Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites

I love chocolate.  I love peanut butter and I love bananas.  So when I came across a recipe for Frozen Banana Bites about two years ago, I was very excited.   I modified the ingredients from the original recipe some to fit what I typically had.

I started making these a lot when  I started doing P90X because each bite only has about 35 calories in it.  I tend to crave something sweet at night so one or two of these can really satisfy that craving without packing on tons of calories!   And they are SO yummy so it's a win-win situation.  

   Liam enjoyed helping me make some today!!!

Here are my modified ingredients: 

FROZEN BANANA BITES

What you'll need . . .

• 2 large bananas
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

 Yep, it's that simple...only three ingredients!!!  I followed the rest of the recipe exactly the same and they have always turned out amazing!  Enjoy!

Siblings.Best.Friends

I grew up in a big family.  I have three sisters and two brothers.  Almost everywhere we went people stared at us or made comments about how HUGE our family was.  I never really thought we had a huge family.  It was normal to me and I loved it.  

Growing up my sister Ruth and my brother Matthew were my best friends.  Ruth is four years older than me and Matt is two and a half years older than me.  We did everything together.  We were pretty much inseparable.  

I want the same thing for my children.  I want a big family and I want my children to be each others best friends.  I can already see this happening with Ruy and Liam and it makes me so happy.  I love watching them play.  I love hearing Ruy teach Liam new things.  I love seeing the love in Liam's eyes when he looks at Ruy.  I love hearing Liam call Ruy "Bubby".  I love that Liam wants to do everything Ruy does and I love that Ruy is trying so hard to be such a good example to him.  I love that they love each other.  

Getting My Body Back

One of my biggest goals this year was to get back into a workout routine and loose the last 20 pounds I had gained from my pregnancy with Alanna.  I had done P90X when Liam was 6 months old and continued with it off and on until I started Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred It a few weeks before I found out I was expecting Alanna. I believe I was on day 12 when I found out I was pregnant.  I tried a few more days of the workout but quickly realized I was not going to be one of those moms who could workout during my pregnancy.

I was 160 pounds after I had Liam and after doing P90X was 112 pounds.

1 week after Liam was born

1 year after Liam was born

It took me three months to loose the last 15 pounds I needed to loose and to drop from a size 6 to a 2.  P90X  is amazing.  I love the workouts.  They are fun and you burn a lot of calories.  I never felt hungry because I was eating about 1800 - 2000 calories a day.  I was also nursing so if I did eat a little more calories than that, it didn't really matter.  Nursing definitely helped the weight drop off.  I felt the healthiest and the most in shape I ever have in my life after doing P90X.

But then I got pregnant and gained another 35 pounds.  I have lost 25 pounds but these last 15 pounds just do not want to go away easily.  So I just started doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred It.  I finished up Day 3 today and to be honest... it is hard.  Even though it's only a 25 minute workout, it's killing me.  Taking a year off of working out does nothing good for your body.  I'm dying to be in shape again and to be skinny again but I forgot how hard you have to work for that.  Even though I gained the same amount of weight with Liam and Alanna, I started out 10 pounds lighter with Alanna than Liam which made a huge difference in how big my arms and face got.  I also lost the first 25 pounds in 4 weeks with Alanna.  It took me about 4 months to loose it with Liam.  I'm going to give working out prior to getting pregnant the credit for that. 

10 days after Alanna was born

Day 1 of 30 Day Shred It... 132 pounds.

I'm also using myfitnesspal.com to track my calorie intake.  I'm trying to keep myself at about 1600 calories while on this workout routine because you don't burn nearly as much on 30 Day Shred it as with P90X.  So you might ask "then why not do P90X again if it burns so many more calories?"  The answer to that question is because Alanna is only 10 weeks old and is still not on a regular napping routine.  Most days she is consistent but I can't guarantee it and it's hard to fit an hour workout in when you have to keep dealing with a newborn.  So my plan is to finish the 30 Day Shred it around the end of February and then to start P90X after that.

Another goal is to be able to run a 5K by the end of the summer.  I've never been able to run very well and I am determined to change that this year.  My brother is my inspiration for that.  He runs all the time and just last year did a 100 mile run that took him just under 24 hours to complete! 

I'll be posting my results and an "after" picture once I complete the 30 days.  I'm only on day 3 and have already lost 2 pounds.  My legs and arms are sore but it feels good to know that I am getting stronger and healthier.  If you want to join in with me, I'd love you to!!!  It's always helpful to have a support group.  So ... who's with me???? :)

my sick baby girl

I could tell something was just not right.  You were not your normal self.  You would not stay asleep after I laid you in your crib.  You were unsettled and only wanted to be in my arms.  I kept you wrapped in my arms all night, snuggled close to my chest.  I could smell your sweet breath, hear your soft breathing, feel your tiny body next to mine.  You awoke more than usual that night and I understood why in the morning.  You are sick...with watery eyes, a runny nose, and a fever.  My heart aches watching you be in pain.  You struggle breathing, especially when nursing, choking and crying.  You try to smile at me but it turns into cries.  You are so sick my sweet baby girl.  You spend all day in the Ergo where you can be upright and in my arms.  You have barely opened your eyes in two days.  You just want to sleep.  Your tiny body is exhausted from fighting this cold.  I pray you are better soon... I miss your sweet smiles and coos.

2/52 "Our Life" Project - Surprise

"Liam look out the window!!!  It's snowing!"  A "surprised" look came over Liam's face as he looked out the window at the snow.  "That's snow" he said.  "Do you want to go outside with Bubby and play in it?"  "Yeah!!!"  After eating breakfast, getting a diaper change, getting dressed, and getting into his snow pants, coat, hat, gloves, and boots ... Liam followed his big brother outside into the snow... excited as ever!  You would have thought a foot of snow was on the ground when in reality it was only a light dusting.  He did not remember snow from last winter so it was like a whole new adventure for him.  It's wonderful how children see such beauty in the little things.  My children are a constant reminder of how I need to slow down and just enjoy every part of life. 

A Good Day.

Yesterday was a pretty good day.  I told the boys once Ruy got some school done, we would go to Chick-fil-a for ice cream since Ruy had done so well on his last spelling test.  They were both very excited!  Ruy worked hard on school and Liam had fun doing his "school" as well.  He likes sitting at the table with us and playing with play-doh, coloring, building blocks, and doing "math" as he calls it, which is really just a bunch of scribbles on paper. 

I enjoyed a cup of coffee while helping Ruy with his schoolwork.

 

 Ruy took a little break and helped Liam with some coloring and then we all started dancing to the music we were listening to.  

I love these little moments that I get to enjoy with the kids each day.  I'm really trying to soak up every day and every moment.  Too often I get caught up in laundry, cleaning, paying bills, or worrying about what I'm going to make for the next meal but my goal this year is to try to slow down and just enjoy my kids while they are little.

After Ruy did some of his school we ate lunch at home (trying to cut back on eating out).  Liam entertained us with his silliness.  He loves to do "stinky face".  He made this up a few months back.  He just takes his hands and squeezes either his own cheeks or someone else and says "stinky face".  It's so funny.

After lunch, we headed out to Chick-fil-a.  Baby girl looked pretty adorable in her bonnet.  Ruy picked it out for her to wear.

I didn't feel like bringing my big camera into CFA so I just settled for my point and shoot Sony to get a few quick pictures of the boys enjoying the ice cream.

They were pretty happy.  After ice cream, I let the boys play for about an hour in the play area before heading home to enjoy the outdoors.

 

We finished up school after playing outside and then ended the night with a great time at our Small Group from church.   I'm pretty lucky to get to spend every day with my three loves.  :)

Alanna.Two.Months

Two Months 1-14-14
10 lbs 8 oz - 22 inches

You still sleep most of the day but you are able to stay awake for 1-2 hours at a time now.  You nap in your crib most days for 2-3 hours at a time.  You nap in the ergo at least once a day.  You go to bed in your crib at night but after 3 hours you spend the rest of the night snuggled next to mommy.  You love your pacifier.  You smile all the time now, even when I am nursing you which can get kind of messy.  You try to talk by making the cutest cooing sound ever.  You can hold your head up for a few minutes at a time now.  You still do not like being on your tummy.  You spit up very often.  You still smell like a newborn...I never want that smell to go away.  You had your first shot.  You cried...I almost cried.  You cry tears now.  Your cry is so soft and quiet though.  You celebrated your first Christmas.  You are growing out of your 0-3 month clothes.  You are quiet and sweet.  You are the most beautiful girl.  You are my world.