Sunday, January 29, 2012

Peaceful, perfect, simple kind of day

Have you ever had one of those REALLY good days? The kind where you have no regret about how you spent your time, who you spent it with and how you felt during it?

That was yesterday for me. From start to finish, it was the best day I have had in  long time.

It started out with waking up to whole-wheat chocolate chip and banana pancakes with real maple syrup and strawberries, made by my husband....who had also fed the kiddos and cleaned up all before I woke up.

You know it's going to be a good day when you wake up to breakfast that you didn't cook.

Then I took a bath and got ready without any kiddos in my bathroom.

We lazed around for a while, chatted about baby girl names (something that can be hard to get the man to focus on) and got ready to go to our free exercise play group for the kids.

The hubby had promised to go with us when we signed up for it and was planning to go to work afterwards.

We had a blast running, jumping and playing on obstacle courses with the kids I wish I took pictures, but it was total chaos.

After class Mike decided that he was going to take the rest of the day off and just work Sunday..now that was great news.

We decided to head to Target to use our gift cards and pick up some stuff we need. So off we went as a family where we laughed and chatted in the car. Target was fine, we got some health food staples, new water bottles and ingredients for dinner and headed home. Amazingly enough I only spent what was on the gift card..that NEVER happens at Target.

Once home we made lunch and I was thrilled to remember the pizza leftovers from the night before..SOOO GOOD!

The kids watched a bit of TV while Mike and I finally started to agree on baby names and even narrowed it down to two that we love. I was so happy to actually be able to talk about it and I got him away from the name the whole family loved, but I just couldn't really accept. I really didn't want to settle on an okay name.

Then we decided we needed some fresh air. It was a decent day and the snow had melted, so we headed over to the conservation land near our house with the dog and kiddos and went on an hour long hike. It was really nice and it gave us an opportunity to talk about our future and past and just have a really great conversation.

Once home, I made some fish tacos..a recipe we love but I haven't made in a while. The kids were so tired that after baths they were both sound asleep before 7 (now who doesn't LOVE when that happens).

Mike and I watched an episode of Anthony Bourdain (I love that guy), had a snack and headed to bed.

Mike spent about an hour massaging my horribly crampy, pregnant legs with coconut oil and let me tell you this was HEAVENLY. Plus it gave us even more time to talk and just enjoy each other.

I went to sleep last night thinking that life has slowed down and that I love it just the way it is. I am happy to move on to a new phase where I focus on the here and now. We have (or just about have) the children we plan to have, we have our house, we have each other... we can focus on what is right in front of us.

I spent my whole life planning for the next step, the next baby, the next move, the next job. Now I have what I want and what I really need and I am making it my life long goal to enjoy each day and spend as much quality time with my family as possible.

Sometimes you just really need a good day to remind you of all that you have been blessed with.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Let's talk food (and water) again...finally!

Alright, I admit..this used to be a food blog and now it is totally NOT.

There is something about morning sickness and pregnancy fatigue that prevents a gal from wanting to talk food. However, I am still taking what I eat very seriously and once I stopped feeling sick I really did start eating better.

I do "cheat" a lot more now. By cheat I mean if I really want something, I get it. I love food and it is nice to give into pregnancy cravings when it is worth it. But I also learned the hard way that if you use pregnancy as an excuse to eat like crap, your body will look MUCH worse post-partum. So I eat as healthy as I can most of the time, and I don't feel to bad if I get a burrito on a random Wednesday night (like say, last night).

So what have I been eating.

Here's a sample pregnancy menu from today:

Breakfast
-Wake up, drink 12 ounces of water (baby and mama feel MUCH better when hydrated)
-Smoothie: scoop of natural whey protein, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, strawberries and raspberries, scoop of natural pnut butter with flax and ice
-1 cup of french vanilla coffee w/ skim milk and 2 tsp turbinado sugar (yes, I drink caffeine while pregnant, judge away if you would like)

Lots of water before work

Mid-morning snack
Low fat string cheese
apple
water, water and more water

Lunch
handful of almonds and handful of dried cranberries
dinner leftovers of taco fixings (chicken, brown rice, black beans and salsa)
water

Late afternoon snack
Rice crispy treat

Dinner
Wild mushroom cous-cous topped with
Sauteed mushrooms, red peppers and garlic topped with black pepper and feta cheese
2 large water with lemon

Late night snack
Chobani Lemon Greek yogurt with chopped pecans mixed in and topped with a squirt of whipped cream
2-4 large glasses of water

And chances are, I will have another rice crispy treat.

This is pretty typical for me. Pregnant or not, I eat a lot of the same things. In my non-preggo world I probably would not have a second crispy treat, or whipped cream on my yogurt...but otherwise pretty typical.

Tomorrow I am having just about the same, except lunch will be leftover mushrooms and couscous and dinner will be homeade spimach, tomato and mushroom pizza on whole wheat crust (one of the family favs)

You might be wondering why I am mentioning ALL the damn water I drink. Well obviously we know water is important, BUT it is especially important to this pregnant chick. I am almost always dehydrated if I don't make a concious effort to drink a TON of water. If I get dehydrated I get day long headaches. My water intake really effects my ability to function. So yeah, that's what's with the water.

I love food and I especially love cooking with as many fresh veggies as possible. I look forward to getting back into clean eating and blogging about my post-pregnancy body stuff.

But until then...I will continue to grow a healthy little baby and hope my butt doesn't grow as fast as my belly.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

24 weeks preggo

Oh boy, 6 months pregnant now, life seems to fly by, I am feeling good: minus the nighttime hip and crotch pain, weight has slowed down (thank goodness), eating pretty healthy but giving in to occasional temptations, am both happy and sad that it will not be long before I am done growing babies and moving on to just raising the 3 I have been blessed enough to have, have to drink the nasty diabetes drink next week...I better not fail, so glad to have a husband who helps, I think we have a name but I have commitment issues, little girl names are so cute, and the belly grows and grows......................................
24 weeks, 2 days

I am weighing in around 154 (up 16 lbs, yikes!), which is about the same for the past few weeks. I think I was eating too much salt a few weeks ago and the reason I haven't gained is because I have been eating cleaner and drinking tons of water.

Baby girl is kicking and twirling a lot in there. That feeling NEVER gets old.

I have done absolutely nothing to prepare for her arrival. I think after 2 kiddos I just figure there isn't much that I need a head of time. We have all the big stuff, just need a few small things. The difference between what matters during your first pregnancy compared to your last.

I had a rough start to my week this week. One of our kiddos was not sleeping AT ALL early in the week and I just did not feel so good. I got it together later in the week and was back at the gym. Working out still feels great and I am so glad I can still do it.

I have one big worry this week, because pregnant chicks worry..that's just how it is. I am worrying about what the results of my 28 week ultrasound will be. I had placenta previa at my last appointment and I am just praying it has fixed its self. I do NOT want to give up exercise, be on best rest, or have a c-section ALL of which are a possibility if the damn placenta is still in the way.

Otherwise all is well. I am happy and am just glad that our little family will soon be complete.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Healthy Marriage=Healthier Self

I have been thinking of my husband this morning. Maybe it is the appreciation and admiration I have of him as he made me breakfast in bed this morning and let me sleep an extra 2 hours for no reason other than that he loves me. Corny? Maybe, but true.

See, my husband is a really good man. I would imagine most married couples would say the same about their spouse, but sometimes I think people lie to themselves. Now, I said he is a good man, not a perfect man. Believe me, we have had some less than glamorous moments. It certainly has not all been sunshine and rainbows...but one thing remains, which is that my husband loves me, we are best friends, we like to be around each other and he supports me.

Mike and I got engaged only 6 months after we met. Most people thought we were crazy, heck, I thought we were crazy...but I never had any doubts. We were young and in love and excited for our future.

Post engagement trip, Jamaica 2005
We had a lot of fun back then. We hung out with friends, went on little and big trips and enjoyed our year and a half engagement. We really never argued and I never, ever questioned whether or not he was the right person to spend my life with. I loved that time of our lives. The biggest thing I learned about Mike during our pre-marriage days was that he had true old school gentlemen qualities about him. He was the guy who always opened the door for you. He would wake up in the middle of the night and would tuck me back into the covers, even when he thought I was sound asleep. This type of thing was second nature to him. He never did it because he thought someone was watching, or to impress..it was and is just part of what makes him, him.

We had a wonderful wedding in 2007. The day was beautiful and fun and just so happy.
When we got married I knew I would take my vows very seriously. For better or for worse is a very important part of the promise we made. I knew we would argue and have tough times, that's reality...but I can remember talking to Mike about that fact that leaving or threatening to leave each other would never be on the table.   
Then life seemed to pick up speed. It should not have been surprising considering that as soon as we returned from our honeymoon we were surprised to find out about this:

Because we started having babies right away, and we owned a business that caused unbelievable stress for my husband, and he started building a house for us, and we both worked full time, had a baby and everything else that comes along in life.....we just didn't have as much time for each other.

We had tough times, and good time but we stood by each other.

After we had our second child we started making moves to get back the time we had lost with each other. Our house was finished and we were settled, we got out of the horrible business (thank GOD) and we put each other's health and well-being as a priority. That is about when I started this blog..when we really started living for one another again.

Having a good partner in life has made all the difference in my mental and physical health. Mike knows that it is just as important that I get to the gym as it is that he does. We like talking about health living and why it is important to us. And my husband helps me, A LOT.

Recently I started to get stressed. The physical effects of being pregnant, working full time and coming home to two toddlers has started to take a toll on me. After a long talk with Mike, he decided there were ways he could help and support me even more. It can't be easy for him. he already takes care of the kids full time and works on the weekends. But somehow he has been an even better support lately. He has started to do even more housework and since our son is a difficult sleeper, he has been the one putting him back to bed every night when he wakes up. He gets up and heats the car up for me before I go to the gym, so I have a better shot at getting there. He does so much, without resentment or frustration.

And because of him I can be healthier and happy. I feel so content knowing that I have a partner who can help and who has found a way to be even better as the years have gone by.

When I hear about friends and others I know who seem to be unhappy in their marriage, I wonder if they really put each other first. Marriage has certainly been a process of learning and growing, and I know we have a LOOOONG way to go. I am sure during that time we will hit some bumps in the road but he is my priority and my number one in this world and I can honestly say that thanks to him, I am a better, healthier, happier person.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

What the heck?!

The very last thought I had before I hit the sheets last night was......ahhhh, I am going to bed nice and early and I am not going to go to the gym and can sleep until 6:30, oh it will be so great to be well-rested.

Why the heck did I have to jinx myself like that?! I should know better by now.

Since I have been up I have made breakfast, changed a diaper, made a smoothie, cleaned up and now it is:

Yeah, that's the time NOW. It was 4:15 when my lovely daughter decided she would scream poop from her crib until I got her and my son woke up during the commotion and refused to go back to sleep.

**Sigh**

So I am trying not to mourn the loss of my extra 2 hours of sleep and am resigned to the fact that I must start my day. So I am drinking this bad boy

and hoping the kiddos go easy on me.

On the up side, my mama is coming to babysit for us today so we can travel up to a friend's house for her 30th birthday party. I am super excited, but don't know how long I will last with this sleep deprivation and my aversion to sitting in one seat for too long (my sciatica is killing me lately).

I had a doctors appointment this week. I swear, I have spent half of the last 4 year waiting in the OB's office. This time I waited forever and saw the doctor for 5 minutes...annoying, but everything seems fine. They gave me the nasty glucose drink for the next appointment.

I am 23 weeks pregnant and seem to be holding up okay. I feel like I have gained a ton of weight. I am 156 lbs (started at 138), but that seems to be slowing down a bit.

I am not going to be hard on myself. I work out, I eat pretty healthy, I'm on my feet at work all day...so I am pretty sure my body is gaining what it will gain. I am gaining more than last time, but I also weighed 10 lbs less to start. I am hoping I am just gaining at a different rate.

Besides, I will not let the guilt or worry take away from enjoying my last pregnancy. I mean the weightloss process always sucks a bit..but I know myself well enough to know I will do it. This time it will be an especially fun challenge because it will hopefully be the last time I ever need to lose a big chunk of weight.So if I want to eat a cookie one of my students made me, I am eating the damn cookie.

I'm not gonna lie though..whenever I go to the doctors I feel like a prize pig being weighed in.

So I hope everyone out there who is reading this slept in much later than this on their Saturday morning. The great news is, it's a 3 day weekend! Wohooooooo


Sunday, January 8, 2012

Front seat blogging

When do busy mamas blog?






Yup, you know nap time is important to you when you sit in your driveway, in silence, for over an hour and pray these peanuts don't wake up until they are well rested. We are getting crazy tonight and actually taking them to a restaurant with friends....so we NEED well rested kiddos. So here I sit and wait, and pray no big trucks come by and honk their horns.

Monday, January 2, 2012

A health and fitness post to kick off the New Year

I started this blog a little over a year ago. At that time it had a heavy focus on my journey through post pregnancy weight loss, healthy eating and lifting weights/ fitness. Then by the summer I had reached my goal. We were eating clean. I was exercising and lifting heavy and I was down to my lowest weight since my very early 20's.

In August I stopped nursing my daughter, put back on about 5lbs, which was probably a more realistic weight for my body and kept up my routine for another month. In September we were shocked to find out I was pregnant. We were sort of trying, but I hadn't even got my period back from nursing.

Fast forward a few weeks and enter morning sickness...or better yet, ALL DAY sickness. It was bad, really bad. I had constant migraines and was literally on the verge of puking ALL day. I stopped eating my usual healthy, veggie rich diet and ate whatever I could keep down. For a few days that was plain noodles. It was tough because I felt horrible and knew I was taking steps backwards in all I had accomplished.

As I entered the 2nd trimester things went back to almost normal. I haven't been eating AS healthy but I am at least getting more variety. I have been pretty exhausted and that leads to less cooking, but I am hoping that might change.

The one bright spot in the early pregnancy woes is that I was pretty good about getting to the gym. I believe I had one really bad week where I only made it once, but otherwise I have gone at least 3 days a week. Sure, it isn't as good as the 5 I was going before, but I am okay with that at this point. Now that I am feeling much better I have been going 4 days. It helps me keep a balance, 3 mornings of "sleeping in" (which means 6;6:30) and 4 morning of early wake-ups and fitness.

So that is where I am at right now. I am just ending a nice, long vacation and I feel well-rested. My husband is back to wanting to eat as clean as possible and so I am hoping with his encouragement we can do a bit better in our diet through this second half of pregnancy.

I have tried to keep my workouts to at least two days of strength training, so what does that look like for me? Here's what I did this morning:

-20 minutes, high intensity intervals on the elliptical (I find I need a longer warm-up to get this preggo body going)

-3x's 10 of romanian deadlifts

Alternating sets of
 One leg, leg presses on press machine (3x's 12) 40 lbs
Lat pull downs (3x's 10) 50 lbs

Alternating sets of
Free weight shoulder press (3x's 10)
Squats on reebok core bored w/ 20 lb kettlebell raises (3x's 12)

Alternating sets of
Kettle bell oblique sidebends (15 lbs in each hand x's 3 sets)
Various ab work with 10 lb medicine ball (3x's 15)

End with stretching with foam roller (hurts go good)

As you can see, it is nothing too crazy, but hopefully will keep me strong enough that I will not have to start at square one after delivering this little girl.