2 months with a puppy: what you should know

This post is like 80% for Type A people who want a puppy and 20% for normal people who want a puppy…hahaha. I am not surprised that getting Wex took me out of my comfort zone of routine and predictability. My morning and night routine look somewhat similar, but my time I’m able to do it in is cut in half with a puppy running around. And just yesterday, I went to Target to buy lightweight some shorts and a top that are specifically going to be for trips to the dog park in the summer heat. That being said, there are also tons of benefits that I want to touch on, especially for anyone dealing with anxiety, depression, chronic pain and illness, etc. read more

summertime with chronic migraine ☀️

I’ve felt such a shift recently. And it’s got its highs and lows that’s for dang sure.

Probably around February/March of this year (a whole year since starting treatment, whoop whoop) I started to feel like a normal person again who could go out with friends at night (!), make it through a whole work week unscathed, and even begin to pursue hobbies and just remember what makes Cristina, Cristina.

So this has been awesome! But – also tough for many reasons. I talked a bit on my Instagram about navigating healthy life while still carrying invisible pain and I also wrote about identity after ED here. What I wanna talk about today is: the migraines. I get a lot of questions about my migraines – what started them, what helps, etc. and I do want to start diving into that on my blog and Instagram because now that I’ve maintained being healthy for a few months, I know these three things: read more

wex’s first month at home!

We brought Wex home on March 30th, 2019, so we’ve just passed the one month mark with our sweet little Spaniel puppy by our side!

General facts about Wex: 

  1. His name is short for Wexford, though we’ve never called him that. Wexford is a city in Ireland! We didn’t quite like “Dublin” or “Cork” for a name for a dog, so “Wex” it was!
  2. He was born in New Braunfels, Texas on February 10th, 2019
  3. He was one of 9 puppies!
  4. He’ll be about 50 pounds – which is on the larger end for Springer Spaniels, but a good, medium-sized apartment dog 🙂
  5. I’ve always loved Spaniels! I’ve had two Cocker Spaniels so far in my life. Springers are loveable and highly trainable “velcro” dogs, so he’s perfect for us 🙂 Our dream is for him to be a therapy dog!
  6. He is currently 17.8 pounds (:

Highlights so far:

  1. Wex likes riding in the car, but does not like sitting with me in the passenger seat. He only wants to sit with Cam and be up by the steering wheel. (We realize this isn’t safe – when he is bigger and we put him in the car, we’ll get one of those dog hammocks to keep him in the back.)
  2. Cam taught Wex to sit, shake, lay down, sit back up, speak and dance so far. He loves performing his tricks because he gets treats and praise.
  3. His best friend is our friends’ Jill and David’s dog, Houston – a 70 pound pit mix. Wex is the size of his head right now! He loves big dogs because that’s all he’s been around.
  4. Wex’s favorite toys, ranked: bubbles, empty water bottles, ice cubes, shoes, people, people wearing their shoes, and dish towels that mom hangs in the kitchen.
  5. Wex is really eager to please. Any time Cam or I (mostly Cam because he’s the best reinforcer) has tried to teach him something, I can tell he commits it to memory. He’s starting to know that we don’t like when he bites so he licks more – especially when he’s in a cuddly mood aka when he’s tired.
  6. He is highly motivated by food. He loves the Kong squeezy peanut butter thing!
  7. He whines when he is tired because he wants us to put him up on the bed so he can sleep

I seriously under estimated what having a dog would do for my life – both good and bad! Haha. I’m learning how to prioritize our needs together. Like do I continue making breakfast when my blood sugar is low or do I take Wex out because he’s whining at the door while my eggs are on the stove? But most of all, he’s a huge comfort. I’ve had some sad days and some high-pain days and I’ll just crawl in bed and, if Wex is sleepy, I’ll pull him close to me and I just feel such a relief. Also Cam and I’s family feels so much more complete with a third person (or pup in this case) to love on. read more

yummy eats

if you need to see someone model normal eating behaviors right now, i feel you. maybe you’re in ED recovery or maybe you’re just sitting at your desk at work, taking “breaks” to look at swimsuits online and hate all the articles that are screaming at you to get your “beach body”, etc. that’s why i love posts like these. and because we all need some meal inspiration from time to time.

here’s my small-ish, first stab at doing an eats round-up, but if you like stuff like this, I recommend viewing Kylie’s, Robyn’s, or Connie’s, too! read more