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.

Restless Legs, Working Out and the Ideal Body

I got up a little later today and still needed some time on the couch before I could muster the energy to make breakfast, and when I did, it was a beauty.
I made 2 eggs, 1 piece of bacon, the last piece of breakfast sausage, butternut squash "homefries," some wilted kale and 3 pieces of apricots (because I cut off the overripe portion). In the glass is a mix of my ginger and peach teas with a little bit of lemon.

Restless Legs
Over the weekend we were wrapped up in the CrossFit Games. We spent more time than usual using our computer as a television. While sitting on the couch I began to feel a little restless in my legs. I've never really understood what this feels like because I've never felt it before. It just made me want to move my legs around. I felt antsy, like I wanted to get up and do something but I really just wanted to sit there and relax. Very confusing. 
Thinking that maybe this had something to do with being pregnant, I looked into it. I found out that it does happen during pregnancy, but usually later on in the 2nd or 3rd trimesters. This site gives a great explanation of RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome). It seems a little strange to me that I would feel it now, especially because I work out and eat well. I can't imagine that it is due to some sort of vitamin or mineral deficiency. Upon further searching I came across a forum where a woman said her doctor explained it as a result of hormonal changes. Okay, that makes sense. 
RLS is usually the feeling of tingling, burning or crawling sensation in the legs. I'm not feeling any tingling or burning, but crawling (like skin-crawling) sounds about right. It's just an inexplainable irritated feeling. Even typing this is activating it. Ugh!


Working Out
Yesterday's WOD:

Proceed through the sequence below completing as many reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
Snatch, 30 reps
Snatch, 30 reps
Snatch, 30 reps
Snatch, as many reps as possible

Rx:

75/45

135/75

165/100

210/120

My Results: 50 reps (compared to last time I had 60 and was unable to get 100 lbs. over head)

Yesterday's lunch was a salmon salad and today's was a steak-burger salad with ketchup, mustard and a splash of balsamic. Awesome.

The Ideal Body

If I could look like Heather Bergeron while pregnant, I would be a very happy, healthy person.

This is truly my goal. I was never that small even before becoming pregnant, but I can only hope that my arms and legs continue to shrink as I continue to workout and eat 100% primal.

Over the weekend we made chocolate balsamic and cherry shakes. I used 1 can of coconut milk, about a dozen organic black cherries that I pitted, 2 tsp of chocolate balsamic, 1/2 tsp organic vanilla extract and 4 tiny scoops (from the spoon that comes with it) of stevia extract. Just put all of it into a blender with some ice and you have a shake. I will admit the balsamic wasn't that noticeable, and the coconut flavor is strong, but it was awesome. This is the best substitute for ice-cream when you are in a hurry.

Tonights dinner was mahi-mahi, hot and sour soup, broccolini and fried rice (cauliflower rice). All of this made by yours truly from fresh organic ingredients. I probably overdid it. It was too much food for me.

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.

Working Out and Shirataki Noodles

Breakfast was better than yesterday. We finally ran out of our breakfast sausage stash and grabbed some bacon from Trader Joe's. It was a nice change with my 2 eggs and spinach.

Working Out
Today's WOD:

Back Squat

5-5-5  (I did 10 of 85 lbs. - 5 of 135 - 5 of 145)
__________

5 – Overhead Squat  (I did 45 lbs.)

10 – Toes to Bar

***12 min AMRAP***

RX 65

My total reps: 4 rounds + 8 toes to bar

I felt really good going into the workout today. I felt great in my gym clothes and the weather was much cooler than it has been. We did a 400 meter run in the warm-up and I actually had an easy time running. I hate running. This wasn't so bad (but maybe that's because I did 2- 200 meter runs to avoid the hill). That's okay. It's a form of scaling it down I guess. 

I will say that this is the first time I really felt pain in my breasts while running. They honestly felt like bowling balls in my skin - very painful. It normally isn't like this. My coach (and husband) said I probably shouldn't run anymore and that I should substitute with rowing. I also could have gone a little heavier on the overhead squats. It was light enough to that I was a little wobbly.

Other than that, I felt great and came back feeling well exercised.

I came home and had an organic arugula salad with tomato slices and avocado. I also had a nice big glass of lemonade with ginger tea and 2 Applegate Farms hotdogs.

Shirataki Noodles
For dinner we had scallops and kale salad with carrot-sesame dressing. I didn't take a picture of that, but here's one of last nights dinner. We had mahi-mahi and roasted veggies on top of shirataki noodles. These things are amazing! They are exactly like regular noodles only made with yam starch? There are different kinds of shirataki noodles, some of which are tofu. Please don't pick those up by mistake. If you ever do see this package, buy every single package they have because you are going to want them.

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.