Oh, I love the TV show Friends. Remember the episode with the New Year’s Resolutions and Ross wanting to do something new everyday. The scene of him in the bathroom in those leather pants with the baby powder always makes me laugh. I HAD to include a clip from it – even if it is poor quality.

Well, today I took Ross’ advice and tried a bunch of new things. I like to get one big dose of new instead of spreading it out to one a day. You know…because I’m wild like that. 😉

This morning, I woke up to some strange feelings in my stomach. At first, I groggily thought the body aches from yesterday finally manifested themselves into some form of illness. Not the case at all. You know what it was? BABY! Rolling about in my stomach. I have thought I felt baby a few times before but this morning was undisputable. The feeling reminds me of being tickled, just from the inside out. I could feel him (since I’m sure it’s a boy) moving from one side of my stomach to the other. What a fabulous way to start the morning!

In other new news…I signed up for something new to me, but old to many of you. I finally joined FoodBuzz. I’m not really certain what kept me from doing so sooner, but now I’m part of the community. I really have very little clue what to do with it, how to find people, what types of things to add, or anything else related to the site. So if you have any advice or guidance for a newbie, hit me up in the comments section.

More new came to my day with a visit to a pool I've never been to for playgroup time. We met up at a local pool which boasted its own toddler play area AND a water slide. Awesome! Makenzie & I had plenty of fun splashing around. Splashing around and chasing after her served nicely as my workout for the day too. Every bit of activity counts. You don’t always have to complete a formal workout. I knew there would be no time for one today, so my pool activity suited me very well.

I also discovered a new found sense of confidence. Perhaps it stems from all the Operation Beautiful talk or seeing Caitlin on the Today show . Maybe it is simply from my own personal growth and what God is working in me right now to share here soon and the learning that comes with it. Whatever it is, I felt more beautiful in a bathing suit today than I think I ever have. Even with more cellulite than normal thanks to pregnancy. I’m not perfect, but I’m beautiful. I have to believe that to be a positive role model for Makenzie. And she deserves it. After all, she changed my life for the better. Which is why my 30 Days of Insight letter is to her.

Dear Miss M,

Thank you for being you. From the moment I knew you existed inside of me, you sparked a change in my life. Before, my life revolved around thoughts of food, workouts, looking better, and being the girl others wanted to be. I may not have admitted it. I may have hidden behind veils of deceit.You tore those down. It was you who taught me that my body had more worth than simply how it looked. It was you that showed me beauty is in the heart - how much love you have for someone or something – instead of in the mirror. It was you who forced me to respect my body with a balanced diet and adequate exercise, not too much or too little of anything. It was you who brought me to my knees and turned me to prayer to begin to love myself again. That journey shaped me in so many ways and I may never have ventured on it if not for you.

After your birth you continued to teach me. You exemplified what it means to love life. Simply and fully. You help me to laugh every day. Stay positive and be content with being me. Nothing else required. Your eyes show me my worth and what I can bring to the world. You gave me everything. I pray you never stop being you. And that I never lose the precious gifts you have given me. I love you baby girl.

Love, Mama

Okay, okay. We must move back to the standard stuff if I don’t want to short circuit the laptop with my tears. For lunch, leftovers sounded perfect. I needed a quick fix meal. Last night, I made a different take on my favorite chicken enchiladas. I followed the recipe but used beef instead of chicken…and added some extra peppers + onions to the filling for flavor and crunch. I still prefer the chicken, but these satisfied my Mexican tooth. With some fruit on the side for the sweet tooth.

Now, I must say goodbye. Around 10 pm we will head out on our driving adventure from GA to Philly for my friend’s wedding. I’m trying to focus on being able to wear my new dresses and see an old friend marry the woman of his dreams. I think that is more positive than focusing on the new acts of driving overnight and leaving my baby girl behind for 4 days and 4 nights. 🙁 I’m going to miss her!!! Too bad she can’t read yet. Because I will be blogging. So I will see you all tomorrow to let you know if I survived!

• What is your favorite TV show of all time?
• Who would you write a thank you letter to for helping change your life for the better?

Welcome to Wednesday! Yesterday I found it hard to believe it was only Tuesday. Today, I dread the fact that tomorrow is already Thursday. Why? Because we will be leaving around 10 pm to drive overnight to the Philadelphia area. If you can, go ahead and add safe travels for us to your prayers. I really don’t want M to grow up without parents. Okay, that may be a bit melodramatic, but I have to admit to freaking out. Remember one of my three fears is the gut feeling that one day I will be in some sort of terrible car-wreck? Driving overnight for 12 hours stokes the fire. I might conveniently forget about the pesky “no or limited caffeine during pregnancy” rule. Then again, maybe not. Adrenaline is more powerful than coffee.

Enough of that discussion. Today I managed to turn my day around for the better, so I can turn my fear into reason as well. When I saw today’s 30 Days of Insight topic for the blog, something powerful hit me. The topic = what is your vision of paradise? My answer = what you make of your current life. I don’t know where that answer came from. Directly from the heavens? Who knows. One thing I do know is I am not nearly that profound at 6:30 am. Wherever it came from, I’ll take it. I greatly needed that message today because the day was not starting out on the best of feet.

I awoke still feeling wrong. I don’t know if I would classify myself as sick. I don’t have a fever, stuffy nose, sore throat, or anything of that nature. My body simply aches. Something fierce at that. I do occasionally feel some stomach ache symptoms, but nothing really happens. I started getting down in the dumps, knowing I would not push attempting a workout in this state, even though I could really use one to help with traveling stress. Then, I thought about Paradise. I could take the easy route and picture paradise as lying on a tropical beach with a magical margarita (that somehow was safe for fetuses). Or I could imagine standing in line at a CVS with some pain medicine safe for pregnancy that actually works. Sorry, Tylenol. You just don’t cut it for me. However, neither of those played out in my mind. Instead, I pictured my day, my current situation, and what I wanted to make of it. I say it turned out pretty good.

I took the extra time I had from not working out to play with little M. We even cleaned up the living room and playroom. I utilized the “pick up some yellow/red/pink things” game. I’m so sneaky. Hehehe.

I scheduled in some productivity on the computer by preparing for tomorrow’s Examine article, catching up on emails, visiting bloggers to return the love and support I receive, brainstorming more on my September plan for the blog, and other random tidbits.

I conquered the laundry and dishes that battle me on a daily basis. And tossed in some toilet bowl cleaning for good measure. I ran errands to the store, bank, and library. Shockingly, I left the library empty handed. I’m finding less time to read and only want to read books I am thoroughly interested in. Other things need my focus right now.

I devoured a delicious lunch. Mushroom burger with tomato, pickles, and laughing cow on a sandwich thin, Grapes and raspberries (my current fruit obsessions) on the side. That right there is paradise.

I even managed to finish the teensy weensy invites I shared on Sunday for my friend’s lingerie shower AND pick up the wedding present for the wedding we are attending this weekend. So what if I procrastinated and had to get something off the registry?

Lastly, I remembered to share my Hawaiin Tofu recipe and Tofu Xpress review with you all. The gist of my review = If you make tofu at home, buy the Tofu Xpress NOW. It really does such a great job at pressing all the water out.

The texture of the tofu surpassed any other time I have prepared it. It was also much easier not having to press the ‘fu using bowls, paper towels, and other homemade contraptions. I’m so thankful the kind people at Tofu Xpress sent this to me for review. Please note that I am not compensated for the review and was given the press for free solely for reviewing purposes.

Now, the “recipe”. It’s not really a recipe. More a marinade. I mixed up the following to create a Hawaiin flavored marinade.

• 2T honey
• 1/4 c low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 c pineapple juice
• 1/2 tsp minced ginger

After pressing the tofu, I sliced it into long strips about 1/2” thick. I allowed the strips to marinate in the mixture for around 30 minutes. From there, I simply seared the tofu in a medium heat pan for about 3 minutes per side. You could also bake it at 350 for around 30 minutes, turning halfway though. I honestly prefer baked tofu but was using the oven to roast up veggies – sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts.

My two favorites. You know? I’ve come to realize something. That dinner may well be the source of my “What is paradise?” enlightenment this morning. Nah. I know where my inspiration and answers come from. 😉

• Favorite marinade mix?
• Your paradise? Beach, mountains, with a certain someone, etc?
• Any love you got to give. 🙂