Four Months Photo Update

I think it's time for some more pictures from the last month. She was four months old on January 15th. She is almost five months old now... I guess I am a little late...

Italio - Orland Park, IL - FREE FOOD DAY Jan 28th!

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% true and my own!

Alright, this almost sounds too good to be true... But, it's not!

Think of if Subway and Chipotle combined to an Italian theme. That's what Italio is like. 

Walk in and down the line to form your own Italian creation.

Begin by choosing a Pasta Bowl, a Piadina (Italian wrap), or a Salad Bowl.

Then add your entree, sauce, toppings, and extras. (Don't forget to try an order of their famous Cannoli chips!)

Here's a sample of their menu - 

They have been very successful at their few locations currently in Florida. But that isn't enough. Chicagoland is getting their share! Italio is opening it's first location outside of Florida, in Orland Park, Illinois. Which just happens to be about 25 minutes from me! I am extremely excited, because I love the concept, and who doesn't like quick Italian food?

They will be giving out FREE FOOD to anyone and everyone on Tuesday January 28th, beginning at 10:45am! One complimentary entree per person will be given free. No gimmicks, just free food. It's their "welcome to the neighborhood". 

15139 S LaGrange Rd. Orland Park, IL is the location, and they will be open every day until 10pm. I hope everyone can make it out to the FREE FOOD day, but if not be sure to stop by any time! The prices are low, and the food is fresh!

Thanks to Italio Kitchen for allowing me to be a part of this special Grand Opening!

Mangiamo!

image via UrbanSpoon.com

Up Close with ROGAINE Hair Regrowth Treatment

“I participated in an Influencer Program on behalf of Dad Central for ROGAINE®. I received a product sample and promotional item to thank me for participating.”

First of all, you are all probably thinking... What? ROGAINE? Kevin, you are only 26 years old?

Well, I haven't had to use it yet, but I am intrigued by some of the people who do.

Have you seen the show Giuliana & Bill? Bill Rancic is the ROGAINE brand's first-ever "Growth Coach". He was also the first winner of Donald Trump's show, The Apprentice. I had no idea that he struggled with hair loss, and I think it's great that someone so genuine, is representing the brand.

"When I started noticing that my hair was thinning, I knew I had two options: sit back, let it happen, and go bald, or take control, find something that works and make a commitment to solving the problem." - Bill Rancic

Team up with Men's Health and ROGAINE to Grow Your Game. Several coaches are teaming up with guys to make their lives better. Follow along with them as they change their habits. Every day there are new updates, coupons, and advice! They have helped me change my outlook on how I choose my daily routine. Also to be healthier, and be a better parent.

As a father, I believe it is important to be your best at it every single day. If you can be the best dad, the opportunities are endless. Your children will grow to appreciate your dedication, and you will, too.

Here are some interesting facts about ROGAINE Foam -

- The product is intended for use twice daily, and results will appear in about 16 weeks when used as directed.

- Contains 5% minoxidil, which is the ONLY topical ingredient that is FDA-approved to regrow hair.

- 9 out of 10 men regrew hair when they used ROGAINE Foam twice daily for 16 weeks.

- Can be applied to dry or towel dried hair; follow with the styling products of your choice and can be used on colored or chemically-treated hair.

- Must continue use of Men's ROGAINE Foam to maintain results.

- Suggested Retail Price: $29.99 for a one month supply and $49.99 for a three month supply.

- Hereditary hair loss affects up to 40% of all men, and 66% of men ages 25-34 are extremely likely to use a hair replacement treatment - up from 42% a year ago.

- Available without a prescription.

- ROGAINE is the category leader, with almost 60% share in the marketplace. I am sure you have all heard of them!

Save up to 42% at www.rogaine.com when you sign up to have automatic shipments of ROGAINE Foam delivered to your door for less than $17/month!


To learn more about ROGAINE and hair loss, go to www.rogaine.com.

Testicular Cancer Awareness

I think it's very important to share this message about Testicular Cancer Awareness. Men don't check as often as they should, and it's so simple to do.

Please take a moment to watch this video made by a fellow Dad Blogger's son and friends.

And don't forget to check! It could save your life!

Chicago Parent Magazine

6:51pm



I wanted to let everyone know that I have recently been accepted as a blogger for Chicago Parent Magazine! I am thrilled to be a part of such a great community of parents. I never thought that I would get this far.

So starting this month, you will be able to see some of my posts over on ChicagoParent.com. I will keep blogging here, as well.

Brynlee has been growing so quickly, that I can't even keep up. It's hard for us to tell, because we are around her everyday. I was going through some older pictures of her, and couldn't believe how small she was just a few months ago. Now she looks like a monster!

My wife went back to work December 30th. Luckily, we have great family that can help us with babysitting. They come to our home to watch her, and THEY DON'T CHARGE! How jealous are you, now? We are blessed.

Brit's mom takes Mondays.
I take Tuesdays.
My aunt watches her on Wednesdays.
I have her on Thursdays.
My mom does Fridays.
And then Brit has her on the weekends.

It all works out really well for us. Sometimes my schedule changes so we have to adjust, but it looks like I will be able to keep this setup pretty regularly. We aren't as concerned about how high child care costs are as much as we are about the quality of the care. My aunt spent a LOT of time with me when I was little, so my mom likes to credit her with most of my learning. I am excited for Brynlee to get the same treatment.

My wife surprised me with a fantastic Nikon D5300 (the newest camera they have!) for Christmas. So now I am able to take my photography to a MUCH higher level. Trust me, I have a long way to go, but I have been working on my skills at every chance that I get. (Not as many as I would like. We have a three month old, remember?)

We also bought a new computer, since my laptop that I used to blog from, died. I still have to recover all of the images off of the hard drive, but until then, this new computer is working great. iMac anyone?

I look forward to all of the new adventures that this year should bring! Remember to keep an eye out for me at ChicagoParent.com.

Say Yes To Less - Distractions

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Little Remedies. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Even before Brynlee was born, my wife and I decided that we wanted to keep everything we gave the baby as natural as possible. She was going to breast feed. We would make our own baby food at home. Only natural medicines in our cabinets. The way it should be.

So far, this has all been true. When Brynlee was born, we found a nearby pediatrician who is all about being all-natural, and homeopathic. We aren't "yuppy" or strict about what we eat, but I do believe that all these unnecessary "additives" that we consume are effecting our bodies. Maybe not right away, but down the road this will all catch up. Hormones, pesticides, sweeteners, and other unnatural additions to our food/medicines, are killing us.

When we started going to her, and she explained some of the reasons that she believes that natural is the way to go, we knew that we had to stick to it. We only use organic/natural body wash and shampoo, no more fabric softener, and natural medicines. It is more expensive, but worth it. Good health is key.

This is why we chose to "Say Yes To Less", and we encourage you to, as well.

Now, even after talking about how much we dislike unnatural additives in things that we consume, I actually pledged to Say Yes To Less - Distractions. 

Today, you cannot go anywhere without seeing a smartphone in someone's hand. This includes my family. I am the biggest culprit. I will have a laptop, iPad, and iPhone all going at the same time. What's wrong with that? Well, they are distractions. Distracting us from the world around us. Our growing family, world affairs, and immediate surroundings are all sidelined by "updates" and "notifications" from electronic devices. These are times that we need to cherish. Our baby is growing and changing quickly and these are the moments that we can never get back. Like they say, "Don't blink, because life will pass you by." 

We are going to work on spending less time on electronics so that we can spend more time with our family. As you have noticed, I have recently slowed down my blog postings because of this reason. Too much time is spent on the computer and not enough with my little girl, who won't be so little before we know it. 

We actually haven't used any medicine with Bryn yet, but we have a full Little Remedies line-up on hand, just in case. They don't use any unnecessary products in the ingredients, and that is important to us. We have tried gripe water with her to help when she is gassy. And it seems to work pretty well. 

We make sure to use hand sanitizer before we touch her face, and I am really weird about making sure to use antibacterial sanitizer on just about every surface in the house. It must be working. We need to get our flu shots, but I have heard mixed reviews. I have never had one, because I have never really been affected by the flu. For Brynlee's sake, it's probably best that we are immunized, though. 

PregoForMen Top Halloween Movies 2013

It's that time of the year again. One of my favorites, actually. 

Spooky costumes, scary movies, and LOTS of candy!

I'm already in trouble for eating half of the trick-or-treat candy that we bought last week. It's so delicious. And available. It's my wife's fault for putting it out in a bowl already. What do you expect?

(Not so much the scary movie part, I'm a wuss when it comes to scary movies, and haunted houses. I once watched "The Ring" on mute.)

This reminds me that I need to start skimming through the movie channels for some of my favorite Halloween movies. Here's my top 5, not necessarily in order. 

1. Hocus Pocus

-After 300 years, three sister witches are resurrected in Salem Massachusetts on Halloween night, and it us up to two teenagers, a young girl, and an immortal cat to put an end to the witches reign of terror once and for all.

2. Scary Movie 2

-Four teens are tricked by their professor into visiting a haunted house for a school project.

3. Friday the 13th

-Camp counselors are stalked and murdered by an unknown assailant while trying to reopen a summer camp that was the site of a child's drowning.

4. Halloween

-A psychotic murderer institutionalized since childhood for the murder of his sister, escapes and stalks a bookish teenage girl and her friends while his doctor chases him through the streets.

5. The Nightmare Before Christmas

-Jack Skellington, king of Halloweentown, discovers Christmas Town, but doesn't quite understand the concept.

All images and descriptions via IMDB.com

Day 20 - Work Vs. Family

10:08pm




I really don't have much to say. I haven't really been home lately. Last night I was so tired that I fell asleep without setting my alarm on my phone. So I woke up a little late, and made it to work about fifteen minutes after I was scheduled to start. I have a lot of overtime this week, and it will help to offset the fact that my wife is off of work. But at the same time, I am missing out on a lot of time with our new baby.



Is it worth it?


The question is hard to answer. We could use the extra money, but is it worth missing the first few weeks of her life? I am barely ever home. Just enough to eat and sleep.

This is probably the most time we will be able to spend together, as a family, in a long time. When is the next time my wife will have eight weeks off of work? I only get three weeks total, each year, for vacation time. I think she gets two. So is the extra few hundred dollars worth all this bonding time that we could be having with our new daughter?

The United States needs to give fathers paternity leave. Even if it's for a week or two, that's better than nothing. I, like most dads, need to work while our wives are on maternity leave, because there aren't many Americans that can afford to both take off.

So I will continue to miss out on my daughter's life. I don't really have a choice. It's a shame, really. But what choice is there? Win the lottery? I would have to play for that to happen...

Sign up with womensforum.com for a chance to win a nursery! (this one's for you, moms!)

*This blog contains affiliate links. All opinions are 100% my own.

Day 16 - How Long Until We Can Eat A Normal Dinner Again?

10:06pm



How long until we can eat a normal dinner again?

Brynlee likes to interrupt our mealtimes, as if she knows what she is doing. Like she doesn't want us to eat. It's all about her now. If we are doing something, she wants the attention. She makes sure that she eats first. She is so spoiled.

Tonight, for example.

I brought home a few strip steaks for dinner. My wife started cooking them shortly after I got home. I was watching the first Blackhawks game of the season, with little B. Well, she wasn't really watching, but she was with me. So when dinner was ready, she brought it out in to the living room, so that we could eat while watching the game. Right away Brynlee starts crying for food. So my wife has to let her food sit to feed her.

I get about halfway done with my food, and my wife hasn't even touched hers yet. I get up to use the restroom, during a pause in the game. I hear an "Oh my God!" from the living room, followed shortly by a "Kevin, I need your help!".

I come out to find that Brynlee decided to poop out the top of the back of her diaper. Soaked her onesie, and made a mess of herself. Great! Now we both have to stop eating to get her all cleaned up and redressed. Needless to say, the steaks still tasted good. But yes, everything was cold by the time we were able to eat. This happens regularly I'd say.


We both love her so much. We don't know what we would do without her. It's hard to imagine that we didn't have her before. It's awesome to be a dad. Very tough, especially for mom, but totally worth it.


Can I get a warm steak now, please?





Little B couldn't handle the hockey game, she passed out (for a few minutes, until dinner was done) after the first period.

 

Day 7 - Baby Model

3:21pm

Little B got a bath last night. Well, she was washed. Until her umbilical cord falls off, she can't be submerged in water. So she has to be sponge bathed. I love when her hair is clean because it's so soft and silky. 

We really buckled down and sorted the whole house last night. We had purchased a few storage bins the day before she went into labor. So they have been sitting around and we finally filled them up last night and stacked them in the garage. Brynlee came outside in her stroller and watched me reorganize our storage in the garage. It was pretty chilly out last night. She had lots of blankets on. 

The real reason we got the house sparkling clean is because Brynlee was a baby model this morning. A photographer was looking for a newborn to model a company's baby headbands. I'm sure you can guess who was chosen to do so....

The lady came to our house this morning to get the photos of Brynlee modeling the headbands and outfits. We get free professional pictures out of the deal, which most people know, are NOT cheap. 

My wife's family is over right now. Her aunt and grandma haven't met B yet. I guess her grandma didn't want to pass Brynlee off for someone else to hold. Too funny!

Here's a few pictures from yesterday. 

Week 38 Day 7 - Packing Hospital Bags

8:48pm

More organizing of the baby's room. Your probably wondering why it needs to be reorganized every day. I was, too. But every time we see someone, or go somewhere, we end up with more stuff for her. We are running out of room! 

It actually looks really good in there at the moment. Everything found a place and we even had the Scentsy thing going, except now the whole house smells like baby powder. I'm not a fan of that scent. 

This is her Scentsy warmer. If you aren't familiar with Scentsy, it is like a potpourri kind of deal, but the warmer melts scented wax. They work really well. You can buy all different kinds through your local Scentsy consultant.

Her changing table - 

And we are packing bags tonight, too. Here is a list of things we are bringing for the baby. 

If we forgot anything, or you have any suggestions on what to bring, or what not to bring to the hospital, let us know!

Week 37 Day 4 - Why Was PregoForMen Created?

7:52pm




Here's a question that I have never had to answer.


Why did I start writing this blog?


To be honest, I am not even sure. As soon as I found out my wife was pregnant, I decided that I wanted to keep some sort of journal. I had seen links to other blogs online, and I thought to myself, I am much better at typing than I am at handwriting. I like hobbies, and I think writing is a healthy one. Since it only took about 30 minutes out of the day to write about what the following day consisted of, it wasn't too time consuming, either. So I did a little research about the different blogging platforms available, and I chose to use Blogger, and got to writing.


At first I was updating a few times throughout the day, but that got tedious. I also realized that people probably don't care about how much I eat during the day, or what happens at work. I wanted to focus more on pregnancy. So I'm trying my best to keep to the subject, but the truth is, pregnancy isn't all that exciting on a daily basis. There's only so many times you can watch the baby move in her stomach, before it's not much to see anymore. Don't take it the wrong way, I love seeing her move, but I don't feel the need to stare for hours at her belly. I do like to take an occasional headrest on there, usually to get booted off by the baby. I don't think she likes when my head squishes her.

I write a new post every day, and haven't missed one since I started. But I'm thinking that I won't be able to update daily after she is born. I already know that I won't have the time, and there are going to be things to do that are far more important than sitting down to write. However, I plan on doing my best. I think it is important to create a sort of memoir that we all can look back on. Plus, it's an easy way for our families to keep up to date with what's going on, without having to call.

Pregnancy From A Guy's Perspective has evolved from a simple blog, to an active Facebook page, a daily Google+ page, a unique Tumblr profile, an interactive Instagram account, and a lively Twitter fanbase. PregoForMen has reached over 20,000+ views since inception earlier this year.

I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every minute I have put into this.


And, THAT is why PregoForMen was created.






Want to start from the beginning? Here's the very first post!
February 19, 2013 - Week 10 Day 1

Remember this photo?

Week 32 Day 4 - Don't Take The Girl

9:45am


I heard this old Tim McGraw song on the radio a few days ago. I don't know if it's because I am going to be a father, or because I am older and more mature, but this song really gets to me. I'm pretty sure if anyone listens to the lyrics, it will have them choked up. Especially the end. Great song, though.

Tim McGraw - Don't Take The Girl

Another great song about being a father. Classic Conway Twitty.

Conway Twitty - That's My Job

Tim McGraw has the best father/daughter songs. 

Tim McGraw - My Little Girl

Week 32 Day 2 - Am I Ready? Not At All.

2:18pm



32 weeks. Wow. It's coming down to the end of the pregnancy journey. But it's only the beginning of the REAL journey. Fatherhood.

Am I nervous? Absolutely.
Am I ready? Not at all.
Am I excited? You bet.

I think that writing this blog has prepared me a lot more than if I hadn't. I have learned the most from my wife, and doctor's visits. But this blog has "forced" me to read more, and do some extra research on baby-related things that I'm sure I wouldn't have otherwise. Every time my wife says "Come on Kev, your on the computer again?", I know that it's for my own good. It might seem like I spend too much time online, but I really don't. Just enough time to write for the day, maybe check up on my Facebook page, interact with some of my Twitter followers, and possibly upload a picture or two to Instagram. I can do all of that in less than 45 minutes a day. Thanks to technology, I can actually do it all from just my iPhone.

Today, we are going to our last attempt at a good 3d/4d ultrasound face picture. The last two were pretty unsuccessful. If she doesn't want to smile for the camera today, then so be it. You can't force a baby to move inside the womb. We'll see.

Notice the odd shape? That's baby moving!

Just a little movement from the baby!

Seen this cropduster flying over our house today. I have never seen anything like this before. Welcome to the country!

Week 31 Day 4 - Too Soon Rolling Stone

4:43pm



We had a doctor's appointment yesterday, but I wasn't able to go. I had to work the late shift. She said everything is going great, but she had a sore throat, so the doc prescribed some antibiotics. She was a little afraid to take them last night, but I think she finally did today. I doubt he would offer them if they are harmful to the baby. From now on, she has to see her OB/GYN every week. No more ultrasounds, except for our 3rd attempt at the 3d/4d on Tuesday, the 23rd. After that, we won't see her until she's here. It's getting so close, it's scary!

One of my childhood friends had a baby a couple days ago. His first. So it was a little relieving for me to see that go over well. Of course I only really saw pictures on Facebook. It sure seems exciting. I don't know how I am going to do in the hospital room. Hopefully I will be ok!


I wanted to address another hot news topic that is trending right now. The Rolling Stone Magazine cover, this month, features a picture of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. This is very controversial amongst the public because why would you want to classify a murderer with "rock star" status?

 

Rolling Stone defends their article because they say they are NOT glorifying a killer. As you can see by the title of the article, it appears to be about how someone so normal, could become such a "monster". That, to me, doesn't seem to be "glorifying" in any way. However, I think by choosing a picture like they did, they are portraying the wrong message. He should be in a jumpsuit or behind bars. 

Many stores are already promising not to carry this issue on their shelves. I believe the issue will be released on Friday, so it is not currently out yet. The controversy has certainly given Rolling Stone a lot of publicity though, which usually is what the cover is designed to do. Draw attention. They certainly got it. So that part, they did a fantastic job of.

My thoughts? 

Too Soon Rolling Stone. 

I want your input! 

Do you think this was a bad choice on Rolling Stone's part? Why or why not? I would love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, or on my Facebook page. 

Week 30 Day 7 - WhirlyBall

8:17pm



So yesterday we finished the baby's room. Or at least got it painted and all of the "storage" stuff out of there. Today I worked all day, and my wife met me at the grocery store when I got off. We picked up a bunch of groceries (not like we don't already have a freezer full). But most of our snack foods were depleted. That's what we eat the most of. Oh, and milk and eggs.

We are probably going to eat a quick dinner and then start setting up her crib tonight. I was planning on doing it Tuesday, my day off, but some circumstances changed at work, and I might have to go in Tuesday night. It would all be overtime so it's hard to pass that opportunity up. Hopefully we can get it done tonight, it says one hour on the box, but I know it's probably going to take just a little longer than that.

Last night we went out for my wife's sister's birthday. She had a party at a "WhirlyBall" place. I'm not too sure if these are worldwide, or how well known this "sport" is, but it was pretty neat. It was our first time there, and their are a few locations around Chicago. Some of my friends have gone there before, and always talked about how much fun it is. It's basically like a large basketball court, but you are in bumper cars, and hold scoops and a ball. You can pass the ball to others, using your "scoop". It reminded me of LaCrosse but on a basketball court, in bumper cars. You can see their website - http://www.whirlyball.com

Stock photo http://www.newhco.com

Don't forget to visit my -
Facebook Fan Page
Instagram Page
Twitter Page
Google+ Page

Week 22 Day 6 - One Day Closer

1:06pm

Just another day closer to meeting our daughter. 

My wife cleaned the house this morning while I am at work. She really shouldn't be doing too much physical work anymore I would imagine. But she is much better at it than I am. I usually do the laundry, dishes, vacuum, daily stuff. She likes to deep clean every once in a while. Hey, I can't complain. 

She is out shopping now with her sister. She was going to go look for some summer dresses that she can wear to work because her clothes are starting to not fit anymore. 

I have been pretty busy this morning trying to catch up on work and cook at the same time. Made some Texas BBQ Top Sirloin steak for samples today. Turned out really good. I am going to take my lunch break now, my wife left me some of her leftovers from an Italian restaurant that she had for lunch yesterday. Looks pretty good, an Italian sandwich and some marinated artichokes. 

7:49pm


So she pretty much has the whole house cleaned and reorganized. This is great, for me. I am a freak when it comes to clean and organized. For the most part, at least.

Things that really bother me:

• Papers/Junk Mail anywhere but in the garbage
• Dishes in the sink
• Clutter on tables, or work surfaces
• Uncondensed containers in the refrigerator
• Dirty laundry anywhere but in the laundry basket 

I am sure there are a few more that I will remember later, but will be too lazy to add them. Like right now, she is playing dance music on the stereo louder than I care for. I actually don't really like this style of music at all, which doesn't help. But it motivates her to keep cleaning, so I guess I can deal with it. 

I was reading some the blog over at PregnantChicken.com and came across an article about "Horrible Pregnancy Photos". It takes a lot for me to literally laugh out loud at something I'm watching or reading. And my wife and I both got a pretty good laugh out of this picture...

Week 21 Day 5

9:41am


Well, we still are undecided on a name. Tonight would be a good night to sit down, come up with a serious list, narrow it down, and decide on a name. I know, that once she comes out, the name will pop into our heads and it might change. I just have a feeling. She is going to be one of those babies that just looks like her name.


If you notice, I have added a few more pages to the blog.

-There is now a Resources page where I have compiled some of my favorite websites. There is also printable coupons! Who doesn't like coupons?

-The Subscribe page is for your RSS feed. You can subscribe via Feedburner and get all of my blog and anybody else's blog's update all in one convenient place. I use iGoogle for the other blogs that I follow.

-You can now Contact Me with any questions or inquiries. I will try to respond to all emails within 24 hours.

Because this blog is gaining popularity quickly, I am considering moving from Blogger, to my own separate server. My wife and I will have to make that decision in the near future. Blogger is free, but very limited to what I can do and personalize. We'll see. I would love some feedback about our blog! Anything you would like to see? More information you want? Something you don't like? Let me know!

Belly Pic, Straight on this morning. Getting bigger!

Starting the morning right again! Made a 5-egg omelette for myself with some Cholula Chipotle hot sauce.

HEALTHY. DELICIOUS. PROTEIN. PROTEIN. PROTEIN.

Now THAT is good!

I have to work at 1pm today. No fun, but hey, it's an income. Can't really complain. Not sure if I will be cutting today or not, but most likely not. I'm usually the gofer when I work nights. At least I will have another coworker there with me, for a while we were by ourselves at night. BORING

I am excited because I am off next Monday. My wife has another ultrasound Monday afternoon and since I have missed the last couple, I can finally make it to this one! I wasn't able to be at the last ultrasound where she found out it was a girl. I would have really liked to be a part of that but I couldn't due to work. She has a DVD of the ultrasound so that helps recreate the experience somewhat.

Ok, that is enough writing for one morning! Make sure to check out the new pages, and send me some feedback! Thanks!

7:31pm

Only an hour and a half left of work. Pretty much everything is already done so now it's time to play the "watch the clock and wait" game. It's one of the worst games that I have ever played. 

My wife says I spend too much time on the computer. Which is pretty true. I get caught up in what I am interested in at the moment. So tonight when I get home I am spending time with her. No computer, no iPhone, no iPad. Just her. 

Before I go I wanted to show these new Quinoa burgers I found at the grocery store. I am not sure if they are as beneficial to your health as real regular Quinoa. But I thought it was interesting. And new. A little pricey though. But so is Quinoa in general. I really like it. My wife doesn't care for it. Loaded with protein. 

Oh and a cool picture I found. It makes my day at work not seem so bad...

Week 21 Day 1

11:45am

Break time. Haven't heard much from my wife. She must be staying busy at work. Which is good for job security. I will be cutting again today at work. I even got a training manual. My boss said it's like my "meat bible".

Another beautiful day outside. 75 and sunny right now.

2:11pm

On lunch, going to start cutting when I get back. My store manager just talked to me about how he is proud of me but at the same time counting on me as well. Only a few people company-wide were given the same position as I was. It's actually pretty rare. So he said luckily he acted on it right away when he saw it was available and was able to help me get the position. Guess I better not slack!

9:49pm


Go Bulls! I'm not a huge basketball fan but game 1 of the 2nd playoff series against the Miami Heat was pretty entertaining. The Heat are on fire, but the Bulls beat them. Even without a lot of their main players.

Had some jalapeño burgers for dinner that my wife made. We have both been really tired today. Not too sure why. Hopefully I'll have some more energy tomorrow. I have to work but then off on Wednesday and Thursday. We get our dining room set delivered on Wednesday. So that's exciting! Still have to make some room for it.

Felt some more kicking today. Wasn't as strong as the last time though.

Week 20 Day 6

12:37pm

Heading out to get some groceries and look at some dining room sets. We already love our new couches. I actually fell asleep on it last night and my wife had to come get me sometime in the middle of the night. Oops.

Our landlord came over this morning and fixed the closet door in the baby's room. It's made of cheap particle board so a piece got loose and it wasn't holding up. Because of that, it was somewhat unstable and actually FELL out of the track the other day. He came and secured it and got it all fixed up. We are lucky to have good, helpful landlords. But at the same time, they see that we take care of their place. And we can tell that they really appreciate it.


10:28pm


We went out to a few stores and looked at some dining room sets. We did NOT go to Ashley again! There is a few local places that had some good sales going on so we wanted to check them out. The first store we went to didn't have anything that we liked, at least not in the size we need. We can't fit a huge table in our dining room area, it's just not big enough. The second place had a few that we liked, but a little pricey, and we didn't LOVE them, just liked them. The last place we went to we met up with my mom. We really LOVED this one set that the lady showed us last. It was like it was meant to be. It was a perfect size but has a fold-away middle insert that makes it bigger, for in the future, in a bigger home or something. So we ordered it and it will be delivered on Wednesday! (Wait, not a month and a half later???) We are very excited about it, and have to thank my mom for the help!

There was a little store next door called Cutie Poops, or something like that. It is all organic baby stuff and cloth diapers. They do demonstrations and have workshops weekly, were very helpful, and might have changed our outlook on the whole cloth diaper idea. It seems to be a larger up front cost, but much cheaper in the long room. My wife was thinking we can do cloth at home, and maybe disposable diapers when we are out, or for babysitting. Anyways, something else we have to think about. They also had a lot of cute clothing, and accessories.

Grabbed some groceries from Aldi, our favorite store. You get so much for your money. Picked up a few necessities from Target as well. I love Target, but it is so easy to get carried away, and spend more than you intend. With Aldi, you feel like you are spending way too much, then you check out and it's nowhere near as expensive as you expected! I love that.

So my wife got some hair dye at Target, and that's pretty much how I've spent my night. She made me a nice strong Rum and Coke, and I helped her dye her hair. I'm pretty sure we don't have a normal relationship. Who's husband helps them dye their hair? She's lucky that's all I know.

Some organic baby toys

A typical Saturday night, no more going out to bars!

Our new dining room set! With the insert tucked away.