Hiatus Over! Babymoon Recap

Hello again everyone!

Thanks for your patience for the past couple of weeks.  As I mentioned before, mid-May is even crazier than the holidays for our family.  We have Mother's Day, my birthday, Hubby's birthday, and our anniversary all within 10 days. After a week of small celebrations with family, we left for a 3-night babymoon while grandma watched Z. We actually booked the trip right before we found out that we were pregnant - and we almost canceled - but I am so glad we didn't. It honestly was just what we needed. The newborn stage was pretty rough with Z and this time around we will have a toddler too. I am looking forward to all those newborn firsts though. :)

Even though I cried a little about leaving Z at first, the ride there alone would have been totally worth the trip. Hubs and I had a chance to really sit and talk more than we have in a long time.

The whole first day there we just stayed in the unit, on the balcony really, and just decompressed - looked at food magazines on my tablet, listened to the waves and dosed off ... it was glorious. 

Our balcony was awesome - we could see dolphins and several sting rays swimming by ... plus an occasional college student yelling "Spring Break! Whooooo!" 

Ahh, wildlife. 

Later on, we swam in the gulf, got a minor sunburn, explored the town and found some great restaurants. We thought about going out for a fancy anniversary dinner, but we opted to get carry out and eat out on the balcony. (Surprised?)  Nowhere in town had a better view. 

Although it was a day early, we took a quick 31-week bump pic. :)

The timing worked out really well because we were able to have a full weekend with Z before going back to the daily grind - so he took Daddy to see some dinosaurs. :)

I'm so grateful for the time that we got to spend away to relax, recharge, and reconnect.  I'm sure it will be a long while before we can do anything like that again!

Now for labor practice, finalizing the nursery, etc.! 

Onward and upward. 

Meal Plan Monday: Spanish Gazpacho

This week's meal plan features Spanish Gazpacho!

After "Crazy Week" (Mother's Day, both our birthdays, and our anniversary) and all the celebrating, we are in desperate need of a detox.  Look out veggies, here we come!

Our meal plan for the week includes:

Now that summer weather has arrived, it's the perfect time for gazpacho, the quintessential cold Spanish soup!  I LOVE cold soups when the weather starts to get hot - especially now that I am very pregnant and in the Florida heat. :)  This recipe was given to me by my mother-in-law, who lived in Spain for a few years. 

Gazpacho only takes about 10 min to make with a good blender and it's a great make-ahead option, as it's best after it chills for a few hours. It's a perfect quick, no heat lunch option - plus, all the ingredients are fresh, raw veggies so you get lots of good nutrients.  By making it yourself instead of buying it canned or getting it at a restaurant, you can control the sodium content.  I usually make this recipe two batches at a time. 

4 Truths to Remember When Facing Infertility

For those of you who have not read Great is Thy Faithfulness: A Story of Waiting on God, Hubs and I dealt with unexplained infertility when we were trying to conceive Z. It was potentially the most heartbreaking season of my life.  Infertility sucks, and I wish that no one ever had to experience it - but if you are facing infertility, here are 4 truths that it may help to bear in mind.

Monday Meal Plan: Pineapple Enchiladas

Well, I'm happy to report that Z has made a full recovery and I am finally in my 3rd trimester! The nursery is starting to come together and we're working on our before-baby-arrives to do lists. We've also FINALLY settled on a name, but we are keeping it to ourselves until he's here. (Less uninvited input that way). 

We ended up adding this 20-Minute Minestrone to the menu last week and I'm so glad I remembered it. It's a good, simple pantry meal that comes together quickly!

This week we'll be having:

Lemon Orzo Soup & Greek Salad

Pineapple Enchiladas (recipe below) with Tomato & Avocado Salad

Turkish Manti & Roasted Brussels Sprouts 

Pineapple Enchiladas 

(photo coming soon) 

Ingredients

• 1 (20 ounce) can Pineapple Tidbits, drained 
• 1/4 cup sour cream 
• 2 cups shredded cheese, divided (I use a Mexican blend)
• 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce, divided
• 6 (8 inch) flour tortillas

Monday Meal Plan: Turkey, Pear and Brie Flatbreads

Have you ever had a week that went from normal-crazy, to crazy-crazy, to crazy-insane? That's how this week felt for me.  I won't bore you with the details - but the main event was Z coming down with what we think was scarlet fever. Yeah, it's been real, and it's been fun - but it hasn't been real fun. He's finally feeling much better and I spent most of the day trying to get the house back in order. As a result, we are keeping our meal plan even more simple than usual this week.

Tapas night is something we have come to love and is inspired by Hubs spending part of his childhood in Spain. This week tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and herbs are on sale - caprese it is!

The Healthy Taco Salad recipe is here and the Turkey, Pear and Brie Flatbread recipe is below!

8 Products for a Better Pregnancy - Naturally!

*This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support!*

During my past and current pregnancies, I have come to rely on a few products to help me stay as healthy and comfortable as possible - without turning to medications if I can avoid it. Keep reading for my 8 favorites!

Monday Meal Plan: Tuscan Bean Soup

So ...

I had a severe case of pregnancy brain this past week.  despite 3 trips to the grocery store within 2 days I somehow still managed to forget ingredients that I needed for last week's meal plan.  As a result, we ended up ordering pizza one night and the tikka masala I had planed was pushed to this week. 

Oh well.

The meal plan for this week includes: 

Tuscan Bean Soup