It's not so bad...!

...Looking for childcare that is! At the start of this week, I was just about to go into cardiac arrest over the stress of needing childcare all of the sudden. We had an option lined up that totally fell through on Sunday. Fortunately, looking at the situation now, it wasn't a good one. In fact, it was a really bad situation, let me be honest. One of my favorite quotes came from the mouth of one of my ultimate idols Marilyn Monroe, who once said "Some times good things fall apart so that better things can fall together." And boy was she right. Especially considering it wasn't a "good thing" to begin with.

I found an excellent website called IndyMomsLikeMe.com that has a section called the Marketplace where people can list items or services to buy or sell. One of the things that they focus on is connecting people with different childcare options. It literally hosts every type of childcare that you would ever need. You can find anything from a family looking for an occasional babysitter, a full-time nanny or home-daycare, and it even allows full licensed daycares to post listings for openings that they have available. It's really very cool.

So, I logged on and created a profile and screen name and totally lucked out! I found 4 great options for home day care centers that are very close to my house. I've been talking with the women who run these day cares from their homes and getting information from each of them one by one. As of today, I started setting up meetings with them for a few weeks from now. I have two of them scheduled and ready to go.

All of the options are definitely more money than we were origionally planning on spending, (in fact, nearly double,) but they are MUCH better options altogether, so I believe it will be more than worth it.

I'm ending my week on a great note. Things are looking up!

Mommy Wear?!

Are these things innappropriate for a Mom? I mean...I am a 23-year-old mom, so, I feel like they are acceptable. I am anxiously awaiting not only the arrival of my son and FREEDOM to leave the house and get my life back, but also the arrival of the summer! There are three things that I believe are must haves for this summer's wardrobe. Scott and I always have amazing summers! Last year was a total blast and I can't wait for more memories to be made.

Join Us in the Baby Pool!

Want to make your guess as to the date and time Jackson will be born, how much he'll weigh and how long he will be? Click on this link to play!





By the way...Ignore the fact that it asks about the gender - we obviously all know it's a boy. I guess this is for those who are not finding out.

After he's born we will announce the winner! And your prize!? - The satisfaction of knowing you won...sorry. ;)

"The Climb"

Music is so big to me. It can completely change my mood the moment a great song comes on the radio. Sometimes, I find myself waking up completely discouraged lately. This bedrest business is very difficult for me. There are days that I feel totally defeated. It takes everything out of me just to get up out of the bed and get in the shower. I love it when I find a song that can inspire me and pull me out of a rut. Miley Cyrus is known for being some silly pre-teen idol and I've never really been her biggest fan - but she just put out this new song called "The Climb" for her new movie, and I'm in love with it. It's one that pushes me to keep going...reminds me that I'm almost there. Today I'm 30 weeks pregnant, and just have approximately 10 weeks to go until I meet the person who will change my life forever. I just have to remember...he's more than worth the weight.

Here's the lyrics to the song -

I can almost see it.

That dream I'm dreamin

But there's a voice inside my head saying you'll never reach it.

Every step I'm taking.

Every move I make feels Lost with no direction.

My faith is shakin.

But I gotta keep tryin.

Gotta keep my head held high.

There's always gonna be another mountain.

I'm always gonna wanna make it move.

Always gonna be an uphill battle

Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose.

Ain't about how fast I get there.

Ain't about what's waitin on the other side.

It's the climb.

The struggles I'm facing.

The chances I'm taking.

Sometimes might knock me down but No I'm not breaking.

I may not know it

but these are the moments that I'm gonna remember most

I Just gotta keep going.

And I gotta be strong.

Just keep pushing on 'cause,

There's always gonna be another mountain.

I'm always gonna wanna make it move.

Always gonna be an uphill battle

But Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose.

Ain't about how fast I get there.

Ain't about what's waitin on the other side.

It's the climb.

There's always gonna be another mountain.

I'm always gonna wanna make it move.

Always gonna be an uphill battle

Sometimes you're gonna have to lose.

Ain't about how fast I get there.

Ain't about what's waitin on the other side.

It's the climb.

Keep on moving,

Keep climbing,

Keep the faith, Baby.

It’s all about, It’s all about the climb.

Keep your faith, Keep your faith.

25 Things About Me

On Facebook at the moment, there is a "chain" post that is going around where people are supposed to list 25 things about themselves and then send the post on to 25 people. I don't usually participate in these types of things, but I thought this one was fun.

People learned things about me, even if they've known me my whole life,

and I certainly learned a lot about other people as well. Here is my list!

1. I'm currently, cautiously and anxiously awaiting the arrival of my 1st born!
2. If I could make one solid investment, I'd definitely open a bed & breakfast.
3. My husband isn't my type at all - which makes him all the more perfect for me.
4. My ears aren't pierced.
5. I am hugely patriotic, I think it was my late grandfather's influence.
6. I HATE change, of any type or form.
7. I changed schools 7 times during my whole education, and never left Indianapolis.
8. I am 100% totally obsessed with Gossip Girl.
9. My personal opinion is that Bob Marley was a genius...
10. Grilled chicken makes my skin crawl - so gross, I'm gagging.
11. I loathe scary movies, I won't even consider watching them.
12. Stephanie Meyer's "Twilight" series totally blows my mind.
13. I am strangely enthusiastic about being a Hoosier.
14. Nothing embarrasses me more than crying in front of people, but I'm a huge crier.
15. I absolutely LOVE going out to eat.
16. Summer concerts are a huge priority. Last year I think I made it to 10.
17. I'll probably drive a Nissan until I die, I'm serious.
18. My BEST friends are absolutely incredible...you know who you are.
19. Britney Spears is a goddess, I don't care what anyone says.
20. No one hated high school like I did, there just no way.
21. High heels are like highly sought after pieces of art work to me.
22. Gay bars...are the best kinds of bars.
23. Vacations are mandatory...don't try to tell me otherwise.
24. I think its weird when people only listen to one type of music - how could you?
25. I have a real soft spot for soldiers, active or veterans.

Love The One You're With

Many people believe that Valentine's Day is one of those "Hallmark" holidays that are completely over-rated and only prey on consumers by forcing them to buy up all the chocolates and flowers made available by the overly-aware retailers. I , however believe that if you are one of the people who roll their eyes at the sight of a box of conversation hearts and cheesy red and pink cards, YOU are either a. bitter because you are single on this day or b. have never truly had a good representation of the day. Now before you get defensive, please understand...I was once one of these people as well. Even though I rarely spent a Valentine's day without a boyfriend, or love interest of some sort, I absolutely loathed the holiday. It almost seemed to historically and inevitably go completely wrong. I felt like it was tacky and stupid and just totally unnecessary. I felt this way until I met the man who I was lucky enough to marry. My husband and I don't go all out for birthdays or for Christmas, and we hardly recognize most of the other holidays that are lumped into this "Hallmark" group like St. Patrick's day, but Valentine's day for us is very important. This evening, Scott and I collaborated on a great low-key idea for our last romantic Valentine's day in which a recruiting a babysitter will not be required - a baby sitter who is one of the bitter Valentine's day people so she won't feel like she's missing out by spending it with my kid. Anyway, I'm so excited to spend the evening with my husband and just enjoy being together without a television or any other distractions.

The first ever Valentine's day that I spent with Scott was absolutely beautiful. I won't go into the details, but he really blew me away with all of his thoughtfulness and acts of romance. I can honestly admit that that evening was the one when I realized just how lucky I was to have found him. Ever since then, Scott has never let me down, never ceased to amaze me, and always succeeded in totally sweeping me off of my feet. One of the many things that I love about Scott is how pure he is in his attempts to put a smile on my face. It never requires a lot of money, or even time...but always plenty of thought.

I don't usually gush about my husband - really I don't - but I often wonder why not? He totally deserves it. We've definitely been through hell and back already in our relationship together. In our first year, there were certainly days and weeks that would pass when I wasn't really sure how we were going to make it. Nonetheless, we made it through that first tough year of marriage, and I couldn't be more grateful for God's hand undoubtedly being on us during that time. I shudder to think of what I would be missing out on if we hadn't had the stamina to make it through. My mom taught me something that really put deep imprint on my heart. She learned it from a couple who had been married for something like 35 years. She asked them "How do you do it? What's the secret to a successful marriage?" The husband replied "You just do. You just keep going." ...EXACTLY. That is the secret. Nothing more. Just keep going.

Throughout the trials and tribulations of this pregnancy, Scott has proved to me that he is truly a man among men. I worried quite a bit during those first few days in the hospital, that although he appeared to be acting very supportive and helpful, that this was not what he signed on for, and thus would not keep up the "charade" for long. Well...it was no charade. Scott has stepped up in a way that I don't know most men could. He has supported us 100% - not only financially, but in every aspect of running a household. This man had never done a load of laundry in his LIFE when I first met him, (not joking). Now he cooks for us, cleans, does our laundry, completes home repairs without being asked, takes out the trash, feeds the dog, and has joyfully completed the painting of our son's nursery. I could go on all day, but you know what...he's just a really great guy. I love him with all of my heart and I am truly blessed to be the lucky girl that gets to spend forever with him.

Summer Vacation Anyone?

Look at this gorgeous beach house! Scott and I are seriously considering renting this place for a week in the summer. It's located in beautiful Holland, Michigan. We're looking for some friends to stay with us though because it has two full bedrooms. It actually sleeps 8 people including the pull-out couches. I keep looking at the photos over and over and over again because its so gorgeous! What do you think!?

science fiction for those who hate science fiction

Newly famed author Stephanie Meyer is a phenomenon. Never have I ever found a writer so capable of completely sweeping me up and drawing me into a story in this magnitude. You may be more familiar with her work on the ever popular national craze the Twilight Series. The four books in the series (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn) are equally incredible, captivating the audience in a very similar manner. However, I think that her less talked about novel titled The Host appeals to a wider audience than that of the Twilight series. Twilight appeals to hopeless romantics of all ages. Her biggest audience seems to be teen girls, but I have definitely heard rave reviews from women in their 40's and 50's as well. The Host, however, is literally for everyone. I even think my husband would enjoy this book - my husband who probably hasn't read a book that wasn't required since his elementary school days when he caught up on the occasional R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series. Remember those?
As Meyer says herself, this is truly a story for a person who does not typically enjoy science fiction. Check out the "book jacket" explanation of the book's basis.

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away.

Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed. When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind. Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves—Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.

If you decide against checking this book out...suit yourself. But take it from me, you'll see this in the box office as a major motion picture in no time. And we all know that movies are never half as good as the book. I'm just sayin'...

Yum Yum Yum!

Waldorf Salad is one of my favorite dishes EVER. I've loved it ever since I was a little girl and my mom referred to it as "Apple Salad". I remember my mother only really making it to take to parties or get-togethers, but I'm not sure why, because its so easy to make.

There are so many fun variations on it as well. The basis is apples, marshmallows, celery and mayo. But aside from those 4 key ingredients, you can really mix in whatever suits your tastebuds! My favorite version is bright green crisp granny smith apples, celery, mayo, dry roasted peanuts, raisins and marshmallows. Other options include adding different meat choices; diced chicken or turkey breast or albacore tuna. You can also substitute raisins for fresh grapes, seedless oranges, cherries or strawberries. Nuts are another ingredient that are totally interchangeable. I think I'm the only person who would prefer peanuts, but I'm not big fan of nuts with the exception of almonds which I think are much too expensive. Perhaps the most common nut addition is walnuts.

If you haven't ever tried this salad, I definitely recommend playing around with your own favorites to make your favorite version. Like I mentioned before, it is a great salad to throw together quickly to entertain a few guests, but I certainly enjoy it week after week on a casual Tuesday night as well! Here is basic recipe to get you started. It should be easy enough to follow and "Ad-Lib" in your own personal faves.

Basic Waldorf Salad

(4 Servings, about 3/4 cup each)

3 apples, finely chopped
1/3 cup Planters Lightly Salted Mix, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup raisins
3 Tbsp. KRAFT Light Mayo Reduced Fat Mayonnaise

Enough Mini Marshmallows to taste

29 Weeks & Counting!

Can't believe I've been so blessed to have made it this far.

The Nursery Is Complete!

Thanks to the hard and diligent work of my mom, her boyfriend Jim and my husband, the nursery is finally finished being painted! It was quite a task to say the least. Painting the whole room one color was all too simple, haha - I had to have stripes galore of course! I absolutely adore the way the room looks however, and can't wait to get the

furniture so that we can see the final look!

Great Recipe to Share!

My favorite cooking website - Kraft.com has done it again. I found another great recipe that my husband and I tried tonight for dinner for the first time. It is absolutely delicious! I am not able to really "cook" at the moment because doing so requires me to be up on my feet for a little bit too long. I am able to fix a sandwich or make instant Mac & Cheese, but that is pretty much the extent of it. Scott, however, not only enjoys cooking, but is a fabulous cook. Could I have gotten any more fortunate? He can fix literally anything in our house, and cooks a mean meatloaf to boot! :) Anyway, he helped me make this delicious entree, and we totally loved it. We cut this recipe down for two so that we wouldn't have leftovers - I am not a fan of leftovers. Try it out for your family tonight - tell me what you think!

Pork Chop & Apple Casserole

Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 45 min
Makes: 8 servings

1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
4 cups sliced tart apples
8 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick, about 2 lb.
1 pkt. SHAKE 'N BAKE Original Pork Seasoned Coating Mix


PREHEAT oven to 425°F. Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in large bowl. Add apples; toss to coat. Spoon into greased 13x9-inch baking dish.

COAT chops with coating mix as directed on package. Discard any remaining coating mix. Place chops in single layer over apples.

BAKE 35 minutes or until chops are cooked through.

Extra tip : We also added dried cranberries (or you could even use Craisins) to the apple mixture for a little more sweet/tangy punch.

Mother Warriors

I just finished watching Jenny McCarthy on Oprah this afternoon. Totally inspiring. First of all, I adore Jenny, even from back in the days of "Singled Out"! But this woman has completely transformed as far as I am concerned. I think that her motherhood has brought her such strength and courage and a whole new outlook on life. I already feel this transformation taking place for me. I do truly believe that over the course of the past few years, I have learned and grown immensely, however, I believe that this is the time of my life, and never-ever have I felt so empowered. I hope that I too, can be a "Mother Warrior" for my son in any challenges he may face throughout his life.

Jenny came on the show today to promote her new book "Mother Warriors" which talks about her beliefs on actually healing autism. She said that when her son was initially diagnosed, she made a "proposition" to God. She said "God, just give me the tools to heal my baby, and I will give back by giving others these same tools to help their children as well." Her determination and stamina throughout the course of "healing" her son is nothing short of phenomenal. It is so inspiring to see a woman who fought tooth and nail for her son's recovery.

As if Jenny's testimony wasn't inspiring enough, her ultimate goal of her appearance on Oprah was surprisingly not to promote her book, but rather to tell the story of another Mother Warrior. The woman Jenny was highlighting today (Monica Jorge,) had just given birth to her second daughter only a month prior when she was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis - a flesh eating disease that forced the doctors to remove not one, not two, but all four of her limbs. She also lost her ovaries, uterus, gallbladder and most of her colon due to the spread of the disease. Can you even imagine what would be going through your mind after hearing this news? In my opinion, it would be a damn good thing that I had just given birth to my second child, because without the priority of mothering my children, I certainly cannot promise that I would want to live. Call me crazy - but I am just that way.

Monica never experienced the "why-me" breakdown that most of the doctors expected her to experience. She just picked her life right back up where she left it, and continued to parent her children and be the loving wife to her new husband. I just completely salute this woman with 100% of my being. She just accepted the inevitable. Jenny put it nicely saying she accepted the "What Is". I suppose that is what you do when God puts this type of challenge before you - "When Life Gives You Lemons..."