Hi, I am Sia. Nice to Meet You All!

Good evening ladies,

I just wanted to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for following and keeping up with the blog. I appreciate your time and your emails! I am so delightful to be able to have the chance to share my fit pregnancy with you all. While I share a TON of information that is helpful and useful, I realized that I have not really been personal with you guys as I should be. I hope to be able to share more about myself and help you get to know me! So, I decided to write this post for that very reason! :)

Here is a little about me.

To start off, my name is Sia. 

I am 24 years old. I am married to an Air Force Staff Sergeant named Grady who is the air I breathe! We are expecting our first child, a son, Greyson, on February 3rd. I am a nurse and fitness guru for a living. I also own my own photography business, but I hardly ever have time to run it though I still do shoots here and there when I do get free! I lost 45lbs 3 years ago after watch a documentary that changed my life and the way I viewed food and have been happier & healthier ever since. I am contemplating opening my own online boutique but cant quite decide if I want it to be a maternity or children's store. This is my goal for 2014, by the way. Along with reigniting my photography business. My favorite food has got to be pasta or pizza-I love Italian! My pregnancy has also made me crave cheese more than anything.  I try to limit those foods though. Instead, I like to recreate those "naughty" meals into a healthier version. 

Some exciting big news I would like to share is that I have been chosen to become a Mom Blogger for the popular site Skinny Mom! 

My blogging has really taken off and I am so thankful for it. It is truly a blessing! I used to run a popular blog called One Fit Chick. I deleted it upon going through my divorce (hard to believe I was married once before Grady walked into my life). It was a difficult time but I made the smart decision to leave a very abusive marriage.  God is great and He puts obstacles and issues in our lives to make us stronger. He raised me from my lowest point and gave me TWICE the amazingness back. I am so happy with my husband and unborn child, I could cry.

I am also still working on my new Pregnancy Diet & Fitness eBook which will be out in a few months on Amazon. In my new book, I share with you a diet & fitness plan specifically for a perfect pregnancy to help you stay fit and to keep you from gaining excess pounds. I will announce the publishing once it is finished!

Hope that you learned a bit about me today. I promise to share and open up more about myself. Being burned and hurt has kept me from being able to open up and write as I should!

Stay tuned :)

Sia

12 Things Happy People Do Differently

Christmas Dinner for Under $30

Hi ladies! It is almost Christmas time and I have been spending the last month planning my fabulous dinner for my family. I am officially a stay at home mom and wife now, so I tend to try and stick with a budget. 

This year, I gave myself a budget of $30 to cook Christmas dinner. I made my plan and have figured that it is absolutely possible to feed a family of 4 a wonderful full Christmas dinner!

Here's how.

The Main Dish.

I have found that figuring out your main dish first and then searching for a good deal is the best way to go. This year, I am cooking a nice juicy Ham for my husband and I. I managed to find a great price on a Ham at my local commissary. I realize that not all of you have access to a commissary, but as with any deli and meat department, you can be aware of when their meats go on sale-typically during the week. Also, do not hesitate buying ham that is frozen. Typically, before the meat hits its "Use by" date, the department will freeze it and knock the price down some. Perfectly fine! I managed to find a great ham for $10.

Here is the ham glaze recipe I am using for my ham:

*1 cup brown sugar

*4 tbsp honey

*1 tbsp cinnamon

All you have to do is mix the ingredients together, add a little water to liquefy, and baste the ham. Cook according to how much your ham weighs.

Side Dish

My favorite side dish is corn casserole. Its cheap and easy to make! This might cost you $3 to make.

All you need is:

*1 can corn

*1 can cream corn

*1 pack Jiffy

*2 eggs

*half cup butter

Mix ingredients, place in a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees till edges are golden brown.

I will also do a vegetable such as roasted asparagus sprinkled with olive oil, salt, and parmesan cheese.

This will cost around $4 as well.

The Dessert

What's tastier than Paula Deen's Gorilla bread? This will cost $6.

You will need:

*2 cans of biscuits

*1 cup walnuts

*1 pack cream cheese

*1 cup brown sugar

*1 stick butter

*1/2 cup sugar

*3 tbsp cinnamon

For full recipe directions, visit: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/gorilla-bread-recipe/index.html

The Drink

Cranberry mimosas are a must! Spending around $7, you

You will need:

*Corks Grand Reserve California Champagne ($5)

*Orange Juice ($1)

*Cranberry Juice ($1)

Chill the ingredients and mix.

Circumcison: The Great Debate

I will be giving birth to my sweet little boy in 8 short weeks! Before he arrives, there are so many decisions to make. One of the big tough ones was circumcision. My husband and I have decided to have our son circumcised. Now, I don't want any crude comments about it-to each their own and every parent has their own opinion about what's best for their child. I simply want to share my feelings on the decision and why it wasn't an easy one.

Circumcision is the act of removing the foreskin from the penis. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the benefits outweight the risks. 

The benefits are: easier hygiene, less UTIs, decreased risk of penile cancer, and decreased risk for penile problems.

The risks are: risk of bleeding, risk of infection, inflammation, and irritation of the glans.

I spoke with my OB doctor about my fears and thoughts and I asked her to explain the procedure to me. I was so scared he would feel it! She gladly stated that babies do not have feeling in that region till a few weeks after birth so any sensation of touch is dulled. To make sure that there is in fact no pain, two tiny injections of lidocaine are given on each side of the base of the penis to numb the whole area. She will then take a scalpel and cut the flap over the top. The process takes anywhere between five and fifteen minutes. Now, as a mom, I wish more than anything he could tell me what HE WANTS. But, he obviously cannot.
The longer you wait to do the circumcision, the more of a risk it carries with it. Not to mention the pain.

Am I worried about the procedure? Heck yes I am. Am I worried about him even getting an immunization? Of course! But these are the decisions I've chosen. I know that there are a lot of organizations and people out there who are against the idea of a circ, but I wanted to share my thoughts and feelings on the topic from a pro-circ point of view.

I dont want our son to grow up feeling out of place or embarrassed. I dont want him to ever wonder why he does not look like his daddy down there. Sadly, yes, circumcision has become the norm-just as with getting your baby girl's ears pierced-its cosmetic, though with a circ, it carries some great benefits.

Lactation Cookies to Boost Milk Supply!

The three most important ingredients that make these cookies so successful with improving lactation are the oats, flaxseed meal and brewer’s yeast.  The oats are full of fiber and iron, and are a great source of added calories.  And let’s face it, nursing mothers NEED calories in order to produce milk!  The flaxseed is also packed with fiber and helps improve lactation…which brings us to Brewer’s yeast.  Most moms wouldn’t feel comfortable downing a heavy beer at least once a day while breastfeeding/pumping (although they might want to), and Brewer’s yeast is what is in the beer that helps improve lactation.  So, why not put them in a cookie with no alcohol, also packed with a lot of fiber and calories, AND it tastes good??  Can’t go wrong with this.  

*Thick cut oats, flaxseed meal and Brewer’s yeast are available at health food stores.

Recipe:

1 cup butter (2 sticks, softened)

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

6 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons flaxseed meal

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons Brewer’s yeast

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups thick cut oats

1 bag chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.Mix flaxseed meal and water, set aside 3-5 minutes.
Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer.
Add eggs.
Stir flaxseed mix into butter mix and add vanilla.
Beat until well blended.
Sift: dry ingredients, except oats and choc chips.
Add butter mix to dry ingredients, beat well.
Stir in the oats and then the choc chips.
Using cookie scoop, drop on baking stone.
Bake 11-13 minutes.