Dogs and Pregnancy

Well, we made it through our first hurricane. We are very lucky, our little family of 4 and 1/2. Our building is a giant cement block in the center of Staten Island on the top of a hill. This put us out of harms way from the downed trees, flooding, giant waves and other chaos that went on in many unfortunate neighborhoods.
These two furry children (Dexter and Olive) were showing their sensitivity to the weather earlier in the week. I could feel the pressure changes in my head and I'm sure it was doubly so for them!

Dogs and Pregnancy
I was very curious to see when and how my dogs would understand that I am pregnant. Sometimes I think they absolutely know and other times, I'm not so sure. They definitely are in the process of learning not to jump up on me when they say hello.
In the beginning I thought that if they smelled my pee, their magical noses would pick up on my chemical changes. Not sure if that worked. Then I figured they must just smell the new hormones I am producing anyway. I wondered if they could hear anything with their head close to my growing belly. Perhaps I overestimate that sense just a little.
The first thing I really noticed was when I am at the gym (our business), Olive (the bigger, older one) barks at everyone who walks in the door. She knows pretty much every single member by now and at some point had become totally un-phased by the constant people coming and going. When I am there, it is different. Next, I realized this was going to make it impossible for me to walk with her outside off-leash because she runs up barking at anyone she sees. It doesn't help that she does not consider me to be the "pack leader" as the Dog Whisperer would say. This is partly my husband's fault for "barking" over my orders when I try to command the dogs.
I will say that they are both a little extra clingy to me lately. Who wouldn't like the extra love! When we are out walking in the woods, Olive likes to be by my side more than usual. She also wants to sit behind me on the couch when we eat dinner and curl around me. It's cute until I want to lean back and be comfortable.
There was one instance when I was sitting and Olive went to jump up and put her paws on my lap but moved them out to the sides so as not to hit my belly. I thought for sure this was a sign she knew! But now it seems like she forgot entirely that my lap is disappearing.
I've read about a couple of similar behavior changes in online articles here and here.
I am only 5 1/2 months along, starting to really look pregnant and am very curious to see how this progresses with the two dogs. Dexter, the littler one, has such a laid back attitude and wants to cuddle with anyone and everyone at all times. So, I haven't really noticed any changes in that behavior. He may be a little bummed when I start calling someone else "my little baby."
As for the birthing process, since they will both be here when it happens in the house, it should be interesting. I think Olive's tendency to be over anxious in certain situations may take over and she may end up in the corner shaking. I hope not, but we have yet to see.
I can't wait for them to meet their new pack member!

Before the Bump

I am really happy to be having greens in my smoothies again. I feel like it really helps my system move the food around more efficiently. The greens added to the hydrating power of coconut milk seems to be a great combination. I had a little smoothie this morning with my breakfast and didn't actually eat any greens with the meal. I am also definitely slowing down on my use of Cholula. For some reason it just doesn't taste as amazing as it used to, whether it's because my tastes have changed or because I've overdone it. I still love my eggs though.

Before the Bump
As I am just about to enter the second trimester, I am anticipating and watching for the bump to appear. One of the things about ignoring the rule of waiting till 36 weeks to tell people I am pregnant is that people keep looking at me and saying I look great (not that I'm opposed to that). Its their slightly surprised look when they glance down to my non-existent belly that makes me feel a little like Sigourney Weaver's character in Baby Momma (she is supposedly pregnant but Tina Fey is confused because she has no belly and she's seems to old then says she feels a kick). I feel a little like people think I'm playing a joke.
Now is the time! Now there will be a bump happening and with that excitement comes my thoughts about maternity clothes and stretch mark inhibiting products.
Stretch marks
I have been looking into a couple of products:

Bio-Oil

The reviews on this stuff are great! One I read came from a woman who started using this product at the beginning of the second trimester and never had stretch marks despite them being a problem for her during teenage weight-gain. It seems to be made from natural ingredients and the price is worth the try. I am definitely getting a bottle. They sell it on amazon for a reasonable price.

Mountain Ocean
Skin Trip

I have used this lotion before for sunburns and it was extremely effective in reversing the burn after one application. They also make a soap bar I would be interested in. I received this as a gift a while ago but didn't use it often since I'm not really a lotion toting person. However, I knew that coconut oil has a naturally soothing effect on burns and grabbed this because it is the second ingredient. Unfortunately I tried to take the bottle with me to Las Vegas and they took it away from me, with it half-full. Bummer. I think this will probably be a big help with a growing belly and it smells like the beach. My best friend actually bought it for me because I used to wear coconut fragrant oil as a perfume in high-school. That was my "thing."

Also made by Mountain Ocean
Mother's Special Blend

These products seemed worth giving a shot because they are from a company I like and are geared specifically toward pregnant women. They have an oil and soap bar. I will probably get both when I get the cash. The cost is reasonable and they contain cocoa butter which is the usual "go-to" remedy for stretching skin. I have heard that it doesn't work as well as people think but it certainly could be helpful in a mixture of several effective ingredients.

I never thought I would be so excited to rub lotion or oil on myself, but I am looking forward to an easier way to accomodate the oncoming stretching and want to have a picture perfect, smooth, firm belly.... but who doesn't?

Clothing
It is always exciting thinking about a new wardrobe. I remember my best-friend and I walking past the maternity sections of stores and talking about how we couldn't wait to be pregnant and have a reason to dress in these really cute clothes. Thinking back on it, it seems a little strange that we thought the maternity clothes were so cute but that may be because biologically and historically we were already at prime pregnancy age. Luckily, we both were smarter than the girls on "Teen-mom."
Looking through my closet and my wallet, I realize that I could probably stretch the wardrobe I have to accomodate my changing body for quite some time, as I have never really worn tight clothing. I think it was the picture below that got me all revved up to start thinking about how I will dress as a pregnant woman. I will really be dressing for fall and winter pregnancy, which is a little bit of a bummer because I like the idea of sundresses so much. I will just have to find a way to use them in layers.

What I really love most about this look from the Hatch Collection is the belt below the belly. I feel like many women wear things that have an empire waist and fall over the belly and straight down from there, resembling a sort of tent. Now, I really don't know how this will look on me because I don't have this woman's body to begin with, so I may not even be able to pull it off. However, I certainly don't want to look like I am wearing a tent. It seems as though the trick is to put a hand on your belly to show that you are carrying something other than some extra weight. It looks a little funny to me in photos, so why not just get an accessory to do it for you?
Here are some fall/winter maternity looks:

 I am really drawn to the dress with leggings and layers looks. I love the cropped leather jacket, mens-style shirt and very tailored wool coat and predict a great amount of chunky sweaters/sweater dresses with leggings for myself. My reality is probably a bit more like the last two looks that have a bit of Colorado mountain style mixed with California (another place I live and where I am from). These would be the casual and fancy versions of my usual pants and t-shirt look. This is why I am also excited about the fact that H&M also has maternity clothes since that is right up my alley for budget and convenience. All I need is an influx of money and I am off for new clothes and bras/underwear (those are a whole different story I don't even want to get into).

Diaper Bags
This purchase is so far in the future, but I still wanted to post a couple of looks that I really like. Mind you, these are regular purses that are just oversized and perhaps I am naive to think that this will work just the same as an overpriced diaper bag. These are all right around $50 or less.

The first one is a medical type bag with a structured bottom that would make it easier to see inside the bag when I need to dig for something, however it doesn't have many pockets. The second one has more  compartments and can be carried by a longer strap like a messenger bag, which may be easier when a baby is being carried in the front. The last one is the hobo-style bag that I am always drawn to and seems like something that will stay closed and be comfortable on the side to back part of my body. I am not sure which is the most practical, but the third one is probably the least. Once I get a better idea of what kind of daily maintenance products I will need, I will be able to make a better decision. 

For lunch today I had a tuna wedge salad with homemade ranch dressing. For dinner I made fish tacos and shrimp tacos. The pepper and onion mix I made to act as a filling was really spicy and I may have used too much lime because it started to make me a little nauseous. Other than that, I would definitely make it again with a different filling.

The Beauty of Being Pregnant

This morning I had a smoothie with greens, half of a banana, some almond butter, coconut milk and cocoa powder sweetened with stevia extract. Every other day is smoothie day because it seems to help me poop regularly. If I tried to have a smoothie every single day, my body would refuse to empty. It just wants to do every other day and there seems to be nothing I can do about it. I also had 2 eggs and 2 pieces of bacon. I didn't eat greens this morning except in my smoothie.

The Beauty of Being Pregnant
This isn't the part where I tell you how beautiful I feel and that my skin is radiant and glowing. The title is a bit of a joke. I'm going to tell you how I am beginning to feel a little bit like Shrek.
First of all, something I have noticed but haven't mentioned until now is what is happening with my skin. First it seemed to be some dark patches that looked a little bit like a birthmark. One whole armpit was covered and the other just had a strange spotted pattern. I also see it sometimes on my bikini line which is great for summer when it looks like I have a permanent 5 o'clock shadow around my bathing suit bottoms. It comes and goes in darkness but I always see it because I am looking for it. Then I noticed some light spots on my chest that looked like I got sunscreen dripped in spots and those spots didn't tan like the rest of me. I think those are pretty obvious now that I have a great summer tan but at least they match the ones that have shown up on the inside of my left elbow. Every now and again some of these areas become raised bumps, like little spotted welts. I haven't been to a dermatologist so I can assume that this is a hormonal situation.
This webpage talks a little about what it is and describes one cause as: "Hormone. Melasma is more likely to occur during pregnancy and with the use of oral contraceptives. There is also evidence to suggest that progesterone administered to postmenopausal women may also play a role in the development of melasma. Apart from the female hormones, it appears that thyroid gland disorders may also be a risk factor for melasma."
Sounds like fun! Here's a picture of an example on a woman's face.

The next thing that's going on is hair. I've always been pretty lucky in that the peach fuzz that covers most of my body is blonde. Even my leg hairs are still blonde. For some reason I still have to dye the stuff on my head though. Well, the other night I was looking down at my belly and noticed that the fuzz on it was quite a bit longer and more noticeable than I remembered. It was still light, so I don't mind much. However, when I pointed it out to my husband he grabbed his electric razor and started to go to town on my stomach until I pushed him away. It would serve him right if that bare spot grew back long and dark. Haha.... Actually, I'd rather it didn't. Well, the hair is not just more noticeable on my belly but also on my breasts. I'm not going to go into much more detail than that... except to say it reminded me of this scene from scrubs (no need to go past the 1 min. mark).
When I first noticed the hair on my belly, it kinda reminded me of this picture (below), but by no means is there nearly this much hair. It's just what the hair was doing and the shape that reminded me.

Perhaps one of my husband's favorite ogre-like symptoms I have acquired is the gas. Whether it's burping or farting, he puts up a whole big stink (haha pun). You'd think he'd be much happier with the burping, as it is not so much lethal as it is loud. He acts like he doesn't understand the fact that I can't burp quietly because all the air will not come out if I try to stifle myself and then I just end up in pain. As for the farting, well, it's just the most awful thing in the world. Some people can stand their own farts or even like them, but I have to admit that these are even unbearable for me. Sometimes my husband gags and I will not be surprised if he actually vomits one day. I do what I can in the way of letting it out somewhere else or at least warning him that it's happening, but that doesn't do much to help. I tell him that it is all revenge for when we first started living together and I awoke from a deep sleep to the horrific smell of one of his blasts.... seriously, a deep sleep.

One other thing I've been feeling is a fullness that I was associating with overeating and constipation (a symptom I've already covered quite extensively). It turns out that I was not overeating but the feeling is just another symptom. In the book Exercising Through Your Pregnancy by James F. Clapp M.D. he describes this fullness as a result of additional blood flow during early pregnancy: "the increased flow to the reproductive tissues ensures adequate delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the developing placenta and baby, but it also creates the uncomfortable sensation of pelvic and lower abdominal fullness."

Hopefully the last thing I have to report about (so far) is the death breath I have been walking around with. Of course the hormonal changes a pregnant woman goes through are the culprit of this fabulous affliction too. I honestly am not affected by it one bit, but that is because I am not trapped in an astronaut helmet forced to inhale my own stink breath. My husband is of course constantly reminding me of how awful I smell and I do what I can to cover it up. Hopefully the people I am coaching in beginning CrossFit classes aren't catching a whiff. Sorry.....

Besides all of this magic of pregnancy, I still feel beautiful. My skin does look nice (where it is not blotchy) and my belly is starting to round out a little. I am just beginning my second trimester which is supposed to be the best part and looking forward to it!

Working Out and Working Out Myths?

This morning I was lucky enough to eat some bacon from Herondale Farm, where we are part of a CSA share program for meat. It was wonderful- the perfect balance of fatty and crispy! I also had two eggs, tomato and avocado. I smothered all of this in Cholula right after snapping this photo. I think I've discovered a craving/addiction. Before all this I had a smoothie with greens.

For some reason right before we went to the gym I started feeling really tired. Instead of staying home, I went to the gym and did a couple things instead of one tough workout.

Working Out
Today's WOD:

Deadlift  5-5-5  (I did 145 lbs. - 165 lbs. - 185 lbs.)

Instead of the scheduled WOD, I did:

row 1000 meters
tabata thrusters and overhead squats with pvc pipe
partner wall ball situps
worked on my pullups

Afterward we had hot dogs from our CSA and some homemade sauerkraut for lunch.

Working Out Mythbusting
I also found a book on Amazon that I have ordered from the publisher. It is called Exercising Through Your Pregnancy - 2nd Ed. written by James Clapp, M.D. and Catherine Cram, M.S.
I am excited to get more of the science supporting the fact that women really should be working out through their pregnancy. This book hopefully holds the answers to many common questions and dispels what Dr. James Clapp lists as myths about exercising while pregnant.

Common Myths About Exercising and Pregnancy

1. Pregnant women should keep their heart rates under 140 beats per minute.
2. Exercise during lactation makes the milk taste sour.
3. Women should avoid abdominal exercises in mid and late pregnancy.
4. Pregnant women should not lift weights.
5. The bouncing and jarring which occur during running and high-impact aerobics increase the risk        for the baby getting tangled up in the umbilical cord.
6. Exercise causes premature labor.
7. Exercise will cause the fetus to detach from the wall of the womb.
8. Exercise right after a pregnancy will cause hernias and loss of vaginal and pelvic support.

Before dinner we tried the liver again, but this time on a cracker I made from almond flour and coconut flour. They were just enough to get rid of that slightly off-putting aftertaste. 

For dinner my husband made arroz con pollo (cauliflower rice). It was really good. The chicken of course came from our CSA.

For dessert we had apple pie ice-cream. Just a quick description of the ingredients for those curious about how this is done... coconut cream/milk from the can, xylitol, stevia extract, 1 pint of date sweetened applesauce (homemade), and ginger and cinnamon to get the pie taste. It was awesome. This was probably one of the best flavors we've made. I am also tempted to try peach pie sometime soon.

Liver

I ate a smaller breakfast today- 2 eggs, 1 piece of bacon, a little bit of arugula and onion in my eggs and a couple of slices of tomato and avocado. Oh yes, and I added more Cholula, which still seemed to be not enough. I love that smoky flavor.

Not much going on today. It's 90 degrees and there's a crazy storm outside. I had another burger salad for lunch and we got our CSA meat for the month. I have been excited to see what form of lamb we are getting because I've been craving it since we had lamb-burgers last time around. Turns out we are having lamb sausage and peppers for dinner with a salad of course. Yum!

Liver
We also got plenty of chicken liver, so my husband made liver paté. Liver is important as a source of iron, folic acid and vitamin A. I agreed that I would add this to my diet and hopefully he did a great job and it tastes better than I imagine. I didn't grow up on the stuff, so we'll see.
In a guest post on Mark's Daily Apple by Chris Kresser he counts liver as number one in his list of superfoods for pregnant women:
 "1. Liver. Ounce for ounce, liver is one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. It’s loaded with fat soluble vitamins like retinol (pre-formed vitamin A) that are crucial for reproductive health, and difficult to obtain elsewhere in the diet. Liver is also a great source of highly absorbable iron, which helps prevent miscarriage and maternal anemia, and B12, which is required for proper formation of red blood cells and DNA. Liver is also a good source of bioavailable protein, zinc, and folate."

It looks better than it tastes, which doesn't say much. My husband did a good job though. I think I can get used to it if I find a good recipe for a primal cracker to spread it on.

Working Out and Raspberry Leaf Tea

Today I put cholula hot sauce on my eggs and it reminded me of a time when my friends and I used to go to brunch every Sunday and eat all kinds of things that were no good for us. Anyway, 2 eggs, 2 bacon strips, kale with tomatoes and avocado, butternut "homefries" and iced tea all went quickly this morning. I woke up very late today and don't know if it's because I had trouble falling asleep last night, me being lazy or just because that's what my body needed. Hopefully a nap will not be as necessary today as it has been the past couple of days.

I think that this will be the last day I eat the "homefries." I definitely need to lower my caloric intake. This may be one of the reasons my body isn't budging with that extra weight. In my quest for the perfect amount of vitamins and minerals on my plate... I added too much food.
So, today's lunch was a smoothie with greens. (Not that fruit is helping much either, but this is on a workout day.)

Working Out
In preparation of my Level 1 CrossFit certification this weekend, I wanted to do a bar complex that involves all of the basic movements to work on my form.

Today's WOD:
5 cleans
5 shoulder presses
5 push presses
5 push jerks
5 snatches
5 overhead squats
5 front squats
5 back squats
5 clean and jerks
5 deadlifts
5 sumo-deadlift high-pulls

2 rounds with 45 lbs.

The first time through my coach watched and corrected the movements, so some of them got 10 reps or 7 or 5. The second time I wanted to hold on to the bar through the first 4 movements, the next 3 and then the last 3 movements as individuals. My personal record for deadlifting is 215 lbs, so 45 is extremely light. But, by the end of the complex it was a nice rest.

Raspberry Leaf Tea
I mentioned this tea as a great thing to drink during pregnancy in an earlier post, mentioning that I was a little wary to try it just yet. I am glad I waited as I have discovered a little more about it. According to my 100's book red raspberry leaf is "probably the best known pregnancy herb. Herbalists and midwives recommend red raspberry leaf for morning sickness and to tone the uterus and help ensure a good strong pregnancy. It is also used to stimulate the onset of labor and to promote an easy labor."
It says that in studies, the herb can actually induce contractions in uterus cells removed from pregnant women but has no effect on those from a woman who is not pregnant. Pretty cool. However, some people think that it's effects on these cells can possibly be harmful for a woman in her first trimester. After all, you don't want any contractions going on at that time when the poor little thing isn't really hanging on all that well. So, I will wait to hear from a doctor or midwife before giving this one a shot.

Today's dinner is brought to us by Herondale Farms CSA. We are having pork chops that are surprisingly the last of our supply. Thankfully our next CSA pickup is next Wednesday and will contain 15 pounds of lamb, beef and pork. I can't stop thinking about the lamb burgers we had... amazing! Pork chops and roasted acorn squash with arugula salad on the side for dinner.

Working Out and More Questions

Breakfast this morning was made by my husband. It consisted of 2 eggs, the last piece of breakfast sausage, some butternut squash "homefries" and sauteed kale. I had the usual vitamins (fish oil, prenatal, vitamin D) and a ginger tea and lemonade "arnold palmer" to drink.

Working Out
Today's WOD:

Today was a scheduled rest day. In preparation for my crossfit level 1 certification next weekend, I wanted to do Fran.

21 - 15 - 9

Thrusters
Pull-ups

Rx 65 lbs.

I did 45 lbs. and used a band for the pull-ups.
My time was 8:27

More Questions
Q: What is the transition, or transitioning? This is a term I continually saw in the homebirthing forum I've been reading.
A: Amazing! I really like the definition on this site. It is basically the "rock bottom" of labor. When a woman feels like giving up or the loss of control, she has transitioned. It sounds like it is the hardest part of labor. I like this reminder: "At this point, it is the job of her coach or labor partner to assist her into various positions in an attempt to find the one that will keep her most comfortable." This is the point of no return. It's more inspiring to me than scary.


Q: What is the deal with hypnobirth?
A: I read this post on hypnobirthing last night. It is a means of using the subconscious mind to get through labor instead of the conscious in order to lessen the pain. It teaches proper relaxation which is key in letting the body do what it is supposed to more effectively. It sounds like it is quite an involved process of classes and homework but quite possibly worth it. I think I may look into it. My first thought though is- does this make the mother more "out of it" during the process? If so, doesn't that negate the purpose of a homebirth or one of them?
I will have to learn more about it to assess it properly but I feel like I could just practice deep relaxation and not have to bother with paying anyone.


Q: How long do I have until I shouldn't fly anymore?
A: I've always heard that the last trimester is off limits for a pregnant woman to fly. This website says a carrying mother can fly up until week 36. Then I did the math on that one and thought... Whaaaat? Isn't that 9 months? Yes it is. Apparently the due date is calculated at 40 weeks or 10 months. Am I the only one who feels stupid for not knowing these things? This is why I ask questions, especially because my math skills are sub par. So, if you are having a NORMAL pregnancy, you can run the risk of travel as late as 1 month before you are due. If there are other things going on, why risk it? I was a late baby. I was 3 whole weeks late (and 1 oz shy of 11 lbs. might I add...). So, I'm banking on that timing for myself. I still would not travel that close to my due date. Especially when that's got to be major nest prep time.

That's all the questions for today.

Lunch was leftover salmon from last night and salad.
For dinner we ate caesar salad and those steak burgers we got from La Cense beef. They were delicious. I really like the flavor in that blend of meat.

The CrossFit Games are on all weekend and I may not get anywhere near the computer. See you next time.

Sleep and Questions

Who needs to go to a restaurant when you can have this every morning in your own house?
This gourmet masterpiece consists of 2 pieces of Trader Joe's bacon (only the antibiotic/hormone free), 2 organic eggs with basil leaves (from our potted plant) and butternut squash "homefries" with some spinach. This butternut squash recipe is delicious. I made it over a year ago and now my husband has taken over. It's nice to have him do all the work and be able to just warm it in the skillet in the morning. :)

Sleep
Before I was even close to pregnant, I was telling someone that I wasn't going to be doing any waking up at 5 am with any baby. That baby will just have to learn to sleep in, just like we taught our dogs. We got it down to where if we got up early, our dogs would come downstairs and eat breakfast and then go back upstairs to sleep some more. I'm pretty sure I just got laughed at with that idea.
*Just an interruption here- I just ate everything on that plate and had a smoothie with greens in it and my stomach feels empty still.... what the what?
Anyway, I have found strange things happening with my sleep. I always wondered how parents got up so early with their baby every morning and thought that it was just something they got used to over time. Now I feel like the body naturally prepares itself to become the morning person it needs to be for a newborn. That's good. At least I'm preparing without any effort. It also makes me wonder if the tired spells I seem to have a couple hours later will someday coincide with my babies' post breakfast nap time. If so, I'll take it! Waking up earlier each morning is not just the first thing that's going on.
I am sleep-walking. Now this is something that I've done before many times. Despite that it's called "sleep-walking" it doesn't always involve cruising around your house. Sometimes I would just sit up in bed and start looking around the room or do weird things like trying to hold up the wall behind our bed because I thought it was going to come down on me and my sleeping husband. I actually thought that just pulling the blanket over his head would protect him. It seems now that my dreams, even the super-active ones, are all following the theme of children, childbirth, parenting, etc....
Last night I got up out of bed thinking I needed to take the sack of birthing fluid and/or placenta and bloody mess from it's spot on the floor next to my bed and move it somewhere that it would be safe for later. I bent down to pick this stuff up and (it was really my scattered clothes from that day) thought to myself "Oh, the fluid drained out. Well I better move it anyway." So I gathered the pieces of clothing, one of which was dark and seemed to be the "bloody" item, and walked over to the door and placed them gently on the floor next to our laundry basket. This morning, I had some vague recollection of doing this and went over to see what I was actually moving in my sleep. I saw that it was just dirty clothes.
Another night I woke up and looked over at my husband's side of the bed for some reason and watched the figure of a little blonde boy fade into the objects behind as I blinked my eyes into focus. He had been doing something with the things on my husbands night stand. This is another thing I have done quite a bit. I open my eyes in my sleep and things that I was dreaming about slowly come into focus as objects around my room.

For lunch I had 2 hot dogs again and a side salad. This time I wrapped the dogs with bacon. I followed it all up with a piece of the primal banana gingerbread I made. I didn't write the recipe down but it came out AWESOME! I'll work on that recipe for interested parties.
Tomorrow I will be trying out one of these amazing looking burgers I got from a deal on groupon. They are from La Cense Beef, are antibiotic/hormone free and 100% grass-fed beef from Montana. Their steakburger patties are "a premium blend of Sirloin Steak, Round Roast, Chuck Roast and Flank Steak." The price worked out to only $6 per pound with free shipping ($49 for 24 patties). Can't beat that deal. I ordered them on Monday and they arrived today. These are frozen and look how deep the color is!
Yay MEAT!

Questions
Q: What is meconium? This is a term I came across in my homebirth research and it has something to do with newborns pooping I think.
A: Meconium is literally newborn poop. It's slimy and dark greenish to brownish and apparently resembles tar in it's texture. It is pretty much what has been in their digestive system from inside the womb. I'd put up a picture if it wouldn't be so close to my burgers. Feel free to click the link and check out wikipedia's pics. From what I read on the homebirthing forum, it sounds like a pain in baby's ass to get off and can be easier to remove when you apply oil or vaseline to the newborn's bum in between diaper changes.

Q: Do I need different strollers, car seats, etc... for different baby's ages? I'm talking newborn - toddler, not newborn - 5 year old obviously...   I asked this question because my sister-in-law said she has a ton of stuff to give us for the baby. They are so far aunt and uncle #1 because they will probably save us literally thousands of dollars.
A: According to about.com there are 3 different kinds of car seats. The first kind faces the rear of the car and is used for newborns/infants that are 20 lbs. and under. The second seat is forward-facing and is used for infants of more than 20 lbs. The best option seems like the third. A convertible car seat can be rear-facing for newborns and front-facing for when the baby weighs enough.

Q: What foods/nutrients help prevent or minimize morning sickness? This one I ask on behalf of friends. I am lucky to not have any morning sickness yet. In one place I read that it's not supposed to happen until 7 weeks and in another- from 4 weeks.
A: I thought I read in one or both of my books that there was a nutrient in particular foods that could help to prevent or minimize the onset of morning sickness. When I went back and looked, I couldn't find anything except that "vomiting and nausea during the first trimester were correlated with an unsuitable diet and big infrequent meals." This was found in a study by researchers at the University of Athens.
Jonny Bowden of my 100's book, says that protein-deficiency can cause vomiting, fatigue and loss of appetite. So, perhaps protein is the way to go. It is my favorite thing to eat and I get it first thing in the morning. Maybe it is helping me to avoid these symptoms? When searching the internet I found this site that recommends avocados, proteins and nut-butter to help stave off the nausea.My recommendation would be to have a little organic broth (preferably homemade) in the morning before doing anything. It's all protein, among other numerous nutrients, it's mild on the stomach and full of water to re-hydrate you first thing in the morning.

That's all the questions I have for today.

For dinner, I am making a filet of marinated wild salmon we bought from costco and whatever veggies we have to throw on the side. Lately I've been cutting up a bit of everything and roasting it all with the entree. I'm not allowed to have chocolate anymore except a tiny bit every once in a while, so dessert will probably be a piece of fruit.

Homebirth Research

Breakfast was a little weird this morning. Things tasted a little different. I had 2 eggs, breakfast sausage, wilted spinach with avocado, a smoothie and some homemade lemonade. It all tasted just the slightest bit unappealing to me. I got it all down anyway and washed it down with the organic fruit smoothie.

Homebirth Research
My husband and my own personal researcher emailed me a bunch of links with information on homebirth. Several were listings for midwives and a few links for recommended reading, but my favorite is this forum where women tell what they would have done differently the next time they were to have a homebirth. I have read 6 pages and am still going. It's truly fascinating. I even started making a list of these tips and suggestions. Some of the advice sounds like a foreign language to me but I am putting it on the list anyway.
Before I knew I was pregnant, my husband and I watched the Business of Being Born (Netflix has it), a documentary about the differences between labor in a hospital and having a homebirth. It didn't take more than a few minutes of this movie to convince me of which I wanted to do.
After reading through the pages of the forum, it did bring up some realistic concerns:
   1. Our lease is up in January (I am supposedly due in March) and I don't know where we will be living at that time. Hopefully we will move on to something better. This makes it hard for me to start planning the homebirth setup. I really like to plan. I rarely get all or even half of my plans executed, but the process is what I like.
   2. Oh god the perineum- The possibility of tearing sounds way more painful than anything. This is probably now my biggest fear. The aftercare of that whole area gives me a little more of an idea what really goes on. Women are talking about needing to wear frozen tea-soaked maxi-pads post delivery. It doesn't change my mind, but it makes me think about how little I will be able to do in the weeks afterward.
   3. Family time with the new baby- I like the suggestions to have visiting hours. This will be the first grandchild for my parents and I can't help to want to include them as much as possible. My husband says it's just going to be me and him and the midwife. After reading about all the things I will need before, during and after the process, I think that I would want my sister there (if she wants to). She will be becoming an aunt and I think it would be special for her to help with the baby. Plus, she and I have become so much closer over the past couple of years that I can't think of anyone else who will understand what I need or be more helpful (besides my husband). I really want him to be able to be more of the process and not have to worry about running around frantically trying to do everything.
The grandparents and grandparents-to-be may have to keep it short the first day to let the 2 of us rest. I like the sign one midwife made for her patient's door: "At homebirths we mother the mother. Please do something helpful/useful while you are here. Sweep the floor, quietly do the dishes, wash a load of laundry, or take out the trash. But most importantly, limit your stay to 15 minutes."
15 minutes is a little stiff, but I like the idea.

In a search for crossfitters having homebirths I came across a blog with this description in her birthing process: "It was horrible. It was like riding an electrical storm naked and cold and inside out. It was like internal rope burns. It was never ending. I was in that moment for eternity, going through the worst pain I’ve ever felt. Being out of control. Being very inside my body that was being ripped apart. I intoned throughout the whole thing, sucking in air, and intoning again. Riding it out. Higher pitched when it got worse and lower when I felt in control. I was on top of it, beneath it, inside it. Gasping for breath. Knowing what I needed to do and feeling unable to do it. But doing it."
Allllllrighty then. She hadn't even given birth at this point... this was just a contraction.
I haven't found anything about how doing crossfit can prepare you for a better homebirth. I will let my husband, the ultimate researcher, find me some things to read and get back to that.

Taco salad and lemonade is for lunch. I know it just looks like a bowl of meat, but there is diced cabbage and lettuce underneath it all with a drizzle of organic olive oil and ACV. My husband thinks it's funny that I'm on this taco kick, because as he recalls "You hate mexican food." It's a convenience thing on top of being able to eat with my hands like you would a normal taco, or a burger if there were primal buns.

*Symptoms
I really had planned on going to the crossfit gym today, but this wave of exhaustion came over me. At one point my eyes were watering as I struggled to keep them open. I tried to take a nap but I couldn't stop thinking of other things to do. From noon til night, I was just dragging around.
I also feel extra bloated today. I have been bloated this whole time, but today's bloat makes me wonder if I'm further along than I thought, or if there's more than one of these things in there. I did kinda want twins, but decided that if I really enjoy this process, I may want to do it again. That's saying we only really planned on two kids total.

Dinner is wild mahi-mahi and some sort of veggies. Too tired to get into detail.

Watching the Clock

I had wilted organic spinach, breakfast sausage and 2 eggs this morning. I didn't have a smoothie yesterday or this morning but I might have one as a pre-lunch snack. We bought a bunch of bananas that are now super ripe and I am considering making primal banana-nut gingerbread. That just sounds awesome.

*Sidenote: Constipation can be a problem when you are pregnant. Of course, it depends on what you are eating. More fruits and veggies will definitely help with that problem. More greens may also make your (pardon the scientific term) poop look a little more like plant-life. If you choose to supplement your diet with the greens recommended in my other post, be aware that they have a little bit of psyllium  husk in there. This aids in a slight flushing of your system so-to-speak. If you are more likely used to a backed-up system, this may actually just add to the problem. Make sure you are having regular movements before adding this to your diet.

Watching the Clock
Ever since I found out I was pregnant, the time can't go by fast enough. I'm sure it will pick up pretty soon, but I am antsy as hell to get to that first doctor's appointment. I don't know if it's because I don't really know for sure how far along I am, or if it's because I want to be closer to telling more people that I'm having a baby! So, each day my responsibility is to make sure I eat the right things and then what?
I feel like I'm on permanent vacation... passing the time in between meals. I stare at the same picture in my Sprout app hoping that I might see something different than the last time I looked at it. Well, at least it will change again on Wednesday, even though I've already read that page too. I guess I will clean the house.
Only moments later, I read this post. I guess I should be glad I can still do everything I want to except gorge on crazy cheat food.

I ate leftover taco meat in red cabbage shells for lunch. I swear I can eat these all day long. That's an "arnold palmer" in the glass (that's iced tea mixed with lemonade, for those of you who don't know what that is). A couple hours later I was feeling hungry again, so I had a smoothie with a banana, blueberries, coconut milk and half a scoop of greens. I feel like I'm hungry all the time. Even if my stomach feels full, there's still that little nagging hollow feeling just above it. Could be boredom. ;)

Dinner is bar-b-que pork chops and wilted greens and baby broccoli with roasted garlic.

Oh the Heat, Working out and Iced Tea

Today I am foregoing the smoothie. It has fruit in it, which I don't want to have too much of because of the natural sugars. I may save that for my post-workout snack. This breakfast includes 2 eggs, breakfast sausage, wilted kale with red onion, avocado and tomato. I found a peach rooibos herbal tea to satisfy my need for a different flavored water.

The Heat
These temperatures have been keeping me indoors within air-shot of our wonderful air-conditioner. Today it's not so bad, but yesterday we topped out at around 100 degrees. One of the things I remember from science class, whether it was in college or high-school, was that when your body starts reaching temperatures like 104 or higher your DNA starts to unravel. I always picture the double helix starting to break apart at the middle of each ladder rung and the whole thing unzipping. This is really what happens and it causes problems that are as serious as it sounds. This is not only why it is dangerous for anyone to ever have a fever that high, but why you have to pay attention to your body temperature in extreme heat. Can you imagine what could happen to your tiny fetus? No thanks.
Obviously you need to make sure you are not overheating during exercise by drinking plenty of water and being willing to stop if you get too hot.
With thoughts of next summer's heat, I wanted to remember this great post on how to keep your newborn cool.

Working Out
Today's WOD:

1 rep max thruster (I did 125 lbs)

Death by Thrusters

1 Thruster the first minute, 2 the 2nd minute, 3 the third minute etc… Continue until you are unable to complete the set number of thrusters within the minute.

Rx: 135/95

I did 8 rounds + 8 in round 9 (with 65 lbs)

Iced Tea
Since I have to give up all coffee whatsoever, this is a beverage I will be expecting to drink a ton of, in various combinations with ACV or fruit juice or both. The most important thing about the types of teas you select is that they say "herbal" on the box. This means they contain no caffeine. If a box doesn't say anything to indicate the caffeine level, forget it. Ginger tea is always recommended mainly for easing the stomach. I use it to make my ACV zinger drinks. The other one I have now is the peach rooibos, which is a red herbal tea. It also has a little cinnamon, cardamom, clove, ginger and stevia mixed in. As a hot tea, it would be good to make a tea-latte with coconut milk instead of dairy. I've been drinking it iced and it has a mild earthy flavor to it.
Another tea I happen to have in my cupboard is Organic Raspberry Leaf. I bought this months ago to help naturally ease menstrual cramps. Lo and behold, it actually worked! It turns out that it recommended *during pregnancy. It is caffeine free and supposedly helps with irregular menstruation, cramps and pregnancy as well as toning the uterus. That's awesome! I haven't had a cup just yet since I've learned I am expecting. I am still glad to feel the cramps just to know that everything is working properly. I may find out that it helps with the stretching of the uterus and give it a shot one day.
Another thing I would like to try is lavender tea mixed with a little lemonade. Yum.

Lunch was leftover grass-fed roast from some nights back, followed a couple hours later by an organic salad.
Dinner was my new favorite item, which we had only a week ago because it is my new favorite, tacos.
Grass-fed beef tacos with tomato, avocado, red onion in a cabbage shell. You can't see all the toppings because it's easier to put them under the meat. A side salad with homemade caesar dressing and some more peach tea wrapped it all up for this complete dinner. We have plenty of leftovers for the week too.

Working Out (in general)

For breakfast I had an organic smoothie with greens, 2 organic eggs, breakfast sausage, and wilted kale.
It's not a smaller meal, just a bigger plate.

Working Out
Yesterday's workout was tough. It was about 95 degrees out and I was sweating before I even started.
I think most pregnant women are afraid to push themselves to exercise during their pregnancy. You always picture a room full of pregnant women doing yoga or something where they are sitting on the ground. I have nothing against yoga, but if you are sitting, you are probably not really "working out."
The good thing about CrossFit is that you are always glad you did it, even when you are sore the next day or two. For me, I want to be in the best shape possible when I am pregnant. I want excellent core strength so that when it comes to pushing out a baby, it only takes a couple of good pushes. I have also been reading that women who are already in great physical fitness tend to carry their babies high and tight, like a basketball. These are the type of women that don't look pregnant until they turn to the side. Yes please!
There can be risks to doing too much. Obviously you don't want to push yourself until hyperventilation or hypoxia. Your baby needs the oxygen as much as you do. A common rule is that your heart rate shouldn't be above a 140 if you are exercising. There are specific movements you shouldn't do, and the list goes on....
I think the best way to work out is with common sense. This list has a couple things to consider that pretty much fall under common sense.

For myself, I am just going to listen to my body. If there is a specific movement I don't feel comfortable doing because I am worried about it being harmful even during this first trimester (or just because I hate doing it - like kettle-bell swings), I am just not going to do it. I may try to substitute something similar in movement. If I am doing a met-con and I want to stop for a rest, I will. I will not even pay attention to the clock for my wods. I'm not competing. I am just trying to get a good workout. I am not going to let myself breathe too hard or get anywhere near dizzy. I will drink nearly all of my 32 oz bottle of water to keep myself cool and hydrated. I will also take a mid-wod pee-break if I damn well feel like it. That's it. That is all I need to do.

I feel good about exercising and I am already feeling that it is making a difference. If it were that easy to lose a baby from doing exercise - American teens would be in way better shape and the abortion clinics would go out of business.

Lunch today was 2 Applegate Farms hot dogs, some homemade sauerkraut and red onion. I was a little too lazy to make a salad. For dinner we had pastured chicken legs (from our CSA) with sauteed organic leeks, collard greens, spinach and chard with a little salad on the side. For dessert I had a piece of a chocolate bar that is sweetened with stevia. I am cherishing it because my husband says I need to stop eating chocolate. I made him do some research on decaf coffee and he found out how much caffeine is in chocolate. I knew it would come to that. Wah wahhhhh......

Greens, Working out Breaking the News

Today instead of having greens on my plate, I had them in my drink. Two eggs, bacon, breakfast sausage and a smoothie made for the perfect sized meal. The (organic) smoothie had half of a banana, a small handful of blueberries, a splash of orange juice, half of a cup of coconut milk, water and a scoop of greens. 

Greens

This stuff truly is Amazing Grass (the name of the company). I would highly recommend it to anyone who does not like to eat greens, but you gotta put it in a smoothie or you will not like it. If you drink it just stirred into a liquid, it may seem a little gritty. It is sweetened with stevia at least. Just take a look at the nutritional content:

Working Out
Today's CrossFit WOD:

Back Squats
5 - 5 - 5  (I did 115 - 145 - 155 lbs.)
__________

30 meters broad jump
30 meters crab crawl
30 meters overhead (25 lb) plate lunges

*3 rounds
followed by 100 abmat situps

my time: 14+ minutes


Afer the gym we came home and had some leftover roast from the other night and an organic salad with homemade ranch dressing. Okay, I might have overdone it on the amount of salad....

Breaking the News
I was having a little extra faith in the mail system today in hopes that we would get calls from one or both sets of parents about the arrival of their "pee-packages." Well, it happened late in the afternoon and everyone was ecstatic, of course. I also called my grandmother and told her that she would be a GREAT-grandmother. She let out quite a scream out of her own excitement. I'm glad.

For dinner we had grass-fed london broil (from our CSA) and roasted organic veggies. Very good!

Doing the math and Getting crazy

Breakfast is not getting any more exciting, with the exception of adding fruit. Two organic eggs, primal breakfast sausage, organic greens and veggies, an organic banana, vitamins and water. The amount of food might be getting a little bigger than necessary. Although I woke up pretty hungry.

Doing the math
Last night we discovered that I am 5 weeks along. I wasn't happy with just guessing that I was 4 weeks because that was the last time I had a period. So, I decided to look it up online. Turns out that all medical professionals count from the first day of the last period and conception is about two weeks into the "pregnancy." According to the Pregnancy Association, it is counted this way because that is when the body begins to prepare for pregnancy.
I also downloaded the app Sprout to follow along with the process. It's a cool app that shows you where you are weekly and what parts of the fetus are forming as well as allowing you to log doctor's appointments, your weight and other things.

For lunch we (not the fetus and I - my husband and I) had a salad, some leftover roast from the other night (grass-fed with organic greens) and split an organic peach and nectarine. I am so excited to be eating fruit! Stone fruits have always been my favorite and I can't wait for organic apricots!

Getting crazy
Today we drove out of the city to some state parks to take the doggies on a hike and have a beautiful day outdoors. While we were driving, I was talking with my husband and trying to get him to understand something from my perspective. The fact that he was not understanding me properly got me so worked up. In a matter of seconds I was feeling like I had been so betrayed and I could feel my heart starting to beat faster. I was one thread of sanity away from going into a bawling fit. Luckily, I was so surprised by my own reaction that I saw I was having a hormonal freak-out. I quietly talked myself down inside my head. Is this really what I have to look forward to? I feel sorry for my husband.
Thinking back, it makes me laugh when I compare it to a scene in 30rock. Hilarious!

For dinner, my husband and I had wild mahi-mahi and roasted organic veggies with a tahini based asian-type sauce all over it. We had left-over hot and sour soup broth and for dessert, dark chocolate coconut ice-cream with fresh sliced organic strawberries. Heavenly!

Sweets and Snacks

This morning I had breakfast sausage, 2 eggs and a warm kale salad: some sauteed red onions, kale and tomato slices cooked in the grease from the sausage. I thought the kale was going to be bitter, but it actually turned out a little sweet. I'm not sure if it's because the red onions are sweet or if it gets that way when cooked a little longer. It actually tasted good. The vitamins I have there are the same ones I have every morning: 3 fish oil, 1 vitamin D, 1 big prenatal and a little multivitamin. 

Ah yes, and a banana. This is the first banana I've had in possibly over a year. It was good, but not mind-blowing and thankfully I didn't have a sugar crash afterward.

Sweets
We've been making coconut milk ice-cream and ices. They don't last long because my husband likes to plow through the whole container in one sitting. The last batch we made was chocolate cherry. We use coconut milk from the can for ice-cream and coconut milk from the carton for ices. This is all done with the Cuisinart ice-cream maker we paid $30 for at Costco. Great deal and endless hours of fun! Actually it only takes minutes to whip up a batch.

Snacks
I just need crunchy things. It has always been this way since chips fell off the primal food list... not that I ate that many chips to begin with. You do always miss the things you never cared about before, just because you can't have them. So, I eat nuts. We've tried to cut down on the nut intake because it can be overdone. It's a tough one. I was very pleased to see that almonds are on the 100's list for the first trimester and Trader Joe's has organic dry-roasted ones. It's the pistachios that are hard to get away from. TJ's also has a bag of shelled lightly salted pistachios and we never fail to go through the bag in a couple days.
I've bought two huge organic yams so I can make this chip recipe. I do not have a dehydrator, so I will be doing it in the oven. It seems like a bunch of work for something I may devour in 20 minutes... but we shall see.
Still searching for good snacks...

For lunch today I had a frankfurter from our meat CSA with a little organic ketchup, organic mustard and homemade sauerkraut. I wasn't that hungry and ate late in the day. Probably because of the banana I added to breakfast and the tons of ginger/lemon water I was drinking.
For dinner we ate wild salmon with organic baby broccoli and caesar salad with organic kale added in.
I also had a mug of homemade pork broth from pork bones we got from our meat guy. Bone broth is extremely good for you. It is full of amazing nutrients and helps with the immune system. More on this later.

Losing weight and Telling our Parents (Almost)

Today's breakfast was 2 organic eggs, 2 slices of Trader Joe's bacon (anti-biotic/hormone free), and some wilted organic kale and spinach greens. The bitterness of the kale was masked by the bacon grease I cooked it in. I drank ginger and orange-juice infused water and took the usual vitamins.

Losing weight
After the "last supper" of sushi for lunch on Thursday, I became 100% primal to the best of my ability.
For the next 8 or so months of pregnancy and 2 or less years of breast-feeding, I will be eating no dairy, drinking no coffee, or alcohol, and eating only natural sugars from fruits. There will be only organic, grass-fed, pastured, anti-biotic/hormone free and sweetened with stevia or xylitol. It has been 4 days and I am optimistic about getting through it all without a hitch. We shall see what happens when the hormones really take over.
The last time I ate this way was when we first started trying and I thought that if there could be something inside me, I should not take any chances. Flash forward a couple months to me vowing to love cheese and coffee until the pee-stick told me my time had come. During that time, I did see a significant change in my body. The crossfit workouts were twice as effective because I was eating the perfect diet. Every single day I did a workout, the next morning would be like Christmas morning with me running to the bathroom mirror to see what new smaller body I was in. It was glorious!
This was the time that I knew, if I truly wanted to get the body I wished for, I had already found the combination. Primal diet and crossfit.... where were you when I was in high-school?
SO..... I am working the combination. Not to lose weight but to be as close to 100% perfect health for my little zygote. The side-effect seems to be a better body (in both ways).
Now, people may think... this is unhealthy behavior, talking about losing weight when you are trying to grow a life. Well, the fact is, women only gain about 3-5 pounds in the first trimester and if I only lose 5 or 10 pounds of fat I will have enough left to do the job.

Telling our parents
I'd been trying to come up with creative ways to break the news to my parents for a while now (before there was any news). We ended up buying two boxes that looked like books and I made new covers for them. We then included a pee-stick in each box. Yes, it may be a little weird... but trust me I can think of weirder. I was going to make my dad a paperweight pee-stick cast in resin. It was just a little too much work since I'm dying to tell them.
My in-laws already have 2 grandchildren, but for my parents this is a first. I know it's gonna be emotional even though they know we've been trying. I still get elated when I really think about a little life growing inside me. It seems a little unreal. My father-in-laws birthday is on Saturday and he is getting a pee-stick as his present. My dad's birthday was in the beginning of June, so his is a "belated birthday gift." I told my mom to call me when they get the package... hoping to get them on video chat opening the box. We shall see......

Lunch today was leftover hot and sour seafood soup and dinner was grass-fed top-round beef roast (from our CSA) with organic collard greens and chard. We also had sweet potato fries I made from organic sweet potatoes. I ate too much.... but it was so tasty.

*I also take a probiotic with my dinner every night.