A Dramatic Entrance - Roo's Arrival

Our son has arrived... And what a whirlwind! 

At 3:30pm on Sunday I had the dramatic breaking of the water. We had all been out at the pool, and I was sitting in my lazy chair when suddenly I experienced "the gush!" I honestly wasn't certain if it was my water, but looking back I simply didn't want to get my hopes up when in reality I knew what was going on.

Only one slight problem... I hadn't had a single contraction. 

We called my aunt, who is a nurse, and sought her advice. She said to grab a snack and head to the hospital if contractions hadn't started within two hours. So I grabbed a yogurt and a banana and we took our time getting last minute items together and taking a few silly pictures... Just in case this was it! 

Funny because I had no pain at all!

5:30om: We headed out. Upon arrival at the hospital at 5:45pm they ran us through triage for about five minutes. Once she determined it WAS my water that was dripping all over the floor as we traveled from room to room they had us in a delivery room and hooked up to monitors by 6:00pm. The midwife quickly arrived and started to explain I was only 1cm dilated with no contractions, they would have to induce. The induction would be a 12-48 hour process... My heart just dropped.

Triage Room

 

6:30pm: Suspicious about the baby's position, the midwife brought in the sonogram machine and we got to see little Roo again, for the first time since week 18 of pregnancy. After a moment she stopped the picture and turned to me... He was breached (head up and in the wrong direction.) Now, natural birth was no longer an option. Because of the broken water and lack of fluid they could not turn the baby to the proper position and delivering breach was a huge risk to us both. 

The moment we discovered Roo was Breach

6:40pm: The midwife then explained the only option was a c section done as soon as possible. By now it was about 6pm and they were talking about a midnight delivery due to the 4:30 snack I had eaten. We settled into signing all the documents, having my blood tested, answering a billion questions, and calling close family to let them in on the imminent arrival. 

7:30pm: We met with the anesthesiologists and midwives and nurses; we were then informed the surgery was moved up and we would be taken in within the hour. I think God allowed the whole process to speed up so I couldn't have time to panic. We simply had to follow the instructions of the physicians around us.



Gowned up and ready for the OR

9:35pm: I was bent over an OR table receiving my much needed spinal block. I remember the pinch then suddenly a man wrapped me up in his arms and laid me out flat on the table. This is when I started to panic; as my legs went numb and arms were restrained for medical purposes. The separator went up and the anesthesiologist drew some waves on it for me; said it looked like an ocean... I'm pretty sure they gave me something for my anxiety..

9:50pm: They brought Eric in right as they were starting and after lots of tugging and pulling we heard Roo's first cry at 9:59pm. The entire process was only a few minutes from the time I was numbed from the ribs down to the arrival of our son. The nurses took him over to a table and Eric joined them for some immediate vital checks and whatnot.

Soon Eric returned with Roo in his hands and the nurse shot a few "first" family photos!

Once the procedure was done I went to recovery where I fed Roo for the first time and we got all his footprints and such done. Here we spent two hours before going up to our tiny cramped room. Nanny, Eric and I all got to hold Roo and take in everything; Nanny has some funny videos of me as I was on quite the medication!



Nanny Holding Roo for the first time



Mommy holding Roo for the first time



 

I could go on and on with all the details but I'll try and sum up the next three days of recovery for you.

The first night - I hardly remember other than the cramped room and being bothered every hour by nurses.

I told you it was cramped!

Day one - Roo had his ears tested and we were both watched around the clock. Mostly we cuddled and snuggled and tried to learn how to feed. We were upgraded to a MUCH larger room as Eric is on staff with the hospital. They apologized profusely for putting us in a small one.



Daddy learning the art of Diaper Changing - He is great at it

Day two - Gramps arrived all the way from New York. Roo also met his cousin and uncle (my brother Jeremy and his daughter) via Skype. Lots more cuddles as Roo wouldn't sleep without me. Mom brought Donuts!

Roo meeting Gramps!

Day three - I had been up all night with baby. The pediatric nurse even spent an hour in the wee hours of the night trying to calm Roo, to no avail. Skin to Skin was the only solace for our little man. I was more mobile and we were discharged that morning after some final vitals and checks.

Daddy with all the luggage to go home!

So many tears, so many moments of joy, and so little sleep later we were home with our boy. I'm so thankful for a healthy, happy son and a supportive, loving family. Now it's time to recover and, somehow, figure out this entire "mom" thing.

Home Sweet Home with our Plus One

eMeals-a-Million

Well I suppose it is time to update you all on my eMeals plan!

When I signed up I joined the "low calorie" plan to help balance my nutrition and portion sizes during this pregnancy. The start was a little rough as a few of the meals were, well lets just say, interesting.

Chipotle Meatballs over Rice

The first week of groceries came out to around 85$ for the ingredients listed. I found this to be a little high from their estimation of $50-$75 per week. Then I realized that this was because I had to buy several staple items that I did not have in my kitchen (ex: Canola oil, spices, etc...).

My next hurdle was that I did not have a need for all seven meals provided. This was quickly remedied by crossing out the items on the list that were numbered for the meals we weren't using. I'm finding my collection of recipes has grown enormously - it's almost overwhelming! I am, however, storing my favorites away in my personal recipe box to use at a later time.

Baked Chicken over Chickpeas and Cherry Tomatoes

My second week of groceries came out to about 65$ and this included not just eMeal ingredients, but also my other meal items as well (ex: milk, eggs, bread, etc...). This seems a lot more reasonable than the first week.

The meals have become a little more inviting and, well, normal. We've had bacon wrapped chicken, steak, pork chops, and some vegetarian varieties also. I like that this meal plan is high protein/veggies and low carb. Most meals take an average of 30-40 minutes to prepare/cook and my recipes always inform me when I need to pre-marinade or chill an item. 

Bacon Wrapped Chicken with a Chilled Pea Salad

One special thing I have noticed is when a recipe calls for a quantity that is SMALLER than the sold quantity, a recipe later in the week will use up the rest of that ingredient so I am less wasteful. Also, shopping with such a thorough list has helped me to not purchase unnecessary or larger-than-needed items. I must note that we need to take the garbage out a little less now!

eMeals is helping me to come out of my comfort zone with cooking but not to the point of being wasteful with my time. I'm enjoying trying new flavors or combinations that I never would have thought of. 

Pork Chops with Strawberry Balsamic topping

So far I would rate my eMeals experience at a 4 out of 5 stars. What would make it five star? An iPad app!

Easy Skillet Chicken Parm

My poor husband. He loves fish - but never gets to eat it because I don't know how to make it nor do I like eating it. We usually resolve this dilemma by, on occasion, eating out and he will order some sort of seafood dish. However from time to time he asks me to make one of his childhood memory dishes that contain some odd-to-me smelling fish.

This time he wanted his mom's, family-famous Cream Tuna on Toast - YUCK!
 
So that leaves me in the lurch when this happens, having to prepare two meals at once. With a refrigerator that is nearly empty I wasn't sure what to swing together for myself so I decided to improvise!
 
I came up with an easy recipe for Skillet Chicken Parm.

 
What You'll Need

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 1/2 cups  Traditional Italian Sauce (I like Classico)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces)  

 

How to Make It

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until well browned on both sides.

 

Stir the sauce and 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese in the skillet.  Reduce the heat to low.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  Sprinkle with the mozzarella and remaining Parmesan cheese.  Let stand for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  

Obviously I didn't make 6 chicken breasts for myself. I reduced everything down for 1 chicken. You can put the entire pan in the oven after sprinkling the chesses on it to crust the cheese, but I found it melted was sufficient for me.
The entire meal took me 25 minutes to prepare and cook, so I starred the recipe card in my box and will use it again!

 

 

Budget Busting Meal Plans

A few years back my Husband Eric and I were looking at our lives through the eyes of newlyweds. One of the realities you have to face when you get married is; what's his is mine and what's mine is his. This includes your debt.

 

We were blessed that our debt was smaller than most newly weds as I had no college loans to speak of at the time of our marriage, and our wedding was cash-flowed. A few months in we took part in a 12 week Financial course produced and hosted by Dave Ramsey called Financial Peace University. Our focused turned quickly to loan payments and soon we'd brought our debt down to one last loan. (One day I want to blog about our journey to "debt free.")

 

Part two of being a newlywed, mostly as a wife, is the realization that you can no longer stock the cupboard with Ramen Noodles and canned Tuna. I was fortunate to get several "newlywed" cookbooks that taught me basic skills and easy meals.

Two and a half years later, Meal Planning is a part of my weekly routine. Every Thursday I get all the flyers for local grocers and make my list of meals for the week. This often ends in us eating the same meals on a two week rotation and buying more than we need or use. I often feel I walk out of the store spending way too much on things that will just end up in the trash because I forgot to use them.

As a rule, our family measures our financial decisions against the wisdom of Dave Ramsey. Yes, we realize and accept that he is not prefect nor the end-all to every financial question. That is why I say we "measure" our decisions against his wisdom but we have found many of his tools and recommendations very helpful to our family.

So what does Food and Dave Ramsey have to do with each other?

Dave Ramsey Recommends eMeals

"Food is the biggest budget buster of all. I’ve wanted someone to create a practical solution to the 'beans and rice, rice and beans' dilemma. Finally... eMeals has done it! Now thousands of my listeners subscribe to eMeals. You will save a ton of time and money." - Dave Ramsey

eMeals is an online service that allows you to pick a meal plan based on your dietary preferences, your cooking style, the number of people in your family, and the grocery stores you frequent. In addition to giving you a weekly meal plan, it also provides a detailed grocery list, all for $5 a month!

Oh but you know me - I need a deal! So check out this great Groupon for 50% off your membership!
So we Signed up! With our Groupon the cost of eMeals is $2.42 per month. Several of our friends are taking part as well and rave about the plans. Here are the options you can currently choose from on eMeals:

 

Dinner Plans               Lunch Plans          Breakfast Plans             Dessert Plans

Gluten Free                 Low Carb              Low Fat                         Low Calorie

Portion Control           Vegetarian             Natural and Organic     Clean Eating

Paleo                           Mediterranean        Simple Gourmet           Vegetarian

 

As a part of each plan, you receive a grocery list, new recipes each week, and you can change your meal plan Once a month if you don't like the plan you're doing. eMeals states you will spend between $75-$85 a week on groceries for a family of 3-6 ($50-$75 for a family of 2-3).

So, coming this week, our Journey in eMeals begins. Follow my eMeals Tag for updates, or you can find the link at the top in my Blog Menu for posts specific to this journey. I will be tracking our spending, meals we enjoy, as well as the benefits of having the hard work done for me.

You can find more information about eMeals by clicking Here or you can see my eMeals link on the side of my blog. Click the link to Follow by email of subscribe to my blog for all my updates!

Glucose Poisoning Test!

Well if you're following my blog at all you'll remember in my post "Weights and Measure" I talked about starting the Gestational Diabetes Diet to help regulate my carbohydrate intake and normalize my nutrition levels. So far I have been feeling 10 times better than before; I'm less hungry in between meals, I'm digesting with more ease, and I feel healthier!

I felt like all my hard work was thrown out the window yesterday when I went for my Glucose test.

I'm not really a research kind of person. Some moms-to-be spend every waking moment pouring over material concerning the many aspects of pregnancy and the decisions needing to be made. I am NOT one of these moms. I tend to inform myself on subjects as they come up. So when it came to my glucose test, I was told I needed to get blood drawn one week before my next appointment (the blood work is outsourced to Labcorp). I didn't think anything of this, figured I'd show up, they'd take blood, and I'd be out of there.

NOPE!

You'd think my Midwife would have said something about this taking over an hour to complete, not to mention the poisonous, orange Glucose drink I'd have to chug down at the Lab.

That orange drink is filled with JUNK!

Water (non-carbonated) D-Glucose (source corn) Citric acid anhydrous Sodium benzoate Orange flavor Yellow dye #6 Total: 50 g glucose

I read the label and explained to the technician I wasn't comfortable drinking it, I was told I had NO CHOICE! Then the shock came that I would have to sit in the waiting room for an hour before they could draw blood. This is so silly...

Next time I plan on insisting on an alternative such as Cranberry Juice instead of these toxins they forced on me. This Glucose concoction had me shaky all day, caused a stomach ache, and kept me awake late into the night. For a body that is avoiding most of these ingredients it really took it's toll.

So talk to your OBG when they mention the Glucose Test. See if you can take an alternative. Ask if you can drink it at home and not wait for an hour at the lab. It's your body and your time. No one should be dictating to you how things should be done.

Weights and Measure... Week 24

Well, here we are at 24 weeks. Who knew we would make it this far without loosing our minds?

Baby Roo is growing fast... and so am I! A lot of people comment about how small I look for being 24 weeks, yet my OBG says I need to lay off the carbs and slow down the weight gain. I guess she knows something I don't.

My original goal was to stay under a certain weight during this pregnancy. After leaving my previous job, I realized I had gained a whole 30 pounds since starting there a year earlier. It was hard not to gain weight with all the homemade goodies and pot lucks we shared to keep morale up. Not to mention I would sit for 8+ hours a day!

Over Excessive Amounts of Food at Work

After I quit, I set out to live a healthier lifestyle. In the 3 months between quitting and the news about Baby Roo, I had successful lost a total of 20lbs., a fact I am very proud of. So my goal was to not gain more than 20 in this pregnancy... FAT CHANCE! (see what I did there? Ha-ha)

So far I've gained 16lbs. in 24 weeks. Because I was so hungry all the time, I assumed filling myself with carbs like rice would be helpful. As a result, most of my meals consisted of rice and something else. WRONG! I'm so thankful my OBG took the time to explain to me what sorts of foods and nutrition I need for the pregnancy. That's when I started the Gestational Diabetes Diet.

If you're going to diet while pregnant, I would immediately tell you not to. You're growing a human for goodness sakes. The only reason I started this "diet" was because I knew I wasn't getting the correct nutrition and needed a more protein calculated diet. Being that I've never really learned how to balance my diet properly, this Gestational Diabetes Diet is safe for pregnancy and gives me proper nutritional information based on my baby's needs.

Now I have a plan! I eat a certain amount of protein at each snack/meal and have replaced some other, not so great, food items with healthier alternatives. Is it easy? NO!! I still fail and eat half a row of cookies in one sitting or demolish the box of chocolates my husband got me for Valentines Day. (PS it's girl scout cookies time... what wonderful timing!)

Here are a few of my goals for my diet

• 3 small meals and 2-3 snacks - same time every day
• foods high in fiber - replacing white flour/rice with Whole Wheat
• 4 servings of Dairy Products - milk, yogurt, etc...
• 8 cups of water each day!

So far it's been a good week! I can tell I'm eating differently and need to adjust accordingly. All in all, it's worth it for my little guy and for the health of our family! Nutrition will be a life long battle in this country, and especially for me.

Penny Pinching in the Garden - Guest Post by Jennie

I asked my dear friend Jennie if she would be willing to write a guest post for us this week. She hosts her own blog; The Canadian Housewife, where she blogs about their large garden and all the fresh produce they grown themselves!  Enjoy her tips for Penny Pinching in the Garden

Without Further to do - I give you The Canadian Housewife, Jennie

When Jessie asked me to write a guest post for her blog, I felt honored and excited to have been chosen. I had always wanted to write a guest post and I finally had the opportunity to do so. I hope I meet her expectations and that you enjoy what I have to share about penny pinching in the garden!

Growing your own vegetables can be a big money saver in the long run. Yes, there are some up front costs to it and you’ll have to put a bit of money into it from year to year, but overall, it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than buying fresh all year round.

There are plenty of ways to go about gardening, from small container gardens on a patio to full scale backyard gardens. I don’t have much experience with container gardening as my garden is currently a 20’x28’ plot in my backyard, but I feel like many of my tips can be applied to all types of gardening.

 

First of all, only grow vegetables that you like. You won’t save money if you plant something you won’t eat, just because you think you should. If you don’t like carrots, don’t grow carrots. Choose your seeds according to your taste buds.

Secondly, don’t go crazy planting huge amounts. Just because you like beans doesn’t mean you should plant enough to feed half your neighborhood. If you plant more than you can eat of something, most of it will go to waste and you once again won’t have saved any money. 

Third, don’t waste food. If you have too much produce, find other ways of using it up. Whether by freezing it, canning it or giving it away, you don’t want the food to just rot and then get thrown out. If you have a killer crop of tomatoes one year, try more recipes that include tomatoes and learn to can the extras. If you have too many beans, blanch and freeze them for winter use.

Read about Freezing our Winter Beans Here

Growing your own food is so rewarding and definitely worth the time and effort you put into it.  gardening does take a lot of hard labour but when you sit down for your first meal with a side of fresh garden veggies you just picked that day, it will all be worth it. Plus, it’s also nice to know that the $3 bag of seeds you bought is now feeding you for half the year.

For me, gardening is a nice way to save money on food. I’m cutting back on my grocery bills without having to compromise my health. 

If you want to read more about my garden, swing by my blog for my post “What’s Growing Wednesday?” weekly updates.

How my Puppy is Saving my Life

Living with CFS and Fibromialgia is a daily challenge that come with its own set to symptoms that is often manifested in ways that the "normal" person would not be able to recognize. It's often emotionally taxing to help loved ones around you understand the seriousness of the illness as well as its impact on your energy, your motivation, and even your physical fitness. For all intents and purposes a person living with CFS or Fibromialgia may look and completely normal on a regular basis, however that person has great challenges that the average person will not understand unless they experience it themselves.

Support groups are often encouraged for these illnesses, however they are few and far between. When I suggested to Eric that we take on the responsibilities of a puppy, I never realized what affect she would have on my life or how she would help me cope with the day to day struggle.

I recently read this study on the CFS/Fibromyalgia webpage on how pets (cat or dog) can reduce stress and help sufferers to cope better. After reading this study, it helped me realize that the daily frustrations of teaching Stella to not pull on her leash or not bark at the neighbors is actually worth it when she sits with me and helps me feel loved and calm. I think it's a gift that God has given animals that we as humans cannot obtain. I wanted to share the highlights from the article:

The Health Benefits of Pet Ownership, By Elizabeth Scott, M.S.

When thinking of ways to reduce stress in life, usually techniques like meditation, yoga and journaling come to mind. These are great techniques, to be sure. But getting a new best friend can also have many stress relieving and health benefits.

While human friends provide great social support and come with some fabulous benefits, this article focuses on the benefits of furry friends: cats and dogs. Research shows that, unless you’re someone who really dislikes animals or is absolutely too busy to care for one properly, pets can provide excellent social support, stress relief and other health benefits—perhaps more than people!

Here are more health benefits of pets:

Pets Can Improve Your Mood:

For those who love animals, it’s virtually impossible to stay in a bad mood when a pair of loving puppy eyes meets yours, or when a super-soft cat rubs up against your hand. Research supports the mood-enhancing benefits of pets. A recent study found that men with AIDS were less likely to suffer from depression if they owned a pet. (According to one study, men with AIDS who did not own a pet were about three times more likely to report symptoms of depression than men who did not have AIDS. But men with AIDS who had pets were only about 50 percent more likely to report symptoms of depression, as compared to men in the study who did not have AIDS.)

Pets Control Blood Pressure Better Than Drugs:

Yes, it’s true. While ACE inhibiting drugs can generally reduce blood pressure, they aren’t as effective on controlling spikes in blood pressure due to stress and tension. However, in a recent study, groups of hypertensive New York stockbrokers who got dogs or cats were found to have lower blood pressure and heart rates than those who didn’t get pets. When they heard of the results, most of those in the non-pet group went out and got pets!

Pets Encourage You To Get Out And Exercise:

Whether we walk our dogs because they need it, or are more likely to enjoy a walk when we have companionship, dog owners do spend more time walking than non-pet owners, at least if we live in an urban setting. Because exercise is good for stress management and overall health, owning a dog can be credited with increasing these benefits.

Pets Can Help With Social Support: When we’re out walking, having a dog with us can make us more approachable and give people a reason to stop and talk, thereby increasing the number of people we meet, giving us an opportunity to increase our network of friends and acquaintances, which also has great stress management benefits.

Pets Stave Off Loneliness and Provide Unconditional Love:

Pets can be there for you in ways that people can’t. They can offer love and companionship, and can also enjoy comfortable silences, keep secrets and are excellent snugglers. And they could be the best antidote to loneliness. In fact, research shows that nursing home residents reported less loneliness when visited by dogs than when they spent time with other people! All these benefits can reduce the amount of stress people experience in response to feelings of social isolation and lack of social support from people.

Pets Can Reduce Stress—Sometimes More Than People:

While we all know the power of talking about your problems with a good friend who’s also a good listener, recent research shows that spending time with a pet may be even better! Recent research shows that, when conducting a task that’s stressful, people actually experienced less stress when their pets were with them than when a supportive friend or even their spouse was present! (This may be partially due to the fact that pets don’t judge us; they just love us.)

It’s important to realize that owning a pet isn’t for everyone.

Pets do come with additional work and responsibility, which can bring its own stress. However, for most people, the benefits of having a pet outweigh the drawbacks. Having a furry best friend can reduce stress in your life and bring you support when times get tough.

Sources:

Evenson RJ, Simon RW. Clarifying the Relationship Between Parenthood and Depression. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. December 2005.

I love my puppy Stella!