ two ~

We love trying new recipes in our house!  Here's one we tried last night and it was absolutely delish and super easy!  Doug was on baby daddy duty while I was able to cook in the kitchen (while enjoying a glass of vino).  And let me tell you, it was a-mazing!

Red Pepper Garlic Chicken Sausage Pasta

Ingredients:
1 lb fettuccine pasta
1 lb spicy italian chicken sausage (removed from casings)
2 red bell peppers (sliced into strips)
1 orange bell pepper (sliced into strips)
1/2 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves (peeled & chopped)
1 tbsp red pepper flakes (for those that like spice, you can definitely add more)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tbsp of chopped basil leaves
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a small pan, heat 1/2 cup olive oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and saute until l fragrant.  Just heat it, don't let it get real brown or burn.   Add the red pepper flakes and saute for another minute or so.  Turn heat off and set aside
Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a little splash of olive oil.  Add the chicken sausages and break them up using a wooden spoon.  Cook until light brown.  Add the bell peppers and saute until soft.
In the meantime, bring  a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook fettuccine until al dente.  Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water.
Add together the noodles, garlic oil and sausage & peppers.  Add as much of the pasta water as you'd like to make the sauce (or none at all).
Add in the parmesan (we used parmesan romano) and herbs.

We will definitely be making this again at some point.  A nice light, healthier pasta.
Enjoy!

~ three ~

My latest breakfast addiction!  
Sourdough toast with crunchy peanut butter and cut up bananas on top.  I wake up craving this - how pathetic.  I try to make my cup of coffee and make my little breakfast quickly, first thing before Marshall wakes up.  It's nice to have a little bit of quiet time while enjoying my toast and coffee.  Even if it is only 5 minutes.  Then it's go time!

~ four ~

FALL is right around the corner and this girl could not be more excited!
I'm beginning to salivate over the thought of chili in the crockpot, Fall scented candles, leaves falling, vests & boots, cool weather and I'll save the best for last - TAILGATING, BEER & FOOTBALL.   Marshall's going to get to experience tailgating very soon!

Now, all we need is this 90-100 degree weather to get lost!

~ five ~

My friend Kelly.  We went through our pregnancy journey together (this was the first for both of us) and now we've gotten to enjoy these first few weeks of motherhood together.  We've been able to lean on each other through all the life changes and let me tell you - it has been such a blessing!   Our little babes are only a week apart.  Best friends already?  Why yes they are!  Love ya girl!  :)

Hope you all have a fantastic Friday, and weekend!

New Mommy Thoughts

I really enjoy reading Mommy blogs and hearing other Mommy stories about what worked or didn't work for them OR just their general thoughts on Motherhood.  So, I thought I'd share some of my own!

~ Breastfeeding ~

Seriously, no one tells you how freaking hard breast feeding is going to be.  Unfortunately I was only able to nurse for a couple weeks, then started pumping exclusively and at about 3 weeks, my supply just disappeared, which was extremely frustrating.  I had a really hard time with this and couldn't seem to get over that guilty feeling like I did something wrong.  I'm finally starting to come to grips with the fact that BF didn't work for me BUT my son is very happy and healthy (and that is the most important thing)!
Those first few days are SO hard.  I remember getting frustrated because I felt like I couldn't get it and Marshall wasn't figuring it out naturally either.  Initially he wasn't latching right and when he finally did, he would fall asleep after a couple minutes, so he was never satisfied.  He dropped weight pretty quickly the first couple days and being the instant paranoid new Mom, I wanted to supplement with a little formula because I was scared he was starved.  I had at least 5 different lactation consultants/nurses help me in the hospital.  They are very helpful but when I mentioned that I wanted to supplement with formula, they made me feel bad about it.  For those of you that are about to become a new Mommy, be ready for those lactation nurses to be up close and personal.  One of them pretty much laid in bed next to me with her head an inch away from mine, grabbing one of my girls while literally shoving it into Marshall's mouth.  I could feel her breathing on my neck.  Totally was not expecting that.  Good times.
 I will say, BF does not come natural to most.  I've talked to so many of my Mom friends for support and I know that I'm definitely not alone.   I'm thankful that my husband was so supportive about this as well.
Bottom line - Do what's best for you and your baby and don't let anyone make you feel guilty or bad for your decision!  BF is not for everyone.

~ Hormones after giving birth ~

Another thing that no one seems to talk much about.  The day Marshall was born, was pure adrenaline and excitement.  This continued obviously but by about the 3rd day, my hormones were all over the place and I was crying like crazy.  This went on for about a week after he was born.  I was so sensitive, feeling so happy, yet so sad at the same time.  It's hard to explain but I'm sure many women who have had a baby can relate.  Your hormones are so out of wack!  I cried because I couldn't feel movement in my belly any longer and I also cried because my pregnancy was over.  It does get better each day but it's been a month and I'm still SO sensitive.  Thanks again to my supportive Mom friends and my doctor, because I now know that I'm not crazy and it's totally normal.


~ Post baby body ~

Our bodies go through so many changes during pregnancy.  It becomes all about your baby and your body is working overtime to take care of that little one in your belly.
After giving birth, your body begins a whole new set of changes.  You lose water weight but you also end up with more "squishy" areas.  Or at least I did.   Unless you are one of those women that just miraculously looks perfect after giving birth - kuddos to you!   This has been hard for me to say the least.  I've been stressing about my weight, wishing I could get back to my normal pre-pregnancy body but then I look down at my sweet Marshall and realize that I need to chill.  He was so worth every change!  
It took 9 months for my body to go through all those changes with gaining weight, etc, so I need to be patient and realize that it will take time to lose the weight and get my body back to how I want it.


~ Marriage after baby ~

I'll be totally honest, during the last few months of pregnancy, I had a little anxiety on how a baby would change my relationship with Doug.  Truth is, my love for Doug turned into a deeper kind of love and our bond as husband and wife became much stronger.  Yes, it's definitely harder but you need to find a balance and work together as a team.  We're not perfect but we're figuring it out together.   
I really feel complete being a wife and a Mom.  Motherhood has changed me for the better.  There is also nothing better than seeing Doug love and take care of our son.

And lastly...
I kinda feel as women we need to stop questioning each other's decisions.  We all do things differently.  Some of you may want to BF until your baby is a year, some may go straight to formula and some may try it for a few weeks and realize it just doesn't work for them. Some of you may want your baby to sleep in the nursery from the very beginning, some may want them to sleep in your room until they're 3 months, or 6 months, or even a year.  My point is that what works for one person, may not work for another.  Becoming a new Mom is already hard enough and as Mom's, we need to encourage and support each other.

Marshall's BIRTHday!

It was the morning of July 24th, the morning we would meet our baby boy.  
I woke up at 4:30am (let's be serious, I barely slept that night), showered and we made it to the hospital right at 6am!  
The nurse came to get us, shortly after we arrived.  Everything moved so promptly.  At that point, I instantly felt the anxiety rush through my body.  Those of you who know me, know that I have horrible anxiety, horrible.  Pregnancy helped regulate it, but the morning of my c-section, it was like it came at me 100%.   The sweetest nurse was prepping me, getting my IV in and Doug and I were pretty much just hanging out, talking about what was to come.  BTW, I loved seeing him in scrubs!

When my doctor walked in and started talking to me about what was happening next, that's pretty much when I lost it and couldn't control the tears until after I saw my son.  I was a complete wreck the entire time.  As I continue to type this, I can't help but flash back to that day and start getting emotional all over again.  It was all truly amazing and miraculous.

7:30am quickly rolled around and there I went.  Doug had to wait in the hall while they got my epidural ready and got me situated.  As I lay there in the cold OR, I prayed to myself that our baby would be healthy and that everything would go smoothly.  This being my first child, I literally had no idea what to expect.  Yes, my doctor walked me through it step by step more than once but the unknowns were still so scary to me.  I remember crying so hard because I was scared and so nervous.  Since Doug wasn't there, my Doc let me squeeze his hand as the epidural was placed.  I kinda feel bad, I think I just about broke his hand.    All of a sudden, I was flushed with anxiety as I couldn't feel anything any longer.  I immediately got nauseated and had to keep taking deep breaths.  During all this, I cried the whole time, wondering when Doug would be able to come back into the room.  After what seemed like hours, he was finally next to me.  I knew they had gotten started because I heard my doctor tell me that I was doing great so far and I could also feel pressure.  I kept my eyes on Doug, clenching his hand as I just cried.  I kept asking if he could see anything.  I remember hearing one of the other doctors joking how our baby might come out wearing a cheesehead.  :)
At some point I told Doug that I loved him and all of a sudden I hear them say that they're about to push the baby out.  I felt pressure and tugging but no pain whatsoever.  I heard them say he had a lot of dark hair and then I heard the most beautiful sound, my son's first faint cry.  I kept asking Doug if he was ok and if he had everything.  Ha ha.  :)  
All of a sudden, this beautiful baby boy was placed on my chest and I seriously couldn't contain myself.  I will never forget that precious moment.  The moment that I shared with my husband, welcoming our baby boy into the world.  It was pure love at first sight.  
Shortly after surgery was done, there we went into the recovery room where we were able to spend a little time together with our son.  I told Doug that I fell more in love with him that day.  It truly brought us closer.   
I am beyond grateful, beyond blessed and am so incredibly happy to have our healthy baby boy! 

Marshall Douglas Eason was born at 7:55am, weighing 6lbs 9oz and 20 inches long.
Welcome to the world sweet baby boy! 

My thoughts on Mommyhood so far coming soon!

Five on Friday!

I LOVE Fridays!  Friday means the work week is over and I get to spend the weekend with my hubby.  This weekend is a bit sentimental for us - It's our last official weekend as just the two of us before baby arrives next week.  :)  We plan to relax and soak it up!

Now to the five things I am loving from this week...

~ ONE ~

Hospital bag on the dresser, pretty much ready to go!  As I lay in bed at night, I catch myself starring at it and smiling.   It was so fun putting a bag together and packing a cute little outfit for the little guy to come home in.  

~ TWO ~

One of the gals that hosts this Five on Friday link up posted this in her blog post yesterday.  As soon as I read it, I hysterically began laughing and thought of my husband (sorry honey).   ;)

~ THREE ~

I've been obsessing over this diaper bag for a month now.  I bought one that I'm not the happiest with and then I saw this one and knew I wanted it.  The only prob...it's been out of stock.  I need this, I want this and hopefully soon, I will get my hands on it!

~ FOUR ~

Totally dying over BabyGap's newest line - "First Safari" I think they're having 25% off sale right now but that's still not cheap enough - I can do better than that!  :)  

~ FIVE ~

Ok so I'm kicking myself that I didn't take a picture.  Total fail on my part.  But I still have to share.  I had never tried this before and my hubby made it for me last night for dinner.  The other day, he brined and smoked a chunk of Sockeye Salmon in our smoker.  Last night he made me a toasted whole wheat bagel with light cream cheese, smoked salmon and red onions.  He made his with capers but I'm not really a fan of plain capers.  It was to die for and I cannot wait to have it again.  So freakin good!

Well I hope everyone has a great weekend!  We plan to go dunk in the pool (since there's not much else to do in 100 degree weather) and enjoy one last date night for awhile.  

XOXOXO