Baby Shower : It's a Boy!

Within the past 9 months I've celebrated or have given gifts for 8 babies, but this was the first baby shower I actually helped coordinate. My cousin and her girlfriend was finally expecting a little boy! I teamed up with her sister to throw the cutest baby shower ever. She knew she didn't want to throw her little sister a typical "it's a boy" baby shower because that wasn't her sister's personality. We also knew our budget so that meant a lot of DIY was going to happen. I'm so proud of how everything turned out and the baby shower was a total hit!

My cousin make this HUGE but cute diaper wreath and added her sister's baby's ultrasound picture hanging in a cute little frame in the center of the wreath. We had to tie each diaper individually so lucky we were able to tag team that portion of the project together (which still took forever ha ha).

Like I said before, I'm known for bringing cake pops to every family get together, but this time I make them with a little flair. This was my first time dying the cake batter and I think the final product turned out so cute! I used mini cupcake liners for the bonnet and tied matching ribbon to hold it in place.

Our cousin motto is that "there's always room for dessert" so to tie into that we took baby items and made them looks like yummy sweets! We bought some toddler bowls and spoons then made "sundaes" with a receiving blanket, onesie, and red sock to look like a cherry on top. Then we took more toddler spoons from the pack and used them for sticks to our lollipop bouquet that was made from burp clothes and onesies. Lastly, we made "cupcakes" by using receiving blankets and a red sock. We then wrapped the final product with a coffee filter and ribbon and placed it in a bakery box to top off the cupcake look.

In my family, a Las Vegas party isn't complete without a cake from Freed's Bakery! Like I said, my cousin and her girlfriend aren't the cliche baby shower type so with a little brainstorming with her sister and the Freed's consultant, we came up with this beautiful creation. Freed's executed the baby quilt look perfectly and the whimsical balls at the top left corner added that extra modern flair we were looking for.

The focus of our decorations was our crave table. If you couldn't tell by now, the color scheme was turquoise and gray because that's the baby's room colors. We created a gray backdrop with a gray table cloth and filled the crave table with both parents' favorite foods! My cousin loves Raising Cane's Sweet Tea and Julian Apple Pie from Julian, CA while her girlfriend has been craving a specific type of orange juice and a variety of fruits her whole pregnancy.

Throughout the rest of the house we carried out the color scheme with these tissue paper poms we made and a complementing "baby boy" sign to our crave table sign over the presents downstairs. The poms were super easy to make! The kiddos helped out and it added to the cuteness to the party.

Our food menu consisted of both soon-to-be parents favorite foods. Everyone loved the modern flair to the baby shower without being too kitschy. Congratulations to my cousin and her girlfriend on finally becoming parents! You guys are great with our kids and I know that SJ couldn't have asked for better mommies in his life! Welcome to parenthood!
 

What are some items that you would have on your crave table?

The Rumors are True: Third Trimester

The third trimester of my pregnancy wasn't much better than my second. The whole car sickness bit went away, but I still had to prick my finger every day since I had gestational diabetes. I went for my usual ultrasound check and got some news that rocked our world. I could tell something was wrong when the technician told me that she was having trouble identifying something so she had to get the doctor. I understand that these people are trained to remain calm when they see a problem and reassure us that everything will be ok, but after having 3 different doctors check out my ultrasound I started to worry. They basically told us that the fluid spaces in Jordan's brain were a little bigger than normal so I'd have to come back for weekly ultrasounds to monitor it. By the third or fourth visit the doctor sat us down and told us to basically prepare for the possibility of having a mentally disabled child. We were devastated. When you find out that you're pregnant you never really consider the thought of having a child with a disability. You start to blame yourself and retrace your steps on what you could have don't differently. Mahal and I talked about how we would handle it, but we felt so lost. Neither of us had any previous experience with disabled children or had any encounters with them except in school. Regardless, we knew no matter what, that was our son and we'll love him no matter what.

Now, what I'm about to tell you may sound unreal. Some people may believe me or some people may just think it was a coincidence. To each is own but this is just my personal story. We were raised as Catholics so whenever we have troubles in life we were always taught to pray about it. Filipinos have many superstitions and beliefs as well, but I was never one to get wrapped up in it all. This is where the unreal act comes in. Once a month my aunt goes to this church and after mass she visits this hilot lady who lived nearby. In the Filipino community, hilot is an ancient art of healing. In the Philippines, Manghihilots (Hilot practitioners) are a cheaper alternative to medical doctors. The hilot lady my aunt visted was a little bit different than most. As a little background, many Filipinos pray to Santo Niño just as many Catholics would pray to Jesus. This hilot lady healed others by "transforming" into Santo Niño. It sounds crazy I know, but she does. My aunt suggested that we go with her to visit the hilot lady to try and help with Jordan's condition. She said we had nothing to lose if we tried so Mahal and I hesitantly went.

Santo Niño {via}

The whole idea made us a little nervous since we've never experienced or witnessed anything like my aunt described. She's brought other family members before, but I never opted to attend until now. When we arrived we ate and then prayed the rosary together. This is also the time where watched her "transform". Once she fully embodied Santo Niño her helpers at the home sat her down on the couch and one by one everyone knelt in front of her simply asking for her blessing. She placed her hand on your head, chest, and stomach to bless you and will make a gagging sound if she finds any bad auras in that area (ie. sickness) as if the sickness is traveling out through her and she's gagging and getting rid of it for you. Odd I know, but stay with me. When it was my turn I did the same. I knelt in front of her and asked for her blessing. I never spoke to anyone when we arrived at the home so no one knew my reasoning for being there. Most people just come to attend the prayer. Her eyes were closed the whole time, so even though it was obvious, she mentioned that I'm expecting a baby and it will be sooner than expected. She said expect my little one in July or early August. Her helper whispered and asked when my due date was and I said September 5th. She placed her hand over the three areas of my body and when she got to my stomach she started to hyperventilate and gag. Everyone else who had the same reaction previously was done in a minute or less, but with me she stayed with her hand hovering over my stomach for 5-7 minutes! Her helpers reassured me that it was ok and to just pay attention to her since she spoke so softly. Once she was done she instructed me drink orange juice with lots of pulp for one week and everything will be ok now, not to worry. We all finished up and left.

Mahal and I didn't know what to think afterwards. He also asked for a blessing from Santo Niño and she begin to heal his chest. No one but me knew that he was suffering from excruciating chest pains for over a month on a daily basis, and after the session he never had them again. Although he was grateful for what she did, he was a little spooked by the whole idea. We just prayed that the same results worked for our baby. I went for my weekly ultrasound and the doctors were shocked at the significant change in his scans! Once again three different doctors checked it out to get another opinion and then gave us the all clear that our baby was happy and healthy inside. They couldn't explain the drastic change especially since the fluid spaces were increasing more than than their liking week to week. We were ALL ecstatic to hear that great news. Now all we have to do is keep him safe until delivery time! Only about 3 1/2 months more to go!

Most moms can't stand being preggo by the 3rd trimester. How is/was your 3rd trimester?

The Rumors are True: Second Trimester

My second trimester was fun and horrible all at the same time. By this time in my pregnancy it was early Spring so the weather was a little better. My baby bump grew enough where it was noticeable now and JAM was big enough to find out that we we having a baby boy! I honestly don't remember the first time I got to feel JAM actually move and kick, but I thought it was so cool to lay there and watch my stomach move around. When you're pregnant a common question question is "Do you have any cravings?" Well, mine was mangoes as well as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I know it sounds TOTALLY unhealthy, but for breakfast I'd eat FOUR PB&J sandwiches a day!  Poor Mahal though. I'd always complain about my craving for mangoes, but in the Springtime they're not in season so they were hard to find. My next best thing was dried mangoes from the Filipino store and that wasn't satisfying enough. All these sweet things I craved, it was no surprise to find out that I developed gestational diabetes haha. Honestly though, the 4 hour test they give you to test for gestational diabetes, who isn't diabetic after drinking that juice they make you take beforehand?! It was so sweet I had trouble downing it and it made me want to throw up halfway through!

I think from that diabetes testing on, things went a little downhill from there. I was put on a strict diet since I had gestational diabetes, and I had to prick my finger 3 times a day to check my blood glucose levels. Not that I'm afraid of needles, but I never met anyone who was excited to be poked with needles. Boy did I have a needle fest in this pregnancy! But, more on that later. JAM's kicking went from intriguing to a pain in the butt! Like clockwork this kid would kick from 10pm-1am like he had a graveyard shift aerobics class to attend. Because of it I started to become very sleep deprived. So not only did I have "senioritis", I wasn't getting any sleep AND pregnancy brain started kicking in. I don't know how I got through my senior year with straight A's (haha), but I did it. I also got HORRIBLY car sick to the point where if I had to ride in the car I had to be lying down, which is pretty hard to do. If I was in the front seat I had to be fully reclined back and if I was in the back seat I was lying across the seat. Sometimes that didn't even help too. I don't know how many times I had to scream for Mahal to pull over randomly because I had to throw up from being car sick. I remember one time he picked me up from my house to go out and not even 3 minutes later I told him to stop at the Target at the next light because I had to throw up. As we pulled into the entrance I screamed for him to stop because I couldn't wait any longer but he was trying to comfort me and tell me to just let him park. I said, "Do you want me to throw up in your car or are you gonna pull over?!" So, there I was, barely turned into the entrance of Target puking my guts out. Classy haha. Gee, I wonder what my third trimester has to offer??

What were some things that you craved throughout your pregnancy?

The Rumors Are True: First Trimester

Experiencing this baby boom in my family makes me reflect on my own pregnancy 6 years ago. Wow, was it really 6 years ago?! Seems like yesterday honestly. I swear I'm going to walk into JAM's room and he's still only a 1 year old at the very most, still stumbling around in his diaper with his chubby legs. As some of you may know, I had JAM when I was 18 years old. I expected the questions and looks I got being a pregnant teen, but the whispering behind my back questioning if I was truly pregnant was the most annoying thing. So, I bought a shirt that said "the rumors are true" to lighten the mood a little haha.

If you're a mom and you say that you don't like to talk about your kids or your pregnancy experience YOU'RE LYING! Every mom likes to share their story and compare it with other moms. Being a part of several mommy group in Las Vegas common FAQs are usually asking about pregnancy and birthing experiences. In this day and age there are soooooo many options you can opt for, but I had the typical hospital birth. That's another story though. My pregnancy was not too bad reflecting on it as a whole if that makes any sense. JAM was said to be conceived at the end of November when I visited my gynecologist in January to verify that I was pregnant. I didn't have any nausea or morning sickness throughout my first trimester.

Hello in there!

That's also around the same time when I got my first pap smear. Girls are always so nervous about getting it done. I'm 24 years old and I still have friends who haven't done the pap test yet. Get it done ladies! It's important to get tested. Everyone's experience is different but it wasn't bad at all for me. The tools they use aren't scary and they don't hurt at all. If you have a good doctor like mine, they'll explain everything step by step so you know what's going on down there as they do it. The only uncomfortable thing to me was the .2 second swab they did on my cervix but it was nothing. That's it! Plus if you're preggo, this pap smear is the least of your worries haha. Get used to random people fondling you down there....just kidding....sort of.

Anyways, the first trimester was easy peasy. I honestly didn't even get a noticeable baby bump until maybe about 5 months in. That's when things started to change a little....

4-5 months preggo! Proof my tummy didn't always look like it was attacked by tigers =p

How was your first trimester experience? 

Baby Boom

Man oh man has there been a baby boom amongst my friends and family! I've had 1 friend have a baby girl in August, 1 aunt deliver a baby girl a few days ago, another friend expecting a baby girl in November, and 2 more family members expecting this upcoming year!! Not only are there tons of babies, but most are baby GIRLS! If my family and life doesn't have enough of them haha. On my mom's side, we didn't have a baby boy cousin until number 6 out of 15! Regardless, I love growing up watching my BIG family forever expand.

Any time I start to have baby fever, BAM! someone pops out a kid to fulfill my baby emptiness haha. I'm so excited to see what the future has to hold and congrats to all the new (and old) mamas out there! Aside from how expensive they are and the sleepless nights, babies are so much fun and they're only babies for a year so enjoy it!! A wise mama once told me, "The days are long, but the years are short". If you're a parent, you definitely can relate. I can't believe JAM is already 6 and is ALREADY talking about plans for his 7th birthday (which isn't until August haha). The downside to all this baby awesomeness is that none of them are close enough for me to play with and enjoy!! L.A., Hawaii, Chicago, North Carolina....boo. Bring 'em to me! I'll babysit! Personally, I'm not ready for all the care and needs that a little girl entails so if you're like me, don't drink the water.....or the milk haha. I don't know what's in it but people are poppin' out baby girls like there's no tomorrow.

Here's to tons of baby showers and PINK! To the 2013 expecting mamas in my life, hopefully one of you pop out a boy because JAM needs more boy playmates hehe. Wishing all of you guys a healthy pregnancy, a speedy recovery, and a beautiful, healthy baby boy or girl. Oh, and I pray that you don't have the fear of going to the bathroom after delivery hahahaha, but that's another story.....

About Me

Since I entered a relationship at 17, became a mom at 18, and transitioned into adulthood all at the same time, I've been on this whirlwind and it hasn't stopped yet. If you've checked out Chitown and All Around it can be for many reasons: you saw one of my yummy food creations and wanted the recipe, you needed kid tips and/or advice, you wanted to check out one of my easy to do DIY projects, or you're just the average 26 year old in college like me and was enticed by my crazy, hectic, stressful, loving, caring, joyful life (hehe).

First and foremost, WELCOME! My name is Ashley and I'm originally from Chicago, IL. People think the name of my blog, "Chitown and All Around", is misleading since many of the things I blog about are based on stuff in Las Vegas. Like I said in my post "Taking It Day By Day", we're both from Chicago, IL but my boyfriend and I have traveled to many different areas of the U.S. since his job in construction required it (hence the name Chitown and All Around). However, we decided that once our son, JAM, turned 5 years old, we would settle down somewhere so he could start elementary school. So, we settled down in Las Vegas, NV, but I doubt this is our last destination hehe. Currently, my boyfriend, Mahal, works for a local tire company while I pursue my degree in business (almost done! *fingers crossed*).

Mahal helped built these windmills!

Since I started the adulthood chapter a little earlier in life than my peers, I ended up becoming the go-to girl to ask about relationships, babies, etc. I started to notice certain topics that were consistent on being asked and decided to start my own blog to talk about it all instead of becoming a broken record. I figured, if these people keep asking the same questions and are curious about the same topics, clearly this isn't an "it's only happening to me" kind of situation. So I decided to share the wisdom that I obtain as I go through the paces. By no means am I an expert, but if I give a little insight and it helps one person out there from making the same mistakes as me or if it makes life a little easier, I'd LOVE to be that go-to person.

If you're not sure if this is the blog for you, take a sneak peek at some of my favorite posts on the right hand side. If you decide you like it and want to get updates on when I publish a new post, there are so many options to stay connected! You can "Like" my page on facebook, follow me on twitter, add my on Google+, follow me on Instagram or click that little link on my sidebar and subscribe to my blog via email (or you can just click here to subscribe too). In the same sidebar you can find other ways to stay connected to me like how to follow me on Pinterest, personally e-mail me, or you can just simply comment on any of my posts. I absolutely love to read your comments and appreciate any feedback or thoughts you have on what I post. All I ask is that you provide CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and are polite to others who comment. If you're a Las Vegan like me I suggest you like or follow me on social media because I like sharing events and deals going on around town on there so "Like", "Follow" here, "Follow" here and/or "Add" me to receive the updates!

A Little More About Me....

I met my boyfriend, Mahal, when I was a senior in high school. I was introduced to him through a mutual friend, and we are now going on 9 years of being together. He's my best friend and the best dad I could have ever wished for to our son. I gave birth to JAM a little before our one year anniversary and we've been living in this chaotic bliss since. Like I said before, we're all originally for Chicago and we miss it every day, but we've set up an awesome establishment here in Las Vegas that I'm very proud of. However, there is NO place like home.

Although I'm a mom and a full-time student, one of the biggest issues I struggle with as an adult is being able to cook! I had a grandfather who would could 4-5 different things for breakfast, lunch and dinner so I never felt the need to learn how to cook. Mahal cooks like a pro but since he's the one bringing home the bacon there's not much wiggle room for him to cook too. So I find recipes, get suggestions from family and friends, or whip together random items and hope it turns out yummy. One of my favorite things to post are recipes that I've tried. It's like my badge of honor that I didn't burn the house down haha.

My other "badge of honor" would definitely be JAM. He is my world and I LOVE to share the experiences I share with him every day. What mom doesn't like to brag about their kid?! He the most handsome, most caring, and smartest boy I know with a little stubbornness that he gets from both of his parents. Did I mention Mahal, JAM, and I are all Leos?? Yea, if you're into horoscopes you understand why that can be a problem haha.

Aside from blogging, in my spare time I like to watch TV, surf the web, and read.  I have a fascination for medicine so it's no surprise that I love watching Grey's Anatomy. I also like watching most episodes on the TLC network as well as daytime talk shows (Ellen's awesome!). As much as I hate to admit, I easily get hooked on reality TV shows. It's like a train wreck that I can't stop staring at! Since I am from the Windy City I love their sports team, but if you're wondering, GO WHITE SOX!! I'm not the most artistic and creative person, but I enjoy trying new projects and I'm OBSESSED with baking. Even though I complain sometimes that I'm always busy, I'm that type of person where my to-do list must stay full. Once I finish one project, I unconsciously fill it with another. That's probably another reason why I started blogging too haha.

Well I hope you enjoy my blog! Feel free to share it with anyone you feel would be interested in checking out Chitown and All Around. Again, check out the sidebar on my homepage! Let's be friends! With Mahal, JAM, and I working as a team, I feel that we can overcome anything, so sit back, relax, and enjoy reading about this crazy ride called LIFE! Can't wait to hear from ya!