One Healthy Apple

23 Weeks

2012-01-29T19:35:00.000-08:00

Hey kids! Hope you're doing well. I flaked on last week's update since the weekend was so busy and got away from us. Here is my 23 week update.

How far along? 23 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: My last appointment showed I was up 10 pounds from my starting weight. It was a big jump in 4 weeks, but I seem to be on track and measuring well so I'm not worried about it.

Maternity clothes? As you can see from the side angle, there is no hiding the bump. I would also like to take this time to thank the magical powers of stretching Lululemon yoga pants. I'm still mixing and matching regular and maternity. I officially have no work pants and have been all over the leggings and dresses and a couple of pairs of maternity jeans- both of which don't really fit too well- I know my booty did not shrink, but I get saggy butt in them. I'm going to tough it out a bit more and perhaps do a little bit of a shopping trip soon :)

Stretch marks? Applying my burt's bees body butter so far to try to prevent them.

Sleep: Sleep is great.

Best moment this week: Family has been wonderful this week. I am such a lucky girl and I have the dream team planning my shower (the grandmas and my sister-in-law) and they have been all over it. I also looked at baby furniture with my MIL and we think we selected a set. I also looked at the travel stroller system with my mom and I think we are set. Both parents are getting us these big ticket items and we couldn't be happier. After a rough week at work, it's so nice to know I have great support at home. The hubby continues to be wonderful and we ventured into the baby store together to register for a few things and he did a great job!

This week's comment of the week:

A sweet couple in a store asked me how far along I was- that was a first for me and the woman was pregnant as well. Kinda fun :)

Miss Anything? I could go for some sushi and smoked salmon.

Movement: Baby boy is getting stronger! I feel him moving after lunch, and in the evenings when we all settle in for the night. I love the movement- it puts a smile on my face each time. I especially love that my husband has been able to feel the kicks. I think he's putting together a training plan for him already.

Food cravings: I am following the 80/20 rule. Most foods are fresh and whole foods and the others include dessert, and probably a little more salt than usual. I am gravitating towards eggs and red meat, loving all fruits and veggies, and chocolate has made a comeback.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nada.

Sex: BOY!

Symptoms: Shortness of breath even though I feel great when I'm working out. I think my lungs might be starting to get squished. Also a little hip and minor lower back pain from time to time.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Perfectly happy. I was worried about my stress levels at work this last week, but there is not much I can do with the nature of my job. I am trying to take lots of deep breaths and realize that I can control my reaction to the environment, not the other way around. Besides that, I still love being pregnant.

Looking forward to: My baby shower, spending lots of family time, and introducing Chino to his baby brother.

Exercise: Daily walks with the doggie and some kind of movement daily. I missed yoga last week because of the doom of work, but I did some elliptical and I'm content in getting movement in on most days.

Recent Meal Highlights

2012-01-17T14:48:00.000-08:00

Remember that time when I was a food blogger? Oh yeah, me too! Well I have been taking pictures of meals and events and hoarding them around. Here are a few of my highlights over the last week:

My nephew recently turned 5- I think I have finally found someone who loves dessert as much as I do!

I made stuffed bell peppers with brown rice and salad on the side. For a change, I stuffed them with organic grass fed beef and it was quite tasty!

Lunches at work have been easily assembly- chicken sandwich on a flatbread with cheese and mushrooms- and a whole carrot since they taste better than the baby cut carrots.

Packing lunches for both of us is a part of my morning routine. Did I mention hubby is training for a tournament? He is and I am feeding him mini meals and his lunch is on the left. The fruit fest is mine (on the right).

Polenta makes the perfect medium for a pizza. Topped with marinara, basil, and cheese, I think this would work for an easy appetizer (or meal if you eat a few).

What foods have you been enjoying lately?

21 Weeks

2012-01-15T20:52:00.000-08:00

Here we go- I have less time left being pregnant than I have been pregnant- I have passed the halfway mark and it's really unbelievable. Here is the updated for 21 weeks:

How far along? 21 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Definitely up a good 8 pounds from starting weight. I go in for another appointment on Friday and should get the verdict. While I thought gaining weight would be difficult, I have a pleasantly relaxed attitude about it. My body is changing, but I'm 5 months pregnant- it makes sense!

Maternity clothes? Mixing and matching regular and maternity. I retired a couple of pairs of work pants since they were a little higher waisted and I felt like baby was getting squished. I am still loving leggings and dresses best. I'm going to fight this as long as I can and try to use what I have in my wardrobe since I don't want to spend too much money on maternity clothes- ask me again next week though.

Stretch marks? Applying my burt's bees body butter so far to try to prevent them.

Sleep: Sleeping with potty breaks, nothing new :)

Best moment this week: Finding out we have a healthy little BOY on the way! Hubby and I went together for our appointment and the look on his face was priceless. We also had the best moments together shortly after and I wish I could bottle up the experience and keep it forever. I have not mentioned it, but hubby has been incredible over this pregnancy and I am feeling incredibly lucky and loved. He is going to be the best father to our little boy.

I also announced I was pregnant and having a boy on facebook. Despite having a blog, I'm a private person and was not comfortable drawing attention to myself, but I was so over the moon excited I wanted to scream it from a megaphone.

The support and excitement we received from our friends (including lovely blog friends) and family was incredible and I feel so lucky.

This week's comment of the week:

I didn't get anything obscene, but a lady offered me her seat on the train- which is a first sign that people actually think I'm pregnant and not just eating too many cupcakes...mmm cupcakes!

Miss Anything? Nope.

Movement: I feel little boy moving in the evenings before bed. It's subtle but I love it.

Food cravings: Regular foods for the most part. I am loving spicy foods quite a bit and crunchy veggies (cucumbers, celery). Food tastes pretty good these days!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nada.

Sex: BOY!

Symptoms: Still swollen gums, a little bit of pulling on my lower abdomen, and some shortness of breath. My back was a little sore this week, but I'm combatting it with yoga.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Really happy. I'm one of those annoying people who finally loves being pregnant.

Looking forward to: Working on the registry!

Exercise: Daily walks with the doggie, including a couple of hour+ walks since walking feels so great, 4 yoga sessions, and I do pushups most evenings. It's silly, but I do them in the evening while watching TV.

Baby Apple is a...

2012-01-09T11:22:00.000-08:00

After much anticipation and waiting...and waiting some more, we went in to see our baby today for the big scan.

The ultrasound tech was quick and identified all of baby's moving parts.

10 fingers, 10 toes, beautiful beating heart, and a little monkey profile with a ski slope nose (like both of us). Baby is right on track and almost weighs a pound!

The tech knew what it was right away- our BOY was not shy!

Source

We are beyond thrilled and I teared up right away- I'm going to have a son! I am going to be outnumbered, but all my boys will take good care of me. Let the shopping begin!

Half Baked! 20 Weeks

2012-01-07T22:48:00.000-08:00

We are at the half baked point here! I'm roughly 5 months pregnant and feeling good! I am still in a bit of denial about how quickly time is flying, but we have lots to look forward to and so far it's been a great journey.

How far along? 20 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 2 pounds up as of week 18. I weighed myself this morning and I was up a few more pounds after breakfast, water, and my latte, so I'll get an official weight at my next appointment in a few weeks. The belly is growing!

Maternity clothes? About the same as before. I mix and match mostly my regular clothes with a few longer tops I bought. I only have 3 articles of maternity clothes and I'm finding looser things to be more comfy. This shirt dress is from H&M- it seemed to fit fine in non-maternity. I'm sure this honeymoon will be over soon enough.

Stretch marks? Applying my burt's bees body butter so far to try to prevent them.

Sleep: I am sleeping well and mostly staying off my back. If only I could avoid the multiple field trips to the little blogger ladies room...

Best moment this week: I got to see family today for my nephew's birthday party and we talked all kinds of baby stuff.

This week's comment of the week:

With the anatomy scan, I wanted to document the following sex predictions:

My uncle, dad, hair stylist: girl

My nephew, mother-in-law, and most bloggie comments: boy

How they figure this out, I'm baffled- the chances are 50%, no?

Miss Anything? Not much

Movement: I sit and try to feel for movement- still having a hard time distinguishing movement and digestion.

Food cravings: Still eating most of my regular favorite foods. There is definitely an increase in appetite- especially on Thursday and Friday- I was starving. Other than that, I'm still enjoying fruit (especially organic bananas and oranges), tomatoes, cucumbers, eggs, breakfast foods, and almond butter- nothing too unusual.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nada.

Sex: January 9th is the day! That means it's on Monday morning! We want to see a baby with all 10 fingers and toes and healthy organs and it won't hurt to see if baby is a boy or a girl. I hope baby cooperates for us! Any last guesses are welcome- I hear it's quite the difficult decision- 50%!

Symptoms: Still swollen gums, a little bit of pulling on my lower abdomen, and a little bit of shortness of breath. I was also feeling a little more tired towards the end of the week, but it could be due to being back at work after my break. Otherwise, still feeling fantastic.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, happy, happy!

Looking forward to: the 'big' ultrasound on Jan 9th and registering :)

Exercise: I kinda blew it on tracking, but I was able to get in lots of walks, 2 cardio sessions at the gym, and a yoga download and a live class. I'm hoping for better yoga attendance next week and I also got a new yoga DVD. I'm still happy that my body allows me to exercise and it does wonders for my self esteem.

I'll probably post on Monday or Tuesday once we've had a chance to tell people the sex- assuming all goes well!

Celebrating the New Year

2012-01-03T21:53:00.000-08:00

Hi Kids! Happy 2012 to you! This year I woke up without a hangover for the first time in many moons on New Year and we headed off to the beach. We were well rested since we kinda passed out the evening before. The first order of business was getting our cawfee on. Decaf homemade latte for me :)

Then we headed out to Ocean Beach in San Francisco. The day was gorgeous and Chino and I walked along the beach while hubby surfed. Chino had to makes sure that he got his father into the water safely.

After our day at the beach, we headed to the Argonaut Hotel, where we got married a couple of years ago. We wanted to show Chino where is family began and he was happy to accompany us.

Their lunch menu was quite simple. I almost went with the crab salad, but it had mayo and quickly changed my mind and got the grilled chicken sandwich instead. Hubby got a tuna melt. The food was nothing to write home about, but the company was fantastically hot.

And goofy.

And Chino got to sit with us, but he had to be in doggie jail. We gave him water and I fed him chicken through the little fence, so not all was lost.

Once we were done with lunch, we went inside and walked around the lobby. We took a family photo in a mirror to remember the day.

There is an old Russian proverb that says "how you celebrate the New Year is how the year will turn out" and if this year is anything like our little celebration, it will be peaceful, fun, and full of love. I'll take it.

19 Weeks and Our Year in Review

2011-12-30T18:49:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year guys! Before I do my weekly recap, I would also like to look back on 2011. This year was fantastic and brought so much joy and excitement. As I look back on 2011, I'm grateful and hopeful for the next year. Thank you for reading along and for being an important part of my life!

January: We kicked off 2011 in Australia and New Zealand. I have never seen nature this beautiful and inspiring. We had an unforgettable trip and it was our last hurrah before we started even thinking about kids.

We also did a gluten-free and fun-food free detox. It helped me kick my sugar habit and really step outside of my food rut.
February: I got the best birthday present in my entire life- we adopted our puppy son Chino! I waited 27 years to get my first pet and he is perfect!

Our first picture together :)

March: We spent time getting to know our new family member
April: We took our first family vacation to Mendocino
May: I had a foot injury but kept moving with walking and even participated in my first race.

June: We went on a fabulous vacation to Mexico, including Mexico City and Cancun.

July: We began working on our kitchen project and had a blog meetup with Amanda and Andy too!

August: Our kitchen was completely demolished and we spent lots of time being creative with meals. I have never had so many salads and wraps!

September: We celebrated 2 years as a married couple and continued to work on the kitchen.

We also found out that I was pregnant and we were going to be parents!

October: I spent most of the month feeling hungover, but traveled for work, made a few recipes, and spent time with family in our almost completed kitchen.
November: We finished our kitchen and announced our big news.

December: More work and all baby, all the time!

Now onto 19 weeks:

How far along? 19 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 2 pounds up as of week 18- assuming I'm up another pound or so this week. I've eaten well. I can definitely tell a difference in growth for the last couple of weeks in the belly for sure.

Maternity clothes? Still don't fit into my maternity jeans- they are sagging in all the wrong places. I am loving some longer tops with leggings and my sweater dresses. I still love my yoga pants too! I wore my regular lower rise jeans today and so far they still fit. I do tend to go with looser fitting clothes in public and more form fitting at home. I still feel funny letting the belly hang out.

Stretch marks? Applying my burt's bees body butter so far to try to prevent them.

Sleep: I am sleeping well. My days of waking up on my back are numbered but it happens rarely.

Best moment this week: We had the entire week off and it was heavenly. Hubby also went to yoga with me all week and we got to see family and show off my baby gut.

This week's comment of the week:

Nothing of note- people keep asking if I'm exited. I am, but it seems like I've been pregnant for a while now and I'm more anxious than anything. I also get a few comments on my lack of bump- none of them harmful, but it's interesting what people have to say. The measurements were all on track during my appointment so I'm not worried about it.

Miss Anything? No champagne on New Year's Eve, but that's OK with me.

Movement: I felt some bubbles popping after eating Indian food and a few more again last night- I think it's starting!

Food cravings: Still eating regular food. I am feeling a little hungrier, especially with increased activity levels, but nothing insane. Except for the evening I needed to have some marinated mushrooms.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Getting too tired.

Sex: January 9th is the day!

Symptoms: I have the dreaded swollen gums. Flossing kinda looks like a crime scene. I also have some shortness of breath doing things that would never make me tired before. Otherwise, still feeling fantastic.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, happy, happy!

Looking forward to: the 'big' ultrasound on Jan 9th!

Exercise: Here is what the week looked like:
Sunday: 5.5 mile hike
Monday: Dog walks and yoga
Tuesday: Dog walk, yoga, and cardio at the gym
Wednesday: Dog walks and yoga
Thursday: yoga, and cardio at the gym
Friday: Rest day and dog walk
Saturday: Gym cardio, dog walk, and a fantastic yoga flow class

It Finally Happened

2011-12-28T20:13:00.000-08:00

So yeah- I've been on this pregnant lady journey for a little while now and have not noticed a huge change in appetite. Of course I eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full and definitely enjoy food more, but haven't had any chocolate covered pickles with french fries on the side.

Tonight things changed a bit when I came home from a walk with the pup. I was hungry for dinner and I knew I wanted breakfast for dinner- something that happens all the time. I quickly nuked my Trader Joe's dairy and gluten free pancakes and added some cottage cheese and baked cinnamon apples. I enjoyed each bite.

Then it was so good that I decided I had to have it twice. I'm sitting and feeling very content with my stomach full of pancakes. I definitely had two dinners and have to say it was pretty awesome. Highly recommended.

My Holiday Weekend

2011-12-26T18:18:00.000-08:00

Hey ladies and gents! A rare random post from me, but I'm off work for the entire week, and therefore, have a lot of time on my hands. I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday weekend. We don't celebrate Christmas but there is nothing wrong with plenty of days off and everyone getting together with their families :)

If you've missed it, this weekend started off with my weekly pregnancy post. I'm now at 18 weeks! I have always loved the holiday time and this year all the lights seem brighter and all the food tastes better. The best thing about this week is that I got my hubby a week long pass to my yoga studio so I now have a buddy to go with me. I'm so excited to have him join the cult this week!

Here are a few of my weekend highlights:

Trader Joe's Candy Cane Joe-Joe's. Oh mylanta. Give me more! I haven't quite regained my full sweet tooth, but a couple of these make for the perfect sweet treat!

Eggs on top of salad with mango salsa. This kind of made my morning- try it!

Ice cream for lunch at the movie theaters. Baby needs the calcium :)

A 5.5-mile hike with the family on Christmas morning. We didn't see Santa Clause, but we did see this cool ornament display on our way.

A sweet puppy who lets us torture him. I'm not sure what Chino celebrated before we adopted him, so we covered all bases, just in case.

I hope you had a great weekend! If Santa visits your home, what did he bring?

18 Week Update

2011-12-24T13:36:00.000-08:00

Each week that goes by, I think of the same thing- how did I already get to x weeks? The beginning of pregnancy is so long and draining and then it seems to speed up. It also helps that the holidays are here and I'm finally on vacation for a week. I'm so looking forward to not wearing real clothes, spending time with my favorite boys, and doing as I please- like taking random mid-day yoga classes. Now let's get on to this week's update!

*Side note: Husband says I look like a pirate in this shirt. Also, I swear I do wear other clothes besides boots and leggings, but this is my weekend uniform :)

How far along? 18 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I went to the doctor and I'm up 2 pounds from pre-pregnancy weight. I did lose 4 pounds in the "Oh my God I feel like I'm going to puke but instead will only eat limited foods stage", but I'm counting from my starting weight. The doctor said I was still on track!

Maternity clothes? I tried on the maternity jeans I ordered and they don't quite fit yet, but I'll probably start wearing them in the next week or so. I also wore my new free GAP skinny jeans once last week and they were OK, but sagged in the butt and weren't quite as long as I'd like. Beggars can't be choosers, right? I'm still mostly wearing leggings and sweater dresses, my regular jeans (the lower rise ones), longer sweaters, and all my regular tops.

Stretch marks? Applying my burt's bees body butter so far to try to prevent them.

Sleep: Still loving sleep. I also learned this week that being on my back isn't prohibited quite yet, so I don't freak out as much now when I wake up on my back at night.

Best moment this week: Last day of work for 2011 was a good one! We also had a holiday party at work, went to see the menorah lighting on our Downtown, and I got to see one of my besties who was in town from New Orleans. I also got some test results back from my 16 week quad screen testing and everything is good!

This week's comment of the week:

I didn't really hear anything too inappropriate this week, which is both good and a little disappointing. I did have a co-worker talk about her birth stories in detail in front of a male co-worker and that's always a little awkward for everyone involved. Please keep that stuff to yourselves, people!

Miss Anything? Nothing of note.

Movement: Nope. I am supposed to start feeling something in the next few weeks, but I am probably not perceptive enough to notice. I know the little one is moving around in there because he/she had a nice strong heartbeat and was making a bunch of noise in there when the doppler was on my stomach.

Food cravings: Still nothing of note. I have been trying to incorporate more protein into my diet and really liking cottage cheese this week. I'm also digging fruit, avocado (with hot sauce), almond butter on my pancakes, sweet potatoes, eggs, all kinds of veggies, and I ate sardines because I read they were good for me. Here are a couple of notable meals:

Anything making you queasy or sick: Getting too tired.

Sex: January 9th is the day! Any guesses?

Symptoms: I got a little bit tired a few days this week, but I was probably just channeling Super girl and needed a break. Otherwise, I feel great.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, happy, happy!

Looking forward to: My week off =)

Exercise: Here is what the week looked like:
Sunday: Prenatal yoga and dog walk
Monday: Dog walk
Tuesday: Cardio and a weight circuit at the gym, hour long dog walk
Wednesday: Rest day
Thursday: 2 dog walks, 3 mile hike, and a yoga podcast at home
Friday: 90-minute yoga class, 2 dog walks, and a cardio and weight circuit session at the gym
Saturday: Gym cardio and probably a dog walk

Hope you guys have a great holiday weekend!

Working Out and Fueling Up: Baby on Board Edition

2011-12-20T12:40:00.000-08:00

Happy Tuesday and happy holiday week to you! Whatever you celebrate, I hope you are taking it easy and not stressing yourselves out. We are extremely low key and just excited to spend time as a family of three on our days off. We are going to be taking our first born on lots of walks and to the beach and going to do some fun workouts together, which I will update you on.

As I promised a couple of weeks ago, I wanted to talk more about my workouts now that I went and got myself in the family way. As a disclaimer, I am not a trained fitness or medical professional and this is just based on my experience. Please ask your doctor for any fitness advice.

Just like my eating, some things have changed while others stayed the same. I always knew that I wanted to work out when I was pregnant, both for my health and for the health of the little one. There are so many benefits including better weight control, overall health, circulation, and of course better mood and self confidence. As an active person, I knew that I would not be happy as a sedentary being and I knew I needed to keep exercise as a part of my life. I did quite a bit of research since the rules on pregnancy fitness are a bit outdated and I found what worked for me.

First Tri

When I first found out about the pregnancy, I carried on as usual. There are no modifications needed in the first trimester and as long as you have the energy and are not doing anything new, exercise is perfectly safe. Of course you are never supposed to overheat while pregnant, so I made sure that I was well hydrated. I have to admit that I was tired, more tired than I had ever been. I was also traveling for work for much of my first tri and missed more than a few workouts. I walked every day with the pup for at least 30 minutes and attended 1-2 yoga classes per week. I also did some cardio at the gym as I started to feel better. I had to make sure I ate dinner before my evening workout or else things would go south quickly. As an evening exerciser, I never worried about going into a workout a bit hungry- I was able to make it with a small snack, but pregnancy is no joke. Many times this caused me to miss a class because I was still digesting, but I was still active 5-6 times a week, although very moderately active. When I felt too sick, my hubby also took out the pup, so I did miss a few evening walks.

Second Tri

Once I hit the second tri and was no longer feeling queasy all the time, I got back to more of a normal schedule. I do get a little more winded doing normal things, but I'm not big enough to feel uncomfortable so I can see why people really enjoy this time.

Unlike a lot of the health blog world, I am more of a moderate exerciser. Yes, I'm active every day (or most days), but I was never a distance runner or power lifter. I built a workout schedule that worked with my life schedule and promised myself a long time ago that I would only do what I enjoyed: yoga, walking, hiking, light lifting, and elliptical or bike cardio machines. I am able to maintain this schedule as a prego and here is what a typical week looks like:

-daily dog walks (unless it's too cold or hubby kindly offers)

-2-4 yoga practices (either studio or on my own with podcasts)

-2-3 cardio sessions at the gym with light weights

I have been having spontaneous rest days here and there depending on my schedule but still find myself pretty active with at least a quick dog walk or even working in the kitchen, which I still consider work! The best thing I did was take a couple of prenatal yoga classes. I really picked my instructor's brain to learn about the modifications I can use in my regular classes. I am a huge believer in yoga and its health benefits and hope to use it as a tool throughout the whole pregnancy.

Fueling Workouts

Since I exercise in the evenings, I often have either my dinner or a large snack an hour before a workout. I know that I need to increase my calories now (by about 300 cals) as well as replace those lost during exercise. Although I don't count, I make sure to eat when I'm hungry and I think it's been working well. I definitely make sure that I get my protein sources in and find that fruit is a great snack before and after workouts. I have had a few days of ravenous hunger thrown in here and there, but try to keep it civilized for the most part. Let's not talk about the mountain of treats in my work kitchen right now :)

Question for you: Have you made any exercise modifications lately? If you have been pregnant, how were you able to maintain your fitness?

17 Weeks and Baby's First Tournament

2011-12-17T20:25:00.000-08:00

This weeks marks 17 weeks down. It felt like the first trimester dragged since I was in a constant hangover and felt like overall poo poo. Now that I'm in the second trimester, time has been moving at a good pace and I can't believe I'm almost at the halfway point. I am feeling good, although a bit tired, and really looking forward to everything.

How far along? 17 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I weighed in this morning and I'm up a total of 3 pounds from my starting weight. I think that's a pretty good pace for where I am, but I will confirm with the doctor next week. I can see the bump now and I'm hoping the bean is doing what it needs to be doing and growing!

Maternity clothes? I ordered my first pair of maternity jeans online and received them last week. I tried them on and they fit but didn't quite stay up. It is nice to have something in the back of my closet though! I am also wearing some maternity leggings, which just fit lower on the stomach and are ridiculously comfortable. The rest are all my regular clothes. In addition, I also got a free pair of GAP skinny maternity jeans today from a girl at my husband's jiu jitsu tournament. She got them in a shipment for free and just gave them to me. How exciting is that?!

Stretch marks? Applying my burt's bees body butter so far to try to prevent them.

Sleep: I love sleep. I wake up to use the loo and go back to sleep. I've also been better about staying off the back and wake up if I am on my back and just turn over.

Best moment this week: This was another good week. I was really busy at work and actually took advantage of working from home on Friday when I couldn't drag myself to the office on Friday.

We also went to my husband's holiday party where we were inundated with advice and lots of congratulations. People LOVE to give advice.

Today was my husband's jiu jitsu tournament and I was there along with my brother and his family to cheer him on. He ended up winning his belt's absolute division and we were so proud! It made me excited to take our future little one to competitions (boy or girl- they can both go). I'm only posting this picture because I'm proud- ladies...you're allowed to check out hubby just this once.

This week's comment of the week:

"Congratulations! Do you know who the father is yet?"...this came from one of my husband's bosses and I laughed way too hard when I heard it. They like to joke around and this definitely got me.

Miss Anything? I would love some smoked salmon or raw sushi, but nothing I can't live without for another 5 months.

Movement: Nope

Food cravings: I have loved frozen mango as my evening treat and I buy watermelon at the store. Other than that, still eating my regular foods and mostly sticking to savory foods. Today I was offered ice cream for dinner (something that I would definitely do before), but I just wanted real food. I'm still waiting for that uncontrollable craving to hit.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, just getting too tired or too hungry. Today we

Sex: January 9th is the day!

Symptoms: Still feeling good! I had plenty of energy for my workouts and seeing the chiropractor really alleviated the back pain.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy, happy, happy!

Looking forward to: Next week is the last work week before the end of the year! I'm also finally getting my hair trimmed and highlighted, and hoping to get some stuff cleaned out during my break.

Exercise: A couple more rest days this week due to scheduling and busy days! I also need to work on adding more strength workouts. Here is what the week looked like:
Sunday: Prenatal yoga class, dog walk, and cardio workout at the gym
Monday: Yoga download and dog walk
Tuesday: Day off
Wednesday: Dog walk, cardio at the gym
Thursday: Dog walk, cardio at the gym with pushups and stretching after
Friday: Dog walk and rest day
Saturday: Dog walk and rest day

In other news, my first born child met a pony today at the park by our house. It was the best day of his life.

Red Velvet Cake Balls

2011-12-11T18:38:00.001-08:00

Holiday baking is a ton of fun, no matter what the reason. I didn't actually plan on doing any of my own, but my favorite nephew had to make some treats for his school and I was more than happy to micromanage and help with the task. I stalked all my favorite blogs and we decided on making Bakerella's Red Velvet Cake Balls. **Please go to her beautiful website for the recipe and pictures.

Let's do the math people- it's cake, red velvet, chocolate, and balls. This makes for a winning combination. You just can't go wrong- plus you get to excessively say 'balls'.

Benny was on board and his mom had already pre-baked the red velvet cake. He started with working on his own creation- a chocolate cake. While he did that, we worked on rolling the balls, and put them in the freezer to set.

Once the balls were ready, it was time to cover them in chocolate (we used candy melts) and then pass them on to the CEO of sprinkles. The man takes his sprinkles seriously.

I take my chocolate coating seriously.

And our little goober Chino made sure that not a single bite landed on the floor.

As we were getting closer to being finished, we took a picture with our creations.

And the final product looked fabulous- if I do say so myself. Benny's mom, who also took all the pictures, purchased these adorable containers in Mexico for his teachers. Don't you just love them?

I had a great time working with my little nephew and his mom. Looks like we started a tradition- look at our cookie making from last year. I can't believe how things have changed this year. He was so little and cuddly, and now he's such a little man!

2010:

What are you baking this year?

16 Weeks

2011-12-10T13:56:00.001-08:00

This week the baby websites tell me that at 16 weeks, the bebe is the size of an avocado. So after all this avocado talk, I definitely ate some guacamole for an afternoon snack. It was good. I'm feeling good overall and enjoying most of my days. A lot of the time I feel like my normal self until I get a little tired. I can also tell that my temper is shorter (sorry hubby) and I can get a little tired during the weekdays, but other than that, I'm as happy and excited as ever. Here is this week's recap:

How far along? 16 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I'm pretty sure that I'm up a couple of pounds from my starting weight. I tried weighing in at the gym on a weeknight with all my clothes on and all the day's food in me...the number was going up- I guess that's a good thing. I should know for sure after my appointment on the 23rd.

Maternity clothes? Nope- still wearing all my normal clothes. I do love leggings, my stretchier jeans, longer tunics, longer sweaters, and boots over anything more uncomfortable. I have an order of maternity jeans coming next week, so we'll see if I'm ready for it. I do see a bump now each morning and have noticed that I am not quite a bump flaunter yet, especially at work- it still looks like I may have had a few too many tacos. Once I get a bigger belly, then I'll wear the bump hugging clothes.

Stretch marks? Applying my burt's bees body butter so far to try to prevent them.

Sleep: I love sleep.

Best moment this week: This week was great. I loved our family day at the beach this past Sunday and spending every day with my boys. I also made cakeballs with my nephew and got to see him twice this week and that always puts a bright spot in my day.

This week's comments- a mix of both cute and inappropriate:

1. "Were you trying?"...um, thanks for asking but I don't know you and if you aren't in my bedroom, it's none of your business. This came from a co-worker.
2. After jogging at the gym next the hubby, he tells me "That's awesome. With your cardio, the baby will be able to do 7-minute jiu jitsu tournaments right away!"

Miss Anything? Nope. Life is grand but I could go for some sushi.

Movement: Nope

Food cravings: Still nothing crazy. I drank milk a few days this week, but this is because I am trying to up my calcium and protein. In addition, I'm still loving the savory and salty foods. I had carrot cake in the house all week and I ate a measly slice. I hang my sweet tooth in shame.

Anything making you queasy or sick: I sat next to a smoker on the train and it was so bad I had to move. I am sure it made him feel special, but I was going to toss my cookies. Otherwise, the nausea is gone.

Sex: Still won't know for 4ish more weeks.

Symptoms: Feeling great for the most part. I went to the chiro to check out the lower back pain and the mental adjustment and very minor neck adjustment really helped. I crashed out on Friday night after a long week, but otherwise feeling like my chipper self :)

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.

Looking forward to: My friend is coming home for the holidays, baking for friends, and our holiday break.

Exercise: This week was a good exercise week. I got 2 unplanned rest days, but I was crashing out and needed them! Here is what the week looked like:
Sunday: Beach walk and gym cardio and strength workout
Monday: Yoga class and dog walk
Tuesday: Lifted with hubby and cardio (elliptical, bike, and treadmill)
Wednesday: Cardio
Thursday: Short dog walk and rest day
Friday: Rest day
Saturday: 2 dog walks and 75 minute yoga class

What I Ate Wednesday: First Time

2011-12-07T19:51:00.001-08:00

I'm testing out this whole What I Ate Wednesday deal from Peas and Crayons. I'm not what you would call consistent when it comes to blogging, but I thought it was something fun to do since my food is back to normal and I'm eating to keep more than just me full. Here we go!

Breakfast: Millet toast with almond butter and sliced banana, decaf homemade hemp milk latte on the side. Sadly I didn't get to finish my latte this morning since we were running late and my brain got all jumbly.
422 cals, 8.5 grams of protein

I made it through my commute and a couple of meetings before I hit up my morning snack: organic fat free cottage cheese and 1/4 cup granola
200 cals, 17 grams of protein

Another couple of hours later, it was time for lunch. I had chicken soup leftovers and I promise I did eat out of a bowl and there was some broth in there:
281 cals, 16 grams of protein

Afternoon snacks came before the end of my work day. First a honeycrisp apple.
80 cals

Then a few carrots dipped in peanut butter.
210 cals, 8.5 grams of protein

Finally, dinner was something completely random- a roasted chicken sandwich on a mini baguette (not the whole baguette :) ) with mustard, pickles, grilled onions, and melted cheese, cherry tomatoes on the side.
404 cals, 25.5 grams of protein

Then when that was all done, I broke into some leftover carrot cake from our dinner party this weekend. I'm estimated 350 cals and 3 grams of protein. Let's also pretend it looked like this:

Source

My totals came in at 1975 cals and 78.5 grams of protein. I am pretty sure the carrot cake got me to my recommended calorie intake and it was quite good- it also powered me through my evening workout. Calorie counting is exhausting and I don't think I'll continue it with this exercise when I do it again (if I remember to), but it was good to see where I am on a typical 'hungry day' and if I am getting enough protein, which looks like I am.

Do you ever post all your food in a day? What do you think of this format?

Random Tuesday

2011-12-06T14:12:00.001-08:00

I promised I wouldn't be all baby all the time, so here goes a random post from me. You'll thank me later- or not.

This Tuesday, I'm thinking back on our beautiful day at the beach this weekend. The husband surfed while boy genius and I ran around the beach. I know people balk at San Francisco weather, but can you imagine anything more pleasant than this?

Shar peis are supposed to be afraid of water. I don't think my little boy got the memo since he was running around like a tazmanian devil for over 90 minutes chasing the waves and playing with dogs around him. He even jumped in chest deep and followed hubby into the water for a little bit. He did stop for a second so I could take a picture. I'm thinking he needs some sunglasses soon.

My favorite snacks at work vary from day to day, but often include typical Trader Joe's fare. Doesn't matter if I break into said snacks at 10:30 AM.

The elusive flavored Chobani flavors that I could never find are now everywhere. I enjoyed the lemon yogurt last week and it was quite refreshing and not too sweet. I think I'll have it again.

Honeycrisp apples really are worth the hype. Trust me.
I love yoga

Any random thoughts for you this week?

15 Weeks: Woke up this morning...

2011-12-04T15:11:00.001-08:00

And got myself a bump (sung to the them of Sopranos). I definitely changed over the last week and I can see a bump now. It's still bigger at night, but I wake up and my stomach has looked different the last couple of days. I think the baby is the size of an apple or an orange these days according to the scary mommy websites.

How far along? 15 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Up to my starting weight at 14 weeks so assuming I'll start gaining (hopefully slowly) from here on out.

Maternity clothes? Nope- still wearing all my normal clothes but think it's going to be time in a few weeks. I'm not really interested in the band you wear that keeps your pants on and unbuttoned, so once it's time, I'll just go for it!

Stretch marks? Applying my burt's bees body butter so far to try to prevent them. Nothing yet.

Sleep: I still love sleep and I'm getting better at sleeping on my side.

Best moment this week: We had a nice dinner with friends on Saturday night and Chino got to meet a baby for the first time with us. He was so sweet, curious, and gentle, it calmed my crazy nerves and I really hope he is going to like being a big brother. I also told work, which was a huge relief.

I am already starting to get a few doozies (all from work) when talking about the news. Boy oh boy do people say the most charming things:

1. I announce the news and a coworker looks me up and down and says 'oh yeah, I can totally tell'

2. Upon announcing the news: 'OMG, is that a good or a bad thing?!'

3. Another helpful comment: 'You better sleep now'

I mostly just stared for a few minutes once I heard each question or comment. I hear it gets much, much more interesting from here on out.

Miss Anything? Nope. Life is grand.

Movement: Nope

Food cravings: Still nothing crazy. As long as I get fed before I'm too hungry, life is grand. I have been having a morning and afternoon snack both days (I talked about how my eating has changed here) and eating like normal for the most part.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope. I have felt fantastic.

Sex: Still won't know for 5ish more weeks.

Symptoms: Feeling great for the most part with a little bit of lower back and hip pain. I'm managing it with yoga and it seems to be on and off for now.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy.

Looking forward to: I get a week off for the holidays and that will be pretty sweet.

Exercise: Still doing well with exercise. I logged 2 gym cardio/strength workouts, 3 yoga sessions (2 podcasts and 1 class at the studio) and daily walking with the wrinkly child. Wednesday ended up being a rest day because my back was particularly bad, but otherwise I'm feeling great and happy with how active I have been so far (knock on wood).

Want to see my back posts written from when I was hiding the news? Here they are:

13 weeks
12 weeks
11 weeks
9 weeks

How My Eating Has Changed

2011-11-29T21:29:00.001-08:00

I promise I won't make this all baby all the time. In fact, my daily life is very much focused on work and regular daily tasks and I'm still me- just harboring a lemon in my gut. I did want to touch on how my nutrition has changed in the last 14 weeks. In a nutshell, the answer is not much, but I will elaborate since that's what I'm paid pennies a month for.

Disclaimer: I hope I don't sound smug- I know that pregnancy is different for everyone and some women can only survive on mac and cheese and hamburgers. Believe me- I ate my weight in bagels and cream cheese and have now come out on the other side. Take this and all my other posts with a grain of salt.

At first I was pretty sick. Just imagine being hungover every day for about 8 weeks straight, but without the delicious wine the evening before. Food was not particularly appealing but not repulsive either. I just ate because I knew it would make me feel better. Me and an empty stomach were a recipe for disaster. I ate simple things like eggs, toast with cream cheese, fruit, cheese, and a lot of cucumbers and tomatoes. A typical lunch would look something like this.

Veggie sandwich with cheese, cream cheese, lettuce, and cucumbers and tomatoes on the side with lots of pepper and salt. I am loving the salt.

What caught me off guard was that I fiercely hated hummus, almond butter, and chocolate. All my favorite foods sounded awful. The cherry on top of the sundae- I also hated frozen yogurt. What the fudge? Another favorite food. I got over it, but it was just so strange.

Now that these foods were out of my rotation, I mostly focused on getting enough protein, veggies that I could stomach (most things except for spinach and broccoli), and still loved the salt. I ate enough marinated mushrooms for an entire lifetime and also loved olives. One other thing that happened- I started to eat a real dinner instead of my typical snackstravaganza. A typical dinner looks like this:

Roasted root veggies, 2 eggs cooked well, ketchup and cherry tomatoes on the side

Some other staples include fruit of all kinds, like my beloved mango.

Once I hit 2nd tri, I felt much more human and eat pretty much like I did before. I even introduced almond butter and oatmeal back into my diet. Chocolate is still very 'meh' and hummus is on the shiz list. Maybe some other time. I eat breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, and dinner. I have to eat dinner before I work out or it's no good. I don't count calories and just listen to my body, which hasn't failed me yet.

My sweet tooth has gone missing, but I did have an amazingly indulgent lunch (yes, lunch) of Ici ice cream this past weekend. Candied Meyer lemon and brown sugar oatmeal are health foods, thanks very much. After all, I do have an excuse!

Next time I'll talk about how workouts have changed. My yoga intern says hello for now!

How We Told the Family

2011-11-29T09:15:00.001-08:00

So apparently there is a way to publish back posts but they get sent WAY to the back of the blog. Here is the post I wrote on November 6 of how we told the family:

How We Told the Family

If anyone is smarter than me (not very hard) and can tell me how to put them to the top of the blog, I would greatly appreciate it!

Pasta Sauce and Smashing Pumpkin (pie)

2011-11-28T12:21:00.001-08:00

Happy Monday! I hope getting back into the grind wasn't too painful. I just pretended it was Tuesday or something and just got my booty in here.

As part of the Foodbuzz tastemaker program, I received some Classico® Light Creamy Alfredo Pasta Sauce. I received the product for free, but the recipe and review are all my own.
I decided to go the untraditional route and do a baked quinoa pasta. Did you know such a thing exists? I didn't, but I knew that the added protein would be beneficial and I went with it.

I added the following ingredients:
- 1.5 cups cooked quinoa pasta
- 1/2 cup each of peas, carrots, and onions
-1/2 container of Classico® Light Creamy Alfredo Pasta Sauce
-1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
-3 natural spicy Italian chicken sausage links
-salt and pepper for tasts

Baked at 350 for 35 minutes and it was ready to go. I ate it with some marinated roasted bell peppers in apparently extremely dim light:

I also wanted to show you my Thanksgiving experiment/crime scene.

I only like the filling and the hubby is cutting weight for a tournament- we massacred the poor adorable pie:

Can't say I regret it in the least bit- it was delicious!

14 Weeks

2011-11-26T11:16:00.001-08:00

After my last post, it's safe to say I let the cat out of the bag and I'm finally sharing my pregnancy. I promise I won't go into anything uncomfortable, but I wanted to have a record of my journey for myself and to print out and share some day with junior. I have seen these questions on blogs all over the place, and here is my update for 14 weeks. My 'weeks' start on a Saturday, so I just completed week 14 and will start week 15 next Saturday. Pregnancy math hurts my head. Here we go!

How far along? 14 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: At the doctor's appointment I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight. It was about 4:00 PM and I already had a bunch of meals and water, so I'm calling it about even.

Maternity clothes? Nope- wearing all my regular clothes. I was cleaning my closet yesterday afternoon and hubby came in and told me I was showing. I can tell a difference, but it disappears by the morning time.

Stretch marks? Applying my burt's bees body butter so far to try to prevent them. I have no idea if it will work or not, but I'm trying.

Sleep: Sleeping is great! I love sleep! The doctor told me that since I'm still not big, I don't have to worry too much if I wake up on my back, which happens all the time.

Best moment this week: Telling a couple more people, coming out on the blog, and Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for and I feel great. I also told my favorite yoga teacher why I wasn't doing the twists and it was so nice to have her support, since she's pregnant too. I also got to hear the baby's heartbeat at the doctor's appointment and it was reassuring, as always.

Miss Anything? Not really. I wanted sushi and got a cooked roll at Whole Foods, so an easy problem solved.

Movement: Nope

Food cravings: Nothing of note. I am still the most boring pregnant lady in the world. I still don't like hummus or chocolate (I know, I know), but everything else is normal. I have been enjoying salads, lots of fruit, Greek yogurt, and almond butter. I will report when I eat something terribly unhealthy or nasty. It will be my pleasure ;)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Just getting overly hungry, which is a bad idea anyways. I have felt fantastic otherwise.

Sex: No idea, but my dad keeps saying it's a girl and I had a strong gut reaction against it. There is probably no validity in it and I'll know on January 9.

Symptoms: Feeling great- I did have a bit of lower back pain and hip pain, but nothing too bad. I am loving getting stretched out in yoga!

Happy or Moody most of the time: HAPPY now that I'm feeling well.

Looking forward to: Everything.

Exercise: I did well with exercise this week. I went to the gym to lift and do cardio, did yoga in the studio and at home, and daily walks with the pup. I am feeling strong and energetic and I love it. I lost my heart rate monitor watch (but my silly butt has the strap) so I still can't determine how hard I'm working and think that will help immensely with knowing when to push myself. I have been using the 'talk test' and just listening to my body. A new concept!

The 'Other' Great Reveal

2011-11-22T19:00:00.001-08:00

There was once a goofy, nerdy girl.

She enjoyed shopping, working out, and cooking.

One day she met an adorable boy.

He loved economics, Brazilian jiu jitsu, and learning about new cultures through travel.

They met on a blind date.

Got engaged.

Got married.

Traveled the world.

And enjoyed every minute together while buying a house and graduating from grad school.

When life got crazy they took it in stride with a smile.

They adopted Chino, their first baby who brought them daily happiness.

And the next step on their journey?

Baby One Healthy Apple Due May 2012!!!!!!

I have been writing back posts and I'll share all the stories in the next few days.

I wish you a happy Thanksgiving! I am so very thankful this year.

13 Weeks- Originally Written November 20

2011-11-20T11:02:00.001-08:00

You know, people who do pregnancy math are kind of messed up. First there is the whole 9 month thing, when pregnancy actually lasts 10 months. And then there is the whole trimester deal. The second trimester starts at 13 weeks 3 days, not just 13 weeks, but whatever. Happy almost 2nd trimester to me! This week has been great. I finally came out of my nauseated, tired pregnant lady stupor and started feeling well this week.

How far along? 13 Weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I will find out this week on Wednesday. I go back in the afternoon rather than the morning, but I'm sure it won't make a huge difference.

Maternity clothes? Nope- wearing all my regular clothes.

Stretch marks? Applying my burt's bees body butter so far to try to prevent them.

Sleep: Sleeping is great! I love sleep! I have started trying to stay off my back and stomach and it's becoming a bit of a challenge.

Best moment this week: Telling my friends and my husband telling some more of his friends. I still can't say enough about how sweet people have been and I have loved the reactions.

Miss Anything? Smoked salmon and spicy tuna. Otherwise, nothing else in the world.

Movement: Nope

Food cravings: Nothing of note. This week was HUGE and I ate almond butter for the first time in 2 months. Other than that, I'm still not loving chocolate or hummus, but I have been eating fruits and veggies and enjoying them. Even when I was sick, I was still eating cucumbers and tomatoes and roasted veggies, so I'm happy to have received some nutrients.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Just getting overly hungry, which is a bad idea anyways. I have felt fantastic otherwise.

Sex: No idea, but I had my first baby dream and it was a cute, bald, little boy.

Symptoms: Feeling great- I did have a bit of lower back pain, but nothing too bad.

Happy or Moody most of the time: HAPPY now that I'm feeling well.

Looking forward to: Thanksgiving, finding out the sex in January

Exercise: I did well with exercise this week. I went to the gym to lift and do cardio, did yoga in the studio and at home, and daily walks with the pup.

Because..

2011-11-20T10:57:00.001-08:00

Because it's a weekend, I can have a leisurely breakfast with my favorite boys.

Because it's the weekend, I can run errands and stop for Jamba Juice green juice on the way.

Because it's the weekend, I can have steamed milk with peppermint cocoa.

What do you do because it's the weekend?

Planning Pays Off!

2011-11-17T07:53:00.001-08:00

For me, planning this week made sense and made sure that I had tasty, healthy food usually waiting for us. I should really use this theory for other things in life, but baby steps for me.

Yesterday, I made my own salad bar and packed in butternut squash, tabouli, and egg salad in my glass container. When I got to work it was all mixed up. I am glad I'm not a freak about food touching. It was still good!

Earlier in the week, I had purchased a pound of grass fed organic beef at Trader Joe's and made a really simple broiled burger with it last night. I added paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, and chopped onions to the mix and stirred in a little BBQ sauce to give it smoky flavor. Then I served it on a whole wheat English muffin with aged cheddar, mustard, ketchup, and pickles.

It was good and nothing a fast food place could top. The whole thing took me 20 minutes from start to finish. I also had the rest of my butternut squash in a sea of ketchup. The best part is that I broiled several more, so we have leftovers to recycle.

Oh- and my planned snack? A spiced pumpkin bar from the hubby. I haven't had any pumpkin at all this season (bad blogger, I know), and this was my first foray into the wonderful orange goodness for the season. Yum!

Do you get freaked out if your food touches? I know it can cause some controversy!