| My longest headache free stretch since I got pregnant……eleven days headache free. It was amazing but all good things come to an end. Because of this raging headache,I don’t feel like posting much. However,it wasn’t a bad day despite me not wanting to move or open my eyes,or have the curtains open on a rare sunny day,and wanting my son’s nap to last the entire day. Yes there were some bright spots even with the excruciating pain. Like how Avery was the most happy,behaved and adorable son in the world. Usually he at least TRIES to get into something off limits but today,he played with his toys and gave me kisses all.day.long. 
He was a perfect angel. I’m not even joking. Also,the other great thing about today is that I got a good nights sleep last night and woke up feeling fabulous enough to make pancakes. 
They weren’t really normal pancakes because I was trying to make them protein filled. Not the best pancakes ever but sopping with butter and honey they were sort of hard to resist. Avery agrees. 
My headache came on about eleven in the morning so I had some good fun times before then. Afterwards,I was more just suffering through,like I am now. So I will leave you to nurse my throbbing skull and maybe tomorrow I won’t be such a party pooper. Have a happy Friday. Today started out rough…and by started out,I mean at midnight. I was up because Avery was having trouble with something……He just couldn’t sleep and would wail out loudly. It may have started at midnight but then again at 12:20,then 12:45,then 1:10,and then,well,you get the idea. This lasted until 6:45. I had one hour of uninterrupted sleep and that’s it. I couldn’t tell you why he was upset. It could have been teething but none of the normal comfort methods made a difference. I tried Tylenol,I tried numbing,I tried diaper changing,I tried water,I let him cry,I rubbed his back,I even held him. Nothing really seemed to work. He would fall asleep for very short periods of time making it nearly impossible for me to sleep. When he isn’t well,I simply can’t rest. This is really rare. Avery is a champion sleeper in general and sleeps a solid twelve to thirteen hours a night without stirring. So I was a zombie this morning but for some reason Avery just turned into the most bubbly,happy,energetic and goofy kid. Why didn’t I have that energy?! By nap time I thought I was going to pass out. I put Avery down and made some food. 
What? You thought it was going to be something other than a taco salad? Think again. Okay,so it’s my go-to meal and I was too tired to think of something else. You really can’t blame a girl. Avery’s nap went about as well as last night and before you know it,we were zombies together on the couch. Quite the pair. We were still in a daze when UPS showed up at the door with a bright orange box. I was a little confused by what it could be until I saw that it was from the Amazing Clubs….my Christmas present from Shane! He bought me a membership for six months of seasonal gourmet fruits delivered to the door. This month is citrus! 
Honey tangerines and blood oranges….they were just so beautiful. I couldn’t stop looking at them! 
You know it’s funny,I’ve never had either and that’s really surprising. I know I’m in the midwest and we can’t grow citrus but blood oranges seem to really be the rage and I see them all over the place in the cyber world and occasionally at a random grocery store since they are rare here so getting half a box of them really was like Christmas! The honey tangerines are melt.in.your.mouth.sweet. Like candy. I can’t stop eating them. My husband knows me well,obviously,because I freak out over normal fruit constantly so getting pretty boxes filled with exotic fruit is enough to throw me into a fit of ecstasy. I’m in my fruity heaven right now….don’t disturb me. Now I need to sleep. It’s crazy how the supermama powers kick in to allow us to survive on one hour of sleep. I’m not in my prime for sure,being pregnant,sleep deprived and caring for a toddler,but surprisingly,it wasn’t too bad. One major perk of being a stay at home mom is that I can relax during nap time or snuggle with my buddy who isn’t feeling good. It really keeps us both in a happier and more rested place. Question:What do you do to survive when you’re sleep deprived? Caffeine? Exercise? I try a combo of coffee,taking it easy and sunshine. No sunshine today though……. People sometimes say play date like it’s for the kids or something…yeah right. It’s really code for ‘if-I-don’t-talk-to-another-mom-I-will-explode’….aka,mom date. I have met with moms before and pretended like our kids were actually playing (it’s a false reality to believe that kids under one year old actually want to play with kids their age) but really we spend the whole time running in different directions after the babies to keep them out of trouble. But now,Avery is a bit older and finally not suffering from a cold so we had a real ‘playdate’. One that involves kids playing on their own and moms getting a good chat. The kids learn sharing,how to hug eachother,and other nice lessons while the moms share parenting tips,exchange stories,vent,and laugh. 
The boys basically took every toy out of the toy box and at first fought over the same toys until I taught my son sharing was good (his friend is a bit older and more skilled in this valuable trait). This photo they are doing a power glare. Oh,and that’s not actually a cleaner in the back….it’s my wipe spray bottle. I really need to label that more clearly. I was also baking bread this morning so we all snacked on some raisin bread. 
We all got tired out….Avery napped,I did not. Darn being an adult. Yes,more bread. My problem is that recently I swore I would never buy bread (unless it’s like onion buns for burgers or something) and since Avery LOVES his bread,or rather,my bread,it means I’m baking it more often. As soon as I started making the bread he’s been wanting it much more than the store bought. I admit,I didn’t buy the most delicious bread. Just your regular run of the mill sandwich bread (no HFCS or gnarly ingredients) but store bought none-the-less. Apparently,homemade bread is far awesomer. I know this because I eat it more too. I hated the sandwich bread. To make up for making bread,I had an apple with peanut butter for breakfast to get some protein. 
It was surprisingly filling…..as in,I couldn’t finish two tablespoons of peanut butter. I realize my belly is getting bigger and squeezing my stomach smaller but I really didn’t expect to struggle with such a small quantity. Granted,we ate raisin bread barely three hours later so I didn’t go too far on it but I actually felt queasy from being too full. After Avery’s nap we spent the rest of the afternoon mostly like this…. 
I hit my pregnant-exhaustive-moment right when Avery woke up from his nap. It’s like a cruel joke really. However,I left his paci in (usually a crib only privilege) and prolonged his snuggle mania as long as possible. A friend of mine had her baby this afternoon and I had not only a strong urge to go find that baby and cuddle with it but also a strong urge for May to come so I can have my own baby to snuggle. Seriously,I’m pregnant and have more baby fever than I’ve ever had before. I wonder if that’s normal. It’s certainly not normal for me. So,even though I don’t want to miss any of this Nada Surf live show on YouTube,I’m ready for bed because my chest is on fire with heartburn and I’m about to pass out. Good night all! Question:Do you mama’s have playdates so you can chat with other moms? Does anyone out there make all their bread? I have a new plan. This past week I have been dragging a lot and very tired. I am also somewhat convinced that sugar and dairy contribute to my headaches which,I believe,is why I haven’t had a headache this week (I’ve cut back to almost nothing of both) in addition to use of essential oils. I was reading a random study,totally unrelated to pregnancy,about how well protein provides energy and the amount a woman should be eating on a daily basis. Naturally I examined my diet and saw I probably don’t even get nearly the suggested amount for a woman let alone a pregnant woman. I often feel that the protein talk is overrated,especially when it comes to vegans and vegetarians but if I look at my own diet I see that it’s very heavy in fruits,taco salads, carrots and dip,sandwiches,and burritos among other things. My salads have lettuce,but mostly not spinach and aren’t very heavy in beans,dark greens,green veggies and rice. Not to mention a lack of eggs. Meat is not a reliable source of protein for me because I struggle digesting and I also don’t find it appetizing at all. It is also not the purest form of amino acids because cooking damages them when they’re in the muscle form. Vegetables,especially dark greens have a higher percentage of protein by volume than meat and it’s easier to absorb because they digest faster. When I look closely at my recent diet I see that rather than veggie heavy days,they are generally more fruit heavy. I also eat too much bread,chips and probably fats too since I dress my salads with oil based dressings. For example here’s my lunch today…. 
A big salad with a slice of pizza left over from yesterday. Not very protein rich. Salad are healthy,sure. They have tons of vitamins (although this one was only lettuce I generally add tomatoes,carrots,broccoli or whatever I had around),are rich in fiber and other nutrients like minerals,but they don’t really pull much weight in the protein world. I’m going to make a meal plan for the next grocery cycle that makes my meals protein centered. My breakfasts will generally include either Greek yogurt,eggs or nut butter (on my oatmeal for example),my lunches will be based around beans,rice and include dark leafy greens or green veggies (like broccoli) and my dinners will be lighter and based on mostly veggies that are rich in protein like sweet potatoes. My snacks will still be fruit because I love fruit and though they don’t have a lot of protein,they DO have a lot of great vitamins and they aid my digestion. This is all based on how well I actually eat my meals since I tend to forget breakfast most days but maybe this plan will help me be thoughtful about my intake in general. My energy has been really low so that should be motivation enough. Question:Do you find yourself eating less nutrient food sometimes? Does it affect your energy? How far along: 22 weeks,4 days Weight gained:0 pounds. Still hangin’in at my pre-pregnancy weight. Hopefully I’ll be able to gain a pound a week from here on out. Baby Size:11 inches long and about a pound! Can’t believe how big he’s getting. Cravings: Is taco salad considered a craving? I’m eating them almost every day. Even last night when we went out to eat I got nachos supreme…..something I’m pretty sure I would never normally order. When I go out to eat my general rule is to order something I wouldn’t make at home,or couldn’t make at home. Nachos? Yeah,not hard to pile crap on chips. 
Aversions: Not too many things grossed me out this week besides chicken…or any other meat,especially raw. Although,I pretty much only ate taco salads so I didn’t have many chance to really explore things that made me want to hurl. haha Physical:I haven’t had a real headache yet this week! I ordered some essential oils to help with them and have put it on my neck/shoulders at any sign of tension and maybe that’s why. Today is the day I would normally be getting a headache so I don’t want to jinx myself….I’ve also tried to cut out dairy and sugar almost completely. It’s a process though and I’m not quite all the way there. However,I HAVE had a lot more nausea than usual,pretty much every day. That has certainly dampened my appetite which may be why I haven’t gained any weight. I’ve also struggled sleeping because Eli is sitting so comfortably between my hip bones that it makes my hips SO sore anytime I lay on one side too long. Despite my higher energy levels the lack of sleep has definitely taken it’s toll on my nesting urges. Last night I slept GREAT though so maybe things are on the up and up. Nothing like a good night’s sleep to perk a pregger gal up:) Emotional: I’ve found something rather new on the emotional front this week. Aside from extreme and building excitement for the coming of my baby (it’s getting out of control!),I’ve noticed that my patience has been shortening a little bit. It could be because I’m more tired than usual but when Avery fights diaper changes,or when people ask me too many questions,or when my coat feels too bulking while lugging a baby,groceries and trying to find my keys,I am losing my cool. I’m a fairly laid back person,who isn’t a stresser,that loves going with the flow but I have felt a little out of my groovin’zone. It’s not constant but there are a few moments where my head wants to explode while I try to maintain a calm demeanor. It’s definitely something I need to work on. Belly! We were about to walk out the door on this freezing cold and dreary day when I realized I needed a photo for this post so here it is folks,all bundled up. 
Sorry for the quality but even though it was late morning the natural light was dimly gray at best. 
My belly shape has changed this week to a narrower,outtier look and Eli’s moving stronger now. I can feel it and see it from the outside. Sometime when he’s moving Shane will be able to feel but as of yet we haven’t caught him at the right moment. So that’s my update this week. Plugging right along! | |
