Familia Córdova

And we're having...

2011-11-29T14:35:00.000-07:00

ANOTHER BOY!!!

We are so excited for Isaac to have a little brother to play with and just excited for another boy, too. I really didn't have any clue or inkling of what gender the baby was, although I thought maybe it was girl since this pregnancy has been so different than the last, but when we walked into the room where they did the ultrasound, I had a sudden feeling that we were probably having a boy. I couldn't be more excited and although I would have been happy either way, I'm really excited for another boy! I know Isaac doesn't completely understand what's going on yet but I constantly am showing him that 'there's a baby in Mommy's belly'. I think he will definitely have some jealousy issues, not even necessarily because I will have to give some attention to another baby, but because it's just me and him all the time and I think he'll miss being able to just snuggle up with me, just him, and all the time that we spend together, just the two of us. I know I will miss it too, but I know that adding another child to a family is part of life and there will be lots of sweet things that come along with it too, and I think Isaac will be really sweet with a new baby. Other than this exciting news, I turned 27 last week and although I don't feel the age, it's crazy to think I've lived this many years already! I feel so young still, but with the years come many new and wonderful experiences, new stages of life. I love where I'm at with my growing family, being a stay-at-home mom, and I really couldn't imagine life any different right now. Thanksgiving was very nice this year, we hosted in our humble little home and had Manuel's parents over as well as a sister I visit teach at church who had to work that night and wasn't able to go with her husband to the usual Thanksgiving dinner at her brother-in-law's in Oakley. It was great to spend time with them and I made my first turkey ever! It turned out great which I was really happy about! I made some yummy side dishes too, but to my own surprise, didn't end up making any of my own desserts! That's my thing, ya know, so it was a little strange not doing anything sweet, but I did buy an apple pie, and a pumpkin pie, and Manuel's mom brought Crema Volteada, a yummy Peruvian flan-type dessert. We had a nice time and even did a little Black Friday shopping the next day. We didn't go out very early but we did find a good deal on a new point-and-shoot camera for ourselves which we've been looking at getting for about 6 months now. It was so nice having Manuel home the entire weekend, which hasn't happened in quite a while since he works every Saturday. We're already looking forward to Christmas Break which is in less than 3 weeks now! The house is decorated for Christmas, and I am definitely enjoying this time of year! I'll have to post some cute pictures of Isaac in the next couple of weeks and give some updates on fun holiday activities too. As always, love to all our family and friends!

Potato & Avocado Salad

2011-10-26T14:39:00.000-06:00

As requested by a number of people, I have finally decided to post the recipe for my potato and avocado salad. This is an adaptation from one my mother-in-law makes but I prefer to roast my potatoes while she boils them. Either way, it turns out super yummy but I think the roasting process helps get more flavor into the actual potatoes before being mixed in with the rest of the salad. I love this take on potato salad because I'm not usually a fan of the typical potato salad and don't really like mayonnaise other than a thin spreading on a layered sandwich. I have provided approximate measurements for everything so any adjustments can be made according to personal taste. It's a pretty easy recipe but pretty darn delicious!

Potato & Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

3 lbs. red potatoes
6-8 avocados, ripe but firm
½ large red onion
4 limes
4-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Directions:

Cut potatoes into small 1-inch cubes and spread out on large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil enough to lightly coat and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add chopped garlic and toss potatoes to evenly coat and spread out onto the baking sheet. Roast potatoes in a preheated 400° oven for 30-40 minutes, until crispy and golden brown, turning halfway through for even baking. Once potatoes have finished cooking, remove sheet and let cool.

Cut avocados into small 1-inch cubes, approximately the same size as the potatoes. Dice the onion and zest two of the limes.

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, avocados, onion and lime zest. Squeeze juice from all 4 limes over the mixture and toss. Add any additional salt, pepper, and/or olive oil to taste.

Makes enough for a crowd and great for potlucks!

Enjoy!

Note: I once made this salad adding crisp bacon pieces and it was also very yummy! But I usually stick to the original ingredients since it tastes great as is. Sorry there's no photo, I should make this soon and repost with a tempting photo :)

Big News!!!

2011-09-13T20:15:00.000-06:00

Well, sorry for the fact that there aren't any pictures this post, but our big news is:

WE'RE HAVING ANOTHER BABY!!!

We are very excited for the new little one on the way, and for Isaac to have a new little brother or sister! I am due April 12 and so far, this pregnancy has been a lot harder on me than the first. The morning sickness has been far worse, and I've been a lot more tired. I'm just hoping that this phase will go by quickly, because I'd much rather take the tired, worn-out feeling of the 3rd trimester, along with heartburn and all the other things that come towards the end over this 1st trimester any day. So, hopefully it won't last long! I'm glad that I got the weight off that I recently lost before we got pregnant again, and hopefully that will make for a nice, healthy pregnancy. I hope to not get the high blood pressure I got last time in my last couple of days of pregnancy before Isaac came because that made the labor and delivery process a little more difficult, and we were lucky it went better than it does for a lot of people who develop preeclampsia. Isaac is still pretty young, so I know he doesn't quite understand what is happening with a baby coming and all, but if what they say is true, he has definitely shown some character changes and has been showing more separation anxiety on certain occasions. He is a sweet boy though, and I truly believe that although he might have some jealousy toward a new baby, he will make a great big brother. Well, I'm gonna keep this one short, but will hopefully post again soon with some picture updates. Just wanted to share for those that didn't yet know!

And the Weight Is Off!

2011-08-01T10:39:00.002-06:00

Before:

After:

I finally did it! I chopped off my hair! I had been thinking about doing it for a while but was so unsure if I really wanted to do it or not, and exactly when. Well, once I decided I really wanted to do it, I wanted to do it right then. So a few weeks ago, I chopped it off! It was a little bittersweet because my hair was probably the longest it had ever been in my life and it ended up being shorter than I'd wanted, but overall I'm really happy with it. I just wanted a change, especially since in addition to the weight of my hair being off, I have finally met my goal of losing 40 pound! Getting both of these weights off feels great. I started my weight-loss goal about the first week of April and although some weeks were not as successful as others, I feel great that I've finally lost the weight. The funny thing is, I can't blame it on baby weight. I had gained quite a bit of weight when I was working before I even got pregnant (stress, maybe?!) and that was really what I had to work at, since I didn't have any trouble getting the weight off that I had gained during my pregnancy. (How does that work? I dont' know!) I've been working out a few times a week, doing slim-fast shakes for 2 meals a day (most days), and preparing overall healthier meals for my family. It has not been easy, but it's totally been worth it. And even though my body isn't what it used to be before baby, I still feel good enough about myself and it feels great to fit back into clothes that I haven't worn in what seems like forever! And I am now back down to what I weighed when I got married, almost 4 years ago! And through this post, I am in no way trying to show off or make anyone out there feel bad if they're not where they'd like to be, I simply want to share my success and maybe in some small way, inspire someone else to do the same. I can't say either that the way I did it is the way everyone should do it. I just did what I knew I could handle and now I hope to be able to maintain a healthy weight and keep my motivation up to exercise more and eat healthier. It's amazing the energy I've gained along the way too, which is definitely necessary at this point in motherhood when I've got a crazy little toddler to keep up with! And I know I haven't posted any recipes in quite a while. It has been a crazy summer in many ways, and I feel that my time has been limited in the blogging world. I will soon post some yummy and healthy recipes I plan to try but for now, here's a muffin recipe I really like:

Whole Wheat Honey Banana Muffins:

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons wheat germ (optional)
2/3 cup olive oil or 2/3 cup canola oil
1 cup honey
4 eggs
2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup hot water

Recipe & Photo Courtesy: www.food.com (keyword: whole wheat honey banana muffins)

And now for a quick summer update: We have really enjoyed our summer so far with frequent trips to the pool, fun in the sun, and getting to see family! My parents came down from Oregon to attend my cousin's wedding and it was great to see them and spend time with them. Isaac loved being with them and getting to play a lot with his cousins, and it was also a great opportunity to see some extended family I haven't seen in a long time. The time my parents were here really made me wish we lived closer to each other, especially because Isaac just had so much fun. Manuel started his job a couple of weeks ago where he's interning at a home infusion pharmacy for University of Utah Healthcare. It is a great opportunity for him and they've given him full-time hours until he starts school at the end of August. Then he'll go to part-time hours and what a blessing, he won't have to work Sundays! He will, however, probably have to work holidays which is a bummer, but so is life! Isaac had a speech evaluation for our local early intervention program since he hasn't really said many "words" we can understand yet and qualified for services. I understand that doctors and speech specialists are simply trying to sort out any language delays or other learning disabilities in children earlier and earlier these days so they can catch things sooner and make a plan of action. I am not really worried about Isaac because he is very "verbal" in his own sort of language and is constantly using sounds, etc. Plus, he uses several signs to communicate with us and understands directions well. He's also the first child child and a lot of the time it's just me and him. After the evaluation, the specialist came out to sort of do her own "evaluation" and to set up some goals with me for him. I'm not sure what to think of her yet since I really felt like she underestimated Isaac's abilities, making several judgments of him based on how he "performed" just during the moments she was there. On top of having a stranger in our home and probably not behaving/acting the way he normally does, Isaac was super tired at the time and really needed a nap, which didn't help things. But I was perfectly honest with her and told her I'm not concerned that his level of talking is a problem, I just want to take advantage of the services and help him in any ways we can so he doesn't fall behind his peers. I will give her another try on our next visit, but if I feel like she could hold us back in this process because of her judgments/opinions about Isaac's abilities, I may request for a different specialist to work with us. I am proud of Isaac for all that he can do, and if anything, the visit really made me do a lot of my own thinking that I need to create a more consistent schedule for Isaac. So far, it has helped a lot. I have our days laid out to include plenty of play time, learning time, meals, errands, etc. including both scheduled structure time and "scheduled" unstructured time. Isaac is such a fun boy these days. He loves to play outside, be with other kids (although nursery at church has been a bit of a battle the last couple of weeks), jump, dance, climb, ride his bike, and play with kitchen tools. He is also quite the affectionate little guy. He gives the sweetest hugs and kisses spontaneously on his own, loves to snuggle, and loves when we sit and read stories together before both his naps and bedtime. His favorite books are ones that are songs I can sing like "This Old Man", "There Was An Old Lady", and "Five Little Penguins". Soon, we plan to get some books in Spanish so Manuel can read more to him as well. Isaac's favorite songs are ones with motions like "The Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Popcorn Popping", and "Baby Shark". Part of our new "routine" includes library time every week where Isaac and I can go and pick out some books/shows he'd like as well as ones I will reserve online and pick up as we go in so I don't have to battle him at checkout! Isaac is also quite the little socialite. Everywhere we are or everywhere we go, he waves to everyone! I think it's adorable he's so friendly and everyone else seems to think so too :) And potty training might be right around the corner for us. So far, he's not that interested in using the potty his abuelita got him, as he'd much rather use it in its stool form and climb up to turn on the water and put things in the sink to get wet. What a little goofball! But for a couple of months now, whenever he has a wet diaper and is uncomfortable, he'll go to his room and bring me the wipes and a new diaper. And when he needs to go #2, he points to his diaper, takes my hand, and pulls me into his room, especially when we have guests over (he doesn't like to do his business in front of people). I'm in no hurry to rush him into potty training, especially because he is still so young, but he is showing some signs of readiness, and I'll keep trying to introduce the potty to him with no pressure.

Well, that about sums it up for now so until next time, love to all our family and friends!

Memorial Day Weekend & Black Bean Brownies

2011-06-07T12:04:00.001-06:00

Since it was forecasted that Memorial Day this year was going to be rainy, we decided to have our barbecue picnic on the Saturday before. It was such a warm and beautiful day! We found out about Mill Creek Canyon which is only about a 10 minute drive from our place and it turned out great. There are some nice picnic areas there and we found a great spot where the creek ran along and was surrounded by trees. Breaking from my diet that day, we made some yummy turkey burgers topped with tomatoes, cheddar, caramelized onions, avocado, and crispy bacon on some whole wheat sandwich thins. They were delicious! We also grilled up some baby back ribs since I found them on sale and I made a super yummy Kansas City barbecue sauce I found on the Food Network website. I also tried a brownie recipe from skinnytaste.com made simply from black beans pureed with some water and then added to the box brownie mix (I love the Betty Crocker dark chocolate kind and I also used less-sodium black beans), omitting the oil and eggs. You literally cannot taste the black beans in them, and although they do have a much different texture than regular brownies, the flavor is great, you gotta give them a try! Overall, it was a really fun day, we spent it just the three of us and Isaac really loved it. He has a love for nature that I think he gets from his tree-hugging Oregonian mama :) While we were there, Manuel met a woman from Guatemala who was there with some friends and family and had a little dog. Isaac started chasing it and wanted to play with it and ever since, has had a fascination with dogs. Every time we see one at the park or around our complex, he wants to play with them and he's so cute and gentle with them! I wish we could get him a puppy, I know he would love it, but we'll probably wait until he's older and can take on more responsibility with having a pet. For Memorial Day, we took Isaac to the pool and had some yummy Olive Garden takeout at home. It was such a nice and relaxing way to spend our weekend. Here are some pictures from our day in the canyon:

Here is the recipe for the barbecue sauce I used, courtesy Food Network: (Before it cooked on the ribs, it tasted a little sweet, but afterwards, it had such an awesome flavor)

http://www.foodnetwork.com//recipes/food-network-kitchens/kansas-city-style-bbq-sauce-recipe/index.html

And here is the recipe for the black bean brownies, super easy, and courtesy Gina from skinnytaste.com:

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2008/06/black-bean-brownies-2-pts.html

Hope everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day weekend as much as we did ours and try these recipes! Love to all our family and friends!

Pool Time!!!

2011-05-23T22:18:00.001-06:00

Since we got our 1-year memberships at the Holladay Lions Fitness & Rec Center, we decided to take advantage of a warm day about a week and a half ago and take Isaac to the pool for the first time. It was so much fun! I didn't plan on getting in the water since I was dressed to work out afterwards, so Manuel got in with Isaac. His first reaction was a little fear and clearly by the first picture of him and Manuel, he was reaching for me almost in tears to take him out. So I ended up rolling up my pants and getting in with him so he wouldn't be scared. I swung him back and forth and showed him how to splash in the water and eventually, he really started to enjoy it. By the end, he didn't want to leave and he was just having so much fun. It was so fun for us as parents to see him learning and trying something new. We've since taken him again and plan to hopefully take him once every week during the summer, if not more. I myself have always had a love for the water and for swimming since I was just a little girl and plan to teach our kids to swim as well. Here are some pictures from that day:

This was actually the last picture we took right before leaving, when a really nice girl offered to take this for us :)

"Mommy, save me!"

Isaac starting to have some fun

A little blurry, but I love how happy Isaac looks here :)

And last week, I was a little lazy with taking pictures of the meals we ate but here was what probably ended up being my favorite. It's another from Gina from skinnytaste.com called Asian Turkey Meatballs with Lime Sesame Dipping Sauce.

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/01/asian-turkey-meatballs-with-lime-sesame.html

I didn't have sesame oil on hand so I just used some canola oil and threw in some sesame seeds. The recipe also makes large meatballs, but I made mine smaller using a small cookie dough scoop. These meatballs have so much flavor! I didn't eat mine with noodles that night for dinner since I was trying to save on calories and carbs that day, but I made Manuel's with some udon noodles and I'm sure they'd also be delicious over some brown rice. I actually plan on making this again this week but I'm going to try adding some spinach to the meatball mix just to include some extra nutrition. You gotta give these a try, sooo good!

Until next time, love to our family and friends!

Mother's Day & Other Weekly Highlights

2011-05-11T17:55:00.000-06:00

The last week and a half have been great. Manuel finished up with his finals on the 2nd, completing his first year of pharmacy school. I'm so proud of him for doing so well! I know it's not easy to be in such an intense program, especially when you have a small (and at times, demanding) family to take care of. Manuel has been a great support to me at home on top of his studies. He has especially helped me out by taking care of Isaac while I'm at the piano and organ throughout most of the meetings at church and more recently, taking care of him while I am putting in my time and efforts at the gym. Since Manuel finished up with his finals the beginning of last week, we've had some great quality time to spend together as a family as well as time to get some things done that had been put on the back burner for some time. It's great to accomplish these things before Manuel gets going again this coming Monday with his summer classes. Luckily they will only last 8 weeks and then we'll have the rest of the summer to spend together but hopefully Manuel will also have a job by then. Isaac has been a bundle of fun and is always surprising us with new smiles, laughs, sounds, and facial expressions. Here are some photos of Isaac from the last couple of weeks:

All messy after smearing Split Pea Soup all over his face and hair :)

"Mom, this is not amusing!"

"Okay, maybe it is..."

Pushing Daddy around on his trike

And Daddy then pushing Isaac on his trike

And Isaac helping Mommy cook dinner

Mother's Day was better than I could have imagined. First, my mom surprised me by sending me a beautiful bouquet of flowers that arrived on Friday.

Then, Saturday Manuel brought me home a gorgeous bouquet of roses and a beautiful card.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing, taking Isaac to the park, and a late-night movie at home. Sunday morning, I woke up to Isaac giving me hugs and kisses, more than usual which means I think he secretly knew it was a special day for his Mama. Manuel told me the thought crossed his mind to make me breakfast but knew that since I was on my diet, I probably wouldn't be able to eat it. I appreciated the thought but also appreciated that he wanted to support me in my goals :) We got ready and went to church and then drove down to Provo to spend the afternoon and eat dinner with Manuel's parents and grandma. It was a really great time, and although it was raining, we even took Isaac to the nearby park. Maybe that was a mistake though, we all got soaked! But the drive home in the pouring rain was relaxing enough for Isaac to fall asleep and I was glad to be in a heated car. Here's a picture Manuel took of me and Isaac at the park:

And finally, some more fun adventures in healthy cooking but just a couple of recipes to share this week:

Huevos Rancheros - http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/04/huevos-rancheros.html
(These were so easy to make, and sooo good! This was Manuel's portion by the way, I just thought it looked bigger and better for the picture)

Split Pea Soup with Ham - http://www.skinnytaste.com/2008/03/split-peas-soup-with-ham-2-points.html
(Also a super yummy dish, I served this with reduced-fat crescent rolls)

Barbacoa Beef - http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/04/barbacoa-beef.html
(I was planning on serving this over brown rice but decided to use quinoa instead which turned out pretty good. The only negative was that I went a little heavy on the chipotle peppers and it ended up a little too spicy--lesson learned!)

Hopefully with the warmer days approaching this weekend, we'll have even more fun pictures to share before Manuel is back to school. Until next time, love to all our family and friends!

A Few New Healthy Favorites & Other Recent Happenings

2011-04-29T12:37:00.006-06:00

I've been having so much fun with my new adventures in healthy cooking! I decided that after I reach my goal weight, and start slowly adding back in foods that I'm restricting myself from while on my diet, I don't want to deprive myself from really any foods that I enjoy, rather come up with healthier ways of preparing them--whether with healthier ingredients, or by healthier cooking methods, and still keeping in mind good portion control. I've had some great success with the new recipes I've been using, most of my recent dinner recipes coming from skinnytaste.com. All of the recipes shown here are some of my recent favorites courtesy of Gina from skinnytaste.com minus the last photo shown, which is a classic Peruvian dish called Lomo Saltado from my Peruvian cookbook "Cocina Peruana". I will include the recipe below. One of the other things I've been working on a lot is meal planning. I have found it to be so helpful and such a time-saver knowing exactly what we're going to eat each night of the week and having all of my ingredients bought and ready to go. I've also been working on finding a good balance of meat, legumes, rice/pastas, and meatless meals throughout the week so we don't end up eating chicken every day, for example. Hope you all enjoy and maybe try some of these recipes!

Asian Glazed Drumsticks

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/07/asian-glazed-drumsticks.html

Slow Cooked Sweet Barbacoa Pork

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/01/slow-cooked-sweet-barbacoa-pork.html

Beef, Potato and Quinoa Soup
(for the beef, I used super-trim stew meat)

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/01/slow-cooked-sweet-barbacoa-pork.html

White Northern Beans with Aji Verde Sauce
(I served this with brown rice which I finally figured out how to get the right texture: soak the rice for 30 minutes before cooking--it turned out so much better!)

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/12/white-northern-beans-with-aji-verde.html

Turkey Chili Taco Soup

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/02/turkey-chili-taco-soup.html

Peruvian Lomo Saltado (not the healthiest of the group, but so yummy!)

Apart from my cooking endeavors, I have been having lots of fun with Isaac. He is just growing up too darn fast! He is now 16 months old and starting to express himself more and more each day. He is quite the little fireball now when we have guests over, running around the house, showing off, and gets super hyper! It's a funny sight to see! He hasn't said much as way of words besides “Mama” and “Dada”, although on some occasions has said "Hola" and "up", but he is definitely being more verbal in general. He also knows how to sign "more/más", "please/por favor", "thank you/gracias", "eat/comer", "all done/terminé", and can wave "bye-bye/chau-chau", give high 5s, and blow kisses (besos volados). I try to teach him words, signs and sounds in the calmer moments, but he is just so active, he would much rather run around and play, of course! I love how active he is though, he is so fun and I love how he laughs when we chase him around the house. He is also quite the cuddly little guy. He never was much as a baby, but he likes to give hugs and kisses and loves to cuddle when I rock him to sleep at night. Nap times have been a challenge, especially since he is now only taking one a day. I've spoiled him in this area for too long also, and am just now working each day to get him to nap in his crib. Some days are good, other days, not so good. Isaac also recently got his first haircut which my sister did and he did pretty good. We kept it long and curly but did a short trim and more in the back so it didn't look quite so wild! I'll have to post pictures soon. I've also been learning new ways to discipline him as he branches out more as a normal toddler does and tests me at times. My main goal is to teach more than punish and always discipline with love and patience. I'm just beginning in this process, so I have absolutely no advice to other moms at this point, but hopefully I'll get it down someday. Who knows, it may take having a few kids before I really figure that part out. I think this part of parenting is already showing me how to be a better person overall.

Manuel is finishing up his first year of pharmacy school and will take his last final on Monday. I remember when he first started and I thought how long four years sounded and I can’t believe how fast this first year has already flown by! I am so proud of Manuel for all his hard work and efforts and he has done very well in his classes. He has also been volunteering Wednesday afternoons at the 4th Street Clinic for the homeless in downtown Salt Lake City working there in the pharmacy. It has been a great opportunity for him to learn more as he’s filled prescriptions and has helped with translating during patient counseling with Spanish-speaking patients. He really enjoys it but also hopes to get an internship opportunity in the near future and get even more experience.

Well I guess that’s quite a bit for one week’s entry, so until next time, love to our friends and family!

Chicken & Avocado Soup

2011-04-18T09:44:00.000-06:00

I made this recipe yesterday for dinner, and it turned out great! It was really quick and easy to make with simple and delicious ingredients. The recipe says to shred the chicken but I ended up just dicing up small pieces after I boiled the chicken in the broth and it ended up shredding a bit anyways. Also, the recipe says it makes 4 servings but since it's so low in calories and it was our dinner, we basically made 2 servings out of it and shared with Isaac. I used low-sodium fat-free chicken broth and after I boiled the chicken in it, I needed to add a bit more since some had evaporated. Manuel said it had a nice salsa-y taste to it and also commented that you could really taste all the different flavors individually. I think this soup could be really great served cooled in the summertime. It's yummy so give it a try!

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/02/chicken-and-avocado-soup.html

Dinner Last Night: Chicken Vindaloo

2011-04-06T08:57:00.001-06:00

Watched this on Rachael Ray yesterday and thought it looked yummy and it's overall, a fairly healthy meal. We enjoyed it, although I'm not sure if this is anything I'd make often. It was my first time attempting anything Indian, and I'm so not used to those kinds of flavors! It turned out well though, so if you're looking for something interesting and different, give it a try! Here's the link to the recipe:

http://rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=4013

Spring Break & Whole Wheat Bread

2011-03-28T11:07:00.003-06:00

Well, Spring Break flew by faster than expected which by now, is to be expected. Time just gets away from me so easily these days. Isaac is now 15 months old, and I still can't believe how fast my little guy is growing up. Manuel was such a big help to me this week, especially all the time he spent taking care of Isaac while I ran errands, went to appointments, and caught up on some shopping, all of which I have been needing to do by myself for some time. And yet somehow, still not everything I had set out to do actually got done. So is life! We got our gym passes this week for the Holladay Fitness and Rec Center which is conveniently right down the street from our place. I am really excited to start working out again and getting back into shape. Tuesday I went and accompanied one of the youth in our ward who was competing in a regional competition for his trumpet solo. He did well and is now on to the state competition which I will also be accompanying him for next month in Highland. Thursday was spent at the Family Fun Center in Sandy where Isaac had a blast with his cousins. My sister and I met up there, where she had a coupon in which we paid the age of the child, meaning we only paid $1 for Isaac to play all day. We ended up staying for about 4 hours and I have never seen Isaac have so much fun! I even put him in some roller skates which was a funny sight to see. I'll have to post pictures soon. Friday I got my hair cut, which was well overdue. A simple trim with some long layers added in and a final thinning out was all I needed. The rest of the days were filled with minor chores and repairs around the house. Overall, it was a fairly productive week yet in the end, I still wish there could have been some more time to spend with Manuel before he went back to school.

And now for the yummy bread recipe. This is a whole wheat bread recipe I got at an Enrichment Night activity in my parents' ward before I went off to school. It's a home storage recipe so it makes 4 loaves, but I may try cutting it in half the next time since I don't have the freezer space for 4 loaves! I made this on Sunday for the girls I visit teach, and even though it was my first time making a yeast bread on my own, it turned out really well! I also love how healthy the recipe is. Instead of using sugar to sweeten it, it calls for honey. And instead of butter, canola oil. It is such an easy recipe and has very little prep and cooking time. I decided that I am going to be making this bread instead of buying bread from now on. It's healthy and was so easy to put together in my KitchenAid mixer with the bread kneading attachment.

Easy 4-step Whole Wheat Bread

(I) In a bowl, mix:
6 cups hot water
1/2 cup oil - Canola is best (measure first)
1/2 cup honey (use the same measuring cup)

*Measuring the oil first and then the honey makes it easier to get all the honey out of the measuring cup.

Add together:
2 Tbsp. salt
2 Tbsp. dough enhancer (keep in the freezer)
3 Tbsp. yeast (keep in the freezer)

Mix a little at a time:
12-15 cups whole wheat flour

*Add only enough flour until the dough comes away from the side of the bowl when mixing.

(II) Mix on medium speed:
Set timer for 10 minutes (kneading the bread.) While dough is kneading:
1) Prepare the 4 loaf pans (spray with oil, non-stick spray, etc.).
2) Clean and oil down the cutting board or counter top.
3) Grease hands and knife.

(III) Prepare dough:
1) Take dough out of mixing bowl and place on well-oiled board.
2) With hands, roll out dough into a square. Cut dough into 4 equal pieces with an oiled knife.
3) Take each smaller piece, and pat out any bubbles. Form into a square.
4) Roll up into a long roll, and fold 3 times. Squeeze seams together, and place in the oiled pans.

(IV) Raising and cooking the bread:
1) Heat oven to 150 degrees, then turn the oven off. (The oven should not be warmer than 160 degrees.)
2) Place pans in oven to rise for 30 minutes. (Bread should raise barely past rim of pan.)
3) Set oven to 350 degrees and set the timer for 28-32 minutes. (Make sure bread crust is not too brown.)
4) Take out of pans and cover with towel. Let cool on rack for 1 hour before slicing.

Enjoy the recipe, it's delicious! Love to all our friends and family!

Healthier Eating & The Great World of Food Blogging

2011-03-12T12:43:00.005-07:00

As we started off the new year, it was a goal of mine to eat healthier to lose some weight. Many of you are aware of my love for cooking and baking which can make this quite difficult! I decided that along with that goal, I was going to make a real effort to start cooking healthier meals for my entire family, especially now that Isaac is eating more and more everyday foods along with us. With the challenges our country now faces with rising numbers of obesity, especially among children, I want to make sure that what I feed my children is wholesome and healthy. I want my children to have a love for food but also a good, healthy relationship with the kinds of things they put in their bodies. Now don't get me wrong, I don't consider myself a crazy health nut by any means nor do I intend on being one of those moms who deprives their children of every kind of sweet treat or processed snack all of the time, but I want to encourage my family to make smarter decisions when it comes to food and to have healthy options at hand. So, with my recent culinary adventures, here are some of the changes I have made to my typical weeknight meals:

1. Using leaner cuts of meat
2. Using reduced-fat cheese and other low-fat or non-fat dairy products
3. Incorporating more variety of fruits and veggies
4. Using olive oil or a canola oil spray to save on unhealthy fats and extra calories
5. Experimenting with spices and other natural flavorings to make meals more interesting
6. Watching more carefully the food labels and making sure not to buy products containing high fructose corn syrup, additives or preservatives
7. Buying canned fruits that are stored in their own natural juices rather than heavy syrups
8. Buying canned vegetables that are labeled "no salt added" to better control the amount of sodium in our meals
9. Using and eating whole wheat pastas, breads, and grains that are high in fiber and don't contain any high fructose corn syrup
10. (a) Making sure we eat a wide variety of foods including, fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, poultry, fish, beans, etc. and drinking more water and less sugar-filled juices and (b) Using healthier cooking methods such as baking not frying, etc.

So far, the most challenging part of cooking healthier meals has been looking for less expensive, quality ingredients that don't contain the additives, preservatives and high fructose corn syrup that are shockingly common in so many foods these days. It is incredible to me to see these ingredients showing up in foods you would never think contained them. Therefore, it's important for me to look for foods that contain more naturally occurring sweeteners, ingredients and overall fewer ingredients on their listings.

Many of the recipes I've been using recently have come from healthy food blogs and websites I've found through friends' suggestions or my own online research. Here are some of my new favorites:

1. www.skinnytaste.com
2. www.eatingwell.com
3. www.cookinglight.com
4. www.healthygirlcooking.com

My apologies to The Pioneer Woman for not making my list, you rock, but I've gotta get healthier! I'll still keep you on my Bookmarks tab bar though for now :)

If any of you out there have good suggestions for healthy recipe sites, I'd love to hear from you! I'll have to post some of the recipes I've made so far as well as some pictures. Some have been great, a few not so much, but it's a learning process and I'm figuring out ways to adapt the recipes and remember what didn't work so I can make changes the next time I try the same recipe. It's been fun, and I'm always discovering ways to create shortcuts and cut down on prep/cooking time so I have more time to spend with my awesome husband and adorable little boy!

Until next week, love to all our family and friends!

Isaac's Crazy Hair & His New Obsession

2011-02-27T08:36:00.004-07:00

Isaac and his tamed curls

Isaac after I brushed out his hair

Isaac's new obsession

I had to post some cute pictures of Isaac's crazy hair. Isaac was first born with straight, black hair, and not particularly a lot of it. And over the months, it started getting lighter, longer, and curlier. I just love it. Some people ask when I'm going to cut it. I don't have an answer for them right now. I just love the craziness of it and we literally get compliments everywhere we go, "Oh, look at those curls!" or "Wow, he's got great hair!" so I don't have any intentions of getting it cut anytime soon. Isaac also has a new obsession: "Home Alone." Just about every day now, he somehow is able to pick out the movie from among all our other DVDs, runs and brings it to me, and points to it like that's what he wants to watch and then he stands and waits in front of the TV for me to put it in and start it. I think it's hilarious. I think the main reason he likes the movie so much is because it's all about a kid. And he loves watching other kids. But I think I better go down to the public library and get some more educational shows for children rather than let him watch this movie all the time! Plus, I'm getting a little sick of watching a Christmas movie over and over when I'm so anxious for Spring and Summer!

Other events from this week have included Isaac getting his first molar. I felt bad once I finally realized during Isaac's bath at the end of the day on Tuesday that his first molar had popped through. It had been a long, rough day and my patience was wearing thin. Then I understood why the day had gone the way it had. I've since given him some Ibuprofen for the pain and he seems to be doing much better now. We'll just wait and see when the second one comes and I'll try to be on the lookout for it this time.

Yesterday was Manuel's mom's birthday and we went out to a buffet for lunch and then came back to our apartment to hang out for a while. We put on some salsa music and Isaac loved it. He got to dance with his abuelita, daddy, and mommy. It was a lot of fun. In the morning, I had made her a birthday cake using my new professional cake decorating set my mom gave me for Christmas. It was so much fun experimenting with all the different frosting tips and colors. The cake turned out alright for my first time, but I'm looking forward to improving my skills. We were all so full from the buffet that even after an hour, hour and a half, there was no room for cake & ice cream so we just sang Happy Birthday and Manuel's mom blew out her candles.

This week starts the first week in March which means only a couple more weeks until Manuel's on Spring Break. I'm so excited for it. I know he'll probably need to do some studying, but it will be fun to at least have a little more time each day to spend together as a family and hopefully we can plan a few fun activities for the week. One of my new goals is to make a new blog post entry once a week to give more frequent updates. So until next week, love to all our family and friends!

And we have...SUCCESS!

2011-02-18T20:14:00.003-07:00

Isaac napping in his own bed! I love how he's all curled up with his little bum sticking out :)

Well, at a time it may have been shameful to say, but I've since come to terms with the fact that we have not been perfect parents, and we spoiled this little boy by letting him sleep in bed with us until he was 1 year old. This in no way means I judge anyone else who decides to have their children co-sleep with them. It's always been my philosophy that "Hey, if it works for you, great!" It all started when he was first born, really in the first week, #1: because we loved holding and cuddling him so much, #2: because he had some reflux and we were too nervous about him sleeping on his own and not breathing well. Well, one thing after another, and our "family bed" is what we ended up with! It didn't really bother us but we knew that eventually we would have to get Isaac to sleep on his own and we weren't looking forward to that day! We'll come back to this soon. Recently, one day I took Isaac in when he got sick with a cold just to make sure there were no other infections, and we rechecked his blood count (which was a little on the lower side at his 1-year checkup). It hadn't improved, in fact it went down another point, even though we had started giving him an iron supplement as instructed by the doctor, and now he is considered anemic. So, our wonderful pediatrician Dr. Ferreira sent us to Primary Children's Medical Center to get further blood work done which confirmed that it had gone down even more than just a few days earlier at the doctor's office. So, Dr. Ferreira called me up and spoke with me about the need to get Isaac more foods with a good source of iron and to continue the iron supplement as well. He told me we would have to do the blood work again in about a month up at Primary Children's to see if it had improved. He said we'd most likely be able to find out if it was just a problem with his diet or if he may have been born with a disorder that prevents his body from producing enough red blood cells. Well, up until that point, Isaac had been quite picky about food, not particularly the types of food he would eat, but food in general. He would act very interested in whatever we were eating, but would just taste everything but never really eat anything. So, I took the liberty of deciding that it was time to stop breastfeeding him. He was nursing constantly and that's what he always wanted. And to make it even more difficult, that was his method of falling asleep as well, which made it hard on me. I felt strongly that if I didn't stop breastfeeding him, he wouldn't gain the interest in food that he needed in order to bring his iron levels up. So, that week was interesting to say the least! Isaac did so well, and I was so proud of him, he started eating better immediately, lots of healthy solids, his whole grain cereal, drinking his juice with the iron supplement, drinking milk, etc. It was much harder on me than I thought it would be. For some reason, it didn't really cross my mind the pain I would be experiencing by stopping the nursing cold turkey. Well, to save anyone reading this from too much detail, I eventually resolved the issue and about two weeks later, all the pain was gone. So that was already one big change. Well, the same week, I decided it might be a good opportunity to take advantage of him not having to nurse to sleep to get him sleeping in his own bed. However, I thought maybe gradually we could start with him just sleeping on his mattress on the floor in our bedroom. That worked a few times and he did pretty well, but it was still just hard. I was hesitant to try putting him in his own crib, in his own bedroom, to sleep on his own the same week he already experienced a major change in his life by stopping the breastfeeding. Well, after some discussion and some research, we decided to just go for it. The first night was the most difficult of course, and since Manuel needed the sleep in order to do well in his classes, it was pretty much all on me. This is not to say that Manuel has in no part helped or assisted me in any of this. He has been very supportive (although a little hesitant at first, like me) about doing this. Back to the first night, I just sat on the floor in Isaac's room next to his crib and played a lullaby CD my mom got him for Christmas (very cute by the way, it's a personalized CD of lullabies that include his name in each of the songs). He cried and cried for I would say, an hour, hour and a half or so. It was hard and I just sat there, keeping my head down, making sure not to make eye contact with him. During naps the next day, I slowly moved my way closer to the door when I put him down and he started to not even cry really when I'd put him down. I knew it wouldn't go this way once I'd finally leave the room entirely but it wasn't as bad as I thought. A couple nights later, I finally left the room altogether and he cried for about a half hour and fell asleep. And he has since been sleeping through the night by himself. It may sound silly to some, but this is something I'm extremely proud of because it seemed like such a daunting task, and sometimes it's not easy (naptimes can still be a little harder). But after the first night he slept the whole night, I woke up thinking, "Wow, I can't believe it! It worked!" I think he's sleeping much better now and we are too. On several occasions, we debated with ourselves about getting him to sleep on his own at this age since it can be even more difficult with the onset of separation anxiety in many children this age. However, we decided that if we waited any longer, it might be easier later but it might not be and we weren't sure we wanted to take that chance. And back to the iron issue. Last week, Isaac started acting quite constipated and we figured it was probably from the high iron intake he was now experiencing. So we tried relieving it with pear juice, prune juice, etc. however nothing seemed to help and it only seemed to be getting worse. Tuesday of this week, I finally took him in to the doctor. Dr. Ferreira was out that day, but we saw another doctor who confirmed he was constipated and very much so (3/4 full). Poor guy! No wonder he had been so cranky the last few days! He was probably having a lot of tummy aches and he was so lethargic, sleeping much of the day. The doctor put him on Miralax and said he would have to be on it the duration he will be on the Ferrett's (the iron supplement). So, it may be a few more months, unfortunately. Hopefully we can resolve the issue with the iron as soon as possible so he won't have to be on the Miralax for too long. The doctor said that if children are on it for too long, their bodies can become dependent and it can make future potty training a nightmare. Since the Miralax has started working, Isaac is pretty much back to his normal fun, happy, self. And he's eating so much! His latest favorite is grapes, I swear he can't get enough of 'em!

I better wrap things up here. Valentine's Day was great, stressful, but great. Isaac was ornery (at the time we didn't know exactly why), and we had plans to go out that night to Tucanos, just the two of us and leave Isaac with Manuel's parents. For a while, we thought maybe we shouldn't go since Isaac was so uncomfortable and cranky. But then we decided we'd try to go and call on our way to see how Isaac was doing and we could always turn back if necessary. Turns out, Isaac did great. We were also worried because it was the first time we were leaving him to go out on our own in almost a year! Way too long, I know! Isaac didn't fuss the whole time, he ate well, and it was so nice of Manuel's parents to come up to our place and watch him. We had a great time going out, getting to hold hands again since that doesn't happen too often when we're all out and one of us has to hold Isaac. The food was amazing of course, and we had so much fun talking about the beginning of our relationship, trying to remember the details of how it all started, and our first Valentine's Day together. It was such a special date and we had so much fun, just the two of us. It made me think how much I'd like to start making a history of when we were dating and our relationship from the very beginning. Can't wait to get started on it!

Well, it's just about that time that I need to start getting Isaac ready for bed. Hope to start posting more often as I'm realizing I also need to take more pictures! As always, love to our friends and family!

Lucky I'm in Love...

2011-02-05T09:31:00.011-07:00

Valentine's Day is almost here and I just wanted to express how fortunate and lucky I feel to have the two best boys in the world in my life! I am lucky that I can say my husband is my best friend and I'm so in love with him! It's amazing how much we loved each other on our wedding day and how that love has just blossomed and grown so much every day since. We have been married for 3 1/2 years now and although we have a lot more to experience together in this life, we have had a pretty great time so far. Manuel is truly such a compassionate, caring person who puts family first and treats me so well. I've got to say I think Manuel is the most honorable, trustworthy, loving, fun, kind, considerate, and affectionate man I know and I remind myself each day how lucky I am to have him in my life and not to take him for granted. I feel like in the last 4 years, Manuel and I have come a long way to where we are now. For any of you who may know our story, there were definitely times in our relationship while dating that I never imagined I would marry him (and not because he wasn't worthy of it). He was literally a choice I had to make and there is never a single day that I regret making that choice. Our marriage has brought us so many blessings and good times. Now that Isaac is a part of our family, I have one more reason to feel so lucky. Isaac is a wonderful blessing to us and we love him so much! He brings so much joy, happiness, smiles, and laughter into our home and we couldn't imagine our lives without him. With this Valentine's Day in approach, I just wanted to express my love to my boys! To all our family and friends, Happy Valentine's Day!

New Year, New Goals

2011-01-22T09:26:00.004-07:00

Happy New Year! I know, it's a little late but better late than never. I'm so excited for a new year because it means a fresh new start, new goals, and new adventures. I am really looking forward to this year and creating new memories with my little family. I am so grateful to have such an amazing husband who treats me like a queen, is such a great dad, and works so hard for our family and our future. I am also so grateful for such a sweet little boy, our little Isaac, who truly makes me smile and laugh every day. I feel like the luckiest woman in the world to have these boys in my life. I can't wait to see what life brings us this year as Isaac continues to grow and learn new things. As for my New Year's goals, mine are pretty typical: lose weight, eat better, exercise more, read my scriptures every day, etc. But really, what's most important to me is to be a better wife and mom. I feel so lucky to have such a great family, I just want to make sure I'm doing my part at being the best wife to my husband and mommy to my little guy. I hope to be more patient, kind, understanding and tolerant with my family. I am excited for this cold weather to be over too! It's typical that immediately after January 1, I am already looking forward to summer's warm weather, especially this year because I can't wait to take Isaac outside to run around and play every day. I think he will have so much fun. I hope to enroll him in some type of fun baby swimming class or other activity that will be fun for both of us. I am excited that this new year also means Manuel will be entering his second year of pharmacy school which means 1 year closer to being done! He has done so well thus far and I am really proud of him. Well, that about sums it up for now. I can't wait to post for Valentine's Day! I'll also try to get more pictures up next time. In the meantime, love to all our family and friends and a Happy New Year!

1 year later and a birth story...

2010-12-21T21:43:00.004-07:00

Happy 1st Birthday to our little Isaac!!! I can't believe that he's my little 1-year-old now! This past year has flown by in many ways and today marks one year ago that our little angel boy came into our lives. Isaac has brought so much joy and happiness to our family and we love him so much. I have loved being a mom more than I ever imagined and although not every day is easy, every day is worth it for this little guy. I never really shared Isaac's birth story after he was first born and therefore will now make a record of it:

December 18, 2009 was my last day of work at the dental office as well as Manuel's last day of finals for his undergrad education at BYU. Isaac was due the 27th and I had figured to give myself a week after my last day of work to just sit at home and relax until Isaac came. Everyone kept telling me he wouldn't come until January because first babies almost always come later than their due date. I was anxious for Isaac to come before Christmas because I wanted to be at home for the holidays with my little Christmas present. Toward the end of my pregnancy, I was getting concerned that Isaac wasn't moving around quite as much some days and since I'd heard some pretty scary stories, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't ignoring anything important. I had gone into the hospital a couple of times for some non-stress tests and they had verified that Isaac wasn't moving as much and had a bit of a lower heart rate but it wasn't anything too concerning unless when I was to get checked again with my doctor, it remained the same. Well, sure enough, Isaac's heart rate was back to normal and he was correctly positioned. Sometimes I had a little bit of a difficult time determining his position since there wasn't much room left and I thought he was a little sideways (which ended up not being the case). Well, as I said, I finished my last day of work and went home, excited to give all my focus to the growing baby inside me and the upcoming holidays. The following day (Saturday), I felt that I needed to go into the hospital to get checked again since I hadn't felt much movement. Maybe I was also a little paranoid, but I didn't want to take any chances. They conducted another non-stress test and just about everything looked alright, except I had developed a bit of high blood pressure. The previous Tuesday was the last appointment I had had with my doctor and everything was fine then so I had just developed it since that appointment. My doctor had gone out of town, actually to take his wife to New York for her birthday and so the on-call doctor came to check on me while I was at the hospital. He ordered me to do a 24-hour urine sample analysis and instructed me to take the sample in the next day to the lab at the hospital. So, I did as I was told and started it immediately after we got home that day. It was nice to have Manuel with me at this point since he had finished school and wasn't yet working. Sunday morning, I began feeling some contractions which had simply started coincidentally and were coming about every 10 minutes. We decided not to go to church that morning in case the contractions got closer together or more intense. I took a nap that morning and after the nap, I stopped feeling the contractions coming. I was starting to feel a little restless because I had been laying in bed for a long while so I asked Manuel if we could go walk around somewhere. It was pretty cold outside and the only place I could think of that was indoors to walk around on a Sunday was the Provo mall. After dropping off my urine sample, we headed to the mall to see if I could get a little relief from the aching muscles I had from being in bed for so long. Almost immediately after walking through the doors into the mall, I felt a little leak and thought maybe it was my water. We walked the distance of the mall until we reached Dillard's and I went into the restroom to check if that was really what I felt or maybe I had just had an embarrassing accident! I confirmed it and came out to tell Manuel I thought that my water was leaking. So we decided to leave and just before walking out of the mall, I felt more of a leak. We walked to the car and stopped at home to make sure the hospital wanted me to come in. They told me on the phone that even if it was just a leak, they wanted to admit me. So we got our hospital bag and drove to the hospital. Once we got there, they had to make sure that it was really my water that leaked and sure enough it was. From then on, it was relieving to know that I was there to have the baby and we wouldn't be leaving there without our little Isaac. Oh, and when they checked to see if it was my water, they actually broke it completely and now I will never wonder the difference between a leak and a gush! It was a strange feeling to say the least. Because just the day before they had gotten concerned with my high blood pressure, they got me hooked up to the monitor right away. It was still high, at times pushing over 160. I didn't come to understand the dangers of that (for both mother and baby) until after I actually gave birth. Because it was high, they put me on magnesium sulfate to bring it down. It seemed to help but I wasn't really having contractions even though my water had broke, so they decided it was best to induce me further with pitocin. After that, I felt a lot of pain with the contractions. I was dilated at a 2 when I had arrived to the hospital and I thought 'Man, if this is the pain I'm feeling dilated at a 2, what is it going to be like when I get to a 10?!' Throughout my pregnancy, I had planned to have a natural birth without any drugs but I was always keeping an open mind in case things didn't go as planned. I tried to get through the pain of the contractions with the help of Lamaze breathing techniques I had learned in the class Manuel and I had attended. But I wasn't getting much relief, especially since I had been confined to my bed because I had to be continually monitored for the high blood pressure and the pitocin I was on. I wasn't able to try any different positions to manage the pain which became frustrating. After about 6 hours of this, the nurse had come in to check me a couple of times to see where I was at and after 6 hours, I had only dilated 1 centimeter. I felt frustrated by this. I felt that nothing was happening and if I continued to suffer like that and not dilate after several hours, I may end up needing a C-section if labor went too long. After trying a lesser drug to help the pain and not feeling any relief, I decided to go for the epidural. I was a little scared to get it because I was more afraid of the needle than the actual pain I could feel from labor. They brought in the anesthesiologist who inserted the needle just as I was having a contraction. That was painful! It was so much pressure all at once. But within literally a minute or two, I felt immediate relief from the pain I had been experiencing. I was finally able to rest for a little while. They came back in a couple more times to check me, and just a few hours after the epidural was placed, I had fully dilated and was ready to start pushing. I think more than anything, the epidural really helped my body to relax which in turn helped me to dilate. I felt great. I was very alert and I was really enjoying the experience. The doctor came in after I had already started pushing with the help of my husband and the attending nurse to further along the process. Even though I really didn't feel much pain while pushing, the energy it took out of me left me completely exhausted. I pushed for just under half an hour and out came Isaac! At the sound of his cry, I became quite emotional. It was such a beautiful experience and to hear my baby's first cry, there was no sweeter sound in the world! Isaac was born just after midnight, 12:17 am on Monday, December 21, 2009. I was able to begin nursing him about 5 minutes after he was born and it was a wonderful bonding moment, and Isaac took right to it. I feel very fortunate that he grasped on so quickly because I know it doesn't come easy for every mother and child. I remember shaking a lot after delivery, especially my legs, just from sheer exhaustion, and it was a little hard to get control of at first. They finally wheeled me down to my hospital room I would be staying in while Manuel accompanied Isaac to the nursery for his first bath and check-ups. I remember I was able to get up and walk around almost immediately and I felt great, awake and alert. And I really only stayed one night because we left the hospital just before noon on Tuesday. I had gotten my wish! We were able to take Isaac home and be home for Christmas. I have to say, although I had originally wanted a natural birth without drugs, I believe my decision to get an epidural was a good one, especially in my situation and I was able to have a wonderful labor and birth experience. I understand our bodies are made for handling the pain associated with this life experience, but I also feel that getting an epidural was a completely safe and healthy decision. Isaac didn't show any negative effects and I was alert and felt great after giving birth. I feel that because of the choice I made to get it, I was able to more fully enjoy my experience of bringing a child into this world and I was still able to have a natural birth. I'm grateful for the hospital staff and for the doctor that delivered Isaac because they did a great job, making me feel as comfortable as possible and also knowing how important it was to watch my health so closely during that time. When I think back on those special moments, I have many positive memories and I'm so glad I had my wonderful husband Manuel at my side supporting me the whole way through. He was awesome! I'm so glad that we have Isaac and that he is a healthy and happy boy. It will be wonderful to watch our family as it continues to grow and to experience and share many more wonderful memories!

A Córdova Christmas

2010-12-13T18:18:00.013-07:00

All ready for Christmas...well almost! There are still a few things we need to get gift-wise and I'm going to get the Christmas cards mailed out tomorrow. But the house is all decorated and as soon as Manuel's done with finals this week, I'm going to start baking like crazy as well as finish the last details of Isaac's birthday party. Here are some pictures that we took of the decorations we put up in our humble little home. Can't wait to post pictures from Isaac's party. Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

2010-11-25T07:35:00.001-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving!! First and foremost, I am so thankful for having such a wonderful husband that makes me so happy, is such a good daddy to our little Isaac, and works so hard for our future while letting me stay at home to be a mommy. I am also thankful for my little Isaac and sharing this first Thanksgiving with him. He brings so much happiness and joy into our lives. I am thankful for having two great parents that 26 years ago adopted me into their family, who love and care for me so much and have given me so many opportunities in my life. I'm thankful for having the best sister in the world who I can tell anything to and always has the best advice. I am thankful for my best friend Eileen who has been my best friend for 12 years and that will never change! And I'm thankful for all the other friends and acquantances that have had a positive influence in my life and have helped shape me into the person I am today. I have got to be the luckiest girl in the world! Love to all on this wonderful Thanksgiving Day :)

My little chunky monkey :)

2010-11-05T13:47:00.006-06:00

Isaac fashioning his Halloween costume

It's Autmn Time!

2010-10-01T16:15:00.004-06:00

Well, it's October 1st and I just have to express how much I love Fall! Most everyone now knows it is my favorite season of the year. I love the crisp weather (which we haven't quite hit yet here in Utah), the colors, the start to a new school year, the holiday celebrations, and of course all of the wonderful warm comfort foods and delicious treats there are to make! I am excited to be sharing this first new fall as a mother with my wonderful husband and my adorable little guy Isaac. Manuel and I always love this time of year too because it's when we met. We first met four years ago and I have to say they have truly been the best four years of my life so far. Manuel has been such a wonderful husband to me and I am more than lucky to have him by my side. We have so much fun together, especially this time of year when we reminisce of the times when we were first dating, carving pumpkins together, and we always like to recreate those 'firsts'. It will be great to get Isaac in on the fun and the traditions we've already started as a young family. I've already been getting busy in the kitchen making wonderful foods and treats including pumpkin bars, pear cider, chicken soup, as well as my new adventures in Peruvian cooking. So far, I've successfully made estofado and ají de gallina. I attempted picarones once but failed miserably. Picarones are sort of a Peruvian doughnut in which the batter has yam, squash, and warm spices, in the end tasting more like a pumpkin-y doughnut. The syrup is made with many of the same spices as the dough mixture including cloves, allspice, and cinnamon, all boiled with sugar, water and fig leaves. Picarones are one of my favorites and are so delicious! I will have to get some one-on-one help from Manuel's mom to get this one right as I find it a little more difficult to get all the steps down. I've really discovered that I should just start a food blog since that seems to be a lot of what I write about here! Anyway, on to other things. Manuel is doing well in pharmacy school and is really enjoying it. He has already had several opportunities to get some great experiences learning about different aspects of pharmacy. And I'm also learning a few things here and there! I am also loving being a stay-at-home mom to Isaac. I can't believe how fast he is growing up right before our eyes! I feel so fortunate that I get to be here full-time for him, seeing him grow and watching all the new things he can do. I love that I can be a teacher for him and know what his needs are. It will be bittersweet to see how he changes and grows these next four years during pharmacy school. We are just grateful that he is a healthy and happy boy. We haven't received any official church callings yet besides home & visiting teaching assignments, but I have already been asked to play piano and organ on several occasions. I've played in Relief Society, primary (I actually just played for the primary program as the other pianist just had a baby), sacrament meeting, and I'm consistently playing for the choir. It can be exhausting at times but I love being able to use my talents and it has been a good way for me to get to know some new people. We like our ward so far but hope to meet some more young couples that we can hang out with every now and then. We are staying nice and busy. Manuel is almost always in class or at the books, and Isaac sure keeps me on my toes. Now that he is crawling, standing, and climbing around everywhere, I've got to keep a better eye on him! It is getting more difficult to get simple housework done around here! But I enjoy being here with him and he is the most important thing. My biggest challenge is trying to balance my time with the cooking, cleaning, laundry, playing with Isaac, and finding the time to just get myself ready for the day. Ah, the joys of motherhood! Well, I think that's about enough for now. I will try to get our photos up from Oregon as well as some more recent pictures/videos of Isaac. And we'll keep posting more as we celebrate the season and carve pumpkins, etc. Can't wait! 'Til the next post, lots of love to all our friends and family!

After the Move...

2010-08-07T16:16:00.003-06:00

Wow, it's been forever since I last updated! Although we're pretty much settled now, I haven't been able to find the cord to our camera so I can't upload any recent pictures yet. But we will be making our way to Oregon this next week and will be taking a ton of new pictures anyway, so I'll make sure do to a great post once we get back.

So far, we love living here in Salt Lake City. We live in the Holladay area and it's so nice. I love how close it is to everything, it's very safe, and it's simply a pretty area in general. Manuel can take a bus directly from our place up to the University and I've got easy access to grocery stores, the local recreation center, parks, and shopping. We feel very fortunate to have found a place that seems to be just right for us at the right time. And so far we like our ward too. We haven't yet received callings but hope to soon even though I've already been asked to play the organ and piano.

It's been an interesting ride since we got here. Soon after we moved in, I started having some stomach pains and finally got in to see a doctor after suspecting it was an ovarian cyst. An ultrasound confirmed it and although there's not much I was able to do, it was good to know it wasn't something more serious. Next, I developed an eye infection which I was originally told was simply an allergic reaction. I had gone to an optometrist locally who told me I just got something in my eye that got irritated. Well, after it was getting worse and swelling quite a bit, I went back and he just told me the same thing. The next day I got in to see an ophthalmologist at the Moran Eye Center up at the U who told me I had contracted a really bad case of pink eye. He was surprised it hadn't yet spread to my other eye and told me it was extremely contagious (after the fact the optometrist told me it wasn't). On top of the eye infection, which did spread to my other eye a couple days later, I had been feeling very sick with an achy body and sore throat. When it first came on, I brushed it off thinking that it would go away on its own after a couple of days. I tend to think it's something and then it turns out to be nothing so I thought I would just wait. Well, it kept getting worse and some days seemed unbearable, especially with Manuel at work and me at home to take care of Isaac. I went to yet another doctor who confirmed that it was NOT strep throat like I had imagined it might have been, so I think I'm harboring a case a mono. Just today I have felt a little bit more relief but am hoping to be free of all this by the time we go to Oregon in a few days. So my health has been a bit of a roller coaster these last weeks but I'm so thankful to have Manuel because he has been such a big help with Isaac and has been so understanding through all of it.

We're so excited to go to Oregon and enjoy a last trip before Manuel starts pharmacy school. I'm so proud of Manuel and am really excited for him to start his career. He recently applied for a pharmacy internship position which we're hoping works out well with school. We'll update once we get back from Oregon with how things turn out and with some recent pictures of Isaac. Isaac has been such a fun little boy. Although he's getting a little tougher to handle when we go to church, he is growing and learning so quickly. We love his smiles, his laughs, and he loves to explore. His thing right now is rolling from room to room. Hopefully he'll get to crawling soon, it will be even more exciting for him. He also got his first tooth a couple of weeks ago, it's very cute. From the looks of things, we better get on baby-proofing the house pretty soon here.

I love having my own kitchen! It has been so fun to cook and bake and start using all of our wedding gifts that have been in storage for 3 years! Although the last couple of weeks with all this illness, I haven't been able to do much, we have still been able to try some new things. I've finally mastered making rice in our rice cooker and I've made lots of yummy food and dessert. Plus, I finally attempted my first Peruvian dish (estofado), which turned out alright the first time and pretty darn good the second. Can't wait to make ají de gallina, lomo saltado, papa a la huancaína, solterito, and starting in the fall, one of my faves, picarones. I'll post pictures and recipes once I make them. We're going to find the Latino Mall this afternoon which is supposed to have Latin American foods and ingredients so I'll be prepared.

Thanks for those who helped in our move and in helping us along in this new journey of ours. We are going to have a blast in Oregon and we'll back back to write about it. Lots of love to all our family and friends!

SALT LAKE CITY, HERE WE COME!!!

2010-03-20T17:05:00.000-06:00

So, for those of you who may not yet know, Manuel was recently accepted into the PharmD program at the University of Utah. I couldn't be more proud of him! After some back and forth decision making about how we were going to finance his applications with everything else that was going on in our life at the time, especially with a new baby on the way, we were blessed to have enough to apply to a handful of schools. And, after finding out that Manuel did much better than he had originally thought on his PCAT, we discovered he could be very competitive in getting into the U. His interview was on March 1st and went very well, thanks to some great preparation and help from my dad. Just a week later, Manuel received a phone call from the U with a message congratulating him on his acceptance into the program. So, my husband is a future pharmacist! I'm so proud of him for all the steps he's taken to get this far and for all of his hard work and efforts he has made to support and provide for our family. I am so excited to move to Salt Lake too! I really loved living in Salt Lake when I was attending LDS Business College however I enjoyed living in Provo more for the social life when I was still in college. But I am so ready to move back to the city and begin the next stage of our life there. There are so many fun things that Isaac and I will be able to do together. I already have plans to take him to the park and the library. We can also go see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and take advantage of all the other free events in the downtown area. We'll most likely be moving to Salt Lake around July but I'm so excited about it, I've alerady started looking at apartments online. At least I can get an idea of what we can afford but I can't be more excited about having our own place since being married and having my own kitchen to bake in! Can't wait! Manuel still has to complete two courses before July 1st before he can register for his classes this fall. We've signed him up for an online anatomy course as well as an online calculus course. He'll be very busy for the next few months! And then, pharmacy school will be our life for the next four years...

Isaac is continuing to grow so fast! We are having so much fun together. He has started to smile a lot and is very playful. Whenever he isn't sleeping or being held, he is kicking around like crazy. And our newest discovery? Isaac is slowly starting to get his teeth already! We were wondering why he had started sucking on his hand so much and he's making little sucking noises and once we looked, we saw that his teeth are breaking through part of his gums. They haven't come down yet, but it just goes to show how quickly he's growing. He's starting to lose some hair so we'll just have to wait and see how it grows back. I'm hoping he gets Manuel's thick afro hair! And I finally got Isaac's baby book in the mail. I ordered it online and now I can start going through and putting some pictures and info about the first few months of his life. I can't believe he'll be 3 months old tomorrow! Time has sure flown by. I am just so grateful that I've been able to be at home with him as he's grown.

Other future plans this summer will include a trip to Oregon to visit Nana and Papa and also to see my best friend Eileen and her little baby Olivia! I can't wait! I'm so excited to take Isaac to the beach for the first time and I'm sure my parents will love every moment they get with him. We hope to go around the middle of August and be back just in time for Manuel's orientation for pharmacy school. Well, I guess that about wraps it all up for now. We'll definitely keep everyone updated on other exciting news and events. And as always, love to all our friends and family!

Our Growing Boy

2010-02-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

Isaac is growing so fast! As of today at his 2-month check-up he's already 14 lbs. 10 1/2 oz.! We are so proud of his appetite which I think he got from his mom :) and he's doing well. The doctor said he'll start to thin out as he begins to crawl and walk as many breastfed babies are chunky when they're little. We love it, although I'm a little sad he's already outgrown some really cute outfits! He's started to smile a lot more although we don't yet have any pictures of it. He's also making cooing sounds and playing with rattles/toys. One of his favorites is a little sunshine that you pull on a bottom string that begins to flash lights and play "You are my sunshine." He lights up whenever I play it for him. And he loves when we read to him. Sometimes I'll read little passages from the Ensign/Liahona or short stories and rhymes in Spanish from a book we bought him. Here are some more recent pictures of Isaac:

We think he's got to be just about the cutest baby there ever was! We hope you enjoy the pictures and we'll keep posting updates on how he's doing and growing. Love to all our family and friends!

Isaac's Blessing Weekend

2010-02-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

So over the weekend, my parents came down from Oregon to see Isaac for the first time and to be there at his blessing. It was such a fun time with everyone and most importantly, Isaac had a beautiful blessing that Manuel gave at church on Sunday. Here are some pictures from the weekend:

Nana and Papa are definitely loved by Isaac! They spoiled him lots and Isaac had so much fun hanging out with them. We hope to go visit them in Oregon this summer! Thanks for everything Nana & Papa! Valentine's Day is coming up and we are excited for our first one with little Isaac. We're not sure how we'll celebrate yet but we'll definitely make it fun and romantic! Manuel has a new job working as an intern at Idaho Technology Inc. which is a biotechnology lab up by the University of Utah. The company is known for its use of DNA detection and bio defense technology. So far, Manuel is really enjoying it. Although I wish work was closer to home, I'm glad he found something that he enjoys and will be good experience for his future career goals. We'll update soon with pictures and events from Valentine's Day. Until then, love to all our friends and family!

Fun with baby Isaac

2010-01-06T08:54:00.001-07:00

What a fun couple of weeks we've already had with the new little addition to our family! Despite a few sleepless nights, Isaac has already brought so much joy to our lives. He sleeps most of the time and when he's not sleeping he's eating, and he hardly ever cries. How lucky are we?! He is such a good little baby and we are so fortunate to have him here, healthy and safe. I've posted some pictures we've taken in the last couple of weeks. Christmas Eve was fun because many of the aunts/uncles and cousins were able to come and see Isaac. Christmas Day was pretty calm but we were able to skype with Nana and Papa so they could see just how adorable Isaac is. Being parents is such a wonderful blessing for us and although we know it isn't easy, we are grateful for the opportunity we have to be parents, to feel such an amount of love for such a tiny little being and know that we are responsible for him. It's crazy to think how dependent he is on us now. I love being at home with him but can't deny it's been a little hard for me to be inside for the last couple of weeks with only an outing here and there for some groceries and a couple of doctor's appointments! We're still just focusing on protecting Isaac from the cold and illnesses of winter. And I can't even begin to describe what a wonderful father Manuel is! He has helped me out so much during this time and is such a great dad to Isaac, always showing him lots of patience, love and affection. Well, we'll keep posting updates and new pictures as they come and hopefully they'll be coming more frequently now that I have some more time on my hands being at home. As always, lots of love to all of our family and friends!

The Arrival of Isaac

2009-12-21T11:01:00.000-07:00

How wonderful! Isaac Emmanuel Córdova was born on December 21st 2009. He weighted 7 pounds and 14 ounces and his height was 20 inches. He was born with black hair and he is truly our Christmas gift. His arrival gives us joy in the present and hope in the future. Isaac is a child of God.

You may have seen Steph's pregnant pictures in previous posts. When I used to see her beautiful preggo belly, I was naive in my understanding of how a baby could get out of a pregnant woman. Wow! That was a very special miracle (and a pretty graphic one too). Stephanie's actual labor and delivery was a simple but long process. After Steph had had contractions on and off on Sunday morning, her water broke at about 2:30PM and about 3 pm we were in the hospital, where they induced stronger contractions with pitocin. After 6 hours and a progress of dilation of one single centimeter, Stephanie decided to go for the epidural. She was my hero from the beginning of the labor, the contractions were visibly unbearable and the efforts without medication and no progress were very taxing for any mom. After the epidural everything started to work better, in less than 3 hours Stephanie was already 9 centimeters dilated. After 30 minutes of pushing, Isaac was out and crying.

Now Isaac is learning the art of being breastfed, yeah, and he is doing great. Mom and Dad are also learning, but they are learning how to handle the privilege and the blessing of parenthood.

35 weeks and almost there!

2009-11-23T15:21:00.000-07:00

Can't believe I'm already 35 weeks pregnant! In many ways, this pregnancy has flown by despite the periods of nausea, etc. I'm in the last stretch here and can't wait for little baby Isaac Emmanuel to come! We're getting anxious, especially me, for our new little one to make his way here but more importantly want things to continue going well during the last month before his arrival. We've been so fortunate to have had things go so smoothly throughout the pregnancy. The baby shows to be healthy and I haven't had too many problems with anything out of the ordinary. My back pain is progressively getting worse but that isn't too much to complain about, is it?! Also, it's been amazing to look back and see how we've been able to make everything possible for this little baby to come financially, emotionally, etc. The Lord has blessed us so much and with those blessings, everything has seemed to have fallen into place quite well and always at the time we need it.
I had a great birthday on the 21st as well. Can't believe I'm a quarter of a century! It's funny to think about this age when I still feel like I'm 19 years old. Manuel took me out to breakfast at Kneader's for my favorite french toast and then I spent most of the day shopping in Salt Lake with my sister. It was fun to go just the two of us since I don't even think I can remember the last time that happened. It will probably be a while before it happens again too! Jordan bought me lunch and I got myself a new winter coat. I won't be able to zip it up until after the baby's born but it fits everywhere else and I love it! Then in the evening, Manuel and I went to a special buffet at his aunt and uncle's new Peruvian restaurant called "Las Tinajas". It was delish. We planned on going to see "Julie & Julia" at the dollar theater after but my labor pains got the best of me and we decided to go home after we ate so I could lay down. Overall, it was a really fun day.
I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving this week and am really excited to make all of the yummy dishes I'm planning out in my mind. Manuel has already requested funeral potatoes and I'll also be making the rolls, cranberry sauce, some type of veggie dish, pie, and who knows what else will pop into my head before the big day. We'll see what actually gets made...not sure if I can stand on my feet that long in the kitchen at this point in the pregnancy!
Manuel will be applying to pharmacy schools this week and is also finishing up his independent study classes tomorrow with two finals. Hopefully that'll take some of the stress and pressure off he's been feeling this semester since he'll only have two classes to focus on after this until the end of the semester. We're excited for the holidays coming up and even more excited for our little Isaac. Hope everyone is doing well and love to all our friends and family!

7 months and loving autumn!

2009-10-12T11:34:00.000-06:00

Can I just say how much I love fall? It is my favorite time of year (besides Christmas) with the cool, crisp weather, the beautiful fall colors and always looking forward to another holiday. I think besides the 4th of July, all of my favorite holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas) all come this time of year. It is fun to have my growing family and be able to establish my own traditions. Homecoming Spectacular has become a tradition for me and my husband since it was our first date. Although we may not be at BYU or living in Provo forever, we love taking advantage of October when it comes and going to see the show where we first began our relationship. Pumpkin carving comes next, which we have also done every year since we first started dating. I'm thinking that this year I might look more like a pumpkin myself than the one I will be carving! I also love having my birthday in the fall. To me, it feels like Christmas and I love it. Can't wait to have a Harry Potter weekend, which my husband and I like to do from time to time where we watch all the Harry Potter movies in one weekend. It helps us get into the season and get excited for Halloween. And Thanksgiving should be fun this year too. I'm already starting to plan out in my mind what I want to make. I love cooking and especially baking and have already embarked on my fall recipes. The first cold day we had in October I made my pumpkin soup and I have already stocked up on walnuts and almonds for the rest of my winter baking. As for the pregnancy, I am now 29 weeks along, which means I'm getting closer! Time has flown by but I have definitely been enjoying pregnancy and feeling all the fun kicks my baby boy gives me every day. It's amazing to think about all the processes taking place in preparation of bringing a child into the world. Some things definitely make me nervous but it's such a wonderful opportunity to experience something so great and knowing that I'm doing it all for another human being. I've been cleaning like crazy around the house and feel like I've finally gotten on top of the laundry (it's neverending). I love getting everything prepared for our little boy and trying to make our home a happy and healthy place. I've signed up for a lamaze class at the hospital where I'll be giving birth and can't wait to start. It begins on the 28th and will hopefully help me develop some good breathing and relaxation techniques for labor. So far, it's been an amazing journey and I am excited for our little boy to be in our home. 'Til then, I'll keep updating our fall activities and tracking my pregnancy. Love to all of our family and friends!

6 months and counting!

2009-09-14T15:15:00.001-06:00

Well, I am now 6 months pregnant and can't believe how time has flown by! In just 3 short months our little baby boy will be here in our arms! We are so excited and anxiously getting ready for him to be here. There is still so much to do! Over the weekend, we cleaned and cleared out the other room we've been storing stuff in to make room for our baby boy. We put the crib together and I bought some cute bedding on Saturday that I liked. As far as the pregnancy, things are going pretty well right now. I haven't gained too much weight which I worried about from the beginning but pregnancy hasn't exactly been anything I ever expected either. A lot of changes, that's for sure and things I've never experienced...like heartburn. That's what I've been getting a lot of lately. Other than that, I've been back to a pretty typical appetite and have had a lot more energy. I haven't been taking any 3-hour naps lately and I can stay up past 10:00 pm now! There's just so much I want to get done every day that I'm glad I've had the energy for it. Labor Day weekend Manuel and I went to Las Vegas for a sort of last "hoorah" to celebrate our 2nd anniversary which was August 23rd. We knew we wouldn't get an opportunity like that for a while after the baby comes since we'll definitely have our hands full and our finances tightened! We had a blast and loved being together just the two of us. I love our little trips just the two of us. :) I was hoping that maybe we'd be able to go somewhere nice for my birthday for a few days in November but considering that I'll be 8 months pregnant and it will be cold, we'll most likely be staying right where we are which is alright with me. I love being inside where it's cozy and warm in the middle of winter. Well, I've posted some pictures here from our Vegas trip and what I look like at 6 months. Hope to post more soon, especially with holidays and birthdays coming up this fall--it should be pretty eventful. Can't wait for our fall traditions like pumpkin carving and hay rides! And I can't wait to get baking! Love to all our family and friends...

IT'S A BOY!!!

2009-08-10T17:11:00.001-06:00

Manti Pageant, Camping, & the 4th of July

2009-07-15T06:25:00.000-06:00

So, just thought we'd catch up with some pictures of the Manti pageant, our most recent camping trip and some time we spent on the 4th of July (also my sister's birthday). Manti was a fun little trip we made to go see the Mormon Miracle Pageant which was our first time there. The drive was stormy and we didn't think the weather would hold out for the show but we got lucky and the clouds disappeared just before it started. The temple was beautiful and we enjoyed a barbecue turkey & potatoes dinner from the local stake before we made our way over to claim seats. It was an awesome performance.

We had a ton of fun camping up in Hobble Creek Canyon and of course I made foiled dinners! I mean, what's camping without foiled dinners and s'mores?! We set up our tent along the creek which made it kind of colder at night, but it was still nice. Here's some pics from our campout...

Last but not least, the 4th of July was a lot of fun. We went to get some breakfast in the morning at Macey's and decided to stop by the parade. We still had our camping chairs in the trunk of the car so we went and watched the parade for about an hour. Then, we started getting ready to go over to my sister's for a 4th of July barbecue and to celebrate her birthday. I made my mac 'n' cheese and there was a ton of good food from everyone. I think we found the funnest part to be watching the nieces and nephews playing in a mound of dirt for about 2 hours. It was so entertaining. Fireworks were fun and Nathan's face was the cutest when he got all excited about them. Here's some pics:

I hope that covers what we've done so far this summer! We are flying out to Oregon in about a week and a half which we're so excited about. My mom has rented a beach house for a few days and I'm just excited to be in Oregon and relax for a while. We'll definitely post pictures when we get back. It will be fun to be all together with my parents, my sister and her family. Pregnancy update: I'm 17 weeks along now, time is flying by and I'm so excited to get back from our trip to Oregon to find out what the baby will be. Boy or girl, we'll be totally happy with either! I'm finally getting over my morning sickness but have been super tired. I can't believe I can take 3-hour naps in the middle of the afternoon! We send all our love to our family and friends and we'll be in touch soon!

We're having a baby!

2009-06-17T09:57:00.000-06:00

As most of you already probably know, we are expecting our first baby! We are really excited about it and I'm almost 13 weeks along now. Due date is December 27th which means we will be having a beautiful Christmas bundle! So far, the morning sickness has probably been the worst part so I'm anxiously waiting for it to wear off--hopefully soon. We can't wait to find out what it will be and have already been thinking of names for both a boy and a girl. We will update you with our final decision later down the road. Other exciting news--we've finally submitted Manuel's residency papers and so far the process is going pretty quickly. He already has his appointment for biometrics (fingerprints) and then we'll likely have our interview before the end of the year. Manuel is also starting a new job doing cancer research in a lab on BYU campus. He's really excited about it, as am I. It should be really good for his experience towards pharmacy school. We have certainly been extremely blessed and are especially excited about our baby on the way. We'll definitely keep updates on how the pregnancy is going and any other future news. Love to all our friends and family!

Between conference sessions...

2009-04-05T13:38:00.000-06:00

Well, Manuel and I went to the park between conference sessions today (since we live a block away from it) and had a little picnic to enjoy the sun and wish for spring to come faster! Here are a couple of pictures so you can see my new bangs. Still getting used to them and need to learn how to do them better :)

The Big Bang Theory...

2009-03-17T14:41:00.000-06:00

What is up with all the bangs?! Well, I don't know but I want ém too! I thought I had sworn them off when I finally had grown out my childhood bangs 9th grade of high school. However, bangs are coming back. This week I am going to have my sister put highlights in my hair to make me a blond again and then I want to get layers in my hair and finally, get some nice side-swept bangs. So, stay tuned for a posting of my new hairstyle in the next week or so. Can't wait! I really like Jennifer Aniston's new bangs with the layers in her hair but I also liked this picture of Catherine Zeta-Jones' bangs. Feel free to post what you think...

P.S. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Valentine's Day

2009-02-18T07:08:00.001-07:00

Valentine's Day this year was awesome--Manuel made me breakfast in the morning (although I helped a little with the fruit parfaits), we got to hang out a lot and I made him dinner. The day was simple but fun and it was nice to just relax and spend sometime with my wonderful husband. Manuel surprised me with flowers which made my day and I got him (well it's really more for us) a book of date ideas for married couples. Can't wait to use it! Here are some pictures from our Valentine's Day:

I just wanna say I love my husband more than anything in this world! He really makes me so happy, always knows how to make me laugh and would do anything for me. He's the best!

New Year, New Resolutions

2009-01-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year to all of our friends and family! I am so excited to start out a new year and make new goals and resolutions. For some reason, after Christmas is over, I am ready for summertime! Although it's still super cold out, I love when the sun comes out and it just feels like a new start. Manuel's back in school for the winter semester and I am still working at the dental office. We've received so many blessings from the opportunities given to us this past year, especially through a tough economic time. I'm excited for a new presidency for this country and hope that things can really get turned around. It's been hard to see the many that have struggled with the pitfalls of what has happened recently and I only hope that we can see a light at the end of the tunnel even if it takes some time. As for my resolutions this year, here is a list of only a handful of things I'd like to work on, not in any particular order:

1. Eat more healthy, natural foods (Most people put losing weight as one of their top goals but I truly just want to have better, overall health in general)
2. Read the Book of Mormon in Spanish
3. Have Family Home Evening night more consistently
4. Attend the temple once a month
5. Make one special date night a week with my husband out of the house
6. Be a better wife, in general
7. Learn yoga
8. Deal with my stress in a positive way (exercise, meditation)
9. Plan a budget, save more, spend less
10. Keep my house cleaner
11. Sew more
12. Play my violin and the piano more, maybe even start teaching some

I could keep going but won't--it does feel good to set new goals though! Hope everyone started off to a good year and hope to also stay on top of this blog! Love to everyone!

Happy Holidays

2008-12-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a while and I just thought I'd write to say that we're still here! It is next to impossible to find the time to post new entries and update our blog when I'm busy at work most of the time and Manuel is busy with work & school. Anyways, I promise to be better because I hate coming back to my blog and see that it's been months since I last posted! So, look forward to my next post with updated pictures etc. from my birthday in Vegas, Thanksgiving, and my Christmas decorating! I love this time of year when it gets a little colder, and I can cook all the warm foods I love and decorate the house. I am always sure to remind myself of the true meaning of Christmas but I absolutely love every part of Christmas and the feeling it brings. It's also nice to give a little more thought to the people in your life and take time to remember those that you don't always get to see. I'm so excited to spend our second Christmas together with my husband. He really has worked so hard this semester in school and I'm so proud of him. I'm so glad that we'll have some extra time to spend together over the holidays. Our plans include driving through the Christmas light display in Spanish Fork, building a gingerbread house, cooking lots of warm and delicious food, and watching a ton of Christmas movies--I'm so excited! Until our next post, lots of love to all of our family and friends.

BYU Homecoming Spectacular 2008

2008-10-13T15:40:00.000-06:00

For those who don't already know, BYU's Homecoming Spectacular was our first date we ever had. Every year since that first date, we have returned to see the program and it is a big hit each time. This year, we got a little dressier and although we looked a little funny next to all the students in their sweatshirts and jeans, carrying their backpacks and the awkward couples on what seemed to be their first dates, we had a lot of fun. It was special for us and it is sometimes fun to get dressed up and go somewhere. The show was amazing as always and I was personally excited about Jenny Oaks Baker being one of the feature performers. She makes me want to play my violin! We definitely enjoyed being together reliving our first date since we may not have that opportunity again in a very long time. We're also getting ready and excited for pumpkin carving again this year! We'll keep you updated on all of the Halloween festivities.

1st Year Anniversary / Camping Trip

2008-09-17T11:02:00.000-06:00

4th of July Weekend

2008-07-08T12:26:00.001-06:00

The last week has been a lot of fun for us. My parents came into town for the blessings of my niece and nephew and were also here for the 4th of July and my sister's birthday. It was a lot of fun going to the parade and seeing my niece and nephew watch it for the first time. Well, it was really just fun to hang out with everybody in general and play with the babies. The weekend was nice and relaxing (although super hot) and Manuel and I have been taking advantage of the warm weather and the last few weeks have gone on Saturday picnics at different parks in the canyon. Even though we are super busy during the week at work and everything else that needs to get done, it's been really fun to get outside on the weekends and enjoy the nature while we can. We're also coming up pretty soon on our 1-year anniversary. We are planning a trip to Vegas but we found out that the PCAT Manuel has to take for pharmacy school is the day of our anniversary. We still want to maybe just spend a night in Salt Lake to get away even if it's not that far. It will be nice anyways to be back in Salt Lake where we were married and take a break before school starts back again. We hope that we can also get some more camping in before the summer ends since our first camping experience together was a little crazy and too cold for comfort. (What can we say, we got a little anxious about camping once we bought our tent and stuff.) We'll update again soon and post some recent pictures.

Springtime

2008-03-12T13:29:00.001-06:00

I am so excited for this new weather we're having! I never realized how depressing the winters can be here. I love seeing the snow-covered mountains in the winter but this year it seemed to be a never-ending sequence of gloomy days. The sun is finally out and I hope it stays out! I am really looking forward to spring and getting out in nature. I also can't wait for us to start going camping this spring and summer--all we need is a tent! Although I don't think I want to stay in Utah long-term, I'm starting to appreciate all that it has to offer and love experiencing the distinction of the seasons (although the extreme winters and summers are hard). I plan on getting out more and taking more pictures too which I'm also excited about. On another note, I wanted to mention something new that has peaked my interest. The other day, I was reading an article in the school newspaper about sharing the gospel via blogging. I have been thinking about what a great idea that is for more members of the Church to share their thoughts, feelings, and testimonies about the gospel with others. Since there is so much negative material out there about the Church, I thought what a great idea it would be for more members to take advantage of the opportunity to simply share their own beliefs with others. So, Manuel and I will soon be starting a blog where we can do just that. Thank goodness for springtime and the gospel!

Have I Told You Lately...

2008-02-25T13:59:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd give an update on our life since I realized it has certainly been a while since we last posted anything. Life has been busy as always but we've been having some fun too. School started again in January and I'm already looking forward to the end. Who doesn't already know that I'm ready to graduate?! Luckily, I only have one semester after this which I will be taking next winter semester after deferring this fall. Because there are certain classes that I have to take which are only offered during certain semesters, I thought it would be better to take all of what I have left at once rather than taking a few credits one semester and a bunch the next. For the time I won't be in school, I will be working full-time at my new job. I recently started working at a dental office in Orem and am loving it. I work mostly at the front desk, filing charts, greeting patients, scheduling appointments, etc. occasionally working in the back charting perio, but the best thing is that I get to use my Spanish-speaking skills a lot. The job, along with my calling in our Spanish-speaking ward, has helped me to get a lot more experience and I've definitely seen myself improve. I love being able to work with people from all over Latin America. I've finally come to terms with the fact that I can actually say I'm bilingual. It's pretty cool to know that I can communicate well in two different languages and it's a great feeling of satisfaction. Manuel is currently working on his paperwork to become eligible for a work permit and to get his residency. I have a feeling that it's not going to be that easy but it will be nice when he can finally have more opportunities once he's able to work off-campus. As of lately, Manuel has decided that Chiropractics isn't exactly what he wants to do after some careful investigation and shadowing with a chiropractor here in Provo. Now he is leaning more towards pharmacy or optometry. Either way, I know he'll do great at whatever he wants to do and I'm proud of him for having the ambition and determination to continue studying and working towards a successful career. After all, we know that's not me! Manuel and I also recently celebrated 6 months of marriage. Some days it feels like we've known each other for forever and other days, I can't believe how fast these 6 months have gone by. I am truly grateful for Manuel--he is such a wonderful husband and I honestly couldn't imagine a day without him. I'm grateful that we help each other and balance each other with our different strengths and we're able to get through our challenges by making sure we put each other first. One of my new favorite activities has been cooking. I absolutely love it! I don't know what happened to me but when I first moved to college, I hated cooking. I wasn't used to it and I didn't know how to do it so I usually ate out or made whatever was easy. Thanks to my all-day Saturday marathons of Food Network, I've picked up a lot of great tips, and love experimenting with several new recipes. Manuel's dad made a comment, however, that he really enjoyed a meal I made but too bad he wouldn't be eating that again...that's because I almost never make the same thing more than once! Aside from school and work, Manuel and I are really big movie buffs. We mostly rent them because by the time Friday night comes after we're done with school, we're so tired that we end up losing any motivation to actually go out and do something. It's also been hard with all the snow and cold weather. We've been wanting to go bowling for a while so hopefully we will go one of these days. I can't wait until it gets warmer in the spring and we can have picnics and do more things outdoors. We also hope to be getting an additional car someday soon which will likely allow us more opportunities to get out of Provo once in a while. I especially can't wait until we can visit our niece and nephew more often because I miss them like crazy!

Thanksgiving Weekend

2007-11-25T16:23:00.001-07:00

This last week was a lot of fun. Manuel and I were both weighed down with tests the week before so it was nice to have a good break from school and work. Wednesday was my birthday and I was so happy I didn't have any obligations with homework, etc. Manuel worked a few hours that morning and then came home and took me to Kneader's for my favorite French toast. We were a little lazy after we got home and fell asleep for like 3 hours! When we finally woke up, we decided to do a little shopping which is always fun for me. (Manuel is so patient.) So we went to the mall and managed to spend a little money, (I mean how hard is that really), and then got a movie rental on our way home. Although we didn't end up doing anything too exciting, it was so nice to just have a break from it all. The next day was Thanksgiving and was pretty busy. Manuel's mom made the turkey and I wanted to make the rest. I ended up preparing two batches of funeral potatoes, creamed spinach, basil cloverleaf rolls, pecan pie, apple pie, cranberry sauce, and everything was served with a cran-raspberry lemon-lime punch and some olives. It was a lot of work but also a lot of fun for me. Since we finished earlier than planned, Manuel and I decided we'd go see Fred Claus but once we got to the theater, we realized we should have gone earlier since it was sold out. So we drove to the dollar theater which we found out wasn't supposed to open for another hour or two. So back home it was. We had a great time that night, Manuel's aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandma came from Springville to enjoy the big feast. Friday, we celebrated our 3-month anniversary by yet again, shopping. We found some great deals on some things and even managed to get a Christmas present or two. Then on Saturday, Manuel and I went ice skating. It was Manuel's first time ever which made it all the more fun! I must say he did pretty good for a beginner and he only fell twice! Although he was a little embarrassed, we still had a great time. Oh and get this, we tried going to the library twice this week to check out some movies and both times it was closed. Just my luck--I thought it was quite fitting that the library would be closed just when, of all people, I would want to go. (Okay, I know it's not like I read or anything, I mean we were planning on checking out movies!)

Getting Settled

2007-10-12T13:01:00.000-06:00

The last few weeks have been absolutely crazy for us with both school and our jobs keeping us very busy. In the middle of it all, we still try to find time to get more situated at home and I've been getting pretty excited about decorating in our first place together. Although money's tight and space is small, my new little obsession with decorating has made me more creative than ever with ideas. I decided since we have such limited space, we could put a little table in the hallway downstairs, just outside our bedroom, where I can display our decorative items and holiday pieces. When it comes to me and crafts, things don't usually turn out well, in fact don't usually turn out at all. I can be too much of a perfectionist which will frustrate me to the point where I give up. There have been far too many projects that have been left uncompleted than I could even count. However lately, I’ve come up with ways where I can create something and feel satisfied. (These projects usually don’t take too much time or effort which is probably why I finish them.) Another exciting piece of news is that just the other day as I was looking over my map to graduation, I realized I don’t have too many credits remaining. For some reason, I thought that if I condensed my classes as much as possible, I might be able to graduate by April 2009. I began to divide up the number of credits I have left and discovered that if I only took 12 credits winter semester, 3 during the summer, and the last 12 next fall, I would be able to graduate by December 2008. Manuel recently started working part-time with a study abroad program in Mérida, México which is scheduled for this coming spring. If everything works out the way we hope, there is a good chance we will be able to go as facilitators at no cost. This would be a great opportunity for me to obtain the foreign residency requirement for my major and it would be a fun vacation for us to take as newlyweds. Then, after I graduate in December, Manuel will most likely do the same just 1 semester later. This means that he could likely start his first semester of chiropractic school in the fall of 2009. The two of us were getting pretty excited about the future--so much that yesterday morning, instead of working on my homework, I spent my time online looking at all of the chiropractic schools in the country and thinking about how fun it would be to live in a new place. The feeling sort of hit me that once we graduate from BYU and leave Utah, we will really be on our own, and that wherever we go may be where we end up building our life together and raising our children. It’s an exciting yet nervous feeling. I just have to remember that we still need to focus on the here-and-now and not lose motivation in our studies. Over the past couple of weeks, Manuel and I have been watching all of the Harry Potter movies starting with the first. We are in the middle of the 4th which we hope to finish tonight so we can go see the newest edition in the dollar theater tomorrow. It’s getting us into the Halloween spirit! In the next couple of weeks, we want to go to a haunted house and a corn maze. We’re also getting excited about pumpkin carving since last year it was one of our first dates together, as well as Manuel’s first time experiencing the American tradition. With everything going on, we’re having fun, but I have to admit that I’m already looking forward to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday breaks!

More Wedding Pictures

2007-09-20T21:18:00.000-06:00

Our Wedding Day

2007-09-20T18:50:00.001-06:00

Newlywed Life

2007-09-07T10:54:00.001-06:00

Well, we have been married for 15 days now and it's all been a crazy couple of weeks! We had a beautiful wedding on August 23rd where we were sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake Temple. The wedding reception was held at the Lion House (formerly known as the home of Brigham Young). It was a beautiful event and it was nice to see so many familiar faces as well as meet new people. We flew to Oregon the following day and spent some time at the beach in Lincoln City. It was nice to see the beach again and to have some time away from everything that was going on. Although we would have loved to stay longer, we drove back to Hillsboro the next day for our open house at my parent's home. Was it beautiful or what! My parents had spent the summer getting the yard ready for our open house and it turned out wonderful. The day after that, we packed up a U-haul with my things from back home and drove to Utah. September 1 was the wedding of Manuel's aunt Ada and we started school this past Tuesday, just after the Labor Day holiday. It's been a whirlwind of busyness and we had to jump back into school and the daily grind, but married life has been great. We went to our new ward for the first time on Sunday and will be attending our services in Spanish. It will be a good experience for me since I still need some practice with my speaking. Although it's been a crazy couple of weeks, it has been so nice for us to spend the moments together.

Our Story

2007-06-25T11:05:00.000-06:00

Manuel was studying at the University of San Marcos in Lima, Perú at the same time I was working with a humanitarian group in the University of San Marcos' dental school. Despite the fact that we were in the same place at the same time, Manuel and I never met. It wasn't until September 2006 that we had lunch together on BYU campus one day after getting in contact through some mutual friends from Perú. After meeting, Manuel and I became study buddies--Manuel would help me with my Spanish homework and I would help him with his English homework. October 19, 2006 was our first official date and we continued spending time with each other every day. During this last winter semester, I applied for an internship to teach English in Chile for the spring and summer semesters. Less than a week and a half before I was scheduled to take off, I realized that I didn't want to leave Manuel behind and decided to stay. Soon after, we talked more seriously about marriage and were engaged about a month later. Here we are now, anxiously awaiting our wedding day which is set for August 23, 2007. We are so excited to start our life together!