who knew? | new eating habits here we come

So I grocery shopped this week with all of my knew food knowledge... and what do you know, I learned even more! First, I sadly had to face the fact that I had a handful of items in my cart high in fat: cheese, coffee creamer, almonds. I DID read the nutrition label before putting them in my cart and decided I didn't care that they were high in fat, they are staples in my home and at least they weren't high in sugar. They had hardly any nutritional value. (I had a bag of these almonds, not plain almonds.) Of course I had the all-too-familiar thought process of "maybe next time I'll leave them out." Yeah, that'll get me far. Hah. But it was good to recognize and accept that I was not making the best choices, at least. Baby steps!

So, how bad were they?

I walked down the bread aisle and caught a glimpse of a rack of Little Debbie products. For fun, I grabbed a box of cakes to read the nutritional label. To my surprise, the fat content in my high-fat items in my cart EQUALED the fat content in the Little Debbie products (I checked a couple of boxes just to make sure). I would never eat a Little Debbie cake (okay, maybe once a year and I'm reminded why I don't), but I'll consume equal amounts of bad nutrition in other foods? Wake up call!!

So... I am on a mission to lower the amount of cheese and cream brought into this house. I even started this morning with tea instead of coffee + cream. New habits... here we come!

Speaking of new habits... I bought a whole chicken for the first time, ever. If you are anything like me, you have never cooked a whole chicken and you are clueless about how to do it. Well... exciting! I found a great website with a super easy crockpot recipe for a whole chicken. It even has steps to take after it's cooked to preserve the extra meat for other recipes. Be sure to read through the comments for tons of other fab ideas.

Can you tell I'm super excited about this?! I'm off to prep the chicken and get it in the crock pot for tonight's dinner. :)

letters to sunday, month two

My precious baby girl, This month brought so many new developments in your sweet little life. You recognize me now and you smile when I talk to you. I have even caught you laughing in your sleep!

Speaking of sleep... you are the best night sleeper ever. Bed time is immediately after daddy gets home (and should probably be earlier but then you would only see daddy 3 days a week) around 7pm and you sleep solid until about 4am. Then you eat quickly and sleep again for another 2-3 hours. I thank my lucky stars every single day that you are such a wonderful night time sleeper.

You are learning to entertain yourself and you don't need to be held constantly anymore. You sit on your own longer and longer between feedings and naps... giving mommy lots of free time to get things done. And she is oh so grateful. :)

You have met many new friends this month. Between the new babies at the cafe and all the new babies that have arrived in the past few months, we are never short of someone to meet and play with. I can't wait until you begin interacting with other children, but for now I cherish the moments that you interact with just me.

You are a wiggly little thing! Just in the past few days you have gotten a lot more active, kicking your feet and swinging your arms constantly. This morning I came into your room and found you completely sideways in your crib! Oh the changes that continuously unfold... we love it!

Your dad adores you. He is constantly telling me how cute you are - as if I didn't know that already. He is an expert at getting you to fall asleep without eating at the same time - something I wish came as easily for me. But it's okay, I really enjoy our feeding times that we share. You are a good little eater and you have been since the hour you were born.

You LOVE the bath! And you even love the shower, with the water splashing on your face. This makes your mama SO happy because she loves the water and hopes to create many summer time swimming memories with you. So far it looks like we are on our way. :)

Breastfeeding was a bit of a struggle for us in the beginning and it scared me away from giving you any artificial nipples for a while. But the last few weeks we have been trying to get you to take a paci and a bottle (shhh, don't tell the doula!) and it turns out... you are NOT a fan. However, mama's persistent and we shall keep trying.

You sleep best during the day in your car seat. This makes exercise even easier for mama... you fall asleep super fast once we get going on our little jogs. Thank you for being such an easy babe.

I can't wait to watch you grow and continue to develop into the beautiful little lady that you are.

Love always,

Mama

reflections on having a home birth

Below is a collection of thoughts I've had about Sunday's birth while either preparing for it, experiencing it, or processing it. I understand my thoughts may bother some people, open a debate, or otherwise simply annoy others. Please know it is never my intention to offend anyone and my hope is that perhaps someone, even if it is just one person, will be inspired by my rambling to further research and educate themselves on their own childbirth options. It is important for you to know that I am not an expert nor do I consider myself an expert in this field at all. These are simply my thoughts and experiences from my pregnancy and labor with Sunday. Being my first go-round, I learned and processed a lot. Below is my little collection.

• People are quick to assume that having a baby at home is equal to having a baby alone in your bathroom with no medical professional around. Not always true (and not true for me).
• I lost count how many times people said to me "If I had had my baby at home, I would have died." First, please don't ever insinuate to a pregnant woman that she could possibly die during labor. We all know it is possible. You saying that is not going to make her to change her mind. Second, as soon as those words were shared I knew immediately that the person saying them was unaware of the midwifery model of care. While it couldn't be more opposite from a doctor's model of care, just because it is different doesn't mean either model is wrong.
• The midwifery model of care is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life processes, using intuition, observation, and very minimal intrusion. I spent 9 months of pregnancy (trying my best) eating healthy, exercising, accepting the educated advice and guidance from my experienced midwife, having my urine tested at every appointment, and accepting less-risky alternatives to GBS, Strep-B and blood testing. My midwife observed me throughout the nine months, we had an open relationship about how I felt physically and mentally, and together we trusted my body and both of our intuitions to communicate to us if there should be anything to be concerned about.
• I feel extremely blessed and thankful to God for a healthy, normal pregnancy and a complication-free delivery. While I tried my  best to do all that I could do (eating well, taking vitamin and mineral supplements, staying active, and choosing a less-intrusive model of care), I know that there are so many things I have no control over and I cannot express how grateful I am that everything went as smoothly as it did. I credit only God for that.
• I cannot imagine making the transition from hospital (read: 24/7 assistance and company) to home so soon after delivering a baby. I know I was emotionally all over the place those first few days after having Sunday and it was an adjustment enough for me to be awake and stuck to a baby every 2 hours on the hour. Moving myself and baby from a hospital environment to a quiet, empty home environment would be a whole other situation to process. I am grateful I did not have to do that.
• I am not sure that I could have avoided the temptation of an epidural had I labored in a hospital.
• I did not deliver Sunday naturally because I wanted to have a natural birth. I had a natural birth for two reasons: 1. I wanted to deliver at home and it was my only option, and 2. I wanted the least intrusive birth experience possible. But it wasn't about "the experience" of doing it naturally... if that makes sense.
• I was inspired to research home birth options after I photographed a home birth in 2009. It was the most calm, intimate, and enjoyable birth I had witnessed (I had witnessed a handful by that time) and I left that birth positive that I would also attempt to have a home birth.
• When I got pregnant, Tommy asked if he could name the baby "Jubal Bedford." Jokingly, I said "Sure, if I can have a home birth." He immediately responded with "I think you should totally have a home birth, that would be awesome." And I was suddenly freaked out. And definitely not okay with the name Jubal Bedford.
• It took some time for me to feel comfortable having my pre-natal appointments in a living room (midwife) vs. the comfort of a doctors office. I grew up going to the doctor, so in my mind, the Dr's office had all the answers and security. It wasn't until I was about 5 months pregnant that I truly felt comfortable and confident in our decision to have a home birth. Had I not come to that place of confidence, I would have transferred my care and delivered in a hospital.
• I recognize now how important it is for a woman to deliver her baby where she feels the safest and most secure. For more on this, check out Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. That book was, hands down, the most influential for me during my pregnancy. I began to really trust my body and my intuition after reading it and I now recommend it to all of my pregnant friends. (Here is a great, unbiased review of the book from a father-to-be.)
• I was not once checked for dilation before or during labor. While it can be exciting to know "how far dilated" you may be, I found that it was neither helpful nor hurtful to know or not know. However, being checked does have health risks and the more often you are checked, the higher the risks. I was encouraged by my amazing doula to avoid being checked and I can say I do not regret my decision to stick with that plan.
• It's kind of fun to tell people you're doing so many things "out of the norm." Home birth, no scheduled induction, no dilation checks, no sugary drink for the diabetes test, etc. That was a little too enjoyable for me.
• I found myself surprised by how many women are pregnant and completely in denial about birth. "Don't talk to me about labor, it freaks me out." Unfortunately, I have taken that same mindset with other aspects of my life and wish, in retrospect, that I had been educated about options ahead of time. I didn't want to have that same regret about birth.
• I am so grateful I hired a doula and do not plan to ever deliver another baby without a doula by my side. Laurie ran the show, comforted me, coached me through a birth that could have lasted hours longer had I been stuck in one position, encouraged me, encouraged Tommy, and nurtured us.
• I am also grateful that I hired a doula who was also a certified lactation consultant. I had complete confidence in my ability to breastfeed as long as Laurie would be there to coach me and make sure I was doing it right.
• I cannot believe how badly breastfeeding hurt at first.
• In fact, motherhood itself is the most physically painful thing I have ever experienced. From the discomfort of pregnancy, to labor, delivery, the pain of getting started with breastfeeding, to the soreness in my body from losing core strength during pregnancy... I didn't realize how much of a BABY I was. And how low my pain tolerance is as well. Good to know now. :)
• Slowly, but surely, motherhood gets better daily.
• I have no regrets about having a homebirth. I am so glad we did it and by the grace of God, we'll do it again.
• If I could change anything about my pregnancy and labor experience I would: eat better & exercise throughout the pregnancy as well as take a hypnobirthing class. I could use a bit more relaxation next time around. :)

lessons in eating clean... pt 3

If you're just joining in, check out part 1 and part 2 of this series. It is also important for you to know that all of the information I am sharing here came from a presentation by Dana Mcgehee, a local mom who is passionate about healthy eating. I know what I have been sharing is barely scraping the top of the massive amounts of information out there about eating healthy. I think Dana's goal was to share the starter tools to help us make better choices in the grocery store. In my opinion, the most valuable thing she shared is her method of reading nutrion labels and deciding if food items have enough nutritional value to consume.

Below is her tutorial:

Step 1: Go get a product from your pantry or fridge and flip to the nutrition facts label. Seriously, go get one. It will help you learn and remember this process so you can use it when you are away from the computer. :)

Step 2: Look at the list of ingredients. Ingredients are ordered from the most-used to the least-used ingredient. If the first ingredient is sugar that means it has more sugar in it than any other ingredient used - put the product back on the shelf.

Step 3: Look at the sugar content (under carbohydrate information). 9 grams is good, 6 is better, 4 is BEST. If there are more than 9g of sugar in one serving - put the product back on the shelf.

Step 4: Look at the calorie count. Then look to the right and observe how many calories from fat are listed. Multiply the calories from fat by 3. If the answer is greater than the number of calories in the product, it is very high in fat content. Put it back.

Step 5: If your food still qualifies to be added to your cart, glance at the fiber and protein counts. This is where you find the nutritional value. Obviously, if they are 0, there isn't much nutritional value. Use your own judgement when deciding if the food has enough nutritional value for you at this point.

With that information, I feel confident walking through the grocery store and choosing items based on their nutritional value. As I said earlier, all of this information is just the beginning of educating ourselves about living a healthier lifestyle. Below are some resources I plan on using to further educate myself and help inspire me to keep stepping forward in this journey. I hope you will find some of them helpful as well!

Resources for your journey (* denotes a recommendation by Dana)

Books:

• The Eat-Clean Diet by Tosca Reno*
• Ellie Krieger's books and website
• Healthy Choices for Women (a devotional)*
• Food, Fitness & Faith (for women)*
• Made to Crave
• Deceptively Delicious (cookbook)*
• The Sneaky Chef (cookbook)

Websites / blogs:

• Finding Our New Normal
• Happy Foody
• Pure Goodness
• Skinny Taste

And lastly, I want to wrap up the series with a few other random pieces of info that Dana shared:

• Children should consume between 20 and 40 grams of fiber DAILY
• Thursday are grocery clearance/sale days locally.
• Hummus is an awesome power-food and easy to make at home.
• Too much sugar is hard on the liver.
• Consider this a JOURNEY, as it has no end.

"If we neglect the Bible, we cannot benefit from God's wisdom. If we neglect to have faith we cannot benefit from God's love. And if we neglect our physical health we cannot benefit from a long, healthy life."

I hope all of this information has helped encourage you to make small changes that can make a big difference in your life. I will try to continue to share bits of our journey, including recipes and new information I learn along the way. Good luck!!

lessons in eating clean... pt 2

If you missed part 1, click here to read a list of practical ideas to help start your journey to a healthier you. When people say it IS possible to eat healthy foods on a budget, it's some times hard to believe. That's why I LOVED that Dana actually gave us a sample grocery list to get us started on this journey. She started this part off with a list of groceries she saw in women's carts throughout the store... let's see if I can remember (I didn't write that list down):

• pop tarts
• toaster strudels
• frozen pancakes  & waffles
• hot pockets
• macaroni and cheese (a HUGE weakness of ours!)
• pre-packaged chips (for lunches)
• pre-packaged cookies
• sugary cereal
• ice cream
• frozen pizza

Her list was extensive, these are just the few things I remember. Then she rattled off our new grocery list and this is what I was able to jot down:

• whole chicken/turkey/ham (on sale)
• brown rice
• fruit (on sale)
• canned beans
• salsa
• tomatoes
• celery
• oats
• spaghetti sauce
• carrots
• organic milk
• yogurt
• whole wheat pasta noodles
• natural, unsweetened applesauce
• canned pumpkin
• canned sweet potatoes
• flour
• whole wheat tortillas

A couple of notes about the grocery list:

• The thing I loved about her presentation was that it wasn't extreme. Beginning a journey of eating healthier is no small step, but she presented it in such a capable, non-intimidating way. There are a few things I disagreed with about her list - for example, anything canned. I don't agree that it is the most nutritious way to approach things, but it's low-cost and it's better than a lot of what we are eating now. So while there are things she suggests that may not be the BEST option, she keeps it real. And I appreciate that.
• Boxed Macaroni & Cheese is "THE WORST." This was the WORST news ever as it's the one exception I make as far as buying preserved food that will last forever and ever (gross). We eat ridiculous amounts of macaroni & cheese. But, between the insane amounts of sodium and the dyes, it happens to have no nutritional value whatsoever. So... we will make this a rare treat around here from now on. (sigh)
• I prefer to make my own spaghetti sauce from scratch... err... with canned tomatoes. I have read that canned tomatoes are some of the worst foods you can eat. This is very unfortunate (for me) and I am not sure yet if I should buy spaghetti sauce or find an alternative way to make it (like, *gasp* from actual fresh tomatoes!).
• Regular milk is LOADED with additional sugars (news to me!) and if you must buy and drink milk, buy organic.
• Anything orange is dyed (even oranges have artificial dyes added to them): Yellow cheeses, kraft macaroni & cheese, orange soda, etc.

Okay, more to come in Part 3. I'll try my best to explain how to read Nutritional labels and throw in the last few of the notes I took as well. I don't know about you guys, but this is really fun for me! :)