28 weeks and other happenings

28 weeks!!!

I finally made it to the third trimester! The last stretch of pregnancy. I am going to the midwife every 2 weeks now. I'm still being hit with nausea, but it only really comes in the morning. Heartburn is definitely horrible this time. I never had any with Laila. I've gained 23 pounds so far, which I right on par with where I should be. My blood sugar (glucose screening) came back a little low, so my midwife gave me the go ahead to eat as much as I can when I can. I have no problem with this.

feeling her little sister kick

Still 100% go on the water birth. Laila's godmother is a mother of 6, so she has lots of experience in C-section, vbac, and natural birth. She is going to be giving me some lessons on breathing etc before labor time. I'm counting the days until my maternity leave starts. I have 9 Fridays left! We have names narrowed down to 3 right now. I've been looking into placenta encapsulation this time. I have talked to MANY women who swear by it. This is the last baby we are having, so now's the time!


In other happenings, I gave Laila her first bang trim/hair cut. She looks adorable with her little bangs.
She is getting more and more excited about "baby sitter". We have a busy month ahead with pumpkin patches, reunions with family members ( more on that later ) and Halloween.

first hair cut

I hope this update finds everyone happy and healthy.

Enjoying the Fall weather

DIY Crochet Nursing Necklace

 With the little one on the way, I started thinking about breastfeeding. Remembering all the wonderful memories I made when I was still nursing Laila. I also remembered the scratching and constant repositioning as my curious 6 month old would become distracted by literally everything! I remember wanting a crochet nursing necklace because I had read and heard soo many mamas talk about how great they are to keep your busy baby focused on the boob at face. (hehe) Those suckers are expensive! So...I just did without and she would usually not finish eating and I would walk around with an engorged boob all day. No fun.

Over the past year, I have started crocheting...alot. I finally decided to price it all and see what it would take for me to make my own nursing necklace. Not bad! I finally got it done and am very pleased with the results. I'm working on a Halloween and a Christmas one now. Here is the DIY info on how I made mine. (Thanks Ashley, for helping me get the pattern just right for those big balls!) Let me know how yours turns out if you make one!!

What I used (All purchased at Michael's):

• one pack of Lion Brand Bon Bon yarn (they have all colors) -$8.00
• I used a size F/5-3.75mm hook - $2.00
• Tapestry needles - $2.00
• Pack of untreated/unstained/unglazed wooden beads size 25mm -$5.00
• pack of untreated/unstained/unglazed wooden beads size 1/2 inch -$3.00
• yarn for the necklace - $2.00

costing a grand total of:  $22.00 ( I am making # necklaces for the price of one!!)

Here are the steps:

• (Row 1) Make magic ring and crochet 6 sc into the ring (6 stitches)
• (Row 2) 2 sc in each stitch around the ring (12 stitches)
• (Row 3-5) 1 sc in each stitch around (insert ball after row 4) (12 stitches per row)
• (Row 6-end)  1 sc decrease after every 2 sc stitches ( continue until closed)
• Sew lose end back into stitches with tapestry needle.
• String beads in order you want onto braided piece of yarn or ribbon
• tye knots in between each bead so they cannot move around

necklace should be long enough to reach the top of your breast

Enjoy!!!! 

24 weeks with my giant baby

 

24 weeks!

(Little profile and a big foot!)

Sunday marked my 24 week point in pregnancy. We visited the midwife yesterday and got to see the little cherub, squirming and kicking with all her might. She was puckering her lips and kicking the camera. Kid has huge feet. We found that she is not only still measuring pretty big, but that according to her size, my due date is 12/24. (Christmas baby anyone?) The ventricle in her head (we thought it was her heart that they told us about before, but we were told yesterday it was a ventricle in her brain) has caught up to the rest of her brain and is no longer needing to be monitored. WOOHOO! They said if baby is still measuring this huge at around 37 weeks, that they may look into having me try and start drinking raspberry leaf tea, and other natural techniques to encourage labor to start. She is head down and I am hoping she remains that way or at least returns to that position by the time she's due.  I had my blood glucose test and got to drink that yummy sugar drink...bleck!!!  

In other news, we are pretty sure we have a name picked out. Not making anything official until we meet her. We have been trying to do more on the weekends before I am so huge that I can no longer walk. Laila is getting excited about the thought of a baby sister. She enjoys baby shopping and looking through clothes. She always wants to know when we are going to the "docker" (doctor) to see the "baby sitter"(sister).

Be back soon with more recipes and stuff.

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That one parent.

Laila and I went to the park yesterday. It was so nice out. A cool breeze and sunshine were our pals for the day. We collected leaves and saved a big fat yellow caterpillar from some other toddlers that were playing. I was sitting there, soaking it all in. I noticed a cute little boy playing all by himself. His mother was lost in her cell phone. I even saw her take a few "selfies".

"Mommy! Watch me!," he would yell to her over and over, and not once did she look up from her phone. She would just mumble "Oh wow," or "Good Job!", under her breath as she obsessively scrolled her feed. The little boy looked sad and unhappy every time he would think he got her attention, just to find she was staring at her phone.

She sat next to me on the bench. I couldn't help but glance over at her phone to see what could be more important than watching her beautiful boy play. Facebook. She was scrolling feeds. I always try my hardest not to be a judgmental person. I am human, though.
  
Laila wanted to swing, so we started to swing. The little boy followed us over to the swing set and called for his mom to swing him. After about 5 minutes, she wandered over, never looking up. She pushed him one time, still scrolling somehow (mad skills yo)..and then his swing lost momentum and he asked her to push him again. She didn't even notice he had spoken to her. She walked back over to the bench, while the little boy just sat on the swing, trying to get it to go by himself. I wanted to push him so badly. She called for him to leave a few minutes later. Not even making sure he looked both ways before crossing the street. I felt sad.

I've seen this many times before, mommy and daddy in cell phone land, while their children desperately call for their attention. Kids aren't stupid. They know when you are actually watching and listening. These moments in time are so brief and fleeting. Why anyone would choose following other individual's moments while losing site of their own is beyond me. I know this mother may have just been "caught up" in the moment...but her little boy was there at the park to be with his mom...and she couldn't even give him that. I hope at home she plays in the floor with him, that she chases him and builds forts.

I am that mom...in the moment with my child..soaking in her innocence and silliness. I want to remember these days forever. They will be over with soon. For now, she is my baby. These days I make less time for friends and more time for family. It doesn't drive me crazy...it makes me happy. Some days I do have to go in to another room and breath deeply, or take a long shower and empty my mind. When I signed up for parenthood, I didn't pretend it would be perfect. Being a parent is a selfless act and I know this.

There will always be "me time" when my children are grown and gone. For now, I am in this moment with my family. Being the mother I signed up to be.

Vegan blueberry banana bread.

Here is the recipe to the amazing Blueberry Bread I made last weekend. It was soooo good. Laila loved this and she normally hates regular berries, so this tells you something. I mainly ate this in the morning after breakfast with a small cuppa coffee. Enjoy! 

 

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Yield: Makes 3 small loaves or 1 large loaf

Vegan Blueberry Banana Bread

A super-moist, super-scrumptious dairy-free banana bread recipe studded with sweet blueberries. Even if you're not vegan, you will love this bread!

Ingredients

    6 tablespoons warm water
    2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
    2 cups all-purpose flour
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    1/2 cup coconut milk (the kind in a can—not the light kind either!)
    1 teaspoon lemon juice
    1/2 cup melted coconut oil
    2/3 cup granulated sugar
    3 large ripe bananas, mashed
    1 cup fresh blueberries

I also added 1/3 cup walnuts for crunch

Instructions

    Preheat oven to 350ºF.
    Combine the warm water and ground flax seeds in a large bowl. Let them sit for a few minutes, until the mixture has the consistency of egg whites.
    Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
    Add the coconut milk, lemon juice, coconut oil, sugar, and bananas to the flax mixture. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and fold in the blueberries.
    Spray 3 small bread tins (or 1 large one) with an oil mister or grease them lightly with coconut oil. Pour the batter into the tins and place them on a baking sheet. Bake the small loaves for 30-40 minutes, or a large one for about an hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean; the bread will be dense and moist. Cool for 5 minutes, then remove the loaves from the bread pans and finish cooling on a rack.
    To store leftovers, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Notes

To keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the loaf pans, toss them in a light dusting of flour before adding them to the batter.

21 weeks and counting.

So I am officially past the halfway point in my pregnancy! So exciting! The midwife visit went great. Baby is still big and weighs about 15 oz (almost 1 pound). She has veryyyyy long legs and kicks like crazy already. The ultrasound tech was having to chase her around. They found that she has a slightly enlarged ventricle in her heart. They said it is on the normal side though so nothing to worry about. They do want to keep an eye on it though, so I will be having an ultrasound at each visit now.

  

Look at those long legs! 

 

Perfect little face. 

In other news, Laila has been asking for a name to call baby. We still haven't decided on one, and we more than likely won't until she is born. We are just weeks away from Fall and some leaves are taking the hint early. I cannot wait. We tried our hand at slow cooking a homemade vegan stew over the weekend. At the last minute, it burned. I cried. haha. Food is making me a crazy person. It's the ONLY thing that makes me upset. haha. We did make some amazing banana blueberry bread the other day. That was gone way too fast. Will post that recipe soon.

My biker babe and other stuff.

We recently got Laila her first tricycle. She loves that thing. She's really great at going fast and even heads for the big hills on it. It's quite a spectacle, watching her outrun me on it as I helplessly waddle behind her. 

In other news, I have my 20 weeks anatomy scan (not to be confused with gender scan) tomorrow. They're going to measure the little lady in utero and possibly dish out a new due date for that biggun. I swear, every time she kicks me I get closer and closer to having an accident on myself. Last night she had hiccups and I felt them for the first time since my pregnancy with Laila. I forgot how amazing it feels. I totally understand why some women love being pregnant. When you feel the baby moving and kicking, it makes all the sickness and pain more bearable.
 More updates after the scan!!

Vegan Zucchini Bread!

We made this last weekend. It was amazing. I have to admit, I had several slices a day, and the entire family loved it. I will definitely be making this again sometime soon!

Vegan Zucchini Bread

Serves: 2 loaves

Ingredients

• 6 tbsp ground flax seeds
• ½ c warm water
• 2 c turbinado sugar (or light brown sugar)
• ½ c oil
• ½ c applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 to 2½ c grated zucchini (~3 medium-sized ones)
• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 c whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 c chocolate chips or raisins, optional

Instructions

1. Grease two loaf pans.
2. Mix together flax seeds and warm water.
3. Add sugar, oil, applesauce, and vanilla; beat well.
4. Add grated zucchini; stir til combined.
5. In a separate bowl, sift together remaining dry ingredients.
6. Add dry mixture to wet and stir just until dry ingredients are moistened and everything is incorporated evenly; some lumps are fine. If adding additional mix-ins, fold them in now. Divide batter between prepared pans.
7. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes, or until knife inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Let cool a few minutes before slicing.

Enjoy with a cold cup of Almond milk or coffee! 

Update:VBAC

Katie Daisy

I finally got the go ahead from my midwife's Dr for VBAC. I am so happy and nervous. Been reading lots of affirmations. I am confident. Hopefully my body will respond quite well to everything.

Last week I started having sharp painful cramps under my C-section scar. I thought for sure something bad was happening. The ultrasound showed everything was perfect. We even got to see little miss in there, touching her face and wiggling. My internal uterine scar shows that it is extremely thick and sturdy. The tugging I am experiencing is a common result of an adhesion from c-section scar tissue. Basically it means that when my scar healed, it healed up against something (bladder, another organ, tissue, etc) and bonded. As the baby grows, the skin and scar are pulling which is where the pain is coming from. No biggie they said.  They'll measure the scar again closer to birth time to make sure it hasn't thinned out.

In the meantime. I'm going to start trying to get more exercise in. This Summer heat has made me nauseous and I haven't been walking and outside as much as I used to. I gotta change that if I want this kid to come out the natural way. I'll keep posting updates here. I've been a complete failure on keeping a prenatal baby book this time. I just can't remember anything anymore...pregnancy brain has taken hold. What was I talking about again? At least I can keep track on here.

Anyways, just a little update. Be back Thursday with a yummy recipe!!!

google images

A True Nature's Child.

Laila is what some would call a Tomboy. I don't like to put such labels on a love of nature and all things bugs and dirt. I'm happy she is this way. My hubby and I are too. If you've notice on previous posts, Laila was raised out in the mountains. Hiking trails, swimming in the river, catching bugs. She would pick out a spider toy instead of baby doll anyday.

 We go to both the boy and girl sections when we shop for her. We don't like setting boundaries just because something isn't pink or says the word princess all over it. Clothes are for everyone, so we like to spread a message to pick what she likes best. This is why we own dinosaur rain coats and bug shirts. Why her favorite toys are her T-Rex and snakes. She is her own toddler and we let her choose the things that make her happy.

Yes we do have to explain to people on occasion that "yes she is a girl wearing Tevas and a guitar shirt." or "yes she is a girl, she can like Dinosaurs too." I don't mind explaining. She isn't different, she isn't a lesbian (which who cares if she does grow up to be one? not I!!) She is my little girl. She is a true nature's child.

My big mistake.

                                              


I've always been self conscious about looks. Most people are. It's normal. After going through an ugly duckling stage when I was in my teens, the moment I was allowed to dye my hair and wear makeup, I went all out. Within my journey of "trying to be beautiful"..I made a BIG mistake.

I decided I was too pale.  Heck, people were telling me I was too pale. I remember going places and having people ask me where I'm from. "Florida", I'd always say. It would usually be followed up with a remark about being afraid of the sun, or never going outside. I was outside alll the time. I just wore 
lots of sunblock. My family is Scandinavian and they all had blonde hair and blue eyes. Which is usually a recipe for sunburns and skin cancer. In fact, my father died of Melanoma when I was 14. It's not hereditary...just common in light skinned people.


(That's me in 9th grade out to the left and me and 10th grade down there..I changed alot)

When I turned 14, knowing all that I knew about what my father went through and how he died, I started laying out in the sun every chance I got. I blistered and burned, freckled and peeled. But I was getting color. The sun made me feel great, it cleared up any acne I had., and I was finally able to go outside with shorts on and not be stared down. I was always looking for the next new lotion or trend to make me more tan. I even laid out with oil on my skin. So stupid. I was never meant to be tan. Some people just aren't. Harsh words from others can make you do stupid things.

I moved to Tennessee in 2006. Not a whole lot of sun here, so I started tanning beds. I would go almost every day. I would get compliments on how tan I was. It made me feel good. I remember we went back down to Florida to visit friends that lived near the beach, and I made them look pale.

When I found out I was pregnant in 2011, I stopped tanning for the safety of the baby and myself. I had begun to get weird freckles. I started seeing a dermatologist. She heavily scolded me for all of those years of tanning. As my tan faded and my skin started to return to its normal paleness, the comments started again. I'd hear gothic comments, are you sick?, are you tired?...all of this because I was pale. But I knew better.. I could see from the freckles on my chest and back that I had done lots of damage.

In April of 2013, I noticed a spot on my nose. Nothing big. Just a small raised spot. I went to my dermatologist  and was told it was a blemish. It would go away. Well, weeks passed and it didn't go away. I went back and got the same thing. It was STILL a pimple, they said. Well, I wasn't buying it. I found a new dermatologist and he immediately said it didn't look good. So he took a sample of it and sent it off. I got the call a week later. The spot was positive skin cancer. Basal-Cell Carcinoma to be exact.

I would need to have MOHS Surgery to remove it. In short, MOHS surgery is basically where they cut the spot out and test it on site. They check it for layers of cancer growth and then they come back and cut more and more and test more and more until the slices of skin come back cancer free. It hurt pretty badly and took a while to heal. I have to go back for mandatory checks every 6 months now. I am hoping nothing else comes up.

I have learned my lesson and embrace my paleness now. It could happen to anyone. Just wish I hadn't have let it get to me all those years before. I still hear harsh comments, I still get my feelings hurt. But those people can all kiss my pale bum. Sorry..not sorry. So wear your sunblock and try and avoid harsh rays. Vitamin D can still get to you with sunblock on. Tanning is not worth your life.

Vegan Mac N Cheese

Wanted to get this up here because I've had a couple people really interested in how we make mac n cheese. It's amazing and I love putting ketchup and mustard in mine.

Enjoy!

Vegan Green Chili Mac n Cheese

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

10 ingredient, 30 minute vegan mac n cheese infused with green chili and topped with crispy baked crushed tortilla chips!

Author: Minimalist Baker

Recipe type: Pasta

Cuisine: Vegan

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 10 ounces large macaroni shells (gluten free for GF eaters | I used pipe rigate)
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 4-6 hours or overnight, then drained
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 3/4 tsp chili powder
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 4-ounce can diced chills (scoop half into the sauce, reserve half for the finished mac n cheese)
• Optional: 1 cup tortilla chips, fresh cilantro for topping

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Instructions

1. If topping with tortilla chips, crush chips into fine crumbs and add to a baking pan lined with parchment paper or foil. Spritz with olive or canola oil, sprinkle with salt and stir, then bake in a 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
2. Boil macaroni according to package instructions.
3. In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, sautee onion and garlic in a bit of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, stir and cook until soft and fragrant – about 7 minutes. Set aside.
4. Add onions and garlic to a blender with remaining ingredients, omitting the tortilla chips and adding only half of the green chilies. Blend until smooth, using the “liquify” setting if you have it to get it really smooth. Otherwise just blend for up to a minute, scraping down sides as necessary, until smooth and creamy.
5. Drain the noodles, set aside and cover (with a towel). To the same pot you boiled the noodles in, add the cashew cheese and cook on low stirring frequently until slightly thickened.
6. Add the macaroni noodles to the cheese, along with the remaining green chilies and stir. Serve immediately, topping with crushed toasted tortilla chips and cilantro (optional).

Notes

*Nutrition information is for 1 of four servings without tortilla chips.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1/4 recipe Calories: 516 Fat: 17 g Saturated fat: 3.5 g Carbohydrates: 72 g Sugar: 4 g Sodium: 380 mg Fiber: 5.6 g Protein: 19 g

 

Crazy and Calm.

Since Laila has blossomed into full on toddler-hood (can we use that term?..ok good) We have been picking up on her little routines and quirks. She has a routine at night and a routine for playing. She's also developed a routine for mommy and daddy.

 When we get home from work ( I work a 10 hr shift, daddy works 8 hr shift) She goes insane with daddy for about 2 hours. He throws her, chases her, tickles her, wrestles, and also makes up some adlibbed MMA moves that send me into heart attack mode. But they have a blast. She has names for their "moves". The hold tight, the rockabye baby, the Yosef (no clue what it means but she usually says it alot when being chased.) I even get in on the actions some evenings. Until my achy pregnant hips tell me to set my happy arse down.

She comes to mama for her calm. She sometimes wants to be held or rocked. She loves it when I sing to her. Sometimes she gets too emotional and I have to stop. Definitely my child. In the evenings I come home, sit on the floor and just hold her. She tells me about her day. In the mornings, she finds me and gives me stinky breath kisses.  She's like a new baby all over again. If she gets hurt or upset...or if she needs to "tell on daddy"(haha) she comes to me. I love it. My kisses hold healing powers now, so I need to be around just in-case booboos arise.

I hope when the baby gets here, we can keep our routines up. Until then, we're going to wear this little girl out during play and always be there to hold her like a newborn when we're done.

Vegan Crumb cake

This pregnancy has me in the mood for baking 24/7. This past weekend, we made a coffee cake aka crumble cake. It was soo good and 100% vegan. Here's the recipe. Let me know if you try it and how you like!!! Warning: your house will smell amazeballs for a few days after you make it (if you like that sorta thing)





Crumb topping:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegan butter, melted
Cake:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup soy or almond milk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon white or apple-cider vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
To make the crumb topping:
In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the melted vegan butter and toss with 2 forks, as if you were tossing salad, until it appears crumbly. The crumbs should be the size of small peas.
To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch square pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together nondairy milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until just combined. Do not over mix.
Fill the prepared pan with batter and evenly sprinkle with the crumb topping. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry with a few crumbs clinging to it. Let cool, and EAT!
*for a gluten-free cake , substitute gluten-free all-purpose flour plus 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free All-Purpose flour is a great product. For a gluten-free crumb topping, substitute with gluten-free flour.


ENJOY YO'SELF!