This month was pretty good and I think each month gets better and easier as a mom of two. Of course there are struggles here and there, but my patience is growing and so is my heart.

Bradley has a special gift and he warms the hearts of everyone he meets with his infectious smile and his goofy laugh. I never thought such a tiny human being could make me laugh and smile so much, but he truly does. We can’t get enough of him.

BRADLEY’S UPDATE

Weight something like 28lbs or something ridiculous. He’s catching up to Ava.

Length not sure we will have to find out at his 1 year appointment.

Bradley is currently in 18-24 month clothing. He’s one big dude and boy is he heavy to hold. Thank goodness he only wants to be held when he wants a bottle or is super tired because my arms can’t keep up. He has 4 top teeth and 2 bottom. I can feel a few new ones coming. Say a prayer for me that he is a little tougher when these teeth finally come, because the first 6 left me with some sleepless nights.

Words

Hi, Mama, dada, baba, yaya, va (we think this is short for Ava but we’ll see), mmmmm, bye

EAT

I will keep this short and sweet…. Bradley loves food. He will eat whenever and wherever. He likes every type of food, potatoes, pasta, cheese, avocado, peaches, berries, bananas, broccoli, peas, carrots, peppers, crackers, cheerios, rice, pancakes, bagels, eggs, did I miss anything?????

He is drinking about 4 sippy cups of formula in between his meals and I can’t wait to introduce whole milk soon. I expect him to transition quickly to milk because he seems to love anything we give him…. piggy.

SLEEP

Sleep has been pretty good but I don’t want to jinx anything.  There are always set backs.  Bradley is in a good routine/schedule and I am loving it. He’s usually asleep by 7:15/7:30pm and sleeps until 6am.

Bradley loves to randomly cry in the middle of the night (not every night) and its usually because he needs to be picked up and cuddled and I put him back down and he’s out. He’s a snuggler and while I love it during the day, I’m like a zombie in the night and all I want is my sleep. Bradley uses the pacifier to fall asleep at night and then doesn’t usually need it until the morning. One day I’ll throw it out the window, but I’m just not ready yet.

Bradley takes 2 naps a day usually from 930-11 and 2-3:15. Every day isn’t perfect but he’s pretty consistent which makes life a bit easier for us!

PLAY

Bradley is an explorer of everything and mainly things that aren’t in the play area.

For example: pulling toilet paper off the roll is fun right?

While he does like toys and music, he’s always interested in what Ava is doing or playing with, so that occupies most of his attention. He will walk with his walker toy or around things while he holds on, but hasn’t taken his first step yet. I’m okay with this!! He loves climbing the stairs and he’s super fast.

Bradley is OBSESSED with Cooper. He pets him, pulls his fur, climbs over him, gives him cheerios, feeds him food at every meal. It makes me so happy to see them together and Cooper is such a good big brother!

Bradley loves pulling his way up into the fridge and dishwasher, he loves riding on Ava’s pink car and pushing his walker. I’m pretty sure once he takes that first step he will be moving quickly.

He loves playing peek-a-boo and waving to say Hiiiii. I love his “Hi” it’s super cute. I think clapping his hands is his favorite thing to do, he smiles so big when he does.

Bradley is adventurous and can keep up with the big kids… for the most part.

A big highlight from this past month was Bradely’s baptism. We finally got it done and it was perfect.

Overall this month was great and we are so excited for the warm weather and more trips to the beach. We enjoy being outside together and I can’t wait to see Bradley in action at the beach. Of course I don’t want to deal with him eating sand, but once he figures out that it’s gross, I think we will all have some fun times.

]]> http://thefitskool.com/?feed=rss2&p=10616 0 http://thefitskool.com/?p=10398 http://thefitskool.com/?p=10398#comments Mon, 05 Dec 2016 19:27:42 +0000 http://thefitskool.com/?p=10398 Continue reading →]]> 3 years ago today I was blessed with my little Ava.

She has added so much joy to our life and continues to amaze us each day.

She has become the BEST big sister to her brother Bradley.

We love spending every second that we can with her.

She’s smart, sassy, strong, and the sweetest!

It’s such an honor to be her mom!

We love you Ava!!

He weighed in at 8 pounds 2 ounces and was 20 inches long.

He is the sweetest little boy and has melted my heart from the second I laid eyes on him.

I feel blessed that he is healthy and super strong! To be honest I can’t even put to words how happy I am.

My heart is full and my family is complete….

Stay tuned for Bradley’s Birth story and some more mom & baby updates. Lets just say this last week has gone by SUPER fast and my days have been filled with diaper changes, making sure my kids are fed, and enjoying all the baby snuggles and smiles from Ava & Bradley. I plan to soak up my maternity leave as much as possible!! 

With 33 days left give or take I’m starting to feel tons of emotions. One day I’m super excited, one day I’m anxious, and other days I’m nervous. I think it all comes with being pregnant and becoming a mom for a second time. 2 kids is definitely going to be harder then one but I know we are ready and excited to expand our family. I can’t wait to see Ava with her little brother, I know she’s going to be the best big sister. She’s already practicing by rocking her baby dolls, singing songs to them, feeding them bottles and giving them lots of hugs.

PREGNANCY UPDATE 34 & 35 WEEKS

The picture on the left is when I was 35 weeks pregnant with Ava- Picture on the right 35 weeks pregnant +2 days with Baby G #2. I definitely feel bigger and a little more low/pointy this time! 

THE BABY IS about 19-19.5 inches long, the size of a honey dew melon,  Weighing about 5.5 lbs

Weight gained

22.5 lbs

Gender: 

It’s a BOY!!!

Workouts

My workouts have been consistent, but I’m backing off a bit on my output and intensity. I’m still teaching 6 classes a week so I’m trying to rest as much as possible. I have lowered my weights in Group Power and I’m taking more breaks during my other workouts.

Symptoms:

My number 1 symptom is fatigue and being tired. I blame it on lack of sleep. These past 2 weeks were a lot harder in the sleep department. I’m not blaming Ava but it has a lot to do with her stubbornness with going to bed. She’s woken us up on numerous occasions, plus I’m peeing at least 1x a night.

Besides being tired, I don’t have any big symptoms. My belly is getting in the way when I bend over, it’s harder to get up off the floor, couch or bed but I think that’s a given at this point!!

I’ve had small braxton hicks contractions and cramping but nothing too alarming! The other small symptom I have been dealing with is shortness of breath. It doesn’t happen every day but it does happen if I lay on my back too long or if I push a little too hard during exercise. If I do feel short of breath I take a break from what I’m doing, take a walk, or change positions to get comfortable!

Food Aversions: 

After around 5pm food is not my favorite thing. I hate looking at it, I hate deciding what to eat, and I’m more nauseous at night. I think it’s because I’m eating so many small meals during the day that come 5 o’clock I’m out of options!!

Some veggies are not appealing, so I’m trying to just go with what my body is feeling. It seems to be more protein/carbs right now!

Food Cravings: 

• FRUIT- watermelon, blueberries, blackberries & strawberries
• potatoes- chips, baked french fries, or baked potatoes
• any type of meat- chicken, beef, turkey
• I had a grilled cheese craving the other day it was delicious
• chocolate chip muffins
• tortilla chips

Sleep:

Sleep has not been the greatest. I am tossing and turning a bit more these past few nights and with Ava being sick my sleep has been sort of non existent. I hope once she’s better, I will be back to a normal nights sleep of 7-8 hours!

34 Weeks Pregnant

Maternity clothes: 

I’m rocking any clothes that are comfortable right now. Most of them are maternity. My workout outfits are part maternity and part regular clothes that I’m pretty much stretching out!! I’m loving that the weather is warmer so I can wear shorts, tanks and dresses!!! Yay for summer coming.

Stretch marks: 

None yet!

Do I Miss anything: 

I miss sleeping more comfortably and not waking up to pee. I miss sleeping on my belly too!

Exercise has been getting tougher so I miss being able to lift a bit heavier and train my core.

Another random thing I miss is a turkey sandwich. My mom was eating one the other day and it looked SOO good, but cold cuts aren’t really an option right now at a deli, I would have to buy them organic at a grocery store.

Movement: 

My little baby boy is active. He is getting stronger too and I’m noticing bigger movements rather then little kicks and spins. He hiccups about once a day and it’s always a distraction to me.

I’m not going to lie I love feeling little feet up by rib cage. It reminds me of being pregnant with Ava and knowing that I get to see those little feet soon gets me excited.

Baby Items Purchased: 

There are plenty of things I still need and want to buy but I just haven’t gotten around to it. I think this weekend I will be making a big trip to buybuybaby to get some last minute things and start getting more organized!

Wedding rings ON or OFF: 

ON but I might take them off. I never had an issue with Ava and I don’t now but something about the heat and warm weather makes me nervous to have them on.

Belly Button IN or OUT? 

OUT.. I thought maybe it would flatten out from more weight gain but it hasn’t and I’m getting used to it. I’m sure other people still stare at it, but I’m okay with it now

I’m Looking Forward To: 

I’m looking forward to each day of the end of this pregnancy. I feel like there’s so much to do, so much time to spend with Ava, but also so much to be excited for that I want to enjoy these last few weeks. I know he will come when he’s ready so I don’t want to rush things but I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you I want him to come before July 13th!!

35 Weeks pregnant 2 days

Random Things:

I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday and had a quick ultrasound. My fluid level was great which is always reassuring. The baby was heads down, he had a strong heart beat, and he was practicing breathing which was really cool! The technician also said that he has hair… no surprise there! I have a thick head of hair and Ava was born with a ton so I wasn’t overly shocked knowing this little guy is going to have some too

At this point in my pregnancy I’m going to the doctor every week, which is exciting. I am surprised I have another ultrasound in 2 weeks but I guess they like to check the fluids again, the baby’s growth/ weight gain. It’s another excuse for me to see our little boy before his big debut.

33 more days until Baby G #2… can you feel the excitement?!!!?????!

For more pregnancy updates head over to my Baby #2 pregnancy page

Even though I taught class yesterday morning, I enjoyed the extra day with my family and it made the weekend more special having Marc home on a Monday.

Going into the weekend I had one thing I wanted to do, get to the beach!

That is just what we did

The weather was about 90 degrees on both Saturday & Sunday so we decided to get there early.

Saturday we spent the day walking around the beach, playing in the water, and watching Ava have a blast!

I couldn’t help but be happy seeing her smile. It’s so easy to smile when you are at the beach and the sun is shining, right?

We stayed until our bellies got hungry and we ran out of snacks! We headed home to eat some food and let Ava take a nap at home.

In the late afternoon my mom and I made a trip to the nail salon for pedicures. It was a nice relaxing way to finish out the day!

Sunday we pretty much did a repeat of Saturday and got to the beach early.

Ava couldn’t wait to go play again!

I actually didn’t snap any pictures at the beach because Marc and I spent the entire time chasing Ava and making sure she didn’t run away. She wasn’t as calm as she was on Saturday. She practically ran sprints around the beach and didn’t stop until we left.

Lets just say we didn’t last more then 2 hours before Marc and I were exhausted!

We stopped at Soundview deli on the way home, I had a grilled chicken salad, Marc got a sandwich, and Ava had some olive pizza which was delicious. We ate pretty fast and once we got home we were all wiped.

I debated whether I should take a nap myself or be productive around the house. I opted for productivity and ran some errands before dinner.

I also snapped this quick belly shot for you.

I don’t know about you guys but when the sun is shining it seems like the days are brighter and everyone is happy. My body enjoyed being outside for most of the days and when it rained Monday morning I was kinda bummed.

Luckily it cleared up in the afternoon and we were able to get outside and Marc cooked my family a lovely dinner.

That pretty much sums up our weekend.

How was your memorial day weekend? Did you get to the beach or spend the days outside?

]]> http://thefitskool.com/?feed=rss2&p=10000 0 http://thefitskool.com/?p=9486 http://thefitskool.com/?p=9486#comments Fri, 20 May 2016 16:59:58 +0000 http://thefitskool.com/?p=9486 Continue reading →]]> I have always been into cooking but since my pregnancy started my interest in food and cooking meals has sort of vanished. These past few weeks have been a little different and I cooked a majority of our dinners and even got creative a couple nights.

I was craving something different and something I haven’t had before so I immediately started searching the internet for recipes.

I stumbled upon a Chicken Piccata recipe and the lemons caught my eye. I’m not a caper fan so I knew right away I would be leaving that out! I tried to make the recipe my own because sometimes I don’t agree or like everything I see. I omitted the added sugar, changed the flour, and used some dried herbs. It turned out great.

If you are a fan of lemon flavor this recipe will definitely be a hit. Marc and I both enjoyed it!!

HEALTHY LEMON CHICKEN

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2lbs of chicken breast cut into 5 pieces and pounded to 1/2-3/4 inch thin
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 garlic cloves, quartered
• 1 lemon cut into thin rounds
• 1 tbsp brown rice flour, or regular white/wheat flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp grated garlic
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
• salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Combine Lemon slices & garlic in a bowl.

2. Season chicken with Salt & Pepper. Heat large skillet to high heat. Add 2 tsp olive oil. Add chicken and cook about 4 minutes on each side. Remove chicken and place on plate. Add lemon and 1 clove of garlic to the pan with 1 tsp olive oil, turn frequently until lemon is browned. Remove lemon mixture and add to bowl.

3. Heat pan to medium heat add butter, grated garlic, oregano, thyme, onion powder and white wine to pan. Scrape up and bits on the bottom of the pan. Add chicken stock brown rice flour and 1 tsp butter to pan. Bring to a boil and stir. Simmer for a few minutes. Add chicken back to the pan and cook another 2-4 minutes on medium heat. Place chicken on plate and top with Lemon mixture.

We served this with mashed sweet potatoes and green beans in olive oil.  We’ve had this recipe twice and we loved it both times!

We are headed to Rhode Island bright & early tomorrow morning to visit some family. Ava is SUPER excited so see her cousins.

As for Valentine’s Day, we have nothing crazy going on. I have some plans to make Marc & Ava breakfast and then maybe we will watch a movie or something.

I figured I would share some things i’ve been loving this week so that we can end this week on a positive note!!

If you have read my blog before my dad is a huge Costco fan so I go with him on occasion to stock up on some big items and find new treats to test out. We stumbled upon AUSSIE BITES and let me tell you, Costco has outdone themselves again. Aussie bites are my new favorite cookie, treat, snack whatever you want to call it. It’s healthy and nutritious and I secretly wanted to hide the container so I could have them all to myself.

RX bars. I know I have mentioned them in several posts these past couple of weeks, but I need to restock. I’m almost all out and I’m finally starting to favor certain flavors over others. My 2 favorites are Coconut Chocolate and Chocolate sea salt.

I also like coffee and blueberry but I can’t eat those every day. Clean ingredients in bar form is amazing for this busy mom. I am constantly looking for new healthy snacks to throw in my purse, diaper bag, gym bag, car you name it!!

I did some CARDIO this weekend on a machine. While machines aren’t my favorite form of cardio, it felt great to sweat and not have to lift weights for a change. I actually felt a lot stronger during my cardio session which was interesting to me since I’m pregnant but it did get me excited

I made a trip to Marshals this week and I told Ava we could buy a new toy. This girl started loading the cart with all the toys she can find. Ummm sorry Ava I said 1 toy. She’s funny though and at least she tried. I ended up spending $100 in Marshals, How? I’m not sure. I bought a new rug for the front door, a new baby outfit, some random snacks, a candle, a toddler gift, a mug, I pretty much bought one of everything but I was super happy with this decorative Valentine’s day saying that I found. My house is pretty simple, plain and not filled with decorations but I love to put something small out for each holiday and this just seemed right!

My mom’s chicken cutlets are pretty freaking awesome and she made them for me this week. I guess that’s a perk to being pregnant, or having a mom that spoils you. I literally will eat these every day even cold. If there’s one thing I enjoy the most of my mom’s cooking it’s these chicken cutlets and this picture doesn’t do them any justice.

Maybe because I rushed to take it so I could devour it

With Valentine’s day this weekend I questioned what to get for Marc, Ava and my parents. Marc and I have agreed not to buy anything crazy, we have everything we need but I want to get him a little something and I’m stumped.. I am taking suggestions so please send me some.

Ava and I will be putting together little gift bags for my parents filled with some of their favorite candy. It’s just something small but I know they will appreciate a little card and candy from Ava.

If  there’s one thing I’m not really into it’s candy. I know hate me, roll your eyes, its just not my thing. Give me a brownie, a chocolate covered strawberry or a lava cake and I will love you forever!! Give me a box of candy and it will sit in my pantry for a year, no joke ask Marc.

SOOO you can bet I will be treating myself to a chocolate covered strawberry or two this weekend!!

Do you have any Valentine’s Day plans this weekend?

What’s something you are loving this week?

After spending NUMEROUS Super Bowl Sundays feeling stuffed and uncomfortable after eating way too much I have learned to enjoy my favorite game day eats in a healthier way.

I’ve also learned to pick and choose wisely rather then stuffing my face and eating when I’m not hungry. It’s okay to enjoy the foods you love but keeping in mind portions will help your waistband later!!

Two of my favorite football foods are WINGS & CHILI. I absolutely love them both but I can get a killer belly ache after eating too much of those yummy snacks.

I have a few LIGHTER recipes to share with you and it will help you enjoy your favorite foods without breaking the calorie bank during Superbowl Sunday.

HEALTHY CREAMY BUFFALO PULLED CHICKEN

(Make sure to add more hot sauce to this recipe if you like it spicy!!)

While I do love wings, they are a bit time consuming to make and they can be super messy. I have a toddler to run after and messy hands just won’t work so I will take a pulled buffalo chicken sandwich smothered in hot sauce any day!

This recipe can be served on lettuce wraps, sandwich buns, as a dip or even in a taco shell!

PALEO LEAN BEEF CHILI

Chili is awesome whether served with rice in a bowl or just as an appetizer dipped with chips.

This chili sneaks in veggies, uses lean beef which cuts some of that unnecessary saturated fat and tastes amazing!!

(You could add beans, cheese or rice if you want which is what I did with the above picture)

Who are you picking to win the Superbowl? I’m choosing the Panthers.

For more Super Bowl appetizers and recipes check out these links below:

Healthy Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

Buffalo Chicken Chili

What’s your favorite super bowl food?

do you tend to overeat on Superbowl?

I had them for lunch that day and I was hooked. That week I had them a couple more times until the package was gone.They became a frequent purchase for me, until one day I went to Stop and Shop and they were no longer on the shelves.

I had a panic attack. Well not really, but I did think to myself “what am I going to do without these at lunch time!!”

It was an easy way for me to sneak in some veggies and I loved having a healthy option to pair with some chicken cutlets during lunch time. I told myself I was going to make them, but to be honest I was lazy and the thought of shredding sweet potato sounded like too much work.

I finally just let it go and moved on.

About 13 weeks into my pregnancy I was determined to get in more veggies on a daily basis and I really wanted to like sweet potatoes so I decided to give the “burgers” a try. I searched through some recipes online but there wasn’t one that really stood out to me and resembled the Stop & Shop burger. I found a recipe on naturalcomfortkitchen.com and I liked it but there were too many ingredients and it used Kale.

I decided to use some ideas from that recipe but I ended up creating my own. Marc and I were skeptical about how they would come out.. we split the first one, we split the second one, we split the 3rd one and I’m sure you can guess we loved them. How is something so healthy so tasty?! Don’t worry we made made more and we ate more

I couldn’t help but share our results with you. This recipe is a win and I can’t wait to make them again for the 2nd time this week.

Our first batch was a little salty & garlicky so I made some switches and came up with this recipe:

SWEET POTATO & SPINACH CAKES

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato (about 2 cups shredded)

2 1/2 cups baby spinach chopped

1/2 garlic clove chopped finely

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 eggs

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/4 tsp onion powder

Directions:

1. Shred sweet potato using a grater and chop baby spinach.

2. In a large mixing bowl addbread crumbs, baking soda, onion powder, garlic, salt & pepper, mix well.

3. Whisk eggs together in a separate bowl and combine with breadcrumb mixture. Add in the sweet potatoes & spinach and mix well.

4. In a large pan add 1 tablespoon of canola oil and turn heat to medium.

5. Using a 1/4 measuring cup scoop 4 individual scoops onto the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes and then flatten the cakes. Once flattened, carefully flip them over and cook another 3-4 minutes.

6. Serve warm!!

Makes 8 cakes, Serving size 2 cakes. Per Serving Approximately 191 Calories, 10g fat, 7.2g protein, 14.8g carbs

I actually woke up this morning at 6am and thought it was Wednesday and was mentally preparing myself to teach Group Power. I was super happy when I realized it was Friday, my body is in need for a workout rest day today!!

I wanted to share with you today some of the THINGS I’M LOVING THIS WEEK:

This past week I have gotten in some great workouts, including this short full body circuit that I shared with you in yesterday’s post. We did part of it in my boot camp class on Tuesday night and everyone had mentioned how sore their legs were, it’s a good one!

On Tuesday night after teaching Boot Camp I came home to find that the movie ELF was on TV. I felt like a kid and got all excited. Marc made a bowl of popcorn for us and we laughed watching my favorite Christmas movie!

I’m so honored that Made In Nature sent me some goodies to try this week. Yesterday I had no urge to eat veggies, but these Kale Chips with Rosemary Truffle intrigued me so I opened them up! They were crunchy tasty and I was super excited that I was able to get in a serving of veggies, WIN!

This isn’t a great picture of my chicken salad sandwich (probably because I rushed and wanted to eat it) but this was the best thing I ate all week. I bought this chicken salad from Citarella, it’s a healthy salad and I ate it 2 days in a row for lunch! I’m definitely going back for more!

My dear friend and client Sheila bought me this awesome mug from Green & Tonic. It says on the inside: EAT MINDFULLY, LIVE PASSIONATELY, GROW INTENTIONALLY, LOVE ABUNDANTLY. I absolutely love the quote and I honestly think that’s how I try to live my life. THANKS SHEILA For the thoughtful gift

Sometimes I don’t feel like cooking, okay I guess I don’t feel like cooking a lot but usually I force myself to. The other night I was in the mood for soup. Probably because it was rainy out and the thought of soup was comforting. I am a huge fan of Amy’s Organic soups. Especially this one. There’s tons of protein fiber, and vitamins. Plus you get in some veggies!

Last but never least, this picture of Cooper made me smile. This guy has been so cuddly this week I couldn’t not post this picture of him.

Your turn!!! What’s something you are loving this week? Are you all ready for the holidays? I have TONS of shopping and wrapping to do this weekend, but I’m ready to tackle it!

Have a great weekend