There was a time that I ate for size and weight instead of health. It looked good on the surface because I was eating ‘healthy’ foods while I did it. This time was at the end of college, as I was graduating, around 2006. I decided I had some pounds to take off (I truly did- about 15-20 of them) and really wanted to do it the right way.

I started limiting calories. Not to a dangerously low level, but I counted adamantly. That number, around 1200, ruled my life. I gravitated towards foods that were easy to count, usually prepackaged. I really wanted to be healthy, but just hadn’t figured it all out yet.

A banana and cereal for breakfast with skim milk- 280 calories.

Apple and cheese for a snack- 140 calories.

A Lean Cuisine and diet coke for lunch- 270 calories.

Pretzels in the afternoon- 115 calories.

Grilled chicken and spinach for dinner- 250 calories.

A low-fat pseudo ice cream dessert- 150 calories.

Total= 1205 calories = a good day.

Man, they seemed to add up quickly!

It’s sort of painful to write that out now. In fact, it makes me hungry. I never had an eating disorder, but I certainly ate in a disordered manner sometimes. Not so much what I ate, but how I ate. I would say no to treats and cut calories back on Fridays to make up for a night out on the town. Looking back it seems so restrictive, because it was, but it’s what I thought I had to do to get my weight under control.

I got down to my lowest weight (which was still in the healthy range for my short stature) following that plan, but I wouldn’t say I ever felt good about it. It felt exhausting. No one else knew I was constantly calculating numbers in my head. I could rattle off calorie counts like it was my job. But I loved the compliments. You look so good! What have you been doing? Of course the girl in me kept wondering just how terrible I had looked before!

I’m not sure when I fully stopped the habit. I moved to Charlotte and got a new job. In order to make new friends, I was busier. I went out more. I hiked more. I spent more time with David.

I put on a couple pounds. I realized I didn’t care. It was so freeing.

I got married in 2009 at a weight that was 9 pounds above that lowest weight I once was and I felt beautiful. I was at a different place in life. I knew my goal was a long, happy and healthy life, not a restrictive one based on being a certain size.

I became increasingly passionate about learning more about healthy eating. I educated myself. I got a job in health coaching and was professionally trained. I educated myself even more. I started seeing food as more than a package of calorie delivery.

I really began eating for wellbeing instead of weight.

I sometimes checked in on my calorie counts and helped coach others using diabetic exchanges. I know that both of those, along with scales, body fat percentages and measurements can be powerful and useful tools when not abused. I’m not against any of them. However, for me, the idea of relying on numbers daily felt restrictive.

It took a little while to trust real food. But I finally made it. Real food has proven itself to me over the past few years and I could not be more at peace with my eating habits. Sure, I need to clean things up every so often when I’ve indulged more than I should (side note- I wore my jeans yesterday COMFORTABLY!), but real food works for me. It makes me look good; it makes me feel good.

I’m still a little fanatical, but it’s not about hitting a number goal, it’s about feeding my family the best, healthiest foods I can. It’s important to me because I want us to all still be enjoying life together for years to come, whether our pant sizes fluctuate a size or two.

Today, sitting about 5 pounds above my lowest weight ever, feels right to me. It’s the oh-so-elusive happy weight that people speak of. It’s the weight my body comfortably stays at when I’m eating well, exercising and still indulging every so often.

This post isn’t a how-to as much as it is a testament that it is possible to break free from numbers, from control, from obsession. That was a concept I couldn’t fathom was possible a few years back. It took time for me, but learning to focus on whole foods and listen to my body (though it is annoyingly redundant advice) really worked. I just had to learn to trust it.

Have you ever been in a place with food that you didn’t think you could break free from?

Were you able to overcome it?

Are you still struggling?

This weekend was wonderfully simple. I didn’t take many pictures and my instagram was (and still is) broken, which is giving me the shakes. I’m not sure it’s possible to eat a meal without snapping a picture of it first.

Anyways, we finally got new bedroom furniture which I am RIDICULOUSLY exited about and it sparked an entire deep spring cleaning movement. It’s how we spent our Saturday.

David had to work all day Sunday, so to break the monotony, Hailey and I decided to venture to Whole Foods in Charlotte, about 45 minutes away. And yes, I know it sounds silly to drive that far for a grocery store.

But first, there was fridge evaluation.

Items remaining that need to be used this week- feta, fresh mozzarella, frozen grass-fed burgers.

Then meal planning.

The entire past week I’ve stayed away from processed carbs (chips, breads, pastas) as part of my jeans-are-too-tight plan, even over the weekend. The first couple days were pretty dang hard, but I made it through and now feel a lot better. I’m aiming at still keeping them to a minimum over the next week as well.

This week’s line up looks like this-

Sunday- Grilled BBQ salmon, roasted broccoli and bread

Monday- Vegetable stir-fry over Quinoa

Tuesday- Sweet Potato Nachos

Wednesday- Grass-Fed Burger Lettuce Wraps and Sweet Potato Rounds

Thursday- Mexican Chicken

Friday- Homemade Veggie pizza

Breakfasts- Veggie Eggs or Smoothies

Lunch- Greek Quinoa, Salads, Leftovers

Snacks- Edamame, Banana Oat ‘cookies’, applesauce, almonds

After loading up on cart-snacks, my little sidekick and I hit the aisles.

1 box of raisins, 3 samples of cheese, 1 sample of popcorn and 1 sucker later, we were finished shopping. I only ended up with 2 non-list splurge items: Israeli Couscous and Snapeas. Oh, and 1 sad little potato that Hailey tried to snag and eat when I wasn’t looking.

We loaded up the car and I was glad I remembered my cooler for the frozen goods. It’s important it you are weird like me and take a full-on road trip to the grocery store.

Here is my specific haul, for those that requested I do it again.

Blue Diamond Almond Milk ($1.99), organic sour cream ($2.69), no-hormone sharp cheddar ($2.99(, 2 dozen local eggs ($2.69 each), Organic Valley 100% grass-fed whole milk ($4.99)

2 cans Alaskan wild salmon ($2.49 each), Organic chicken breasts ($6.75), wild caught BBQ salmon ($6.99)

Bulk Raw Almonds ($5.62), Bulk Israeli Couscous ($2.86), Bulk Quinoa ($4.19), Organic Applesauce ($2.99), Organic Kalamata Olives ($3.29) Green Peppercorns ($2.19) *I was supposed to get capers and bought peppercorns by mistake- DOH!

2 Organic Tropical Blend Frozen Fruit ($2.99 each), Organic Bananas ($3.13), Organic Grape Tomatoes ($3.50) chives ($2.49), Organic Avocados bag ($4.99), 2 lemons ($0.50 each), 1 lb Organic Baby Spinach ($5.99), 2 Organic Green Peppers ($4.35), Mushrooms ($2.49), Onion ($1.59), 4 Organic Sweet Potatoes ($4.14), Cucumber ($0.64), Organic Broccoli ($2.67) Sad, little bitten potato ($0.48)

Snapea Crisps ($1.59), Frozen Edamame Pods ($2.99), 4 Kombucha drinks (4 for $5.00)

Grand Total for the Week- $115.31

I’m on the eating clean bandwagon, especially after making it through a weekend without pizza (who knew that was possible!?!) and I’m feeling really good. Hoping you are too!

What’s on your menu?

1. Hailey is in love with her ‘BAY-BE’ right now, which was actually my doll growing up. (I’m learning to share). Yesterday she put the doll in the highchair and tried to feed her avocado when I wasn’t watching. Needless to say, baby needed a bath (or a spin in the washer). It took ninja-like skills to hide her from Hailey come bedtime, but I did it. I also accidentally ripped the diaper as I took it off so I plan on going out today and buying a couple of newborn diaper. Yes, for the doll. After all, a diaper should be changed every 27 years or so whether it needs it or not, right?

2. I’m happy to report that after our wild night out on Tuesday, that my dinners have been back on track- healthy and delicious.

Sautéed peppers and onions with garlic and cumin, topped with grilled chicken, avocado, salsa, jalapenos and fresh cilantro

Gina’s Lemony Tomato Herb Scallops (which has become one of our FAVORITES around here) and roasted asparagus

3. However, it is taking more focus than originally thought to cut down on the BLT’s. Last night I licked Hailey’s bean and rice bowl clean after she only ate half.  …You mean I don’t have to put every leftover morsel of food into my mouth?

4. Yesterday I visited Starbucks and was actually dressed like a real human being instead of a I-only-wear-yoga-pants-and-hair-buns mom. I ordered tea and then got a giant kick when I realized that the guy behind the counter was actually flirting with me. Shamelessly, I let him. For a minute I felt like I had my pre-mom swag back!  Then I went to grab a wipe to clean off my table and diapers, pouches, books and the whole toddler gamut fell out of my bag. Swag-be-gone.

5. I don’t spend all that much time on Pinterest. Mostly because it makes me hungry. Proof-

Shrimp with Garlic Sauce

It also makes me want to ask David if he can build us this porch.

What? Too much to ask?

6. I posted the homemade fruit rollups recipe! If you want to watch me fight the my blender on TV, you can watch the clip here. Reader Beth brought up a great point about not loving the idea of using plastic wrap. I can tell you from experience that the oven isn’t hot enough to melt the wrap, but I can understand if you still aren’t wild about the idea. I would think cutting parchment paper to fit the baking sheet would work or using a silpat, if you have one.

7. I finally learned how to use a GIF. Only took me about a year. WHOOP!

Have a great weekend!

Good morning! I am checking in a bit later than usual today because I haven’t quite mastered the pre-write-posts skill for the mornings when I am on FOX News Rising. Today Derek and I made homemade fruit rollups. My blender was a little slow to work, but the most important part is that these fruit treats are REALLY good and completely natural. I left empty-handed after they were eaten up by the crew. Success!

I’ll also post the recipe here soon!

Switching gears a little bit from food brain to mom mind, I wanted your thoughts on a subject I’ve been cogitating on recently- babysitters.

I started babysitting around age 12. It was for my next door neighbor’s new baby boy, Daniel, and he was such a cutie! That started my sitting ‘career’ and I went on to watch other children and even somewhat ‘nanny’ kids during the summer. I remember feeling honored that adults trusted me. Given, I am a bit of a people-pleaser by nature, but I really gave my best effort towards childcare. Babysitting, to me, involved the following-

• basic childcare (diapers, bottles, snuggling, discipline, etc)
• engagement (playing WITH the kids, not watching tv while the kids are in the other room)
• help with dinner (I certainly didn’t cook, but heating up or plating whatever the parents told me to)
• clean up after dinner (washing plates, wiping down table or highchair, rinsing bottles)
• picking up once the kids were down

I thought this was just what a babysitter did. I didn’t do laundry or vacuum the living room by any means, but I felt a little straightening up was expected.

Once the kiddos were asleep, I watched my fair share of SNICK (oh how I loved Are You Afraid of the Dark), but focused on outside play while I was ‘actively’ sitting.

Now that I’m a parent myself, I expect the same from Hailey’s sitters. I’ve lucked out and found some really great ones, but I’ve also come across (in my own experience and through hearing friends’ stories) sitters that do little more than play on their phones and leave dirty dishes in the sink.

It got me thinking, are my expectations unreasonable? I feel sitters are paid decent money (anywhere from $10-$15 per hour when I surveyed my friends) and it isn’t unreasonable to hope they wash a child’s plate after dinner.

I know a lot of you have family nearby (you lucky ducks!) and I imagine expectations are different for those situations.

But overall, what do you expect from your sitter?

Do you outline your expectations with them clearly up front?

Ah, there it is. That catchy, yet irritating, phrase that can always convince me to LIVE a little despite my best intentions. But before I get there, the rest of the day went pretty well, and thanks Jenn for hosting WIAW!

Bacon, fried egg, Juice Plus gummies and ACV

I’m trying to be more diligent of eating at least a little something when I first wake up, followed by a little something more when Hailey gets up two hours later.

frozen blueberries, frozen strawberries, 2/3 frozen banana, almond milk, spinach and ground chia seeds

I make enough for both of us to have a smoothie. It makes me happy that Hailey is getting some greens in since she’s been more on a fruit kick lately. Can’t say I blame her.

On the way to the gym I grabbed a handful of Salt & Vinegar almonds. The bold flavor actually leads me to eat less of them because they are satisfyingly strong.

I covered 2.11 slow miles on the treadmill, which puts me at a total of 9.81 miles towards my 31 miles in May goal. I have some catching up to do! After the wog, I completed a leg circuit consisting of weighted squats, lunges and plié squats. I can feel it today, which tells me what I threw together worked well enough.

spinach salad with carrots, red onion, blueberries and canned wild salmon with a side of homemade tomato soup

The ‘soup’ was a result of a recipe I tried for homemade marinara. It turned out more like a soup so I just went with it.

At 2:30, as our sitter arrived, I downed a snack.

Then David and I took off for Charlotte. It felt like a wild date night in the middle of the day, but really we were headed into the city for a meeting with Discovery Place.

When the meeting ended around 5:30 we figured we could either battle traffic, or spend some time in the city.

The city won.

It was a gorgeous day so we walked to the nearby historic Dunhill Hotel.

The lounge looked like a perfect place to grab a drink. So we did.

A martini? On a Tuesday? I blame the excitement of being in the city. It made me feel fancy. So fancy that I ordered an appetizer from the neighboring farm to fork restaurant, Harvest Moon Grille

HMG Charcuterie Plate
House Cured Meats, House-Made Whole GrainMustard, Pickled Vegetables, Moonshine Jelly, and Whey Crackers

.I was sold on this dish because of the pickled vegetables, which I’m reading all about in Michael Pollan’s Cooked right now. So I was a bit disappointed when the dish came out without them.

I went on to enjoy the house cured meats and pepper jelly, avoiding the crackers in hopes of somewhat sticking to my healthy eating plan, but was pleasantly surprised when our server brought out some pickled onions, the only pickled vegetable they had. So sweet of her!

After an hour or so of chatting, we decided to move onto dinner. With so many delicious restaurants within arms reach, it was hard to decide. Eventually I decided there would be no better place to try Thai food for the first time than at Basil, a restaurant that came highly recommended.

I feel just like the girl with the scrunchy from Sex and the City when I am in uptown. Everything just feels so fancy and I just do my best to fit in, though toting around my camera doesn’t help.

I was mentally going through what I should or shouldn’t have based on my jeans plan, when that phrase entered my head. Y(ou) O(nly) L(ive) O(nce). How often am I in the city with my handsome husband? Not often. So I went wild and ordered the Basil Rolls, rice noodles and all.

Shrimp, rice noodles, lettuce, bean sprouts and basil wrapped in rice paper wrapper.

The texture of the rolls plus the house sauce made for an incredible appetizer… best to be washed down by wine.

YO-freaking-LO.

Scallops, shrimp, calamari, mussels, onions, peppers and basil leaves

I know nothing about how to describe the amazing flavors of Thai cuisine, but I can tell you as I’m writing this at 7:00am, I want to eat my Basil mixed seafood platter all over again. Right now. It was so amazing. I ate the entire thing, not bothering with the rice.

At the end of the day, I don’t think I was all that unhealthy, though my dinner certainly wouldn’t be considered low-cal by any stretch of the imagination. But the spontaneous meeting-turned-date night with David was so much fun that I don’t mind it wasn’t exactly according to plan.

Life’s too short not to enjoy the special times…

as long as those special times don’t come every other day, which clearly I need to start realizing

What is your favorite Thai dish?

I really want to try and recreate the flavors at home, though I’m quite intimidated at the idea!

A week ago I admitted that the dryer didn’t shrink my jeans. With that realization, I decided I need to do a few things to check myself.  Well, life happened, I left town and never really hopped on the ‘take action’ bandwagon.

This week is different. You guys, my jeans DON’T FIT. How did that happen? I’m still not hopping on the scale because I don’t need numbers to define my success, but it feels like a several pounds up. I just don’t like the way I feel in my body right now.

It’s not like my what I ate recaps aren’t true. During the week I’m pretty dang healthy. Maybe a little too much weekday wine, but didn’t you know I have a toddler?

My weekends, though, are out of control. Pizza, Mexican, breakfast out- nothing is off limits. So, I’ve devised a plan to clean it all up.

Eat Clean. Right now, for me, this includes focusing on whole foods and eliminating processed carbohydrates. Before anyone screams TOO RESTRICTIVE at me, let me define processed carbs- tortilla chips, pastas and breads (like pizza dough). I’m still embracing whole grains, like brown rice and quinoa, but right now I need a little reset. Some people go on sugar detoxes; well, I require bread detox! I’ll add them back in soon enough, but a week without pizza never killed anyone…. right?

Eliminate BLTs. That would be BITES, LICKS and TASTES. As a mom, I’ve found myself in the all-too-familiar territory of eating when Hailey eats, even if I’m not hungry. If she doesn’t finish a meal, I’ll finish it for her. It’s gotten to where I don’t even notice it. Last night I went to snag a bite or two of her macaroni and peas, even though my dinner was up next. I stopped myself and it made me take note that I probably do this more often than I realize.

Drink Water. I used to be great at this, but it’s fallen by the wayside. I’m planning on filling my oversized bottle from the hospital when I had Hailey every morning. I want to drink at least two of those a day, which isn’t too hard when I just remember to do it.

Replace Coffee with Tea. I’m not a big coffee drinker. The caffeine makes me shaky and my heart flutter. Also, if I’m not diligent on drinking water, I feel coffee’s diuretic effects. Tea is much gentler on me.

Drink Apple Cider Vinegar Daily. For allergies, for blood sugar control and for all the reasons listed here.

Be Consistent with Exercise. For me, this means 4 days at the gym, but extra kudos if I hit 5 days. I am not setting up a specific plan I must stick to, but right now I’m aiming for something similar to this-

 *Please note I’m not a professional trainer, so this is just a setup I feel will work for me based on my own experience

At Least 8 Hours of Sleep. Sometimes I get in a bad habit of playing on my phone when I should be going to sleep. I need to make sure it’s lights and electronics out at 10pm, so I’m well rested by my 6am wake up call.

So, that’s the plan! I started yesterday and dare I say I feel better already? It’s most likely all mental at this point, but having a game plan that isn’t too restrictive makes me feel empowered and excited to whip myself back into better shape!

What is your go-to tip when you need a reset?

It has been such a whirlwind week, so this might be a bit longwinded.

I was fortunate enough to hang out in the Atlanta area for several days after Kyla was born to help out. It was so special to get to be there for Kris and Cara and spend extra time with Mom and Dad, too. We spent a lot of time in the kitchen prepping some food for the new parents.

Deviled eggs, a batch of freezer breakfast burritos, spaghetti sauce, homemade chicken noodle soup and pizza (with leftovers)

We celebrated the newest mom, Cara, who said motherhood is even better than she thought it would be. And that’s something amazing to say with the lack of sleep that comes with a newborn

Mom was incredible to have around. From prepping meals to chasing Hailey, the woman is a machine! I hope amid the hustle and bustle she felt how much we cherish her as our mom.

I finally hopped in the car to head home Saturday afternoon. This is where I must stop and send a huge virtual hug to my mom-in-law who deserves a standing ovation for raising such an awesome man that I get to call my husband. Thank you! Because when I arrived home, I found this-

David had cleaned the house top to bottom. I’m talking mopped floors, scrubbed toilets, spotless oven kind-of-clean. Not only that, ALL the laundry had been done and the grass was freshly cut. I swear I almost cried out of pure joy.

And it wasn’t even Mother’s Day yet. Little did I know he had even more planned for Sunday.

It started with a trip into Charlotte for brunch at Fern, an amazing vegetarian restaurant in Plaza Midwood.

Despite the awkward pose I’m striking, it’s the only picture I have of us for the day, so it’s staying.

Brunch was awesome. The roasted sweet potato and pecans were to die for. I had a fresh vegetable frittata and David had the vegan chorizo skillet. Kale chips on the side with a virgin bloody Mary and vanilla peach kombucha. Hit the spot!

We meandered home in time for Hailey’s nap and for me to meal plan. I’m really looking forward to getting back to healthy habits this week. My jean situation is getting out of control, but more on that tomorrow.

I was surprised at 2:30 when David sent me out of the house. For what, you might ask? For THIS

I received an hour massage yesterday and it was everything I ever dreamed in could be. Pure bliss. Followed by getting to grocery shop SOLO. Giddy, you guys. I was giddy.

We ate dinner as a family at Joel’s where I inhaled the ginger salad and onion soup before splitting some yellowtail sashimi and tuna rolls with David.

I felt so loved and so spoiled yesterday that it will no doubt carry me through many Hailey tantrums to come.

Thank you SO much to David for making it the most perfect Mother’s Day ever. Thank you to mom and mom-in-law for showing us what being a great mom looks like. And to my Nannie and Grandma Betty, who deserve to be hugged for being awesome moms, too. I love you all!

And if you’re still reading, thank YOU Tomorrow I’m talking about my plan to fit comfortable back in my jeans!

How did you celebrate Mother’s Day?

1. It’s been 3 days since I admitted my jeans were too tight and I’m happy to report thy fit now! …but it’s only because I’ve worn them 3 days in a row and stretched the fool out of them. I haven’t exercised all week.

2. My allergies are something terrible. Is Georgia worse for allergies than North Carolina? My eyes and throat would vote YES.

3. My niece went home last night and we are all headed back into Atlanta today to take turns holding her to cook some meals and help clean the house. I’m giddy!

4. I took over dinner last night here at my parent’s house. It probably took me a solid 1.5 hours to make it since we were all in the kitchen sipping wine while shallots and garlic aromas floated around the kitchen. It was a great night and dinner didn’t turn out half bad either.

5. It’s only been 3 days, but I miss David and Koda. Maybe I’m too attached? I’m ok with that.

6. I feel a little guilty that when I’m home I let my mom take over almost 100% of Hailey duties. I know she loves it, but I probably take a little too much advantage of the extra helping hands. It’s just so nice to have family nearby to help! Those that live near family- I’m very jealous of you.

Have I mentioned Hailey found my old Cabbage Patch doll and takes it everywhere with her now? It’s so dang cute.

7. Though this toddler age is tiring, it’s ridiculously fun. Hailey is learning so many more words everyday and loves point out here Nana, Papa (which will be Papa John’s name for now!) and Mama. She’s learning how to say Baby Kyla…

What’s the best food dish to make for a new mom and dad?

Please share!

I consider myself really fortunate that I grew up with a mom that cooked. She also worked full time, but somehow she managed to fill the house with delicious smells by dinnertime. I remember nosing around the pots to get a sneak peek of dinner. One thing I don’t remember, because it never happened, was asking for something different. Whatever was being served for dinner, was dinner, whether you liked it or not.

I’ve taken the same philosophy with my own little family. I’m fortunate that David is a pretty great eater. He may not jump for joy at the idea of sweet potato chili, but he eats it and more often than not, enjoys it. Hailey gets what we get, too. I refuse to be a short order cook.

There are nights that Hailey won’t eat more than a bite of something on her plate (last night it was the edamame). That’s fine with me, though it doesn’t mean she can have a snack 20 minutes later of something else. It’s important to me that she learn to what we eat, so in the future our family dinners are happy times, not me running around trying to fix everyone what they request.

I’m at my parents house right now and arriving here yesterday got me thinking about how fortunate I am that my mom and dad exposed me to healthy foods from the start.  I love that when Hailey visits, healthy foods await her, too.

We still have pizza nights and my mom will admit to having dinners consisting of little more than nuts, pretzels and a glass of wine (like mother like daughter), but I believe I have an appreciation and taste for healthy foods because I was exposed early and consistently. I only hope to set the same precedent for my family.

Does your family eat the same foods?

Do you think it matters?

My brother, Kris, and my SIL, Cara were expecting their first child, a baby girl, to arrive on May 13. I know due dates are rarely accurate, but after going nearly 10 days late with Hailey I’m a bit jaded about babies being on time or even early, so imagine my surprise when I woke up yesterday to 15 text messages!

I saw at 2:30am they were at the hospital and Cara was indeed in labor. Coffee has nothing on expecting a new family member! I jumped out of bed and into the shower to try to start sorting out my plans. The next hour or so consisted of packing my things, packing Hailey’s things and throwing together a quick breakfast.

turkey sausage, zucchini, red pepper, onions, eggs and salsa

We hopped in the car right afterwards. On the trip down, I munched on a couple handfuls of pumpkin seeds.

Luckily the weather was beautiful and I missed traffic so 4 hours later I was pulling into Northside Hospital in Atlanta, where I was born 29 years ago, and rushed to meet up with mom and dad.

I was thrilled I made it before she was born and we spent a bit more time waiting and grabbing food.

Indian spiced chickpeas, collard greens, steamed cauliflower

Despite there being plenty of unhealthy options, I managed to find some healthier, tasty options.

Then, we heard the news!

Miss Kyla Rose was here! Born at 12:59pm on May 7, 2013. 8lbs 4oz and 20 inches long with a head full of hair.

We couldn’t wait to meet her!

My eyes filled up with tears walking into the room.

Kris and Cara beamed. There is nothing like baby love. They graciously let us play pass-around-the-baby.

She is such a beautiful little girl. Round face, dark hair and little cheeks I just wanted to kiss all over.

We soon scurried out so Kyla could eat. We snacked on a few more pumpkin seeds

Then we were off to Starbucks and California Pizza Kitchen to pick up a few items for the new parents. And a hot tea for myself.

We had a few more minutes to dote on Kyla. My favorite moment of the day was watching my brother seamlessly transform into a dad. The same brother who used to feed me frozen peas off the floor while playing dog was now a daddy. And a great one. My heart melted.

We were so caught up in the joy of the day that I forgot my jeans were a size too small and agreed to Mexican for dinner.

At least I got a light beer… and guacamole.

Mom, Hailey and I split fajitas. I skipped the tortilla in favor of half a basket of chips

I’ll worry about my pants today, but yesterday was all about Kyla.

Welcome to our world, beautiful girl!