Pregnancy Update + Nursery Photos!

Hello All!
It's been a while...truthfully, I had 3 posts on here that were started but never finished. Oops. So, I will skip over the part where I apologize for not updating more and you will skip over the part where you pretend to care and we'll move on.

Sweet.

So, today marks the 5th day of the 32nd week of pregnancy. Yes, 32 weeks pregnant, almost 33.

There's a baby in there. 

Here are some fun facts about pregnancy thus far:

1.  I have gained a TON of weight. I mean, I don't really look overly obese, but I've gained more than the "recommended" amount...which did bother me until I reminded myself that baby is healthy, my blood pressure is good, there is no protein/sugars in my urine, and breast feeding will just melt the weight off. (That last point may be just a dream, but it doesn't hurt to hold onto that glimmer of hope). Anyways, I feel healthy, baby is healthy...weight is just a number at this point.
2. Cleaning the house is, like, impossible. Let me tell you a fun story. The other morning I woke up, excited for a day planned on the couch watching tv. I ate breakfast, everything is normal. Then, I notice the dogs being all weird by their food bowls. I get up to investigate and I see some ants. Then, some ants materialize into more ants. Then more ants turn into holy-shit-they-are-everywhere- ants. Soooo I immediately begin cleaning. I vacuum all the ants up, move everything out of the kitchen, and grab the mop and bucket. I stop to go to the bathroom and when I get back to the kitchen, the ants have freakin materialized from thin air. So basically the next 3 hours were spent buying chemical free ant killer, mopping, vacuuming, and mopping the 3 main living areas, cleaning and mopping both bathrooms, and vacuuming and mopping our master bedroom. At the end, my back was an absolute mess. I couldn't even sit comfortably, but I had a spotless house! 
3. Sleeping is sometimes fantastic, sometimes a joke. Take last night for example, I couldn't fall asleep to save my life. First it was because I was too hot, then it was because of heart burn, then it was a panic attack due to thinking about my brother being at boot camp, then it was back to being hot. Not to mention that I have to pee every 10 minutes. However, some nights I fall right to sleep no issues. On a side note, is it like a death sentence to sleep on your back? There are points where I wake up on my back...I think it's because it takes such a physical toll to roll over from one side to the other that my body gives up half way. I don't ever feel sick and baby is still alive, so I mean, I must not be on my back that long. When I told my mom this, she immediately jumped down my throat. What am I supposed to do? I'm asleep when it happens...moms.

Swelling has been on and off, but I will tell you the heat is really getting to me. I didn't really think it would bother me, but I feel like my body can't cool itself off as efficiently as before.

 

 Despite all of this, I LOVE being pregnant, really. Even Joe is having fun with me being pregnant. He has been so great. 

I wonder if he feels this way haha

I think the thing that turned Joe's nervousness into excitement was getting the nursery set up. If you are my friend on FB, you know that we did a lot of the decorations ourselves. It was so fun getting to do that (I'm just glad everything turned out ok). 

Here is what the end result looks like:

Note: this pic was taken at a different time...the table didn't magically clean itself.

The only thing not pictured fully is her dresser, which is to the left of the changing table, under all the wall decorations with the owl picture frames on it. 

Yes pink + owls are probably over done for nurseries, but whatever. I love it. Joe loves it. Leia will love it. So everyone else can suck it. ;)

Did your significant other enjoy setting the nursery up with you? What was your favorite part about preparing for baby?

5 Gross Things About Pregnancy

Thus far, my pregnancy can be classified as "normal". My first trimester, I had very few days of nausea (one day of actual sickness) and was mostly just tired all the time.At the end of the first trimester, I noticed that I had spotting on and off for about a week. Worried something was wrong, I went to the doctor twice before they figured out what it was. I found out I had two infections which resulted in taking a nasty antibiotic. I am not a fan of antibiotics, but after talking with a few friends who took the same pill while pregnant with no side effects, I figured it would be better than letting the infections rage through my body and hurting le baby. As I transitioned into my second trimester, I began to get daily headaches. At the beginning, they wouldn't show up until 2pm and would only last an hour. Then they became daily, ongoing throbbing jerks that was only remedied by sleep. Which I wasn't always able to get. Luckily, for the last week or so, I haven't had a single headache. Thank goodness.

While my mind has adjusted to the idea that someone is literally growing inside of me, I still have a hard time adjusting to seeing my belly stick out every so slightly. Right now, I think I look like I just ate too many donuts (although Joe says my tum-tum looks like a more defined baby bump to him...such a good bf) and have to stop myself from trying to cover up my belly with loose fitting clothes. Body image has always been a problem for me and while logically, I know that what is happening to my body is normal and healthy, the illogical part of my brain gets grossed out seeing a rounded belly. I will say however that I am dying to feel the baby kick. I'm 90% sure I have already felt movements here and there, but I want to know positively for sure that the weird sensation I feel is the baby and not just gas.

Which brings me to the title of this post. We all know that there are cute things about being pregnant: the glowing skin, the fully developed belly, the....uh....boobs growing ;). But there is a dark, not cutesy world that goes along with being pregnant. Being that I'm going through these first hand, I thought I'd have some fun and divulge way too much information.

Again, this post is all in fun, however if you are easily made queasy or offended, don't read any further.





Gross Thing #1: There is an abundant increase in mucus. Like, to the point where I am constantly blowing my nose so I can breath. And it isn't just that I have a cold, with the increase of blood flow going on in my body, it increases the amount of mucus being created. This just isn't regular old mucus either. This is bloody mucus. Always. Every time I blow my nose. Gross.

Gross Thing #2: Abnormal bowel movements. Yes, my poops made the gross list. Listen, I am a firm believer in having regular bowel movements. Pun intended. I believe that it is necessary to go #2 at least 2 times a day. With that being said, being pregnant messes your shit up. Literally. Early on in my pregnancy, I went a few days between bowel movements. Then, I got the ok to continue taking my probiotics and that completely helped me get back to a more normal schedule. Not perfect, but ok.

Gross Thing #3: Gas...and lots of it. Does this really need any more of an explanation? I think not.

Gross Thing #4: Peeing a little when you sneeze...and laugh...and cough...
This is just...why. Why does this happen. I mean, I know why but do you know what it is like to have a sneezing fit and then have to go change your clothes? Or carry around extra undies just in case...what am I, in my sixties? I know my social life may indicate that, but my body nonetheless is in its 20's prime. So this is just more embarrassing than gross.

Gross Thing #5: Having your belly button pop out. This is more of a "things that personally make me squeamish" item. I'm hoping my belly button just stretches out. I don't care if it never goes back to regular circumference, I just can't handle having a nub sticking out of my belly.

Again, these were all in  fun and shouldn't be taken too seriously. Because nothing about pregnancy is serious...HA!

Really though, can any other pregnant (previous and current) women relate?

A Baby Post

Happy MondayAlmostTuesday!

I get my inspiration at night apparently.

Anyways, today was my day off of work and I was looking forward to sitting on the couch, playing the 'lets check instagram, facebook, and twitter every five minutes' game and eating large amounts of foods. I woke up this morning feeling totally exhausted after only a few hours of restful sleep and I was feeling some pains that I assumed to be cramps, so I decided that rest outweighed going to class this morning. I got to sleep in for two more hours and woke up feeling well rested.

After talking with my mom, I learned that she had gone out and bought me MORE baby things and she wanted me to come look at them. Which leads me to this evenings post. Listen, I love my mom. I love that she is excited to be a grandma (she has seriously been asking when Joe and I are going to have a baby since about a year into our relationship).

But I'm convinced she has gone crazy. Upon finding out I was pregnant, she bought us slew of items. Gender neutral bouncer, car seat, clothes, blankets, toys, etc. Then, upon finding out we are more than likely having a girl, we received a weekly bag of more clothes, blankets, and other goodies.

So much in fact, that I think it is worth documenting. I'm wondering if anyone elses parents (upon becoming first time grandparents, or just in general) have gotten baby fever worse than the person carrying the baby).

So, here we go:

From left to right: Baby Burts Bees bath set, a six pack of breast milk storage containers, pacifiers, electric double breast pump, breast milk bottle refills, set of 3 4oz bottles, and a set of 3 6oz bottles. All plastics are BPA free.

Next we have our "gender neutral" car seat:

Totally cute, and has good ratings...so I guess we'll take it :D

Next, our "GN" bouncer:


That baby's face looks photo shopped



From left to right: 3 rubber duckies (Nerd, Super Hero, and Pirate), 2 teething toys, bottle brush, comb/brush, thermometer, teddy bear w/ rattle, receiving blankets, soft plush blanket, and stuffed lion.All gender neutral themed.

Now, we start to get the addition of the girly themed items:

From left to right: little hootie bath scrubber with rags, sets of headbands, little Adidas booties, and plain white socks.

Now....the bombardment of clothing. First, here are all the gender neutral clothing she got me before we found out we are more-than-likely having a girl:

Please ignore the mess of wires and desk

From left to right: 2 pajama bottoms, various pants and shorts, various onsies, and a little jacket.

I am feeling  like these are more clothes a little boy would wear, but that may be because the last few weeks, I've been slayed with pinkness. As you are about to see.



The two in the middle are my FAVE! That flower print? C'mon..get real. Ruffle bottom??? Gimme.



Next, the skirts:





I picked this one out. LOVE IT.

 Here are some onsies and jammies:

My favorite. Also one I picked out.



Finally....here come the dresses. These first two I picked out. I only bought one of them, 'ma bought the little sailor themed one:

SO CUTE RIGHT? That zebra just kills me. Kills me dead.

All the other dresses we have so far. The first item on the left is actually our babies first Arizona Cardinals jersey. And, what is the last item on the right you ask?

It is this little number. When I saw the leggings and shirt, I knew I had to have it. I'm sure you can see why.
And partly because we had to represent Joe's Alma mater and partly because it was on clearance for $4, here is this cutie:

with a headband I forgot to take a photo of earlier

Last, but certainly not least, here are the smallest bibs I have ever seen:



The one on the left makes me want to cry...or the hormones do. Either way.



Now, I feel like I have to say that I warned you all at the very beginning of this post that it was about baby items. So, if your totally bored, not my prob.

Seriously, is she crazy? I only bought about 4 items of clothing,  a headband, the clearance breast milk containers, and that.is.it.

I really hope it is a girl. I'm sure it is...but you know, we kept all the tags on just in case.



When I got to my moms house this afternoon, I casually mentioned that I had some spotting, something that has been on going for about a week. She of course freaked and insisted I see my doctor. So we went. The nurse came in and began to check for a heartbeat using a hand held Doppler thing. She barely had the wand to my stomach when the baby's heartbeat was heard, prompting a "OH, that was fast" from the nurse. My baby then wiggled away from the wand poking her. Silly girl.

 

 

I do what I want.

Then the doctor came in and performed a few more invasive tests (if you know what I mean) and we came to the conclusion that I am diseased....

HA. Jk, but seriously I have 2 infections that are requiring an antibiotic. I really hate the idea of taking an antibiotic while preggers, but at the same time, I would like the spotting to stop and I feel like not taking anything would eventually do more harm to the baby. The doctor assured me that now that I am in the second trimester, the antibiotics won't harm the baby, but I am making sure to give myself an extra dose of healthy eating this week.

So, did your parents ever buy your unborn child more presents than they bought you? Have you had to take an antibiotic while pregnant?

A Little Yoga Pose & Catch Up

So...it's been a while since I have posted...but we will pretend like it hasn't and continue on. Sound good?
Sweet.

So, I am nearing the end of my yoga teacher training program (yes, it has seriously been a while since I've posted) and I am actually beginning to create my own classes which is awesome. In fact I am hosting my first class on Saturday, January 26th.

I thought it would be fun and beneficial to post a few of my favorite yoga poses each day! Yoga poses, even when done independently, are still very good for the body and mind. Especially when done in the morning.

Enjoy!

Tree Pose (Vriksasana) 

Standing with feet together and hands on hips, shift your weight onto your right leg. Inhale and raise the left foot placing it either on the inner ankle, inner calf, or inner thigh. DO NOT place it on the knee joint (this is how knee injuries occur). Exhale and bring the hands into the hearts center (prayer pose). Find a focus point to help balance.  Your pose should look like one of these:

 Foot on inner ankle.

 Foot on inner calf.

 Foot on inner thigh.

Keep your shoulders relaxed and down the back, extend energetically through the crown of the head, lengthening your spine. Try to keep both hips pointing forward. If your leg isn't flexible enough to turn outward, simple lift the leg to a 90 degree angle.
 To work on flexibility, you can sit in butterfly (sitting with feet touching so that the legs form a diamond shape). Holding onto the feet, having the elbows as close to the knees as possible, and without rounding the back, begin to hinge at the hips forward towards your feet. Practice this pose a few times a week to improve hip flexibility.
Holding your tree pose for a few deep inhales/exhales, lower the foot SLOWLY back down, release the hands and shake out the hips. Inhale, and repeat on the other side.

If your feeling adventurous Half locus vrikasana is a great way to achieve a deeper stretch. To achieve this pose (again, only if your body will allow it), place the top of the foot on the crease where the hips meet the thigh. Make sure to flex the foot, pointing the toes, to protect the knee. 

Benefits:

• Strengthens and stabilizes the legs
• Helps those with knee pain
• Creates inner peace and balance 

Try to do a tree pose everyday! You will be amazed at how one pose can benefit the body.

So...any updates on my life you may be asking? Well, my car is a few months away from being paid off! Yippee! I do have a special announcement coming Friday...so stay tuned for that! Other than that...life is pretty normal. I am working a new job at a vitamin store. I am learning a ton. School is going good, also learning a ton. Yep...pretty boring. I am excited for my special announcement. That will spice up my life! 

One of my New Years resolutions was to deepen my yoga practice at home. I have been doing some videos, but mostly just creating a practice as I go along. It has really been helping me learn the poses better and get a feel of how I want to teach them. It is giving me more confidence, which is awesome.

If anyone is interested, I can give them some great, inexpensive yoga video recommendations. 
What are some of your favorite yoga poses? Which poses would you like help on?

Namaste friends!

Baked Salmon (with Asian spices)

Hello All!

So, tonight's dinner was so successful I wanted to share with everyone the recipe for the salmon in particular.

The Dinner Menu for Tonight:

Baked Sweet Potatoes (Organic, from Trader Joes, $3.49 for a bag with about 10)

Green Beans (Bought at the Gilbert Farmers Market)

Homemade Biscuits (All organic ingredients)

Baked Salmon with Asian Spices (Wild Alaskan Salmon purchased at Whole Foods, ~$10 for 2 fillets)

The Recipe:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

1/3 C of honey

2 tbsp soy sauce (I used low sodium)

2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1 tsp minced garlic (I used dry, but for a more powerful kick fresh would work!)

1 tsp minced onions (again, I used dry)

3/4 tsp ground ginger (yum!)

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (add more if you like it spicy)

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.

There are two ways you could prepare this. You could let this mixture act as a marinade and let it sit at least 30 minutes before cooking. Or you could spoon the mixture over the salmon and pop in the oven.

 I used it as a marinade while the sweet potatoes were baking. It sat for about 40 minutes. Then I put the salmon and marinade into a glass baking dish (never use aluminum) and baked for 20 minutes.

It is seriously delicious.

Today was pretty busy. I was feeling under the weather at first, and just lounged around the house. Then I decided it was time to be productive and went to a yoga class, then spent a few hours at SWIHA's holistic health gathering! It was soooooo fun. Then it was time to go grocery shopping. I only picked up a few items as my funds are running a little low until next pay day. On a side note, my car loan is almost down to $1,000! After next month, it will be under.

Anyways, I decided for convenience sake, I was just going to go to Trader Joes to get the few items I needed. I picked up a package of organic chicken that had two breast and 4 drums for $11! It is so cheap to just buy the packages that still have the fat and trimmings on and just trim it up yourself at home. Plus, I will use the bones to make chicken broth for soup!! I also got organic ground turkey. That was about $5 for a pound. They had Country Pumpkin Granola next to the check out stand that I couldn't simply ignore. I think it will go great with my sweet potato tomorrow morning! Yum.

Then it was back home to complete 5 loads of laundry. No, I'm not joking. That is not a mistake---5 loads. We have a ton of clothing. Next, it was time to clean the bathrooms. Sigh. This may be my least favorite thing to do ever. Cleaning the tub is a pain the butt. And I have to scrub a little harder than normal because the all natural/organic products I use aren't as potent as their chemical counter parts. So more elbow grease is required. At least I won't be breathing in toxins, so it is an even trade.

Finally, it was time to relax. We turned the AC off and opened most of the windows in the house. It smells so fresh in here now. I love fall. As the temperature cools down to the low 90's, high 80's, Arizonians become so much happier. Pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING is available (although watch out for GMO's, additives, artificial ingredients, etc). I have opted to just make things at home. Like roasted pumpkin spice pumpkin seeds. Noms. I will share the recipe next time.

What are you favorite things about fall?

Exciting Changes and Updates

Hello All!

I have been so busy with school, that I haven't had much time to blog. However, I am going to be doing some GREAT posts on buying organic/pesticide free produce on a budget, some delicious recipes, and some awesome yoga poses to help ease away stress. So bare with me! I'm updating and changing not only this blog, but myself. 

Namaste my friends!

 

A Little Catching Up

Hello All! 

There is much to catch you up on. First, I am in week 3 of my yoga teacher training at SOY (which is a school of SWIHA). I love it there. Talk about being in a place of like-minded people. Everyone there just has this aura of beauty around them. There is so much information to take in and I feel more so now than ever that I am in the right place at the right time. It is awesome.

I started a homeopathy class last Wednesday! I am so intrigued by it. Homeopathy makes so much sense that I can't believe people are still putting their trust in to traditional medicine. While there are cases in which traditional medicine comes in handy (I'm thinking E.R. worthy cases, i.e. stabbing, gun shot, etc) most of our ailments in this world from asthma to cancer to even autism can be treated with homeopathic remedies. Here is a cool website with more information if you are interested. Being as this was my first class, I don't consider myself versed enough to explain it properly yet. By the end of the class, I will be qualified to treat minor, first aid sicknesses! Pretty cool.

I can't wait to start nutrition. There is a rumor going around campus that SWIHA's nutrition program is so good that they are in the process of getting it board certified. Meaning I will have some serious credentials when I finish, not just a diploma. As of now, that is just the rumor, but hopefully I will find out more when I start the program, which will be at the beginning of September. 

In related news, Joe and I started Insanity!

People, this is not joke. It is just as hard as the commercials you have seen for it. Actually harder, because watching people do it from the safety of the couch and doing it yourself is way different. 

I did about 2 weeks of Insanity a couple of months ago but stopped because---well it was hard. When Joe showed the slightest interest in starting it, I jumped on board and we started the next day. I will admit, doing an Insanity workout and then going to yoga class and doing planks, lunges, and warriors was pretty much craptastic. My whole body hurts. But, in the end, I will have an excellent body (while eating nutritious foods of course) and it will be worth it.

Side note: I'm pretty sure our dogs think they are human. But what else is new?

Also, I gave up on being 100% vegan (for the time being). I don't mean this to sound as a cheap way out, but I just don't have the time to be a proper vegan while making sure I have all my nutrients. I don't eat red meat still and I don't eat most dairy (cheese really is the only exception, but I only have that every once in a while). I will still have delicious vegan recipes on here, but I think I will post some non-vegan ones as well. Like tonight, I am making Garlic Crusted Chicken and Spaghetti Squash. YUM! With a salad on le side. Or maybe some kale chips? That just popped into my head...yeah, lets do kale chips. 

Now that you are caught up, if you have any questions, you should message me! Especially on homeopathy. People, DO YOUR RESEARCH. Don't just throw garbage into your body because you think you can't afford any other way or that is how you were taught or whatever! We only get one chance on this earth, in the this body, at this time. Make it count. Ignorance is NOT bliss.

Treat your body as a temple. Honor it, put good, loving, healthy, nutritious foods in it. Talk nice to it. I heard someone say they would never talk to anyone the way they talk to themselves. That is powerful. People don't often think about how their thoughts manifest things. Our bodies are capable of reaching homeostasis- a place of true health and balance. Allow yourself to have that. To get to that place. 

Again, message me if you have any question-or comment!

~Namaste my friends.