The past couple of weeks have been quite hectic with the new
puppy settling in and going from newborn to toddler in just two weeks. I’m
chasing him around, getting him out of trouble, and constantly correcting him
when he does something inappropriate, like climbing right out of his playpen. He’s
a mess but we love him none the less and he’s definitely giving me some serious
training for when the baby comes. Not only will I have managed to learn to once
again multi-task while trying to watch an attention needing baby, but I’m also
getting used to waking up in the middle of the night, spending all my free-time
cleaning and doing chores, and most importantly, walking around and doing tasks
as quietly as possible so I don’t wake up the sleeping pup. It’s actually quite
hilarious HOW similar having a puppy is to having a very young child and HOW
similar my responsibilities and actions are. To all pet ONLY owners whom for
years I disregarded as being “parents”, I apologize. You ARE a parent. It’s hard
work!
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| See his face!? Full of food! |
Aside from puppy duty, I have been trying my best to take it
easy in order to prevent the aching pelvic and back pains I encounter at the
end of every day. Unfortunately, the
moment I get home I tend to get into this must-get-things-done-now mode
and completely forget to take a break every 30 minutes or so until it’s too
late and my body is screaming for rest. By 8:30pm everything from my waist down
hurts; my tummy is contracting; my feet are swollen; and I’m straight up
exhausted to the point I usually crash around 9:00pm. I’ve realized resting is
a must, along with drinking more water. Haven’t been too good at that either…
Oh the woes of a pregnant mother!
Other than that the pregnancy has been going well! Wohoo!
Ready for an update!?
DIET
Breakfast: For the past two weeks I have had a serious crush
on yogurt parfaits. Fresh fruit, creamy plain coconut yogurt and nutty, crunchy
nuts and seeds make the perfect hearty breakfast for the morning time. My
favorite combinations include peaches and cream and strawberry banana. What I
am a bit disappointed about though is the lack of protein in coconut yogurt. It
contains a ton of fiber and some really good for you carbs (sans the sugar), but
it lacks the protein you may find in regular greek yogurt. So now I’m on a
search for high protein vegan yogurt that doesn’t contain soy. Any brands you
know of?
I’m also starting to crave creamy, delicious green smoothies
again so I’m sure I’ll be posting about those next week!
Lunch: I’m surprisingly doing very well on having one salad
a day. This delicious recipe for Avocado Hummus by The Veggie Indian definitely
helps! Mixed greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, green onions and a huge
dollop of hummus makes the perfect salad. Yummy!
On my days home, I sometimes make a warm, cooked meal for
lunch as opposed to a salad. My go to has been a spinach/greens and chickpea
curry! Onions, garlic, spinach, chickpeas, tomatoes, bell peppers, and LOTS of
curry powder with a splash of milk makes me smile every single time. The
warming spices are just perfect for this time year as fall is slowly settling
in to place. Mmm mmm!
Dinner: Speaking of fall, for the first time in my life, I
am soooooo happy it is here! About a month prior to fall hitting, I was craving
for everything fall like: pumpkin spice, apples, winter squash, cooler weather, etc
and now that it’s here, I honestly couldn’t be more happy! With fall produce
slowly hitting the shelves of the farmer’s market, I have been getting my fill
whenever I possibly can! Apples are a daily snack and dinner is either a sweet
potato or winter squash. Hearty, filling and oh so yummy!!! I’m sure I’ll
eventually be sick of fall produce but until then, eat on I say!
Snacks and Cravings: Still enjoying my weekly growler fill
of local kombucha. It’s my go to every single morning! Apples are a snacking
staple, especially when combined with some sort of nut butter, which I consume
a jar of per week. Yes, you read that right; one jar per week. I also love
snacking on trail mixes. My favorite is Living Intention’s Sprouted Mixed BerryTrail Mix which I buy by the bulk at WholeFoods. That stuff is nature’s candy and
trust me, I consume it like candy! It’s addicting. Thank goodness it’s loaded
with healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
As for cravings, every time I smell popcorn I want popcorn.
However, I have been trying my best to NOT cave in to that craving since
corn is a common food allergy. It’s been hard! I also want all things
chocolate - no surprise there - and fresh bread! The worse craving I have had
is for cheese. Yes, cheese and NO, vegan cheese does not do…except when it’s on
pizza. I’ll admit I take a nibble here and there of my daughter raw, local
cheddar cheese but I haven’t caved in and eaten an entire bowl of mac n cheese
or anything of that sort. Will power is key, but man is the struggle real!
EXERCISE
I can’t even…. The puppy gives me enough exercise. I do go on walks with my pup and chase him around continuously. I probably need to restart my yoga considering I’m in more pain now than I was before. I just need to find the motivation…MY PREGNANCY
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| 23 Weeks and 4 Days! |
I had my very last 2 week appointment on Friday (*sniff*)
and everything looked well. The baby’s head, while still measuring small in
comparison to the rest of her body, is proving to be growing at a normal rate.
It hasn’t caught up to her body but it hasn’t gotten smaller either so the
concern of hindered growth is now behind us…at least for now. She’s gotten big
that is for sure and so has momma!
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| 22 Weeks: Thinking I may need to retire that dress soon. |
If you recall from my very first post, I had lost a significant amount of weight, almost 15 pounds to be exact, due to severe nausea and vomiting. Eating was impossible and so my body suffered. After the 15th week I began feeling better and started consuming whole foods and meals again. At first I didn’t gain any weight but I didn’t lose any either. Then slowly I gained my weight back. Last month I had gained 4 pounds and weighed in at 119. This past Friday I weighed in at a whopping 127! Yes, I am back at my pre-pregnancy weight, and trust me you can tell! My belly has gone from adorably small to this huge soccer ball sized belly that is always tight and uncomfortable to carry around. The weight gain definitely explains why I’ve been having so much back and pelvic pain. It also explains why I’ve had to start putting away some of my clothes for post-pregnancy use. Waaaaahhhh! BUT I’m still happy because I know I’m healthy and my body is just growing like it’s supposed to. Now, instead of looking questionably pregnant, I look officially pregnant! Wohoo!
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| 23 Weeks! |
As for symptoms, I haven’t dealt with much except for the
evening pelvic, back, and leg pains and well, gas. I actually have really HORRIBLE gas. I know that
may be too much information for some of you but seriously I haven’t dealt with
chronic gas this funky since I was eating gluten and beans. I mean it’s bad and
every day! I can’t escape it! No matter what I eat, I get it. Must be a
pregnancy thing. I feel so bad though because it’s so unpleasant that my puppy
runs away from me when he smells it. HAHA! Anyways, other than those two things,
no other weird or funky symptoms, thank goodness. I’m actually feeling normal
sans the giant belly I’m carrying around nowadays. Can’t complain.
GOALS
Seeing as I’m past the half-way point I feel like now is a
better time than never to really start prepping for this baby and to prep my
body for labor and delivery. In order for that to happen, Mrs. Procrastinator
needs a goal list. So here we go.
- Workout at least 5 days a week for at least 10 minutes – walking, yoga, etc
- Drink more than 3 bottles of water
- Begin drinking pregnancy tea
- Research and start practicing hypnobirthing techniques
- Start Registry
Let’s see how well I do this week before I add any more than 5.
Until then I'm going to enjoy this beautiful FALL weather and honestly, so should you!
Beth
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