Guess What???

Another McInnis is on the way!!! Yep, I'm pregnant and we're expecting an arrival around mid June. So I'm almost 7 weeks along. We had planned on waiting to tell the whole world until our first doctor's appointment on November 10th, but my pregnancy symptoms came on with vengence about a week ago, and well, it's been a little hard to hide how "green" I'm feeling :) So last night we decided we would just let people know so that they don't have to wonder what's wrong with me.

Anyway, we are thrilled! We can't wait to welcome another little one into the world. Jalon seems excited too, as much as his little heart understands. When we ask him if he wants a baby brother or sister, his answer is always, without a doubt, "Yes." And then he waits and looks around as if saying, "where is it?" We know he will be an awesome big brother. He's such a caring little guy.

Eating seems like such a chore lately, actually everything seems like a chore :) My symptoms with the first pregnancy were not this strong. Some of that may be contributed to the diet I put myself on once I knew I was pregnant. I am avoiding all the the top allergens (wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, nuts, fish and shellfish). Some of the foods that were staples for me the first time around like yogurt, milk, cheese, saltines and almonds; I have decided to stay away from. Enough studies have shown that avoiding these foods while pregnant and nursing can prevent a child from getting food allergies, especially when it runs in the family. That's enough for me to want to do it. But it makes food choices a little harder. I am making my own bread from oat flour, trying to eat alot of protein, fruits and vegetables, and staying away from all sugar (as I've seen it makes me feel worse). It's a learning process for me for sure. Oh, and did I mention, I'm not drinking coffee, not for diet reasons...but just the thought of it...yuck. Who am I? :)

All in all, we are doing well and very thankful for this great blessing in our life. Thank you for all your love and prayers during this time. We love you!

An Apple A Day...

...Is what we will be eating the next few months. We went to Lynd Fruit Farm on Saturday, which has become an annual family tradition, and came home with lots of delicious apples that we picked from the tree. There's something fulfilling about eating an apple you picked straight from the tree. We greatly missed having my Dad, and Jeremy's family with us. All of our schedules have been so full this month, and very different from one another's. The weather was a little crazy, rainy and cold, but that didn't take away from any of the fun. We all had a blast. Jalon loved picking the apples, slipping and falling down because of the wet grass, running around the trees with his cousin Jordyn, and of course, eating the apples.

Here are some of the pictures from the fruit farm and also some from last night playing in the massive amount of leaves in our backyard.Enjoying the delicious apples with cousin JordynSuch a sweet picture! Sister in law, Bree with her adorable 9 month old boy, Jacoby.All of our apples together, I believe it is about 75 lbs.

Paint, Paint, and More Paint

We went out this weekend to our town's fall festival. One of the children's activities was pumpkin painting. Jalon painted his first pumpkin and enjoyed it beyond measure. He was so proud of his little pumpkin, and in our eyes, it was best looking pumpkin we had ever seen. He spoke the rest of the time about painting, and then in the car, so we ventured over to a store, and bought him his first set of paint brushes and paint (washable, of course :). He couldn't wait to get home to have his first painting session on paper. We had a great time being artistic this weekend!

A Good Change

Fall is here and it is wonderful! The cooler weather came quicker than I anticipated but it feels great and smells even nicer. Jalon is doing great, getting more handsome and vocal by the day. He sure keeps life fresh and vibrant! I'm looking forward to a super-relaxing weekend filled with a few fall plans and some great family time.

Another noteworthy topic is the nutrition plan Eddie and I will start on Monday. I call it a nutrition plan instead of a diet because we are not trying to lose weight but rather gain a healthier lifestyle. I thought we had a pretty good balance of eating healthy in my family, and I still think we do, but after reading a book, "Never Be Sick Again," I have re-thought some of our food choices and we've decided to give this plan a try for a month and see how we feel. I am believing it will help with environmental allergies, fatigue, aches and pains, skin, headaches, just about anything that keeps us from feeling our best. So for a month, we will not be eating white flour, refined sugar, processed oils, dairy, and caffeine. Our meal plan will consist of mostly organic meats, organic fruits and vegetables (eaten mostly raw), nuts, beans, whole grains, seeds, oatmeal, eggs, lots of water, supplements, and I think that's about it other than cooking with olive oil and using ghee for butter. It is quite a change for us but very simple, and for me, simple is good. One statement the author made spoke loudly to us, and I paraphrase, that we should consider why we eat. We eat to feed our cells, to keep our bodies healthy, to nourish our bodies. Although I think we should enjoy what we eat, it helps me to make decisions based more than just on taste. We'll see how I talk a couple weeks into this :)

Have a great weekend, love to all!

Baby to Boy

J-Boogie and Daddy have been enjoying some fun times together. As Jalon is getting older, more things are opening up that we can do with him. Just when you start missing some of the baby stages, he reminds us how each phase is unique and special, and gets even better as the bond between all of us grows. Below are some pictures of their fun times.

Jalon is quite the talker and shocks us sometimes with his words. He told his cousin Jordyn the other day, who was offering her blueberries, "No thank you, I don't like those blueberries, I like mine at home." Me and my mom looked at each other and laughed and shook our heads is disbelief. Eddie and I find ourselves doing this frequently lately, he's learning so quickly these days and putting things together in his head...it's really amazing. Having a family is truly a blessing.Flying a kite (didn't get a very good shot)

A Neat Website

My brother Joe is a certified Personal Trainer. He has great knowledge and experience with fitness and nutrition and has a passion for helping people achieve their fitness goals. He now has a website with some really great information and tools about fitness and nutrition. I have added the link, Strength to Prevail. Please check it out!

Love Friday

Love that my house smells yummy right now, from a cake Jalon and I baked.

Love that we're having a game night tonight with the fellowship.

Love that I get to see my wonderful family tomorrow!

Love that we're going to the Wizard of Oz play tomorrow too!

Love that my little man is so loving and cuddly.

Love that a great friend will be here in a week.

Love that I have a minute to blog today while Jalon naps :)

Love that my life is peaceful and blessed!

And I LOVE YOU! Have a great weekend!