Back at It Again with the Blog Posts!

WOW!  It's been so long that I have NOT blogged I didn't even give an update on the babies!  Life has definitely come in and taken it's toll.  I find myself not calling family or friends, in the house, or just trying to figure out what actually happened to my so called LIFE!  The twins will be 8 months this month!   Time sure does fly...especially when you are having fun.  They are crawling, babbling, and introducing their own personalities.  Miss Malaya is a D-I-V-A already honey!  And Mr. Junior is fun, cute, and can be sensitive.  Don't scream to loud or he will cry!  Those are my babies though and I am enjoying every part of motherhood.

I had decided back in October that I wanted to continue to pursue my PhD.  Guess what?  I decided to stop...AGAIN!  I really had no true career desires where I needed my PhD.  The good thing is that I have completed 30+ hours past the Masters and that adds into my income for my current job.  WHOOPEE!!!  Today is the LAST week of classes and I couldn't be more happier than saying that I am quitting school.  However, along with that comes a bill...and I mean a BIG bill.  While quitting school, I also reached my cap for Standardized/Unstandardized Financial Aid with the government.  $140,000 is what I owe them....yup you read that right....a whole house it was what I owe them for two sheets of paper and 36 hours worth of work.  SMH....they'll get their monies...soon or later...the latter part is what is going to happen.

Other than that I am just trying to be a better mother/daughter/sister/grandchild/counselor/friend that I can be overall.  Attempting to get my credit together so that this dream of purchasing a house this summer will become a reality.  We are currently in the process of buying a townhouse (more to come in a separate blog).  But life is life and every day I realize that I need to live it to its fullest!

As always, Peace & Happiness :)

~Erika B.

Mommy Series! Week 19

It's been about 5 weeks now since my last Mommy Series update and a lot has changed!  I am currently 19 weeks and 1 day into my pregnancy and I found out that I was having a twin boy and girl!!!  That means they are fraternal and for the most part I have been hoping and sensing that that would be the case.  The babies are growing well still and I have not had any problems physically.  There is no longer any sickness and my energy level has definitely gone up.  That doesn't mean that there are days when I am not tired because that NEVER goes away.  But for the most part I am able to cook and clean and get the majority of the housework done before I have to lay down.  This daylight savings time has been kicking my butt though!   It's harder for me to get up in the morning and go to work, but I force myself out of the bed some how.

I go back to the doctor next week, where I will be 20 weeks and 2 days.  I have my anatomy ultrasound completed, where they look at how the babies are growing and if all of their body parts, external and internal, are growing like they should.  I am still taking my prenatals and making sure that I am eating foods high in fiber as well as iron.  At this point, some women may experience constipation, which is not the route I'm trying to go especially carrying two.  According to my What to Expect and My Pregnancy apps, the babies are about 8 1/2 oz and about 6 inches long, which they compared that to a heirloom tomato.  I have started to feel them move with slight sways in my belly, but no heavy kicks or punches yet.  Since I am a first time mom, the app and my doctor stated that I would not feel it until about 20 weeks.  I have about another week to go ^_^ 

Overall I am satisfied with my first pregnancy and how things have been going.  I am thankful and blessed for my two little ones and also grateful that I haven't had any significant things that have risked the health of myself or my babies.

Until next time!  Peace & Happiness!

~Erika B.

Mommy Series! 14 Weeks

Today marks 14 weeks with my growing babies!  I am excited to be entering into the 2nd trimester as I am looking forward to this energy that people say I should have back.  Some of my struggles have been getting up and getting ready for work.  Every morning it's becoming harder for me to get up and get myself motivated to go to work.  If you read some of my older blogs, you know that I am currently on a mission to work from home.  If I am unable to work from home, then I would like to move from working at a secondary school to high school.  My appetite has picked up as well!  I am thankful that I have a had a pretty good pregnancy where I can pretty much eat whatever my stomach (or babies) desire and keep food down.  The smell and/or the look of food does not make me sick.  However, there are times where I may begin to eat something and all of a sudden lose my appetite, but if I wait about thirty minutes or longer, my appetite will reappear with full force!

Lately, over the past two days, I have been having these small headaches.  They are really annoying because it's not enough to cause a migraine but it's still there causing me pain.  I believe this may be due to my sodium intake as I have been a BIG snacker of salt and vinegar chips and at times I eat things high in sodium (noodles, frozen dinners).  I decided to start cutting back on that stuff (especially the salt and vinegar chips) and hope to see some improvements.  Family and friends who have been pregnant recommend that I drink PLENTY of water and get rest.  These are things that I do consistently but I feel my water intake may need to be much more as at times I feel super dehydrated even when I've bad about 8 bottles of bottled water.  If I'm not drinking bottled water, then I am gulping a bottle or can of ginger ale.  Rarely do I drink anything else.  I also still have not had a craving for too much sugar.  I had a small pack of powered donuts last night and today and I had a blow pop about three days ago.  I only eat sugar in sporadic amounts and only one time a day.  I give myself kudos for someone who was a Snickers junkie for so long :)

Overall, I would like to say that my pregnancy is on the right track.  Exactly two weeks from today, I go in for my routine appointment.  I will be 16 weeks/4 months, so I am hoping and praying that I am able to find out the genders of the babies.  I'm thinking a girl and a boy (but I'm really hoping for two boys!)  Whatever God decides to bless us with, I'll be happy as long as they are happy and healthy :)

Peace & Happiness!
~Erika B

Get in Gear for the New Year!

HAPPY 2015!!!  I can't believe that the new year is here but happy that it is because 2014 was ROUGH for me.  Although rough, I gotta give it to the man upstairs because he put those trails and tribulations in my life for a reason and I am so grateful for those experiences because they have made me a stronger person today and I can go through ANYTHING!  

For the new year I went and got hitched on the 2nd!  Had a small justice of the peace wedding with my now husband and my family members.  We were able to just enjoy the bonding and vows between each other and went out to eat to celebrate.  I am also 10 weeks pregnant with TWINS!  I am very nervous yet excited as these are my first babies on the way.  I guess I may be one and done after this.  God willing (and husband accepting) we may try for one more lol.

I was inspired today to get in gear for the new year.  There are so many things that I want to do and I know that I won't get them sitting and researching the information or being envious of those who already have it.  I gotta go get it!!!  Go getter, go getter, go getter!!!!  So I am inspired to at at least blog 3-4 times a week as well as follow up with my YouTube channel at least 1-2 times per week.  My overall goal is to become a stay at home mom with income when my children are here.  I would like more than part time work but not necessarily full time work because I'm going to have my hands full with twins!  Overall, I know my thoughts, my goals, and my ambitions.  It's just time that I be about it and stop talking/thinking about it!


I hope you all are starting out with a great new year as well.  And as I say...Peace and Happiness!  Here's a note on what a go getter is.  Is that you?  Do you want it to be you?  Then like Nike "Just Do It!"

~Erika B.

A #BikiniReadyLifestyle

Now it's a little late to be talking about a bikini ready lifestyle, but no matter what time of the year it doesn't always have to be summer for you to look and feel fit!  I know that I want to be #BikiniReady when I travel to Miami or Dubai!

Influenster sent me a box for testing purposes and included in this box was a sample of Bikini Ready Energy gummies.  I was sad because I didn't get to receive the full size bottle to test them out :(  However from the two gummies that I received I found them to taste great.  Since I only received two gummies I didn't get to test the full extent of what it claimed to do.  According to the packaging, Bikini Ready gummies:  tastes great, boots metabolism, and increases energy.  There is a statement claiming that "these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This product is not intended to diagonoise, treatm, cure or prevent any disease."  Like all other medications and viatmins, it is important to consult with your doctor/physician.

I am currently living at home so I don't have the best diet right now.  Once I move out with my fiance (hubby to be) then I would like to purchase these gummies along with the right diet.  I do find myself lacking energy and most of that comes from lack of sleep (I like to stay up late) and from a very poor diet (my diet lately has consisted of fried and fast food!)  

Overall, I think that the Bikini Ready gummies are a great supplement to add into a healthy diet regimen and I look forward to trying them again in the future!  Thank you +Influenster for allowing me to continue to try such amazing products! ^_^

Peace & Happiness!

~Erika 

Taking things for Granted

I feel that I am at the lowest point of lows in my life...and it's sad because it is L-O-W!  I hate when I do talk about how I feel, I always get the "things could be worse" spill and how "better things are to come."  I don't want to sound ungrateful for the thoughts and encouragement I receive, but when YOU are the one in the situation it doesn't matter what is said.  It's all about perception and my perception is skewed at this point because I know what I had and I can say that I took those things for granted.

Just three months ago, I was living in the Sunshine State, making a good salary, had my own place, my fiance, my own car; the norm when you live on your own.  Now here I am with no car (was totaled in an accident), I live with my mother and grandmother plus five others, my salary sucks as I took a HUGE paycut from a salary to hourly job, I'm back in the state of "lovers," and my fiance and I are apart.

I have been thinking about how I took the things that I lost for granted.  I needed a quote that was going to speak to me and it took me less than three seconds to find this:

This is no lie.  I miss the Florida weather, I miss the children I use to work with that worked my nerves, I miss my coworkers that didn't always see eye to eye with me, I miss my Altima that took me from here to there, I miss the lizards running across my yard.  I miss all the little things that I thought annoyed me more than anything!  It's funny how God will show you the things that you take least for granted and will force you to appreciate what you don't have that much more.  I am trying to remain optimistic; the glass is half full, but it's hard when you are sinking in your own sorrows too tired/worn down/beat up to save yourself.  

All I can ask is forgiveness and for others to pray for me.

Peace & [finding] Happiness,

~Erika

YouTube Groupie!

I have been addicted to YouTube for over the last year and when I say addicted I mean if the Internet went down today I think I would totally die.  But for real though 0_o.  I watch YouTube more than I watch TV.  I find myself grabbing for my computer soon as I get off work and now it's creeping into my work life!  I NEED REHAB!!!  LOL!  But with all that said I finally decided to join the YouTube community and I released my first video on Sunday!  YAY for me!!!  Check me out...my username for YouTube is ebanx151, but you can find me through Google+ @ebanx15!  I will be doing reviews on my channel and hope to start talking about saving money at the store through couponing and rewards systems.  

If you don't want to go through all the trouble, click the link here to find my channel right away!

Enjoy.  Like. Comment. Subscribe.  The best thing is that it's FREE!

Peace & Happiness :)

Erika