Thursday, February 16

Who of You by Worrying…{Featuring Carly from TexasLoveBirds}!

Hello, Baxtron{Life} readers! I'm Carly and  I blog regularly over here at a little place called Texas Lovebirds. My blog started as a series of "Dear Peanut" letters to our unborn son, but it quickly became a way for me to document this beautiful life and everything that comes along with it.  

With our son's due date just a few days away, our life is about to change in a big way and I hope you all will join us as we take our first steps into parenthood. 
Today I'll be sharing a post that I wrote several months ago; at the time I was about 26 weeks pregnant. Even though this experience seems like ages ago, I constantly go back to it and the lesson that I learned.  I hope you enjoy my thoughts and can learn something from it as well. Because let's be honest, momma or not, we all find ourselves caught in the trap of worry at one time or another.
 
Growing up I remember hearing adults (specifically my parents) talk about the worry that comes with being a parent. You know, followed by that very typical line.."you'll understand when you have kids someday." Okay Mom & Dad, you were right.  Last night while I was outside with the dogs, I took a little spill. My sweet Molly girl (you know, all 170 lbs. of her) got a little rowdy when I had her on her leash and pulled me a little too hard; thus, I fell. I caught myself on my hands and knees and got up unharmed. No belly hitting, or even remotely touching, the ground. Molly was distraught and quickly came to my aide, crouched beside me till I was on my feet. Once I was on my feet, my hand was covered in big, slobbery, Great Dane kisses.  I felt fine, I didn't ache, and I had no pains. 


But, of course, a little bit of me started to worry.


I promptly came inside, drank a big glass of juice, sat down, prayed, and waited for Gunner to move. I called Cody at work, and he assured me that I was fine as long as I wasn't hurting (in times like these, his medical knowledge really helps calm me). Shortly after getting some sugary juice in my tummy, Gunner began to kick up a storm. Each little movement, even the kicks to the ribs, made me smile. My boy was just fine.


"Thank you, Lord," I said. 
Followed by a thank you to Gunner as well.



Anxiety and worry are things I've always struggled with, and I'll probably write more about that later, but so many events have taught me that God is always in control. I think this will be a hard pill to swallow as Gunner comes into this world, but I know in my heart that it is true.

Gunner will always be most precious to me, but it comforts me to know that he is even more precious to God. He was knit in my womb for a reason, for a purpose. I don't even know what he will look like, but God knows the entire life that is ahead of him. God is so cool like that.

And do you know what's even cooler? 
That God allows little worriers like me to raise his children.
And when we worry, He grants us a flurry of movement and kicks.

Update!  Today Carly will meet her baby boy Gunner! :)  She is scheduled for a c-section based on his position.  Stop by her blog and give her a word of encouragement!! :)

Wednesday, February 15

Is it Possible to be Cute while Pregnant?

One of the things that was a major bummer for me when I was pregnant with Zion was the financial struggles we were going through at the time.  There were several items that I felt would have made my pregnancy more enjoyable, (had we had been able to purchase them), one of which was, maternity clothes.

I had just achieved my ideal weight and the best shape of my life prior to getting pregnant, so going through the weight gain and body changes accompanied by pregnancy was very difficult for me.  I think that part of the reason it was so difficult was because I couldn't by comfortable clothes that made me feel cute and pregnant.  Next time around it is going to be different.  :)

Even though I am not pregnant {yet} I love checking out maternity clothes.  I really love Destination Maternity, so I was browsing their new arrivals for Spring the other day and fantasizing about what a cute pregnant Courtney could look like sometime in the not too distant {hopefully} future!

Here are a few ways you can save big this week if you are in the shopping mood:

Free shipping on orders over $100 at Destination Maternity. Use code: FEBDM - valid February 16-20, 2012.

Buy One Get One 50% off select styles ż jeans, pants, tees, tanks, panties & nursing tanks at Destination Maternity. Valid February 1-20, 2012.

Buy One Get One Free on select clearance items at Destination Maternity. Valid February 1-20, 2012.

Featured Sponsor {Mallory of Mallory's Musings}



Hi!  I'm Mallory.  I am stay at home mom in my late twenties living on the Gulf Coast of Florida with my handsome husband and a very spirited almost 2 year old daughter named Aubrey .  My blog is basically about the ins and outs of me as a mom, which has proven to be quite the adventure.  I love to cook, craft and take photos and I share all of those things with you.  Please stop on by and say hi.



Define "Love" in your own words?
This one is a toughy because love can mean so many different things.  The definition can change drastically depending on what or who you are talking about.  I do think there are a few words that universally describe love and those are: respect, desire and admiration.

Your favorite Love story and why?  
I love the classic love stories and the ones that start out as young love and last a life time.  Maybe because that's how my love story goes(the young love ones, that is).  Some favorites that come to mind are Queen Victoria and Prince Albert,  Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, and of course Allie and Noah from The Notebook.



Tell us about the Best Valentine's Day you've ever had? 
 We aren't big about Valentine's Day around our house.  There have been plenty of romantic things that we have done for each other but they don't necessarily fall on Valentine's Day.    Instead of telling you about my best Valentine's Day, I will tell you about the one that I remember most, which is our first one as a couple.  Joe and I were seniors in high school and we had just started dating the month before.  I wanted to do something cute but not over the top for him so I asked his twin brother if there were any video games or movies that Joe wanted.  He told me that he wanted some basketball game for Playstation.  I went out and bought the game plus a bag of mini snickers bars because I knew they were his favorite.  I put the game in a gift bag surrounded by the snickers.  I was so excited to give it to him Valentine's morning at school and he loved it.  The bummer was that he nothing for me.  He said it was because he didn't want to bring it to school and he was going to come visit me at work that night.  I worked at a resort and that night I was working at the ice skating rink there.  Joe did show up that night with a few gifts for me.  He brought flowers, chocolate covered strawberries and a perfume gift set.  Which was totally sweet except for he must have forgot that he told me he had bought that perfume for his ex-girlfriend for Christmas but they broke up before he had the chance to give it to her- whomp whomp.  From that moment on I knew if I wanted a real romancer Joe was probably not my guy.  Thankfully ten happy years later, he has more than made up for his for first Valentines Day mishap.

Connect with Mallory: Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

Tuesday, February 14

Happy Valentine's Day!

Oh hubby…I miss you.  Only a week from tomorrow babe!  Love you!

Monday, February 13

The Weekly Wrap {2.11.12}


Things have been a little delayed … what can I say…keeping up with three toddlers is quite the job! :)  Enjoy these pictures from our visit in Texas so far!
Fun on the trampoline. 
Enjoying yummy treats, and family favorites.
I finally learned how to make virgin mojitos!
 Some much needed time outside on a rainy day!
Nonstop fun with these kids!
Delicious Flatbread & Dipping Sauces…YUM!
Presenting my beautiful little niece: Sofia Elliana! 

I miss you all, but I'm having a great time! :)  How was your week?

"Pinning!" {wk.12} RED!

Sorry this got delayed this morning! I had completed my collage and just as I was about to click on save, I lost EVERYTHING.  Ugh!  Without any further delay:


Welcome to "Pinning!"!!!
First timer?  It's simple:
Follow your hosts: Courtney & Kimberly
and
 Link up your favorite pins for the week
or
Participate in the theme of the week

This week's theme: RED

What better theme in anticipation of Valentine's day!?

THANK YOU for Linking up last week!  

Check out Kimberly's Blog to see who won last week's title of Pinning-est!
Are you "Pinning"?  
Come on, everyone is doing it.  
Join us MONDAYS for weekly sharing of Pinterest finds.  

February 13th: RED (Cause, you know, V-day is tomorrow!)
February 20th: P.S. I Love You (Be Creative!)
February 27th: This is My Style (Define your style!)

March: We'll be doing something new! Stay tuned!

Sunday, February 12

Muffintop Meltdown {v.6}



Progress, Points & My Favorite Jeans

Progress Report:

Weight Lost This Week: Unknown
Total Weight Lost: 7 pounds
Inches Lost This Week: Unknown
Total Inches Lost: 10.5 inches

Points Earned:

This Week: 0 (Wasn't Counting!)
Points Balance: 307

This post is coming at you delayed, simply because I've been insanely busy this past week with the arrival of my baby niece (pictures & details to follow!)  I've been busy helping with three toddlers and other household chores.  Every night I've been utterly exhausted by the time the kids are all in bed.  

I didn't measure myself or do a weigh-in (I mentioned previously that my sister informed me that she doesn't have a  scale so that is out until I get home in NYC.)  I also decided not to track points.  I've been really needing to be flexible in everything, and I'm admittedly off track a bit.  I'm still not discouraged though.  In life there are always temporary setbacks…the key is seeing them as just that…temporary.  

Today, I thought I'd share a two part goal I have regarding two of my favorite pairs of jeans ever:



1.  Goal #1 is to fit into my 7 jeans again.  Right now I can pull them almost all the way, but I cannot button them or zip them, too much hip/butt, so as that region shrinks these will easily fit again.

2.  Goal #2 is to fit into my Express jeans again.  I haven't worn these jeans since before my wedding/honeymoon.  I can pull these up to about mid thigh right now…so I have some work to do! 

In other news, I begin my Medifast 5-in-1 program tomorrow morning.  I am excited to get things going in the right direction again.  I delayed starting the program because I had a moment of clarity about attempting to start it while watching three toddlers all by myself for 48 hours…not the brightest idea.  I can't wait to share progress with that later in the week, and let you know how it is going and what I really think of it.

This Week:

I'm proud of these choices:

Well, I am sure there is something to be proud of, but I can't really think of anything, eek!

I'd like to work more on:

I haven't really been working out this past week and a half, nor have I been very disciplined with my eating plan.  The family here knows how to cook, so it is REAL hard to stick to my own food! :)

I totally cheated when:

I've been having a TON of dessert, so bad, really, like ice cream, cupcakes, cookies…woe is me!


How did you do this week?

Want to catch up on my journey? V.5, V.4, V.3V.2, V.1



O.M.Y. {oh.my.yum} Featuring Sarah from The Fontenot Four!

Check out this delicious recipe from Sarah of {the Fontenot Four}!





On Saturday morning I was browsing Pinterest.
I wanted a simple crock pot recipe for chicken.
I wasn't feeling well.  I had thawed out chicken.  Had to cook it. 
But didn't want to exert a lot of effort!
Ever have those days??
I came across this pin for Cilantro Lime Crock Pot Chicken:
Source: pipandebby.com via Sarah on Pinterest

I checked my pantry and, sure enough, I had the ingredients...
pretty much.
I had bone-in skin-on chicken breasts, not boneless skinless.
I had dried cilantro, not fresh.
I had lime juice in a bottle, not a fresh lime.
Well, that worked for me so here is my version of this recipe!
Easy Delicious Cilantro Lime Crockpot Chicken:
So so nice to have a Kindle Fire to put on the counter for easy access to the recipe!!


Aside from the chicken, here's what you'll need:
A 24 oz jar of your favorite salsa.  I had a club-size bottle, so I measured out 24 oz.
The original recipe calls for the juice of 1 lime.  I did not have one, so I added 1 tbsp of "Realime" lime juice.
Instead of fresh cilantro {because I had none}, I used not quite 1/4 cup of dried cilantro.
Add 1 pouch of your favorite taco seasoning.
Blend everything together in your crock pot.
Throw in a package of boneless skinless chicken breasts.
{mine were bone-in skin-on, so I de-boned and de-skinned them before putting them in}
Cover the chicken with the salsa mixture.
Set the crock pot to low for 6 hours.
{about 4.5 or 5 hours in, I put it on warm}
Towards the end, I threw some white rice into my rice cooker.
Chicken is ready!
Serve the chicken over rice and top with the salsa mixture.
Not photographed: I then put some tortilla chips on the side and topped with some of the salsa mixture.  I added a generous amount of shredded "Mexican" blend cheese as well as dollop of sour cream!
This was so good that this post was supposed to go up Monday but I couldn't wait to share it with you!!

And before you say aren't you starting a fast??  Well, yes I am...it starts at sundown tonight.  This is not a Daniel Fast recipe, that's for sure.  And I enjoyed every bit of it!
Enjoy!
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My mouth is totally watering from this recipe: cilantro & lime---that is all you had to say!!  Thanks, Sarah for this delicious recipe…I'm hoping to get to cook this for my sister's family while I'm visiting with them.  :)  

Friends, you should totally visit Sarah's blog…this lady is inspiring in all that she does!  :)