Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice

Tonight's dinner was another recipe from SkinnyTaste (I'm mildly obsessed, if you haven't noticed). It was Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice. I wanted to make this one solely because it was really exciting to me to serve dinner inside a pineapple (I'm not a seafood person. This was merely a treat for my husband). You can find the recipe here! I hear it was quite delicious!



Don't forget: less than 12 hours to enter my Miracle Blanket giveaway! I've been having a blast with all of the giveaways this summer. I have another one ready to go tomorrow once the Miracle Blanket giveaway closes. Stay tuned!

Speaking of summer, it's been an awesome summer. I'm approaching on my husband's last week of paternity leave and am admittedly getting a little saddened to think that our days won't consist of so much "family time" in the upcoming days. We've gotten ourselves into a nice little routine so far and I'm not ready for it to change yet!

Goodbye, Granny Franny & Hello, Meal Planning

Today Ethan said goodbye to his Granny Franny (who is technically his great-aunt but that doesn't have the same cutesy ring to it, does it?) before we dropped her at the airport to catch her flight back to Pennsylvania. As always, it was sad to see her go! It's always been sad to see her go, but it felt especially said that Ethan was having to see her go. A great deal of my childhood memories involve spending invaluable time with my aunt Fran and my Bubbie. When my Bubbie passed away after a tough nearly decade-long battle with Alzheimer's, it was beyond heartbreaking to think that my children would never know her. Yet I knew my children would always have my aunt Fran -- their Granny Franny (I'm determined to make that stick, by the way) -- to have the same great childhood memories. I was lucky enough for her to have been a fellow Floridian during my childhood, thus giving me the lasting memories of making chocolates, doing arts and crafts, eating ice-cream on the couch while watching movies and kitschy old television shows and so many others.

While she was here, she got to spend a great deal of time with Ethan and resume the role of a loving, baby-hogging grandparent. (A kid can never have too many grandparents. I was obsessed with mine growing up, so I stand by this statement.) We tried to convince her that she really didn't have to go back up north but, alas, she had to. I tried all of the guilt that I had in me but she boarded that plane and made her way back up north. I'm glad Ethan got to spend the week with his Granny Franny and I'm sure he's already looking forward to her visits in the future. Soon he, too, will run to greet her at the front door when she comes to visit (before tearing open her suitcase and rummaging for the freshly baked cookies that are inevitably packed inside!).


Also something new I've tried to adapt would be weekly meal planning. I absolutely love cooking but am guilty of running to the grocery store in the middle of the afternoon when I discover a recipe I want to try for dinner. I'm trying to be a little more efficient than that by making grocery lists with all of the ingredients for dinners for the week that I sat down and pre-selected. My husband will be going back to work soon after a long paternity leave and this means that I absolutely won't have the luxury of running to the grocery store in the middle of the afternoon like I used to now that I'll be home with Ethan.

This is my second week meal planning and I'm actually pleased with how much less stressful it makes dinner. I feel prepared and organized!


Tonight for dinner I made Skinny Taste's Carne Bistec (recipe here) paired with a recipe I had saved for a while now called "Imitation Patatas Bravas." (If you like spicy, this entire meal is for you.)

Here's how you make the potatoes:

• fingerling potatoes
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• black pepper
• clover honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/8 tsp. Mexican-style chili pepper
• 1/4 tsp. Paprika
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Chop fingerling potatoes into chunks and lay across baking sheet.
- In a small prep bowl, mix olive oil, red wine vinegar, cumin, paprika, chili pepper and garlic. Brush mixture onto potatoes with basting brush.
- Sprinkle sea salt and black pepper over potatoes to taste.
- Top with a drizzle of honey.
- Bake potatoes at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, taking sheet out at 15 minutes to baste in another coat of seasoned olive oil mixture and toss.

Post-Bathtime Photo Op

Want To Win A Sophie?! - CLOSED

Ethan loves his Sophie and now you can win one, too! This is just another one of the giveaways I had mentioned coming to YouAreTheRoots in the upcoming days (heads up: another great one is coming up soon!).

Sophie is great because she's the perfect toy for ages 0+, which includes Ethan. Aside from being cute, she serves her purpose as being a safe and reassuring 'friend' for Ethan to hold close or take comfort in when he's scared or upset.

I always thought Sophie was a cool toy because she helps work with baby's five senses. Her spots are easy recognizable to baby and help him to practice visual stimulation. She's made of a soft, BPA free all-natural rubber and babies love to chew or suck on her limbs. She also makes a great teether for sore gums. Babies can also easily recognize the scent of the natural rubber, making them feel comforted that their friend Sophie is near. Her size and body are perfect for baby's tiny hands to grip and hug close. Ethan especially finds her squeaker amusing and loves the squeaky sound!



Ethan got in lots of cuddle-time with his friend Sophie before his recheck at the doctor today. (More on that later!)

He's excited that we get the opportunity to let one of our readers win their very own Sophie!


MANDATORY ENTRY:

• You MUST be a follower of You Are The Roots on GFC (Google Friend Connect) to be eligible for entry!
• Leave me a comment letting me know who you want to win a Sophie for! Make sure your e-mail address is visible in your profile or included in your comment.

BONUS ENTRIES: *Mandatory entry must be completed for these to count!

• Like You Are The Roots on Facebook and leave me a comment with your name (first name, last initial) or URL so this can be verified!
• Enter another one of our giveaways and leave me a comment here letting me know which one you entered (one entry here per giveaway entered).
• Tweet the following message (can be done once a day for one entry a day) and comment with the link to the tweet: #win a Sophie the giraffe teether at tinyurl.com/3wwa4um, ends 8/11/11!
• Share this giveaway on your Facebook (can be done once a day for one entry a day) and comment with the link!
• Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs & Picket Fence Blogs (look to the left to see the buttons) - counts as one entry, can be once a day. Leave me a comment to let me know you've voted!
• 3 Entries - Blog about this giveaway. Comment (one comment for each entry, 3 total) with a link to where I can find your blog entry.
• 2 Entries - Grab my button and comment (one comment for each entry, 2 total) with a link to where I can find it.

This giveaway closes on 8/11/11 @ 10AM EST. Open to US residents. Winner will be selected at random and notified via e-mail.



AND THE WINNER IS...



Congratulations Diana!
I've contacted you via e-mail! Please respond within 48 hours and I'll get your Sophie right out to you!

goodbye, reflux. we won't miss you one bit.

As promised, this is the post that contains such a miracle that I feel almost superhuman to have the ability to make it. If you're a parent to a baby with reflux, this one is for you. If you're pregnant and have no idea if your baby will have reflux, this is still for you. If you don't have any kids but think you might want one ten or twenty years down the line, read this. If you simply know someone with a baby or someone who is pregnant, do yourself and everyone else a favor and absorb what I'm about tell you.

Our awesome pediatrician was all ready to write us a prescription for pediatric Zantac for Ethan's reflux. However, she said, there was something she wanted us to try first. She walked back into the room with two tiny little packets not unlike sugar packets. She explained that this was an all-natural, organic thickener used in Europe since the 1950's. A pediatric GI doctor in the building helped bring it over to the States. It could be mixed with breastmilk or formula and she wanted us to give it a try prior to starting the Zantac. I'm not opposed to medication by any means, but I do like to take the all-natural and organic route first, especially when dealing with my baby. I asked how long it'd take until we'd notice results and she said by the time the packets were gone (they were good for 1 1/2 feedings), we should notice a difference.

By the time we got home, it was time for a feeding. I used one of the little sample packets and sat down to feed Ethan. I don't even know how to put enough emphasis on the magic that happened next so I'll just say it and hope you pick up on the sheer miraculousness of it all. He didn't grunt, burp, arch, have gas, squeeze, cry, fuss, whine, spit-up or vomit. He simply sucked on the bottle silently, stopping every once in a while to coo and smile (and grab handfuls of my hair, which seems to be his new hobby. Isn't he too young for this?!) and then go back to silently and contently eating. It was unreal. It couldn't be happening. He hadn't eaten this peacefully at all since the moment he was born. When the sample packets were gone, my husband and I had no choice but to feed him without them. Cue in the grunting, burping, gas, squeezing, crying, fussing, whining, spit-up and all-out vomit. I was awake getting completely soaked in vomit until five in the morning when I couldn't see straight anymore and had to sleep.

I turned to the internet and learned that this wondersubstance can be ordered online in all 50 states, but I had to thank my (usually quite unlucky) lucky stars that out of the four pharmacies in the US to currently carry it, one was in Boca. So at 9:00 this morning, as soon as they opened, my husband was there to purchase a tub of it.

So what is this miracle, you ask?

World, meet Gelmix.

Gelmix is an all-natural, organic thickener to thicken breastmilk, formula and other liquids. It has virtually no calories. It has no color and no odor. It is hypoallergenic, gluten-free, casein free, soy free and whey free. It is derived from the seed of the carob tree. There are ready-to-feed thickeners on the market, but they don't let you work with any special dietary formulas (lactose free, soy free, hypoallergenic, etc.). Gelmix has virtually no calories (as opposed to rice cereal which adds 14 calories per ounce of baby formula), allowing your baby to properly digest the nutrients they need from their foodsource. Carob Bean Gum has been used in Europe since the 1950's as a formula and breastmilk thickener. However, many pediatric GI doctors here in the US are still unaware of Carob Bean Gum as a thickener.

I love Gelmix. As soon as we made Ethan a bottle of it this morning, the same miracles that occurred yesterday afternoon repeated themselves. He simply ate, content and comfortable. No gas, no arching, no fussing, no crying, no burping, no god-awful grunting noises or throat-clearing, no spit-up or vomit. None. My husband was feeding him and I had to keep asking "is he eating?" because the silence was such an unfamiliar feeding-time sound. When he was done eating? He simply took a nap. It's taking everything within me to not run to the kitchen, grab the container of Gelmix and kiss it for saving my son. 'Saving' may sound a bit extreme, but gone are the days of listening to him sob in pain from the burn of vomit from his throat and nose. Gone are the days of watching him writhe around in pain and discomfort from gas and indigestion. Here are the days of my son happily eating a bottle and his belly feeling full and settled.

Here's how it works:

• The measurements are one scoop of Gelmix for every 2 ounces of formula or breastmilk.
• Normally prepare your child's breastmilk bottle or formula.
• Heat up the prepared bottle to about 120 degrees.
• Cap bottle and shake well to dissolve any lumps.
• Wait about 5 minutes to let the bottle cool down prior to feeding.
• Shake a final time before feeding and check the flow.

Ethan is still taking his in his Dr. Brown's bottles with the level 1 slow-flow nipples, though it is noted you may have to move up a nipple size due to the thickness.

No one has asked me to review anything or make this post. I simply felt compelled to make it to share this secret miracle worker with other moms who are just as flustered and vomit-soaked as I was.

You can read more about Gelmix as well as order tubs (they come in two sizes) on their website. They offer a calculator on their website to let you know how much Gelmix you'll need to order. In addition, they offer free samples on their website for you to try.

hey, 98.6, his lovin' is the medicine that saved me, oh I love my baby...

Today was a day I've been looking forward to for some time. It was Ethan's one month well visit with his pediatrician. I was so excited to learn how much he grew and I was also looking forward to discussing his reflux with his doctor in hopes we'd be able to bring him some relief. This morning was especially rough with reflux symptoms, including a projectile vomit session at around 6 a.m. and a mass outpouring of spit-up throughout the day (including all down my back and in my hair seconds before we walked out the door to see the doctor -- go figure).

We arrived at the doctor for our 4:15 appointment and were brought back to our room. The nurse weighed Ethan (9 pounds, 9 ounces) and measured him (21 1/2 inches). Perfect! It was when the nurse went to take his temperature that all of the impending chaos began. Yes, my child decided to urinate all over the place and defecate all over the table for the poor nurse. After I cleaned up the mess, he decided he would top it all off by urinating all over the place again seconds before his diaper was back on! Eventually she took his temperature, which was 100.7. She thought maybe it was high because of the events that had just occurred. We then waited for his doctor to come in.

Cue in the smiles and "take my picture with Ethan at the doctor!" requests as we thought his making a huge mess on the table would be the low point of the visit. Oh, how naive. The doctor came in and asked for a temperature recheck now that Ethan was calmer. She was concerned when that temperature came back at 100.9. I swore my baby wasn't feeling warm at home or showing any symptoms of being sick at home. My husband was more positive with a "well, at least we're in the right place at the right time" kind of attitude. Optimism, my friends, is not in my nature.

In a few short minutes, the visit went from a happy, smiley one worth documenting to one that looked more like this:


(Yeah, I passed him off to my husband. I was crying in the corner. I'll own it.)

The doctor ran a strep test, a CBC and urine on him. We waited for the results for what felt like an eternity but was really only less than ten minutes.










...The results came back perfect. Perfect, normal, wonderful, great. At this point, his temperature was reading 99.4 and we were sent home with the orders to keep a close eye on him (which is easy for me, the paranoid lunatic who admittedly checks the rise and fall of his chest 1,000 times within the night to ensure he's still breathing) and take his temperature every four hours. I totally processed that as "take his temperature every 10 minutes." I'll own that, too.

Since our visit, his temperature has dwindled down and, as I was just feeding him, registered at a perfect 98.6. Insert major sighs of relief all around.

(Oh, and if you're curious, our fabulous pediatrician managed to completely cure Ethan's reflux. I'm saving this miracle for an entry tomorrow because it's too wonderful and miraculous to be cluttered up in this post about excrement, fevers and crying in corners.)

On our way home, I insisted my husband stop at Starbucks.

...a venti quad nonfat iced caramel macchiato? Pretty much mandatory. I have a long night of temperature checking every four hours ten minutes, don't you know.

Pineapple Chicken (Gluten-Free)

My husband asked me to please make this one again before he even swallowed the first bite. He repeated the request a few more times as we ate dinner which made me feel accomplished on my journey back to the kitchen.

I served the pineapple chicken alongside a bed of rice and broccoli which I cooked with a dab of soy sauce and a couple sprinkles of ginger. This is a recipe that I've had on file for a while to attempt making (but never got around to it) so I had my gluten-free alterations made for quite some time. If you're not gluten-free, it's still an easy recipe to make with your own glutenous alternatives.

You Will Need:

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup gluten-free low-sodium soy sauce
• ready-to-serve pineapple with juice
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup stoneground mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• red and green bell peppers, chopped

1. Season chicken with paprika, salt and pepper.
2. Heat stovetop to medium-high heat, add oil to skillet and brown chicken on both sides.
3. While chicken browns, drain pineapple and save the juice. Chop pineapple pieces into chunks and set aside.
4. Combine flour and half of the reserved juice until mixed well and consistency is smooth; set aside.
5. Combine honey, garlic, mustard, soy sauce and remaining pineapple juice and mix. Add to skillet and bring to a boil. Once boil occurs, reduce heat, cover skillet and let simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Remove chicken to spare plate and cover to keep warm. Stir in flour mixture to sauce in skillet and stir to combine. Stir until sauce thickens.
7. Return chicken to skillet and stir in pineapple and peppers. Cook for 10 minutes and serve alongside rice and broccoli.

Children's Book Review: "Carla & Leo's World Of Dance" by Agatha Relota

I was so excited when I was asked to review a copy of Carla & Leo's World Of Dance for my blog! There is little I love and cherish more than children's literature and this just seemed like such a great book right from the moment I pulled it from it's packaging. I couldn't wait to read this story and share it with Ethan!

Ethan's aunt Megan (my younger sister) is a dancer...
...so it's safe to say Ethan will grow up to share my spot as her #1 fan in the audience at her performances and competitions! I thought that it would be really cool to have a book about dancing for this reason, so that he can understand more about something his aunt Megan is passionate about and what she works so hard at to win all of those trophies and medals (yeah, I'm bragging. Yeah, I'm a proud sister!).

Luckily for us, Ethan's aunt Megan came over one day after a day of dance classes (jazz, in this case!) and couldn't wait to share the story with Ethan.



The three of us sat down together and Ethan listened -- er, slept? -- as Megan and I read him the story of Carla and Leo and their journey into the world of dance!



Since Ethan is too little to give his honest review, I'll take over and say that this was such a fantastic book! Although supposedly geared towards ages 8-10, I have to say that I truly believe this is a book that spans several different age groups. The illustrations, done beautifully by Thierry Perez, are so bright and utterly captivating that they will undoubtedly enchant any small child who lays eyes on them. The storyline, though youthfully narrated to appeal to a younger crowd, still packs so many facts and lessons on cultures of the world that even an adult could learn so many cool facts. For example, did you know that the name 'waltz' came from German and means 'to revolve?' I didn't!

As a mother to a little boy, I cannot stress enough how much I loved that there was a male character, Leo, who participated in dance lessons and admitted to falling in love with the world of dance. I can't tell you how frequently people tell me that it's a shame my son can't dance with his aunt Megan one day because he's a boy, but maybe one day I'll have a daughter who will be able to. I want to raise my son to know that there is nothing shameful, wrong or even remotely strange about a male who dances and I love how the character of Leo perfectly illustrates that.

The story begins as Carla and Leo, two small children, pass by a dance studio and beg the teacher to teach them to dance. Throughout a magical world painted by interesting facts, geographical and cultural lessons and whimsical illustrations, Carla and Leo learn all about various types of dancing from swing dancing to the rumba.

I love the cultural boundaries that are explored in this book. From Bill Haley's Rock Around The Clock to learning dances that originated in Africa and beyond, Carla and Leo explore different cultures other than their own that they may have otherwise never learned about if not thanks to the world of dance. They learn capitals, countries and the origins of many words and dances. As Miss Paulina teaches them world dances and their origins, Carla and Leo seemingly travel the world themselves, getting to experience the different cultures of the world through the music and their dancing.

Something else I love was that they learn confidence. One of my favorite parts of the book was when Carla and Leo were wondering if one day they could accomplish something and the dance teacher responds with: "Of course you can! You can do anything you want! You just have to put your mind to it and work hard."



I briefly touched on this at the beginning, but the illustrations are just mind-blowing. I'm racking my brain trying to remember another book illustrated so beautifully and magically but I simply can't. Each page is illustrated to perfection with the most colorful and bold illustrations. Even the most intricate details are displayed beautifully, like how the Brazilian flag colors are used to paint the pages where Carla and Leo learn dances from Brazil.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It was informative and enchanting and able to teach little readers so much about the world and various cultures. The beautiful illustrations and lovable characters are just an added extra!

For more information on Carla & Leo's World Of Dance by Agatha Relota (who is a fashion model, by the way, and the book has a forward by Jessica Alba!), visit http://www.carlaandleo.com.

You can also purchase Carla & Leo's World Of Dance (a beautiful hardcover) for $15.56 on Amazon.

Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Bottles Review

When Ethan first began having issues with colic and gas, I did the normal thing that any mom would do: research the heck out of the best bottles to help with gas and colic. There are definitely a few contenders on the market. Admittedly, we tried all of them. Some offered minor relief, some offered no relief at all. After tons of recommendations for me to try Dr. Brown's bottles, I was so excited when the great people at Dr. Brown's offered to send me some of their bottles for us to try.



The bottles come in both glass and plastic and in quite a few different sizes. The wider bottles come with wider nipples and the more narrow bottles come with standard nipples. Ethan previously had issues latching properly to the wide-mouth nipples on the Tommee Tippee bottles that frequently collapsed, so I was eager to see how he would do on the wide-mouth nipples from Dr. Brown's.



I read a lot of complaints about how difficult it was to assemble and wash the Dr. Brown's bottles. I have to say that I disagree. Sure, there were a lot of pieces, but for good reason: the internal vent system allows babies to eat without the discomfort of ingesting air bubbles. That means it helps with colic, gas and spit-up. The vent system fully vents the bottles for vacuum-free feeding which I was pleased to learn.

When assembling the bottles and then taking them apart to wash them, I was pleased to see that it wasn't a huge ordeal like many people were complaining about. The pieces were easy to assemble and went together easily. Washing the pieces was easy, too. They were easy to wash with just standard bottle brushes and they actually also came with a small brush to aid in cleaning the blue tube properly. They also washed nicely in our Munchkin dishwasher basket.







Something I also didn't know was that the venting system helps maintain nutrient levels in breastmilk and formula, including vitamins C, A and E. You can read more about the nutrient study here.

With the wide-mouth nipples, Ethan still had a tough time latching on at first. There was no nipple collapse like with some of the other bottles on the market, so eventually he was able to latch on and finish the bottle. With the standard nipples, Ethan latched on immediately and took to them quite well. I noticed immediately that he did not have as much gas after a few feedings as he previously had with some of the other brands of bottles we used previously. His need to burp was decreased from the prior bottles as well.

I was so impressed with the bottles that we went out to purchase some more and my parents even purchased a set for their home as well. Ethan still struggles with some gas discomfort though it's no longer after every feeding, but maybe once or twice per day. He's completely stopped spitting up after every feeding, too, which was a plus as I was really started to worry about it. I've noticed that most of his colic symptoms have also stopped and he never fusses after feedings anymore.



We are now solely using the Dr. Brown's bottles after each feeding. Ethan seems to favor the standard ones as opposed to the wide-neck ones, but he will still use both during his feedings.

I was overall quite impressed by all of Dr. Brown's products. I also liked that you can easily purchase replacement parts for all of their bottles in addition to nipples that correspond with your child's age and desired flow speed.

I am so grateful to the people at Dr. Brown's for offering us the chance to try out these great bottles because, let me tell you, I'm hooked!

You can purchase Dr. Brown's bottles at any baby retailer (Babies 'R Us, Buy Buy Baby, etc.) as well as online. I definitely recommend these to any parent struggling with a new baby with colic or a baby who is suffering from gas pains after feeding.

Ethan Is One Month!

Ethan turned one month old today! It's so hard to believe it's already been a month and it's even crazier to see how much he's grown in comparison to his newborn photographs. (By the way, how cute are his onesie stickers?! Bethany at The Momma Monologues got them for him as a gift! Aren't they adorable?!) It's been such a whirlwind month, but I mean that in the best of ways. Being a mommy has been the most wonderful thing in the world and even with all of the health issues that I had at the beginning, I can honestly say this has been the greatest month ever.

I was super excited to do his one month photo shoot today. Ethan, however? He decided this was all he was going to give me:


...So we called it quits and waited until right before he fell asleep in his Rock & Play Sleeper to get those cute shots we began this post with. Another lesson in the fact that motherhood often means going with the flow! I decided to make prints of both for his baby book. I'm sure one day he'll find humor in the outtakes!

Ethan had a pretty exciting one month birthday, though! My husband and I took him down to visit his great-great-grandmother, Jennie, today for a visit! He slept for most of the visit but still got lots of cuddle time in with his great-great-grandmother. I still think it's pretty great that Ethan gets a great-great-grandmother! Here I was thinking I was super special for just having a great-grandmother! It was a little bit tough being there and looking at my Nonno's empty chair. It was hard not to look at it and imagine him still sitting there and those thoughts prompted ones of thinking how much Nonno would love to hold Ethan in that very chair. It's moments like this where I feel so thankful for my birth (despite the trauma, really) and for the fact that Ethan made his arrival into the world on Nonno's birthday.

Ethan also received a special gift from his Uncle Mikey:

It's an ocean themed mini-guitar to match his nursery theme! Isn't that awesome?! Ethan is one spoiled little boy with so many people who love him! (But how can you not love him?! He's pretty darn lovable, if I don't say so myself!)

Ethan's excitement didn't end there! My aunt Fran is in town visiting from Pennsylvania. She flew in to meet Ethan and stay for ten days (we'll call her Granny Franny from here on out, as I'm desperately trying to make that one stick!). She brought with her Regal tickets for Aaron and I, and she and my mother (who I affectionately refer to as The Babysnatchers!) saw Aaron and I off to dinner and a movie while they took custody of Ethan for the evening. Now, Granny Franny is another one of those super-special relatives who I know Ethan will be extremely close to and love very much just as we do! She claims to not understand the blogging world ("People actually go on the computer just to read your crap?!") but I know she's reading this right this very second! I caught you, Granny Franny! You love reading my crap!



My husband and I then set off for dinner at Seasons 52 followed by a movie (A Little Help). Towards the end of the film, I was admittedly getting a bit antsy because I missed my little boy so much!



All in all, it's been a great month. My first month as a mommy has been nothing short of perfect. My little Ethan, thank you for being the best son anyone could ever ask for. I love you more than there are stars in the sky and with every last fiber of my being. You are my world.