Fall Drink.

Even though mother nature has not been true to Fall season this year, I thought I would share a drink I found on Pinterest for this Fall season. I had it as a post workout drink but it can also be a quick breakfast for those who don't have time to cook in the morning.

I usually have dinner around 6:30pm and find myself getting very hungy once I'm done working out, which is 10pm. I don't like going to bed feeling stuffed so I searched for the perfect smoothie/drink (depending if ice is added) that will satisfy my hunger but would not leave me feeling guilty. Here's the recipe. Enjoy!

Five Almonds

One red apple

One banana

3/4 cup of nonfat greek yogurt

½ cup of nonfat milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)

½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon

 

 

Simple & yummy!

 

*If you want to have it as breakfast, just add some egg whites or/and oatmeal.

lots of protein to start your day :)

 

HAPPY FALL!

 

                                                              

Healthy Egg White Muffins

Today was day one at the new job which meant it was day one of lots of temptations. Walking into an office full of donuts, bagels, hot chocolate, etc.. is not easy. I know how hard it is to stay fit and eat clean while working so I made sure to prep both my breakfast and lunch the night before. These muffins are not only easy to make but they are guiltless. They’re healthy mini size omelets; I had two of them with half a grapefruit and hot tea.

Here’s the recipe; try it out!

On a large bowl:

Egg whites & pepper

*you can pretty much season them however you like

 

DICE:

Turkey

Onion

Cactus

Red peppers

*I plan on throwing in mushrooms && spinach next time.

 

On a muffin tray:

Lightly spray each muffin cup or a bit of olive oil (i used the spray)

Fill in each cup half way with the eggwhite

Add the turkey & veggies to each cup

Finish filling each cup with egg whites.

 

Preheat oven at 350 degress.

FOR 35-40MINS

*Depending how you like your eggs cooked

&& ENJOY!!!

 

I placed them in a large Tupperware and in the morning I grabbed two and threw them in the microwave.

 

QUICK, HEALTHY && DELICIOUS!

 

 Dani <3

"I CAN cook dad!"

Hey guys! I hope everyone is doing well. A lot has happened since I last blogged but I am back and hoping it is for good.

I recently decided to quit my job to stay home with Mateo for a few months. His personality started to change and he needed his momma around more. I didn’t want to regret not spending time with him right now that he is at such a young age. Having the privilege to stay home with my son has allowed me to work on other things I enjoy doing like fitness and nutrition.

A lot of you who follow my blog, instagram and/or face book know that I love to work out. I truly enjoy it. I love it actually. I laugh whenever someone asks me why I work out so much if I am not overweight. People don’t only work out because they need to lose weight. Some people actually enjoy working out and staying active. I’m one of those people. I enjoy how it makes me feel about myself after I’m done with a killer work out. I don’t do it because I want to lose weight. I do it because I want to be fit.

Staying home has also allowed me to COOK! Yes, I can cook. The day my husband asked my dad if he could marry me, my dad told him “It’s fine with me but she can’t cook”. haha! My husband loves me so much it didn’t matter. He married me anyway. I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I am REALLY enjoy cooking. I’ve been making things up as well as following healthy recipes I come across online. I don’t follow complicated recipes because I am not a chef. So don’t expect any of that on my blog. LOL! I try to keep it as simple as possible. I am in the process of going back to work very soon so I hope I could continue the healthy eating-on-the go.

Tonight I made healthy CHICKEN SALAD LETTUCE WRAPS. I pretty much followed a recipe I found online and then put my own twist to it. If you decide to make any of the recipes I share on my blog, please tag me. I'd love to hear all about it. Same goes with your fitness journey. Please share and keep me updated! I LOVE to hear it all.

CHICKEN SALAD LETTUCE WRAPS

Boil 4 chicken breasts

8oz plain greek yogurt

Mustard (I didn’t measure it. Go by the taste)

2 diced celery

2 diced cooked carrots

½ cup of corn

Diced Almonds (optional)

Seasoned salt (I used Lawry's 25% less sodium)

Pepper

Romaine lettuce leafds

Jalapenos (add the juice for more flavor)

 

 

 

EAT CLEAN, TRAIN MEAN, STAY LEAN.

 

 

 

 

 

Dani <3

 

 

 

Starvation mode/ Calorie intake

Once again, I abandoned my blog. I’m going to be honest, the only reason I haven’t been writing is because I haven’t been keeping up with my healthy eating habits. It’s a little hypocritical of me to blog while I’ve been eating sweet bread for the past NINE days. My grandfather passed away last week and in my culture, after a loved one passes away, a rosary is done for nine straight days. I’m sure a lot of you know what I’m talking about. The rosary part was great but the hot chocolate with a conchita/empanada was not. Now that the rosary is over, I think it’s a great time to write about a common mistake some extreme dieters make.  

CALORIE INTAKE:

This morning, a friend of mine on FB wrote “I’m determined to lose weight. I’m only eating 500 calories a day from now on.”  DON’T DO THAT! Yes, the fewer calories you eat, the more weight you will lose. But the weight you lose will come back and sometimes it’s even double the weight you lost in the first place. A lot of people (I was one of them) take their calorie intake to another level. Of course, if you consume few calories, you will lose weight but make sure you don’t put your body into starvation mode.

Starvation mode is something I never understood before my pregnancy. I always thought the way to lose weight was consuming 1,000 calories a  day. Most nutrition experts recommend never going below 1,000 to 1,200 calories per day. Now I know that’s not the way our bodies work and thats probably the reason why I wasn't losing any weight.

The last month of my pregnancy was the hardest for me. Not only because I was anxious to meet my little guy but because I was at my biggest EVER. Gaining 53 pounds in 7 months (I didn’t gain anything the first two months) was definitely not my plan. I thought the most I’d gain would be 30 pounds. But sadly, I almost doubled that number. The first step I did to get my body back was do a bunch of RESEARCH. I’m talking hours of research. I know that sounds funny but that is exactly what I did. I was nine months pregnant, 53 pounds heavier, doing a bunch of research on weight loss. I was determined to wear my favorite pair of jeans and feel fabulous in them. But most important, I was determined to do it the healthy way.

While researching, I came across a BUNCH of diets; tons of them. Some I can’t believe people put their bodies through. The words “starvation mode” came up a lot. Putting your body on starvation mode slows down your metabolism. While it will burn fat, it will also start burning lean muscle mass, which will slow down your metabolism even further. People on starvation diets always find that they regain all the weight they’ve lost (and then some) very quickly as soon as they start eating again.

How to avoid starvation mode & determining how many calories I should consume daily to lose weight/ maintain weight?

Everyone’s daily calorie intake is obviously different. It depends on your weight, age, sex and your goal weight. The amount of physical activity also plays a role. Tracking the calories you’re eating also teaches you how to make healthier choices. It’s like Weight Watchers, (which I did for a month but that’s a whole new post). I know some of you don’t pay attention to the nutrition facts (I didn’t before) but you HAVE TO. Not reading the nutrition facts is probably the reason why you’re not losing weight or gaining weight. Knowing how many calories the piece of brownie you’re about to eat makes you think twice; 400 for two bites? Is it worth it? I hope your answer is no.

Once you reach your goal weight, you can add a few calories to maintain the weight. That’s what I am currently doing. I don’t want to lose any weight anymore. I want to maintain & tone up for the Summer. To figure out my healthy daily calorie intake, I used the Calorie Calculator. I’ll share the link with you guys so you can figure yours out too.  While dieting, I used the MyFitnessPal app on my iphone to keep track of how many calories my meals were. I kept track of everything I ate, and whenever I lost a pound it would encourage me to lose more. I promise you, if you keep track of how many calories you’re feeding your body, you will lose the weight. DON’T STARVE YOURSELF. That will only give you short-term results you’re aiming for a HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE. Also, take it one pound at a time, don’t expect ten pounds a week. One to three pounds a week is a healthy pace.

Here's the link to determine how many calories you should be consuming to maintain/lose weight.

http://nutrition.about.com/od/changeyourdiet/a/calguide.htm

MyFitnessPal.

"Don't workout because you hate your body,

work out because you love it"

oxox,

Dani

FRUIT.

I really thought I’d have more time to blog but now that Mateo is walking, it seems impossible. The easy days are definitely over. He’s only 10months old and he already thinks he’s the boss.  Anyway, I wanted to blog about my trip to the grocery to give you guys an idea of some EASY meals BUT because I don’t have too much time right now, I’ll be sharing the sugar intake in fruit.

Sunday night, I uploaded a picture of all the fruit I was bagging for this week. I want to make sure everyone knows I don't eat fruit for every meal.  If anything, I eat one fruit a day. Fruit is good for us but it can also be bad if we over do it. We all know fruit has A LOT of sugar but how much exactly? Click on the link to see...

http://www.sugarstacks.com/fruits.htm

TOP HEALTHIEST FRUITS:

1. Apples
2. Apricots
3. Bananas
4. Blackberries
5. Blueberries
6. Cherries
7. Grapefruits
8. Kiwi
9. Mangoes
10. Oranges fruits
11. Papayas
12. Purple grapes
13. Prunes
14. Raspberries
15. Strawberries

My favorite fruit:

Papaya, mango and strawberries

What I eat the most while dieting:

#1. APPLES

I bag my fruit Sunday night. That way
I can just grab it & head out the door.

Tonights dinner.
salmon & veggies.

Day #2.
1.10.12

Till next time,
Dani

New Year, NEW YOU.

The beginning of a new year is always a good time to start a healthy/healthier lifestyle. I myself have gained a few pounds since summer and now that the new year is here, I’m ready to start my healthy eating again. Now, a lot of people think in order to lose weight, they need to practically live at the gym and work out nonstop. NOT TRUE. A lot of the weight comes off with simple modifications in your eating. Here are just a few changes I did while dieting..

BREADS: Goodbye white, hello Wheat. ONLY WHEAT BREAD. If you have it for breakfast, make sure you don’t eat it for lunch/dinner.  

Beverages: h2O. Water. Agua….OR unsweetened iced tea.

This is something I had trouble with in the beginning. I LOVE diet coke!!!! The first two weeks were the hardest but after a while you really just get use to it.

For those who drink flavored iced teas and think it’s healthy, it’s not.  It has TOO much sugar. It’s ONLY healthy if it is unsweetened. Same thing with lemonades, they have TOO much sugar.

I know how hard it is to completely stop drinking flavored iced teas and lemonades so, if you can’t make the switch to only water, start with half water and half tea/lemonade.

Protein: LOTS of Protein; Turkey, salmon, fish & chicken.

 Ditch the ham for some turkey. & when eating chicken, make it the breast. White meat is the healthiest.

Milk: I went from 2% to 1%. Modifying my milk was surprisingly not hard. 

CEREALS: I LOVE CEREAL!!!!!!!! I can eat it for breakfast, lunch & dinner. But, I don’t. Cereal can be VERY UNHEALTHY if you buy the ones that have TONS of sugar. When buying cereal, read the nutrition facts & make sure how many calories it has PER SERVING. But, most importantly, make sure your serving is at least ONE CUP. Some cereals say 100cal per serving but the serving is not even a cup.

If you pick a cereal with 100cal per cup.. & you eat 3 cups, that’s 300cal WITHOUT the milk already. So, be smart when you eat/buy cereal again.

Salad dressings: VERY IMPORTANT NOT TO OVER DO IT WITH THE DRESSING.

If you choose to eat a salad, it’s most likely because you’re trying to eat healthy. BUT, if you add TONS of dressing to it, there is nothing healthy about it; you’re better off eating a burger.  Dressing is used to give your salad a bit of flavor since you’re basically eating water (lettuce is 95% water).

How much dressing is enough?

Dip your fork in the dressing; letting ONLY the tip of the fork touch the dressing. I did this for every other bite when I was trying to lose the baby weight. For those who want to lose more weight, ditch the dressing and eat your salad with lemon & pepper.

Find the motivation…

A lot of people think getting to their “dream weight” is impossible but it’s not. Little changes make a BIG DIFFERENCE. I know most of us were once thinner; so, grab an old picture of your thinner days and use that as motivation. USE a picture of YOURSELF that reflections how you want to look because you looked like that once before && no one says you can’t look like that again. EVERYTHING is possible, if you MOVE and do something.

For those who need inspirational stories on weight loss, BUY THE NEW ISSUE OF PEOPLE MAGAZINE! Hurry! I bought it this morning and it inspired me to write this blog.

I’m really hoping I inspired at LEAST ONE reader. && If you do decide to make healthier changes in your diet, let me know how it goes. I’d really love to hear all about it.

Till next time,

Dani

 

 

 

                               

                                               DRINK LOTS OF IT.

People Magazine.

Must Read.

This is the picture that motivates me.

Aug 2011.. only 6mon after Mateo.

5 pounds lighter.

KMART.

          I’ve never really considered myself a stylish person. That’s main reason why I have never blogged about fashion. I’ve always been a “jeans, tee/cardigan” type of girl. I wear my rainbows way too much & I always have my hair up on a bun. But, now that I am a blog reader & follow a few fashion bloggers, I feel like I am starting to get more into what I wear.  And to be honest, I don’t know if that’s a good thing. Good for my closet but bad for my wallet. When I was single, I didn’t have to worry about bills or any of that stuff because I was fortunate to have all my pay check to myself (thanks to mom & dad) BUT things are different now. When I shop now, I make sure if I really NEED it & if the price is WORTH it.

            The other day, I asked my mom if she wanted to come with me to BED, BATH & BEYOND because I needed new bathroom towels (new colors for winter). My mom said I was crazy for buying basic towels when I could get some elsewhere for a lot less.  She recommended ROSS, Marshalls, and K-MART. A few days later, I went to F21 in Cudahy and I decided to stop by the KMART next door AND not only did I find affordable towels but I found AHHHHHMAZING deals on clothing. The BONGO clothing line has awesome styles for such low prices (I sound like the voice in a commercial).  I got two items for the same price I would have paid for one item at TARGET.  The last time I went to KMART was back in Elementary School when times were tough & I forgot how inexpensive it was.  One of the items I purchased were a pair of THICK leggings, I had been on a mission to find; THICK leggings are hard to find. If you go to F21, their leggings are thin & see-through.  Well, the leggings I bought at KMART (still can’t believe it) were thick & ONLY $7. I have no idea why I only bought one pair; I am definitely going back for two more. The other item I purchased was some sequined party shorts for only $11.20. I’ll most likely wear them for New Years Eve. Now, I’m not saying EVERYTHING in the store is great BUT I’m sure some of you can find affordable clothing that can help you put a FABULOUS outfit together.   

oxox,

Dani

Bongo Junior's Seamless Leggings

                                                                      $7 

                                            

Bongo Juniors Sequined Party Shorts

$11.20



2012.

I think I’ll nominate myself as the worst blogger. I’ve been gone for so long, that I forgot my password. Now that a new year is right around the corner, I thought blogging my new year’s resolution for 2012 would be a great idea.  I think sharing my new year’s resolution is good because you guys can remind me of them if I start slacking off.

1.   Blogging more often. I don’t know why I even stopped. I’ve always enjoyed writing. I say I don’t have time but I do. “Excuses are for losers”. This month alone, I’ve had about five friends ask me if I was planning to blog again. I am REALLY going to try to blog AT LEAST twice a month.  

2.    READ. I want to read more books. I miss reading for pleasure. A while back, I asked my friends on FB to recommend a book & I got so many responds.  I wrote them all down on a piece of paper; now I just need to find it.  

3.    Photography. I need to get to it. Photography is something that has been on my mind for MONTHS but I haven’t found the confidence to do it. I don’t know if I’ll be good at it or if I’ll even enjoy it. It’s just something that has been on my mind & I’m determined to try it out. Even if I fail at it. I always tell my husband, “Let me do it. Let me fail. I don’t care”. 

4.   Church. I need to go to church. I know God is everywhere and we don’t have to go to church to have a relationship with him BUT I miss Sunday mass. I want Mateo to have the same upbringing I had and attending mass was a big part of my life; until I got married =/..

5.    Make a difference. I’ve put a lot of thought into my last new year’s resolution. I think making a difference in someone’s life would be awesome. I’m not trying to be a hero or anything BUT I think I could change someone’s life. I had lunch with a close friend the other day and I started sharing some of my crazy ideas. What I thought was “crazy” wasn’t crazy to her. In fact, she said it was a wonderful idea=)

My “crazy” idea: Help someone live a healthier life.

I loved my pregnancy BUT gaining all that weight (53 pounds) wasn’t exactly my plan. A woman is only supposed to gain 25-30 pounds in a pregnancy. Losing all the weight after giving birth was THE BEST FEELING. I remember trying on my size 4 jeans a week after having Mateo & feeling completely depressed. Btw, don’t ever do that; don’t try to fit into your old pair of jeans A WEEK after giving birth. WORST IDEA EVER. I made a commitment to myself to lose the weight in three months. & I DID! It was hard BUT it was done. Losing 53 pounds ON MY OWN has inspired me to help someone else. I’m not a personal trainer or a nutritionist BUT I know I can inspire someone else to live a healthier life.  As my last new year’s resolution, I want to dedicate a whole month to someone who needs that extra push to lose a few lbs. I don’t know who just yet but I’m definitely going to pick someone who REALLY WANTS IT & NEEDS IT. I want to make sure this person is going to give it their all and not waste my time, since I won’t be receiving anything in return.  I’ll be blogging about this “project” soon. Along with a few things I did to loose the weight.  

Do you guys have any new year’s resolution for 2012? I’d love to hear about them. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas<3

Mateo's first Christmas.

Christmas eve <3

Christmas Morning 

Mateo is obssessed with books!

Christmas Day <3

10 month old Mateo<3

oxox, Dani<3



Baby update & Summer challenge.

Hi guys! I’m gonna say it again, I must be the WORST blogger in the blog world. I’m trying my best to keep you guys’ updated with everything  but  I have a lot on my plate right now. I just bathed Mateo & now he is napping so I’m taking full advantage.  Anyway, updates updates. I feel like I have so much to write about but very little time. This little one only naps for so long. The older he gets, the less he naps.

It’s crazy how much life changes after having a baby. Once you have a baby you can’t just grab your purse & walk out the door. I’m at my internship two/three times a week & I have to leave my house by 6:45am to drop off Mateo at my moms. So, I fix everything the night before; diaper bag , bottles, and car seat . It’s hard but I wouldn’t want it any other way. I love being a mom and a wife. I’m enjoying every minute of it. 

Update on my chunky butt: he will be SIX WEEKS old tomorrow. I can’t believe he is growing so fast. It’s insane. He is still a good baby throughout the night. Tony & I can’t complain. We get 6/7 hours of sleep every night. He continues to impress me. He is so smart. Whenever I get to my parents house & he’s napping I try not to talk loud because the moment he hears my voice he opens one eye to look for me. Only one eye! Haha. He opens it, looks at me and falls right back to sleep. He also has so much control of his head whenever I lay him on his stomach. He LOVES baths! I’ve never seen a baby so at peace. && he LOVES whenever I say “good morning” in my baby voice. lol. That’s the first thing he hears when he wakes up every morning. I say good morning and he gives me a big smile.   

Although I do have a lot on my plate: taking care of Mateo & my hubby,  going to school + hw,  internship, washing & having a decent clean house ß( I’ll do a better job at this once I have more free time), I plan on putting one last thing to my list . That’s WORKING OUT! If you know me well, you know how important working out is to me. I use to work out 4-5 times a week prior to my pregnancy & I’m dying to get back into it. I think getting your body back after a pregnancy is very important. I don’t think having a child is a reason to let yourself go. I remember someone I know told me “once you have your baby, your not going to care if you’re fat”. WRONG! Now I have more of a reason to work out. I love challenges & being in control of what I eat.  I had my time to eat EVERYTHING & ANYTHING I wanted throughout my pregnancy. && now it’s time to limit myself.  I gained 53 pounds during my pregnancy! YES, I KNOW THAT’S A LOT! Whoever said 30-35 pounds is the average weight gain is retarded. Haha. I don’t regret it. I enjoyed stuffing my face. hahaha

I am currently 19 pounds overweight. I’ve lost 34 pounds so far without working out. Yay me! It’s hard but I take it one day at a time.  I will be reactivating my gym membership tomorrow night. Woooo && will also be doing a boot camp my friend David runs. A little too much? I think NOT! My friend Summer is coming soon && I have to look good for her arrival. lol. Remember my family trip to Mazatlan this summer? Well, I kinda  sorta want to wear a two piece during that trip. Back in February, while celebrating my dad’s birthday over breakfast my little brother was teasing me about not being about to lay out and wear a two piece this summer. So, I want to prove him wrong!  Hahahahah. We leave  June 24^th. So, I’m hoping I will be back to my old weight by June 23^rd =).. Like I said, I love challenges. I hope I meet this one =/.. Not only to feel better about myself but for my hubby too! Gotta keep looking good for the love of my life! Plus, he is kinda my competition!  LMAO! My husband is losing the baby weight he gained as well && he’s working out like crazy. He started three weeks ago && not because I’m his wife or anything (hahahaha) but his results are looking good! But keep in mind guys can transform their bodies in days. Nothing to compare to a woman who just gave birth 6 weeks ago! Slowly but surely I will be back to my old weight in no time :)

Love && babies,

Dani

Yesterday. April 1st.

Last Sunday. March 27th

Thursday. March 31st

Yesterday. My stomach 5 weeks after Mateo.

still very giggly. gotta TONE!

Last Summer. 6 weeks pregnant.

Summer 2009 

This is what keeps me motivated :)

MATEO!

Helloo blog world! It’s been a LONG time! So much has happened since my last blog. For starters, I’M A MOM now! Mateo is finally here with us. My husband and I couldn’t be any happier. I finally met my little baby boy. He’s gorgeous! But, most importantly, he’s healthy! A lot of you have been asking about Mateo’s arrival so I thought I’d blog about that first.

So, on February 20^th, my first contraction woke me up at 2:09am. I ignored it and four minutes later I got another one. So, I decided to keep track of them. After an hour of having contractions, they began to get a little stronger and that’s when I woke up Tony. We decided to wait another hour since we had a false alarm before.    At around 4am, we finally got our things together && drove to Kaiser. On our way there, contractions were intense. They were only two minutes apart and I started getting scared. Keep in mind, I was NEVER nervous about labor during my pregnancy. I figured I’d get the epidural the minute I stepped foot in the hospital. Yeah, ummm, it didn’t quite work that way.

Once we got there, the RN put me on the monitor and contractions were really STRONG!  She even said, “Wow, you’re probably really dilated by now, these contractions are really intense”!  WRONG again. They checked me and I was ONLY DILATED ONE CENTIMETER! The RN said I was gonna be sent home since it can take hours or even a day for me to dilated. The hospital doesn’t admit anymore until they have dilated at least 3 centimeters. That’s when I started crying. I couldn’t understand why they would send me home if I was in that much pain. I cried like a baby and told Tony I felt like I was dying. A little dramatic? You might think so but the pain was just too much to handle. The RN saw how much I was hurting so she said she would have me walk around the hospital for an hour and then she would check to see if I’ve dilated anymore. So, off we went. Tony held my hand and we walked what seemed like the LONGEST HOUR of my life. They checked me again && I had just dilated half a centimeter. I was at 1 1/2 ! I had no choice but to go back home. I was so upset.  I just wanted to get the epidural already!!!

We got home & I walked straight to bed. I just wanted to curl up and cry. But not even five minutes later my mom & sister walk into the room. My mom said some encouraging words and then convinced me to get out of bed. All four of us (mom, sister, husband & i) walked around my neighborhood. After walking around for 20 minutes, we came back home && about thirty minutes after that my water broke. I was sitting on my rocking chair and Tony sat next to me, holding my hand. Every time I got a contraction I’d squeeze his hand. My husband was beyond supportive. I remember him telling me to be strong and just think about the moment I had been anxiously waiting for. Anyway, I was SO HAPPY when my water broke. That meant the hospital would HAVE to admit me. I got dressed and off.

If I thought my contractions were intense before my water broke, I was wrong! Contractions AFTER my water broke were unbearable. My husband says I sounded like a drug addict. I kept saying “I need that medicine! Give me my medicine NOW”. Hahah, I laugh now. Turns out everyone delivering that day wanted the epidural at the same time so I had to wait. I was admitted at 11am and didn’t get my epidural till 1:30pm. After the epidural, it was GREAT! I was in heaven. All I had to do was wait till I was dilated 10 centimeter and start pushing. I started pushing at 6pm and Mateo arrived at 7:37pm. It was beautiful. I cried! Mateo didn’t. They placed him on my chest and he didn’t cry. The nurses grabbed him right away and started patting his back. After about fifteen seconds, Mateo cried for the first time. It was the quietest cry I’ve heard. My mom said, “That’s it? That’s his cry? What’s wrong with his lungs”. Hahaha.

 Mateo weigh 7lbs, 13 oz && was 21 inches long. He couldn’t be more perfect. He’s everything I dreamt of. I love him more than words can describe. He’s such an awesome baby. He hardly cries. He wakes up twice at night. I feed him once and my husband feeds before he heads to work. My parents are so in love with him. He’s the first grandson and they can’t get enough of them. It warms my heart when I see my dad holding him or asking about him when I call. Or when I see my little brothers taking pics of him and putting them as their wallpaper.  I’m so happy! And Tony, he’s THE BEST! He’s so good with him. He helps with everything. Which makes everything so much easier on me.  I knock on wood every time I say how good things are right now because I’m scared I’ll jinx it. I know things aren’t always gonna be this great but as of now, they are. I’m enjoying my new life so much. Even though Mateo only sleeps, eats and poops (haha) , he makes me smile. He makes the funniest faces! You’ll have to meet him to see it yourself. Btw, Mateo’s middle name isn’t Alexandro. We decided to name him like his daddy. Mateo Antonio. So, he’s our MAC baby! Mateo Antonio Cuevas =)

Yikes! I practically wrote a book, haha. I’ll try my best to blog more often. I want to blog about my weight loss journey and Mateo's photoshoot soon :)..i have so much on my plate right now. I start my internship tomorrow. I’m super excited! I really hope everything goes smoothly. It will also be the first time I leave Mateo with my mom longer than two hours. It breaks my heart to leave him but I know it will all be worth it. Graduation is only two months away. Yay! That’s my motivation. Graduation and our summer trip! Can’t wait! Anyways, goodnight!

Love && babies,

Dani

Valentines day is EVERYDAY!

This year my husband & I didn’t do much for Valentine’s Day. I’ve been really cranky lately and not in the mood to do much. Now that I’m 39 weeks pregnant, I hardly have any energy to do anything. I'm really uncomfortable. I feel like this little one is gonna slide out any min (literally, lol). I only have energy to eat, school/hw, walk (to induce my labor) && watch a good show on the ID channel with my husband.

Biggest surprise this Valentine’s Day was seeing my husband still laying in bed next to me when I woke up in the morning. He didn’t tell me the night before he was working the second shift so he got the chance to come with me to my doctor’s appointment. YAY! We went to my 39 week appointment and to our surprise, I was told I have not dilated. I was pretty bummed but I didn’t want that to ruin our day.  The doctor did an ultrasound to check if I had enough fluid and everything was fine. We left the doctor’s office with two ultrasound pictures (one for him & one for me) that said “Happy Valentines Day Mommy & Daddy). Mateo remains covering his face so we weren’t able to see much L.. already giving us a hard time. lol. After the appointment my husband took me out to for brunch. We ate and headed home so he can get ready for work.

While my hubby was at work, I was cleaning one of my drawers and I came across a little card that Tony gave me on our one year anniversary. It said

This year has been amazing!

“Thank you for everything baby!

Can’t wait to see how our lives turnout”

I love you,

Tony.

It brought so many old memories. I remember exactly where I was when I read that card. I was sitting at my parent’s dining table studying for finals =/.. Our dating anniversary is in December and its always a few days away from finals, so we usually celebrate it once finals are done and over with (double the celebration, I say) Anyway, I hear a knock on the door and I see the HOTTEST delivery guy (TONY, hahahahahah) standing there, holding a dozen red roses and one BIG yellow sunflower in the middle of all the roses. For those who don’t know, sun flowers are my absolute favorite! && he put only one to represent the one year we had spent together.

Who knew our lives a year after that would be getting married && having a baby. I didn’t! And I know he didn’t either. I love everything about our love story. I wouldn’t change anything if I could.

I love my husband && I love what we have. My grandpa always said we need three things to make a relationship work out; LOVE, TRUST & RESPECT! & that’s exactly what Tony & I have.  He’s my protector, my best friend, my everything. He makes me feel safe. There isn’t a day I don’t thank god for putting him in my path. The love he has for me and Mateo makes me fall more and more in love with him. He’s soo awesome, he’s gained weight with me throughout the pregnancy. Haha. He even watches American Idol with me because he knows that’s the show my parents & siblings would watch every year back when I lived at home. He’s made the transition to my new married life a smooth one.

Being married to Tony means celebrating Valentines day & our love 365 days a year!

Every day is Valentines Day for us <3

love && babies,

Dani