Ashleigh Marie: Teacher to Mommy

Day Trip to Crystal Cove

March 4th, 2021

Today, Quincy and I went for a walk with my mom at Chrystal Cove. Parking was $5 per hour. We were there 1 hour and 53 minutes, so we paid $10. There is a cap at $15 for the day. The parking was a little expensive for my taste, but I loved the walk we took.

Infantino Baby Carrier: https://amzn.to/3c5URl0

Baby Blanket with Velcro: https://amzn.to/38dEjX5

Avent Pacifier and Pacifier Clip: Target

Fleece Onesie: Carter’s

Beanie: Hand Me Down

Under Armour Shirt: https://amzn.to/2PqxdIf

Adidas Sweatpants: https://amzn.to/30cWUOz

Nike Free Shoes: https://amzn.to/2MxKg9V

The walk started a little poorly because my daughter was very upset to be woken from her car nap. However, once we got going, she was very excited to walk. From the parking lot, you walk down a paved hill and through a tunnel. Once out of the tunnel, you will walk up a little ways until you see the bungalows. From the bungalows, it is a short walk down to the beach.

For this walk, I came prepped with coffee and my mask. I also brought a blanket and a baby carrier since a stroller would not be feasible in the sand. The baby carrier linked above is probably the most comfortable and supportive carrier I have tried so far. The blanket is also very handy because it has Velcro, so you can Velcro it to yourself or the stroller so your little one doesn’t kick it off onto the dirty floor.

I also used this blanket as a nursing cover. I sat on a piece of driftwood and nursed my little one right on the beach. She was fully covered, and I was fully covered with no risk of mishaps. This blanket made nursing in Public a bit more comfortable.

When it was time to leave, we were all sad. My mom and I enjoyed the exercise, and we all enjoyed the atmosphere. Our 3 mile walk on the sand and visiting Crystal Cove was definitely worthwhile, and we will be returning soon.

Christmas Gifts for Family Members 2020

Below, you will find a list of what I got for my friends and family for Christmas in 2020. I hope these gifts put a smile on all their faces after this tough year.

Husband: Stocking Items from Target

Quincy: Stocking Items and a Purple Hearts Sweater from Target

Mom: Willow Tree Figure (https://amzn.to/3c8r0sp)

Dad: Roku Streaming Stick (https://amzn.to/3uWcbSb)

Sister: Auntie Mug from Marshall’s , Auntie-corn Ornament from Facebook Marketplace, and Starbucks Card

Brother: Agility/Plyos Ladder (https://amzn.to/3c5wsMA)

Sister In-Law and Her Husband: Auntie Mug from Marshall’s, Starbucks, and Home Depot GiftCards

Niece (12 years old): Killua Sweatshirt (Anime) (https://amzn.to/3qdBhIE)

Brother-In Law and His Wife: Blanket from Marshall’s and Amazon Gift-card

Niece (3 years old): Elsa Plush Doll from Disney Store

Mother-In Law: Donut Pajamas from Marshall’s and Starbucks Card

Grandma: GiftCards for her favorite food places

Friends: Bulldog Blanket (https://amzn.to/38d47CS), Everybody Loves a Ginger Gingerbread T-Shirt (Zulilly), Beast Plush (https://amzn.to/2Onzx2r), and Amazon Giftcard

The Day I Found Out I Was Pregnant

November 26, 2019

I had one condition before becoming pregnant and that was that I had to go to Europe first. After our trip to Europe in July, I went off of birth control. I got the app Flo to track my periods and ovulation. It would tell me the periods of time where I was most likely to become pregnant.

I figured the first month or two I wouldn’t become pregnant because my body would be adjusting to being off birth control. However, come October, I was determined, but it didn’t happen that month.

November came and I was determined yet again, but during the time when the app said was peak ovulation, my husband and I were fighting, so baby making didn’t happen. We went on our anniversary trip to San Francisco, and I drank and enjoyed like usual (little did I know I was pregnant… ugh!).

When we got home, I checked the flow app and I was like, “oh, we are in the range where we can take a test, you wanna?” I took the test thinking there was no way because we missed the window of prime ovulation, but there were two pink lines. I found the book I told Eli I would give him when we found out we were pregnant with the pregnancy test on top. I handed them to him and told him the good news!

I still wasn’t 100% convinced we were pregnant, so I forced my hubby to go to CVS for more tests. I proceeded to drink a ton of liquids and those tests came back positive too. This all shows that things do not happen in our timing or even when an app says they should because I thought we definitely failed that month.

After we were sure the tests were right, I called my mom and told her the good news. She was excited and ready to help me. Next, we face timed his family and told them the news. It was an awesome surprise for all! To read my pregnancy blog next, click the link: My Pregnancy Blog.

A Unique 4th of July

July 4, 2020

During the 4th July of 2020, I was a full 8 months pregnant. Also, we were in the middle of a pandemic, so this was a 4th of July that was unlike any other. We did not see our families. We did not go see any fireworks at the park. We did not have a BBQ.

Even though, there were many things we did not do, we still tried to make it a little special. My husband listened to my pregnant lady cravings and got me an Oreo Shake from Carl’s Junior, and before the day ended, we went out to the street by our apartment complex, I put on my festive crown, and we lit some sparkles.

Little did we know, that our sweet baby Quincy would come one week later on July 11th. July was not meant to be Quincy’s birth month, but I am so glad that she came early because I was so ready to meet her. July 2020 is a month I will never forget, and I will never forget how my husband made my night by getting me an Oreo shake from Carl’s Junior and lighting some sparklers with me. It was a simple and unique 4th of July experience, but a memorable one.

One Week Old Baby Photoshoot

July 2020

After giving birth to Quincy, I knew I wanted to document her growth and not miss a thing, so I knew her first year would be filled with plenty of photoshoots. This was technically her fourth photoshoot and she was only a week old. The first set of photos was when she was born, right after my C-section. If you are interested, here is my birth story link: Birth Blog. The second photo session was in our matching pajamas in the hospital, and our third photoshoot was leaving the hospital. Yes, these were mini-posed and outfit-organized shoots, but they were shoots nonetheless.

In this photo, Quincy is laying on a Boppy pillow (https://amzn.to/2P3NZwI) from Amazon and a silk blanket given by her grandma. She is also wearing a fairy outfit purchased at TJ Maxx. The onesie was purchased at Target. For this photo, I chose to have her on her back. The Boppy pillow was perfect for her to sleep on and relax in the first few months of her life. Until about 2 months, she was asleep in almost all of her photos.

I also chose to take a few photos in black and white. These photos turned out so precious. It gives it an old, historic, and everlasting type of feel. I took this photo and a few others during this shoot with her on her stomach to reveal her fairy wings.

In this photo, I used the same Boppy pillow. However, she is in a white onesie from Target, and has a pink floral bow from Carter’s. My husband added the flowers his work gave him. Also, my husband took the photos for this outfit and staged it, and they were so cute! He sent the photos as a Thank You to his work.

Lastly, in this photo, we have Quincy, still on the Boppy pillow, but we have used a soccer ball blanket instead. This was a gift given by my friend, and she purchased the blanket on Etsy. She also bought Quincy the soccer booties off of Etsy as well. Quincy’s onesie was bought from Target, and the my first soccer ball plush rattle is made by K. Luxe and available at Walmart. The “I just gave birth” mom brain moment is the socks in the top left. On a normal Photoshoot, those would disappear, but I was so tired, I didn’t even notice them. However, I loved this photo and trying to convince my daughter to be a soccer player, like mommy, at just one week old. I encourage everyone to do a one week Photoshoot because they will never be that small again, and you will want to remember those moments no matter how tired you are. As shown by my pictures, even your husband can do it, and I am sure family members would be willing to pitch in as well. I miss Quincy being this small! She is growing way too fast!