August 6th - happy birthday, Hubs!

i posted to IG recently that our vacation was postponed cause of the zika virus outbreak running rampant in Florida and other tropical and domestic areas (be safe, mamas) at this time. getting a glimpse of this guy or gal helped me get out of my feelings rather quickly though!  we were just gonna roll Sonny's birthday festivities right on into our trip at that... so unfortunately i was very bummed for a few days after Hubs and i decided to call it off.  i had been looking forward to our very first family vaca all summer long.  it's just not worth the risk at 6 months preggo though.  plan b? #StayCation at one of our fave places in Houston to go!  besides, we've got 1 more year to get Dego into Disney for free before he turns 3 so it's all good, haha.  he will be more aware of what is even going on by then, and i'll also have time to save a bit more so we even can stay and play longer.  just looking for the positives, as usual.  

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 saturday morning, august 6th: happy birthday, papa!!

excitedly running to give Papa his gifts!  i barely captured them in time.the love they have for this guy...it's such an incredible thing to witness. 

we are a fit family, forreals!  Sonny and i could both receive workout shoes and gear for every single birthday and be completely fine with that.headed to birthday breakfast! we don't eat breakfast out much at all; only everything else.  always a treat.originally i planned on going to The Breakfast Klub, but changed it up while en route.  the food is fantastic and worth the wait, but that super long line with two hangry kiddos?  nah, son.   i made a game-time decision and headed to a place i knew would be a family hit,  Barnaby's Cafe! definitely one of our breakfast faves.

hot chocolate :)  we never skimp on the whipped cream round here. steak, eggs, and pancakes for the birthday boy,Chiso requested red velvet pancakes outta nowhere! they were delish. loli ordered the green eggs (egg whites with spinach and cheese, chicken apple sausage, home fries); i just can't order anything else. #iaintsorryafter trying to get Dego to look once i just let him be. that baby was hungry and i understood.we usually need a nap after we eat breakfast out, so  it was the perfect time to check into our room at hotel Sorella.  the last time Sonny and i stayed there, we were celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary in 2011.  i was pregnant with Chiso (5) and surprised Sonny with the news that weekend!  we're back again, 2.5 kiddos later. admiring my huuuur! my sista-friend Ogechi keeps me fly and not looking a mess!when Sonny is on vaca, Sonny is on VACA.  all he wants to do is...nothing!  so i took the boys to the pool while Sonny enjoyed a quiet birthday nap. afterwards, we went back upstairs to freshen up.  i sent Sonny over to the Lifetime Fitness (best gym evaaaaar ;) ) City Centre spa to get a needed back massage that he enjoyed.  it only made him sleepy again though but it worked out because Dego had just began his nap in my arms.  Sonny and Dego went to nap some more while Chiso and i headed to the gym for a pre-dinner workout.i actually got a fantastic workout in cause Chiso was fascinated with the cardio machines and had a blast all by himself lol.  i will post our workout vid and entire workout in my next post!!loved my relaxed, dinner fit that night! those jeans were always a lil' loose in the hips on me, but  they are now the perfect size for my 6 month belly. deets below!

look... between IG stories and Snap Chat i am so done with social media some days!!  every app is basically vying for our attention and i sometimes feel like i have to be active on every single thing... and that just isn't true.  

we walked right across the courtyard to Ruggles Green, another game-time decision made by the birthday boy in the family's best interest.  Texas de Brazil was my first option, but the boys kept asking for pizza so... we found a great people-watching table on the RG patio while a live 1-man-band band played Sunny 99.1 type hits on his saxophone. he was amazing!  there were kids running, playing, and dancing everywhere and the boys couldn't wait to finish their food and join them. what a seriously perfect family night. we skipped across the courtyard from RG to Red Mango for fro-yo! the boys wanted to make Sonny a homemade birthday cake, but we weren't able to whip it up the day before we left.  so, i planned to just buy a mini one or a cupcake from Sweet, which is what i did.we thank God that everything worked right on out. cheeeese!back to the room to sing happy birthday to Papa and his candle-less cupcake!  not even room service had one we could use :(Chiso picked out a yummy s'mores cupcake.we sang and split that thing 4 ways!  we then put our jammies on and watched tv 'til we all fell asleep.next morning, breakfast time again! we headed downstairs to enjoy Sorella's beautiful continental breakfast buffet. afterwards, more pool time for my water babies.   i am so honored and grateful to share and celebrate yet another birthday with Sonny and our 1st family staycation was one to remember.  happiest of birthdays, Hubs!

K E E P   U P   W I T H   U S !

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33 weeks + Double Chocolate Skinny-Fat Brownies

 in the beginning of the 2nd tri i remember sometimes forgetting i was even preggo.  didn't feel anything on the inside most days and definitely wasn't showing on the outside yet.  yeah, those days are OVER.  i actually feel great and my energy didn't deplete like i expected at 33 weeks now, but as my little nugget grows, obviously the discomfort does too.

#magicbump now ya see it, now ya don't!

you know that hasn't stopped me from moving though!  outside of teaching my Lifetime classes, i look forward to Zumba and Kickboxing for my cardio because they are just so FUN to take.   some days all i want to do is move, nothing serious.  i've been constantly reaching for healthy fat to nourish the baby and i and i'm slightly addicted to Dark Chocolate Dreams by Peanut Butter & Co on my early morning pre-workout snacks as you can see!

other healthy fat sources:

• avocado! homemade guacamole (2 avocados, 1 roma tomato, sea salt, juice of 1/2 a lemon, 2 tbsp minced cilantro - BLEND)
• raw or roasted, unsalted almonds, pistachios, and cashews
• olive & coconut oil
• lite & full-fat coconut milk
• natural peanut butter, nut butters in general
• flaxseed
• mackerel & salmon

today was my last ultrasound scan until we meet baby Odego.  my OB just wants to make sure he is measuring correctly and will compare his progress to the last scan.

Sonny always asks me why i cuff my bump. i don't know!!!! it's just something we do. my hand just goes there automatically. especially in pictures.

here are some recent eats! if you follow me on Instagram though you've prolly already seen all of these ;)

lean protein, plenty of fresh & raw veggies, fruit, healthy fat, and whole grains, even when dining out.

 remember, your postpartum 'transformation' starts the MOMENT you get preggo, not after you deliver your baby! smart food choices and physical activity from start to finish is what makes the difference in your recovery time.

for my Sunday Dinners cooking class last evening, we made Fit N' Crispy Chicken Parm and Thai Coconut Curry Chicken (recipe coming up next post!) - two flavorful, fun, things you can do with those plain ol' chicken boobs.

i sent my students home happy and packed up all the leftovers for them to kill later.  which left me with, well, nothin'!! it's all about you guys though.  sooo, i made a big pan of parm for mysel....err, my family today and my Italian fix has once again been satisfied.

they also went home with a sample of these guys: Double Chocolate Skinny-Fat Brownies! why? cause i used skinny / healthy ingredients (no processed sugar, whole wheat flour, no butter) but it still tastes like a brownie should.  i had my fingers crossed that they would be a hit and they were!  which means i'll be whipping some up for a 'Skinny' themed private 30th birthday event next month.  YES, i do those too!  email me for all the details at le@fitfoodiele.com.

ok, ok.

Double Chocolate Skinny-Fat Brownies

the stuff:(source)

• 2/3 cup pure maple syrup or honey
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder + 2 tsbp
• 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chunks, chips, or mini morsels
• 1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour (i used King Arthur)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 large egg, beaten and at room temp
• 1/4 - 1/2  cup pecan pieces (optional;  can add to batter or save for topping)

do this:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees F and coat an 8 in square pan with no-stick cooking spray.
2. mix the maple syrup and cocoa powder together really good (you'll be stirring for a minute, just keep going).
3. combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
4. in another bowl, add the applesauce, oil, egg, and vanilla.  work in the maple syrup / cocoa mixture.
5. add the wet mixture into the flour and stir until well combined.
6. pour into your pan and let bake for about 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

TIPS:

*remember, there are chocolate chunks in the batter so don't mistake the melted chocolate on the toothpick for uncooked batter like i did.

*let the pan cool a little then place it in the fridge for about 20 minutes before serving. i just popped a piece in the microwave for 10-15 secs before eating.

*when cutting, run hot water on your knife for a few secs first to make clean cut squares each time.

makes 16! for 1:

nighty nite!

le

holy forehead acne + gender reveal

my close friends are like 'girl SHUT UP about this forehead acne already. please.' and i will. when it goes away :shock: .   forreal though, it's the only symptom that is different from my 1st pregnancy. so 2% of me believed a mini fit foodie le was on the way.

 welp, yesterday was the day we got to confirm those (un)educated guesses.  i have been saying i don't care about the sex... i meant that.  i still don't care. i just can't believe i said i would wait until i was in the delivery room to find out....HA. yeah, not doing that. this round anyway!  i commend women/couples who actually go through with it though, seriously.

i wake up wanting real cheese, eggs, and toast. every morning. most days this is dinner too.  so after a filling breakfast and some 19 week selfies,

i was so excited i threw on some heels and we hit the road to meet Sonny.  i asked Chi for the last time that morning,' so, sister or a brother? '  he responded with 'no thank you mama.  i don't want a sister.' aaaaallrightythen.

 i couldn't help but think, 'i was just here with Chiso.' 3 years really did pass by that fast. funny how my entire visit happened just like last time too.  Sonny came to meet me (well us, this time) from work, and i even used the same changing room. on purpose.   i remember having to chug 20 oz or more of water just before the procedure. and i barely made it to the bathroom afterwards. like last time.

heading down the long hallway to the US room.

it was even the same nurse - i recognized her right away and the way she began: 'ok please let me find what i need to find first and then we'll eventually get to the gender, your questions, and then i'll show you your baby in detail.' aaaaallrightlythen. #doyourthing.  she reminded me that the procedure usually lasts an hour, but that's cause sometimes the babies don't cooperate or face in the best direction.  luckily our little one gave us a clear shot of the goods ;)  . i think it's hilarious to watch the baby's mouth opening and closing on the screen- i'm like what the heck are you even saying :lol: !?  it's also cool to see all the punching and kicking and feel it happening in your belly simultaneously.   just in complete awe of God, again.

he'll fully understand soon enough.

and we're done here! all cheeses after 'meeting' the 4th member of the Egwuatu family.  so.....

this was the very first pic the nurse printed out for us.... POW. i knew instantly but Sonny still had the 'wait, what is that?' look on his face for the longest.

well, what is it?! 

(view is from the top looking down)

le