Checking in from Vegas

Viva Las Vegas! I am checking in from Sin City today but I can guarantee that I have been staying out of trouble. I am here for an HR conference after all.  I flew out yesterday morning. It was so sad leaving my family! As they were dropping me off at the airport, Leah started crying and kept saying “Mommy, mommy, mommy.” It broke my heart to say goodbye. I’ve never been gone this long from my daughter. I didn’t think I would cry, but I was really sad when they drove away. It is going to be so hard when Rob and I both leave her when we go on vacation.

The flight was pretty uneventful. I started reading “Something Borrowed” and it made the time pass fairly quickly. Ashley, my good friend and coworker was also on my flight so our chit-chatting also helped the flight go by fast.  After we landed, we headed over to baggage claim to gather our luggage. Ashley’s bag popped out after a few minutes. I continued to wait for mine to appear. It never did. I started to panic and feel a bit angry that my luggage may have gotten lost. I marched over to the American Airlines Baggage Services counter to find out what was going on. The woman behind the counter was definitely not a big help. She was not sympathetic or friendly and I had a very hard time understanding her. I was able to gather that my luggage ended up in Orlando. How the heck did it get there!? They told me that it would be included on the next flight out to Las Vegas. That flight would not arrive until 10:27 pm. Yikes! We arrived in Vegas at 11:30 am! I was going to have to go the whole day with no “stuff. ” They told me that once it arrived it would be delivered to my hotel, but it probably wouldn’t get to me until at least midnight or even later. I threw a little bit of a fit and they gave me an allowance of $100 to spend on necessities to get me by for the day.

We left the airport and headed to our hotel. We were staying at the Wynn. (It is such a nice hotel!!) Check-in wasn’t until 3:00 but we thought maybe we could do an early check-in. No such luck. Apparently, they were over 30 staff short that day and our rooms probably wouldn’t be ready until 5:00 pm. So not only did I not have my luggage but we wouldn’t be able to get into our rooms for 5 hours. It is ridiculously hot here too! It was 105 when we arrived. To pass the time we decided to go check out the pool(s). They were amazing! They had a restaurant located poolside that had umbrellas to block the sun which also had misters pushing out light spurts of water to keep us cool. We had lunch and kicked back a little. After lunch, Ashley and I decided to walk around. There is a mall right across the street from our hotel. I needed to pick up a few toiletries in case my luggage didn’t make it as expected.  We finally got a call that our rooms were ready so we checked into the hotel. After relaxing for a bit we met one of our bosses (Mark) out for dinner. (He was also here for the conference). Since I didn’t have any of my stuff, I didn’t get a chance to change or freshen up before we left. I was feeling pretty gross (since it was so hot and we did a lot of walking around).

 After dinner we decided to come back to the hotel.  It was about 9:30 pm and I decided that I was going to go to the airport to try and get my luggage instead of waiting around for someone to deliver it to me. I didn’t have any pj’s or face wash or contact solution and I really just wanted to have my stuff! By the time I took a cab and got to the airport, I only had to wait about 20 minutes for the Orlando flight to arrive. The baggage started coming out and luckily mine was about the 5^th suitcase to be spit out onto the carousel. Yay! I finally got my stuff back. It was such a feeling of relief. I’ve never lost my luggage before and it was such a bad feeling when I didn’t have it. I am just thankful that it showed up that night. I had the first day of the conference the next day and I don’t know what I would have done. I took another cab back to the hotel and arrived around 11:30 pm. My body was definitely not use to the time change. It is 2 hours behind here. So when I arrived at 11:30, it was really 1:30 am Chicago-time. It was time for bed!

Today was the first day of the SHRM (Society for Human Resources Management) Conference over at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It was a long day. They have several guest speakers this year. Arianna Huffington (from the Huffington Post) opened up the sessions today. Michael J. Fox is speaking on Wednesday. They even have Keith Urban performing tomorrow. SHRM sure does know how to get down. J After the conference, I came back to the hotel to discover my amazing husband had sent me roses and chocolate covered strawberries to my hotel room, along with a very sweet card. Today happens to be our 2^nd wedding anniversary. I am bummed that I had to be away but we are planning to make up for it and celebrate this coming weekend. I talked to Rob earlier and he said Leah woke up in the middle of the night calling for me. It made me sad. I sure can’t wait to see my baby girl. Rob also mentioned he has a new appreciation for me with how much work it is to take care of our daughter. He’s been doing it and now knows what I go through.

Tonight Ashley, Mark and I went out for a nice dinner at our hotel. After we ate, we gambled a little bit. Rob gave me $40 before I left and told me to put it all on black. I did. I lost. It was over in less than a minute. That is why I hate gambling! We were all pooped and decided to call it a night. We have another long day ahead of us. After the conference tomorrow, we have tickets to go see Mystere (Cirque Du Soleil) at Treasure Island. It should be fun! Another day and a half in Vegas and then I’ll be home. While it was fun to get away, I miss Rob and Leah!

Mr. Mom

Where has the time gone! It’s been almost a week since I have posted on my blog. Last week was a bit chaotic. Rob was in New York for most of the week and I was left to play the role of a single working mom. I give all the single mom’s out there SO much credit. I don’t know how they do it!  Just for the few days Rob was gone – I felt like I never got a break. I was responsible for everything all of the time; meals, baths, diaper changes, play time, bed time, cooking, cleaning, errands and the list goes on! Leah never seems to want to just “chill out” and relax! She has so much energy and is always on the go. By the end of the week I was exhausted! We were glad to have Rob home. I really appreciate how much he helps out with everything. We are a great team!

Although, starting this weekend, the roles will be reversed. Rob will get to play the part of Mr. Mom and get a taste of being a single parent. I am flying out to Vegas on Sunday morning for work and will be gone until Wednesday evening. It will be the first time Rob has been left alone with Leah for that many days. This should be interesting! Rob does not like to give baths. I think in this entire time, he has only given Leah 2 baths by himself.  She will definitely need a bath while I am gone so there will be no excuses! Wish them luck! Feel free to give Rob a call and check in on him! Haha. I’ll also be missing my 2 year wedding anniversary on the 27^th while I am gone. We decided to celebrate when I get back. This will be the longest I have been away from my little girl too. I will miss them. I guess it is building me up for when we go on vacation.

Speaking of vacation – we finally booked one! We will be going to Puerto Vallarta for 5 nights and staying at a beautiful all-inclusive resort. (Five nights is about all I could handle with leaving my little Leah at home). I am so excited! It has been a rough year between my mom passing, family drama and all of the other stressors in life we definitely NEED to get away. I just want to lay my butt by the pool/beach with a cocktail in hand, get some sun and enjoy time with my husband! I am sure this is the last vacation we will be taking alone for quite a while. 

It has been quite a week, definitely busy! With all the craziness of life, we did enjoy some family time over the weekend. On Saturday when Rob got home from New York we had a full day of running around. We briefly stopped at the Promenade in Bolingbrook. We took Leah to the Hippos/Splash Pads for the first time. She loved it! She actually threw her first temper tantrum when we were leaving. I was not a happy momma and hope this is not the start of a regular behavior. We ended the evening with a yummy dinner at the Kona Grill. I really like that place. Most of the menu items were “somewhat” diet-friendly so I didn’t feel so bad enjoying a nice dinner. Since we really started watching what we eat, we definitely have cutback significantly on going out. This was the first time in a while. I am so proud of Rob. He has already lost 15 pounds. How do men do it so quickly!?! Why do they have an easier time at losing weight? We’ve both been putting in the same effort and exercise (well maybe he has done slightly more) but I am only down 8 lbs. I thought for sure my number would have been higher by now! Ugh!  On Sunday, Father’s Day, we went downtown to my brother’s house for lunch. It was a perfect day. After we ate we took the girls to a park near their house. Leah had a good time and burned off a lot of energy!

Yesterday after work I went to a wake for a friend from high school. It was a very sad situation. She was so young and had so much ahead of her. My heart goes out to her family. Last night the storms were horrible too. I was just getting ready to put Leah to bed when we heard the tornado sirens go off. We all went down to the basement. The rain was pounding our house. Luckily it didn't last long and we were back upstairs within a half hour. I am so glad we didn't lose power!!!  

Here are some pictures of my little Leah being silly today!

My cute sassy outfit from my Aunt Debbie and Uncle Bill

Enjoying a plum

This was hilarious...she kicked her ball and fell over. She thought it was pretty funny too!

I swear she played with her ball for a good 45 minutes

16 Months Old on the 16th

Leah is 16 months old today on June 16th – I wonder if it is considered to be her golden “month” birthday.  The past 16 months have been wonderful. We are so blessed to have such a smart, sweet, amazing little girl. She melts my heart at least a dozen times a day.

At 16 months old……

·        Leah has 12 teeth and 4 new ones are popping up. She’ll have16 teeth in no time (ironic). She was miserable during this last round of the teething process.

·        She can eat independently with a fork. I think she’ll be a lefty like her mommy. She always uses her left hand when she eats and colors with a crayon.

·        She loves ALL fruit….strawberries, grapes, mangos, mandarin oranges, raspberries, blueberries, watermelon, pineapple, peaches – she’ll eat everything. Vegetables are a different story.

·        Leah follows directions. If I ask her to throw something in the garbage or go get me something she knows exactly what to do.

·        She loves to read books and be read to. I always catch her sitting in her little chair reading (babbling) out loud and she is so proud of herself.

·        She knows all of her anatomy and can point to whatever body part we call out.

·        She knows some of the animal sounds. Sometimes she gets them confused but she tries.

·        Leah loves to talk on the phone or ANYTHING that resembles a phone. She was sitting in the backseat of the car one day eating a large piece of mango. We turned around and she was on the phone talking with it.

·        She is very observant and likes to watch before she tries something. She always tries to repeat words we say to her. Her vocabulary continues to expand.

·        She sings and dances. I swear she has more rhythm than her momma.

·        Leah calls my Dad “Papa” and gives him a giant hug and kiss every time she sees him. They have a special bond. It is so sweet.

·        She already has a motherly instinct with her baby dolls. She hugs them, rocks them and feeds them their little pretend bottles.

·        She just started this silly cackling laugh when she is being goofy.

These are just a few things about my little girl – I could probably go on and on about the things she is doing and what I love about her. She is growing up way too fast. Happy 16 months sweet girl! I love you!

Leah using her fork

It's on the fork

In her mouth - good job!

Leah talking on her mango

Another weekend in the books

Another weekend is in the books. It was pretty uneventful, but I enjoyed the time with my family.

Friday started with another incident that reminds us that life is too short. Rob called me from work on Friday afternoon to tell me some bad news. One of his co-workers (whom he has worked with for the past 12+ years, who has sat in the office directly next to him and even came to our wedding) passed away on Friday. She was at work putting in a normal day at the office. Rob had talked to her that morning and was showing her pictures of Leah. In the early afternoon, she went downstairs to smoke. She never came back up. Apparently, she passed out when she was outside. Someone called medical attention and they were performing CPR on her. Rob got wind of this and ran downstairs. (He works in the loop and it was a 22 floor elevator ride down). When he got outside he saw her and she was blue. They took her away to the hospital. Rob and a few co-workers immediately followed. After they arrived, they learned that she had passed away. Apparently, she had a heart attack. Rob was pretty upset considering he has worked with her for so long and was just talking to her that morning. It is another reminder that you never know when your time is up. Life is too short so enjoy every moment you have with your family and friends. Tell them how much you love them!

Saturday was a typical Saturday. We made it the gym and ran a few errands. Leah is teething REALLY bad and she has been hot and cold with her mood. I feel so bad for the poor girl. I know she is in so much pain. In the late afternoon, we were going to my Mom’s Aunt and Uncle’s house. I only see them a few times a year. They were having a get together at their house in Oak Lawn. I was able to see some of my second cousin’s and family members that I haven’t seen in quite awhile (and some of my family that I see more often). It was a good time. The weather could have been slightly warmer, but at least it wasn’t raining. By the time we got home, Leah was at her wits end with her teeth and made sure we knew it! She was in pain and nothing would calm her down, not even a popsicle. We gave her some Tylenol and luckily in about 30 minutes she was back to herself running around. I finally was able to get that clip of her dancing and singing to Justin Bieber!

Leah enjoying her first popsicle!

My sweet niece Annabelle

Today was another typical day. Gym and grocery shopping. It was nicer outside than yesterday, but I would have liked it 10-15 degrees warmer. After our errands, we just hung out at home. We took a few walks. I recently ordered the Hungry Girl “300 Under 300” Cookbook. It is 300 breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes under 300 calories. So far, I love it. There are so many good recipes that are a bit different from the norm. Hungry Girl (aka Lisa Lillien) also has a show on the Food Network too. Tonight I made the Buffalo Chicken Wing Macaroni & Cheese. It was very tasty and only 267 calories and 6 Weight Watchers Points. It's cool because you can go to her website and it will tell you how many Weight Watcher points are in every dish. If you are interested, I included the recipe below. On Friday night, I made the Outside-In Turkey Tamale Pie and it was yummy! Other recipes I can’t wait to try include Lasagna Cupcakes, Nacho-rific Stuffed Chicken, and Cheeseburger Mac Attack!

Buffalo Chicken Wing Macaroni & Cheese

Buffalo Chicken Wing Macaroni & Cheese

Ingredients

·        4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) of uncooked whole wheat elbow macaroni

·        2 stalks of celery, chopped (I omitted since I didn’t have any on hand)

·        2 medium carrots, chopped

·        1 small onion chopped

·        8 ounces cooked and shredded skinless lean chicken breast

·        1 teaspoon chopped garlic

·        ¼ cup of Franks RedHot Original sauce, divided

·        ½ cup fat-free sour cream

·        2 wedges of Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss Cheese

·        2 teaspoons yellow mustard

·        1 ½ tablespoons reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated cheese

·        1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (I didn’t use fresh)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cook pasta according to instructions. Drain and set aside.

Bring a skillet to medium-high heat on the stove. Add celery, carrots and onion. (I had some mushrooms that I had on hand so I added them too). Cook until veggies are slightly softened, about 5 minutes.

Add chicken, garlic and 3 tablespoons hot sauce to the skillet. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

In microwavable bowl, combine sour cream, cheese wedges, mustard and remaining 1 tablespoon hot sauce. Mix well and heat in microwave for 30 seconds.

Spray an 8X8 baking pan with nonstick spray. Evenly place half of the pasta into the pan. Evenly top with the chicken-veggie mixture followed by the remaining pasta.

Add the sour cream mixture to the pan in an even layer. Sprinkle with Parm-style topping and parsley.

Bake in the oven until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Serves 4

267 calories per serving, 3.5 grams of fat, 924mg sodium, 35 grams of carbs, 4.5 grams of fiber, 5.5 sugars, 23 grams of protein.

Resource: 300 Under 300

I hope everyone had a great weekend! It's time to start a new week!

So much effort!

Ugh – I am frustrated. I’ve been doing SO good lately. Exercising almost everyday, keeping my daily calorie intake under 1500 and following my weight watchers plan. I know they say you shouldn’t weigh yourself everyday, but sometimes I can’t help it. I also know that you can’t expect to lose weight too quickly. I am down another two pounds, but I was kind of hoping for more (considering all of the effort I have put forth). We’ve been trying several new healthy recipes and it actually has been fun. I love to cook. I’ve been tempted with things I shouldn’t eat and have been able to fight them off! Sweets are usually my weakness. I bought some of the Smart Ones desserts. They are only 4 points and satisfy my sweet tooth. We are meeting with the dietician early next week.

We had girl’s dinner earlier in the week and I was nervous that I was going to over-indulge and throw myself off track. Luckily, we went out for Sushi and I was able to get 2 California Rolls and a salad. It was perfect. It filled me up and didn’t kill my “points” for the day. I did avoid alcohol but I set myself up for the “prego” questions. No – I am not pregnant! Ha! My girlfriend can be very observant so I guess there won’t be any hiding it when I actually am!

It is my goal to be down at least 15 pounds by the time we go on vacation. So that means I have just over a month and a half to get down to business! We haven’t booked anything yet, but are leaning towards Puerto Vallarta or Riviera Maya and would like to have something booked in the next week. Does anyone have any recommendations? I know I will have some serious anxiety leaving Leah at home. I will miss her like crazy and constantly worry about her, but Rob and I need to get away! It will be like our second honeymoon since we had found out I was “expecting” on our actual honeymoon. Plus, it will probably be the last vacation we’ll be able to take alone for a very long time!

On a funny, note, we have a Justin Bieber fan in the house! Leah is so cute. She loves that song. She dances when she hears it and sings “Baby, Baby, Baby.” I’ve attempted to record her doing it, but we all know how that works out! She’s not good on the spot. My daycare got a good clip of her doing it, so maybe I’ll ask her to share!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Five months ago today….

This weekend was very relaxing. We didn’t have a lot going on and it was very low key. On Friday, when we normally would be out to dinner and having a few drinks, I was getting a work out in at the gym! Of course with the weather being so beautiful, I would have preferred the former over the latter, but it made me feel good. I made it to the gym on Saturday morning too. I’m proud of myself that I’ve been able to stick with it. Rob has been doing excellent too! He’s been much more active and we’ve both been eating healthier. We did a big grocery shopping trip this weekend and stocked up on all sorts of healthy foods. We went to Caputo’s – all of their produce, deli and meats are so inexpensive and good! We’ve grilled out almost every night. Tonight’s dinner was grilled chicken kabobs. They were d-lish! It was a Weight Watchers recipe and only 6 points. (I started following Weight Watchers again to help me track everything I am eating).

This weekend, Leah said her first full sentence that made sense. I don’t know if it was a fluke or a one-time thing, but I told Leah I loved her and she said, “I love you too.” Rob was standing right there too and we both looked at each other because her sentence was clear as day. She‘ll usually throw two words together like “Mommy, here” or “Sushi, no” but this was the first time she put together a full sentence and used it at the appropriate time. She also has started telling me when she has poop in her pants. Sometimes if I am not around her and don’t smell her right away, she’ll come up to me and say, “Mommy, poop. Mommy, poop.” She’s also mastered all of her body parts and has been able point to them for the past month when we call them out (head, hair, ear, teeth, etc). She is such a smart cookie!

I also started cleaning out Leah’s room this weekend. Holy cow – this little girl has lots of stuff. I packed away all of her winter clothes and things that are too small for her. When we have another baby, I am sort of hoping for another girl – otherwise I don’t know what we are going to with all of her clothes! I’d love to get another use out of everything.  I was sad when I was folding all of her little pants, shirts and jammies and packing them away. Everything is so small and just reminded me that my baby is growing up. She’ll never be that size again!

Five months ago today my mom became an angel in heaven.  At times, it seems longer, but then other times it seems just like yesterday. We still miss her every day and think of her often. I always wonder what it would be like if my mom never got sick. How would all of our lives be different? I think of the things we would be doing. I know my dad especially, wishes everything was back to normal. I know my dad is still hurting, but I guess that is to be expected. I can’t even imagine being married for 35+ years and then losing the one you’ve been with more than half of your life. Leah and I stopped at the cemetery today to see her. Every time I ask Leah where Grandma is, she automatically points up to heaven. I used to have to do it with her every time I asked, but now she does it all on her own.

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Here are some shots from ours!We spent a lot of time playing and being outside.

Update on Rob

As some of you may know, Rob had a doctor’s appointment a few weeks ago. They did a few routine blood tests. They called him the next day and said his liver enzymes were elevated and they would like him to schedule an ultrasound of his abdomen. They said he needed to wait at least 7-10 days to get the test done so it would give his liver a chance to cleanse. (Rob always thinks the worst case scenario and takes things to the extreme. He was overcome with anxiety waiting those 10 days. He was thinking he had liver cancer or liver disease). He was instructed to drinks lots of water and not to drink any alcohol in between that time and when he had the test performed (that’s why he wasn’t drinking at Allison’s wedding).  He scheduled the test for last Friday, the 27^th. He was told that due to the holiday, the doctor probably wouldn’t even read the tests until early this week and then he wouldn’t receive the results until at least Wednesday or Thursday. It turns out they called him Saturday (the day after the appointment) to tell him what was going on. We were at my nephew’s birthday party when he got the call. Rob came and grabbed me and told me to come outside.

The doctor told him he has Fatty Liver Disease (FLD) which is condition where there is a build-up of fat in the liver cells. It would seem logical that eating fatty foods would cause a fatty liver, but this is not always the case. Fat can accumulate in the liver for a variety of reasons. Fatty Livers tend to develop in people who are overweight or have diabetes, high cholesterol or high triglycerides. By looking at Rob, he appears physically fit and muscular, but he already knew his triglycerides were on the high side. FLD can also develop in people that are heavy drinkers. Rob is not a heavy drinker. He is more on the social side having a few drinks every now and then. Some people have this condition even if they do not have any risk factors. The doctor has also ordered an MRI to be performed on his abdomen too. They noticed some cysts on his kidneys that they would like to check out.

So – what does this mean for him? The good news is that this condition is reversible. His doctor said he needs to go on a strict diet. No more fried foods, processed foods, no more cheese, and no more alcohol. What is Rob going to do without cheese? Ha. If anyone knows Rob, knows he loves himself some cheese! I think giving up beer will also be hard (especially in the summertime). She recommended he lose 30 lbs (that seems like an awful lot for someone that doesn’t look overweight) and exercise more. The doctor is going to refer us to a dietician so we both can learn what we should be eating. They will be able to help us develop a plan. This will be tough, but hopefully we can motivate each other. If you read my previous blog posting, you know that I am trying to lose weight myself. It definitely helps when you have someone to work with you towards your goals. I won’t be as tempted to cheat or eat bad when I know Rob can’t. It will also help with our “going out to eat” situation. Rob wants to start working with a personal trainer. This enforces the thought that there is no better time to get back into the gym.

At first Rob was pretty upset about this condition (and still sort of is). I keep trying to tell him to look at the brighter side that this can reversed and it is our opportunity to get back into shape. He has to go back to the doctor again in a month so they can check his liver enzymes. If they are lower, we are moving in the right direction. Hopefully, once he is on track, he will no longer have this condition. He then can enjoy the things he once did (beer, certain foods, etc) in moderation. We went to the Cubs game this weekend and it was sort of our last hoorah before we get down to business! We are hoping this condition is under control by the time we go on vacation in August! Thanks to everyone who expressed concern over my hubby!