Tuesday, March 26, 2013

22 Weeks Pregnant Update

22 Weeks Pregnant Update:





My little bun spending time with his nephew <3

Sundays at the soccer field watching our brother play 

Watching my hubs sing at another of his shows

After my mans show <3, Im a proud wifey

Hes so cute!

Walking to get bagels with the husband, .. the view that i have now gotten use to

Spending time with our nephew.. it melts my heart seeing  my husband so gentle and attentive with Canaan. I cant wait to fall even deeper in love with him when i see him with our son 

5 and a half months pregnant at the Sons of the damned show. This was at the Constellation Room in Costa Mesa.  Im beginning to think our baby is too big now for me to continue going to shows, so i think for the next few months of this journey im going to have to take a back seat...or hide out in their dressing room, lol. 


How far along: 22Weeks (5 months 1/2 months)

Symptoms: Im seeing the dark line move upward slowly but surely its getting longer and longer up my tummy.  My belly button is halfway out at the top. I was feeling braxton hicks every other day or so but toward the end of the 22nd week i started getting them multiple times a day...i called the dr. when i had 5 in one hour (which continued for 3 hours) and the dr. on call had me go in and they monitored my belly just to tell me that everything was fine.  The nurse could barely get a read on his heart beat because he was moving all over the place. We were lauging because she had to move his heart rate monitor (belt) several times and itd take her 15 minutes to find him again.  The nurse said I had an irritable uterus at the time but nothing abnormal, just told me to keep track of how many i get in an hour and if i get more than 5 to call in again. I havent had more than 1-2 in an hour every since.  I think i need to drink more water..sometimes dehyrdation can be the culprit...but also an active baby can irritate your uterus supposedly.  Headaches are long gone. The pain in my leg has subsided thanks to the dr telling me to hydrate and stretch more! Thank God, now my work outs are easier.  I've been really messed up with my sleep schedule, I think its thanks to the time change, im hoping i get use to it.  

This baby is a WILD one. He doesnt stop moving! Okay, well he does stop here and there throughout the day...but when he gets going, he is wild in there!

Cravings: bagels, bagels bagels STILL! It doesnt help that my hubby seems to crave them too and asks me every morning if he can go get me a a bagel.. WHAT IS HE TRYING TO DO TO ME?! How can a poor prego in a slumber possibly turn down that heavenly goodness?  On top of that, this amazing man that owns "I Love Bagels" off crown valley and golden lantern, loves my husband and follows his music career and gives him gift certificates there sometimes. He is just the sweetest man and their bagels are to die for, their coffee is supberb and tastes like cupcakes! And the service is just, well, you cant beat it!
 I'm craving sweets...especially chocolate. Less citrus lately. Now in the morning instead of eggs or something salty, i want yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit, or ... you guessed it, a BAGEL. lol.

Adversions: none.. well, sometimes things ive eaten too much of.

Wedding rings: On

Sleep: getting up for bathroom trips 1-2 times still. Sleeping with 4 pillows- one in front of the belly, one along my back, one between my legs and one for my head of course.  My sweet hubby gives me bag rubs and massages nightly. Im dying for a pregnancy pillow, im thinking we should invest in one pretty soon here. When i say "we" i mean ME, Baby, and hubby.. cuz my 4 pillows are taking over the bed! And we have a big king that should sleep us comfortably.  Im really uncomfortable trying to fall asleep but once im asleep im still doing okay for now.

Excited for: . Baby shower and beginning the nursery!.. and im dreaming of what his face will look like, whos hands he will have, the way he will smell and sound! I just cant wait! Im so eager to meet him already. I think I have been since months ago!

Missing: being able to wear anything in my closet.. and feel comfortable. I had my first "MOMENT" when my husband and I were rushing off to a meeting and i couldnt find anything i wanted to wear that I felt comfty in and still fashion foward in the way that i feel good... he was patient, he tried to be helpful, he gave me kisses on my neck and hugged me and then sat on the couch and waited for me while i had my moment and tried on EVERYTHING in my closet. hahah. poor husbands, they go through so much in our pregnancies too.  (: Thank God for them!

Movement: ALL THE TIME, he is so energetic!!

Dr. update: We see the Dr again when im 6 months (24 weeks pregnant).

Exercise: I went to the gym 5 days this week ..took a couple days off after i had so many braxton hicks, just to rest and make sure everything was ok.. just a precaution.  I lifted light weights mid week 1 day, the rest i did light cardio.

Monday, March 11, 2013

21 Weeks Pregnant Update

21 Weeks Pregnant Update (5 months, 1 week):


We had our 21 week appointment and here is a shot of our babys "CUTE AS A BUTTON" side profile from our ultrasound

As we were fixated on our baby side profile the ultrasound technician suddenly surprised us with a 4D shot of his face!!!!!! I was in complete shock, i instantly became extremely emotional and started tearing up uncontrollably. I didnt expect to see his face, i was not prepared for it. Its like meeting the little baby you've dreamed of your whole life without knowing that you are about to meet him! We felt so grateful and blessed that she was able to share this moment with us, she said its rare that she gets the baby in the perfect position for a 4D shot. So we felt so thankful! He has his mommys nose! And he seems to have daddys beautiful lips! The ultrasound technician said this is still early to tell what he'll look like because he still has 19 weeks of growing and fattening up to do! He is the most incredible thing I have ever seen, my heart is completely in love.

She confirmed it... its a BOY!!!! Yay! We are so happy that we have a healthy baby boy. The technician told my husband he should be proud of that package.. oh boy! 

Belly shots


How far along: 21 Weeks (5 months 1 week)

Symptoms: That funny dark line has started to appear from my private area up halfway to almost my belly button now! Speaking of belly bottons, mine is not only flattened but its popping out half way at the top!!! I thought that happened way later but I guess im lucky! lol.  I feel like i've popped! This bump is showing and I no longer have to keep my hand on it so people don't just think I have a beer belly. The first half of pregnancy is making space for this little man, and now he is filling in that space. QUICKLY! I havent had much round ligament pain since weeks ago, so thats good! I had my first identifiable braxton hicks at 21 weeks and 1 day. It didn't hurt at all just got really tight and my stomach was in a tiny little ball. 

Hes kicking like crazy now. And I mean big big kicks that even my hubby can feel. Sometimes I can see them on the outside of my tummy.

Cravings: bagels, bagels bagels. I had been craving a bagel for over a month now and was trying to ignore it but this sunday I gave in.  I tried to add on some veggies (bell pepper, onion, and tomato) for my little babe growing, and the cream cheese and bread were for mama! I do try to make sure he gets great nutrients at every meal in some form. I am responsible for him, thats a lot of pressure to keep myself healthy when I know everything i do is impacting him. 

Adversions: none

Wedding rings: On

Sleep: getting up for bathroom trips 1-2 times. Tossing and turning to get comfortable. Sleeping with 4 pillows- one in front of the belly, one along my back, one between my legs and one for my head of course.  My sweet hubby gives me bag rubs and massages nightly for the back pain that usually starts as im sitting on the couch late at night or right when I lay down for bed.  Not really that comfortable these days sleeping but I know I shouldn't complain because I hear it only gets harder.

Excited for: I cant wait to see what his eyes look like! In the 4d shots you really arent able to get a good look at their eyes, they just look like giant holes. Baby shower and beginning the nursery!

Missing: my summer bod. Its beginning to warm up and im seeing all these cute clothes that I wont be able to sport for a while. So im definitely missing my pre baby bod a little bit here and there. Especially when my nightly back pain shows up!

Movement: I have a nudger inside! He is fully active and nudging on my insides. I get so excited with every movement I feel. I jerk my husband with my elbow and demand he put his hand on the belly to experience the joy that im experiencing. Its pretty magical and I just want everyone to feel it!

Dr. update: He is 100% healthy, no abnormalities or causes for concern. He is perfect and I cant not be anymore grateful. We feel so blessed and our hearts are full of joy to get these incredible results. The halfway ultrasound and all of our lab work and screenings show he is honestly a perfect little boy. We found out his head is a week and a half ahead, his body and growth is 3 days ahead of his due date (when the due date was july 21st).  So the Dr. moved his due date back to July 19th! YAY! Im hoping his head is going to slow down while everything else catches up..for my sake! My sisters baby had a big head, and OUCH, that looked painful! 


Exercise: same as last week... 1-2 days light weights, 4-5 days cardio if I can. I think Im doing well keeping it up, I know as I go i'll just keep on adjusting to how my body is responding and feeling.

20 Weeks Pregnant Update: HALFWAY!

20 Weeks Pregnant Update: Halfway!! 5 months!



Belly shot comparison from 4 weeks (1 month pregnant) to 20 weeks (5 months pregnant). Its amazing to see how this little baby is growing so quickly!

I was taking pics of the belly and my hubby happened to be watching and wanted to jump in for our halfway shot..so heres a sweet one to celebrate!

This past Sunday we went on a beach walk and had a picnic. I love summer time because we get to go outside and enjoy all of Gods creation in a whole new way. We have always loved going on beach walks together and talking about our future and our dreams with one another, its just something we've done since we met over 4 years ago, and I know it will be something we do when we are old and gray (we just might be sitting instead) (:


Beautiful Southern California 


How far along: 20 weeks (5 months pregnant, halfway baked!)

Symptoms:  Headaches are way less often. I rarely get them now. HURRAY!  I feel our baby moving around so much now, its the most incredible feeling.  Im still always hungry, I think this week I was even more hungry because he was going through a growth spurt (im sure there will be plenty of these in the weeks to come).  My leg is still doing the heavy/numb thing when i work out and now even when I walk. Im going to ask the Dr. about it next week.

Cravings:  Lately i've been craving chocolate- cookies & ice cream.

Adversions: none

What I'm missing: my comfortable body, being able to sleep well, and sit for more than 30 minutes without back pain.

Excited for: our 21 week appointment is next week and we get to see our little one, baby shower planning, decorating the nursery, and feeling more baby kicks!

Exercise: still pushing myself to do 1-2 days of light weight training and 4-5 days of moderate cardio.  I have definitely been having to go at a slower pace lately, even lighter weights, and slowing down on the speed of what i can do for cardio (partially due to my right leg going numb).

Feeling great, I have a lot of energy, im not anywhere near as tired as i was in the first trimester, and embracing my new curves.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Healthy Recipes and Ideas: What I've Been Eating

Healthy Recipes and Ideas: What I've Been Eating 



Dinner: Spicy Ground Turkey Lettuce Wraps- First cook 1 tsp-2 tsp fresh minced garlic, EVOO or coconut oil, and yellow onion on the stove.  After the onions are translucent add in  99% lean ground turkey (i used a lb or a little more).  I purchased Trader Joe's gluten free Taco Season Mix  and added that to the meat (ingredients: The Taco Seasoning Ingredients: sea salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, cane sugar, paprika, onion, garlic, black pepper, red bell pepper, oregano, chili pepper, and smoked paprika). I added in a tsp or so of extra chili powder to my liking.  After the turkey is fully cooked you can serve it in Lettuce cups. I purchased a head of lettuce and gently pulled the leaves off to keep them in the shape of a cup.  I added on cabbage, tomato, and low fat mexican cheese blend. After your tacos are ready you can add a splash of lime on each of the tacos and a dap of greek yogurt or sour cream on the side.  I served these with black beans and whole wheat tortillas but didnt even end up needing the tortilla after 2 big taco wraps and beans.  Get creative with it and add in bell peppers or green onions etc!


Breakfast:  I made scrambled eggs with some veggies i had in the fridge. I used egg whites and 1 whole egg and put in chopped spinach, tomato, yellow bell pepper, cilantro, minced garlic, tomato, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Served 2 people

Lunch: Turkey Sandwhich- Whole wheat fiber bread, sprouts, crushed red pepper, dijon spicy mustard, arugula, avocado and nitrate free turkey (trader joes).  Served with a side of organic baby carrots, sliced cucumber, and a dallop of spinach and kale dip ( I LOVED this trader joe's delight but now that im pregnant i havent really been all that into it, i highly suggest trying it though.. its pretty good if you dont have pregnant food adversions)


Breakfast: Kashi blueberry waffles ( TO DIE FOR and fiber full). With olive oil butter (next time id probably use coconut oil) low sugar maple syrup and blueberry flaxseed with a side of bananas. Served with orange juice. Yum

Lunch: Spinach Shredded Chicken Salad- rotisserie chicken (easy and ready to go for salads and sandwhiches- i never use the skin), shredded carrots, sliced cucumber, red bell pepper, garlic and herb goat cheese, and a trail mix berry medly (raisons, dried banana, mango, dried coconut, and mango).  I had this with Champagne Vinaigrette mixed with balsalmic vinegar. 


Breakfast: Morning Veggie Scramble: 1 egg, 2 egg whites, sauteed spinach, minced garlic, red orange and yellow bell peppers, onion, and low fat cheese.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Side of blueberries and sliced banana

Dinner:  "Healthier" Tuna Melts- I mixed tuna (canned in fresh water) with onion, celery, relish, seasoning salt and pepper, 2 tsp dijon spicy mustard, dill, chopped carrots, finely chopped cucumber and greek yogurt together in a bowl. (you can also use Mothers Market vegan mayo but i didnt have any on hand). Layer as much as you'd like on top of fiber whole wheat bread.  I added sliced tomatos and yogurt pepper jack cheese on top and put it in the oven on broil until the cheese browned. Sliced cucumber salted on the side. We went to a movie and had yogurt land for dessert YUM... okay and some popcorn. Splurge a bit more on the weekends.

Dinner: Almond Crusted Chicken and Kale Salad- I made this up one night when I wanted to add some flavor to my chicken.  I took chicken breast strips and smothered them with dijon spicy mustard and a little honey. Then used the vitamix to blend up whole almonds until they were finely chopped ( add a little salt and pepper). I rolled the chicken in the almonds and put them on a cookie sheet that was oiled with EVOO.  Bake them in the oven on 360 for about 20 minutes or so depending on how thick your strips are.  If you want to go even easier with this meal you can use chicken that is already cooked then add on the mustard and almonds and put on the baking sheet for a shorter amount of time until the almonds are crispy.  Its your choice.  I made this with a citrus kale salad. I used kale, goat cheese, shredded carrots, lemon, EVOO, salt and pepper, balsalmic vinegar, and green apples ( you can add in pomegranate and mango or other citrus fruits as well, and sunflower seeds but i didnt have any). Make sure you massage the lemon, vinegar, and oil into the kale leaves and let it sit for a good half hour so the kale is softer. Bake the sweet potato with coconut oil, nutmeg and cinnamon with a little honey or sugar to sweeten if you'd like.

Dinner: Orange Chicken and Teriyaki Broccoli. This is a quick easy meal when you get home late for work and you are too tired to cook.  Steam the broccoli, and cook Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken (in their frozen section). I use coconut oil and just a tiny bit with a splash of water to fry the chicken so its crispy.  When they are fully cooked I use only half of their sauce packet.  I added on Trader's Terriyaki sauce to the broccoli and the chicken to taste.  Pepper the broccoli if you'd like. This dish would have been good with a side of brown rice but I didnt want to cook for that long so I skipped and had extra broccoli. 

Breakfast: Egg on a Bagel.  Cook 1 egg over easy & add pepper and seasoning salt to taste. Slice avocado and add onto a bagel of your choice. Everything bagels are great with this but i had small sarah lee wheat bagels left over so i used one of those. I would have added turkey bacon to this if I had more time.  You can play with this dish and add tomato or lemon pepper as well.  Side of navel oranges (my absolute favorite fruit). 

Breakfast: Egg veggie scramble:  Cauliflower, diced spinach, diced cucumber, orange bell pepper, mushroom, feta, and nitrate and msg free turkey baco, 1 egg 2 eggwhites, minced garlic, salt pepper and crushed red pepper.

Lunch: Quick Chicken Veggie Wrap- whole wheat tortilla, add on greek yogurt, lemon, pepper, salt, nitrate and msg free turkey bacon, avocado, sliced cucumber, sliced tomato, you dont really see it in the pic on the left but i also used a little bit of butter lettuce, and add on the shredded chicken breast.  (you can use turkey as well). Wraps are really yummy grilled (use a gorge forman quick grill) but these were huge and too stuffed to do that, they were falling apart so I couldnt grill them.


Breakfast:  Greek yogurt, mix it with blueberry flaxseed and honey, slice strawberries, add granola, sliced almonds, granola, and dried coconut. I had this with a side of applesauce as well.  Cottage cheese and blueberries would be a yummy addition.


Lunch: QUICK Chicken Lime Tacos: Whole wheat tortilla, orange bell pepper, minced garlic, shredded chicken flavored with lime juice salt and pepper and chili powder, avocado, salsa verde, low fat mexican blend of cheese, and a blend of greens. EASY and so delicious. My hubby loved these.

Ordering out: Dinner & leftovers: California Pizza Kitchen- I go back and forth with what i get at CPK but this time i was feeling like adding some healthy benefits for the baby....I ordered the garden salad with light vinegairette to start and then had some of their new bread (its now cooked and much smaller pieces with olive oil and balsalmic vinegar with some herbs they put in there), and then got the veggie pizza on honey whole wheat and added on chicken and goat cheese. I believe there is a combo of eggplant, mushroom, tomato, broccoli, corn, and asparagus. I LOVE spicy food so I always add crushed red pepper. This was a slice I ate the next day for a snack.


Dinner: Sausage Pasta- Chicken Sausage (tomato and mozerella flavoried) grill on the stove (nitrate and msg free), sauteed spinach with garlic and lemon and EVOO, then sautee sliced red bell pepper, sun dried tomatos, and onion as well as the artichoke hearts in garlic and EVOO.  Add in tomato sauce (you can make your own from scratch but I used trader joe's organic basil flavored tomato sauce thats ready to go for pasta dishes).  Cook your noodles on the side ( i used brown rice penne noodles from traders). I put the spinach on the plate first and layer on the noodles and then the sauce. This is just a different way to do it, i find i eat less noodles this way.. but I also would add spinach in the pasta sauce if my hubby would eat it that way ( but he tends to hate cooked spinach and wont eat it)

Dinner: Quick Easy Comfort Food- Semi Healthy for comfort food- Trader Joe's sells these veggie patty's by Dr. Praeger's they are yummy and gluten free.  I put those on a cookie sheet with tader's sweet potato fries for 20 minutes in the oven on 425 (flipping the patties once halfway). While they were cooking in the oven i made a quick salad. I used spinach and a leafy mix from traders, shredded carrots, a berry blend of cherries blueberries and cranberries, sliced pear, crushed red pepper, garlic and herb goat cheese, champaigne vinegairette mixed with balsalmic vinegar. I ate my little patty with ketchup and had the fries with ketchup and light ranch.  Dessert was a vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookie from traders, and later i had a cold navel orange for a snack ( i get hungry every couple hours now).


ENJOY! Let me know which recipes you try and how you tweak them! Also add comments of things you'd like to see me try or any suggestions you may have.  I truly enjoy cooking, my mom has always cooked and a lot of my memories of her in childhood are times we spent in the kitchen. I love watching her make "carol concauctions" as we called them, she never used recipes and made most things up with what she had in the fridge. I owe all of my love and zest for cooking to her! <3 Its nice to not just feed my body well but now to feed another life inside of me gives me great joy and a wonderful responsability. 


Monday, March 4, 2013

19 Week Bump/Pregnancy Update

Pregnancy Update: 19 Weeks


Our whole family went for lunch on Saturday at Cafe Rio. I had never gone here before but I absolutely loved it. Anything mexican will usually be a winner in my eyes!  Heres a cute little snap shot of my beautiful niece Payten. Shes completely smitten and in love with my hubby, can you tell?! Together they melt my heart.


Hanging with my little nephew Canaan. He was 3 1/2 months old in this shot. Hes such a big boy! This was taken after lunch when my hubs and I went over my sisters house to visit with her little family. My baby boy and Canaan were just hanging out together.

My brother in law Carl gave my hubby our little boys first pair of kicks! Taylor was so happy to see that our son will be dresses just as cool as daddy.

 Here is my other adorable nephew Parker and my little 19 week bump. Parker is Paytens little brother, my oldest sister's kids (Courtney).  He seemed to have loved his meal at Cafe Rio just as much as this little preggo did.

This was taken at 19 weeks, 3 days ...my tummy lying down looks so much more pronounced! Pretty neat how you can see right where the baby is!


My hubby had another show at the Roxy in Hollywood. They always kill it and put on a good show.  His band is called Sons of The Damned, check them out on Youtube
Sons of the Damned performing at the Roxy Theatre, Hollywood CA


Exactly 19 weeks instagram shot.
This weekend on Sunday we went to register for our baby shower. We probably spent 3-4 hours there going through each section and each option. Then additionally, i went online and spent a few more hours deleting things off our registry and adding on new ones after doing a bit more research and asking around. Its always a good idea to ask other mommies for advice on products when it comes to our childrens safety.  A few products I've been told are great are: B-Ready Britax (or the Uppababy vista) stroller, the Cloud B Sleep Sheep, Dr. Browns feeding bottles, Medela Breast Pump, a great jumper (they have so many options), the Fisher Price My Little SnuggaBunny Cradle n' Swing, and aden + anais swaddle blankets just to list a few of my favorite picks

We went tried out the Luxury Theatre called Cinepolis for the first time that Friday. It was so RAD. You lounge in these huge reclining chairs and are served by waiters. They have meals so you can order dinner, coffee, etc as well as the typical movie theatre options like candy and popcorn. So worth the extra money! A pregnant womans dream. You must try this at least once! We didnt know they served food so we had just eaten dinner and snuck in yogurtland. Next time we'll definitely eat there. We saw the movie Safe Haven, it was pretty good


I finally got to meet my little Michael Jayden. This is my best friends (kelly) baby boy! She had him almost a week ago and he is absolutely perfect. Its so beautiful to see her as a new mama. I cant wait to experience that!

19 Week Pregnancy Update:





 I switched out of the jeans... lets just say maternity jeans are not the cutest for a bare belly shot.  So here you have me in sweats instead (:



How far along: 19 weeks pregnant

Symptoms:  Headaches more often this week. I have way more energy now!! WAHOO! I am starting to feel more like my old self again (its been so nice). I have lower back pain if i sit for more than 30 minutes and especially when i get into bed at night. I am hungry more this week, i think the baby is going through a big growth spurt (towards the end of 19 weeks) i just cant seem to get enough food in my tummy to feel full.  I STILL need to be drinking more water!! (Dr. said 12, 8 ounce glasses). I am honestly the worst at this. I am lucky if I get 8 glasses.  I havent really had any new symptoms. 

Cravings: Sweets (cookies and ice cream this week). Edamame Hummus, green cold seedless grapes, navel oranges.

Adversions: None

Excited for: Feeling more of babies kicks! They have been small little ones but im dying to feel bigger kicks that my husband can feel 

Movement: Yes! I felt him move at exactly 18 weeks in santa barbara and then 3 days later when we got home.

Belly button: Going flat and trying to poke out

Sleep: I have to sleep in the buff because anything touching my tummy feels restricting and uncomfortable. Getting up to pee only 1x nightly now!

Exercise: Its still really difficult! My right leg feels especially heavy, sort of numb, as though I have 50 lbs of added weight wrapped around my thigh. I even experienced this walkiing into church (WALKING) .. crazy, i dont know what it is but im guessing its due to the increase in blood moving throughout my body.  Im still able to do cardio and light weights at the gym. I feel like ive done a good job of eating healthy (when the cravings arent taking over for pizza and ice cream lol) and I've tried my best to stay active and get movement at least 5 days a week. Im proud of myself because pregnancy is not a cake walk and you really do have to push yourself wayy more than when you are not pregnant. Work outs are so exhausting and the entire time you feel like you want to just go lay down in the bath tub and relax.  I really look forward to having my body back after the baby and being able to move freely without feeling so lethargic and tired.

Missing this week: sushi, easy work outs.