Being a travel family we are always on the go. When we move to a new place it usually takes us a good month to get our routine back. That includes eating healthy meals. Having two toddlers it’s essential that I make sure they get the nutrients they need to grow up healthy and strong. Just because me and their dad wants to eat tacos every night doesn’t mean they can! Im pretty good at adding fresh veggies to our dinner but having these little pre-packaged veggies and fruits was a game changer! Not only can I use these for snacks during the day but I can easily pack them for picnics, day trips, and when we travel back and forth. Did I mention my picky eater Natalan loves them because they are things she can feed herself and feel independent! They are easily stored out on the counter top so they are convenient to get to and serve as a reminder to add them throughout the day. Currently we have peaches, mandarins, carrots, peas, and green beans.

After making the  video below  I later found that the “ABC table” I referred to is actually made by V-tech and is called “Touch &  Learn Activity Desk”. They are currently listed on amazon for $54.99. Like I said, this is one of the more expensive items but there are cheaper ones to come!! Please look over my messy house, noisy kids, and hungry pig in the background! This is my real life!

As you can see in the pic below Natalan is up on her knees.We’ve been working on getting in this position for a long time. This table is the perfect height for her to practice doing that. The colors, lights, and other interactions is motivation for her to stay in this position and get some weight in her joints. This is great physical therapy for kiddos that aren’t walking yet!

 

Dear New England,

I’ll be honest I never thought I’d be writing this. I initially took a job in Conneticut because it would allow me to be close to a place I love so much…NYC. I didn’t think New England itself would leave such an impression on me, but boy was I wrong! New England you are beautiful, elegant, full of great food, adventure, scenery, and awesome people.I have enjoyed my time here more than I could have imagined.

Thank you for the little town of Branford, CT. You made adjusting easy. It has been our home for the last 3 months. I’ve grown really attached.  I’m gonna miss sitting on the beach at Lighthouse Point watching the sunset and eating tacos from the Long Wharf food trucks. I’ll never forget the time Merida jumped in the water, and came out with a seashell in her mouth. Connecticut will always be special to me for it’s where I’ll always remember my miracle baby taking her first steps! 

To the beautiful state of Maine. You wiggled yourself right up to the top of the list. The list my husband and I are making as we travel the country, taking note of where we want to live later on. Your combination of gorgeous pine trees, ocean views, and Cliffs is breathtaking. Like most people, I often dream of living on an exotic island but you made me appreciate the beauty that’s right here in my own country. My fondest memory of you will be spending the night down on the shore in a quaint little hotel in Bar Harbor, and walking the trails of Acadia National Park during the prime of Fall. It made me feel like I was living in a Danielle Steel book. My husband will never let me forget the lobster roll we ate at The Portland Lighthouse, as he still talks about it often! It was delicious if I say so myself. Of course visiting Stephen King’s Mansion and The Pet Semetary House in October was pretty cool too!

To all the other places we visited during our time here… thanks for the memories. We really enjoyed the museums, the new food, and our frequent trips to NYC. Conneticut is a great location in that it is central to everything. We loved the seafood, lighthouses, and above all the people we met that became friends.

To the town of New Haven and the people of Yale New Haven, you made my job so easy. Thank you for making me feel so welcomed, and showing me the ropes. I was nervous about learning a new specialty but I hung in there and I’m so glad I did. You guys are great co-workers, and now friends. I will keep my word and visit as promised. In just 6 more shifts, I’ll be “all set”.

 

I have been MIA for a bit but I’m back! Since I travel so much by the time I finally get settled in, it’s time to move again, but I LOVE what I do! I finally feel “settled” but I move again in two weeks! At some point I will learn to write even when I’m not settled. I’m a perfectionist so I struggle with just throwing things together. When I post stuff for you guys I want it to be the best. I want you to get something useful from it, and to my special needs parents I have something special I’m working on for you guys!

In the upcoming months I’ll be doing a vlog on toys I have found that can be used as therapy. Somewhere between desperation, and pure bliss I have developed a special interest in finding toys that will help our kiddos with special needs. I’m also a bargain hunter so when I find cheap toys I’m even more excited. I’d like to add that some of the things I use for Natalan are not toys at all, I find them in random places, shops, etc. and if I see that it’s something that can be useful for her I get them! Well now I want to share all my special finds with other parents who is in the same boat as I! I will also let you know where to find them and how much they cost. Stay tuned for some good info coming your way!

 

Hey guys I wanted to share with you a couple ideas for weight loss. Everyone has different barriers to eating healthy, mine was “not having time”. It seems like I’m always in a rush and having to eat on the go etc.etc. I’ve recently discovered that “eating on the go” can be a good thing and has actually contributed to my recent weight loss. Another thing that held me back was anxiety and depression. Mine probably stems from a different background than most, but unfortunately a lot of people can relate to those two things. I found myself feeling guilty for even spending a second on myself, because I wanted to give all my time to my kids. So for all the moms out there, especially the special needs moms…it’s okay to care about yourself too! Most of us spend our days constantly trying to find ways to help our kiddos with special needs. We wreck our brains, maybe if I do this, maybe if I try that, I need to work more with him/her, I need to give them a break, I need to schedule that dr’s appointment. Shewww that stresses me out just thinking about it, but that’s our reality. At some point I realized that it was okay to care about me to. When I was able to do that everything started falling into place. I was able to lose weight, consequently the weight loss made me feel 100% better both physically and mentally!

These are the things that worked for me. Everyone is different so you have to find what works for you. In a nutshell I found ways to feel fuller longer, so I wasn’t eating as often. I sought ways to substitute the high carb content in my favorite meals. I also found shortcuts to save time which was major for this full-time working mama!

1.First, start your day off with drinking a water! I can’t stress this enough. Before you eat or drink anything else drink a water! This tells your brain that you are starting to get full so that when you do eat, you’re not overeating. Now breakfast was initially the hardest part for me because I LOVE breakfast. Blame it on my culture (and my mama lol) but since I was little I have been getting chocolate gravy, biscuits, bacon, eggs, fried bologna, hash browns and jelly every morning. I’m ashamed to say but even as an adult my mom comes to my house to make the girls and I breakfast. (yes I know how lucky I am). Thank you mom!

2. Second, eat a high protein breakfast. Protein is going to be key to feeling fuller longer. You can buy a carton of egg whites that basically takes 2 seconds to make (throw them in the microwave, add as much shredded cheese as you want, and then add some ham or precooked bacon. You can buy both the ham and bacon already fully cooked, you just have to warm them. I buy Sugardale diced ham. You can find it Wal-Mart. You can make this easy to go to meal in 5 mins. You get lots of protein and it’s super easy and quick! I also ate things like overnight oats and protein bars but I will make a whole blog on overnight oats if anyone wants more info. If you are feeling like you are not getting full for breakfast let me know and I can tell you about my overnight oats secret.

3.Third I made sure I had plenty of “snacks” around the house. Unfortunately, this doesn’t include potato chips and Oreo cookies. However, with things like avocado brownies, pepperoni chips and salt and vinegar zucchini chips, you won’t miss a thing!

4. Dinner. There are soooo many options for dinner. The thing that worked for me was high protein and low carb. This means you can have all the meats and veggies you want. Cube steak and A1 sauce is cheap and delicious, baked chicken with broccoli and cheese, and baked asparagus with parmesan cheese is good and the girls love it. If you love seafood like me, try throwing some smoked sausage, corn on the cob, and old bay seasoning in the slow cooker, add your shrimp at the end and it’s like going to Joe’s crab shack but way cheaper! The object is to still eat things you like but substitute some of the ingredients. For example, if you want to have fried chicken, have the fried chicken but use almond flour to coat it in as opposed to white flour. Almond and coconut flour have way less carbs. Use canola oil instead of vegetable oil. Most of these substitutions have ZERO taste difference.
5. As a side note, I wanted to mention one thing that has been beneficial for me. When it comes to things like weight loss, I don’t buy into all the latest trends. I feel like they are all Ponzi Schemes! I’m proof you can lose weight but I didn’t take a magic pill to do it. It took work and dedication on my part. But I will say that one product that I found to help me with the transition of this lifestyle change I made was the Atkins Protein Drinks. It’s not a pill, it’s not magic, and it’s not going to lose the weight for you but if you are having a chocolate craving (it will satisfy it), it is also rich in protein and ONLY HAS 5-6 CARBS (depending on what flavor you get). It takes ZERO time to make, I can grab it out of the fridge and I’m out the door!

And lastly….my pizza recipe!

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• garlic powder (use as much or little as you like)
• shredded cheese (if you like cheese…both cheddar and mozzarella)
• parmesan cheese
• 2 packages of 8 oz cream cheese (at room temperature)
• 1 jar of pizza sauce
• ½ tsp oregano
• pepperoni’s (you can add Canadian bacon, beef, bacon, Italian sausage and ham if you like)

 

Instructions

• preheat oven to 350 degrees
• spray your pan with spam
• take your softened cream cheese and mix in the oregano, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and eggs. Stir until well blended and pour into your pan. Spread it out and make it even. This is going to be your crust!
• Put in the oven and let it bake for about 10 mins.
• Take your “crust” out and add your pizza sauce, toppings of your choice, and lastly all the cheese that you want. This includes both shredded and parmesan.
• Bake for an additional 15-20 mins. Then turn on broil for a couple mins and make sure the top is melted good. If you’re like me, you’ll let it get a lil brown on top! Enjoy!

 

 

 

“And not a tear is wasted, in time you’ll understand,

I’m painting beauty with the ashes, your life is in My hands.

So when you’re on your knees and answers seem so far away, you’re not alone stop holding on, and just be held.

Your world’s not falling apart, it’s falling into place.

I’m on the throne, stop holding on and just be held.

Just be held.”

Bare with me on this one guys as this isn’t going to start off as cupcakes and rainbows but I promise it has a good ending! For some reason I can’t get this song off my mind these past couple of days. I think it’s because a part of my life is coming together and making sense finally and I remember a time when I felt like it was falling apart. I used to listen to this song by Casting Crowns when I was scared and didn’t know what the future held for Natalan. One minute I daydreamed about what she would look like and the next minute I worried about where we would bury her. It’s hard for me to say those words out loud but that was my reality. It happened and I can’t change it. I have recently learned that it’s not healthy to hold in things that are hurtful. Ya know, the things you wish you could forget. I went through some unimaginable pain and I suppressed those feelings for a long time thinking I was dealing with it. That turned out to not be true. Not many people know but I have PTSD and have hid it from everyone including myself. I knew something was wrong but didn’t want to admit it. I’ve came a long way, but from now on I’m not going to live in fear by anticipating some of that pain that I know is buried in me. Yes, there was a time where I had to think about where I would bury my child. Yes, I felt a pain that almost killed me. But I’m still here and I refuse to let pain overcome my joy. So let’s talk about my joy!

With that being said,  let me first say that there is fear in the unknown. It’s scary to not be in control and to not know what is going to happen. Whether you are thinking about your children like in my case, or anticipating how something is going to turn out. It’s hard. It’s hard to just “wait and see”. It’s hard to let go and trust. Especially if it’s something that involves your heart.  This song sends a beautiful message, but when I heard it I was afraid it wouldn’t be true for me. It was too good to be true. I wasn’t good enough. What I should of stopped and thought about was how good enough I actually was. How loved I was. Not once did I think about how Jesus died for me because of how much He loved me. That alone should had showed me I was wrong. However, the devil feeds off one’s weaknesses. I was too consumed with my own feelings that I never thought about the sacrifice that Jesus made for me. And it’s taking me this long to realize it, but late is better than never.

I remember physically having chest pain for weeks from worrying. Being a nurse, I thought to myself, I’ve got to do something or this is going to make me sick. I have to stay healthy for the baby. Nothing anybody said or did could keep me from worrying. There was no medicine that was going to take away my worry. Eventually I found myself with my back against the wall and I realized I only had one choice. I got down on my knees for the first time and poured my heart out to God. I told him I wasn’t giving up but I was letting go. I was going to trust him with all my heart. I even wrote it down in a book that I have saved for Natalan along with some other things I wrote for her. I said “God I’m putting this baby in your hands and if You take her just give me the strength to keep going and not give up”. It was at that time I felt something I had never felt before. I suddenly felt light as a feather. My chest pain was lifted for the first time in weeks. I had relief. I was finally at peace. It was the first time I had smiled since receiving the news about Natalan. Unless you’ve experienced something like this, it’s hard to fathom.

Almost everyone knows that Natalan is God’s miracle and He allowed her to live and for that I am thankful, but not everyone knows about the times He had mercy on me and made His presence known. I was able to let go and it felt so good.

Fast forward a couple years…Natalan is doing things I never imagined she would be able to do. Some things may seem small to most(crawling, standing, drinking from a straw), but these were all things she couldn’t do before. She has been to so many places the last year or so and hasn’t stopped smiling. Not only that but now I have Merida who has filled my heart with love I didn’t know I could feel. My family made it through the unthinkable and now we are doing the unthinkable. For Natalan to be here and be well enough to travel and see places brings me relentless joy. We have shared her story everywhere we go. I share her story not because she or I or any of us deserve some sort of praise but for people to see what God has done and for Him to get the praise. God turned the worst time of my life into something beautiful! He literally “painted beauty with the ashes”. He taught me lessons that no other person could teach. I learned the reward of trusting Him. I humbled myself and admitted that I wasn’t strong enough and He showed me that I didn’t have to be. I still need Him now just as much as I did then and I always will.

I wanted to share with you guys and help you understand how I was at my lowest point and now God has brought me through the fire and to a place where I am at peace. Natalan has saved at least one other life that I know of, and that makes all of the pain worth it. Through my worst experience, I learned about God’s mercy, the power of prayer, and The Holy Spirit. These are all things I never knew before. So my message to you is this…whatever it is that you may be going through letting go and trusting God is the best thing you can do for yourself. But when God shows you His power don’t keep it to yourself. Spread it to everyone! If I could shout it out loud I would! -Natasha

I am super excited to finally get my blog up and running. This is something that I have been wanting to do for quite some time now. I was actually never big on social media until I was pregnant with Natalan and realized that I wanted to document some of my journey with her, that is when #babyhendrensjourney originated. I started using Instagram at that point. It was both a way for me to document our journey in case I lost her, I would at least have something to remember everything as well as a therapeutic tool. I was stuck in the hospital for 6 weeks, looking at those same 4 walls, wondering, worrying, praying, feeling guilty for worrying, feeling guilty for not knowing how to save her, thinking about the wrong things I had done in my life, was this my punishment, is this by some chance a blessing in disguise, will she be a miracle, am I crazy for believing in miracles…and the list goes on. I needed an outlet and my Instagram gave me something… anything to look at other than those same 4 walls. My mind was my worst enemy but my heart always won.

After my experience of being in the hospital, and getting to take my baby home I had an overwhelming feeling of wanting to “give back”. I had never felt so much gratitude in my whole life. I was most thankful to God who was my rock, my foundation, and who always carried me through everything. I was also thankful to my husband who never left my side, the doctors, nurses, family, friends, co-workers, and believe it or not a vast number of people that I didn’t even know but I knew they had been praying for my baby. I told my husband the day we left the hospital with Natalan, “one of these days I am going to give back, I don’t know how or what I’m gonna do but I am gonna find a way”. Well luckily for me I didn’t have to find anything, everything found me!!

It wasn’t long after that, we were asked to tell our story for an article produced in UK Healthcare’s annual magazine “Making a Difference”. By doing that I felt like “maybe this will help someone else”. Then I became the family ambassador for The March of Dimes. This resulted in me getting a Facebook account to help with fundraising. Then I found myself posting some of Natalan’s milestones and people were inspired by her and her accomplishments. One day it all made sense!! I finally felt like I am “giving back”. I remembered me telling my husband that on our way home and I immediately started crying because I realized God was using me and my journey to help others. I had an awakening of “I’m doing what I am supposed to be doing”! Telling our story, sharing our experiences, inspiring others who may need encouragement just like I did…just like I still do. And that my friends is why I’m here! I hope that through the things I talk about and share that maybe it will inspire another mama or family who is going through something similar or any other obstacle in life. I plan to share ideas/insight from all different aspects of our lives. From the things that are hurtful and scary to the things that are helpful and fun! Can’t wait to get started! Feel free to message/comment/share with others.

-Natasha