35 Weeks: Maternity Photoshoot Prep

what this past friday afternoon looked like for us.just taking a moment on the floor like we often do.  Dego & i had just gotten home from training clients and a trip to the Nike Outlet for our family maternity shoot outfits.  Chiso was fresh from school and ecstatic about being homework-free.  my hair was halfway done, and i still didn't really know how things would come together with our shoot the next day.my sis-in-law, Kara, told me exactly where to go for big, bold, crazy affordable jewelry; Harwin!  if you're a Houstonian then you are prolly familiar with this area of town.  i figured with goddess locs i might as well go for a goddess look. lol, i don't know!  i need soooo much help with putting outfits/accessories together (maybe this is why interior design is not my thing either, sheesh) and i was so looking forward to getting together with Kara to shop and eat. we couldn't get our schedules together before shoot day so i did my best!saturday morning glaaaaam. a huge thank you to makeup_byMeagan for taking my face on! she did an amazing job.  i am so not used to wearing dramatic, heavy makeup though; it always takes me some getting used to my own face.  as always, my sis, Ogechi, hooked my hair UP.family fitness shoot DONE. omg. we shot the pics inside The Core Gym and once the boys walked in and saw all the toys equipment, their little brains started going 8000 miles per minute!!!  i truly hope the chaos was captured perfectly!  afterwards, i really wanted to just change and go do my individual shots immediately, but Sonny intervened and said we all needed to go take a break, sit down, and eat. i didn't argue! our photographer, Christin, said she was prepared to be with us until we got all our ideas in so of course we kept her well fed. hoping to get the maximum amount of cooperation out of Chiso during the shoot (cause once that window is closed, usually it's a wrap :| ) i told him he could pick where we ate for lunch afterwards.  he excitedly screamed Jason's Deli!  Sonny just knew i persuaded his decision ;) but it was definitely the free soft serve. Christin swore to me she and Chiso would be BFFs by the end of the day but this guy literally ran and jumped in her arms after lunch!Sonny kept the boys company while we shot a few individuals but they naturally made their way into some of them so Christin took advantage.  i wore 3 different Sew Trendy Accessories gowns.dinner time!  and lookie there, lol.Christin could not believe we were about to eat again, haha! Whole Foods Post Oak was a few doors down and perfect cause even the pickiest of eaters can find something tasty there.i went with eggplant parmesan, baked hoki w/ a roasted red bell pepper sauce, sweet potato crunch, a few roasted brussels sprouts, and some sautéed kale.  my cheese obsession never really went anywhere! been going strong all pregnancy.   i also got a few scoops of some unpictured chocolate covered salted caramels from the bulk section for our trip home.  i shared. a little.Papa Gwuat! thank you for chauffeuring us around all day, de-stressing me to the best of your abilities, and for being so patient.  it's a wrap, 35 weeks! i could not wait to whip those lashes off and just get in my bed (after a soak in the tub of course)!  thankful this day is finally behind us; i don't even want to think about holiday photos right now though!! maternity pics coming soooon :)

K E E P   U P   W I T H   U S !

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m<3m's day '14

one of my most cherished moments in time. i didn't even know this pic of me and Chiso's first  face to face interaction was captured until later;  i was so wrapped up in his little presence.  simply honored God saw fit to make me his mommy.

 almost 3 years later i'm still getting all the kisses i can before he starts wiping them off! i woke up to the sweetest mothers' day card from Sonny & Chi along with this little lifesaver right here:

 my Samsung s4 is so full of pics and vids that i haven't been able to download any new apps for weeks.  i mean really. and i've backed up everything in my phone onto my mac but because i never know when i'll need to upload or get access to a particular pic, i can't bring myself to wipe my phone totally clean. i know. all kinds of crazy over here. but now i have even more space to fill with food and workout pics :P

i got on up and made breakfast for the fam and had one of my usual combos: mushroom egg omelette with whole wheat toast, natural pb, and sprinkles for fun ( i used a cupcake cookie cutter btw) and some wild blueberries.

then i threw on my Mothers' Day best and snapped a few 35 week pics before we hit the road to go celebrate with our moms!

Sonny's mom and sis couldn't make it,  but he and his brother, Brian, treated my mom, his fiance, and his future MIL to a feast of a lunch at Las Ventanas.  May 17th, 2014 is the BIG day for those two!!! i am so happy to be gaining another sister as awesome as Kara.  my dad is a homebody and told us all to have a great lunch lol.

so this is what i ordered... shrimp & mushroom topped brown butter snapper with steamed veggies.  it originally came with mashed potatoes but i switched them out. i normally ask for any sauce/dressing to be put on the side.....but i didn't want to this time to be honest!  Sonny ordered a side of rice and i took a few scoops.

 and here's what everybody else ordered!   good stuff. this is actually one of the restaurants that will be catering Brian and Kara's wedding. definitely looking forward to the reception, hahaha!

 we skipped dessert at the restaurant and headed to get some all natural fro-yo from Tasti D-lite, our first time there. i heard about them via Instagram and was stoked to find out Houston had one too.  my mom and i both got their bananas foster fro-yo...heaven.

   heath bar and sprinkles for me.

*****

my love and respect for my own mom grows exponentially each day. especially the older Chiso gets lol. seriously!!!  never knew motherhood would be so challenging yet rewarding all in the same breath.  God bless all mothers, those who play the mother role, and moms-to-be. you are needed and you are appreciated.

*****

i love you mom!!!!

le

*updated* Zucchini Pizza Cruise Ships + we're registered!

had a bowl of organic rolled oats cooked in unsweetened vanilla almond milk, water, cinnamon, and vanilla before heading to my (now weekly) OB appointment this morning.   fresh blueberries, more cinnamon, more almond milk, and pure maple syrup went right on top.  i had egg whites w/ salsa on the side too. fueling up for some kickboxing a little later today.

was running late and threw on whatever (but i was comfy though!)  and we made it just in time for my group b strep test and routine check up.  if only pap smears were that quick & easy-peasy!  all is well @ 35 weeks and i thank Him for another great progress report. and yes, i smacked Chiso right after he smacked me.

on to our new hospital to registerrrrrr!

so the hospital where Chiso was born doesn't do L&D anymore. i enjoyed the experience there and was saddened after hearing that!  however, the new hospital is literally 3 minutes away, so no biggie.  AND my favorite OB in the entire universe will be there to deliver Odego this time, Lord willing.  (she was out having her twins at the time Chiso was born :'(  ) .  i went ahead and registered juuuuust in case we have to pop up there sooner than expected, but i am coming back with Sonny to take a tour so we can be cheesy and take pics and stuff.  a date i am so looking forward too, again.  i hardly EVER buy overpriced convenience store food/snacks, but i was unprepared and Chiso got restless while i filled out paper work.  so i got him this Sabra pretzel and hummus dip along with a banana.

enjoy this updated recipe of last night's dinner:

*updated* Zucchini Pizza Cruise Ships

the stuff:

• 4 large, raw zucchini, halved & seeded
• 2 cups cooked and seasoned extra lean ground turkey
•  1 cup homemade marinara (add more if you'd like and the recipe is below)
• 8 turkey pepperoni, cut into thin strips
• 1 cup shredded almond or rice cheese
• 6 cherry tomatoes, sliced into coins
• 2 tsp dried italian seasoning or parsley or fresh basil
• sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste

do this:

1. set your oven to 350 degrees and coat a large baking pan with foil and no-stick cooking spray.
2. after halving the zucchini, scoop some of the insides out using a small spoon.  they should look like empty canoes cruise ships once you're done; arrange them flat and seed-side up on your baking sheet.
3. mix the cooked ground turkey and the marinara sauce together, then spoon the mixture evenly into/onto the zucchini.
4. sprinkle the turkey pepperoni, tomato, and italian seasoning on top of the cruise ships, and bake them for about 20 minutes.
5. remove them from the oven and sprinkle shredded cheese on top. ( i used 2% colby jack cause that's all i had. to keep this recipe dairy free, use almond or rice cheese.)
6. let them bake once more for 7-10 minutes or just until the cheese melts to your liking.
7. top with fresh basil or parsley!

i thought i posted my marinara recipe in the Fit N' Crispy Chicken Parm post but maybe it didn't save like i thought?? can't explain that one.  but here it is:

homemade marinara:

the stuff:

• 1 6oz can tomato paste
• 6 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning blend (optional)
• sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste

do this:

1. heat a large sauce pan to medium-low heat; once hot, pour in your olive oil.
2. add onions & garlic and sauté until translucent...about 2-3 minutes.
3. add in the rest of the ingredients except sea salt and cracked black pepper, stir, cover, and let simmer for 12-15 minutes.
4. shut off heat; add mixture to your blender or food processor and blend on high until super smooth.

you can make this ahead of time and store in the fridge to be used for pizza sauce, wing dip, breadstick dip, whatever!

happy hump day! hollaaaaaaaaa

le

Esprit de She Katy 5/10K - Fit Foodie Finishers

snapping pics at the stop light and headed to meet the ladies who signed up to brave the Esprit de She 5 & 10K races with me last night! great times.  it did NOT rain on our parade either, thank God.

no sunshine, but it wasn't unbearably humid either as this SOLD OUT crowd of  gorgeous, fit, ladies gathered in anticipation and excitement. just look at that turn out! there was plenty to do, too. Zumba, healthy snack samples, Yoga, and chair massages & manicures were provided by Lifetime Fitness Lifespa.  this event totally catered to the She.

i arrived early, headed to packet pickup, and ran smack into my friend Alexia and her hubby (he came for support, how sweet!). she is 1 week ahead of me @ 36 weeks preggo and was down to pound the pavement regardless. LOVES IT!  the shirts were a gorgeous purple color this year; it's definitely one of my fave race tanks (racerback always rules in my world) that i will be hitting the gym in for sure.  also, because i registered early (big surprise there :o ), i was able to personalize my bib. coolness.

the Esprit de She ambassadors got a group email going a few days before the race and decided to meet up for a pre-race photo under the Athleta tent.  did it happen? i couldn't tell ya lol, but i was there and looking around for the other ladies. Landi found me, and then we somehow found Jennifer.  nice meeting you gals <3

my friend Eshé (top L) has been taking my gym classes since i started teaching at 24 HF eons ago! she is now a Lifetime member and is training for another triathlon later this year.  she showed the 10k who was boss last night!!! so proud of her and she looks fantastic.   Alexia and i (top R) received SO MUCH bump love!! i was truly proud to represent for the fit preggo moms out there with her, you already know.  way to GO, Alexia.  we ran into my crazy-sock wearing fitness buddies Ros (Zumba instructor extraordinaire)and Karen on the way to the start line (bottom L pic) :) lastly, i finally got a pic with my Soror, Ayesha!  she's a fellow Coog, blogger, and Esprit de She Ambassador as well.

before and after!

as Alexia and i wrapped up our final mile, a woman who was driving by in her truck slowed down (and shouted over a/her child in the passenger seat) 'you're pregnant? and running? why??' and sped off! my response? why NOT!? :?: i should have shouted to her to follow me on Instagram. lol. if she only knew :P

i know a lot of mommies-to-be that aren't able to run at this stage of the game as the weight and pressure of the fetus is pretty high.  however, we used common sense, checked on each other constantly, and alternated between jogging (when we felt like it) and power-walking to get through the 5k.  mission accomplished!

post-race, you KNOW what i was lookin' for and where i can always be found- by the fuel!  believe it or not, the line on the right was for the free bubbly LOL!  i was so happy to just walk right up and get my southwest chicken wrap(S) and salad that were provided by the always healthy and delicious Lifetime Cafe.

i had a rockin' time and hope to return next year. with or without a baby bump ;)

HAPPY EARLY MOTHERS' DAY <3

le