Duck... Duck... GOOSE!

Our little Bruiser, is growing up soooo fast! At about 6 months he randomly started waving and saying buh-bye. We hadn't even taught him that yet. Well not conciously! About the same time he starts calling everything Da Da. I wasn't sure wether or not those should be counted as his first words.


Last week at 8 months old, I was randomly reading him a book with pictures of animals on the farm. I said "Look at the duck, Zane." and he turns and looks at me and says "Duck?" "Duck."  When Zac got home from work I was excited to tell him. As I am telling him the story, Zane eagerly starts saying over and over again "Duck, Duck, Duck" Although, I everything is a Duck these days and am not sure that he understands what a duck is. I think We can officially count this as his first word!

Woman by Nature! Domestic by Choice!

The Hunter and I have been married a little over a year now! We have had an amazing first year that any couple could ask for! We got to travel, started our marriage 100% debt free, and had an amazing little boy! Our family is full of love and laughter! We can't wait for it to grow! 

They say that "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Soooo Cliche! For those of you who know Zac know that he is an extremely picky eater.  All he want is meat and potatoes... Absolutely no casseroles, food that is mixed togther, or even touching for that matter.  And i growing up in a family that thrives on cooking and more importantly eating. I like variety and he likes the same food over and over and over again! Needless to say, we find it extremely difficult to find foods that we both enjoy!

I like to think that I am domestic! I want my children and hopefully my husband to grow to love my food! I love to cook and try new recipes! So since we have been married I have constantly been experimenting. Most of the food I have loved and Zac has hated! Some I hate and Zac loves! Some we have both hated! But I still remain determined to find our family favorite recipes. 

I woke up one morning with a GREAT idea... Which is pretty much a norm, I seem to be full of them! I am going to make my own cookbook in a scrapebook form. So I went and bought a scrapbook put the pages together and sent a mass letter out to family and friends asking them to send me at least 5 of their family favorite recipes. I have recieved my first recipes. (Thanks Jana) I am excited to try all the recipes and to hopefully find some that will become our family favorites!

So bring on the reciepes, people! I like a challenege!

Bogger's Blankie and Plug

Booger has had his poka-a-dot blanket since he was born. About a month ago someone had asked me if he had a lovey yet. I said no, but within the next 2 weeks I have noticed that he started draggin his blankie and his pacifire "plug" around a little more than usual! Now I notice that he is wanting to take it everywhere we go! He isn't super attached yet but I see it coming.

This is where I need advice...
Should I start training him now that blankie is only for sleepy time and he can only use it in bed? Or can should I just wait until he is older?


I am also debating wether to wean him from "the plug" for several reasons.

1. I am worried about his teeth growing funky since he has all 4 front teeth! And the top two already look like bubba gump teeth.
2. I know it is easier to wean them from it earlier on the older they get the more attached they are to it! ( I do not want to have a 2 or 3 yearold that still has one!
3. "The Plug" was more for my sanity that Zane's! Selfish, maybe but thats how I got peace when I needed it. If you know him you know that he is mostly quiet and hardly cries. Soooo technically does he really need it anymore anyway?

I think its sweet that he is developing an attachment. I dont think I ever had an attachment growing up. Except maybe my waterbaby "Sweetie Pie" that my MeMe had giving me when I was like 5. Sweetie Pie died trageically when something (maybe a mouse... ewww) bit a hole in her poor foot at age 11 I was very sad.  My Husband has always had an attachment to his Blankie! And at almost 25 years old he is still sleeping with it! Yes we sleep with two different blankets, mainly because I am a blanket hog and like lots of them and zac's blankie is to small for both of us! Last Christmas my mom and I had to do some major repairs to it, but he loves it just the same!


So how much attachment is healthy? None or Too Much? Where to you find a Happy-Medium?

"Cook Yourself Thin" Cliche

Before I get ahead of myself, let me inform you.  While I was pregnant I gained 60 lbs.... Yep, thats right the big 6-0! (Something I don't reccomend! Please allow me to encourage you that although you're told you're "eating for two" not to take that cliche literally! Please for body's sake, you will regret it! But I will save that for a different blog!)


My caring sister, Tía, gave me this cook book 6 weeks after I had that super big booger! Cook Yourself Thin is the cookbook and show that you can also see on Lifetime. It has a fabulous concept! Basically it teaches you to cook all your favorite meal but with a healthy twist.  The Challenge is to drop a dress size in 6 weeks just by changing the way you cook!


Isn't the title kind of an oximoron though? Can you really lose weight by cooking?  I thought if you refrain from cooking you will eat less?!  Growing up in my family that is all about food, when you cook you plan to eat alot! Every conversation I can remember that we had sitting around the dinner table was about the food we were eating and how good it is! Which programs your mind to think that your stomach needs as much of that good food as you can get. Which is why I think everytime I sit down for a meal, I overeat. It's gross to think about.  I am slowly learning selfcontrol!


I have cooked atleast half of the recipes, and loved them! (My favs are Sauteed Tequila Lime Shrinp Tacos with Mango and Pineapple Salsa and Spicy Black Beans and the Cranberry and Chocolate Biscotti! Yum!) However, everytime I start my challenge about 2 weeks into it the Hunter starts begging me to go back to the "non-chick" food.  So needless to say I have never finished the challenge! But i do try to incorperate the concepts in everyday cooking! With out telling Hunter!


I am down to those last "are you kidding me" pre-preggo 15 lbs! However, I have been very good working out every single day this week! But throughout my blog I will put you on a rollercoaster with working out! Encouragement does wonders, which my husband is slowly realizing! I will keep you updated! My goal is to lose all my baby weight and then some before the next pregnancy and stay in shape throughout it! And only God has control of that issue!


Cook Yourself Thin is a great challenge if you can keep the picky hubby happy with it!  I say go for it!

Cliché or Not

Cliche... Cliche... Cliche... That's so Cliche!

I know, Cliche Right? But that one little word is quite catchy you have to admit! I Love the word, but I am not sure how I feel about the meaning or the little thingy above the e! Can't seem to get it on there so please forgive me in advance! But back to the meaning...

Cliche: stereotyped, ordinary, trite, hackneyed, predictable, superficial, overused expression or idea (Dictionary.com)


I have several friends that have started blogging. And the first thing that went through my head was "how cliche!" Then I started getting addicted to their blogs, and finally decided to start my own!


So here I am... attempting to start my first blog. I am going to tell you in advance this is purely for fun. There will be grammatical errors... Please excuse them in advance am not the best writer! The purpose of my blog it to blog about my life, my family, and random cliches!


About myself, I grew up in a very small town in North Texas. The cow population is more than the people population! I graduated high school in a class of 7 boys and myself! I graduated from Texas A&M with a major in Agriculture Development and Leadership with a minor in viticulture and floral design!


I'm happily married to... well we will call him "The Hunter." Ewwww! This could be fun!!He is absolutely my better half! He is such a strong and amazing individual! He owns his own contracting business, which allows me to do what I love and stay-at-home and raise my son (Booger)! He is 8 month old, and a very big and advanced toddler! He is our pride and joy! He was born in Jan. 2009 and was twice as big as all the other baby in the hospital! Weighing in at 10lbs 6.5oz and 22 3/4 inches long. The nurse described it best! "We had 4 babies and a linebacker born tonight!" Reading this blog you will be reading mostly about him!


So Cliche or Not.... Our journey begins...