Sunday, September 21, 2014
Friday, September 12, 2014
Your Body After Pregnancy - Breastfeeding, Tummies, and More
American culture is quite vain.
We are so focused on physical appearances, due to the media, society, etc., that we often do or do not do things if it results in our appearance being negatively affected.
As many of you know, I am not a very vain person but I would be lying if I said that society didn't have an effect on me. I did not look forward to looking like a deflated balloon.
But there is an unusual catch here: after you give birth, you don't care so much. You are so focused on this amazing little life that you forget to care about what you look like. I even went to the store on accident with my pajama pants on, when I specifically meant to change them before we left. Oops. Not to mention undergoing labor changes your perspective on your appearance. You just don't care what people think.
Let's face it though, you want to know what you'll look like after you give birth, you want to know if you'll ever go back to normal, etc. Before I get into more specifics, I want to mention one thing: plenty of models and actresses have gone into labor and come out a few months later looking exactly like they did before pregnancy. They work for it, sure, but women bounce back.
To get into specifics, let's start with your stomach. It's unrealistic to think you'll make it out without stretch marks. Some women do but it's pretty rare. What people DO NOT tell you is that stretch marks are technically classified as scars. So those of you who think that frequent usage of cocoa butter will cure you, sorry. Stretch marks do fade to almost unnoticeable after a time, however. Be patient.
What's more annoying than stretch marks is the deflated balloon look. Your stomach will look tired and saggy as well as misshapen. If you think about everything your body goes through during pregnancy and labor this makes sense. Over time and with exercise it will come back together but it can be a slow process. Worse, your belly button does change. My previously perfect little innie is now somehow bigger, deeper, and darker. I hope over time it won't be so bad.
Nursing is a big deal to me, being the perfect source of food for my little guy. One of the nurses told me when I was feeding my son that when he reaches his hand out to touch me it's his way of getting to know me. It got me thinking: I've seen babies reach out and touch/hold their bottles. How can a baby get to know a piece of plastic?
That said, breastfeeding is not easy. It seems so natural until you realize that because of frequent feedings you're in a lot of pain. Sure, the nurses and the internet will tell you it's due to an improper latch but that is not always the case. In fact, it was driving me nuts to read that as I was looking for a solution to my pain. I never saw another possible reason for soreness and tears. Sure other women would say they were in pain just to be met with a chorus of "improper latch" people. I read it could take weeks for nursing to get better. Women swear up and down that lanolin works. I tried that. I tried an organic nipple cream. I had a tear so bad I was prescribed a cream, which I didn't bother using. Showers were unbearable. Solution? Nothing. I stopped using everything. It took some time but even with frequent nursing the tear started to heal and is almost gone. Nursing on that side is not as painful as it was before either. It does get better with time, patience is key.
There are factors that were against me from the start with nursing. I'm fair skinned and bruise easily. I'm not a super quick healer. And then there's my ferocious little baby. He has a very strong suck. Plus he does not attach easily. Nurses who were against pushing his head toward me started pushing his head. Nurses were also against holding his hands down but found they had to; he's just too strong.
Breastfeeding takes a lot out of you, more than just milk. It helps you lose your pregnancy weight. It gets your uterus back down to size. It leaves you unbearably tired and hungry. They say you can eat an additional 500 calories a day when you breastfeed. What they don't tell you is you need it, plus a gallon of water on the side. (Nipple pads are invaluable by the way. I got some organic ones off of Amazon.com.) But breastfeeding is totally worth it, for you and especially your baby.
Something I was not prepared for was finding out my bladder was back to size. Of course this is a good thing, it was just weird for the habit of using the bathroom every 10-15 minutes to suddenly disappear.
Lastly, your post-pregnancy diet. It is a colossal relief to not have to worry as much as before, although I still eat as organic as I can. But here's the kicker: you technically should be eating more after pregnancy than during if you are nursing. Your milk production will suffer otherwise. I've never been so hungry!
It's worth pointing out that I never took a single prenatal vitamin, never took the glucose screening test, and did heavy lifting throughout my pregnancy. Guess what? Not only am I fine, but I have a perfect, healthy baby who could push himself upright on his feet at 6 weeks. We just hold his little hands and up he goes. He's also in the 75th percentile for everything. Take that modern medicine!
Anyway, some quick news: I have a new blog! The link is Additive Free and it will be discussing news from our world regarding food, society, and life. I will begin posting soon so check it out!
My baby is 8 weeks old tomorrow. How time flies!
What's more annoying than stretch marks is the deflated balloon look. Your stomach will look tired and saggy as well as misshapen. If you think about everything your body goes through during pregnancy and labor this makes sense. Over time and with exercise it will come back together but it can be a slow process. Worse, your belly button does change. My previously perfect little innie is now somehow bigger, deeper, and darker. I hope over time it won't be so bad.
Nursing is a big deal to me, being the perfect source of food for my little guy. One of the nurses told me when I was feeding my son that when he reaches his hand out to touch me it's his way of getting to know me. It got me thinking: I've seen babies reach out and touch/hold their bottles. How can a baby get to know a piece of plastic?
That said, breastfeeding is not easy. It seems so natural until you realize that because of frequent feedings you're in a lot of pain. Sure, the nurses and the internet will tell you it's due to an improper latch but that is not always the case. In fact, it was driving me nuts to read that as I was looking for a solution to my pain. I never saw another possible reason for soreness and tears. Sure other women would say they were in pain just to be met with a chorus of "improper latch" people. I read it could take weeks for nursing to get better. Women swear up and down that lanolin works. I tried that. I tried an organic nipple cream. I had a tear so bad I was prescribed a cream, which I didn't bother using. Showers were unbearable. Solution? Nothing. I stopped using everything. It took some time but even with frequent nursing the tear started to heal and is almost gone. Nursing on that side is not as painful as it was before either. It does get better with time, patience is key.
There are factors that were against me from the start with nursing. I'm fair skinned and bruise easily. I'm not a super quick healer. And then there's my ferocious little baby. He has a very strong suck. Plus he does not attach easily. Nurses who were against pushing his head toward me started pushing his head. Nurses were also against holding his hands down but found they had to; he's just too strong.
Breastfeeding takes a lot out of you, more than just milk. It helps you lose your pregnancy weight. It gets your uterus back down to size. It leaves you unbearably tired and hungry. They say you can eat an additional 500 calories a day when you breastfeed. What they don't tell you is you need it, plus a gallon of water on the side. (Nipple pads are invaluable by the way. I got some organic ones off of Amazon.com.) But breastfeeding is totally worth it, for you and especially your baby.
Something I was not prepared for was finding out my bladder was back to size. Of course this is a good thing, it was just weird for the habit of using the bathroom every 10-15 minutes to suddenly disappear.
Lastly, your post-pregnancy diet. It is a colossal relief to not have to worry as much as before, although I still eat as organic as I can. But here's the kicker: you technically should be eating more after pregnancy than during if you are nursing. Your milk production will suffer otherwise. I've never been so hungry!
It's worth pointing out that I never took a single prenatal vitamin, never took the glucose screening test, and did heavy lifting throughout my pregnancy. Guess what? Not only am I fine, but I have a perfect, healthy baby who could push himself upright on his feet at 6 weeks. We just hold his little hands and up he goes. He's also in the 75th percentile for everything. Take that modern medicine!
Anyway, some quick news: I have a new blog! The link is Additive Free and it will be discussing news from our world regarding food, society, and life. I will begin posting soon so check it out!
My baby is 8 weeks old tomorrow. How time flies!
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Expect the Unexpected - Listen to Your Body and Mind
Friday, June 18th around 9:30am I experience my first contractions.
I have tried to look up what contractions feel like many times. Everyone says something a little different which of course leads to the thought that everyone experiences something different. While I firmly believe that people have different takes on situations and events, the fact is that contractions are contractions. Just like a runny nose is a runny nose no matter how it's described. I would describe a contraction as a cramp that radiates across your lower stomach and possibly even down the top part of your thighs. Contractions are also felt in your lower back, it's like a warm, fuzzy cramp. Of course, once they get stronger they get more painful but that's to be expected when you go into labor.
My fiance comes home to visit me around 10:30am or so. I tell him that I think I'm having contractions and he stops working to assess my situation. I was having contractions bout four minutes apart and lasting anywhere from 30 seconds to a full minute. He says he wants to go to the hospital. I was reluctant because I wasn't in that much pain but we go anyway.
We arrive at the hospital somewhere around 11:00am. I'm hooked up to monitors and evaluated. The nurse on duty was very nice and after about a half hour of monitoring we were told I was in fact in early labor but because my contractions were only four minutes apart I was on the fence of whether to admit me or send me home. The decision was made to monitor me for another hour or so before making an official decision. I became agitated because my fiance and I were both told to come to the hospital when my contractions were five minutes apart and lasting about a minute, they were coming faster than that, and they're telling us it's not enough for admittance.
The hospital forgot about us for about 2 hours. I was starving at this point and all I could think about was food. The pain of hunger far outweighed the pain of contractions and all I wanted to do was eat. After a nurse came for us we were told I was still borderline for being admitted and it was up to me as to whether I stayed or left. My hunger made the choice easy: leave and eat.
It's about 3:00pm or so t this point. My fiance and I stop and get food and I made some phone calls. My fiance asks me what I want to do. I wanted to go home. After being forgotten about for so long, being told I was borderline for admittance (I was 3-4 centimeters dilated, still about 90% effaced, and the baby's head was still at 0 station), and wanting to be at home with my fiance for a while before I went back, all I could think about was laying down for a bit. Eating had made me feel about 1,000 times better but I wasn't ready to go back to the hospital.
So we go home. My fiance is wonderful, staying with me, playing a game with me, all to distract me while I feel the contractions getting stronger and more painful. The contractions never got any closer together, but the pain level was at a point where I was hardly able to move. By about 10:00pm-ish, my fiance wants to go back to the hospital. I was finally at a point where I didn't argue.
Upon arriving to the hospital and after assessment I was in deemed to be in active labor and admitted. I was about 8 centimeters dilated, about 95% effaced, and the baby was still at 0 station. I hung out for a while, just letting my body do what came naturally. When I was 100% effaced and dilated (which is at 10 centimeters for those who don't know), I was told to try to push. I didn't quite know how or what to do, so the doctor told the nurse I wasn't ready. I started to get the hang of it around 2:00am. Within an hour or so of pushing, I started feeling these sharp pains in my pelvic region. Shortly after that I felt like there was something wrong. I told the nurse I couldn't do this and she said I could and just keep pushing.
At 4:37am my water broke. More like exploded. There was an audible "pop" and then a serious release of liquid. The baby was still at 0 station. I kept pushing, feeling those sharp, stabbing type pains in my pelvic region. I was exhausted and practically falling asleep between contractions. The contractions were so bad the nurse grabbed this dog-like toy for me to pull on. By about 6:30am it had felt like my body had completely taken over. I was no longer in control of pushing, my body was doing that for me. The nurse checks my status. The baby appeared to still be in 0 station. She calls the doctor in to check on me. The baby hasn't moved. It's worth noting here that the baby was still in the same position from that Monday when I had my doctor's appointment. The doctor started talking about a c-section to the nurse. My fiance and I started conversing with each other. I told him that I was willing to undergo the c-section because this seemed like an emergency scenario; the baby hadn't moved, I was in an immense amount of pain, more so than I thought I should be feeling, and my body was taking over. As soon as the c-section was confirmed, I asked for drugs. I was in too much pain. Whatever they gave me at that moment didn't really work, I found out it was a relaxant and looking back I wish I would have just waited until I was in the operating room.
My fiance couldn't be in the OR with me because of the cutting open of my body factor, it would have made him too nauseous. I understood completely and was wheeled into surgery. I had another few contractions before being able to successfully have the epidural, but once I had that, on top of other IV medications, I was much better, if not still ready to pass out. My anesthesiologist was giving me updates on my progress as it was going on, my sight was blocked by a curtain. I was trembling from a combination of the medications, exhaustion, and the surgery. After a few minutes, I felt my body literally lifting off of the operating table. I later assembled what happened: the baby's head was literally wedged in my pelvic bone, not able to go further. This explained the sharp pains I had been feeling.
The baby was officially born at 7:30am on Saturday, July 19th. After he had been cleaned off he was shown to me. He is beautiful. I was asked if he could be taken to my fiance. I said that would make him so happy. I was sewn up then taken into the post-operation room where my fiance and the baby were. The baby was recorded as being 8 pounds, 5 ounces and 20 3/4 inches long. (I would love to mention here that he is not diabetic.) We started breastfeeding right away. He was already a pro at this, however, it is common for c-section babies to be very good at first latches and then have slight difficulty on subsequent latches (which did happen, he's a good eater now). I was wheeled into a regular OB hospital room for recovery after the initial assessment.
Moving after a c-section is hard. You have a catheter because you can't move from the waist down for a while, you've been split open and lost a lot of blood, plus your body is working on milk production for the baby not to mention trying to go back to "normal" size after giving birth. It was very, very hard for me to move around after I regained feeling in my legs.
Despite having a c-section, I felt good knowing my baby was in perfect health. We slept together due to frequent feedings, (it wouldn't have made much sense for him to sleep elsewhere), and we were in the hospital from that Friday to the following Tuesday. I love my little boy so much and I'm thrilled that he's doing well. We are having some trouble sleeping during the day, but he sleeps most of the night with the exception of feedings. I can't believe he's already almost a month old... how time flies! It seems like only yesterday I found out I was pregnant, what a journey this has been.
I'm doing well. Nursing is hard and it continues to be, but it does get easier with time. It's frustrating sometimes when the baby doesn't sleep during the day because he gets so tired he starts screaming, and I'm perpetually tired so this doesn't help me. But we're working on it (he seems to like his swing). My fiance has been very helpful, giving me the occasional break when he's not working or if he gets a few minutes to help. Plus he is helping with the household chores which is amazing.
I will be posting all sorts of baby things in the coming weeks and months but for now I want to give a few pieces of advice for new mothers. For one, it's okay to let your baby cry for a bit. Not forever, but it's not a bad thing to put the baby in a swing or a crib and let them cry for 10 minutes. Especially if they're tired and unable to fall asleep. It will help you and your sanity. The second piece of advice is babies are not as fragile as they appear. Provided you don't shake or throw your baby, and provide them with head support, don't worry so much. Lastly, sleep when your baby sleeps. Many mothers hear this all the time but it's no joke. Get help with household chores and sleep whenever your baby sleeps. It will get better as time goes on but get as much rest as you can while your baby sleeps.
The last piece of advice being said, I'm going to hopefully take a nap now. I usually wait about 20 minutes after my baby falls asleep to ensure he won't wake up and thus wake me up leaving me groggier than before. Thanks to everyone for your caring and support. I can't wait to watch my little guy grow up!
I have tried to look up what contractions feel like many times. Everyone says something a little different which of course leads to the thought that everyone experiences something different. While I firmly believe that people have different takes on situations and events, the fact is that contractions are contractions. Just like a runny nose is a runny nose no matter how it's described. I would describe a contraction as a cramp that radiates across your lower stomach and possibly even down the top part of your thighs. Contractions are also felt in your lower back, it's like a warm, fuzzy cramp. Of course, once they get stronger they get more painful but that's to be expected when you go into labor.
My fiance comes home to visit me around 10:30am or so. I tell him that I think I'm having contractions and he stops working to assess my situation. I was having contractions bout four minutes apart and lasting anywhere from 30 seconds to a full minute. He says he wants to go to the hospital. I was reluctant because I wasn't in that much pain but we go anyway.
We arrive at the hospital somewhere around 11:00am. I'm hooked up to monitors and evaluated. The nurse on duty was very nice and after about a half hour of monitoring we were told I was in fact in early labor but because my contractions were only four minutes apart I was on the fence of whether to admit me or send me home. The decision was made to monitor me for another hour or so before making an official decision. I became agitated because my fiance and I were both told to come to the hospital when my contractions were five minutes apart and lasting about a minute, they were coming faster than that, and they're telling us it's not enough for admittance.
The hospital forgot about us for about 2 hours. I was starving at this point and all I could think about was food. The pain of hunger far outweighed the pain of contractions and all I wanted to do was eat. After a nurse came for us we were told I was still borderline for being admitted and it was up to me as to whether I stayed or left. My hunger made the choice easy: leave and eat.
It's about 3:00pm or so t this point. My fiance and I stop and get food and I made some phone calls. My fiance asks me what I want to do. I wanted to go home. After being forgotten about for so long, being told I was borderline for admittance (I was 3-4 centimeters dilated, still about 90% effaced, and the baby's head was still at 0 station), and wanting to be at home with my fiance for a while before I went back, all I could think about was laying down for a bit. Eating had made me feel about 1,000 times better but I wasn't ready to go back to the hospital.
So we go home. My fiance is wonderful, staying with me, playing a game with me, all to distract me while I feel the contractions getting stronger and more painful. The contractions never got any closer together, but the pain level was at a point where I was hardly able to move. By about 10:00pm-ish, my fiance wants to go back to the hospital. I was finally at a point where I didn't argue.
Upon arriving to the hospital and after assessment I was in deemed to be in active labor and admitted. I was about 8 centimeters dilated, about 95% effaced, and the baby was still at 0 station. I hung out for a while, just letting my body do what came naturally. When I was 100% effaced and dilated (which is at 10 centimeters for those who don't know), I was told to try to push. I didn't quite know how or what to do, so the doctor told the nurse I wasn't ready. I started to get the hang of it around 2:00am. Within an hour or so of pushing, I started feeling these sharp pains in my pelvic region. Shortly after that I felt like there was something wrong. I told the nurse I couldn't do this and she said I could and just keep pushing.
At 4:37am my water broke. More like exploded. There was an audible "pop" and then a serious release of liquid. The baby was still at 0 station. I kept pushing, feeling those sharp, stabbing type pains in my pelvic region. I was exhausted and practically falling asleep between contractions. The contractions were so bad the nurse grabbed this dog-like toy for me to pull on. By about 6:30am it had felt like my body had completely taken over. I was no longer in control of pushing, my body was doing that for me. The nurse checks my status. The baby appeared to still be in 0 station. She calls the doctor in to check on me. The baby hasn't moved. It's worth noting here that the baby was still in the same position from that Monday when I had my doctor's appointment. The doctor started talking about a c-section to the nurse. My fiance and I started conversing with each other. I told him that I was willing to undergo the c-section because this seemed like an emergency scenario; the baby hadn't moved, I was in an immense amount of pain, more so than I thought I should be feeling, and my body was taking over. As soon as the c-section was confirmed, I asked for drugs. I was in too much pain. Whatever they gave me at that moment didn't really work, I found out it was a relaxant and looking back I wish I would have just waited until I was in the operating room.
My fiance couldn't be in the OR with me because of the cutting open of my body factor, it would have made him too nauseous. I understood completely and was wheeled into surgery. I had another few contractions before being able to successfully have the epidural, but once I had that, on top of other IV medications, I was much better, if not still ready to pass out. My anesthesiologist was giving me updates on my progress as it was going on, my sight was blocked by a curtain. I was trembling from a combination of the medications, exhaustion, and the surgery. After a few minutes, I felt my body literally lifting off of the operating table. I later assembled what happened: the baby's head was literally wedged in my pelvic bone, not able to go further. This explained the sharp pains I had been feeling.
The baby was officially born at 7:30am on Saturday, July 19th. After he had been cleaned off he was shown to me. He is beautiful. I was asked if he could be taken to my fiance. I said that would make him so happy. I was sewn up then taken into the post-operation room where my fiance and the baby were. The baby was recorded as being 8 pounds, 5 ounces and 20 3/4 inches long. (I would love to mention here that he is not diabetic.) We started breastfeeding right away. He was already a pro at this, however, it is common for c-section babies to be very good at first latches and then have slight difficulty on subsequent latches (which did happen, he's a good eater now). I was wheeled into a regular OB hospital room for recovery after the initial assessment.
Moving after a c-section is hard. You have a catheter because you can't move from the waist down for a while, you've been split open and lost a lot of blood, plus your body is working on milk production for the baby not to mention trying to go back to "normal" size after giving birth. It was very, very hard for me to move around after I regained feeling in my legs.
Despite having a c-section, I felt good knowing my baby was in perfect health. We slept together due to frequent feedings, (it wouldn't have made much sense for him to sleep elsewhere), and we were in the hospital from that Friday to the following Tuesday. I love my little boy so much and I'm thrilled that he's doing well. We are having some trouble sleeping during the day, but he sleeps most of the night with the exception of feedings. I can't believe he's already almost a month old... how time flies! It seems like only yesterday I found out I was pregnant, what a journey this has been.
I'm doing well. Nursing is hard and it continues to be, but it does get easier with time. It's frustrating sometimes when the baby doesn't sleep during the day because he gets so tired he starts screaming, and I'm perpetually tired so this doesn't help me. But we're working on it (he seems to like his swing). My fiance has been very helpful, giving me the occasional break when he's not working or if he gets a few minutes to help. Plus he is helping with the household chores which is amazing.
I will be posting all sorts of baby things in the coming weeks and months but for now I want to give a few pieces of advice for new mothers. For one, it's okay to let your baby cry for a bit. Not forever, but it's not a bad thing to put the baby in a swing or a crib and let them cry for 10 minutes. Especially if they're tired and unable to fall asleep. It will help you and your sanity. The second piece of advice is babies are not as fragile as they appear. Provided you don't shake or throw your baby, and provide them with head support, don't worry so much. Lastly, sleep when your baby sleeps. Many mothers hear this all the time but it's no joke. Get help with household chores and sleep whenever your baby sleeps. It will get better as time goes on but get as much rest as you can while your baby sleeps.
The last piece of advice being said, I'm going to hopefully take a nap now. I usually wait about 20 minutes after my baby falls asleep to ensure he won't wake up and thus wake me up leaving me groggier than before. Thanks to everyone for your caring and support. I can't wait to watch my little guy grow up!
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Rebuttal About Butter - Time Magazine's "Realization"
Hi.
As everyone can see from the pregnancy ticker that's still ticking, I'm officially over my due date, no matter which date you're looking at. This baby has decided to be like his parents and prove everyone wrong... the last predicted due date by anyone was yesterday. So here I sit, typing yet another blog post before labor, in hopes to both distract myself and entertain all of you.
First, some pregnancy news. By now, some of you know my status. I'm about 2-3cm dilated, 90% effaced, and the baby is sitting at 0 station. For those of you who don't know what any of this means, I will elaborate briefly. Those three bits of information are indicators as to how close you are in the labor process. Dilation is the number most people know and understand, the opening of the cervix, ranging from 0cm (closed) to 10cm (fully dilated). Active labor, the labor that I will be in the hospital for, starts around 6cm, give or take (depending on whether my water breaks or not and other factors). So while I'm not very dilated, I have shown signs of progression. Effacement is the thinning of the cervix, which is very important because the cervix is normally fairly thick and if it stayed that way, labor would be even harder than it already is. Effacement ranges from 0% (none) to 100% (complete). Since I'm sitting at about 90%, that essentially means not much is in the way of the baby exiting. Now the most interesting part, station. I've seen a variety of numbers to determine the "station" of the baby, which is basically where the baby is sitting in relation to the hole of the pelvic bone. I'm going to use -5 (not at all dropped) to +5 (crowning) as my numbers. Zero means that the baby is literally sitting right in the hole of the bone, on the line between birth canal and uterus. As many of you have probably deduced from this information, I could go into labor at any moment. I have a biophysical profile tomorrow to check on the status of the baby, which basically means they're going to ultrasound me and make sure the baby still has everything he needs. Oxygen, enough amniotic fluid, etc. Of course if I go into labor before then, it's not really necessary, is it? I'm playing the waiting game.
Speaking of the waiting game, while I was in the waiting room at the doctor's office, there was a copy of June 23rd's Time Magazine sitting on the end table. I had actually already seen the cover of the magazine because it's also sitting in our laundry room, but it didn't stop my thoughts. It's really a perfect example of what I was talking about in my "Gripes About Grapes" post from last week. Here is a picture of the cover:
Alton Brown covered this issue years and years ago in his show "Good Eats" in the episode entitled "The Case for Butter." Why was butter ever labeled the enemy in the first place? Because "science" swooped in and did some "analysis" that said it harbored this scary substance known as cholesterol? Are we as a society just afraid of big words? Eggs were seriously injured by the science industry as well for similar reasons. Remember the 1940's and 50's? Those people lived forever eating not only butter and eggs but also lard, red meat, unpasteurized milk, and plenty more. But of course science came along and to "protect us" from bacteria and other "harmful" substances they preached about fat, diabetes, and cholesterol scaring everyone into "eating healthier." Now, suddenly, it's revealed that margarine has these horrible things called "trans-fatty-acids," milk digests the best when it's in its entirety and not altered, eating eggs actually lowers cholesterol, and to replace some of the things removed from our food for the sake of health is shown to be more harmful. Like how sugar is now consumed at a rate that is sickening for our country and carbohydrate intake is also up as not only a filler but as an "energy source" causing problems because they are not high in other nutrients for the body to work off of. So instead of eating whole foods that no one ever complained about or had issues with and having a complete diet, Americans in particular are suffering from an incomplete diet being fortified with artificial vitamins and minerals which the body doesn't know how to effectively process. Using margarine never made any sense.
What's funny about the butter issue is quite simply the responses I've seen on the internet about it. I saw someone comment that maybe we should eat butter in moderation. Hmm. Does anyone know how old Julia Child lived to be? 91. How much butter did she use? A lot. I'm all for the usage of butter but we need to be aware that the butter this is being commonly consumed in America today is not the butter your grandparents or great-grandparents actually grew up on. With the advent of artificial growth hormome (rbgH) and antibiotics that are routinely given to cattle today our milk supply (as well as our meat supply) has been tainted with these additives, not to mention that oftentimes the conventional butter you will buy at the store will have other ingredients listed in it besides cream and salt. On the Land O'Lakes website itself is a great example. The unsalted butter they have has two ingredients: sweet cream and natural flavoring. What is wrong with the cream that makes it so you have to add additional flavoring? What unfortunately is happening that no one wants to talk about is that the addition of rbgH and antibiotics have not only filtered through to our meat and dairy but is also affecting the taste. On top of that we are what we eat and what we eat, eats. So if our cattle is being forced to eat corn (genetically modified at that), a substance they do not naturally eat and living in sloppy, tight conditions what we consume off of the cattle will show through us in taste and in health. (Note: they noticed that once cattle were switched from corn to grass that the prevalence of e. coli virtually disappeared. Why then are we not grass-feeding all of our cattle? Corn is way cheaper.)
Before you read this blog post and think that I'm going on a "convert to organic" rampage, I'm not. What I'm saying is quite simply the truth. Whether or not you choose to eat organic or whole foods is completely your choice. In our country today each aspect of the food industry, organic and conventional, has been tainted somehow and what it boils down to is power and money. I choose not to eat additives and pesticides as much as possible and eating locally sometimes helps with that, although many local farms will still use chemicals. Finding a local organic farm is ideal but let's face it, it's not always an easy find. Do your research. Learn about what foods you're eating. You might be surprised how you feel if you make a dietary lifestyle switch. And in my opinion, organic butter is a whole food.
On a completely different last note I did finally do a craft project that has turned out shockingly well. It's a wolf made from strips of magazine pages with my child's name on the bottom. I have to do two or three quick things to it before it's completely done, but then I will share a picture of it with you. In the meantime hopefully I go into labor soon!
Give me rebuttals about butter!
As everyone can see from the pregnancy ticker that's still ticking, I'm officially over my due date, no matter which date you're looking at. This baby has decided to be like his parents and prove everyone wrong... the last predicted due date by anyone was yesterday. So here I sit, typing yet another blog post before labor, in hopes to both distract myself and entertain all of you.
First, some pregnancy news. By now, some of you know my status. I'm about 2-3cm dilated, 90% effaced, and the baby is sitting at 0 station. For those of you who don't know what any of this means, I will elaborate briefly. Those three bits of information are indicators as to how close you are in the labor process. Dilation is the number most people know and understand, the opening of the cervix, ranging from 0cm (closed) to 10cm (fully dilated). Active labor, the labor that I will be in the hospital for, starts around 6cm, give or take (depending on whether my water breaks or not and other factors). So while I'm not very dilated, I have shown signs of progression. Effacement is the thinning of the cervix, which is very important because the cervix is normally fairly thick and if it stayed that way, labor would be even harder than it already is. Effacement ranges from 0% (none) to 100% (complete). Since I'm sitting at about 90%, that essentially means not much is in the way of the baby exiting. Now the most interesting part, station. I've seen a variety of numbers to determine the "station" of the baby, which is basically where the baby is sitting in relation to the hole of the pelvic bone. I'm going to use -5 (not at all dropped) to +5 (crowning) as my numbers. Zero means that the baby is literally sitting right in the hole of the bone, on the line between birth canal and uterus. As many of you have probably deduced from this information, I could go into labor at any moment. I have a biophysical profile tomorrow to check on the status of the baby, which basically means they're going to ultrasound me and make sure the baby still has everything he needs. Oxygen, enough amniotic fluid, etc. Of course if I go into labor before then, it's not really necessary, is it? I'm playing the waiting game.
Speaking of the waiting game, while I was in the waiting room at the doctor's office, there was a copy of June 23rd's Time Magazine sitting on the end table. I had actually already seen the cover of the magazine because it's also sitting in our laundry room, but it didn't stop my thoughts. It's really a perfect example of what I was talking about in my "Gripes About Grapes" post from last week. Here is a picture of the cover:
What's funny about the butter issue is quite simply the responses I've seen on the internet about it. I saw someone comment that maybe we should eat butter in moderation. Hmm. Does anyone know how old Julia Child lived to be? 91. How much butter did she use? A lot. I'm all for the usage of butter but we need to be aware that the butter this is being commonly consumed in America today is not the butter your grandparents or great-grandparents actually grew up on. With the advent of artificial growth hormome (rbgH) and antibiotics that are routinely given to cattle today our milk supply (as well as our meat supply) has been tainted with these additives, not to mention that oftentimes the conventional butter you will buy at the store will have other ingredients listed in it besides cream and salt. On the Land O'Lakes website itself is a great example. The unsalted butter they have has two ingredients: sweet cream and natural flavoring. What is wrong with the cream that makes it so you have to add additional flavoring? What unfortunately is happening that no one wants to talk about is that the addition of rbgH and antibiotics have not only filtered through to our meat and dairy but is also affecting the taste. On top of that we are what we eat and what we eat, eats. So if our cattle is being forced to eat corn (genetically modified at that), a substance they do not naturally eat and living in sloppy, tight conditions what we consume off of the cattle will show through us in taste and in health. (Note: they noticed that once cattle were switched from corn to grass that the prevalence of e. coli virtually disappeared. Why then are we not grass-feeding all of our cattle? Corn is way cheaper.)
Before you read this blog post and think that I'm going on a "convert to organic" rampage, I'm not. What I'm saying is quite simply the truth. Whether or not you choose to eat organic or whole foods is completely your choice. In our country today each aspect of the food industry, organic and conventional, has been tainted somehow and what it boils down to is power and money. I choose not to eat additives and pesticides as much as possible and eating locally sometimes helps with that, although many local farms will still use chemicals. Finding a local organic farm is ideal but let's face it, it's not always an easy find. Do your research. Learn about what foods you're eating. You might be surprised how you feel if you make a dietary lifestyle switch. And in my opinion, organic butter is a whole food.
On a completely different last note I did finally do a craft project that has turned out shockingly well. It's a wolf made from strips of magazine pages with my child's name on the bottom. I have to do two or three quick things to it before it's completely done, but then I will share a picture of it with you. In the meantime hopefully I go into labor soon!
Give me rebuttals about butter!
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Gripes About Grapes (And Other Things)
Hello Everyone,
I'm aware that I just posted an entry about three days ago but since my time of pregnancy is rapidly running out I thought I'd post another quick entry for fun.
First off, I am "in-between" due dates as I was give both the 7th and the 9th as possible due dates. My doctor says everything looks good though so I'm just playing the waiting game... same as eight months ago.
But I'm not here to talk about pregnancy today (not really anyway). I'm here to talk about some quirks in our society that bother me in some fashion even though we live with many of these things without thinking about it. My first example takes care of my blog post title. What about grapes?
Imagine yourself going to the store and wandering into the juice aisle (organic or otherwise). Take a peek at your basic grape juice options. What do we have? In short and in the most basic form we have white grape juice and Concord or purple grape juice right? Let's start with the Concord grape juice (my favorite). If we had the time and juicer we could wander over to the grapes in the produce section and juice our own (provided your local grocery store carried them, Concord grapes are not a standard in most stores). Now let's go back to the white grape juice. What do we buy to make our own? No, not white grapes, green grapes. Green. But no one calls it "green grape juice" or "white grapes." No. We have to make it confusing. I imagine, I'm not taking the time to look it up here, that when the first person juiced green grapes they saw that the resulting liquid was not green but in fact clear/yellowish probably leading up to "white grape juice." And let me mention, by the way, yellow is the color that would make the most sense but no one would drink "yellow grape juice..." that just sounds weird.
My next "gripe" if you will is actually two completely different products that have the same exact problem. Razor cartridges and printer ink cartridges. I went to the store yesterday with my fiance and on my list was "razors." I, being eco-friendly and all that, was going to pick up a refill package. (Note: they have specifically eco-friendly razors. However, part of being eco-friendly is knowing what makes sense and what doesn't. These razors do not seem to work well and if we're talking about efficiency and waste, going "conventional" with razors may actually be more eco-friendly.) Anyway, I found myself staring at the razor section, baffled. Why exactly does a brand new razor with a brand new razor blade cost about $6.50 and a package of four cartridge refills cost $17-something? To do some basic math, if the refills were, let's say, $17.50 that would make each cartridge $4.38. A brand new razor with two refills was $11-something. Not only is that mark-up NOT financially friendly, it's ridiculous marketing and manipulation of the consumer. We, as consumers, purchase a new razor with cartridges thinking it will save us money to buy in "bulk," if you will, when we need new blades for our razors. But when we buy a new razor we hardly ever look at the cost of the refills because we already have one or two in the new package. So when we go back to the store we don't want to buy the refill because it's so expensive but if we already have a perfectly good handle it doesn't make sense to buy another one. Now you're stuck with what you have. This exact same concept applies to printers and ink cartridges. It is technically cheaper to buy a whole new printer with the ink included than to buy just the refill ink cartridges. Not only is this frustrating, there doesn't seem to be any potential solution. AHH!
Let's move on to another consumer/society issue. I was thirsty so I went into our local grocery store before my doctor's appointment to buy a bottle of water. I figured I just go up to one of the cases near the check-out line and pick up a bottle and walk out, since I only had about five minutes of spare time. I spot a bottle of Aquafina. Not my personal favorite, but I was thirsty. (My personal favorite? Fiji water. Can't get any better than that.) But I stopped myself mid-way to the grab of the water bottle. $1.79? For water? Since when? I went up the little coolers at the end of the check-out aisles to either find soda, typically $1.29 or less for a bottle, to Dasani water, which I refused to buy (that's another story). Finally, I saw a VitaCoco for $1.39. Now, I enjoy coconut water but as far as quality and taste goes, VitaCoco is on the bottom rungs for that. But considering my time restriction and the fact that I was dying of thirst, I bought it. Thinking back, I could have probably wandered down the bottled water aisle to find a cheaper bottle of water, but really? $1.79 for Aquafina? If my doctors office had a water fountain I would have just waited until I got there but they don't (odd for an OB/GYN place) but I was thirsty. This is another perfect example of being taken advantage of as a consumer who is just thirsty for a glass of water only to be charged an obscene amount of money for "cooler water" instead of remembering to go down the water aisle. And besides, since when is soda and juice cheaper than water? How does that even make sense? Don't believe this price mark-up is really happening? Check out your local grocery store. You'll be surprised.
We've all heard the "scientific" research about how whole fruits are better than juice and/or dried fruits. We need the water and fiber for our body to properly digest and absorb the nutrients. This makes sense, of course, however I don't think we really needed science to tell us that. Where's the gripe in this? Let's look at something else that I believe follows the exact same "scientific" mindset: protein powder. Now, how on Earth do you think that consuming mass quantities of protein powder is good for you when it lacks all of the essential vitamins that the protein used to work with to be effective in your system? Ah but what about vitamin fortified protein powder? Okay so now we'll just put artificial vitamins back into the already altered protein structure. That sounds healthy. Not to mention any protein that is not used within the body gets excreted as waste. So how much are you wasting by buying these products? Drink some milk or eat a steak for crying out loud. How about some cashews? Edamame anyone? Lentil soup? Every food on this planet that contains protein, or any other vitamin for that matter, was structured in a way that allows for the body to more easily absorb those nutrients by using other vitamins, minerals, water, and fiber so that your body can process it easily. Altering these nutrients and isolating them does nothing. So instead of a multi-vitamin, how about a smoothie? Need vitamin D? Go outside and get some sun. Calcium? Spinach and kale are great. Whole foods are the best foods.
My last gripe of the day is about the phrase "take a shower." We always say it: "I'm going to go take a shower." I say it too. But it bothers me as a person who speaks English. When my fiance says he's going to take a shower, I've started asking him if he's going to put it back. Or when he says he's going to jump in the shower I'll tell him not to slip. Why do we say these kinds of things in our language? No wonder it's so hard for people to learn English. We have COUNTLESS expressions that don't make any real sense. "I ran into so-and-so at the store." Did you really? Are you two okay? Why were you running in the store? My fiance gets very annoyed with me when I start on this. But if you listen, you'll here a lot of these odd expressions being thrown around. You'll start saying crazy things in response too... until someone either punches you or stops talking to you. People have no sense of humor. (I always loved the Amelia Bedelia children's books, they surround this kind of word play. For example, when told to draw the curtains, she sketches them on a pad of paper.)
Do you have any "gripes about grapes?" Comment if you wish. I'll be sure to post about labor and deliver when it happens.
Enjoy your day!
I'm aware that I just posted an entry about three days ago but since my time of pregnancy is rapidly running out I thought I'd post another quick entry for fun.
First off, I am "in-between" due dates as I was give both the 7th and the 9th as possible due dates. My doctor says everything looks good though so I'm just playing the waiting game... same as eight months ago.
But I'm not here to talk about pregnancy today (not really anyway). I'm here to talk about some quirks in our society that bother me in some fashion even though we live with many of these things without thinking about it. My first example takes care of my blog post title. What about grapes?
Imagine yourself going to the store and wandering into the juice aisle (organic or otherwise). Take a peek at your basic grape juice options. What do we have? In short and in the most basic form we have white grape juice and Concord or purple grape juice right? Let's start with the Concord grape juice (my favorite). If we had the time and juicer we could wander over to the grapes in the produce section and juice our own (provided your local grocery store carried them, Concord grapes are not a standard in most stores). Now let's go back to the white grape juice. What do we buy to make our own? No, not white grapes, green grapes. Green. But no one calls it "green grape juice" or "white grapes." No. We have to make it confusing. I imagine, I'm not taking the time to look it up here, that when the first person juiced green grapes they saw that the resulting liquid was not green but in fact clear/yellowish probably leading up to "white grape juice." And let me mention, by the way, yellow is the color that would make the most sense but no one would drink "yellow grape juice..." that just sounds weird.
My next "gripe" if you will is actually two completely different products that have the same exact problem. Razor cartridges and printer ink cartridges. I went to the store yesterday with my fiance and on my list was "razors." I, being eco-friendly and all that, was going to pick up a refill package. (Note: they have specifically eco-friendly razors. However, part of being eco-friendly is knowing what makes sense and what doesn't. These razors do not seem to work well and if we're talking about efficiency and waste, going "conventional" with razors may actually be more eco-friendly.) Anyway, I found myself staring at the razor section, baffled. Why exactly does a brand new razor with a brand new razor blade cost about $6.50 and a package of four cartridge refills cost $17-something? To do some basic math, if the refills were, let's say, $17.50 that would make each cartridge $4.38. A brand new razor with two refills was $11-something. Not only is that mark-up NOT financially friendly, it's ridiculous marketing and manipulation of the consumer. We, as consumers, purchase a new razor with cartridges thinking it will save us money to buy in "bulk," if you will, when we need new blades for our razors. But when we buy a new razor we hardly ever look at the cost of the refills because we already have one or two in the new package. So when we go back to the store we don't want to buy the refill because it's so expensive but if we already have a perfectly good handle it doesn't make sense to buy another one. Now you're stuck with what you have. This exact same concept applies to printers and ink cartridges. It is technically cheaper to buy a whole new printer with the ink included than to buy just the refill ink cartridges. Not only is this frustrating, there doesn't seem to be any potential solution. AHH!
Let's move on to another consumer/society issue. I was thirsty so I went into our local grocery store before my doctor's appointment to buy a bottle of water. I figured I just go up to one of the cases near the check-out line and pick up a bottle and walk out, since I only had about five minutes of spare time. I spot a bottle of Aquafina. Not my personal favorite, but I was thirsty. (My personal favorite? Fiji water. Can't get any better than that.) But I stopped myself mid-way to the grab of the water bottle. $1.79? For water? Since when? I went up the little coolers at the end of the check-out aisles to either find soda, typically $1.29 or less for a bottle, to Dasani water, which I refused to buy (that's another story). Finally, I saw a VitaCoco for $1.39. Now, I enjoy coconut water but as far as quality and taste goes, VitaCoco is on the bottom rungs for that. But considering my time restriction and the fact that I was dying of thirst, I bought it. Thinking back, I could have probably wandered down the bottled water aisle to find a cheaper bottle of water, but really? $1.79 for Aquafina? If my doctors office had a water fountain I would have just waited until I got there but they don't (odd for an OB/GYN place) but I was thirsty. This is another perfect example of being taken advantage of as a consumer who is just thirsty for a glass of water only to be charged an obscene amount of money for "cooler water" instead of remembering to go down the water aisle. And besides, since when is soda and juice cheaper than water? How does that even make sense? Don't believe this price mark-up is really happening? Check out your local grocery store. You'll be surprised.
We've all heard the "scientific" research about how whole fruits are better than juice and/or dried fruits. We need the water and fiber for our body to properly digest and absorb the nutrients. This makes sense, of course, however I don't think we really needed science to tell us that. Where's the gripe in this? Let's look at something else that I believe follows the exact same "scientific" mindset: protein powder. Now, how on Earth do you think that consuming mass quantities of protein powder is good for you when it lacks all of the essential vitamins that the protein used to work with to be effective in your system? Ah but what about vitamin fortified protein powder? Okay so now we'll just put artificial vitamins back into the already altered protein structure. That sounds healthy. Not to mention any protein that is not used within the body gets excreted as waste. So how much are you wasting by buying these products? Drink some milk or eat a steak for crying out loud. How about some cashews? Edamame anyone? Lentil soup? Every food on this planet that contains protein, or any other vitamin for that matter, was structured in a way that allows for the body to more easily absorb those nutrients by using other vitamins, minerals, water, and fiber so that your body can process it easily. Altering these nutrients and isolating them does nothing. So instead of a multi-vitamin, how about a smoothie? Need vitamin D? Go outside and get some sun. Calcium? Spinach and kale are great. Whole foods are the best foods.
My last gripe of the day is about the phrase "take a shower." We always say it: "I'm going to go take a shower." I say it too. But it bothers me as a person who speaks English. When my fiance says he's going to take a shower, I've started asking him if he's going to put it back. Or when he says he's going to jump in the shower I'll tell him not to slip. Why do we say these kinds of things in our language? No wonder it's so hard for people to learn English. We have COUNTLESS expressions that don't make any real sense. "I ran into so-and-so at the store." Did you really? Are you two okay? Why were you running in the store? My fiance gets very annoyed with me when I start on this. But if you listen, you'll here a lot of these odd expressions being thrown around. You'll start saying crazy things in response too... until someone either punches you or stops talking to you. People have no sense of humor. (I always loved the Amelia Bedelia children's books, they surround this kind of word play. For example, when told to draw the curtains, she sketches them on a pad of paper.)
Do you have any "gripes about grapes?" Comment if you wish. I'll be sure to post about labor and deliver when it happens.
Enjoy your day!
Saturday, July 5, 2014
When Are Babies Actually Born?
Hello all,
So my little ticker above says I have about two days to go. But how much longer do I really have?
When it comes to childbirth, it becomes less about it being a waiting game and more about it being a statistics game. For example, how often do mothers deliver on their due date? According to Parents.com, and I've seen this number before, only 5% of babies are born on the calculated due date. How about how often your water (or membranes) will break before labor begins? Whattoexpect.com states fewer than 15% of women will experience this. How about when the majority of babies are born (in relation to their due date)? Not surprisingly, most babies are born between 39 and 41 weeks according to my doctor but most doctors will not let you go beyond 42 weeks. I know there are a couple reasons for this: the placenta starts to age, women become impatient and cranky, there's no "benefit" (as my doctor put it) to waiting, etc. (Officially, about 80% of babies are born between weeks 38 and 42 according to Parents.org.)
My doctor had given the due date of July 9th but the ultrasound technician, the official "is-everything-okay" visit, gave me the due date of July 7th which is the date I stuck with. Many people place bets on when babies will be born, but so far the baby is still quite inside of me. No Fourth of July baby, no June baby. Most people have felt I would deliver early but that did not happen. I said my ideal time to go into labor would be between July 1st and July 11th but I personally believe that the baby will be born the 6th, 7th, or 8th of July. Yes, that means tomorrow is a possibility. Regardless of when the baby is born, I'm still within my personal time frame and I'm incredibly grateful.
Of course, there are ways to "naturally" induce labor, from drinking castor oil (I have NO clue who thought that was a good idea), to bouncing on a yoga or birthing ball. I prefer the beyond natural approach, let the baby decide when he wants to come. I'm not going to begin pressuring him already. And let me state this: I will NOT be induced.
I had always heard that women hit the proverbial "pregnancy wall" when they just CANNOT wait to get the child out of them. They would do anything. I read something online that said that could be the brain's way of mentally preparing the body for childbirth. I told the lady at a store my fiance and I frequent I would not hit that wall to which she replied I would. I know myself pretty well. I am not going to get to that point. I will however say that I don't want to be pregnant anymore... but I was sort of saying that from the time I found out I was pregnant. It's weird being a science experiment.
Then there are pre-labor signs. There are many websites that provide lists of pre-labor signs and symptoms but some of the most common include: increasing Braxton-Hicks contractions (the painless tightening of the uterus), cramping, the passing of the mucus plug (the plug that sits in the cervix until it starts to thin and dilate), nesting, exhaustion, and the baby dropping (specifically for first-time mothers).
How do I feel at almost 40 weeks? Tired. Very tired. Whenever someone asks me how I'm doing I say tired because it's the truth in so many ways. I'm physically exhausted because I'm carrying a small child in my body on top of nourishing him, I'm mentally exhausted because of all the baby things I have to think about plus being asked all the time whether or not I'm excited, and I'm emotionally exhausted because I'm scared and don't want to have to go through childbirth. Inevitabilities are not fun. It's like an ultimatum. No one likes those.
So do I have any pre-labor symptoms? Actually, I do. I've been cramping a bit and it's becoming more frequent, I've been completely exhausted as stated above, and sometime within the last 48 hours, the baby dropped. He's definitely lower than he was before. I have other signs and symptoms too but those are noteworthy. I mean, I am almost 40 weeks pregnant, I'm bound to have some signs!
What do you do when you're playing the waiting/statistics game? Distract yourself for one. I have just received a new puzzle from Heye, picture below. I look forward to putting it together although I'm not sure if I will try to risk assembling it before I go into labor. I have little coloring pages which will be cut out and used to decorate my car... summer theme! I'm still working which is a great help for my brain because I truly love to work and it's good for me to move around (walking also is a "natural" way to "induce" labor... I find that whole concept odd though). Plus I have re-discovered my liking of Victorian-era things... I'm trying to find a nice Victorian style cameo necklace, something not made with gold or brass, I'm a silver jewelry wearer. Etsy is great for that kind of thing and an example of a necklace can be found here.
And so ends another blog post. I might be posting my birthing blog post next... who knows? Life if definitely a funny thing. Anyway, until next time!
So my little ticker above says I have about two days to go. But how much longer do I really have?
When it comes to childbirth, it becomes less about it being a waiting game and more about it being a statistics game. For example, how often do mothers deliver on their due date? According to Parents.com, and I've seen this number before, only 5% of babies are born on the calculated due date. How about how often your water (or membranes) will break before labor begins? Whattoexpect.com states fewer than 15% of women will experience this. How about when the majority of babies are born (in relation to their due date)? Not surprisingly, most babies are born between 39 and 41 weeks according to my doctor but most doctors will not let you go beyond 42 weeks. I know there are a couple reasons for this: the placenta starts to age, women become impatient and cranky, there's no "benefit" (as my doctor put it) to waiting, etc. (Officially, about 80% of babies are born between weeks 38 and 42 according to Parents.org.)
My doctor had given the due date of July 9th but the ultrasound technician, the official "is-everything-okay" visit, gave me the due date of July 7th which is the date I stuck with. Many people place bets on when babies will be born, but so far the baby is still quite inside of me. No Fourth of July baby, no June baby. Most people have felt I would deliver early but that did not happen. I said my ideal time to go into labor would be between July 1st and July 11th but I personally believe that the baby will be born the 6th, 7th, or 8th of July. Yes, that means tomorrow is a possibility. Regardless of when the baby is born, I'm still within my personal time frame and I'm incredibly grateful.
Of course, there are ways to "naturally" induce labor, from drinking castor oil (I have NO clue who thought that was a good idea), to bouncing on a yoga or birthing ball. I prefer the beyond natural approach, let the baby decide when he wants to come. I'm not going to begin pressuring him already. And let me state this: I will NOT be induced.
I had always heard that women hit the proverbial "pregnancy wall" when they just CANNOT wait to get the child out of them. They would do anything. I read something online that said that could be the brain's way of mentally preparing the body for childbirth. I told the lady at a store my fiance and I frequent I would not hit that wall to which she replied I would. I know myself pretty well. I am not going to get to that point. I will however say that I don't want to be pregnant anymore... but I was sort of saying that from the time I found out I was pregnant. It's weird being a science experiment.
Then there are pre-labor signs. There are many websites that provide lists of pre-labor signs and symptoms but some of the most common include: increasing Braxton-Hicks contractions (the painless tightening of the uterus), cramping, the passing of the mucus plug (the plug that sits in the cervix until it starts to thin and dilate), nesting, exhaustion, and the baby dropping (specifically for first-time mothers).
How do I feel at almost 40 weeks? Tired. Very tired. Whenever someone asks me how I'm doing I say tired because it's the truth in so many ways. I'm physically exhausted because I'm carrying a small child in my body on top of nourishing him, I'm mentally exhausted because of all the baby things I have to think about plus being asked all the time whether or not I'm excited, and I'm emotionally exhausted because I'm scared and don't want to have to go through childbirth. Inevitabilities are not fun. It's like an ultimatum. No one likes those.
So do I have any pre-labor symptoms? Actually, I do. I've been cramping a bit and it's becoming more frequent, I've been completely exhausted as stated above, and sometime within the last 48 hours, the baby dropped. He's definitely lower than he was before. I have other signs and symptoms too but those are noteworthy. I mean, I am almost 40 weeks pregnant, I'm bound to have some signs!
What do you do when you're playing the waiting/statistics game? Distract yourself for one. I have just received a new puzzle from Heye, picture below. I look forward to putting it together although I'm not sure if I will try to risk assembling it before I go into labor. I have little coloring pages which will be cut out and used to decorate my car... summer theme! I'm still working which is a great help for my brain because I truly love to work and it's good for me to move around (walking also is a "natural" way to "induce" labor... I find that whole concept odd though). Plus I have re-discovered my liking of Victorian-era things... I'm trying to find a nice Victorian style cameo necklace, something not made with gold or brass, I'm a silver jewelry wearer. Etsy is great for that kind of thing and an example of a necklace can be found here.
 |
| The picture is by Jane Crowther and is called Cats Silhouette. Made by a German company! |
And so ends another blog post. I might be posting my birthing blog post next... who knows? Life if definitely a funny thing. Anyway, until next time!
Saturday, June 21, 2014
The Longest Day of the Year
The summer solstice. The longest day of the year (although that can be debatable depending on leap year status... but that's not important at the moment) can be made even longer when you're 37 weeks pregnant.
I haven't written a blog post in a while. I've wanted to, but work can be taxing when you're pregnant and intermittent internet doesn't help that. Here's a basic summary of the last month and a half or so: we moved, we will be moving again within the next few days, we got our Maine IDs, and I'm currently working. That's it. Not very exciting. I have plenty of pregnancy stuff though!
First of all, it's amazing how different trimesters in pregnancy are. I've had a very good pregnancy, as you all know by now, but the first trimester is significantly different than the second trimester and so on. When I entered my final trimester, I expected to feel heavier because, well, I'm more pregnant. So I expected discomfort. Not quite like this. Here is a comprehensive list of third trimester pregnancy symptoms:
Leg cramps. I've had these for a while but they have gotten way worse over the last month especially at night. They are specifically in my calf muscles and particularly when I go to stretch my legs. They are incredibly painful and I hate them.
Inexplicable fatigue. I mean, I guess you can explain it as a pregnancy symptom but I more or less mean you feel tired for no reason even if you haven't done anything at all that day. This is not fun at all because you want to do things and not feel lazy, but your body is working overtime without you having to do much of anything. My body is auto-making a child.
Sharp pelvic pains. I've read about these: it happens because the baby's head sits on your pelvic bone so when you move around, the baby's head is pushing on that bone. It's uncomfortable to say the very least.
Backache. Your lower back is suffering from an intense amount of forward pressure because of how far out your stomach now is. This is a multi-faceted issue because this impedes walking, moving, standing, bending, and even sitting. Your tailbone has more weight on it than it used to as well.
Lack of motivation. Oh sure, I know that things need to be done. Like laundry, cleaning the house/cabin, giving the fish fresh water... but do I feel like it? No. I put off doing things until I can't take it anymore, which is usually only a day or two past the time I should do it. Another part of this issue is losing the desire to do something. I love to read. I'd like to read, but when I start reading I don't feel like doing it anymore. I noticed this with my card tricks too. However, this is followed by another symptom...
Bursts of energy. Today was one of those days I felt like doing stuff. I had already washed all the baby clothes but I worked in the morning, I cleaned the whole cabin, glued a puzzle together, took a shower... it was a productive day to say the least. Like the previous symptom, this has another part to it, intensification of the desire to do things. Lately this has meant puzzles. I've been on a jigsaw puzzle frenzy. Similarly to the baking which I no longer do because I don't have the means to. Crafting is another one, I've been feeling the urge to make something, but I'm not sure what yet.
Cravings? This is a tough one for me because as the seasons change my taste buds change a bit too. Normally in the summer I crave fruit. I've eaten a lot of peaches, nectarines, grapes, and strawberries the last few weeks. The reason I'm putting it down as a symptom is because it's definitely stronger this year than most years. I have been, on and off, craving chocolate. The dark kind. But I know this is related to the other thing I can't get enough of and that's ice. I chastised my mother for years about chewing ice. Bad for the teeth. For some reason though I have to chew it. Lucky for me I found an ice machine on the resort that makes soft ice so I'm in ice heaven. Why is ice chewing related to craving chocolate? Well there is a correlation to iron deficiency there. I probably am slightly anemic, which is common during pregnancy anyway. I'm not worried though, my doctors say the baby and I look great.
Heartburn. Ooo I don't like this one. They say ("they" being the "old wives" telling their "tales") that heartburn during pregnancy means the child will be born with hair. I actually tend to believe this one, because, to be honest, I knew I was having a boy when I put more hot sauce than usual on things... another "old wives tale." I go through spurts of heartburn though. I'll have it for a day or two, then I'm okay for a few days. It's uncomfortable and not fun, but compared to some other women's symptoms I feel great.
Stretch marks. To be fair, I've gotten off pretty easy with this one. I only started noticing some stretch marks about two weeks ago and there's only a few on my sides and I think on the lower part of my stomach. Why do I say "I think?" Because I can't really see the underside of my stomach right now!
Cramping. Ugh. This happens on and off for me and I'm assuming it has to do with the slowing of the digestive system due to the pregnancy.
Inability to sleep through the night. Oh sure, I'm exhausted. I want to sleep for three days straight and not get up for anything. I'm lucky though if I can make it three hours without having to use the bathroom. And then there's trying to get comfortable again with a giant twitchy stomach. By the time you figure that out and fall asleep again you have to get up and use the bathroom and start all over. Naps are good at this point in the pregnancy.
Swelling. I've gotten off pretty easy with this one too. My hands are definitely swollen, just enough where I had to take off my rings. My feet are okay, but the rest of me feels a little bloated too, like my arms, legs, etc. While not fun or attractive, this isn't painful so I can cope.
Moodiness. The last of my third trimester symptoms, this one is not only common and can last throughout the pregnancy, but it can almost be debilitating. Something I've noticed, about myself at least, is that while I definitely feel more annoyed or angry at certain things, it is never without a reason. So while in a certain situation I might brush it off pre-pregnancy, now I have to at least voice my opinion in some way. This has actually had its benefits because I would constantly ignore issues and at least now I'm facing them. Dealing with them though... it's still a work in progress.
Something that I've been curious about in the last couple days is symptoms women experience before they go into labor. The "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book doesn't cover this at all and Googling it doesn't amount to much. I know nesting is a common thing but I feel almost as if women must feel like it will be happening "soon." Sure the book talks about physical symptoms, but I mean mentally and emotionally what women go through. I'd love to find out... and I'm sure I will live it.
I also want to talk about some of my favorite baby items that I've acquired. Now, I love all of my chosen baby items but there are a few that stand out and I think are worth mentioning (complete with Amazon links and pictures).
The Hudson Baby company is a great company that makes a variety of organic infant apparel. I have bought some of their items but the bodysuit below is possibly my favorite and I think the outfit the baby will come home from the hospital in.
Babysoy is another company I'm fond of. They use soy based fibers and they are also eco-friendly. Not to mention their clothing line is ADORABLE. My friend Justin bought the kimono below.
I've seen a lot of bathing support systems for babies and they all seem pretty ridiculous. I wanted something simple, easy to clean, and easy to move around. The Angelcare bath support is awesome.
Swaddling your baby is a common practice, so why can't it be cute and fun? They make a lot of swaddling items in a variety of colors and styles but when I saw this organic muslin swaddle blanket from aden + anais I had to have it.
Last summer I babysat for a very young baby and I learned that amber is a great natural teething tool. It lead me to looking up all sorts of things and finally settling on this really neat teething necklace that the mother wears. It's also a great tool for nursing. It's by The Art of Cure and it will come in handy.
You know what's seriously pointless? Buying baby food. I see the case for yogurt and certain kinds of food that isn't easily prepared but for mashed carrots? Peas? If you have a blender, a pot, a burner, and maybe this masher by Nuk you can save so much money plus guarantee you know what you're serving your child.
My favorite item so far is this sling from Sakura Bloom. I really dislike those front loader baby carriers and to be honest I'm not much of a stroller person (though we will have one as per my fiance's request). I love this basic sling design though. Simple, easy to use, and a concept that has been around practically since the dawn of time. I love it!
Every baby needs a stacker. Most babies have those ring stackers with the post in the center. I don't like those because they really only have one possible way to stack nicely. Not so with this stacker from Green Toys. Made out of recycled materials, this post-less stacker can be stacked in numerous ways without falling over. It's awesome!
I'm a big stuffed animal person, as evident by my collection of squishables. I'm also a big cat person, as evident by my owning of three cats. And I'm a big organic/eco-friendly person, as evident by pretty much everything I do and own. How do we get all three together while still being awesome and safe for a baby? This adorable Under the Nile flat kitty lovie! How on earth can it get any cuter?
I also have two honorable mentions. One is a Moses basket by Badger which will come in handy for when the baby is very little. A cute, easily transported sleeping space that can be converted into a toy basket or other useful storage space later. The other I haven't actually purchased yet but it's a baby soap by Dr. Bronner's. I'm very excited about it because it's organic and from a really great company.
This was a baby-filled blog post for sure. I hope to be able to post again within the next week, definitely after we move again. Enjoy your first day of summer!
I haven't written a blog post in a while. I've wanted to, but work can be taxing when you're pregnant and intermittent internet doesn't help that. Here's a basic summary of the last month and a half or so: we moved, we will be moving again within the next few days, we got our Maine IDs, and I'm currently working. That's it. Not very exciting. I have plenty of pregnancy stuff though!
First of all, it's amazing how different trimesters in pregnancy are. I've had a very good pregnancy, as you all know by now, but the first trimester is significantly different than the second trimester and so on. When I entered my final trimester, I expected to feel heavier because, well, I'm more pregnant. So I expected discomfort. Not quite like this. Here is a comprehensive list of third trimester pregnancy symptoms:
Leg cramps. I've had these for a while but they have gotten way worse over the last month especially at night. They are specifically in my calf muscles and particularly when I go to stretch my legs. They are incredibly painful and I hate them.
Inexplicable fatigue. I mean, I guess you can explain it as a pregnancy symptom but I more or less mean you feel tired for no reason even if you haven't done anything at all that day. This is not fun at all because you want to do things and not feel lazy, but your body is working overtime without you having to do much of anything. My body is auto-making a child.
Sharp pelvic pains. I've read about these: it happens because the baby's head sits on your pelvic bone so when you move around, the baby's head is pushing on that bone. It's uncomfortable to say the very least.
Backache. Your lower back is suffering from an intense amount of forward pressure because of how far out your stomach now is. This is a multi-faceted issue because this impedes walking, moving, standing, bending, and even sitting. Your tailbone has more weight on it than it used to as well.
Lack of motivation. Oh sure, I know that things need to be done. Like laundry, cleaning the house/cabin, giving the fish fresh water... but do I feel like it? No. I put off doing things until I can't take it anymore, which is usually only a day or two past the time I should do it. Another part of this issue is losing the desire to do something. I love to read. I'd like to read, but when I start reading I don't feel like doing it anymore. I noticed this with my card tricks too. However, this is followed by another symptom...
Bursts of energy. Today was one of those days I felt like doing stuff. I had already washed all the baby clothes but I worked in the morning, I cleaned the whole cabin, glued a puzzle together, took a shower... it was a productive day to say the least. Like the previous symptom, this has another part to it, intensification of the desire to do things. Lately this has meant puzzles. I've been on a jigsaw puzzle frenzy. Similarly to the baking which I no longer do because I don't have the means to. Crafting is another one, I've been feeling the urge to make something, but I'm not sure what yet.
Cravings? This is a tough one for me because as the seasons change my taste buds change a bit too. Normally in the summer I crave fruit. I've eaten a lot of peaches, nectarines, grapes, and strawberries the last few weeks. The reason I'm putting it down as a symptom is because it's definitely stronger this year than most years. I have been, on and off, craving chocolate. The dark kind. But I know this is related to the other thing I can't get enough of and that's ice. I chastised my mother for years about chewing ice. Bad for the teeth. For some reason though I have to chew it. Lucky for me I found an ice machine on the resort that makes soft ice so I'm in ice heaven. Why is ice chewing related to craving chocolate? Well there is a correlation to iron deficiency there. I probably am slightly anemic, which is common during pregnancy anyway. I'm not worried though, my doctors say the baby and I look great.
Heartburn. Ooo I don't like this one. They say ("they" being the "old wives" telling their "tales") that heartburn during pregnancy means the child will be born with hair. I actually tend to believe this one, because, to be honest, I knew I was having a boy when I put more hot sauce than usual on things... another "old wives tale." I go through spurts of heartburn though. I'll have it for a day or two, then I'm okay for a few days. It's uncomfortable and not fun, but compared to some other women's symptoms I feel great.
Stretch marks. To be fair, I've gotten off pretty easy with this one. I only started noticing some stretch marks about two weeks ago and there's only a few on my sides and I think on the lower part of my stomach. Why do I say "I think?" Because I can't really see the underside of my stomach right now!
Cramping. Ugh. This happens on and off for me and I'm assuming it has to do with the slowing of the digestive system due to the pregnancy.
Inability to sleep through the night. Oh sure, I'm exhausted. I want to sleep for three days straight and not get up for anything. I'm lucky though if I can make it three hours without having to use the bathroom. And then there's trying to get comfortable again with a giant twitchy stomach. By the time you figure that out and fall asleep again you have to get up and use the bathroom and start all over. Naps are good at this point in the pregnancy.
Swelling. I've gotten off pretty easy with this one too. My hands are definitely swollen, just enough where I had to take off my rings. My feet are okay, but the rest of me feels a little bloated too, like my arms, legs, etc. While not fun or attractive, this isn't painful so I can cope.
Moodiness. The last of my third trimester symptoms, this one is not only common and can last throughout the pregnancy, but it can almost be debilitating. Something I've noticed, about myself at least, is that while I definitely feel more annoyed or angry at certain things, it is never without a reason. So while in a certain situation I might brush it off pre-pregnancy, now I have to at least voice my opinion in some way. This has actually had its benefits because I would constantly ignore issues and at least now I'm facing them. Dealing with them though... it's still a work in progress.
Something that I've been curious about in the last couple days is symptoms women experience before they go into labor. The "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book doesn't cover this at all and Googling it doesn't amount to much. I know nesting is a common thing but I feel almost as if women must feel like it will be happening "soon." Sure the book talks about physical symptoms, but I mean mentally and emotionally what women go through. I'd love to find out... and I'm sure I will live it.
I also want to talk about some of my favorite baby items that I've acquired. Now, I love all of my chosen baby items but there are a few that stand out and I think are worth mentioning (complete with Amazon links and pictures).
The Hudson Baby company is a great company that makes a variety of organic infant apparel. I have bought some of their items but the bodysuit below is possibly my favorite and I think the outfit the baby will come home from the hospital in.
I've seen a lot of bathing support systems for babies and they all seem pretty ridiculous. I wanted something simple, easy to clean, and easy to move around. The Angelcare bath support is awesome.
I'm a big stuffed animal person, as evident by my collection of squishables. I'm also a big cat person, as evident by my owning of three cats. And I'm a big organic/eco-friendly person, as evident by pretty much everything I do and own. How do we get all three together while still being awesome and safe for a baby? This adorable Under the Nile flat kitty lovie! How on earth can it get any cuter?
This was a baby-filled blog post for sure. I hope to be able to post again within the next week, definitely after we move again. Enjoy your first day of summer!
Friday, May 2, 2014
Time is Not a Fixed Construct
Hello everyone,
Denial is a funny thing. Denial can be defined as, according to Dictionary.com (and I'm paraphrasing), a refusal to acknowledge something. Now here's the thing with that definition: it doesn't mean you're ignorant. It means you know something but refuse to accept that information as fact. Or in another example, you know it but you push it out of your mind as much as possible due to it being too painful, difficult, or another emotion that can be hard for you to deal with, such as fear.
I have been told I'm in denial plenty of times about a variety of subjects. But with the pregnancy, it's different. Pregnancy has always scared me beyond belief. I know I'm pregnant, whether I feel pregnant or not, but I'm nervous about it so I try not to dwell upon it but it's hard. With an obvious fact, and becoming more obvious every day, people will say something like: "when are you due?" Now this question doesn't bother me even slightly. People are curious. What bothers me is what they say after I tell them July 7th: "wow, that's soon!" Aside from the random heart attack provided to me by strangers, it bothers me because if I'm to the point in my pregnancy where I'm showing this much, clearly I'm due pretty soon. I know there's lots of questions that bother pregnant women but questions don't bother me. Ask me anything. It leaves the answer up to me. It's the follow-up comments that can grate on my nerves.
What does this have to do with denial? Well, as much as I'd love to pretend that this is a very long science-fiction movie ending with a child exiting my body, it's reality and when something is that apparent, well, it's hard to forget about it. It's like a cast. If you broke your arm doing something stupid, say you were drunk or something, and all you want to do is forget about it, good luck. People are naturally curious and will ask you what happened to your arm, therefore causing you to relive that event every time someone decides to ask you about it. Even if you respond by telling them you'd rather not talk about it, you still know what happened.
The other problem is when you're over thirty weeks pregnant, and even before you hit that point, your body will start to betray you. Now I know that there are women who from week 1 to week 40 feel completely awful and I feel terrible about that. The vast majority, however, are somewhere in the middle. I've been very fortunate in having a mostly easy pregnancy. No matter how easy or how difficult your pregnancy is, your body is going to start to give out on you. I had to take off my engagement ring yesterday because my fingers have started to swell, enough where even though I've had my ring off for over 12 hours there's still a line on my finger from the ring. My back will suddenly and for no particular reason provide sharp pains for me that will leave me unable to move for a minute or two. If I walk for too long, I'll start developing that pregnancy waddle because I get slightly achy. My fingers can't hold on to things as well as they used to, causing me to be slightly clumsy. My digestive system, already slow and slightly painful, has somehow become slower causing me additional discomfort. And my fingernails... since when do they grow so fast?
I am having a bit of fun with being pregnant, though. People look at you with a different mindset, especially the people who know you. It can be nice to hear compliments, even though I have a tendency to believe nothing positive being said about me. I have gotten over that awkward "maybe she's just fat now" phase of the pregnancy and now I just look pregnant. What's also fun is because I still so often don't feel pregnant, I walk and move mostly like I did before I got pregnant which does create the occasional funny look from people. I like talking about my child and about how great my fiance is. If I wasn't so nervous about the physical portion of being pregnant this would be a whole lot more fun for me. Childbirth does still make me nervous.
I can't believe how close I am to being in my eighth month of pregnancy. Where has the time gone? With less than ten weeks remaining I'm growing to be more nervous everyday. I'm going to be a mother? What? Aren't I still a teenager and in high school or something? Isn't this 2005? My fiance has this theory that I'm already a mother because I'm responsible for the care of the child due to him being in my stomach, but my fiance isn't a father yet because he's not physically doing anything to care for the child. Just he waits until Father's Day in June!
I did have my baby shower last Saturday and it was very nice. I got a lot of very cute baby items and the vast majority are organic or eco-friendly. I'll probably provide some images and/or links to some of my favorite items. Still on the "to purchase" list is a stroller, a carseat, and a sling. Those are my top three items right now and I do have gift cards and other gift money for them. I have other things I need of course, but those are the big purchases.
I did make those four bundt cakes which I will provide a picture of, plus my friend Justin bought me a micro Squishable which is now hanging on my car's rearview mirror, that I also have a picture of. For my future baking, I'm taking it one day at a time. I plan on making lace cookies, which will be fun I hope, and I've been considering making chocolate cherry cordials... but I'm not sure. I'll have to see.
That's it! I will provide another blog post next week. Enjoy the weekend!
Denial is a funny thing. Denial can be defined as, according to Dictionary.com (and I'm paraphrasing), a refusal to acknowledge something. Now here's the thing with that definition: it doesn't mean you're ignorant. It means you know something but refuse to accept that information as fact. Or in another example, you know it but you push it out of your mind as much as possible due to it being too painful, difficult, or another emotion that can be hard for you to deal with, such as fear.
I have been told I'm in denial plenty of times about a variety of subjects. But with the pregnancy, it's different. Pregnancy has always scared me beyond belief. I know I'm pregnant, whether I feel pregnant or not, but I'm nervous about it so I try not to dwell upon it but it's hard. With an obvious fact, and becoming more obvious every day, people will say something like: "when are you due?" Now this question doesn't bother me even slightly. People are curious. What bothers me is what they say after I tell them July 7th: "wow, that's soon!" Aside from the random heart attack provided to me by strangers, it bothers me because if I'm to the point in my pregnancy where I'm showing this much, clearly I'm due pretty soon. I know there's lots of questions that bother pregnant women but questions don't bother me. Ask me anything. It leaves the answer up to me. It's the follow-up comments that can grate on my nerves.
What does this have to do with denial? Well, as much as I'd love to pretend that this is a very long science-fiction movie ending with a child exiting my body, it's reality and when something is that apparent, well, it's hard to forget about it. It's like a cast. If you broke your arm doing something stupid, say you were drunk or something, and all you want to do is forget about it, good luck. People are naturally curious and will ask you what happened to your arm, therefore causing you to relive that event every time someone decides to ask you about it. Even if you respond by telling them you'd rather not talk about it, you still know what happened.
The other problem is when you're over thirty weeks pregnant, and even before you hit that point, your body will start to betray you. Now I know that there are women who from week 1 to week 40 feel completely awful and I feel terrible about that. The vast majority, however, are somewhere in the middle. I've been very fortunate in having a mostly easy pregnancy. No matter how easy or how difficult your pregnancy is, your body is going to start to give out on you. I had to take off my engagement ring yesterday because my fingers have started to swell, enough where even though I've had my ring off for over 12 hours there's still a line on my finger from the ring. My back will suddenly and for no particular reason provide sharp pains for me that will leave me unable to move for a minute or two. If I walk for too long, I'll start developing that pregnancy waddle because I get slightly achy. My fingers can't hold on to things as well as they used to, causing me to be slightly clumsy. My digestive system, already slow and slightly painful, has somehow become slower causing me additional discomfort. And my fingernails... since when do they grow so fast?
I am having a bit of fun with being pregnant, though. People look at you with a different mindset, especially the people who know you. It can be nice to hear compliments, even though I have a tendency to believe nothing positive being said about me. I have gotten over that awkward "maybe she's just fat now" phase of the pregnancy and now I just look pregnant. What's also fun is because I still so often don't feel pregnant, I walk and move mostly like I did before I got pregnant which does create the occasional funny look from people. I like talking about my child and about how great my fiance is. If I wasn't so nervous about the physical portion of being pregnant this would be a whole lot more fun for me. Childbirth does still make me nervous.
I can't believe how close I am to being in my eighth month of pregnancy. Where has the time gone? With less than ten weeks remaining I'm growing to be more nervous everyday. I'm going to be a mother? What? Aren't I still a teenager and in high school or something? Isn't this 2005? My fiance has this theory that I'm already a mother because I'm responsible for the care of the child due to him being in my stomach, but my fiance isn't a father yet because he's not physically doing anything to care for the child. Just he waits until Father's Day in June!
I did have my baby shower last Saturday and it was very nice. I got a lot of very cute baby items and the vast majority are organic or eco-friendly. I'll probably provide some images and/or links to some of my favorite items. Still on the "to purchase" list is a stroller, a carseat, and a sling. Those are my top three items right now and I do have gift cards and other gift money for them. I have other things I need of course, but those are the big purchases.
I did make those four bundt cakes which I will provide a picture of, plus my friend Justin bought me a micro Squishable which is now hanging on my car's rearview mirror, that I also have a picture of. For my future baking, I'm taking it one day at a time. I plan on making lace cookies, which will be fun I hope, and I've been considering making chocolate cherry cordials... but I'm not sure. I'll have to see.
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| Four bundt cakes with chicks at the top (chicks was the theme), two gluten/dairy free chocolate almond butter tarts for my sister and grandmother, and some strawberries as a garnish for the cakes. |
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| Meet George. You can't see it, but there's a clip on him which I used to hang him up in my car. He's the most adorable thing! |
Monday, April 21, 2014
A Quicker Blog Post
Today I will be trying to make this blog post as brief as possible because I am currently in my hometown and would like to spend as much time away from a computer as possible (naturally the iPad doesn't count!).
I only have one thing I would like to touch on for a minute and that would be how doctors and the media have influenced our everyday thinking. Now, this is one of my biggest topics, something I could talk about for a long time, but I am going to suffice to say this: people forget how things were before "The Change." The Change could be as simple as how fudge used to be made (with sugar and cocoa and no corn syrup) compared to how it's made today (evaporated milk and chocolate chips). While the result is somewhat similar, flavor and texture is somewhat compromised due to sheer laziness because of a shortcut method someone came up with. Or The Change could be something much larger, in my example people saying that pregnant women need folic acid. Before people knew about folic acid, what happened? Were people born with all sorts of defects? No, that doesn't make sense because those people would be our grandmothers and grandfathers and most of them are perfectly fine. Was childbirth more intense? No more than today I would think. So then what is it? Ahh, the doctors. Those doctors. Someone did a study somewhere along the line and discovered that folic acid was one of the nutrients babies developing in the womb used the most. Thus the connection was born, pun intended. So when someone asks me how I'm getting enough folic acid without taking a prenatal vitamin, I can simply say I'm doing it the old-fashioned way; not worrying about it and letting the natural/organic food I eat nourish my body and my baby, the way God intended.
Lastly, I am going to talk about recipes, as usual. I made everything I said I was going to make and even better than that I have good news! I have at least two more weeks of baking. I'm very happy about this. This week don't expect much by way of baking. I will be making four bundt cakes for my baby shower (on Saturday already, yikes!) and possibly a lemon curd. Anything else is a bonus!
French silk pie... that combination of words leave you feeling wrapped in velvet. The best part about this recipe is, no raw eggs. Normally, raw eggs don't bother me but I am pregnant. I only had 3/4 of a cup of whipped cream which ended up being just fine. I followed Brown Eyed Baker's recipe, plus Allrecipe's basic pie crust recipe and it turned out fantastically. Hint for the pie crust: use a bread or higher protein flour, it makes the dough WAY easier to work with!
I did make the stuffed cheese buns, which were delicious but I think the next time what I'll do is up the oven temperature to 400 or 425 because they didn't brown enough. Thanks to Yammie's Noshery for the recipe! (P.S.: Any kind of cheese will do for the inside!)
So after weeks of talking about curd, I finally made a raspberry curd. I ended up tweaking the recipe a bit from About.com's, and then some more... and it really ended up being my recipe in the end. I hope you enjoy, it was quite yummy!
I only have one thing I would like to touch on for a minute and that would be how doctors and the media have influenced our everyday thinking. Now, this is one of my biggest topics, something I could talk about for a long time, but I am going to suffice to say this: people forget how things were before "The Change." The Change could be as simple as how fudge used to be made (with sugar and cocoa and no corn syrup) compared to how it's made today (evaporated milk and chocolate chips). While the result is somewhat similar, flavor and texture is somewhat compromised due to sheer laziness because of a shortcut method someone came up with. Or The Change could be something much larger, in my example people saying that pregnant women need folic acid. Before people knew about folic acid, what happened? Were people born with all sorts of defects? No, that doesn't make sense because those people would be our grandmothers and grandfathers and most of them are perfectly fine. Was childbirth more intense? No more than today I would think. So then what is it? Ahh, the doctors. Those doctors. Someone did a study somewhere along the line and discovered that folic acid was one of the nutrients babies developing in the womb used the most. Thus the connection was born, pun intended. So when someone asks me how I'm getting enough folic acid without taking a prenatal vitamin, I can simply say I'm doing it the old-fashioned way; not worrying about it and letting the natural/organic food I eat nourish my body and my baby, the way God intended.
Lastly, I am going to talk about recipes, as usual. I made everything I said I was going to make and even better than that I have good news! I have at least two more weeks of baking. I'm very happy about this. This week don't expect much by way of baking. I will be making four bundt cakes for my baby shower (on Saturday already, yikes!) and possibly a lemon curd. Anything else is a bonus!
French silk pie... that combination of words leave you feeling wrapped in velvet. The best part about this recipe is, no raw eggs. Normally, raw eggs don't bother me but I am pregnant. I only had 3/4 of a cup of whipped cream which ended up being just fine. I followed Brown Eyed Baker's recipe, plus Allrecipe's basic pie crust recipe and it turned out fantastically. Hint for the pie crust: use a bread or higher protein flour, it makes the dough WAY easier to work with!
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| Completed pie. Doesn't it look amazing? My whole fridge smelled like chocolate. |
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| I had never made or tasted French silk pie before. It came out fabulously. |
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| Cheese buns. See? They didn't brown at all, except on the bottom. Next time I will up the oven temperature, or maybe spread some butter on them before baking. |
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| The inside was wonderful though. So amazing. |
Raspberry Curd
Makes about 1 1/2 Cups
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| I know, only one picture. But hey, how many pictures can you make out of a smooth custard-y substance? |
Ingredients:
Between 2 and 3 Cups of Raspberries, Fresh or Frozen (use a little more if frozen)
1 Tablespoon Lemon (or lime depending on your taste) Juice
1/4 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
3 Tablespoons Butter
Directions:
1) If you're using frozen raspberries, thaw until room temperature.
2) Put the berries in a small pot over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes or until the juices run out of the berries and it begins to look like a thick, juicy sauce.
3) Put the now liquidy berries in a sieve, colander with a cheese cloth, or other extracting device. Use the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much of the juices out of the raspberries as possible into a heatproof bowl. Note: raspberry seeds are very small and some may still make their way through. If this doesn't bother you, no worries, otherwise re-strain as necessary. Discard leftover pulp.
4) Place a medium pot with about an inch and a half of water on the bottom over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, add the lemon juice, sugar, and eggs and whisk to combine. Once combined, add butter.
5) Place the heatproof bowl over the simmering water (creating a double boiler) and whisk or stir constantly until the butter has melted and until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 20-30 minutes. You will know when this happens because the transformation is surprisingly sudden and quite obvious. My batch even lightened in color.
6) Remove from heat and continue to stir for about five minute. Place curd in a glass jar or other sealed container and refrigerate. You now have a delicious spreadable substance you can use on desserts, fruit, chocolate, bread... anything you desire!
Lastly, I made homemade peppermint patties. They were outstanding and I give complete credit to Oh Nuts for a wonderfully accurate recipe. (Except mine made way more than what the recipe said... it could have been the way I rolled and cut them.) You can substitute the cream for half-and-half (I didn't have any cream) and I imagine you could substitute it for any non-dairy milk as well. This is pretty easily made dairy free.
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| My fiance and my friend Justin both asked me what the inside was made out of. Want to find out? Click the recipe link above! |
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| Finished peppermint patties. I know, I'm supposed to use parchment, not plastic wrap. Well, it just so happens that plastic wrap works pretty well and I didn't have parchment paper. |
That's it! Really! I have quite a lot to do this week. My stomach is now getting noticeably bigger every day... which is weird but also good. I like knowing my child is growing correctly! I hope everyone has a nice week!
Monday, April 14, 2014
Third Trimester Begins - Twenty-Eight Week Mark
The weather for many of us here in the northeast has been a little weird.
For example, before yesterday we had two or three days of straight sunshine and about 60 degrees. Then yesterday we were at like 40 degrees with a mix of rain and snow. And now, today, our high is 74 with sunshine (after this fog clears). What's in store for us tomorrow? Rain and high of 62, then on Wednesday the high is only around 39. April! What a crazy weather month.
Normally I write a blog post on Tuesday or Wednesday but because I'm leaving on Friday to go to New York and because Thursday is a crazy day for me, and because I have a bit of cooking/baking I want to get in before then, I have decided to post today.
Not much has been going on or changed much since last week, which is unusual for me because normally I find I have a lot more to talk about. I have the usual recipe list, but I do have a few pregnancy things worth mentioning.
I consider the beginning of my third trimester technically tomorrow, although my official due date would make it today. The reason I consider it tomorrow is because my initial due date was on a Wednesday and I averaged the two days. (For my timer above I put my official due date.) Just as when you have a birthday, you don't really feel any different than you did the day before when you go from one trimester to the next. As far as birthdays go, twenty-one is the big year for Americans because it's the year they can officially drink, of course fifteen is a big age for those who are Latin celebrating their Quinceañera, and there are plenty of people who consider eighteen to be the year of adulthood. Personally, eighteen was the year that was big for me even though when I turned eighteen I felt no differently than I had the day before. But people look at you differently. When someone says, "I'm seventeen," the thought is automatically, "well, they're still a teenager." When someone turns eighteen you start to think, "well, they're an adult now," even though we are all aware of them still being young. This is kind of how I feel about being in my third trimester.
The first trimester everyone is always worried about miscarriage. This is a large reason why most people don't tell anyone they are pregnant or expecting a child until the start of the second trimester. Also, no one really shows when they're just starting out their pregnancy. You feel awful, nauseous and all that comes with being in your first trimester. I didn't feel that awful during that time, I was really tired and I felt a little like I was coming down with a cold or something, not to mention my sense of smell and taste was a little weird, but by and large I was okay (other than a stressful job). But those first weeks of being pregnant doesn't normally come with a whole lot of excitement.
By your second trimester, you're feeling better, maybe a little nauseous still but pretty good. People often call this the "honeymoon" phase of the pregnancy. News is spread, you start to show a little... then a little more, you think of baby names, you find out (or leave it to be a surprise) the gender, you buy maternity clothes, think of all the things you are going to buy for your baby, plan baby showers, feel the baby's kicks for the first time... But for those of you who currently are or have been pregnant, the second trimester no one really "feels" pregnant. Yes, of course you know there's a creature inside of you wiggling around, eating your food, making you gain weight, but because most women generally feel so upbeat and good during the second trimester it's like pregnancy is more of a fantasy than a reality. You look in the mirror and think: "Wow! That's not what I looked like yesterday!" Even though you really did look that way the day before. This is also the time when strangers look at you and you know they're thinking: "Hmm... is she pregnant? Maybe she's not..." By the end of the second trimester, people just look at you because they know you are.
The third trimester. This is really the time you are "pregnant." There's no hiding it, those baby kicks can be seen from the outside, you feel tired and look huge. The baby is completely viable by this time so you know that if you did go into labor early, your baby would survive although with medical care. People are definitely staring at you now, there's no doubt about it. Standing up starts to become a chore, being useful is something you'd like to be but don't know if you can. I've been pretty fortunate to have not had to work since the end of January, but it can be lonely sitting around and not having anyone to talk to. (This will certainly change on Friday!) The point I'm making here is even though I don't feel any different physically than I did yesterday, I know that this is the real deal. The home stretch. If I'm to give birth on my due date I have 12, yes, 12 weeks left. It seems like so little time. Three months. Eighty-four days. Shudder.
I have pretty much gotten over the childbirth fear at this point, which is remarkable considering it was always one of my top four or five fears. (I'll never get over my fear of leeches!) For those of you who are still anxious about it and hope to move past it, this is what has worked for me: First of all, it will hurt. Even if you decide to get every drug available to you, it will hurt at the beginning. But, something I have constantly read is that going into labor really feels almost like stomach cramps. Women, we all know cramp feelings. I'm not one who's afraid of pain, but for those of you who are, if you can handle cramps you're already halfway there. Another thing that's helped me, believe it or not, is the fact that there have been millions of women who have done this before and many of them have had more than one child. Our body is designed to do this, whether we like it or not. It's the ultimate natural process. We know what to do because it's almost primal. Third, there comes a point in the pregnancy where you start to not care so much about it. You start to think: "well, the end result is me holding the child I created." You get to see what your hard work produced. What color is that hair? How about those eyes? When you start to think of it as something you have to go through to get something you really want your perception changes. It's like getting up on a payday to go to work. You must go, whether you want to or not, because at the end, there's the money you worked so hard for. Lastly, the thing that has helped me is being through with the pregnancy. Like I said last week, my pregnancy has been pretty good, but I still don't like being uncomfortable. Once you give birth, yes there is recovery (bleck) and then there's the new journey of having a baby to raise, but those nine months of hard work are over. It's done. While these thoughts may not help everyone, this is what has worked for me.
I don't buy that you forget about the pain of childbirth after the baby is born. I think the proof of that is if you ask any mother about the birth of their child. What I do believe is you're so happy to get your baby is that the pain stops. Euphoria will do that kind of thing. I can't say for sure because I still have yet to give birth, but I'm pretty sure it's worth the pain. It's like surgery, if you don't get that tumor/growth/problem resolved you're going to suffer but after the surgery is done, yes of course you need to recover, but you feel so much better after it's over.
The only pregnancy discomfort worth noting this week is my restless leg syndrome (RLS). I hate this. I was so hoping this was one pregnancy symptom I would not have. You just have this compulsive feeling to move your legs. Granted, I've been fairly sedentary the last few months, so part of it is probably do to lack of movement. One other reason for RLS could be anemia. Sigh, that's all I need is a doctor to tell me I'm anemic, again. When I had my blood drawn at the beginning of my pregnancy, I was so slightly anemic it really wasn't even worth mentioning. But that dietitian made sure I knew. Argh. There's no winning here. They want to take a blood sample from me on Thursday. Ha. I might just say no. I'm pretty sure my baby needs as much blood as possible.
On a happy note, it seems like my fiance and I have agreed on a baby name. On the off 1% chance that it does happen to be a girl, I'm still in the process of locating a good name. More on that later.
So, we're on to the final segment of my blog post, my recipes. I worked with six recipes this past week, down from eight last week. Before I get started on this, I did not take pictures of my dark chocolate truffles... and for the life of me I can't think why. I must have had a pregnancy brain moment. Last week I mentioned I would have a recipe for it, well, it was 1/2 cup of heavy cream and eight ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips. They were rolled in cocoa powder. They looked like a darker form of my white chocolate truffles, but they were harder to roll, I'm assuming because of the less amount of cocoa butter. Anyway, now that that's out of the way, let's start!
Baked beans. So much can be said about the history of this fine meal. First of all, the fact that it wreaks havoc on your poor digestive system and I think I have found the reason why: mustard powder. I think this because my fiance used mustard powder in his tuna steak dish from last night and I was hurting today. That was the only similarity besides Worcester sauce and I don't think I have an issue with that. Nevertheless, the beans were delicious and I have picture below. The recipe I used is from Allrecipes and I didn't change anything. I did use Canadian bacon, more flavor, less fat. I made it in an 8x8 pan covered with aluminum foil. Worked out pretty well!
If you think about the one "breakfast dessert" that is brought to every church function and small get together, what is it you think of? It's not cinnamon rolls, very few people take the time to make that. The answer? Coffee cake. My friend Justin and I talked about coffee cake, it's not really a cake at all, more of a sweet bread covered in crumblies known as streusel. I found this recipe also at Allrecipes, but I did alter it slightly. It was really fantastic! Recipe and pictures below.
For example, before yesterday we had two or three days of straight sunshine and about 60 degrees. Then yesterday we were at like 40 degrees with a mix of rain and snow. And now, today, our high is 74 with sunshine (after this fog clears). What's in store for us tomorrow? Rain and high of 62, then on Wednesday the high is only around 39. April! What a crazy weather month.
Normally I write a blog post on Tuesday or Wednesday but because I'm leaving on Friday to go to New York and because Thursday is a crazy day for me, and because I have a bit of cooking/baking I want to get in before then, I have decided to post today.
Not much has been going on or changed much since last week, which is unusual for me because normally I find I have a lot more to talk about. I have the usual recipe list, but I do have a few pregnancy things worth mentioning.
I consider the beginning of my third trimester technically tomorrow, although my official due date would make it today. The reason I consider it tomorrow is because my initial due date was on a Wednesday and I averaged the two days. (For my timer above I put my official due date.) Just as when you have a birthday, you don't really feel any different than you did the day before when you go from one trimester to the next. As far as birthdays go, twenty-one is the big year for Americans because it's the year they can officially drink, of course fifteen is a big age for those who are Latin celebrating their Quinceañera, and there are plenty of people who consider eighteen to be the year of adulthood. Personally, eighteen was the year that was big for me even though when I turned eighteen I felt no differently than I had the day before. But people look at you differently. When someone says, "I'm seventeen," the thought is automatically, "well, they're still a teenager." When someone turns eighteen you start to think, "well, they're an adult now," even though we are all aware of them still being young. This is kind of how I feel about being in my third trimester.
The first trimester everyone is always worried about miscarriage. This is a large reason why most people don't tell anyone they are pregnant or expecting a child until the start of the second trimester. Also, no one really shows when they're just starting out their pregnancy. You feel awful, nauseous and all that comes with being in your first trimester. I didn't feel that awful during that time, I was really tired and I felt a little like I was coming down with a cold or something, not to mention my sense of smell and taste was a little weird, but by and large I was okay (other than a stressful job). But those first weeks of being pregnant doesn't normally come with a whole lot of excitement.
By your second trimester, you're feeling better, maybe a little nauseous still but pretty good. People often call this the "honeymoon" phase of the pregnancy. News is spread, you start to show a little... then a little more, you think of baby names, you find out (or leave it to be a surprise) the gender, you buy maternity clothes, think of all the things you are going to buy for your baby, plan baby showers, feel the baby's kicks for the first time... But for those of you who currently are or have been pregnant, the second trimester no one really "feels" pregnant. Yes, of course you know there's a creature inside of you wiggling around, eating your food, making you gain weight, but because most women generally feel so upbeat and good during the second trimester it's like pregnancy is more of a fantasy than a reality. You look in the mirror and think: "Wow! That's not what I looked like yesterday!" Even though you really did look that way the day before. This is also the time when strangers look at you and you know they're thinking: "Hmm... is she pregnant? Maybe she's not..." By the end of the second trimester, people just look at you because they know you are.
The third trimester. This is really the time you are "pregnant." There's no hiding it, those baby kicks can be seen from the outside, you feel tired and look huge. The baby is completely viable by this time so you know that if you did go into labor early, your baby would survive although with medical care. People are definitely staring at you now, there's no doubt about it. Standing up starts to become a chore, being useful is something you'd like to be but don't know if you can. I've been pretty fortunate to have not had to work since the end of January, but it can be lonely sitting around and not having anyone to talk to. (This will certainly change on Friday!) The point I'm making here is even though I don't feel any different physically than I did yesterday, I know that this is the real deal. The home stretch. If I'm to give birth on my due date I have 12, yes, 12 weeks left. It seems like so little time. Three months. Eighty-four days. Shudder.
I have pretty much gotten over the childbirth fear at this point, which is remarkable considering it was always one of my top four or five fears. (I'll never get over my fear of leeches!) For those of you who are still anxious about it and hope to move past it, this is what has worked for me: First of all, it will hurt. Even if you decide to get every drug available to you, it will hurt at the beginning. But, something I have constantly read is that going into labor really feels almost like stomach cramps. Women, we all know cramp feelings. I'm not one who's afraid of pain, but for those of you who are, if you can handle cramps you're already halfway there. Another thing that's helped me, believe it or not, is the fact that there have been millions of women who have done this before and many of them have had more than one child. Our body is designed to do this, whether we like it or not. It's the ultimate natural process. We know what to do because it's almost primal. Third, there comes a point in the pregnancy where you start to not care so much about it. You start to think: "well, the end result is me holding the child I created." You get to see what your hard work produced. What color is that hair? How about those eyes? When you start to think of it as something you have to go through to get something you really want your perception changes. It's like getting up on a payday to go to work. You must go, whether you want to or not, because at the end, there's the money you worked so hard for. Lastly, the thing that has helped me is being through with the pregnancy. Like I said last week, my pregnancy has been pretty good, but I still don't like being uncomfortable. Once you give birth, yes there is recovery (bleck) and then there's the new journey of having a baby to raise, but those nine months of hard work are over. It's done. While these thoughts may not help everyone, this is what has worked for me.
I don't buy that you forget about the pain of childbirth after the baby is born. I think the proof of that is if you ask any mother about the birth of their child. What I do believe is you're so happy to get your baby is that the pain stops. Euphoria will do that kind of thing. I can't say for sure because I still have yet to give birth, but I'm pretty sure it's worth the pain. It's like surgery, if you don't get that tumor/growth/problem resolved you're going to suffer but after the surgery is done, yes of course you need to recover, but you feel so much better after it's over.
The only pregnancy discomfort worth noting this week is my restless leg syndrome (RLS). I hate this. I was so hoping this was one pregnancy symptom I would not have. You just have this compulsive feeling to move your legs. Granted, I've been fairly sedentary the last few months, so part of it is probably do to lack of movement. One other reason for RLS could be anemia. Sigh, that's all I need is a doctor to tell me I'm anemic, again. When I had my blood drawn at the beginning of my pregnancy, I was so slightly anemic it really wasn't even worth mentioning. But that dietitian made sure I knew. Argh. There's no winning here. They want to take a blood sample from me on Thursday. Ha. I might just say no. I'm pretty sure my baby needs as much blood as possible.
On a happy note, it seems like my fiance and I have agreed on a baby name. On the off 1% chance that it does happen to be a girl, I'm still in the process of locating a good name. More on that later.
So, we're on to the final segment of my blog post, my recipes. I worked with six recipes this past week, down from eight last week. Before I get started on this, I did not take pictures of my dark chocolate truffles... and for the life of me I can't think why. I must have had a pregnancy brain moment. Last week I mentioned I would have a recipe for it, well, it was 1/2 cup of heavy cream and eight ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips. They were rolled in cocoa powder. They looked like a darker form of my white chocolate truffles, but they were harder to roll, I'm assuming because of the less amount of cocoa butter. Anyway, now that that's out of the way, let's start!
Baked beans. So much can be said about the history of this fine meal. First of all, the fact that it wreaks havoc on your poor digestive system and I think I have found the reason why: mustard powder. I think this because my fiance used mustard powder in his tuna steak dish from last night and I was hurting today. That was the only similarity besides Worcester sauce and I don't think I have an issue with that. Nevertheless, the beans were delicious and I have picture below. The recipe I used is from Allrecipes and I didn't change anything. I did use Canadian bacon, more flavor, less fat. I made it in an 8x8 pan covered with aluminum foil. Worked out pretty well!
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| Baked beans never look good, but they are tasty! |
Basic, Delicious Coffee Cake
About 16 small slices
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| My cooked, delicious coffee cake! |
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| A slice. I love the crumblies! |
Ingredients:
2 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Butter
1 Egg
Milk as Needed (about 3/4 cup or so)
1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Streusel Topping:
1/4 Cup Flour
1/3 Cup White Sugar
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Cup Butter (1/2 stick or 4 tablespoons)
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8x8 inch pan.
2) To make the streusel, combine ¼ cup flour, ½ cup
white sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon in a medium bowl and mix. Cut in
¼ cup of butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Place in
refrigerator for later use.
3) In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, ½ cup
sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir. Cut in ½ cup
butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a 1 cup measuring
device, crack the egg and add enough milk to make one full cup. Mix briefly,
then pour into batter with 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla extract. Stir until just
combined, be careful not to over-mix. Spread into prepared ban, mixture will be
thick. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven
and sprinkle streusel evenly over the top of the cake. Place back in the oven
for another 20-30 minutes, being sure to check for doneness. Cool for 20
minutes before eating.
As you all know, I've been on a baking kick lately however I do love to cook. I made braised chicken thighs the other night for dinner with a new sauce I found, "gastrique." This simple, deceptive glaze is so good, you'll pour it over vegetables, fruits, meats, desserts... I'm exaggerating a bit but you really will pour it over just about everything you can think of. I thank a new site/person for this recipe, David Lebovitz. He originally adapted this from Bobby Flay but David's site is where I found this. The recipe is 1/4 cup honey to 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar with salt and pepper to taste. I didn't caramelize the honey first, which probably would have added even more to the depth of the flavor, but it was still amazing. Click on the link and make it yourself. Gluten/dairy free and just amazing. Yum.
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| You can't really see it, but it's the liquid that's surrounding the chicken. Very good. |
¡Carmelitas! I've been saying this word for the last few days. I've been dying to make these dessert bars and I finally got the chance the other day. I even made my very own caramel sauce, although by strict definition it is probably more of a butterscotch sauce. I can't take any credit for these recipes, I followed yet another Allrecipes recipe for the bars themselves omitting the walnuts (I made them in an 8x8 pan and cooked them an extra 5 minutes longer at the end) and for the caramel sauce I followed The Pioneer Woman's recipe, but halved it. It made plenty. They were delicious, I ate only a half of one while my fiance ate all of the rest. A winner!
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| Completed carmelitas. |
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| Look at those layers. Oats, chocolate, caramel/butterscotch, and more oats. Mmm! |
I'm a big bread fan. This definitely comes from my mother's side of the family even though my mother, my grandmother, and now my sister eat gluten free. I love a nice crusty loaf of bread, which is ideal for me because of the nice dense crust and the soft, chewy interior. Soft crusts just don't do it for me. Nothing to bite on. Anyway, I found this really great French bread recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe which I love because it worked out so well for me the first time out. It's a bit of a process, and I halved the recipe because I only needed/wanted one loaf but it's really great. So great that my fiance made half of it into cheesy garlic bread and I'll probably make another loaf today.
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| I know it looks a little bloated, but it's just the way it was shaped when I rolled it. Still turned out amazing. |
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| The garlic bread was so good. My fiance's a really good cook. |
I really only get to bake until Thursday so I've had to narrow down what I'm making for my final week. First and foremost is the raspberry curd. I hadn't gotten around to that though I will now. I will also be making a French silk chocolate pie. I haven't done a pie yet so this will hopefully be a good one (I don't do pies because normally they're fruit based; I don't like cooked fruit). I also plan on making peppermint patties, which should be delicious, and lastly cheese buns, which are just little rolls stuffed with cheese. I feel like I have a good variety for my last week and I'm excited about it. Today I'll probably make both the silk pie and another bread. This is probably my last week doing new baking for a while! I can't believe it.
Next time I post I will be in New York but I will provide information on baking, travels, and my next prenatal visit. So much excitement is coming up!
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