Blog slacker much?

My bad!
Not that I've seriously disappointed anyone by depriving them of my valuable insight.. haha
So much has been going on since May there is a lot to catch up on! I'll make it semi-brief.
1. We moved out of my mom's and are currently living with my aunt and uncle, just a few blocks away.
2. Mike lost his job that he has had pretty much his whole working life, which was really hard for him. BUT, he did get a job at US Synthetic through SOS staffing though, which is a huge blessing!
3. Milo still isn't crawling yet, which has me a bit worried, but he is sooooooo close. He can get anywhere he wants to go, but I couldn't tell you in words how he does it. It would be a combination of scooting, rolling, sliding, pushing, and pumping. haha
4. I have really kick started my goal of being a photographer. I started my own blog for my photography adventures and maybe someday I will actually make it a business. I don't feel confident enough in my ability to charge people yet. Hopefully someday I will because heaven knows we need the extra money!
5. My Grandpa Christensen had a stroke. This was really hard for me. I have always felt a disconnect from my dad's side of the family since moving out of my dad's and into my mom's when I was a kid, but lately its been really tough. Grandpa always accepted and loved me unconditionally and I felt it without a doubt. My passion for photography was largely because of his natural gift for photography. He never edited his photos and they were still calendar worthy. It is so hard to think that he may never be back to the way I remember and that he might have to be in an assisted living facility for the rest of his life. I've had such a hard time with that lately. But I know he is still the same Grandpa I love.
6. I am done with my first year of college at University of Phoenix! This is weird to me because I put school off for so long. It has been such a wild ride, but I am so glad I challenged myself to stick with it. I am trying to figure out what I want to declare as my major, because I am not as passionate about teaching Elementary school as I used to be. I took a psychology class and couldn't get enough of it! I was online studying way more than what was required, that should tell you something! Maybe I'll be a psychologist.. but how do I feel about that? :)
7. I have completely quit coke and all soda, besides diet coke. haha Hey! I have to have caffeine because I am the queen of migraines from hell. Diet coke gives me caffeine but has no sugar or calories! My goal is to still continue to lose weight (I've lost 10 pounds so far) so that I can be completely healthy before we even start to think about having another baby. And no I'm not dropping a hint about anything haha
8. I have started reading two new series of books. Yes, books!! I read on my spare time, what?? I was surprised too. I started to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which is the start of a series. I have also started the Sookie Stackhouse novels, which is what the series "True Blood" is based on. I haven't read terribly far in either book, but I love them both so far. I just have to choose which one to finish first.
9. Milo's first birthday is coming up in a month! I am already starting to plan it! I am most likely going to do a cute monster theme, since he has always been our Milo monster. So the colors will be lime green, blue, and brown. I am really excited for it! :)
Here is a sample of an invitation I designed on tiny prints.

XOXO, Alecia

New look, same great taste!

Ok maybe not taste.. haha
Today is the first day of transforming the insecure Alecia into a blazing hot mama!
I don't want to change who I am, except maybe improve some flaws of course. I just want to be comfortable in my own skin. I don't want to be ashamed to take Milo swimming because of my insecurities in my body.
Mike and I both decided we want to be more healthy, if for nothing else than Milo's sake. Notice I said healthy, not skinny! I don't want to be obsessed with the number on the scale.
The truth is, I have been dreading any weather that requires me to take off my baggy hoody and jeans..
Thank goodness for this rainy weather right! :)
Despite my self-consciousness, Mike forced me to go to Ross (love that store) and buy a shirt that made me feel sexy.
Approximately 14 shirts later, I found one that disguised by post-baby pooch and brought the attention upward. I wore it to Mike's sister's house for a get-together and let me tell you..
That was the first time I restored faith in this body of mine.
I. felt. cute. (maybe a little hot, but let's not push it)
So since that is now the only shirt I feel super in, we went back and swept the clearance section and found a 6-dollar dress that is also dynamite. It has gathers at the waist making it flow away from my body right at my poochy tummy area and comes back in right above the knee. Not to mention the top is black and white striped with an adorable ruffle that really is flattering! Someday I'll post a picture.. haha
I wore that last night to Mike's sister's again and WOW! I straightened my hair, wore heels, and felt amazing.
As vain as this may sound, you know it is so true! A rockin piece of clothing that accentuates your favorite parts of your body can make you feel like a totally new person!
Ok so this blog is starting to sound like me obsessing over my body.. yuck I hope not!
The point of this blog post was to tell everyone (mainly myself) that I am taking charge of my life one stellar dress at a time.
Today is Day 1 of Alecia and Mike doing the Dukan Diet. I bought the book and thoroughly read the reasoning behind the food choices and I have to say, it really makes sense to me.
Unlike the Atkins diet that lets you eat an unlimited amount of fatty stuff like mayonnaise, butter, bacon etc, the Dukan Diet was specifically created to be realistic and not drastically alter your regular lifestyle.
Here's a brief summary:


Phase One: Attack
The Attack phase consists of pure protein products and creates a kick-start to the diet. During this phase, you can eat 72 high-protein foods enabling immediate and noticeable weight loss.
Phase Two: 
The Cruise phase will take you to your True Weight. During this phase you will gradually but steadily lose weight by alternating Pure Protein days and Protein + Vegetables days. The average length of this phase is based on a schedule of 3 days for each pound you want to lose.
Phase Three:
The Consolidation Phase is designed to prevent the rebound effect by gradually returning previously forbidden foods and allowing for two “celebration" meals per week. This phase follows a strict timeline – 5 days per every pound lost in Cruise Phase.
Phase Four:

This phase is the rest of your life! To keep your newly found body, you must follow these three simple but non-negotiable rules:

1. Consume 3 Tablespoons of oat bran per day.
2. Choose to take the stairs whenever possible.
3. Have a pure-protein Thursday, i.e. Attack Phase menu.

That sums it up! There are obviously more details on the website found here. 

This morning I had egg whites seasoned with pepper and onion salt topped with non-fat cheddar cheese. On the side I had a cup of non-fat cottage cheese and a non-fat strawberry banana yogurt. I was expecting to have to gag down every meal, but I actually really loved it. Knowing you are eating healthy and having it taste good is the best feeling. 
For those of you who are interested in my little journey, I am going to be posting recipes on here that I love. Even if you don't want to do the entire diet, these meals are healthy for anyone with any condition, even pregnant women! For lunch/dinner today I am going to try Garlic & Cheese stuffed chicken. mmmmmmmm :)


On a side note, Milo is sitting up all on his own and now drinks out of a sippy cup and attempts to eat finger foods. :) Can you believe he is EIGHT months old! Ugh! I can't!
XOXO, Alecia (aka soon-to-be blazing hot mama)

Satan works in pretty obvious ways..

Isn't that so true?
Sometimes, I admit, Satan working on you can be a gradual thing but it always is when you are trying to live your life right!
Last October, I was on request for Milo at the NICU and fell asleep watching it in the pumping room. (tmi.. sorry)

This April conference, Mike and I spent all day Saturday in the ER.

All day Sunday we were both falling asleep through conference.. Mike has an excuse because he was loopy on pain meds and they knocked him out. But I don't have an excuse.

I. feel. pathetic... ugh.
I need a swift kick in the pants to get me out of this funk I've been walking around in!
Young moms are supposed to have energy to clean the house, take care of the baby, have dinner on the table, make baby blankets, remodel gross bathrooms, yada yada yada!
Did I miss the sign up sheet for magic mommy medicine?
Cuz, I need some.
Although I did see this picture today that made me feel better about my messy house:

Ok I'm done complaining. I did watch a few talks on Sunday and one that stood out to me was Elder Lynn G. Robbins. He said, "To do without to be is hypocrisy." He went on to talk about the Savior and that people would flatter Him with their lips, but were not honoring Him with their hearts.
Going to church, going visiting teaching, and paying tithing are all things to do to be faithful. Without faith in Christ and His church, these actions do not have personal meaning.
This seriously opened my eyes and made me take a step back.
If a week comes and goes without going to church, I kick myself all day because I'm worried about what the ward will think and what my mom will think. I'm sad to admit that most of the time, I'm not worried about my relationship with Christ, which trumps everything.
I definitely have a personal relationship with my Savior, and I want to strengthen that relationship every day.
So here is my to be list:
{I want to be diligent in learning, both in the Gospel and in school. I want to base my testimony on knowledge and faith through learning and searching. I want to open my mind to new information in school so I can be a better mother and wife.}
{I want to be selfless. When a situation presents itself to serve someone, I want to have a deep desire to help them at all costs and put myself in their shoes so I can have a deeper love for people, especially my family. Something I want to do that requires being selfless is accepting a calling in my ward and going to any opportunity to serve, such as helping someone move, service projects, donating food for the scouts, etc.}
{I want to be more friendly and outgoing. Something I've struggled with about going to church is the social aspect. Friends from high school would probably be surprised, but that is just the point. I'm not a social butterfly like I was in high school. I really have no desire to talk to people I don't know because I'm not comfortable with it. I know that by being so self-interested, I close myself off to people and reject a possibility to serve or comfort someone else. I want to be friendly so I can better serve others, especially in my ward.}
{I want to be more unconditionally loving and accepting and less judgmental. I hope I'm not the only person who admits to passing a few judgments and feeling horrible about it later, but I definitely need to work on that. I don't want to be outgoing to people for no reason. I want to love them unconditionally and be willing to sacrifice for someone besides myself.}
After I BEcome these things, I want to DO these things:
[Pay a full tithe, as hard as it can be in this economy. I want to have faith in the Lord as I do so.]
[Go to church every week. Not because I guilt myself into going, but because I am earnest to learn more about the Gospel and practice my faith.]
[Receive a calling in the church. I want to have a passion for serving and for knowledge.]
[Teach my children about the Gospel. I want to teach them about it because of my testimony of its truth and the power of faith and prayer in my personal life.]
I'm a sucker for lists, I think I've finally made one worth writing.
XOXO, Alecia
ps. Milo is now eating SOLIDS! He loves squash, bananas, carrots, rice cereal, and sweet potatoes! {He's not sure about peas, not that I blame him}

Fluff

That is what my blog is made of I'm afraid. Someday I hope to change that into something more meaningful than what I want my bathroom to look like (see my last blog lol). I read so many blogs and am inspired by beautiful people writing the simplest of things in such extraordinary ways and it blows. my. mind.
Why can't I be that stinkin creative and intuitive? Not fair.
I have been thinking about so many things lately and I think this will be my semi-private therapy sesh with myself. Here we go.
I am currently going to school at University of Phoenix. (totally expensive but also very convenient)
My major is Elementary Education. My entire life I have pretended to be a teacher in front of a classroom full of kids that looked up to me. I moved all of my furniture in my room to match my favorite teacher's classroom in 4th grade. Her name was Mrs. Hauser and she drank diet coke and was gorgeous.
So I wore pencil skirts and fake glasses and drank diet coke to perhaps steal her coolness factor.
The only problem is I don't know if I am that passionate about teaching anymore. I loved it when I was a kid and I loved teaching dance in high school, but my heart is elsewhere now.
All I can think about lately is photography, graphic design, weddings, and interior design. For a number of reasons:
1. I want to take amazing pictures of milo as he grows up.
2. Making cute wedding invites with graphic design sounds like a hobby, not a job.
3. Who doesn't love the magic of weddings? Planning my own was a fantasy.
4. I'm obsessed with the DIY network. Bathtastic is my favorite show. I love visualizing houses for what they can be.
5. All of these jobs could potentially make a LOT more than an elementary school teacher.
6. I love beautiful, creative things. I want to surround myself with inspiring things that trigger me to be a better version of myself.
Sooo I'm gonna change my major.
To what, I have no idea yet.
I'll get back to you.
:]

Someday...

I will make these for Milo..

And these for his cute legs..

My bedroom wall will look like this.

My bathroom will look like this.

 

I will take pictures like these..

with this camera :]

XOXO, Alecia

3/29/2011

That is when my milk expires.

That is also when Tangled comes out on Blu-Ray!!!

So if I drink my milk super fast, the 29th will come faster :]

That's my theory anyway ;]

Happiness is homemade :]

I am so proud of myself!
I made a really yummy dinner that I didn't steal the recipe from my mom! Woo!
I'm calling them...
Alecia's [AWESOME] Enchiladas <3
I guess I'm not that awesome since I forgot to take pictures! Gah!
Oh well here is the recipe for you cooker mamas out there!
Ingredients:
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat, cut into chunks
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (to taste)
1 tablespoon butter (you can add more to taste)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
1 (1.25 ounce) package mild taco seasoning mix
1 bunch green onions, chopped
Hint: If you want to know how to chop fresh green onions look here. Don't feel silly, I wouldn't put this link on here if I didn't have to google it myself :]
1 cup water
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
(If you don't have garlic or onion powder, garlic or onion salt still works great! That's what I had to do!)
5 (12 inch) flour tortillas (burrito size)
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded and divided in half
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives
Directions:
1. Place the chicken in a large pot and add enough water to cover the chicken. (Hint: this isn't where the 1 cup of water goes.) Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken pieces aren't pink, about 5-10 minutes.
2. Shred chicken by placing two forks back to back and pulling meat apart. (Hint: The fork trick didn't work too great for me. If you have tongs and a fork, it seems to work better. ALSO, if chicken isn't finely shredded, it still works.) Cover pot with chicken and set aside, off of heat.
3. Combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and chili powder in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, then turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.
4. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. (I like my onions really soft so I leave it for an extra minute or two.)
5. Strain the water from the chicken. Add the shredded chicken, chopped green chilies, taco seasoning, half the bunch of green onion, and 1 cup of water. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in the lime juice, onion powder, and garlic powder. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Stir 1 cup of the soup mixture into the skillet with the chicken mixture. Spread the remaining soup mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
7. Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the chicken filling before folding the tortillas, reserving half of the shredded cheese for topping the enchiladas.
(Hint: I used way more then the suggested cheese and it was divine.)
Fold tortillas over the filling and place seam-side down in the prepared pan.
8. Pour enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas. Cover with the remaining cheese. Sprinkle the remaining chopped green onions (optional: I didn't), and the sliced olives on top of the cheese. Bake in the preheated oven until filling is heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 25 minutes.


So I know that wasn't really that simple but it is sooooo worth it. This is Mike's new favorite  meal I've ever made for him. Pretty sweet if you ask me. :]
Some side notes on this recipe:
-If you want more spice, you can buy medium or hot taco seasoning instead of mild.
-You can also add more chili powder to crank up the heat. 
-If you don't like green onions, I think it would taste fine without them because of the yellow onions that are already in there. I've never made it without so I don't know for sure, but hey if you don't want green onions, let me know how it goes!
-Instead of dealing with shredding the chicken (the most time-consuming part), you could cube the raw chicken in smaller pieces and just use them as small chunks.
I hope that makes this recipe easier!

Our little man's blessing!

Yesterday was Milo's blessing and it was such a beautiful & perfect day in every way possible!
I got to buy a new dress, which I actually felt cute in (not common in new moms as many of you know!). I bought it from mikarose, which is my new fave place for nice church/temple dresses! Check it out!
Milo's new little tux made him look like a little man instead of a baby. He captured everyone's heart in that little get-up! :]

Mike was so nervous to get up in front of everyone and still say the right things to Milo, but he did such an amazing job. His words were so personalized and specific to Milo. He told him to choose the right friends because they will help him stay on the straight and narrow. He also told him that he has touched the lives of many with his sweet spirit. He blessed him so he would be able to serve a mission, which was powerful to me. He said a lot of powerful words that definitely sounded like they were coming from Heavenly Father himself. I am so proud of Mike! Not to mention he looked like a total babe ;)
After the blessing (which lasted a total of 2 minutes), Milo had a little blowout in sacrament meeting.. haha AND as if giving Milo his blessing wasn't enough, Mike took him out to change him. You have to understand that first, Milo has the stinkiest poop ever and second, Mike has a weak gag reflex. So he's pretty much a rockstar for volunteering with no ultimatum involved! :)
BUT, Milo didn't make it easy on daddy.. There isn't anywhere to change babies in the men's restrooms (which is lame, because come on moms need a break sometimes!). So Mike took Milo to the car to change him. He couldn't figure out how to take off his tux so he completely slid him out the top. He found out later that there are snaps on the legs just like any baby pjs.. haha Poor Mike! I came out to help and found this in our backseat.. :)

Soooooooo many people showed up! Mike and I have a lot of family in the first place, but the number was huge! I've never felt so blessed and loved and supported so thanks to everyone who came! :)
The weather was beautiful. People were able to go outside on our back patio and hang out while the kids ran around. Totally awesome!
The food was great. The company was even better. And the day was just ultimately perfect for us. :]

XOXO, Alecia

Boys Night Out

Mike's fave band (one of them) and also Mike's current status..
which leaves one bored leesha.
You would think I would have like a thousand things I would want to do but I am in a state of complete boredom right now.
So, I went through my pictures and started with the pictures of Milo in the NICU and progressed through his life as he has gotten bigger and more entertaining. The first picture I have is this one.

Mike's hand really shows how small Milo was when he was born.
Don't even get me going on all of those machines and wires. I get teary-eyed every time I look at this picture or even think about him or any baby being in the NICU.
This was the hardest thing I've ever had to do as a person, but especially as a mother. Looking at this picture brings back all of the feelings I experienced including guilt and anger at myself. I always told myself I could have done something differently that could have prevented him from coming early.
I cried myself to sleep every night.
And any moment a nurse wasn't looking at me.
And every time I had to leave Milo at the hospital, even just to eat something.
I can't help but be overwhelmed when I think of this picture and this time in my life.
But... I am who I am today because of the crucial experiences I had while mothering my "layaway baby."
(I called him that because I felt like he was my Christmas present but I couldn't take him home, so he was my layaway baby.)
Whenever I become overwhelmed with the bittersweet times in the NICU, all I have to do is see him today and how big and beautiful and strong he has become and my sorrows are lifted, my faith is restored, and my hope returned.

How marvelous and mysterious the Lord can be at times.
Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

Mosiah 14:4

Happy Love Day!

Valentine's Day was always a bittersweet holiday for me before I met Mike, every year seemed to be disaster-filled no matter my "relationship status." I've never been a fan of Valentine's Day until last year..
It was our first valentine's together. We didn't do anything outrageously fancy or spend tons of money but I fell in love with Valentine's Day after that. We went to see the movie "Valentine's Day" ON V-Day last year which has become our new tradition to watch it on Valentine's every year from now on. Cute :)
This year was particularly sweet for me. I have to give you the backstory for you to understand why this valentine's day was especially sweet.
A month-ish ago, Mike and I got into a ridiculous fight. I know its weird that married people fight. ;) Looking back, its always easier to point out your own mistakes instead of the other person's, obviously. I was having a pre-pms day where everything was an attack at me, sound familiar ladies? haha
I exploded at Mike and cried out "I just want flowers!"
Wow, even typing this makes me sound ridiculous. I should have skipped the backstory.. oops haha
Anyway, I think its safe to say that even though flowers die, the thought of flowers is really sweet and we love to get them!
No matter how I was feeling about flowers, we had our little argument and ruined our night. We came home, and I was feeling really sick. I asked Mike if he could go grab me some medicine at walmart and he came home and surprised me with these...

And a card that said how sorry he was for fighting and that he couldn't wait to spend eternity with me and milo. I felt like such a jerk for making a big deal about it but the second he came in with flowers, I couldn't help but cry! He knew how much it meant to me and he went out of his way to make me feel loved and appreciated.
That brings us to Valentine's Day this year.
The first thing I saw valentine's morning was this text from Mike:
"Happy valentines day baby cakes! I love you to the moon and back! To infinity and beyond! Forever and eternity!" :)
We are so cheesy but I love me some cheese in my life. :)
After Mike got off work, he came home and surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and the sweetest letter ever.ever.ever.

We went to walmart, got lots of junk food, and came home and played scrabble with candlelight. :)
Any moment I get alone with my sweetheart is always a romantic one. :)
A belated valentine's surprise was just a little something like this...

We are engaged to be sealed!! Clever, eh? :)

I was in the bath when Mike texted me to come downstairs. I come around the corner to the living room and Mike immediately fell to one knee and held out a little white box wrapped in a pink ribbon. Since I was in a towel and we were in the living room, it seemed appropriate to move this conversation downstairs where he continued to tell me that he wants to be with me and milo for eternity and asked me to be sealed as a family. :)

For a married woman, I feel like we are engaged and giddy all over again! I'm planning a luncheon for after the sealing and I'm planning to send out cute invites and everything. I am a nerd for planning parties, even if I'm not a huge social bug anymore. I especially love planning weddings, so a sealing is just as awesome to get excited for! :)

I feel so blessed right now. We are being poured on with blessings, it is unreal. 

I'm engaged to my sweetheart all over again! I'm a happy lady! :]

XOXO, Alecia