Good News Mama!

I was holding Elianna tonight and was surprised by how long she was...when she sleeps on me, she's no longer that tiny little newborn but an active TODDLER. Gone are the days where she could barely do tummy time or crawl on her own. She's walking and stumbling and climbing up our small step by our fireplace...she loves sitting and leaning on things and pushing and pulling any big toy with wheels. She's so different from her sister. While Evangeline is obedient and quiet, Elianna is rebellious and loud. Evangeline barely cried, and Elianna will find any reason to whine and cry if she's the slight bit uncomfortable. Evangeline never wandered into anything she shouldn't have (kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets, opening drawers or slamming doors) but Elianna does it all the time. You tell her no, you carry her somewhere else, and she will defiantly walk back to where she came from and defy you. Evangeline barely eats, and we have to not only monitor her so she eats e...

A little over two years ago, I was crying to my cousin because I had just found out I was suffering a miscarriage. Not only was it a miscarriage of a baby whom I was losing, but it was also the loss of a twin that Elianna would not grow up with. And when a person miscarries a twin early enough, the baby doesn't come out the way a typical miscarriage happens...the baby just gets reabsorbed into the mom and into the twin. "You should really watch This Is Us. The first episode is about a miscarriage too, except the character played by Mandy Moore loses a triplet." my cousin told me through her tears, as she comforted me since the wounds were so fresh. There are a lot of things within the show that I do not relate with: I never lost a dad to an unexpected death. I do not have an adoptive sibling or was adopted myself looking for a birth parent. I do not have an addiction to eating. But I could relate to miscarriage, and I do plan to adopt one day, so that's as far as ...

I still remember Kevin calling my cell phone as I volunteered at Evangeline's co-op February 7, 2019. I was worried because he usually never called on mornings, and I thought something was wrong. I immediately answered saying, "Kev, are you ok???" And he shouted, "WE ARE GOING TO ROCHESTER, BABY!!!!" To that, I howled with joy, and started laughing like a maniac. Kevin had been applying for PhD programs the last two months and dedicated blood, sweat, and tears to having a bomb mission statement and working hard for a high GRE score. After a lot of stress and being disappointed in his ultimate score, and over $1,000 spent on prep material and applications, it was a HUGE weight lifted off his shoulders! And mine too... he spent so many days worried that no school would accept him because in his words: "It is REALLY competitive to get into a PhD program...and even harder to get a tenure position after all that time dedicated to school." So he stal...

I am 30. At midnight, while watching Parks and Rec (currently my favorite show-who else loves Ben & Andy?) Kevin decided to surprise me with Wicked tickets. I've been wanting to watch this musical for years! If that isn't a great way to start my 30th year, then I don't know what is! As the phone calls, bday texts, and social media comments come my way, I find myself reflecting on this past decade. God is so good! In my 20's, this is what happened in my life: I graduated UCSB with a political science degree. I cherished my time being in that university...most people think of UCSB as a party school (because it is) but for me, this is where God saved me, and I find it to be such a beautiful place where my life TRULY began. I moved back home in La Mirada and joined my church South Bay Christian Alliance Church (now named Pillar Bible Church). They say that you are like the people you surround yourself with, and there is truth in that statement. It was nice to be a...

For those of you who didn't know, I've actually become a consultant for Beautycounter, a skincare and cosmetics brand that stands out for its mission to get safer products into the hands of everyone. I have truly fallen in love with the products and the ways that they lobby congress, trying to push for legislation to pass so there is more transparency in the beauty industry (each time I see pics of consultants at Capitol Hill, 19 year-old Leigh Ann the political science major comes back out!) And let's be real-I'm all about that transparent life. What you see is what you get when it comes to me... Before I go into my reasons for getting involved with Beautycounter, I wanted to make a disclaimer. I am NOT a beauty guru. I have never been super into make up or doing my hair, or even skincare other than when I am forced to control my finicky skin. I think all of my close girlfriends can attest to watching me get up, brush my teeth and wash my face, and get out the door i...

I woke up this morning feeling all kinds of nostalgia, mostly for this past week in Portland. We spent a few days at Auntie Susie and Uncle John's house and words cannot describe how much we are blessed and influenced by them. To be in their presence was refreshing to my soul. These past few years have been tough spiritually based on sins committed against us-we were just dealing with horrible circumstances beyond our control. In many ways, I've found myself disappointed by people we are supposed to trust most, people who call themselves Christian but continue to lie, deceive, and keep secrets to cover up for their horrible deeds. But I also believe that where certain familial influences are lacking, we still have an Auntie Susie and Uncle John in our lives, and that may be more than enough. Kevin and I feel so blessed to have them love and speak life over us. They are kind, caring, transparent and open. We know we can trust them. We have no reason to think otherwise. Portlan...

Some of the strongest memories I have as a child involve friendships. Really, friends just made life more fun and meaningful! So you can only imagine how much it means to me to watch my firstborn daughter go through this journey as well. She is turning 4 soon, and some of my earliest memories began around this age. I want Evangeline to look back on her childhood with fondness and joy. Earlier this year, I was overwhelmed because when I brought Evangeline to playdates, she would completely shut down, clam up, or act up. Honestly, a lot of the times she wouldn't even interact with other kids. At one point, after an especially stressful situation at a park playground, we knew this problem had to be fixed. Kevin and I were afraid these kids at the park would injure her! She didn't know how to talk to them or defend herself. At one point, we thought she could possibly be a selective mute. Some of the kids would ask me, "Why won't she talk to me?" Also, her speech t...