A Little Life Update

August 27, 2014

It's been a few days since I last posted so I thought I should give a little update.

As far as the baby goes everything is going good, we had an appointment this week and the heartbeat was good. They basically drained me of blood ha!

I haven't had a chance to take a picture for 11 weeks, I tend to do that on the weekend and Dad got really sick so pictures weren't exactly at the top of my to do list.

Now for the Dad update, I posted on Instagram earlier so some of you might have seen it. He finished his last chemo treatment Friday and Saturday woke up with pneumonia. Since his white count from chemo was basically non existent he got extremely sick extremely fast.

By Sunday morning they decided to put him on a ventilator and sedate him. If I'm being honest it's terrifying when your mother calls to tell you to come home and that this is happening. Luckily being put on the ventilator helped stabilize his dangerously low blood pressure, pulse, and O2 levels.

We nearly had a party when Mom and I went in Sunday and saw that for 15 minutes his top blood pressure number had gotten above 100 and had stayed around the 90's for so long.

We've really gotten only tiny bits of good news for days, but it's all been in the positive direction. Of course they always back it up with "he's still a very sick man." The reality of how grave this situation is isn't lost on us. But like I was just talking about with Mom, if we don't focus on the positive we won't make it though this.

We are expecting this to go on for a good two weeks, if not longer. However, they did take him off of one of the blood pressure meds and if he can hold his own without the medicine we are hoping that will mean he eventually gets off the ventilator and out of sedation. Oh it would be the best thing ever to hear him say something off the wall, it's been a few days since I had a chance to fuss at him about something.

And yes, we had a humorous little conversation the other day about how chemo patients shouldn't be mowing the grass at 3 in the afternoon.

I feel like it's my place in life to give him a hard time though, he did call me Tyrone for the majority of my childhood.

All that to say, we would surely appreciate your prayers. He still has a long way to go. 
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High 5 for Friday//10 Weeks

August 22, 2014

I've been a horrible blogger lately, but let's make an attempt at getting back on schedule with my old favorite Friday post!


1. Nausea meds are the best thing on earth. I still feel awful in the evening even though I'm taking them, but let's just imagine before the meds when I stayed in bed for days and couldn't eat anything. Four more weeks and I'm hopefully clear from the nausea.

2. I've always loved vinegar, but pickles and vinegar do wonders for nausea. This and salsa are the only ways I can stomach vegetables.

3. Summer is coming to an end, so we've gotta soak up the snow cones while we can. The place in town we go to doesn't have a ton of flavors, I tend to only get Strawberry Shortcake there. What I really miss is Debbie's in West Monroe, their stuffed Banana Pudding one was to die for!

4. Who doesn't love Sonic ice right? I somehow magically landed at a school that has an ice maker that makes that golden stuff. They will seriously have to drag my dead body out of here one day. In all seriousness though, it's a really great school. Lots of pressure because it's so high preforming, but a great school.

5. Now for the pregnancy update that I've been too nauseous to blog all week >>>

Pregnancy Highlights::

How far along: 10 weeks
Size of Baby: Kumquat
Maternity clothes: Just bras, but I'll be working pants in soon. What I had just isn't working.
Gender: No idea
Movement: Nope
Sleep: Not great lately, but I've never been a good sleeper. The headaches and joint pain get to me. I think it's from not wearing good shoes and starting back at work. 
What I miss: Eating healthy without throwing up
Cravings: Apples, Tostitos, and Voodoo Zapps
Aversions: Everything else. Thinking about food makes me throw up. I have to take out pills and leave them places to take later, taking them out makes me gag. 
Symptoms: Nausea and a few other things I'm not talking about. 
Best Moment of the Week: Not exactly good, but funny to think back on. I was dead set to cook dinner this week and got home Monday to get dinner going. I kid you not, I touched a bag of frozen chicken and puked in the kitchen. Not only can I not eat or think about it, I can't touch it apparently either these days ha! 

I'm seriously wondering how people have several children. Michelle Duggar is an anomaly to me right now. 
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Meal Pinning Monday

August 17, 2014

Meal Pinning Monday is finally back, but don't hold it to me this week. I'm just trying to see if I can stand the kitchen again.

For someone who loves food and cooking as much as I do, having a massive list of food aversions and motion sickness caused by computers is less than exciting.





[What is Meal Pinning Monday?]
MPM is how I meal plan for our little family. I once spent a lot of time searching the web and my recipe books hunting for new recipes and ideas for what to cook every week. Then, Pinterest came along and made meal planning much easier for me. Every weekend I look over what I have pinned the prior week and decide what I would like to cook and make my grocery list from these recipes. MPM came about as a way to share what I am cooking, and to also see what others are cooking every week to hopefully get even more dinner ideas from other bloggers. If you don't pin your recipes feel free to just share what you are cooking.

Monday - BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Tuesday - leftovers

Wednesday - Pizza Bread with Hot Tomato Oil


Thursday - leftovers

Friday - Sunday - I have no idea yet. I've literally found two food I think I can stomach making. We may be eating french fries for 3 days. Or Jeremy will be fending for himself like he has for the past month or so. 
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9 weeks

August 12, 2014

I've started noticing my stomach sticking out a lot here lately, I'm blaming it mainly on the fact that I went from about 80% of the time Paleo to crackers and Powerade. 

Proof that eating clean does a lot for you.

I've sense tried to just watch my calorie intake and eat whole wheat food. That didn't go so well this weekend though when I ran out of my meds and could only stomach junk food. 


Pregnancy Highlights::
How Far Along: 9 weeks
Size of Baby: Baby B is the length of a green olive.
Maternity Clothes: Regular clothes and maternity bras, although I had to use a rubber band with my pants. Hello dresses!
Gender: No clue
Movement: Nada
Sleep: Not that great, but I think it's because I was off the nausea meds for a few days. 
What I miss: Coffee
Cravings: Not a thing
Aversions: Meat, my phone and computer make me motion sick.
Symptoms: Gagging, Nausea, and a few thinsg we won't discuss here. My normally flat stomach is starting to stick out but I think it's due to all the carbs I'm eating and the bloating.
Best Moment of the Week: Getting my prescritpion filled after waiting forever for it to get called in. I also had a kid at recess (because news spreads quick) ask about me being pregnant and then tell me to name my baby Clemintine!

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Finding Comfort During Your Period

August 11, 2014

 
This happens to be a subject I've been trying to find just the right balance with since 7th grade. 
 
It's also something that has taken more than it's fair share of experimenting, whether it be with things I do or the things I use. 
 
Either way, finding comfort during your period is never an overnight solution. 
 
 
I'm no expert, but here are just a few ways I've managed to make that time of the month slightly more bearable for myself. I feel like I should add - because it does make a difference - I've never taken hormones to control it... so we've got a full out 6 day torture cycle over here. 
 
Like I said though, being au natural with your period means finding ways to help ease the discomfort it brings along. 
 
Of the hippie things I do, here are my two biggies for when the unwanted Aunt Flo shows up for a visit. 
 
 
Staying hydrated is a massive number one in my book! Without proper hydration your muscles don't function properly, leading to cramping much worse than it would otherwise be. 
 
I take 3 approaches to my hydration. First and foremost is giving up caffeine about two days before my period is predicted to start. I've read that the caffeine makes your cramps worse, probably because it naturally is a diuretic. 
 
The last thing we need right now is a diuretic. 
 
Yes, you may be bloated, but water doesn't add to that... at all. In fact it's quite the opposite, your body feels bloated when you aren't getting enough water. 
 
My favorite way to stay hydrated is with my Lemon Chia Fresca recipe. It's what I drink when I'm not drinking water. 
 
Then of course I absolutely have to give into my sweet tooth one really good time during that week. The first day of my period always signifies a trip to get a guilt-ridden shake or my favorite soft serve ice cream mixed with candy. 
 
 
Staying relaxed is my second surviving your period with comfort tip, because when I'm tense the pain my period brings is just worse. 
 
Staying relaxed can happen several different ways, although my favorite for day one is to cuddle up with Ellie in bed and watch our favorite television shows. 
 
Exercise is a great way to ward off period pain. I like to mix up what I do with strength training, cardio (mainly of the dance version), and yoga. My muscles tense up quite a bit the first two days of my period so I try to schedule strength-training days for when I'm not hunched over in pain. 
 
Heavy cardio the first day or so is just too much for me, so when girl time starts the heavy cardio stops. Don't stop moving though; a nice walk is usually just what I need. I like to dial it back a bit, but not completely rid myself of cardio. 
 
The magic pill for me during my period, when it comes to exercise, is yoga. My legs and lower abdomen are where my cramps tend to appear, and a nice gentle yoga routine can usually do the trick to help me relax just enough to stretch out any tense muscles causing the pain.
 
A nice hot detox bath is another great way to find comfort during your period. At home I like to mix equal parts of baking soda and Epsom salt (usually 1/2 cup each) with 3-4 drops of lavender essential oil in my hot bath water to relax. 
 
This last period I got lucky and visited natural hot springs in Puerto Rico, it was amazing! Not exactly something I can do every month, but it was a nice treat. 
 
Lastly, do something you enjoy! I love to paint my nails and find it really relaxing. Find your favorite color and take your time giving yourself the perfect manicure. 
 
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Whole Wheat Banana Bread

August 7, 2014

Ages ago, when I first started blogging I posted this banana bread recipe. I've played with it a bit over the years, but it still stands as my favorite banana bread recipe. 

So much so that Jeremy rarely bothers to eat any. 

He knows better, I made this Monday and it's nearly gone already. 


This particular recipe is insanely easy and so adaptable. I've never messed it up and I've barely followed directions over the years. 

My absolute favorite banana to use is one that when the stem is picked up the banana falls from the stem to the counter. Overly ripe, super sweet, and perfect for banana bread. 


Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Ingredients::
1 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil (I use olive oil or coconut oil)
4 bananas, very ripe & mashed
2 tbsp Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions::
Set over to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a loaf pan with parchment paper. Shift together the four, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Beat the sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Drizzle in the oil. Add mashed bananas, yogurt, and vanilla. Fold in the dry ingredients. Pour into a lined loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

You can also add in nuts, I do depending on what's in my freezer. 


I can't promise I'll finish Nanny's recipes very soon. There are still several envelopes to go through, plus pregnancy has caused enough food aversions that I can hardly stand the kitchen.

I had a nice little spurt of no nausea and took advantage of it to whip this up! 
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A Little/Big Update

August 4, 2014

I've been pretty much missing in action on the blog the last few weeks, as well as on social media, but once I say why it will all make sense.

We're pregnant.

Yup.

I still haven't completely grasped the idea yet.

And I've felt terrible, hence the lack of posting.


We're still pretty early on, I'm currently 8 weeks and the baby (strange thing to say) is due in March 2015.

We found out pretty early on, I've always been like clockwork, and it's funny to notice just how much my mood has changed on the notion of having a baby as the weeks have progressed.

Jeremy literally talked about trying in June and we found out a few weeks later. Ridiculous! I always thought I'd have a much tougher time at this, but apparently all that praying to have at least one child before I turned 30 was well heard.

Week 4 - it still sounded like a great idea, I was only having a little fatigue and indigestion.
Week 5 - This is when the less than fun started to creep in and watching someone eat leftover food nearly sent me over the edge.
Week 6 - The nausea kicked in and I was restricted to a diet of crackers and Gatorade. I was seriously stalking IG to find out what the other prego people were eating until I realized my phone was giving me motion sickness.
Week 7 - I was positive this was a stomach bug/flu combo and was seriously hoping the doctor would tell me it would go away soon. No luck, the doctor gave me meds.


 We decided to go ahead and tell family early on, especially since we found out right before going to Jeremy's Dad's house to visit. I was dying to get Ina May Gaskin's book about childbirth and considering my father-in-law lives right down the road from The Farm I had to take advantage of the visit.

Now normally holistic obsessed Emily quickly faded away as soon as the all day nausea, gaging, and ridiculous aversion to any and all foods kicked in. There was no way I could solve my nausea problem with an holistic approach, and that crept into my reading plan.

I haven't wanted to read a thing since I've felt like this!

On the up and up though, the meds have helped a lot and week 8 isn't looking to have me bed ridden for days like I was pre-medication.

In the event you have super bad nausea let me give you the advice I was given, don't be a hero.

That was the best thing any woman has told me so far. I was miserable and couldn't function at all before begging my doctor for something to help ease it.


 This week I'm just going to give you a little update, next week I'll start with photos.

Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 8 weeks
Size of baby: Baby B is the length of a pecan
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Neither
Maternity Clothes: Regular clothes and maternity bras, although I had to use a rubber band with my skinny jeans Sunday. 
Gender: No idea
Movement: Nothing
Sleep: I'm sleeping great, it's the only time I don't feel sick. Plus my dreams have gotten insane, the other night I had one that Jeremy bought me a ton of men's underwear. 
What I miss: Coffee, raw sushi, not that I've wanted either but being told no is annoying.
Cravings: No a thing
Aversions: Meat, the meds have helped ease the aversions and I've been able to actually eat for a few days now.
Symptoms: fatigue and thinking about taking pills or brushing my teeth makes me gag.
Best Moment this week: First doctor appointment, plus Mom sent a ton of books and The Honest Toddler is hilarious! 

The hands down funniest thing about this is just how little control you actually have over your body. I was convinced I'd keep up the cardio and weight lifting and eating mostly Paleo, but the food aversions and fatigue quickly took care of that. I've at least been able to keep up weight lifting, but I want to start doing yoga where I was doing cardio this summer.

Come on 2nd trimester, I need some relief from the fatigue and nausea!

Oh and don't expect to see Meal Pinning Monday back for a few weeks, I haven't been able to stand cooking for quite a few weeks. I'm sure no one cares for a meal plan based on PB&J and bagels. 
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