Saying 'I Love You' Without Actually Saying It [MOMLIFE]

My toddler said this to me the other day and it felt even better than 'I love you'.

She said this right when we got into the bathroom and were about to brush teeth before bed. I had just spent the entire day with her, as I took her to a museum in the city-- a rare treat and one to remember. 

The way she said it was unanticipated and matter-of-fact, as if it were any other statement. She had a great day and it sounded as she was both thankful for that and aware I facilitate that happening.

Sometimes we say 'I love you' to the people we love so often that the phrase becomes more meaningless the more we say it, even if we are more inclined to say it because we do.

Changing the way you say 'I love you' somehow makes it more meaningful because you think more deeply (or at all) why you feel the way you do. 

This all might very well be philosophical garbage but the love was there and it was certainly felt and no one even had to say it. xo

If I Can't Walk [MOMLIFE]

My mom was diagnosed this week with a hereditary disease that has affected her feet in particular, causing her significant instability and the need for a walker. Since her diagnosis, the more I think about it and look back retrospectively, the more I'm convinced I have it.

If I do indeed carry the gene, it'll hopefully be a number of years away before my lifestyle will be affected, as the progression of the disease is slow.

With this on my mind and as I think about the future, I had this convo with Nui Nui tonight:

Me: Nui Nui?

Nui Nui: What, mama?

Me: Are you going to take care of me when I get old?

Nui Nui: Yes.

Me: What if I can't walk?

Nui Nui: Then l'll hold your hand.

My kid. Man, did I hit the jackpot! xo

Just Keep Riding The Wave [MOMLIFE, PREGNANCY]

'Just keep riding the wave.' That's what my mom told me on Friday as I was driving home from the hospital.

Her comment stuck out to me because, if you know my mom, her english is good but it's not her first, and I was surprised she knew this idiom. Even I am not too familiar with it (not that my english is perfect either).

I asked her what she meant. She explained there have been a lot of waves throughout this pregnancy and I just need to keep overcoming them as I have been. Perfect idiom. Perfect mom :> She is so right and nailed it— both in meaning and context.

This pregnancy hasn't been easy. From extreme and lengthy morning sickness, to not just getting laid off but being improperly treated by my former employer, to dealing with a bigot for being a single mom, to dealing with almost cruel and unusual responses from blood relations when I shared my expectancy news.

But, so far at least, I have been overcoming each and every one of them. Thankfully.

Nope, I didn't go into false labor. Baby's good. I'm good. My latest issue, though, has been this heat wave we experienced this past week. My feet weren't taking it so well, especially without air conditioning.

A few weeks back we had another heat wave and that's when it all began and the edema just hasn't subsided since. The swelling has been up and down at various degrees but never as severe as it was a couple of days ago.

At my checkup on Friday, I showed my doctor. She even whipped out the tape measure and everything. She recommended I go to the hospital to get an ultrasound— not on my belly but my legs— to make sure I don't have DVT, or deep vein thrombosis, aka. a blood clot in my legs.

When I was pregnant with Nui Nui, I also had edema in my feet and it actually started earlier than this pregnancy, so I honestly wasn't really that seriously concerned about it. I just casually mentioned it to her, as I try to keep her updated as best I can so she can hopefully have the best picture of how my pregnancy is going.

Not taking it too seriously, she had to say 'life-threatening' and 'mortality' several times for the potential situation to get through to my brain. She explained that there could potentially be a clot in my leg(s), which is causing the swelling, and if there is, that clot could potentially travel up to my lungs and be 'life-threatening', aka. I could die.

So, I went to the hospital I am expected to deliver and got an ultrasound on my legs.

Considering I went swimming this week, celebrated Nui Nui's birthday at school, and did all the prep for her birthday party, I thought I had been pretty active for a clot to form.

Happy to report, NO CLOTS! I still have swelling but I think the worst of it has subsided as the heat has broken as of yesterday. Or am hoping.

As I write this, I am officially 38 weeks. That's two weeks to go. I'm admittedly getting a little nervous about delivery but... I'll just keep riding the wave and tackle each one as they come. Can't wait to meet this little kicker. xo

Ma Lovely Lady :>

You're that much stronger when you have solid players on your team.

Indian Summer Leaves At Night! [NATURE+PHOTOGRAPHY]

You know what I love? People who are patient and understand your desire to stop to take photographs.

ps. These are untouched.

Rockstar!

Be happy. Be confident. Smile often. And others, too, will think you are a rockstar.

Ashton Kutcher Sexier Than Sexy, Post Teen Choice Awards (**HealthyButJuicy REPOST**)

After reading a couple UNinspirational stories yesterday— AOL's Armstrong rant/public firing and some lady's premier lazy-A parking spot— I'm in more positive spirits this morning after consuming some more inspirational reads.

I first stumbled upon the hubbub about Ashton Kutcher's recent acceptance speech at the 2013 Teen Choice Awards and, hubbub, it was deservedly earned. There, on perhaps one of the most perfect platforms to speak to young people, he took take advantage of his status, popularity, and, most notably, ability to influence and inspire those both young and old (myself included :>).

Image via web


Ashton spoke about three things: Opportunity, Being Sexy, and Living Life.

1. Opportunity

'I believe opportunity looks a lot like hard work... I never had a job in my life that I was better than. I was always just lucky to have a job. And every job I had was a stepping stone to my next job...'

2. Being Sexy

'The sexiest thing in the entire world is being really smart, and being thoughtful, and being generous. Everything else is crap, I promise you. It's just crap that people try to sell to you to make you feel like less just don't buy it! Be smart. Be thoughtful. And be generous.'

3. Living Life
Channeling his recently-portrayed character, Steve Jobs, he referenced this quote by the latest and greatest:

'When you grow up you tend to get told the world is the way it is and you're life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family, have fun, save a little money. That's a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. Once you learn that, you'll never be the same again.'

Ashton concluded his speech with a bang...

'Build a life. Don’t live one, build one. Find your opportunities, and always be sexy.'

Following all of this sexy, I stumbled upon 11 Rules For Success, From The People Who Got It Right, the first line reading: 'No one is born a success, but everyone has the potential to become one.' It's not so much a list of 'rules' per se as it is a list of inspirational quotes.

There's a lot of stupidity and negativity in this world so it's important to refresh with positive, empowering messages like Ashton's speech and this collection of quotes often if not daily.

What inspires YOU? Share your inspirations in the Comments below or Tweet/Instagram your goodies, the world would love to hear! xoxo

Reposted from HealthyButJuicy.

First New School Playdate!

This week has been the week of firsts and change. Newly unemployed, full-time job hunting, recovering from germs I just couldn't avoid (Nui Nui = unavoidably kissable), Nui Nui's first intro/playdate at her new school she'll be starting in September, and breaking the news to her current school, which was unexpectedly weird— I wasn't prepared and didn't even realize I had to be. At this point, I'm actually content with where she is but, o well, that's what growing up is all about, right? Reminds me of the wise words of Elenor Roosevelt:

Credit: wordstruly

Isn't this so true?...

Credit: good.is

You can't grow without change. #mantra

This week has been a haze to say the least. For sure, I realized my appreciation for schedule and routine— so much for my love of change, huh? :/— as well as my un-appreciation for job searching: 'Hey! I'm great! Can I play on your team?', followed by a 'Sorry, no thank you'. Sure brings back fond memories of middle school gym class...

Anyway, onward an up... #nothingbutrainbow

In the meanwhile of solicitation and finding a home, I've started studying Xcode/Objective C, as I said I would, and amping up the social media skills, including Hootsuite, Facebook Pages (check us out! and please support by 'Like'! Facebook.com/piecesofm :>), and soon Google Adwords. I have a steep learning curve ahead of me and am putting to test my claim that I know how to learn.



As for being proud, I was really was of Nui Nui on her first playdate. The new school she will be starting in September encourages new students to spend the summer leading up to the start date to come in on 'playdates' and ease the transition by getting the kids acquainted with the enviornment and people. It's really a terrific practice and one, I think, all schools, should practice in some form or another.

I'm very happy that Nui Nui has had the 'school' experience since she was one and, though only one day a week, feel that it's been an invaluable experience for her (and me). For her, it's interacting with her peers and other adults independently in a different environment than what she is used to and, for me, it's learning to let go, though I will always always be there for her no matter where she is or I am.

So she entered the school shy as a button when the directora greeted us at the door but once she found her classroom, she had at it with all the new toys and playstations— gotta love those kitchenettes! :> Followed by outdoor play in those mini-coupes? a la Little Tikes. I was able to sit aside without her worrying where I was. Climbing, exploring, enjoying— keywords of the visit— and making new friends :>

Here's a peak into our first school playdate vist!



Check out the full slideshow! :>




To wind down the almost end-of-week, I got to spend some time with the ever-lovely J and new friends over some local small bites. Drool this.



What fun filled your week? Share below or Tweet or Instagram us! We'd love to hear/see! :> :> xoxo

Lucky. Different. Believe.

I just found this while searching for something. Hit a chord. 'Lucky'. To be 'Different'. As I toil over a cover letter, trying to craft my uniqueness into something seemingly desirable... who am I trying to kid? More so, who does this quote really apply? Sure, the one who said it. But who else? I understand and value our differences. blah. blah. blah. Really, I do. But still struggle to come to terms with my own. There are so many ways I wish I weren't different. I'm proud of the 'different' things I've accomplished but ashamed of those very same things at the same time. Seriously, when am I going to get over the fact that I am human and just accept it? Will money, a man, societal milestones do it? It'll be an interesting experiment, I'll tell you that.

We'll be entering a new phase these coming months. I'll stick as close to the positive as I can. Let's just hope we hit a rainbow sooner rather than later.

In the meanwhile, this post isn't a rant. Really :>. 'Nothing but rainbow'... as we run after it. Savor the inspiration (swiped from the Internet) and share yours in the comments, Twitter, and/or Instagram. It would mean the world :>