36 Week Reflection

Is it even possible I have been pregnant since last August? [only aware of it since September] I used to think that May was years away & now we are quickly approaching Otter girl's due date in 4 short weeks. I still feel amazing physically [most of the time] & love that I'm able to still exercise with minimal difficulty. It still amazes me every time I get kicked, punched, & nudged by the baby in my belly because it is still surreal to me. It will probably still be surreal even after she's born & I carry her around in my arms instead of my belly.

There are a few changes I'm looking forward to once we welcome Jori Marie into our world...

1. People looking at my baby, not my belly. People will say things like "she's beautiful! How old is she? she's adorable! she's amazing! she's the sweetest!" & I won't hear things like "how far along are you? are you sure there aren't two in there? are you sure your doctors have the correct due date? you must be due "yesterday!" there's no way you're making it to your due date! you're about to explode! you're huge! she's so low!" for all my pals out there - these are things you should avoid saying to an emotionally vulnerable pregnant lady. We don't like it [I'm assuming all pregnant women feel this way about these comments]. Your intentions might be good, but it's not nice. & we don't like it. How about "good luck! you look great!"

2. Putting on shoes & pants- it's so hard!

3. Painting my toenails - it's ALMOST impossible! Thank goodness for a loving, humble husband who will pamper me so I still feel fabulous :]

4. Caesar salad - I don't think I particularly LOVED this type of salad before pregnancy, but the whole "you want what you can't have syndrome" has hit & I sure could use some good caesar salad dressing! [it's encouraged to avoid it during pregnancy because of the raw eggs in the dressing, which can be harmful to little babes - for all you who didn't know]

5. Clothes that fit - a pregnant belly sure is cute. Except I have reached a point where its just too darn big for MOST of my shirts. No one wants to see a preggy belly hanging out under a shirt. Not too classy. I also don't want to drop $100 buying 4 new shirts that I will only wear for a couple more weeks. Talk about a dilemma!

6. Sleeping on my belly or back - It might seem silly, but this is no joke. I NEED to sleep on my back. I love it. But I'd rather not cut off blood supply to my legs & baby by letting all her 5.5 pounds compress the main arteries in my back.

7. Intense workouts - While I've remained active throughout this pregnancy, I sure would like to go do some high intensity workouts that my body simply cannot do anymore. I'd even love to do a burpee. Which is saying something because after I retired from soccer I vowed to never do one again. If you don't know what that is, do some research, try it out, & prepare for your butt to get kicked.

8. Hugging people - stinkin' belly gets in the way! & depending on the person, it's kind of awkward...

9. Wine - I'm no alcoholic. We rarely have beverages in this home. But I sure do love cranberry wine & you better believe I will be treating myself to a glass as soon as I'm able.

10. Holding my lady. I think I'll miss her once she is born. I'll miss her little slides around that make it look like an alien is trying to crawl out of my belly. I'll probably even miss her scraping on my ribs [which is NOT comfortable] But my heart is aching with anxiety to have her snuggled up to me. Even more, I cannot wait to see Matthew holding his little girl. He sure is going to be an amazing father.

In other news - we had some maternity pictures done with a good friend from church & our small group. She is amazing. Check them out here!

This is my favorite of the bunch. But I LOVE them all equally. So it's really not my favorite of all since they're all my favorite.

Cheers to only 4 weeks left of baby belly kicks, too-short shirts, rude comments, encouraging comments, & unseeable feet. Baby Jori, we cannot wait to meet you <3

Healthy Lunch Tips

I love lunch. Mostly because I love food. Now that I'm home [almost] full time I'm trying to find clever ways to make lunches that are quick but full of healthy benefits [& have minimal clean up time]. Here are a few ideas for you - & that you can eat at home or in the office.

1. Add hummus: This stuff is great [especially when it's on sale 2/$6 at Meijer!]. & if you think you don't like it, try Sabra brand supremely spicy or sweet red pepper. So. Stinkin. Good. 

        -I use hummus on my sandwich instead of mayo & mustard - the calories from hummus

        are MUCH better than in mayo & adds some protein to your diet. 

        -I usually hate raw baby carrots. But dip those bad boys in hummus & I could eat a 

        bag! Really ANY raw veggie is great in hummus - carrots, broccoli, celery, cucumbers,

        bell peppers... A great side to your lunch [and SO quick to pack!].

2. Enhance your sandwich: This is the most classic of all lunch items. But it also has the most potential to make you snore with boredom. Again with the hummus, add it on there & enjoy. I also LOVE adding veggies galore to my deli meat. Spinach [much better than plain ole lettuce that has no nutritional value], tomatoes, onion, cucumber, bell peppers... all of it. Add some cheese slices [it's most economical to buy block cheese & slice it yourself, rather than pre-sliced cheese... we like to keep things cheap around here] Also, keep the bread whole wheat. Don't be fooled by "enhanced" or other fancy words on the packaging. If the first ingredient isn't whole grains/whole wheat, you're being tricked. Or, if you're sick of bread or want to cut down on carbs, use whole wheat or spinach wraps. So tasty.

3. Leftovers: Purposefully plan dinners so you have yummy extras for the next day. This is especially easy with soups & chili. It's also easy for us since we only cook for 2 & usually have leftovers. 

4. Fruit: Bananas, apples, & oranges are the easiest thing to throw into a lunch box & have with your lunch. We purchase ours at Aldi [we never get the red apples, they taste like wax] & it's so economical! Add a little peanut butter to your banana or apple & make it more filling. Other fruit is great too, just more time consuming when you have to chop it up. 

5. Add some crunch: Chips. Yum. Instead of doritos, or my favorite Lays sour cream & chedder, choose kettle chips. If my mother-in-law eats something, I have no guilt indulging as well [she is the healthiest lady I know. She NEVER eats sugar. & makes EVERYTHING from scratch. Even her bread. What a woman]. Anyways, she LOVES kettle chips. We also get these at Aldi for half the price of the bigger chain stores & they're delicious! Our favorites are jalapeno & BBQ. Put your chips in a small baggy or bowl so you don't accidentally eat half of the bag. Trust me, it can be done. 

6. Make a super salad: We try & put super salads into our dinner menu a couple times a month [& probably should do it on a weekly basis]. For ours, we just load it up with lots of stuff. Our salad base is spinach leaves & romaine lettuce mixture [because I love the crunch of romaine & the health benefits of spinach]. Then we just pile on the veggies & sometimes meat. Like chicken? Cook some up the night before with a few herbs on the stovetop, shred it, & throw it on top to make the salad a little more filling. Tuna is also great to add. Even some deli meat is good. Also tasty to add - apples & nuts. It makes the salad more filling & also adds more health benefits. You'll feel better throughout the day if you give your body the best fuel possible.

7. Skip dessert: You don't need it. If you need something sweet, suck on a peppermint or chew gum [your colleagues or children will thank you]. Adding cookies or other treats to lunch every day is nice, but is adding a lot of unwanted yucky calories to your diet. Just don't buy it & you won't eat it! 

One last benefit to making your own lunch - it saves money. Serious money. The assumption is that produce is expensive & it's not economical to eat healthy. False. We buy most of our food at Aldi & spend about $60 a week on food [depending on the type of food we buy].  & that includes breakfast, lunch, & dinner food. Eating out for one meal a day, 5 days a week [for one person] & eating a meal that is $5 would spend $25/week...$100/month... $1200/year yikes. I'd rather use that money to buy some cute clothes. Or things for my baby. Or pay bills.

Those are only a few ways I've thought of for having a tasty, QUICK, & healthy lunch - anyone have any additions to the list that you love for your lunch menu?

Jori Update:

-35 weeks today! whoa. This baby is around 5 pounds & 20 inches long. What a mini woman! 

-The nursery is NEARLY done! Only a few more touches & organizational things... & you'll be treated to a full post of nursery goodness.

-Cloth diaper supplies came in - the pre-washing process began & I can't wait to put these on our little girl!

-Feeling SO good & working out 5 days a week. Bam.

Looking Ahead:

-The Nursery

-Vaccine Research Update

Vaccines/Immunizations

This is a very touchy subject that I hope to approach in a respectful, informative manner. Many times when this topic comes up it's very uncomfortable as opinions on what is best can be at two different extremes.

For us - we are choosing to not vaccinate our little girl [we still need to do more research & may find a few that we believe will be beneficial]. We are making this choice after many conversations with informed people, doing some research, & prayer. Please read this post with an open mind & a kind heart towards us if you disagree with our decision. My hope to is encourage discussion & longer consideration on such an important decision that has a huge affect on a child's life.

I won't go into all the vaccines & why we aren't choosing to give them to Jori because that would be an obnoxiously long post that no one would care about. Instead, I'm just giving the general reasoning behind our decision in hopes that other parents & future parents can at least take the time to research for themselves the pros & cons of immunizations rather than simply taking their doctor's word that it is necessary for a healthy, protected child.

1. There is an incredibly strong correlation between the increase in vaccinations given in recent years & the increase in autism during those same years [the numbers are something like 1/50 children now have some form of autism]. There are many stories of children who were happy, healthy, & "normal", but then had dramatic changes in personality & cognitive development/growth after a mega dose of vaccines. There probably are cases where vaccines were not the culprit of a child's autism developing - but the statistics & graphs showing this correlation are very discouraging & one reason we have chosen to avoid them.

2. There are "mega doses" of vaccines given to children that contain multiple types of immunizations - then the parents are expected to watch for signs of allergy... So if there is an allergic reaction, how can it be determined which vaccine caused the allergic reaction? I just don't like the idea of putting a lot of drugs into a tiny body that doesn't even have a fully developed immune system... talk about overload!

3. Some can cause allergies to develop to various things that were otherwise not there before the vaccine was given.

4. There is a link to SIDS.

5. Breast milk provides immune system building properties for babies naturally. Lord willing, I plan to nurse Jori girl for at least a year & will build up her immune system in that way.

6. God has a plan for our little girl. This idea was shared with me by a close friend who also chose to not immunize their baby at all. As morbid as it might sound -  we feel better about keeping her un-vaccinated & susceptible to potential illnesses that vaccines claim they protect against than to put those drugs into her body, being responsible for any poor reactions she may have to them, including death. God has a plan for her life & we trust him to protect her & feel we are putting her at unnecessary risk by doing vaccinations.

One example of unnecessary vaccines I want to share is about Hepatitis B. This vaccine is given to babies as early at 12 hour after they're born & the third dose by the time they're 18 months old. Hep B is contracted through blood/bodily fluid & is associated with a risky lifestyle of drugs [sharing needles] & unprotected sex. Why are babies be given this vaccine only 12 hours after birth when their immune systems are still weak [making them more susceptible to bad reactions] & the chances of them doing intravenous drugs or having sex is none... The interesting part of this is that in a study, the Hep B vaccine was shown ineffective in many kids by the time vaccinated babies reached their teenage years where this behavior is more likely to occur. According to the article, there are 60 Diseases and adverse reactions associated with this vaccine - yet it isn't even effective for what it's supposed to prevent.
Follow this link for the full article [article will open in a new browser window] & more in-depth info on this specific vaccine.

I understand people wanting to trust their doctors & think that they have what's best for the children they treat in mind. Unfortunately we don't live in a perfect world & money is power. Drug companies have unimaginable amounts of money & therefore have influence over what doctors do/give to patients. I'm not implying all doctors are puppets of big drug companies, & many probably do believe vaccines are best for children - but not all doctors are pushing vaccines on parents & claiming they're harmless. This is part of what encouraged us to do our own research & make our own decision.

I want to encourage my friends to do research before they take their doctor's word as ultimate truth. I am not judgmental to any parent who has vaccinated their child - I was vaccinated & I think I turned out ok :] I don't think you're a bad parent or think any less of you. I wrote this post as an encouragement to dig a little deeper into the drugs that are being put into our children's bodies & to make an educated decision, not an ignorant one, on whether or not the risks of the vaccine outweigh the benefits.

& who knows - after all our research is complete, we may find a vaccine or two that we decide to give to Jori girl :]

PS: the argument that schools won't allow students to enroll if they're not vaccinated is simply not true. The process is different by state, but there are forms that can be filled out to work around an unvaccinated child.

Jori Update:
-33 weeks & 4 days - about 4 pounds & 18-20 inches long! [that's the "average" at this stage]
-had my bi-monthly check up with the midwife yesterday: up 30 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. Nothing to sweat though - midwife says I started kind of small so I have a few extra pounds to add without harm. phew!
-otter girl is measuring at 32 weeks, but growing at a consistent rate so she is right on track to be a healthy 6 or 7 pound lady. hallelujah.
-i have been plagued with heartburn finally
-starting to get asked if my due date was yesterday. ha ha. this is going to get old REALLY fast. [word to the wise, don't tell a pregnant woman she looks like she is about to have a baby... it makes her feel huge. & we already know we are. ]

Looking Ahead:
-quick & healthy lunch ideas
-3rd trimester workouts