Halfway There

Hello all,

You may or may not have noticed the addition of some of the "Squishable Bunch" to the side bar. At the end of this post, there will be profiles of those Squishables. Where are the other Squishables? I have twelve, yes twelve Squishables now. I have decided to divide them into groups so as to not be overwhelming. So this week there will be four, the next post there will be four, and then the final four will be revealed. I also need some time to name my last two Squishables. They are sadly nameless.

"Halfway There" is the title of this weeks blog which means exactly what it says, I am halfway through my pregnancy. Twenty weeks. They say the baby is the size of a banana right now (I have also seen artichoke). Last week it was a mango. (My fiance is allergic to mango so he said he was allergic to the baby last week.)

Speaking of food, it is really frustrating for someone like me who loves and I mean loves, food to be restricted in silly ways. For example, they say that there is certain fish you should stay away from due to mercury levels. While I understand the rational to this, I happen to love fish. As I have said before, what about the pregnant women in Japan?

Probably the most ridiculous thing I've heard, directly from a doctor no less, was not to eat raw honey because of the risk of infection. What? My friend Justin did some research for me and neither of us think it's a big deal if I eat raw honey. There is so much wrong with saying raw honey is dangerous! First of all, they have found perfectly good honey sealed up for thousands of years in the pyramids. Honey is a natural "disinfectant" if you will, it does not allow the presence of mold and bacteria to grow. Honey contains a lot of micro-nutrients which is beneficial to humans. The human stomach, which sits at a pH of 2 on average, kills most harmful bacteria upon entry of food. (For those of you into accuracy and specifics, overloading your stomach on a food that is spoiled, harboring bacteria, and/or is foreign to your body will create harmful effects. This is why if you accidentally have one bite of spoiled yogurt [this happened to me] before you realize it, you will have no side effects, but if you eat the whole container, which I did not, you can get sick.)

I hear some of you saying, "Well, isn't it true you shouldn't feed honey to infants under one year of age?" First of all being pregnant side steps that direct connection to putting honey in your child's mouth. It is processed through the mother first. Also, one reason for that is because honey can enter your bloodstream within 20 minutes. This can create problems for infants because they are so small. The other fear is that honey can harbor the evil BOTULISM! This, to me, is a completely ludicrous thought. First of all, there are fewer than 100 cases of infant botulism every year. And most of those babies recover fully. This says nothing about a pregnant woman eating it though. There is so little information on the subject in fact that I couldn't even draw up a good statistic to share with you. If your curious on a bit more information, check this site out on infant botulism.

More pregnancy "food rules:" no "cold cuts." So sandwich meat, unless it's hot, is banned. Another ridiculous rule, no raw sprouts. You know those tasty mung bean sprouts they put on salads and sandwiches? Apparently they also put you at risk for an infection. Actually, raw food in general is banned. No raw milk, no moldy cheeses, no eggs with runny middles. Go back a thousand years though. What did those women do? Oh sure, doctors tell you "well there was a higher rate of infant mortality and death due to labor." Has anyone thought that maybe our standards of living have gotten a teensy bit higher? Not only that but the human race is still in existence so I'm pretty sure women lived through childbirth eating whatever they wanted. Here's an interesting pregnancy food fact I recently learned: cravings of certain foods that pregnant women have have gotten about 70% higher in the last 50 years or so. (I cannot remember the exact statistic, but it was something close to that.) This is probably because our diet is abysmal. The nutrient value in processed foods is almost non-existent. No wonder women chew ice and crave copious amounts of pickles. It's also no wonder that we develop allergies to "real foods" like peanuts when conventional peanut butter has more sugar and hydrogenated oil in it than actual peanuts. (Note: They say to prevent food allergies in your child to eat as much of the foods known to be allergens. I have eaten quite a bit of mango, for example.)

No herbal teas. No large amounts of caffeine. Chocolate is "iffy." I eat organic and all natural, which is recommended during pregnancy but that aside I have made logical deductions on food during pregnancy and this is what I have personally decided:

No List -

1) Alcohol - Kind of an obvious thing, you don't want your baby to have liver issues at birth.

2) Raw fish - This one was hard for me because I love fish but I understand the reason behind this. With our water supplies more tainted than ever, you want to be cautious as to what your consuming.

3) Cold ham/pig products - I'm not a fan of pig anyway but pig is more likely to carry parasitic eggs and harbor bacteria than other meats.

4) Undercooked eggs - I have a fairly good idea as to where my eggs come from but many people don't. If your egg has a tiny bit of liquid in the middle but is still hot there is no reason why it would be inedible, however, overly runny or raw eggs is not really a great idea.

5) Moldy cheeses - Sorry, I have to agree with this one. You're literally inviting bacteria into your body.

6) Coffee - There has been a lot of pregnancy controversy over this one. People have gotten so addicted to caffeine over the years and there has been little evidence of an effect on the baby that doctors have said that two or three cups of coffee a day is okay. I do not buy this. Caffeine is a stimulant and that drug does filter into your system and into the baby's just like it would if it was another drug. If Aspirin isn't okay, why is caffeine?

Likely Fine within Reasonable Amounts -

1) Fish - They already say that fish in small amounts is okay and there is a comprehensive list of "banned fish" online because of high mercury levels, but I'm reiterating here that fish is good for you!

2) Sushi - Calm down, I mean sushi containing cooked fish or vegetables, not raw fish. I love sushi!

 3) Honey - Should you eat large amounts of it? No. Should you eat large amounts of tomatoes? Probably not. If you are worried about honey affecting you or your baby, don't get the raw variety or choose not to eat it. It won't hurt you either way.

4) Sprouts - I'm sorry but I have eaten raw sprouts recently. They are exceptionally good for you and if they are properly harvested and washed I see no issues with it. Saying eating raw sprouts is wrong is almost like saying eating raw lettuce is wrong. What's the difference?

5) Chocolate - Yes I know it contains a small amount of caffeine. However, there are quite a few benefits to chocolate provided you get the real stuff and you prefer dark to milk chocolate. The amount of caffeine in chocolate is miniscule compared to coffee, tea, and soda.

6) Spicy Food - I didn't mention it in my rant above but some women are worried for some reason to eat spicy food. The biggest risk is developing heartburn. If it bothers you don't eat it, otherwise, eat up! I have been loving my spicy food!

Unsure/With Exceptions List -

1) Raw milk and cheeses - Before pasteurization came along, people were drinking raw goat's and cow's milk without issue. As a matter of fact, the pasteurization process has actually caused lactose intolerant like symptoms in people which has been reversed with the consumption of raw milk. I have personally had raw milk (before pregnancy) and really enjoyed it. I have never liked milk before in my life so discovering I enjoyed the taste of it was really surprising. The problem I'm having is I am not sure whether or not it's a good idea during pregnancy. While the logical part of my brain says yes, the other part of my brain says why bother risking it right now when I already use organic milk? I'm just not sure.

2) Cold cuts or sandwich meat - I have eaten cold cuts recently. However, it has been an all-natural variety and they have been chicken and turkey. No cow or pig. My personal belief is that if you eat small amounts of meat from time to time and if they happen to be pre-cooked and then chilled, I think that's okay provided you know that the place your shopping at is clean and well-maintained. (This was also told to me by my doctor.) Again though, it's something I'm still not 100% sure on.

3) Herbal Teas - Okay, teas I think are fine and have been told are okay: peppermint, spearmint and chamomile. Teas made of strictly dried fruit and/or ginger are okay. Here's where it gets sketchy, herbal remedy teas. Echinacea, St. John's Wort, and others I'm not so sure on. Certain herbs can cause problems or complications with pregnancy. I personally don't risk this one. I have some spearmint tea from time to time and I would drink ginger tea too but that is about it for me. I don't risk taking herbs if I don't know what they'll do to me. They can be stronger than conventional medicines!

Note: I'm not a doctor, this is a list of foods that I have compiled with research from the internet, information from my doctor, and personal knowledge. If you do not feel comfortable eating something, or are unsure, you should talk to your doctor or play it safe and don't eat it! Do what feels right!

That's about it for my food rant. I'm probably going to eat some toast with cream cheese... yum!

I will be having my official ultrasound Monday morning. I'm sure I'll post a picture at some point!

As I said, below are my first four Squishable profiles. Click to see a larger image. I hope you enjoy them!

Take care everyone!

Eighteen Weeks Pregnant

Dear World,

Nothing can prepare a person for having a baby. No matter how planned a pregnancy is, no matter how many things you have for your baby, no matter how much you already love your child, nothing can prepare you for it.

Pregnancy, quite frankly, stinks. Some women love the feeling and I cannot for the life of me see why. You feel bloated, unnecessarily emotional, hungry, achy, tired, swollen, absentminded, unbalanced, your face breaks out, your stomach itches, and every part of you feels like your stretching. I am 18 weeks pregnant today and I read that my uterus is the size of a cantaloupe. I do not want my uterus to be the size of a cantaloupe!

Oh sure, women say, "you'll look back on your pregnancy with fondness." Pun intended here: fat chance.

Are there benefits to being pregnant? With stipulations, yes. You can eat as much as you want and people don't look at you funny, but don't eat too much fish. Heaven forbid you give your baby accidental mercury poisoning. (Those poor people in Japan.) You can laze around all day but let's face it, the actual feeling of being lazy and not doing anything is not as fun when it's actually happening. You feel more like a blob that way. Not to mention all these articles and such that I'm reading say to "stay active." What happened to everyone telling pregnant women to just relax?

So aside from those two benefits, I can't really think of any others. Who wants to gain weight? Who wants to feel like they're losing their mind? Who wants to be given unneeded advice all the time? AHH!

And here you all are. Reading my blog and probably thinking, "crybaby. This is all for the good of your child! This will all be over before you know it." Here's what I have to say about that: WHO LOOKS FORWARD TO CHILDBIRTH?

I have come to realize the internet is not your friend when it comes to pregnancy. Birth stories. What a cruel thing to do to a person. Even worse: birth VIDEOS. When my friend was pregnant, she had placenta previa, a condition where the placenta, instead of laying behind the baby, laid underneath, preventing her from giving birth except by c-section. So she became fascinated by natural childbirth, considering she couldn't have it. What better way to learn about birth than to watch a video? I became like a hostage victim, trapped in a room with her while she watched video after video about childbirth, torturing me to no end. I swore I would never have children.

Now, five years or so later, here I am. Almost halfway through with my pregnancy.

My fiance is actually quite excited about the baby. For me, it's hard to feel excited when you feel so uncomfortable and nervous. That's normal you say? I have read up on some lists of top phobias. Public speaking or glossophobia, death or thanatophobia, and snakes or ophidiophobia are probably the three most common (though I was surprised to find dogs usually in the top ten lists). Well, I have tokophobia, the fear of childbirth. Here's what I hear all the time: "oh, you forget about the pain after the baby is born." You think it's pain that I fear? No. I do not fear the pain. It's going to hurt, that's for sure. So, what do I fear then? The entire process. The pushing. Water breaking. Complications. Recovery. Getting a child out of my body. It gives me chills just thinking about it. Ugh.

Say something positive Holly! Okay, fine then.

I do love children. Despite my genuine fear of childbirth I love kids. I'm a crafty, game oriented, kids book reading, go out and enjoy the day kind of person. Having a baby enables me to do all the things I love to do with someone who can't say no. HA!

I love my fiance. He is fantastic and has been there with me every step of the way. I think it's neat and weird that our DNA has been fused to create some sort of new being. You always here about couples sometimes looking a bit like each other. That is no where near true with me and my fiance, other than the fact that we're both white, though he can tan whereas I burn. Brown hair/blonde hair, brown eyes/blue eyes, etc, etc. I feel like I should prepare a Punnett square for possible combinations. (Ha, ha. Biology joke.)

I'm surrounded by people who care very much about my fiance and I, which is a wonderful thing. I know that this baby will be the most loved being in the world no matter what and I am very grateful for that.

I get to bestow my organic philosophy on the child. Who then in turn may do more organic and eco-friendly things. Then maybe we all will save our air from being so thick with smog that we suffocate. Hooray healthy living!

Feminists around the world will hate this statement, but quite a large part of me really does enjoy being a stay-at-home mom. I don't mind cleaning, I love to cook, I love our cats (not in the top phobia lists I'll have you all know!), and I love being able to feel useful and keep everything nice for someone I love. While I will probably find something work-oriented to do at home to make some extra money, I would like to be with my children as much as possible.

So yes, after the child has been removed from my body, things are not so nerve-wracking for me. I know that's really the reverse of what it should be but that's just how I feel!

On a different note all together, I hope everyone enjoys the new design! I spent an unnecessary amount of time on it. I think it looks... classier.

After I do a bit of cleaning today I will be working on my idea for updating my mascots. It should look nice.

Below I do have pictures of my cats. The kitten is hard to take a picture of because he's a complete spazz. I hope you enjoy them anyway!

Enjoy the rest of your week, more updates and things to come!

This is Luna. You may remember her from my post last year when we adopted her. She has really blossomed into quite the cat. She's super sweet and we love her so much. She's a seven-year-old black Turkish Angora and she's hiding in the giant teddy bear because I had been vacuuming. None of the cats like the vacuum.

I mentioned in my blog post last year that Luna had several teeth removed due to rotting before we got her and so as a result sometimes her tongue sticks out. As you can see above, it really does stick out!

This is Isa. She's probably around nine years old and was given up by her owner, who was very old from what I understand, and originally from Kentucky. She's a Himalayan which means she is a cross between a Persian and a Siamese. Which means everything is a personal affront to her. We were told she did not get along well with other cats. That's true, however, she is not violent or aggressive unless she's really, really scared... which is really never anymore because she's gotten used to us. She just runs away from the other two cats. She is a real sweetheart though. Every time we hold her for more than about 30 seconds she starts to give us a displeased growl. Her tail will also start to shake like a rattlesnake's would. We love her grumpiness!

Isa loves, loves, loves paper bags and boxes. I think she has the most beautiful eyes. She's actually quite a large cat but since she's still nervous sometimes she hides it the best she can. My fiance and I think she may have been abused or neglected because of how scared she was of us at first. She also still has some issues with us petting her, she'll run away or shrink back. She really loves my fiance though and when she wants affection it is really adorable. We love her so much.

Okay all together now: awwww!! This is Vader. My fiance likes to say "like Darth Vader" and I like to say "like invader." Either way this no longer so little kitten is a part of our life now. He was about nine weeks old when we got him and he was found somewhere with his sister. My fiance picked him up and Vader instantly started purring. My fiance was hooked. He's probably about four and a half months old right now and seriously loves trouble. He is completely unfazed by yelling, fears nothing, and loves to play with/torture Luna. (It's actually cute how he and Luna are buds!) His ears, which you can't really see here, are HUGE compared to his body, and is already about as long as Luna. He'll be a pretty big cat! While he'd be classified as a domestic shorthair tabby, seeing his personality and size makes me think that he is probably part Maine Coon and Siamese. He's definitely a mix of many cats and is not a purebreed, unlike our other cats, but it would be safe to say he's got some defining traits.

Vader has no fear or tact. He will walk all over you in your sleep, use your pregnant belly as a launch pad, or in this case, climb onto your fiance's friend's head and just sit there wondering why you're looking at him. He's cute, and you can see his giant ears a little better here, but he is a handful.