Monday, June 16, 2014

Weeks 29-30

Its been a good couple of weeks around here.  Mark and I took a childbirth class (we found a FREE one, yay!) and we both feel more prepared as we get closer to the big day.  The nursery is basically done, just needs some decorative touches.  We'll tour the hospital next week, so surreal!


Symptoms?
Fatigue and lower back pain are my main symptoms. Plus the growing belly continues to put more and more pressure on the ligaments in the pelvic area, so things fill very tight all the time.  More Braxton Hicks too. 

Stretch marks?
Still none!

Food cravings?
Fruit, chocolate milk, animal crackers!

Movement?
Yes!  I am supposed to start coating kicks this week, but I started a few days ago.  My doctor said I should feel 10 movements in 2 hours, but I think the longest it has taken is 16 minutes.  

Workouts?
More barre and walking, although I am giving myself permission for more rest days now.  

Sleep?
Just within the last few days I have noticed that I am now getting up 2-3 times per night instead of just once.  I also have fallen into a bad pattern of not being able to fall asleep on Fridays…I think I am overly tired at the end of the week which sometimes causes me to not sleep. Sadly, Mark has had to sleep in the guest room a few times to give me more room in the bed.

Gender?
GIRL!!! 

Maternity Clothes?
Getting tired of them, but so thankful that I can wear dresses!

What I Miss?
Definitely miss running, I am enjoying walking, but I really miss being able to get out and run a few miles in a fraction of the time it takes me to walk as far. 

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Weeks 27-28

I'm behind on these so I'll combine the last 2 weeks! We went to a wedding during week 27, my only wedding I'll go to while pregnant.  We are invited to one at the end of July, but its out of town and I won't be able to travel!  I had an ultrasound at 28 weeks to make sure that the baby is growing (since my belly is still pretty small.)  The baby looks good, I just carry a little small.  My doctor said the baby was measuring on track, but I was measuring 2 weeks behind.  I also had the 1hr glucose test done that day, I still haven't heard anything, so maybe that means it was normal?? They said I would get a phone call either way, I guess I'll have to call them!



Symptoms?
Braxton Hicks are starting, and I also feel more tired as I enter the 3rd trimester. I can also feel some of the weird food aversions coming back.

Stretch marks?
No!  I used up the whole bottle of my Mama Mio oil last week, but I've just been using a Neutrogena body oil that   feels great!

Food cravings?
Again, really its just fruit.  I never want to eat unless its sweet and juicy.

Movement?
Definitely a lot more.  Its crazy feeling the baby roll around in there.

Workouts?
 I'm trying not to slow down yet.  I've been going to barre and walking outside.  I may go hop on the elliptical now and then, but its hard to work out inside when its so nice out.  

Sleep?
I usually just wake up once during the night to use the bathroom, but then my heartburn starts bothering me so much that its hard to get back to sleep!  I am still on the wedge, but its not that comfortable!

Gender?
GIRL!!! 

Maternity Clothes?
Finally able to wear all my dresses!  I feel like my wardrobe has doubled!!

What I Miss?
I miss getting in a good workout.  Normally, I'd be training for a race during this time of year, but I can barely run a mile these days.  I can't wait to get back to it after the baby comes!

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Week 26

Look at that! I actually took a picture this week!  I feel like I'm getting behind on these as I'm actually halfway through week 27, but they might be pushing my due date back anyways.  Hey, at least I'm documenting this at all. 


Symptoms?
More of the same I guess…heartburn, ligament pain, fatigue.  I've also noticed that my hair is greasy like the second after I wash it, not cool.

Stretch marks?
No!  Still oiling up every day though. 

Food cravings?
Strawberries, cherries, pineapple, lemonade.  I had a chocolate milk craving too!  Never craving anything savory.

Movement?
Lots of movement at times and nothing at other times.  Movement seems to happen most in the morning or at night, but I get little kicks every couple of hours or so.

Workouts?
Still keeping up with the elliptical machine and walking the dog.  I wish I had kept up with lifting weights because my arms are feeling flabby!  

Sleep?
I'm having a hard time sleeping because of the heartburn!  I'm definitely starting to need more and more pillows all around my body too. 

Gender?
GIRL!!! 

Maternity Clothes?
It was still cold during week 26, so more of the same old stuff.  I am really looking forward to warmer weather!

What I Miss?
I wouldn't say that I missed drinking all that much, but going to a Twins game without a beer wasn't as fun.  We also went to Fargo to celebrate Mark's birthday and it would have been great to indulge some, but honestly I wanted to indulge in the Dairy Queen cake more, I had to limit myself to a tiny slice due to heartburn!

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Week25

I got lazy about taking a picture again this week, but here's me with my friend who is due a month before me!  We had a busy week celebrating my birthday, our 3rd anniversary, and mother's day!



Symptoms?
Heartburn!! SO BAD!  I can't eat anything at all past 8pm at the latest or I will be up all night!  My GI symptoms are getting much, much worse.  I've changed some of what I'm doing to manage it after seeing my gastroenterologist last week.  She says's its only going to get worse :(

Stretch marks?
No!  Still oiling up every day though. 

Food cravings?
I mostly crave fruit still.  I eat fruit with every meal and I want it for every snack.  I am trying hard to get those veggies in too, but they don't sound appetizing to me at all!

Movement?
Feeling more and more.  I think I can tell when the baby is punching, kicking, or rolling over now.  I can also see my belly move sometimes too!

Workouts?
Still going to the gym 3-4 times per week and walking to dog about that often too!  I did the Race for the Cure on Mother's Day, but we walked the 5k.  Running is ok for short distances but it makes me feel like I'm going to pee!

Sleep?
I'm having a hard time sleeping because of the heartburn!  I'm definitely starting to need more and more pillows all around my body too. 

Gender?
GIRL!!! 

Maternity Clothes?
I just want it to be warm enough to wear a dress.  Yes, I am still saying that because it hasn't warmed up yet!!!

What I Miss?
It would have been nice to celebrate all of these occasions last week with some beverages.  My friends and I went out on Friday to celebrate my birthday and it although it would have been nice to have something, I am surprised by how much I don't think about it. 

Friday, May 9, 2014

Week 24

I didn't have time to take a cute picture this week, I was thinking of stopping writing in this blog all together because of my "security breech" but I know I will want to have these weekly updates on record. 

Symptoms?
I had an eventful day that ended up with me at my OB's office, who sent me to L&D to be checked for early labor.  Thankfully it was a total false alarm, I was a little embarrassed but totally didn't think they would send me to the hospital!  The OB assured me that it happens all the time.  At my 24 week appointment, the OB also told me that I was measuring small so they will do an ultrasound at the next appointment to get a more accurate measurement.  I also am starting to get really bad heartburn!

Stretch marks?
No!  Still oiling up every day though. 

Food cravings?
I mostly crave fruit still.  Everything I want is on the sweet side!  My doctor told me to make sure I'm eating enough because I'd only gained 4 lbs at my 24 week appointment.  I feel like I am eating like crazy though, but I'm grabbing for snacks even more often. 

Movement?
Part of my mishap earlier this week was due to me not feeling any movement for at least 48 hours.  (It was also due to concern over leaking amniotic fluid, which turned out to be nothing.)  I just keep telling myself that the baby probably turned over, and with my anterior placenta, it's normal that I wouldn't feel as much.

Workouts?
I took it a little lighter this week, just walking and a little yoga.

Sleep?
I'm having a hard time sleeping because of the heartburn!  I'm definitely starting to need more and more pillows all around my body too. 

Gender?
GIRL!!! 

Maternity Clothes?
I just want it to be warm enough to wear a dress.  Is that too much to ask?

What I Miss?
I just miss not worrying about every little thing.  Its exhausting!

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Private…again.

If you've found your way here, congratulations!  You've made "the cut" for my private blog.  Ugh, I did not want to go private again, but I am grateful to those of you who wanted to continue reading.  I once again found myself with unwanted attention/privacy issues that caused me to want to just shut this whole thing down.  I went through this before, and to be honest, it was no fun at all.  I don't know if this is going to work out, last time I went private I did not have one page hit the entire time, which leads me to believe that either I'm doing it wrong, or having to log in every time you want to read something is too much of a hassle, which I totally get.

With such a small audience now, I will probably just use this for my own personal record of my pregnancy.  Thats really the thing I was upset about having to "give up" because I don't keep a journal outside of this.

We'll see what happens, but thank you for being willing to keep reading!

Thursday, May 1, 2014

My favorite dinner recipes from around the web

I shared some of my favorite breakfast and lunch recipes here and here, but today I am talking about whats for dinner!  Here are some favorites of mine, some are more summery and some are more for the fall/winter…so still suitable for May in Minnesota.  Ugh. 


These are MY FAVORITE thing to have in the summer.   I serve them exactly as pictured, with quinoa salad on the side.  My quinoa salad is literally just cooked quinoa, black beans, red onion, and jarred salsa all mixed together. Such a yummy and healthy meal.


I remember the first time I had sweet potato peanut soup, it was from the deli at a local co-op I visit sometimes for lunch.  It was truly a life-changing experience for me, I had never tasted such flavors and I knew immediately that I would forever be trying to recreate it.  I made at least 3 big batches of this last fall.  I had a soup exchange party with my friends and this is what I made.  I followed the recipe for the most part, but I used vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, and I pureed it after adding the beans to make it smoother.  This is definitely favorite soup of mine, which says a lot because I am obsessed with soup.


I love this meal, there is something so comforting about warm polenta on a cold day.  I don't like the tubes of prepared polenta, so I cook my own and serve the veggies on top of it.  I also leave out the eggplant as its one of the only foods I don't like.  I've made this with a can of diced tomatoes instead of the fresh ones and it still turned out well.   Talk about a cheap meal!



I couldn't get away with all vegetarian recipes because Mark would go crazy after awhile.  However, we haven't had meat for dinner for at least 4 nights now and he hasn't complained.  That's neither here nor there though, because these sloppy joes are great!  I love sloppy joes and have been known to regularly use good ole manwich with ground turkey, but this is a special twist on your typical sloppy joe. I love that its a crock pot recipe too because these are really easy to serve to a crowd.  I made these when Mark had a few of his friends staying with us on a weekend and they all went back for extra helpings!


I came across this recipe when I was trying to figure out how to use up some ingredients I had on hand.  I love that its made up of a lot of stuff that I usually have already, and everything else is easy to find.  I'm not a big meat eater, but I can usually find it in me to eat ham, I love the saltiness.  This makes a big batch and the leftovers get better as the flavors blend together even more.  

I hope you guys try some of these, let me know if you do!  I can stand by all of them!


Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Week 23


Symptoms?
Lots of round ligament pain this week as the belly seems to be finally growing more.  The unpleasant GI stuff continues, which was to be expected.  I have noticed my heart starting to race for no reason too, which is so weird.  It's not all bad though, my hair and nails are growing like crazy!

Stretch marks?
No!  Still oiling up every day though. 

Food cravings?
I mostly crave fruit.  I bought some more grapes and am devouring them, also strawberries and mangoes are tasting awesome.  I had a serious craving for ANYTHING lemon this week and made a pan of lemon bars, bought lemon yogurt, lemonade, and some lemon hard candy.

Movement?
Oh yes, I can definitely feel it.  I will have loooong stretches of nothing though, but then it always starts up again.  I think the kicking is rather uncomfortable to be honest, but its reassuring. 

Workouts?
Meh.  I did some more yoga, another barre class, and some walking.  I did run a little and then felt awful afterwards. I'd like to be more active than I have been lately, but I think most of it will have to be in the form of walking.

Sleep?
I usually am ready for bed by 9 and fall asleep right away.  I can usually make it through the night with only 1 bathroom break, but I do sort of toss and turn from side to side throughout the night.  My hips get really sore if I don't put a pillow between my knees!

Gender?
GIRL!!! 

Maternity clothes? 
I got a couple of workout tops that aren't maternity, but they have drawstrings at the bottom and do the job.  Seriously so ready for hot weather so I can wear dresses!

what I miss? 
I have really been missing hard workout and running long distances.  It's weird not training for any races this summer, I am already picking out some that I want to run after the baby comes!


Monday, April 28, 2014

Baby Questions

Calling all who are more experienced in newborn care than me…so aka, everyone on the planet.  I have been doing a ton of research online about various infant-related topics, but there are some things that I would just like to get some opinions on.  All opinions welcome-really.  People love giving advice to pregnant women, and most of the time its unwarranted- but THIS is warranted, this is your chance!

Question #1:  Any recommendations for childbirth and newborn care classes?  Our hospital sends their patients to Amma Parenting Center for all classes, but OMG they are expensive.  We are planning to take their newborn care + breastfeeding class, but would really love to avoid paying for more than one really expensive class.  My question I guess is how helpful was a childbirth/labor class?  I could be really naive here, but I feel like a lot of what happens in labor isn't exactly up to you, so I don't quite understand paying nearly 200$ to learn about all of the different variables that might not even apply to me in the end.  Has anyone tried the free classes at The Childbirth Collective, and if so, were they enough to replace a full-day class?  Our plan is to do their childbirth/labor class, but I don't want to if its  a waste of time!

Question #2:  What type of help did you need in the first few weeks after giving birth?  I generally do not do well accepting help from people.  The idea of having people come over to generally "help out" makes me so uncomfortable.  I just imagine a living room full of family members wanting to help and me feeling like I have to entertain them or come up with things to make them feel useful, or worse, constantly clean the house so they don't think we're gross.  So, what really is useful?  Any specific tasks I could ask for help?

Question #3.  Cloth diapers. Do you use them?  Did you decide against them?  What types to do you like?  What is your normal diaper routine like?  I'm really hoping to be able to make cloth diapering work, purely for the reason that it saves money.  There are just SO many options out there, almost too many in my opinion.  What worked for you?

I have more questions to ask, but I'll just start with these 3 and see how much feedback I get.  One of my favorite things about blogging is that I get access to this great resource through all of you.  Your thoughts and opinions are really valuable to me, as a first time mom with very few friends with kids.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

The Other Side

Wasn't that guest post from Wednesday awesome? Emily did such a great job answering a lot of questions that have been on my mind recently.  Lauren has really put together such an amazing collections of posts about infertility all in one space, so head on over and check it out, if you haven't done so already.  I was talking to her earlier this week and she passed on this great blog post for me to read.  It got me to thinking.  As I read through all of these amazing stories from different bloggers, I am noticing a running theme about how to interact with your infertile friend, but the post linked above does a great job explaining what its like to be on the other side.  I really wanted to take a moment to write about my own experience and to give a little perspective of what its like to be the one with the baby bump.

These might not apply to everyone, so keep that in mind, but this is just what I've experienced.  It's my experience of having friends and family with infertility, and my own route to getting pregnant and being pregnant.  I was terrified of infertility in the years leading up to getting pregnant.  Both my aunt and uncle on my dad's side were unable to pregnant naturally.  My aunt never did end up having kids, and my uncle and his wife eventually gave me 2 much younger cousins through IVF.  Due to my family history, an irregular period, a chronic illness, and never getting a positive on an OPK, I sought help.  I eventually had an HSG and was supposed to go on Clomid the day I found out I was pregnant.  I really feel like I lucked out, and sometimes I feel really guilty about it, so just know this:

1. We (your fertile friends) might feel really guilty.  Sometimes I feel like my infertile friends would make a better parent than me.  It's confusing to deal with.  There is no rhyme or reason, but your pain affects us in different ways.  I truly thought I was going to be in the infertile club, and I feel absolutely terrible for ever making a "big deal" out of my own fears now.

2. We think (an excruciating amount) about how to break the news to you that we got lucky.  I did my best to inform my infertile friends about my pregnancy before they heard it from someone else.  I painstakingly thought about how to approach the conversation.  I did not look forward to it at all, but not telling you personally seemed more disrespectful.  I'm really sorry if I used the wrong words, but my intention was always to protect your feelings.  Same goes for stupid things I might accidentally say a long the way.  If I say something really stupid, its probably because I'm frantically trying to come up with anything to make you feel better, unhelpful but with good intentions.

3. Don't assume that just because we got pregnant that there aren't other issues we're dealing with.  You never know who might be experiencing something really scary or painful, even if they got pregnant.  This is important to me because I have a chronic illness, which happens to also be an invisible illness, meaning that no one can look at me and know I have it, just like infertility.  Getting pregnant was really scary for me and I thought FOR YEARS about whether my body would tolerate being pregnant.  So far it has, but it hasn't been easy and it hasn't been without pain.  I know I'm really fortunate to be pregnant in the first place, and I won't sit around complaining about it, but just know that you can't always know what another person is going through.  I need just as much support and encouragement dealing with my disease as you do with yours.

4.  Most importantly, know that we genuinely care.  We want to see you happy, we want to support you, we want to remain friends.  We want to raise our kids with your kids.  More than anything, we want to learn how to navigate this with you.  Please allow us the chance.



Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Infertility Awareness- Guest Post

You guys, I am SO honored today to let Emily share part of her infertility journey on my blog.  Lauren had this great idea to connect a bunch of bloggers together to participate in a blog-swap for infertility awareness week, so make sure to check out her blog and read all of the other posts.  And now…some words from Emily:




I'm realizing more and more that I am a voice for infertility. I'm not a loud voice or an especially unique voice or a brilliant voice or anything like that...just a voice. Many issues are close to my heart - the education of women around the world, racism, fighting the stigma surrounding mental illness...the list goes on.

But right now, infertility is my focus. Maybe it's because I'm in the procreating stage of life. Maybe it's because at least every other day, I hear from another woman who is struggling through infertility and loss. We are 1 in 8. We are everywhere.

But I've got to be honest. Sometimes, in moments of self doubt, I wonder whether my cause is worthwhile. Don't get me wrong. It's important. That's for sure. 

But it's not cancer.

It's not AIDS.

It's not domestic violence.

It's not starvation or malaria or sex trafficking. 

It's not killing anybody.

And maybe that's true. Maybe deaths directly related to infertility are extremely rare. Maybe it's never even happened. But if that's our measuring stick - whether anyone dies from it - then aren't our standards pretty low?

Infertility may not steal lives from this earth but it does steal dreams, joy and life savings. It steals emotional stability. It steals friendships and even marriages. Infertility can steal our self esteem, our careers, even our faith.

I remember reading a study that states that the rates of depression and anxiety in individuals suffering from infertility rival those of patients diagnosed with other very serious diseases, including cancer and hypertension. Infertility is an excruciating journey, one that seems to swallow our lives whole. It's surrounded by stigma and ignorance. Infertility diagnoses such an endometriosis can cause debilitating chronic pain. Polycystic ovarian syndrome can make it very difficult to maintain a healthy weight, which in turn can contribute to all sorts of physical problems. In certain cases, miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies can be extremely dangerous to the health of the mother. 


I also want to make the point that people are dying from infertility...our children are dying. After miscarrying our son Ethan at 19 weeks, my doctor told us that my specific infertility diagnosis played a role in his death. I've read many definitions of infertility that include "recurrent miscarriage" as a factor. We, as an infertility community, are losing babies every day.

But despite all of this, I know that many of us remain unconvinced that infertility is a big deal. Insurance companies still put infertile people in a category with those seeking breast augmentations. We still hear things like, "You can borrow my kids any time!" and "Maybe you're just not doing it right." Like I mentioned earlier, sometimes even I, as a self-proclaimed voice for infertility, struggle with doubts about whether I should be focusing my efforts on something...bigger. But earlier today, a thought dropped into my brain that will stick with me forever...

Those of you who have children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews...imagine with me for one awful moment what it would be like to lose them...to cancer...or a car crash...or a senseless act of violence. Imagine the devastation of that loss. Imagine the grief that would sink deep down into your soul and just stay there. Imagine the anger. Imagine the loss of joy, of faith, of purpose.

Now, instead...imagine never having had them at all. Imagine that they were never here, that those precious lives never even existed. That you were never able to touch them, talk to them, read to them, play with them. Imagine that they never had names, never had personalities. Imagine never being able to bury your laughter in their hair or see their picture hanging on your wall. Imagine that they were...nothing. But this isn't just a blank, benign nothingness. This is the type of nothingness that leaves a gaping, aching hole in your heart.

That's what it's like to have infertility. That's what it's like for the countless men and women for whom the most expensive, invasive treatments never work. That's what it's like for families who stay on the adoption waiting list for years and never receive a match. That's what it's like for couples who miscarry over and over. That's what it's like for families who know in their hearts that they were meant to have a large family but every evening, they set the table for only three or four.

That's why it's so important to know that infertility is a disease and that our struggle matters. So if you have someone in your life who is weathering the storm of infertility, please validate their journey. If you don't know how to do that, here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Say something like, "I'm so sorry that you have to go through this. I don't know what it's like to be in your shoes, but I would like listen if you feel like talking."
  • Do a little bit of research on your friend's condition. Sometimes infertile people feel overwhelmed by having to explain their disease over and over and over, so it helps if you start out with even the most basic knowledge.
  • Vow to never give advice unless your friend specifically asks you for it. Oftentimes, suggestions like "maybe you just need to relax" or "you can always adopt" end up doing more harm than good.

It can be awkward and scary to step into someone else's pain, but it's so important. Please validate the infertility journey and come alongside the ones who walk this path.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Week 22

This week has been a little rough.  I feel more like I did in the first trimester and I'm not really loving that.  Also, like I mentioned yesterday, I had an incredibly rough night over the weekend with terrible abdominal pain and cramping (all GI related- which I knew) and I'm getting more and more frustrated trying to manage my chronic illness while pregnant.



Symptoms?
Like I said, lots of unpleasant symptoms this week.  Holy heartburn!  Omg, TUMS are my best friend. I've had nausea and fatigue all week too.  The belly is growing, but so slowly.  Even though it isn't big, I feel so much more limited in all the ways I can bend and move.  Whatever hasn't expanded out to the front has definitely filled up all of the room in my abdomen- its rock hard!

Stretch marks?
No!  Still oiling up every day though. 

Food cravings?
Nothing really this week.  I'm having hard time eating enough because I eat a normal sized meal and then stay SO FULL for hours on end. I can barely eat at all by dinner time :( 

Movement?
Definitely more movement!  Mark was able to feel a couple kicks too! 

Workouts?
Still doing some prenatal yoga, some barre, some walking the dog, and some elliptical at the gym. I am loving being able to walk outside after dinner!

Sleep?
It's funny, I'm really not that big yet at all but I feel like I need at least 2 pillows to keep me in a comfortable position while I sleep.  Lying flat on my back is definitely not comfortable anymore, but I keep waking up like that!

Gender?
GIRL!!! 

Maternity clothes? 
I LOVE that I can finally wear some of my summer stuff!  I can't wait for sundress weather!  I did find my running shorts to be a little tight in the waist though, anyone have any suggestions for athletic shorts?? 

what I miss? 
I momentarily missed a mimosa at brunch on Sunday, but my plain orange juice was just as satisfying.  

Monday, April 21, 2014

Easter Weekend

I have to say that this Easter was much happier for me than last.  If you have been reading this for awhile, you might remember that an old friend of mine was killed in a bike accident last Easter weekend and that I found out while watching the news at my in-laws house.  While that memory is upsetting, this weekend was still really nice and peaceful.  We decided to stay in town this year and spend the holiday with my parents, which was nice because it was really quiet and relaxed.

Staying in town meant that we got to have both a real weekend AND a holiday.  We went out on a dinner date Friday night, but unfortunately I got really sick at the restaurant.  I had a horrible flare up of my colonic inertia, which has been so much worse with pregnancy and without my interstim or medication.  We had to leave and rush home where I spent the rest of the night in horrible pain.

I was much better by Saturday morning and even made it to my class at Blooma.  I took it WAY easy though, because I wasn't feeling the best still.  I met up with my friend Sonja for some breakfast after the class, and spent the rest of the day running errands with Mark.



Sunday morning was all about church and brunch.  We went to church with my parents and then headed over to their country club for the BEST BRUNCH EVER!  I seriously love their brunch so much and I always look forward to it whenever we have a chance to go.  But holy moly, I was so stuffed afterwards.  Somehow I got myself out of the food coma in the afternoon to go for a walk with my dog.  Mark went to play golf and we ended up walking past the golf course at the same time he was on the hole near the road.  Shay was so cute and recognized him right away, even though it was from a distance.  Seriously, dogs are so smart.  


We spent a lot of time outside in the BEAUTIFUL weather hoping that its here to stay!  I found it quite fitting that after the worst winter ever, that God decided to give us this incredible day on Easter.  THANK YOU for that God!

Friday, April 18, 2014

Paleo banana bread

I'm definitely NOT on the paleo diet, and never intend to be, but yesterday I did a little paleo baking.  In all honestly, I actually have a quite negative view of the paleo diet and other restrictive diets, so maybe you're wondering why I made paleo banana bread in the first place.  While I don't believe that people should be grain-free, I do enjoy learning how to use new ingredients.  I had some almond flour that had been taking up space around here for way too long.  I got it to make paleo cookies for a friend who follows the diet, but the cookies were an epic fail, so I wanted to use up the almond flour in a different recipe.  I won't lie to you and say this is the BEST banana bread I've ever had.  No, the best banana bread would be the one with the flour and butter and sugar.  BUT…if you must be on a special diet, this is a pretty good alternative to the real stuff.  It's not much to look at though, but I can promise it tastes better than it looks. 


2 cups almond flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup agave syrup
2 ripe bananas, mashed
Chocolate chips (optional- mine weren't paleo)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray loaf pan with cooking spray.

Mix together almond flour, ground cinnamon, and baking soda in a bowl.

Beat two eggs in a bowl. Mix in water, almond extract, agave syrup, mashed bananas, and vanilla bean paste. Add banana mixture to almond flour mixture; mix until no dry areas are visible. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake banana bread in the preheated oven until brown and crisp around the edges, about 45 minutes.

Enjoy!




Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Week 21




Symptoms?
Still dealing with bad back pain.  I'm getting a massage tomorrow though and I can't wait!  I've also had increased tailbone pain and sacral joint discomfort.  I find that laying and sitting in certain positions make me feel like my lower back and hips are all misaligned.  Other than that, its just being dead tired. 

Stretch marks?
No!  Still oiling up every day though. 

Food cravings?
I had a really intense craving for red grapes last week, and when I finally got some, they were so delicious.  I tend to want foods when I see them, like on a commercial or something…but if you just ask me what sounds good, the answer is nothing. Everything I want tends to be on the sweet side still though. 

Movement?
Still the same, little pokes here and there, but I will go days between feeling them. 

Workouts?
I signed up for an unlimited month at Blooma last week.  I'm going to get busier at work in May, so I figured now was a good time to do the full month pass, since I had a coupon to use there.  I went to 1 prenatal yoga and 2 barre classes last week.  I also walked my dog twice and went to the gym once, but I barely did anything at the gym!

Gender?
GIRL!!! Give me ALL OF THE PINK!

Maternity clothes? 
I am starting to feel the need to get a few workout tops that fit the belly.  I really hope I can keep wearing my same yoga pants though, so far so good. 

what I miss? 
I went to a birthday party on Saturday that was a wine tasting party.  Obviously, I had a little less fun than everyone else :/

Other stuff?
I feel like I got a ton of stuff accomplished last week.  I pretty much finished registering for stuff at Baby Grand and Target. Mark set up the dresser and I found really cool knobs to switch out the old ones for.  I painted some shelving for the nursery.  Also, I am fairly certain that we have childcare figured out.  We met with 2 home daycares and 1 daycare center over the last couple weeks and are 99% sure what we're going to do.  Also, I think we have a name, but its staying a secret!  That seems like A LOT for one week!

Monday, April 14, 2014

Weekend Recap

This weekend started out on a somewhat lazy note.  I taught yoga on Friday evening (only 2 more classes left, in case you want to come!)  Mark and I just had a relaxing evening at home grilling burgers and watching a movie.

I got up on Saturday morning to go to a barre class with my friend Sonja.  It was at Blooma which does mostly prenatal classes, but their barre class is for everyone.  It was a HARD class!  I have taken barre before, but the instructor kicked my butt for sure.  She did offer lots of prenatal modifications though, which I definitely took!  My friend and I had a little coffee date afterwards and chatted until about noon.  After I got home and all cleaned up, Mark and I went out to make a major purchase- a new washer and dryer!  Seriously, I feel really old being so excited about getting new appliances, but I can't wait until they are delivered later this week! This is what we picked out:



We stopped at Target to pick out a few baby related things and then headed over to our friends Brian and Amanda's for Amanda's birthday party.  It was a really fun party, but it was a wine tasting thing…so obviously I couldn't really partake in the main activity.  Its always fun when this couple has a party though because I get to see a lot of friends from college AND grad school.  Fun fact, I went to college with Brian and grad school with Amanda…and I set them up on their very first date!  Now they've been married for almost 4 years!  We were out way too late though and I was exhausted when we got home.

I had to get up early to teach yoga on Sunday morning.  I had a really annoying experience with this class and to be honest, I am really glad it was my last Sunday morning class there.  Its a donation based class, which means I only get paid what people donate…and well, not one person donated on Sunday, so basically got up early and gave up 2 hours of my time for free.  I don't think I will return to teaching this particular class after I have the baby.  I might return to teach another Yin class there, but I'm thinking that I might look for a different studio.  Any favorite studios around that I should pursue??

I spent the rest of Sunday trying to relax, but I also did quite a bit of work.  I prepped food for the week, did some cleaning, and painted some shelving for the nursery.  I can't wait to show you guys some pictures once we get our furniture!

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Decisions

I have a lot of things to make decisions about lately, but one that has been taking up the most space in my brain is about my job. 


I love my job and don't plan on ever leaving unless something major happens.  I used to think I would want to stay at home when I had kids, but now I can't really imagine not having a job that gives me professional satisfaction, and interaction with co-workers I actually like.  Most of you know that I also teach yoga as a side gig, which I have really enjoyed over the past year.  But, with impending changes on the horizon, I knew something would have to give initially. 

Recently, a new position at my job has opened up and I was given the opportunity to take it.  Actually, I have been working really hard over the last year to secure this role as I had a feeling it would open.  I'll still do the same job, just with a different schedule.  The big difference is that its 3 days per week- Monday, Tuesday, Friday.  To me, it seems like an ideal schedule for a new mom.

Not that I expect any of you to keep up with my yoga schedule, but you might be wondering what will happen to the class I teach on Friday afternoon.  Well, here is what's going on.  I will be done teaching yoga at the end of April until next fall sometime. I have to let the Friday class go in order to take on my new role at work, and it just makes sense for me to also let the Sunday class go for the summer.  I share that class with another teacher who will keep teaching it with the help of a different teacher.  

Honestly, there are some good things about that Sunday class, but since I also work a lot of weekends at my job, I am kind of tired of always having an obligation on the weekend, especially Sunday morning.  Plus, I really need to have some open weekends this summer for other stuff!

Ideally, I wouldn't have to make all of these changes until closer to August, but the new position is open at the beginning of May, so that is when I will make the transition.  I know this is the best situation for our growing family, but I am really sad to see my Friday yoga class come to and end.  



Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Week 20

Whoa! Halfway there, that is amazing!  By far the best part of the week was finding out we're having a GIRL. 



I feel like this weeks picture makes my bump look way bigger.  It was at the end of the day after eating so I'm sure that helped!

Symptoms?
Really awful back/neck pain.  It has been radiating down both arms and into my chest even.  At times, the pain is so intense that I feel sick.  

Stretch marks?
No!

Food cravings?
Not really.  I have been trying to eat more since I found out that I'm only up 2 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.  I don't weigh myself at home and haven't looked at the scale at my doctor's office since my 8 week appt.  I'm having a hard time eating more though because I seem to eat a normal sized meal and then stay uncomfortably full for hours.  I guess I'm trying more calorie dense foods now.  Yesterday I asked Mark if we could go out for ice cream "a few times a week" this summer!

Movement?
Still not quite sure, but I'm pretty certain that I can feel little jabs here and there.  I have an anterior placenta which I guess makes it more difficult to feel movement. 

Workouts?
I only went for a few walks this week, didn't really feel much like exercising, so I'm just listening to my body on that one.  I was extremely tired all week due to not sleeping because of my back pain. 

Gender?
GIRL!!! GIRL!!!! GIRL!!!

Maternity clothes? 
I still feel like I don't really NEED to wear maternity clothes, but they are sooo much comfier.  I can't wait to wear  dresses this summer!

what I miss? 
Not too much, I guess sleeping well though. 


I'm linking up today with Kristin for Baby Talk!

Monday, April 7, 2014

Baby H is a….

Before I get started here, I just want to mention that a friend of mine found out that she had a miscarriage this weekend.  I've been really heartbroken for her and torn about how to proceed with my own happy news.  I know she's the gracious type of person who would tell me to continue to celebrate my own healthy pregnancy, especially after all of the ovulation tests, charting, negative pregnancy tests…etc.  But I can't in good consciousness pretend like this didn't happen.  So before you proceed with reading this, please say a prayer for my friends healing.

And now….here is some GOOD news:


We are having a baby GIRL!!  Of course we would have been happy either way, but we both had a pretty strong feeling that it was a girl. Well, I guess Mark had a strong feeling.  I did have that feeling for all of the first trimester and up until a few weeks ago, but then I totally changed my mind, so I was thinking boy going into the ultrasound.  

We told Mark's parents the news via Skype, and they were really happy since his family has pretty much all boys.  We told my parents at my dad's birthday dinner- I baked cupcakes with PINK filling.

Bring on the tutus and headbands!! And give me ALL OF THE PINK!

Friday, April 4, 2014

The Ultimate March Madness- Jellybean Addition

It's not technically March anymore, but since the NCAA tournament is still going on, I thought I'd share my bracket.  No, not that bracket.  I'm not much of a basketball fan, but my husband and his family all watch basketball all. day. every. day…..seriously.  So of course we all make brackets and compete with each other…thanks Arizona for securing a big fat loss for me this year, btw.  

I would much rather spend my time on something I feel passionate about- like candy.  I have been on the hunt for a few years now for the perfect jellybean, and yes, I am being completely honest here.  Full disclosure, I am a candy addict.  And proud of it.   I love chewy/fruity/juicy candy, so jellybeans are pretty much the trifecta.  

This year, I focused specifically on what I consider to be Easter jellybeans.  No special flavor themes like "tropical" or "spiced", these are all for the original flavors.  I disqualified Jellybellys because I don't consider them Easter specific, you can find those bad boys at all times of the year, trust me on this.  I chose 4 teams for the selective tourney- Starburst, Sweet Tart, Jolly Rancher, and Brach's.  Judging was completed by a highly trained candy professional- me.  The scores were determined by highly specific statistical analysis of the following categories:

1. Flavor Variety
2. Flavor Quality
3. Texture ie. chewiness vs hard shell factor


And drumroll please….the results!


It was a tough battle this year.  Sweet Tart succumbed to Starburst in the first round due to lack of flavor variety.  Brach's played a shut out against Jolly Rancher who failed to achieve greatness in any category.  It was a battle to the end between Brach's and Starburst.  The elusive black licorice jellybean including in Brach's original was the secret weapon, but ultimately not strong enough to defeat the mouth-watering red Starburst.  Starburst reigns victorious until the battle continues next year.  Congratulations to all Starburst flavors, its quite the accomplishment!

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Boy or Girl


Thank you SO much if you responded to my post about having anxiety over the gender.  It makes me feel so much better to know I'm not alone.  We are finding out the gender of our little dumpling TODAY!  In fact, we might already know depending on when you read this because we have a morning appointment!  Just for fun though, lets go through the old wives tales and make a prediction.  I have my prediction already but I will save that for later.  Like I mentioned yesterday, I can't say anything on here until next week because I'm telling family and friends over the weekend!  This is going to be a hard secret to keep!

Morning sickness
Supposedly having morning sickness means you're having a girl.  No morning sickness means a boy.  I did have morning sickness, though it wasn't terrible.
 GIRL.

Ring Test
Hang a ring from a string and hold it over your belly.  If it goes in a circle, its a boy.  If it goes back and  forth, its a girl.  
GIRL

Skin
If you break out like crazy, its a girl.  If you're skin is clear, its a boy!  My skin broke out right away when I found out I was pregnant, then it cleared up.  It has broken out several more times though, which is unusual.
GIRL

The Mayans
If the year of conception and the mothers age are BOTH even or odd, its a girl.  If one is even, and one is odd, its a boy.
BOY

Baking Soda Test
Put a little baking soda into a cup and then pee in it.  If it does nothing, its a girl.  If it fizzes, its a boy.  I did this…yes, I peed into baking soda.  I think there's a test like this with drano, but we didn't have any drano!
GIRL

Chinese Birth Chart
Try it HERE.
BOY

Cravings
Craving sweets means a girl, craving salty/sour stuff means a boy!  I have craved a lot of sour stuff, but mostly stuff that is sour AND sweet, like sour patch kids or orange juice.   Plus, I want ice cream and oreos a lot!
GIRL

Heart Beat
If the baby's heart beat is over 140, its a girl.  Under 140 is a boy.  The heart beat has always been between 155-175.
GIRL


Well as you can see, the wives tales point towards girl on everything except those birth charts.  Only one test will really tell though and I. CAN'T. WAIT.  What is your guess??


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