happy 4th + 19 weeks

bell pepper baby status!

 1 week away from being halfway there!? man. seems like after the 1st tri passed time really took off.  i have SO much i want to get done and now that i feel like going hard again (k, not too hard!) and accomplishing some long-term goals with Fit Foodie Le, LLC that's what's on my agenda.

* HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!! *

 i got up early before the house woke up to get in some cardio and yoga, but the yoga class started later than i expected, dang.  i can't walk past a dumbbell without picking it up sooooo,

[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="http://fitfoodiele.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/cake-by-the-ocean.mp4"][/video]

i did a few moves from my prenatal workout plans including this one that targets your glutes, one at a time.  it also challenges your balance, which works your core!  try it with or without a dumbbell and remember:

• keep your knee behind your toes at all times.

• sink down into the heel of the leg you're working to really activate your glute and hamstring. 

• keep a flat back during the entire move.  workout how you'd like to look. nobody wants to walk around with terrible posture, right!?  that always reminds me to fix my form. 

current 2nd tri woes:

numbness! 

most times i wake up these days, my hands, wrists, or even my entire arm(s) are numb and tingling and i have to lay there and wiggle my fingers like a mad woman until it goes away.  so annoying!  ever since Father's Day, i've felt way more fetal movement, my tummy is popping out a lil' bit more, my breasts are sore/swollen more often, and my areola have darkened.  growth spurt!  i read that the numbness has to do carpal tunnel syndrome from the swelling that compresses the nerves in my wrists.  it tends to get worse as the pregnancy progresses. great! lol.  i could probably cut back on my salt and up my water a bit more to help fight the swelling and that's what i plan to do.

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for the 4th, i baked up some lemon pepper, Weber Garlic Sriracha, and BBQ sockeye salmon,and grilled up some colossal BBQ shrimp.

 we hit up HEB after church the day before and it was a maaad house!  sample stations every couple of feet and people everywhere getting ready to party.   both the salmon and shrimp were on sale for 7 bucks and some change per lb; what a sale!

Chiso and i had a lil' too much fun on snap chat during our samples shopping trip (add us! fitfoodiele):my bump gets me extra samples, weeeeeethat ice cream concluded our sample fest!  i also grilled up some corn and lean, ranch turkey sliders with homemade guac cause Chiso requested burgers with his fireworks!  i really wanted some baked beans but by the time i finished all that i was TOAST and ready to sit down.  in addition to meal prepping for our 6 Pack USA clients and my postpartum moms, i am learning how to seriously get IN and OUT of the kitchen quicker by the day.  shortcuts are everything when it comes to meal prep! else you could spend way more time than you need in the kitchen and i don't have any to spare.  don't give up on meal prep and stay consistent. it will soon become second nature to you. our brothers and sisters came over with their kids and all the little cousins had a blast eating brownies and dodging watching fireworks. good times! 

Q:  what was the highlight of your 4th of  july?

K E E P   U P   W I T H   U S !

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Susan G. Komen Pink & Treat 5k #boohoo

 

waaaaaaaaaah! i was looking SO forward to running in the Komen Pink and Treat 5k this past weekend but the rain and flooding in and around the houston area saturday morning said, 'HA. no.'  safety first, i know.

nevertheless,

BOOM!

we made eeeeet! because of the selfless donations from my friends and family, we were able to reach our fundraising goal of 150.00 in just a few days!!! i am honored to be able to gift another woman with a mammogram so that she can stay abreast of what's going on in her body, pun intended!  i could not have done this without the help of these wonderful people:

Christina Lyons

Shanna

Carlena Harris

Michelle Atanu

Nathan Atanu

Ijeoma Ikechi

thank you, thank you, thank you.

i was so ready, yall!!  had all my stuff out the night before like i usually do before a race.  Sonny found my Polar watch a few days ago (YAY) in a corner of our bedroom that Dego likes to play in. can't believe we didn't look over there sooner. it had been missing for like 2 months.

16 month update: *waving* hellooooo separation anxiety! actually i'm waving goodbye cause it seems to be on its way out these days. hopefully.  he knows when i leave a room, enter a room, come home, etc, etc, and let's whomever is watch him know mommy is in the building. temper tantrums are beginning to come on out, and teething is on/off which makes him extremely clingy. when i take something from his little hand he isn't supposed to have, he drops to the floor and screams his little face off for a few minutes! hmph. Chiso prepped me real good for that though, so i've been expecting it.  we have awesome days, and we have those tough, draining, restless days but hey, it's all apart of this motherhood deal!

 '(24/7). once you sign on to be a mother, that's the only shift they offer.'

                                             -Jody Picoult

 when i look over at him sleeping innocently in the most adorable pose in the universe....my heart immediately turns to complete mush. bananas. mashed potatoes. green peas. applesauce. mush. my spirit is renewed, my heart is softened, and my attitude is adjusted. thank God for His grace and new mercies every single day.

i had to cancel my postpartum clients, my preggo fitness class, and i couldn't even go do my own thing and run out side. rain, rain, RAIN. everywhere. sooo i did something i haven't done on saturday morning in years.  i got right back in the bed with my boys and we all slept till noon!  we were extra hoongry when we woke up though so i made pancakes.

i carmelized some bananas on my griddle and served them with Carey's sugar-free syrup, So Delicious #dairyfree Coco Whip, and some roasted, unsalted walnuts.

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on halloween night, we headed over to my sis-in-laws to let the kids play, hang out, and eat a ton of pizza! i waited so last-minute to make a dish so i needed something crazy quick. this was the first easy, pinterest recipe i could find- 'dirt cake' w/ worms!  this recipe is older than dirt but it was fun and just what i needed.

i combined an Immaculate Baking Company Scratch Chocolate Cake + 1 can of pure pumpkin and baked it as normal.  cooking times vary so keep an eye on your cake(s)!  using the pumpkin instead of the oil and eggs cuts down on the fat & calories, and adds a ton of fiber and moisture.  also, you can totally use brownies instead! let it cool then crumble it all up. that part was so fun!

portion out some single serving cups and spoon a heaping serving of cake crumbles in the bottom.  use your creativity here! some people add chocolate pudding, cream cheese, cool whip, etc... i melted some semi-sweet chocolate and mixed it with lite cool whip.  i spooned some over the cake and added mini chocolate chips and a sour gummy worm.

i topped that with more cake crumbles and another gummy worm. that's it! so many options to play with here though!  hope you had a fun, safe, halloween, fit friends!

Q: WHAT were you for halloween this year!?

because i do. Chevron Houston Marathon EXPO

we moved right on along to carrots today in the homemade baby food chronicles!

i switch new foods every 4 days or so to give any allergic reactions time to reveal themselves. we'll see what happens. i just eyeballed and simmered raw carrots + cinnamon + water until tender then puree in the Ninja. carrots are naturally sweet like sweet potatoes so they don't need any extra sugar! they also:

• slow down aging
• reduce blood pressure
• reduce risk of stroke
• helps prevent cancer
• facilitates digestion
• boosts immune system
• improve eyesight

my eyesight has been terrible for as long as i can remember.  i've worn glasses since elementary school and only need them to see far distances and to drive.  i pray the boys get Sonny's eyesight cause i am pretty much legally blind!  i hope they get his teeth too cause i went through braces, a head-gear, a retainer...the whole 9.  i'd love to get Invisialign as they are shifting again from not wearing my retainer years ago. i was so happy to be DONE with all that stuff i didn't care. but now i do. that's how it goes!

so far so good!

i've been doing solo dates once a week with Chiso for a while now and today i took him downtown to the GRB for the Chevron Houston Marathon EXPO!  i registered for the 5k while i was there and ran right into my Sorority sister and fitness expert, Crystal!  she was there to do the same thing.

only she was using the 5k for her warmup for the marathon on sunday! superwoman status!  I will be running along side her in a marathon one day, mark my words!  i have yet to do my very first full marathon, but my goal is to do a half mar sometime this year.

i can't wait until this guy can keep up and run alongside me.  i plan to put him in his first 1k this year and i am SO excited to watch him run across his first finish line.

we walked around and visited the booths for a little while,  ate Cliff Bar samples, and eventually made our way to the 'I RUN HOU BECAUSE....' wall.  i gave Chiso the marker and he started drawing shapes :D.  then i asked him, 'why do you like to run, Chiso?' and he simply looked at me and replied 'because i do.'

i didn't even ask him to explain! this time.

pose for the frame! neat idea!

then we went to Whole Foods for lunch.  we discussed his new friends in the child care center at our gym and also sports he would like to try this year.  3 is still tougher than 2 in my opinion but it has its highlights like all ages i'm sure!  i'm loving our discussions these days.  pepperoni pizza for Chi,

spring mix salad with pomegranate vinaigrette,

and a few scoops of the hot bar items for me which included: chicken fajitas w/ peppers & onions, hoke (white fish), cilantro-lime rice, and a scoop of spinach/mushroom enchiladas- they looked too good not to try!  the enchilada pan was pretty much empty and i saw why. YUM.

i got my race stuff ready as soon as i got home!  the ABB 5k shirts matched my shoes this year, how cool is that?  bib #55808 is ready to RUN! that said,

and blogging of course!  have a relaxing friday night, friends!

Q: what special things do you do for one-on-one time with your kiddos?

le

boy: a noise with dirt on it

a mommy-friend of mine invited the boys and i to toddler story time at a local library recently.  actually, she invited us weeks ago but i finally got it together enough on my end so that we could attend. it was a morning event so i got up super-duper early just to ensure we'd make it. a lil late, but we made it.  i feel like i have to start getting everybody ready like 3 hours before we have to be somewhere, seriously.  and when we are rarely making good time, Chiso suddenly has to go go to the restroom as i am loading up the car or Dego throws up on us.  never fails!  but hey, we made it AND we even got a nice breakfast in!

i had egg whites with black pepper, mozzarella almond cheese, a little homemade guacamole, low-fat turkey sausage, and french toast with strawberries!  big breakfast to support my activity levels these days which includes hitting the weights again, nursing around the clock, and keeping up with my 3 yr old. among other things.

Chiso has requested pancakes for like 2 weeks straight now. maybe even longer than that.  so made him some sprinkled with mini chocolate chips, sugar-free syrup, and a little fat-free Redi Whip.

our boys warmed right on up to each other and enjoyed the crafting, songs, and puppet show.

 Maranda is a mom of 3 boys herself so i know she feels my pain can relate to life with these little knuckleheads!

 our first official outing together.  we did it!! we're pros now. i actually avoided leaving the house with both boys for the longest...but the saying is true. 'ain't nothin' to it but to do it.' after that? piece of cake! for the most part. thinking, i.e. worrying, about every single thing that could go wrong is no way to live. i've learned to be prepared, prayerful, and cautious, not crazy.  Chiso's independence could not have come at a better time though. for him to be able to get in and out of the car himself, clean up his toys and messes, retrieve and/or throw away Dego's diapers, and turn on the bathroom light so i don't have to get up lol helps out big time. sigh...no more baby Chiso!

just another one of those bittersweet mommy moments.

well all that fun didn't result in a nap at our house, but Chiso enjoyed himself and has asked to go back countless times now. Maranda is a pro at finding free & fun stuff to do around our city, and i recently came across Houston on the Cheap with even more ideas galore.  check it!

i got to bed way too late so my early gym date was definitely out this morning. i hit the streets for some sprints once Sonny got home instead. i haven't run full speed in almost a year and i'm sure i'll pay for it tomorrow and the next day!  i did ladders:

i started slow and only went 'down' the ladder from 5 to 1.  that was all i had, woof.  also, here are two foodie items being adding back into my diet that i've posted about before: almond cheese (gotta cut down on the dairy cause of bloating) and calorie-free Grey Poupon mild & creamy mustard. i got great feedback via Instagram about Daiya vegan cheese so i'm gonna step out and try that brand next.

Q: what have you tripped over that wasn't even worth tripping over once you did it?

le

3 SPOTS LEFT - HOMEMADE PIZZA COOKING CLASS!!!

it's finally time... TO MAKE PIZZA!!!!!

only 3 spots left for THIS coming Tuesday's class (March 25th) so sign up right here!  remember, there are now 3 options to choose from.  bring a buddy and save.

be prepared to WOW your little ones, significant others, look, your ENTIRE family will be happy you came ;)

email me directly with any questions whatsoever at:

le@fitfoodiele.com

happy sunday to you and yours!

le