Thank you all for your support of my 6 month blog “birthday”! It truly meant a lot to me to read all the comments. As a thank you, I have a few interesting things to share in this post. We’ll start with a great product review from last night.

Awhile ago the wonderful people from Frontier Soups sent me two soup mixes and a taco dip mix for review on the blog. I already shared the Sausage & Lentil Soup and the Tortilla Soup and how utterly fabulous they are with you all. Last night I prepared the last of the loot. I used their Taco Party Mix Dip as a burrito filling for the family and I.

This meal came together incredibly quickly and fired up our dinner. As always, I felt good consuming this product as the ingredients were simply freeze dried black beans, corn, red and green bell peppers,  and onion with a chipotle spice blend. To prepare this spectacular dish you only need to add a few more things and blink your eyes. That’s how fast this is ready.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef or turkey
• 1/2 c water
• one 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes + diced chilies
• 8 oz shredded Mexican cheese

Preparation

After browning meat in a pan, stir the taco mix evenly into meat.

Add water and Rotel. Mix evenly and simmer 10 minutes until liquid dissolves.

Stir in cheese until absorbed and melted throughout.

Serve as dip  with tortilla or pita chips. You can also roll in a whole wheat tortilla for a flavorful burrito.

Just like the other Frontier Soups products this one did not disappoint. They seriously are sooooo good! You must try them! The products offered by Frontier Soups use no salt, MSG or preservatives. All the ingredients are dried, natural, and wholesome. The soups and dips are easy to prepare in a pinch, tasty, and cost effective to get a full and hearty meal for minimal ingredients. I cannot rave enough about them!

Now, I have another exciting tidbit for this post. Those of you who are following me on Twitter know what I’m talking about, but for those of you who don’t know yet – I’m the new Pregnancy Fitness Examiner for Atlanta! Excitement doesn’t begin to cover how I feel. I know this is a perfect starting point for me and my writing. I honestly love sharing about fitness, health, and living well in all ways so this serves as another way to do that. It could even be a small step towards other opportunities, and if not that’s okay. I will go down whatever path God leads me to.

Now I’m going to do a bit of self promotion. PLEASE click on my ARTICLE – preggo or not – to give me support. Examiners are successful based on how much they write and the exposure they bring to their site. The fitness tips I shared apply to pregnancy but can also be generalized for anyone. Please show me some love. You know I would return the favor. 😉

I do have a confession to share though. For as much excitement that came with a new venture, concern and doubt also appeared. I had to spend a good chunk of time going over editorial guidelines, acquainting myself with the process, and getting my first article lined up for approval. I felt extremely guilty for spending some extra time on the computer. I questioned my abilities as a mother and wife. For the longest time those were my main two roles, but as the blog grows and I branch out into new things I need more time for personal development and goals.

I prayed about it last night after a bit of a breakdown to Peter, but then God quickly reassured me that all was well and I am simply living the life He has brought to me. The first chapter of my Bible reading this morning was Proverbs 31. The qualities of a wife of noble character. These verses popped right out to me - “her husband has full confidence in her” (v11), “she works with eager hands” (v13), and “she does not eat the bread of idleness” (v27). Message received loud and clear. Working hard does not make me lesser of a mother. It makes me more of a person. And I just realized I never think poorly of working moms (in fact I admire them and don’t know how they do it!), so why would I put such pressure on myself? Little M doesn’t need me at her side at all waking moments. She will flourish. Especially with a strong and dedicated mother as an example.

• What things do you judge yourself harshly on?
• Did you check out my article?? Okay you don’t really have to answer that! LOL

Hi wonderful friends! How have your weekends been? Mine has been fabulously low-key. Things have been so busy lately I needed some time to relax. When constant fatigue and headaches plague you, a weekend with nothing to do is your best friend.

Saturday included no plans besides hitting up the gym in the morning and accomplishing a few of the chores I too easily push aside during the week. Success. I did Power in the morning and felt energetic afterwards for about 2.2 seconds and rounded out the day with some laundry and cleaning all around the house. A crazy thought, though, was that I almost could have been in a bad accident.

I didn’t leave the gym right after Power because I stopped to talk to a friend/instructor who just got engaged. This put me leaving a few minutes later than normal. As I was leaving the gym I heard sirens blaring and when I pulled up to the light for my street there was a bad accident (looked like someone was T-boned) that had JUST happened. I don’t necessarily believe it would have been me if I left like normal, but it still makes you consider how different situations are connected and intermingled all around us. You never know when one moment could end in a completely different outcome than it could have otherwise.

I don’t believe in predestination, but I do think that certain things happen for a reason. I believe we have a choice, but may feel pulled towards choosing a particular path or decision for a purpose. Even meeting a reader like I shared on Friday applies. It was a last minute decision for our playgroup to meet at that Chick Fil A, but I think there was something to it. After the stuff Stacey (the reader) & I shared later that day in email, I can’t help but wonder if there is some reason we met. Or another example is how Emily & I were only connected through the blog even after going to the same high school and living so close to each other. But then we were able to support each other with our trials and then share in our joys together. We found out we were expecting kiddos on the same exact day. There’s gotta be more than chance to that.

Whew. I didn’t mean for that to carry on so much. I guess I’m saying that you just never know. Be open to new things, people, and opportunities. There’s no telling where it will lead you, but if it’s following your heart, gut, or in my mind God, then it will be a great journey. I was not intending to get that heavy. So I 'will shut my mouth here and end with what this post was supposed to be about. My first baby bump picture!

I’m 3 months along now (about 12.5 weeks) and cannot believe how much that bump has popped already. They don’t lie when they say you show quicker with the second one. Or that you show sooner with a short torso. I’m blessed with both so I get to already sport the bump. I know I still have LOTS more growing to do, but just from comparison to the last time it seems like it's popping out so much faster. I love it though. Something about carrying and growing a child makes me feel so beautiful and confident. And exhausted. I have never felt so tired in my life! At least when I was pregnant with Makenzie there was time to rest. Now not so much. She doesn’t allow it. Instead of Chinese water torture it is Makenzie suck the energy from your life torture. So greetings from me, my growing uterus, and the plum that currently inhabits it. Less than 2 months until we find out if “it” is a boy or a girl!

• Do you believe things ever happen for a reason? Or that one moment can change the outcome of other things you wouldn’t have expected?
• What is the most tiring thing you have ever done? I think it is a cruel joke of irony that pregnancy drains you of energy so much, but caffeine is a no-no for pregnancy. Almost as cruel as craving sushi but not being able to eat it. I might have just a little bit of experience with that right now.