A little Bit of Everything

The Overprocessing of our Children and the Challenge

2012-01-30T06:31:00.000-08:00

This post is by no means to judge anyone on how they feed their children. I'm not exactly the healthiest person nor the thinnest person or an expert on eating healthy, that's why I think this idea might work. I subscribe to a lot of great food blogs. I love food. My children love food. But after having Owen, I've been thinking on what exactly am I feeding my children. I challenged myself to start cooking more, making simple everyday snacks from scratch. Yes, I know that sounds like a lot of work. It probably is. On the other hand, do I really want my kids to eat a diet in high sodium, preservatives, etc.? The trick is to get both of my children to eat what I have made. They are use to eating fruits and veggies but also many processed boxed items like macaroni and cheese. They love Annie's Macaroni and Cheese which is helpful since its less processed than other varieties out there.

First I have to come up with a plan to slowly take out processed foods out. I understand there will be times where I'm too tired and cranky to cook from scratch so I might foil and make boxed mac and cheese. I'm not going to beat myself up about it. Both of my boys love fruits. We haven't had a problem with that. They both love broccoli, green beans, peas, you know the standard veggies. I want them to branch out and try other veggies. So I made kale for dinner one day. They both snubbed me. Though they saw me eating it. It was real good by the way. I think seeing both parents eat veggies helps children learn its not so bad eating veggies. Now I have to remember that their taste palettes are more sensitive than ours. They can taste a chemical in the broccoli if not cooked more than and adult would.

Second, enlist help from other blogs who are cooking the way you are wanting to cook. They offer tips and weekly menus to help you plan your week.

Third, relax. Keep trying. Don't give up.

Fourth, combine it with a little activity during the day. I try to exercise 5x a week and I make sure the boys know its mommy's time to move. I try to live my words when it comes to being healthy.

Fifth, try it for a day, a week, or even a month. I know I'm going to be very busy as I am going back to work.
So it will be interesting how I do. I find if I eat healthy, I'm not so tired. I have more energy for the day and the boys. I have more mental clarity. Plus, I feel good.

Let's check in a week,

Coco

Why change is good for you

2012-01-27T16:06:00.000-08:00

I have been kept from my blog because of my little guy. I don't mind. I'm totally in love with him. I have been on an antidepressant since Owen was 12 days. Its been going real well, so well that its made me think that I have been depressed for the last 5+ years. Now I don't have any more dark thoughts and just hating everyone and everything. Its been lovely to have a great outlook on life.

Moving on...I have been thinking about change in our lives. Alot has changed for us since Owen's been born but more than that. How do you adapt to change? I believe as humans we are always changing. Constantly changing. I guess that's the only thing constant in a human's life. The only thing that doesn't change is God. He says so. That's nice. Because we know when we need to talk or pray; He'll be there. He never leaves. He says so. Plus, God lives in a different dimension than us. He's "world" so to speak is totally different than ours. I can't speak for sure but I'm assuming because it has to be. He can't make all those promises without His universe being a different dimension than ours. Anyway, I'm getting too deep there...

One big change in our lives is the church we attend. It was hard to let our old church go. It was hard to walk away from all those memories and the knowledge we got while attending there. I have a confession though: I wanted to leave years ago but stayed because my husband wasn't ready to move on. Part of me was also scared to change. I was scared of experiencing new people and new worship. So I stayed. But one day we both realize we weren't growing and that we just didn't connect anymore. The church was getting bigger which is great but we didn't want to be forgotten. And I also think we were searching for how our church use to be. The thing is the church had to change in order to grow. We didn't accept that. I guess we didn't want to. And in the process we got left behind. My whole story here is change is good. Change is necessary. Because if you don't change, you could be left behind or you could miss an opportunity that is good for you.

Change isn't easy. I mean it took me 5 years to have the courage to move on. One thing we haven't changed though, is we started attending a couples' group that is associated with that church. We both enjoy it and the people that go to it. Pray to God for the wisdom during a change in your life. He'll show you how to proceed. He'll give you peace. I hope I can accept as change comes into my life. I pray for wisdom all the time but especially in those times.

Peace,
Coco

A spotlight on PostPartum Depression

2011-12-09T12:03:00.000-08:00

I have an announcement to make. Introducing Owen, our newest addition to our family. I have been getting into a routine with him the past couple of weeks. He was my smallest baby! Whoo hoo! I guess my eating right during the pregnancy worked. Anyway, he's a sweet baby. He loves looking at our ceiling fan right now. And he looks just like his oldest brother.

I want to discuss briefly PPD or postpartpum depression. I had PPD with my first child. I really didn't know much about it. I got through it without meds but didn't bond well with Ethan. Well, I was fine in the hospital with Owen but a couple days later, I suddenly got the anxiety, the mood swings, the crying fits, and of course I didn't want to touch him. Postpartum depression does exist. I ended up being put on an anti-depressant. You're not weak if you suffer from this. I had less than sympathetic family member who couldn't understand why I was feeling the way I was. New moms its real. Get help if you feel sad more than usual. Baby blues happens too but PPD is more intense. Others may notice before you do.

Coco

Update on House

2011-11-14T12:18:00.000-08:00

My last post I was letting off steam on how the situation in our house was. All I can say is that God came through for us! I won't go into details on what happened but I'm glad that I leaned and trusted God during that time. I will never forget the life lessons during that stressful 2 weeks. We are back in our house. And let me tell you, it feels so good. I'm embarrassed to say that I was envious of other friends' homes and how they looked. Our home is over 60 years old so as you can imagine there is alot of repairs and it doesn't look so cookie cutter as other new homes in the area. After this incident, it made me appreciate what we have or had. Unfortunately, we did lose everything in our finished basement. Sadly, its no longer a finished basement but that's okay. I see it as an opportunity to rebuild our home to what we want. I thank God everyday of what came out of this bad situation. I learned you shouldn't really get too attached to anything because you never know what might happen. I also learned to be thankful for what you do have. It might not be perfect and there is always room for improvement but if you learn to love what you have, you hardly see the imperfections. I still struggle each day though with half of our house missing but I think on much worse it could have been.

Hopefully next week I'll be revealing someone new and special to us. Until then I guess you just have to wait and see...:)

Coco

I am Weak.

2011-10-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

This week has been the hardest week so far this year. We are out of our home since last Monday. An oil tank malfunctioned and leaked almost all its oil on and in our finished basement. Yep as you can guess, we can't stay there. We have been staying with friends and some in hotels. Oh it gets even better. Our home owner's insurance might not pay for any of it. :(. So here we are in a hotel five days later. I stayed strong for 5 days. I got teary eyed one day but that's about it. Today I cried. I cried hard. I didn't care anymore. Its too much for me. I am weak. I don't know how hurricane victims or any natural disaster victims do it. Its been very hard for me and my family. My hubby also had to travel for part of the week for work. Oh and I'm due to have my baby in a couple of weeks. Yeah I guess when life throws you lemons.....and I mean throw. Many positives things though have happened. Friends of mine and his have opened up their homes. His job has been very gracious with us. My job has been flexible with my hours. I couldn't thank them enough. I'm still weak. I still want to be in my own home and sleep in my bed. I learned you have to ask for help and also when help is offered to you to take it. I was prideful and thinking oh we can do this on our own. I quickly found out we couldn't. And I'm glad my friends and job didn't take my word for it. Thank you all. Hopefully next week, I'll have better news.

Until next time,
Coco

The Art of Letting Go

2011-10-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about this this morning. I have loved and lost many friends over the years. Some it was my fault and some was how they reacted to my life changes. I had a best friend all through middle school and high school. She even came out to visit me when I was in college. We were close and shared a lot of things. Yet, sadly I don't speak to her anymore. It's been years. To tell you the truth, I do miss her. I think about her often. I also felt like at the time, God wanted me to let her go and move on with my life. Letting go of someone or something is never easy. You have put time and energy into it. It's hard seeing this person just walk away forever. Now I guess I don't know if its forever but it seems like forever for me. And you know since then, I haven't been able to have close and normal relationships. I'm not sure what that's all about but I understand that's where I am in life. I'm about to close another chapter in my life. Without getting into details because I understand that some might take offense. I'm not trying to offend. Do you know when things or people have run their course in your life? I think I do.

In situations when you think that there's nothing you can do to correct the relationship or you making it better, then, I think, its time to let go. When you think there's nothing more to offer then its time to let go. I know its easier said then done. I have done it many a time. Plus, I'm not good at it. I tend to wipe everyone out of my life and then start over. That is something I'm working on. The most important thing you can do to let go, is to let go and not be angry. I use to be so angry about people that I had in my life for so many years. You have to get into the place that letting go for you is right. It feels right, you prayed about it, then you are fine. You harbor no ill feelings (anymore) toward the person(s). I think its taken me about 4 years to really not feel anger when I hear certain names, places, or things associated with my situation. Four years! I prayed a lot on God taking it from me. I prayed that maybe He can make me like I use to be. It never happened. And in the process I lost a lot of faith in people and some in God. I'm not going to lie. It was the hardest 4 years of my adult life thus far. I would not to wish it upon anyone. I just wish there was a way to let go of everyone associated with the issue. :) I don't think there is and some people might be collateral damage. You have to prepare for that. There are people I stopped talking to because they were associated with the situation. Call me a bad person, I'm fine with that. But things, people, and places do run their course in life. The most important thing to remember though, your family will always be there. Crazy as they are, they'll always be there. Build relationships that are on solid ground or foundation. Make an effort. Its not hard. A phone call here and there, maybe a card once in a while shows the person you care. Just don't do it once year then you look like you want something.

Longevity is also based on the relationships--quality relationships you have in your middle and later years. I hope one day I have a close group of girlfriends in which I can call for anything no matter where we are all in life. Until that day, I'm content in just living my life. Oh I noticed something this weekend. We use to get a lot of phone calls, over the years it has dwindled to nothing. I mean not one phone call for days. It was depressing. We were officially no one to nobody. We got use to it and I realized that this weekend. We received no phone calls. Yes, we make an effort to call our family and some friends that we talk to at least once a week. But I thought, I'm not mad about it anymore or even depressed. It's just how life is. I mean who wants to get called all the time unless you're lonely. I just thought it was funny on how much we have adapted to our lives these past years. Now I know God is beginning the healing process for me. I can't wait till He does it more.

Coco

Sherpherding a child's heart

2011-10-12T08:21:00.000-07:00

I am a member of a moms' group here in my town. Well, actually I'm a member of two but I like going to the second one more because its more Christian based and the moms there seem genuinely interested in you, not just your kids. Plus, they do different topics throughout the year that help you in your adventure in mom-hood. Yesterday, I brought my friend, T with me to go to the meeting about Disciplining your children. It was worded more appropriately, Shepherding a child's heart. The head Pastor of that church taught on it. I was thinking, what does he know about disciplining. Most fathers are way too busy working to discipline. Most of that falls on the mother. But he had some insights that I thought to share. Plus, he has six children! Not a requirement though. He started with this Scripture--Eph. 6:1-2:

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth."
He defined what Honor and Obeying means.
Disciplining now, as hard as that is, may be nothing compared to the discipling you will have to do if your child doesn't obey as he grows up older.
Types of Disciplining. Now here, many different circles of beliefs are around. You have to pray with your spouse on how to discipline. Be in agreement before you start disciplining.

Let's start with point one. I love that scripture. Our children will be promised with the gift of a long life not just in the physical sense but the spiritual too. The Bible doesn't say, you can obey or Honor your parents if you want to. There's a direct promise to the command.

I'm only going over briefly what we discussed since there was so much information. Imagine a circle with your child in it and the promises of a long life and being well are surrounding him. Outside of that circle is destruction and disobedience. Your goal is to sherpherd your child back into the circle when he gets out of the circle. Now of course every child will do something that isn't honoring or obeying his/her parents. It's human nature. We still do it as adults.

And that's where disciplining comes in. I have met moms who don't spank or really punish their kid. For whatever reason, the parent feels uncomfortable doing so. I was uncomfortable punishing my children for the first time too. But Heb 12:6 says ,"...because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as son." Discipline doesn't mean only corporal punishment; it also means training, leading, instruction. I mean when God corrects us, He doesn't yell at us or "spank" us every time. Maybe one time you need to instruct your child on something. Other times your need to train, maybe another time you need to punish that involves some uncomfortable feeling. Most of the time, most of these disciplines go hand in hand with each other. When you don't discipline, you don't love your child. That's what the Bible says. Now I'm not saying you need to beat the crap out of your child. (Though I know some days its really hard not to). I grew up in an abusive home. I know what abuse is. I'm pretty sure alot of parents are far from it.

I think it takes some getting use to in new parents. I mean who wants to discipline a cute little baby/toddler? Just think about it. They come in like this

(This is my nephew.) To this:

That one is mine. For obvious reasons, I don't have grown up photos of him but you get the idea.

Until next time,
Coco

Ceasarans and V birthing plans

2011-10-12T07:22:00.000-07:00

When I was pregnancy with my first child I envisioned a medicine free birth. Then once he came he would latch on and nurse like a pro. Yeah, that never happened. I think part of the my postpartum depression started with his birth. I was naive and didn't really prepare for birth. I thought my body would know what to do and viola there's a baby. The day I delivered Ethan I was so drugged up and exhausted. First let me say that if you're water breaks don't rush straight to the doctor. At least in my case, I can look back and wished I let contractions progress before I headed to the hospital. But its kind of hard to say what to do because every baby is born different. I mean just because you deliver Baby A with two pushes doesn't mean you'll deliver Baby B with two pushes. Ok my main point in this post is that its ok if you get a Cesarean. I felt like a failure. I thought there was something wrong with me. Something more to separate me from everyone else. Now years later, I thank God that that's what happened. Ethan could have died and I would haven't been able to have more children.

Subsequently, my next child was also delivered cesarean. When I was pregnant with #2, I started seeing a midwife thinking that she would allow me to try for a VBAC. She didn't. I had Nathan also Cesarean. I only know 2 women who have had cesareans. Its not as common as people think. I think you should educate yourself on the possibility that your body might need a little help getting the baby here. Let me repeat for all you birthing purists, if you need a Cesarean then you need a cesarean. Just because Suzy homemaker had all her nine kids without medication and she was cooking and cleaning up until the time she had to push the baby out, doesn't mean that that's how God created your body. Believe me when I say I would have loved to delivered both of my boys vaginally. But my body just doesn't work that way. Be thankful your body allows you to carry a child and nourish them. I'm done with my rant. I just find it so insenstive on some of the mothers I have been around in the past/present who "judge" you because of how your body delivered the baby. The last time I checked, we moms are all on the same team which is raising our children properly. That's my next topic. :)

Until then,

Coco

Checking in...

2011-09-30T06:44:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about this blog days ago then I got way too busy to write. Have I told you I made it to the home stretch in my pregnancy? Unfortunately I am up to 16lbs! Boooo. I have to admit I have been a little laxing in my eating choices. I walk alot at my job and that tends to aggravate my sciatic nerve. When I get home, I can hardly walk. I am, though, thankful that this pregnancy has been healthy and the baby is active. Actually the baby is more active than the boys were. Baby Z likes waking me up at 2am to move and stretch. I put my hand on my belly and just rub to calm baby down. I think the baby likes that since I don't get poked again.

I am reading an interesting book about aging. No I am not obsessed about looking younger. But this book talks about centurions and how they get to live that long. One thing that can send me to my grave early is thinking negative. Yes people I am a negative person by past events and I don't tend to see the glass full. Plus, I think there's a genetic disposition for depression in my family. This book claims that 30% of longevity is genetics and the other 70% is what you do in your life! How interesting. I am working on being optimistic. The first day I had the goal to be optimistic, our renting situation got worse. Automatically I thought, great why does this happen to us? We are good people. We don't bug anyone. We are fair and then this. But I had to stop myself and think you know if it all blows up and we are homeless than so what? We can finally live near family and find a more suitable home church for us. I just don't care to worry about things and people that I can't control. I can only control myself and my reactions to life.

I think I finished the book 2 days after I downloaded on my Kindle which by the way I love. It was actually a Father's day gift but I use it more. :) The book is called, "Age Smart: Discovering the Fountain of Youth at Midlife and Beyond." Its free right now on Amazon for Kindle or Nook. Good book if you like studies and psychology.

Until next time,
Coco

Review--Bounce Dryer Bar

2011-09-13T17:35:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to try out the Bounce Dryer Bar. I got to say I was kind of skeptical that it would work or if it did it would make my clothes real smelly. I should start by saying its a bar which has drying softener in it. Ok, I really don't know what's in it. I'm assuming its the same chemicals that are in dryer sheets but in bar form. Anyway, you stick the dryer bar on your dryer drum and that's it. A bar depending on how often you use it, should last about 3 months. I'm expecting a baby so I know I'll probably go through it quicker.

I liked the dryer bar. I was kind of surprised that my clothes didn't have the overwhelming smell of "fresh linen." So that was a pro for me and my allergies. The con I found was that my clothes still had the same feeling of stiffness as they did when I didn't use any type of dryer sheet or bar. I mean isn't that the point of it? Oh well. I'll keep using it until it runs out then maybe try something else unless of course, it starts working better with each load. Try one today and let me know how you like.

Enjoy!

Coco

Del Monte--Fruit Naturals

2011-09-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

The good folks at Vocalpoint want to share a sweet deal. If you click on the link below you can score a BOGO coupon on Del Monte Fruit Naturals. I'm going to try it too and come back and let you know how it taste. But most importantly how much my boys like the fruit. Does it really taste like fruit or just a bowl of sugar? Will they make me buy more? The suspense is killing me. No just kidding. Click on the link tomorrow when it goes live and let me know if you get a coupon and what you think about Fruit Naturals.

http://www.vocalpoint.com/FruitNaturalsCoupon

Coco

A Month in Review

2011-09-08T07:01:00.000-07:00

His first day of school

I use to think when other moms told me how busy they were staying home, what can you possibly be doing other than making sure your kids don't burn the house down? I think I figured it out. Since my oldest started kindergarten, I have been non stop which I think is a good thing since in my past posts and how depression hits me. Here is my oldest posing for his first bus drive to Kindergarten. Excuse the pic. I couldn't seem to rotate it on the posting. Trust me, he's cute.

So on to the planning and all the time it takes to make sure your child is prepared for school. We weren't prepared for the costs of kindergarten. We weren't prepared for waking up real early to make sure he gets up, clean, and well fed. During this all this time, I am working and expecting my third child. I now am thinking of staying home for a while now that E is in school. Next year, my second will be joining the ranks of the school system so it will get interesting and busy. But you know what? I'm looking forward to it. The past years, I felt like I had no purpose other than having kids. Now I feel like I can contribute to their lives in some way. Yes, I am totally different than most of the moms I know out here. And no its not wrong to feel this way. Of course if you let others dictate your life then yes, you'll feel bad.

The next time we meet, I hope to talk about my review of the bounce bar for the dryer. I got to try it out thanks to Vocalpoint.com.

Happy trails,

Coco

Highlights from my past weeks

2011-08-24T05:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday wasn't a good day for me. This pregnancy is a blessing since we get another baby but it's taking a toll on my emotional, mental health. As you have read, I'm battling depression. It comes and goes but when it hits, it hits hard. I do feel better when I write about how I feel. I always have. I have 3 journals that I am working on right now. Haha.

Let's move on to how my summer has been. This is the last summer with E-my oldest child before he starts school. I worked most of it but we did get to do some fun things. We went to the State Fair for the first time with a good friend of mine whom I haven't seen in forever. This is before that terrible tragedy in Indianapolis with the stage collapsing. I just realized my pics are on my desktop and not on my laptop. So my next post might be just pics. I'm so organized aren't I?

Last week E started kindergarten. I cried like a baby so did his younger brother Nay. Weird though. You've had this kid for 5 years and he or she has been yours to influence and talk with, now there are tons of people in their life. You worry about bullying. You worry on what they are saying to him. You worry if he'll fit in. Or if he can find his class and bus. Yikes! So much for a little kid to remember. But I guess that's why we raise our kids to be independent from the beginning. I'm proud of him. He came home and just seemed unfazed that he's bus forgot to drop him off at the house. Or that he forgot his lunch code. I'm busier for some reason. I think its because I'm more involved in what he's school is doing and also being big brother to Nay. But all that will change in a couple of months when the new baby comes. If you don't know us, we tend to do things when everything is inconvenient.

I'm sure I'll be sharing more about being a mom with a kindergartner, preschooler, and a new baby here soon. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Coco

Depression and pregnancy

2011-08-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

First let me say that I am not a doctor nor a nurse to diagnose anyone. Being pregnant you have to be vigilant on how you feel. I remember when I first found out I was pregnant, I cried and cried. It's not because I was pregnant but it was hormones, I think. My last trimester is approaching and I find myself feeling nervous, sad, and just plain terrible. I don't want to talk to anyone nor care about anyone. It just hit me yesterday. I tried not to think about it but the bad thoughts just flood my mind. Today I found myself thinking about dying. Now let me also say that no I'm not in any way going to harm myself but did think maybe this life isn't how its suppose to be. I felt like my family was better off without me. I know a big part of it is I don't much of a relationship with God anymore. To tell you the truth, I have kind of lost all faith in the church. I would love to start over somewhere where no one knows me. I can learn from mistakes and develop my relationship with God there. I stay where I am at because of my hubby. He's loyal to the bone. Yes, I know we choose how we feel and no my relationship with God isn't just the only thing that I believe that is making me depressed.

I guess today's posting is to check on your spiritual life when you are feeling low or depressed. I don't want to be on antidepressants when I am carrying this baby so I just suck it up. I guess in a way my job is kind of distracting me. I'm kind of grateful about that. Hopefully the next posting will be a little more cheery.

Coco

Healthy Pregnancy: Eating Balance (for the most part) Part 2

2011-07-31T17:51:00.000-07:00

How does a big plate of freshly made pancakes with maple syrup and butter sound to you? Or maybe a piece of delicious apple pie that just got out of the oven with a side of vanilla ice cream? Mmmm. Sounds so good right? Or maybe you prefer a juicy cheeseburger with all the fixing including mayo. Yeah, when you're pregnant you can't always eat what you want.

I started this pregnancy overweight so instead of admitting defeat and thinking well now that I am fat, it doesn't matter how I eat, I'll just gain weight. Not true. I believe that even if you are overweight, you can still influence how your pregnancy, delivery and recovery will be. Fast forward to nine months and you are huge and tired. I can't imagine eating junk all those months and expect my body to bounce back within a reasonable amount of time. In my first appointment with my OB, I requested that I get to see a dietitian. A dietitian will assess your needs and also the areas where you might need help with your diet. I was worried about having gestational diabetes so early on that I just thought it was natural for her to talk about my carb intake. But to my surprise she didn't bring it up until I told her my concern. Yes, I'm overweight but I also am active which can the diet plan. She was more concerned about my calcium intake. I thought that was funny.

I try to eat balance every day. I do believe in that motto "A day at a time" because each day comes with its challenges and it opportunities. Early on in my pregnancy I drank protein shakes. Now I would recommend your speak to your physician about this first. I did this to ensure I wasn't eating carbs all the time. Plus, I was really not eating since I was nauseous for the first 14 weeks of my pregnancy. I would have snacks like nuts or cheese to make my appetite last longer. I recently gave up empty carbs meaning I would eat like a small cup of tapioca pudding at work which really had no nutritional value. I continued to eat fruit but limit them to 2-3 servings a day. And if I do eat a fruit, I try to pair it with a protein be it cheese or peanut butter.

Now I'm not perfect. I occasionally have something sweet like cereal or ice cream. I try to limit those treats to once every 2 weeks. Yes, its hard but my weight gain isn't jumping drasically. I might gain 1 lb at the most. Most times its just ounces I have gained. I know I'm not in my third trimester just yet and maybe I shouldn't jump the gun right now. I have only gained 9lbs so far and I am in my 24 week of pregnancy. I don't suggest you lose pounds when you're pregnancy even if you're overweight. If you are overweight, physicians recommend you gain between 11-20lbs your whole pregnancy! I think that's crazy but it can be done. And don't beat yourself up if you go beyond that. But the more poundage you gain, the more you might be at risk for pregnancy related illnesses. Eating balanced during your pregnancy doesn't have to be boring or hard. You love spaghetti? Find pasta that is low carb with tomato sauce that might not have alot of sugar added to it with some protein. Love ice cream? Try a small bowl of sugar free vanilla or fruit. Like I said before, I'm not perfect but think about the nutrients your baby is getting. I mean they are depending on us to feed them right. They can't object to that piece of pizza or greasy chicken leg you want to eat. I hope this helps. I don't know who still reads this but I hope you find this information helpful for you to make better choices in your diet for you and your baby.

Coco

Healthy Pregnancy :Exercising in Pregnancy

2011-07-29T05:14:00.000-07:00

As my pregnancy progresses, it is getting harder to be active. I have been exercising religiously for over a year. I dropped some pounds but didn't end up at the goal I set for myself before I got pregnant. So when I got pregnant, I promised myself and my baby that I would try to exercise at least 3x a week.

Why exercise during pregnancy? Well, it relieves stress, it gives you more energy and believe or not it helps with nauseous. I know how does that work? I don't know but many a time I exercised when I wanted to puke and it helped a lot. It helps with blood pressure and blood sugar levels throughout your pregnancy. Plus the most important, you sleep better at night.

You need to consult your physician first to make sure you can safety exercise and/or to make sure you're not at high risk for anything. Even if you're not an avid exerciser, you can still walk for exercise during pregnancy. I walked all the time with my first child. Now if I compared his pregnancy with number two, I was far less sick with my first one, I didn't have the aches that I did with the second one and my delivery was harder. Recovery was also longer with the second one. See with #2 I ate junk constantly. I overdid it when it came to weight gain. He was almost a 9lb baby! Even though I had complications throughout my pregnancy, he was born with low blood sugars which can be common with high pound babies. I didn't get to see him for 3 hours after my surgery. I believe how I ate during my pregnancy with him made him a picky eater.

Now my first one, I ate healthy. I indulged in the occasional ice cream bowl. But for the most part I ate alot of healthy foods. He is my good eater between the two. He would eat anything I give him. For example, he ate Brussels sprouts last night at dinner!

There are a lot of exercises you can do when you're pregnant. First trimester you can still resume your exercise routine without all the high impact stuff. I did my Cardio videos and Jazzercise till I hit my 3 month mark. After that as you get bigger, your sense of balance is out of sorts since you are getting a little bigger each month. I know do the elliptical 4x a week. I try to do strength training also to balance out the body. I am a fan of Yoga. I did it once a week with my regular workout routine prior to pregnancy. Its great at relieving stress and increasing flexibility which you will have more of since the body releases a hormone to loosen ligaments and tendons during pregnancy. Now that can be a good thing (delivery a baby) and a bad thing (easier injuries).

My doctor told me before 20 weeks you can safety do abdominal work. After that I guess you have to do standing abdominal work. There are several videos out there for pregnancy. I ended up with one that I really like but unfortunately can't find because my boys got into my DVDs. So for now I am doing the elliptical till I find something else. Oh and since its summer time, swimming is fabulous for pregnancy. Its not weight bearing so you're lugging all you're weight around. Next time we'll talk about the pregnancy diet.

Coco

The Challenges of being a Working Mother

2011-07-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

Its been a couple of months since I last posted. I have been sick with pregnancy, busy working, and busy with my boys. Now =, I work part time. Lately its been full time (30+) hours a week because we have fallen on hard finanical times. I am grateful I have a solid job where I can pick up more hours if I need them. Unfortunately, when this baby comes, I won't be working for at least 3 months. So we are planning right now what to our next step is.

This post is about how working moms get a bad rap because they don't stay home full time. I had the privilege to stay home with both of my boys for at least the first year of their lives. I am thankful to God for that. The lack of strong friendships and family put me in a funk that was very hard to recover from. That's when I decided to go back to work at least part time. I didn't think I would last long at my job. I felt guilty everyday I worked thinking I have somehow destroyed any normalcy in my sons' lives. But in reality, my attitude, my moods were getting better. I felt like I mattered to someone again. I felt like I can be an adult woman again. I also made friendships with some of the women I worked with. Over three years later, I have found how to balance my life to a point where I am functioning. Hahaha! Lately though, stress with our rental property and finances have put me to working more. Being almost six months pregnant and working full time with a family to see take care of, is Hard!

I have to admit I have not spent anytime with God. I have neglected my spiritual life thinking I'm just too overwhelmed to add something else to my day to day routines. But its in those times I have found I get sad, mad, and overstressed. I need God to recharge me everyday. I have been feeling scripture; Lamentations 3:22-23: "Because of the Lord's great Love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning..." I will dwell on that encouragement for a while.

In the meantime, maybe He will give me a strategy on how to take of myself and my family without feeling like I have to do everything. So what if the laundry doesn't get done? Or I don't feel like cooking dinner? Or maybe, *gasp*, I don't want to play with anyone? Can I live a life without feeling guilty of spluging on myself with some quiet time?

What are your biggest challenges with being a mom, wife, or for that matter a woman? Maybe together we can see that we are "normal" and selfish if we need to take care of ourselves.

Until next time,

Coco

And then there was three...

2011-05-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

Remember my last couple of posts where I was just crying and depressed? My hormones have been up and then down. My sleep is disrupted with the many trips to the bathroom. Nothing sounds good to eat most of the time. Yep, I am carrying my last and final child. Or at least coming out of this body. This pregnancy has been hard on me emotionally. I had morning sickness or morning nausea I should say all throughout my first trimester. We were planning on having one more child but it never seemed to be the right time. As my husband's forty birthday approaches us, we decided its either now or we are done with having more children. So we took the plunge and found out a month after trying we were pregnant. I remember the day to when I thought something was wrong. I think I was visiting my family and throughout the visit, I just felt "off". I thought well, I'll go see my doctor when I get back into town. Other things didn't seem right either. I couldn't go to the bathroom. I know. I know too much information. But if you know me, I always go to the bathroom. I came home and told my hubby and he was like maybe you're pregnant. It was also a bad time for us as a couple. So the thought of having a child when we were seeing things totally different, made me mad. Well, I took it and there it was; the familiar pink line on the pregnancy stick. I was so happy and yet so scared. Can I really do this again? We are going to be broke with this child? Can I still work? What about my health? So many worries yet so happy.

Then the morning sickness started. I never actually puked but pretty close. Now, I don't recall being like this with my boys but I am 4 years older than when I had my last child. I remember a week where all I did was lay on the couch because I was so wiped out. Another week I spent laying there because if you touched me I would have probably puked on you. Then finally, it settled or so I thought. I get the occasional nausea feeling. But its not as bad as it was weeks ago.

On your first ultrasound, the doctor checks the viability of the embryo. I was so nervous. I was thinking, what if there's no heartbeat? In an instant, the tech put that dildo looking instrument into my uterus to see if the baby was there. And it was. What a sight! The baby had a little heart and you could see the heartbeat. It was real. Again. I got to see the baby one time after that. The doctors like hearing the heartbeat on each visit. So on my next visit, she couldn't find the heartbeat with the Doppler so she did the portable ultrasound machine. That was cool. We saw the baby leap and twirl

This has been such an adventure so far. I'll be happy adding on another baby to this family. We need it I think. Ethan loves babies. Always wants to hold a little boy we go to church with. Nathan, well, we are working on his baby skills.:) Oh you know what? I think this one we'll pass knowing what it is. Its my last one and so it might as well be a surprise. So don't ask! LOL.

Until next time,
Coco

Venting and relaxing

2011-05-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

Yeah I ran out of topic or titles for my blog posts. I haven't posted any pictures in a long time. I'm tired. I'm depressed but functioning. Alot of changes have been happening recently in my life. To tell you the truth, I hate where I'm at. I hate that I have no family around me. I would say I hate that I don't have friends but that's not a big priority for me anymore. I have cried, been angry, disappointed and then just plain annoyed with "friends" that I have no desire anymore to talk or make new friends. Yes, my husband thinks its a phase. Ok whatever. I know I'm done with women. Its enough I have to work with all women, let alone have something in common. Yeah again I was stupid to think someone actually cared about me. So I recant my earlier post and hope not to make that mistake again. Nothing happened that made me feel this way. I just have been so dependent on others to make me feel like I belong. And I believe that comes with time with Jesus.

Yes, I am depressed. I am still though living my day to day life hoping for something good to happen or that by some miracle we move. But this is my life and I have to make the best of it. I don't mean to depress anyone or cause concern. I'm just venting since really this is the only way I get to vent. I really don't talk to anyone about this stuff, not even my hubby. And why do it here because its easy for me. I don't really care if anyone reads this and has opinions about it because its my blog. That's all they are :opinions. I also think I'm stressing about money way too much. We had issues here with our tenants, things that I feared would happen, has happened. Ah well. I'm actually trying to educate myself more on the business side of things. I never would have thought in a million years I would have any interest in business but when my money is being messed with, I better learn everything I can, right?

With that I might do some teachings on business and how it pertains to wives/motherhood.

Until next time,
Peace

Coco

Update!

2011-05-09T05:30:00.000-07:00

Hello Folks! Long time again. I last posted about the eating out less challenge and then didn't update. Yikes! Bad accountability partner. I have some excuses for that. First out friend from Germany was in town for about 2 weeks. One week was spent in Chicago/Northwest Indiana. So of course, we had go eat Chicago style pizza. That being said, we totally bombed our eating out budget in April. I mean we totally forgot who we were and just spent money like drunken sailors. Now since we have gotten back to reality, we are now facing the harsh reality of what our unrestrained spending has done to us. Let's just say I'm not doing that again.

In the coming weeks, I hope to talk about saving on clothing and how to find the coupons for that. I tend to shop right now for Christmas, birthdays, and special occasions. There a lot of good sales going on right now but since we have to catch up with our finances, I can only admire from my computer.

In the month of April, we celebrated my youngest birthday. He is four now! Wow, how the time flies. We also registered my oldest for kindergarten. Whoa! I have to post pictures. So my next post might just be pics. :) So hopefully it won't take me a whole month to blog.

Until the next adventure,

Coco

The Thirty Day Challenge

2011-04-02T15:39:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I have been out and about. Anyway, as I was reviewing our budget from last month, I was shocked to see how much we spent on eating out. Let's just say that I'm ashamed. I felt like we weren't being good stewards of God's money. So my hubby and I decided to do a 30 day challenge in which we do not eat out at all. Yes, yes it will be hard. And yes I almost broke down today and wanted to eat Mexican. Instead, I made Mexican for lunch and everyone, including my youngest, ate most of it.

I don't recall what happened to us where we just eat out like its nothing. I know most times both Brad and I are too tired to cook. Other times we are just craving our favorite (blank) dish from (blank) restaurant. In order for us to pay off debt, we not only find deals but also use wisdom when dealing with deals. So come join me while I attempt and hopefully succeed in being restaurant free for a month. Any suggestions?

Coco

Product Review: Silk Almond Milk

2011-03-22T06:40:00.000-07:00

Another day means another review. I have been fortunate enough lately to try out products from different companies and I'm loving it. Today I am going to talk about Silk Almond Milk. I receive an evite to try out this product from Bzzagent.com again. They are a great company to work with and plus you get to earn Mypoints when you review the product you just tried! Last week I got the opportunity to purchase 2 almond milks from the Silk product. One was chocolate Silk Almond milk and the other one was Unsweetened Almond Milk.

First the chocolate milk was so good. I wanted to drink the whole thing. The plus about almond milk in general is that its better for you than milk. You get antioxidants, protein, and fiber. Plus Almond milk is lower in calories and saturated fat than regular milk. We still use milk but I think we'll be switching to Almond milk gradually. There was no after taste and it tasted like real chocolate milk. My two sons even liked it! I have one son who'll eat anything for the most part and one who examines his food like its evidence in a crime scene. But you know what? They drank that milk and wanted more.

I have coupons to give out if anyone wants to try this milk. I promise you'll love it. If there is a sale on almond milk plus the coupon, you can get real cheap almond milk. Also check out more of the Silk family at. http://silkpurealmond.com. Enjoy!

Coco

Product Review: Johnsonville Italian Sausage

2011-03-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

I had another opportunity to try and review Johnsonville Italian Sausage. I am a member of vocalpoint in which they send you coupons to try new or improve products. Sometimes they just want to raise awareness of a company's product. I got coupons for free sausage. I picked the mild because my boys won't eat it if its too hot. In the package I not only got free coupons and dollars off coupons, I also got a recipe sheet on how to make the sausage different ways than what we are use to. The first day I made the sausage rigatoni. I would use a homemade tomato sauce than the one I use. It was too sugary for me. But other than that, it was delicious.

Last night we made meatballs and spaghetti with the sausage. I know not a big gourmet meal but let me tell you that meal was probably the best spaghetti I have made. My hubby also helped me. He made the homemade tomato sauce. I recommend Johnsville sausage, any variety. I know we'll be using sausage in our meatball recipe from now on. Enjoy!

Coco

Making Vanilla Extract

2011-03-04T11:48:00.000-08:00

Amazon had a great deal on vanilla beans. I got 16 vanilla beans for under $9! I decided to make vanilla extract. I have never made vanilla extract and I suspect I'll be using it more often. I also made an extra one for a gift. I would have all 16 beans into extract but ran out of Vodka. I'll get to that.

It's actually real easy to make Vanilla extract. You will need:
-Two or more mason jars (depending on many beans you have)
-Vanilla beans
-Vodka
That's it!

First you take the vanilla beans and slice them lengthwise. They smell so good. Don't be tempted to eat them.

Stick the vanilla beans in the mason jar.

Fill the jar with Vodka and there you go. Put the jars in a dark place for 2-3 months. By then, they should be ready to use or give.

Enjoy!

Day 8--Post lipstick review

2011-03-02T07:46:00.000-08:00

Well, its been over 7 days since I last blogged about Covergirl's Lip Perfection. I love the way the lipstick glides on my lips. I also liked the way it made my lips silky and not sticky. I found the lipstick to be on long after I put it on. It looked more like a stain than the glossy finish when you first put it on. I guess the best way to describe it, is a fancy chap stick with rich color for your lips. I'll take that! I'd recommend this lipstick if you are looking for a color that nourishes your lips while giving you a rich full color. There are many colors to choice from. You can go as subtle as you want or bold like I did with my lipstick choices. Enjoy!