Pregnancy Update

I realized I haven't written an update on this pregnancy or my condition in a hot minute!

If you read this post, you know about my condition and the risks implicated. So far I haven't had any complications with my body, but when I went to my last checkup, my doctor told me about complications with this baby boy.

At the 20 week ultrasound, you know the one where they check all the organs, size of the head, bones, etc. The doctor found a concern in baby's kidneys. The openings from the kidney to the urinary tract, the funnel shaped part, if you will, was bigger than normal in both kidneys. He sent me to the specialist, which I hate going to, but I'll do anything for this baby.

I went to the specialist and after looking at the baby and measuring the openings, everything looks normal! Yay! I am so relieved.

Here I am at 28 weeks, ready to take the glucose test this week and so ready to meet this baby!

How far along: 28 weeks.

Gender: Boy.

Maternity clothes: Of course! Some of them don't fit me anymore ha!

Sleep: Awful! Nothing is helping anymore. I'm about to jump on the essential oil train!

Best moment this month: Just feeling baby boy karate chop me at all times of the day.

Worst moment this month: Heart burn! Ahhhh! And this awful heat!

Miss anything: I actually do miss a good alcoholic beverage. An ice cold beer sounds REALLY good right now. 

Movement: Tons like a ninja!

Cravings: Watermelon, anything with chili, coffee (yay!), salads, pretty much anything refreshing. Same as it has been.

Queasy or sick: Nope.

Looking forward to: Getting over this heat, getting some rain, and kicking my feet at the end of the day!

A couple of past bump update pics.

26 weeks.

27 weeks and jamming out. :)

Hoping this week goes by fast!

Vegetarian Lasagna

I'll start off by saying that I love carbs. Like really love carbs as much as the next person and I still eat them, but I try to stick to the good ones like whole grains. I have mentioned before that with this pregnancy, I have been trying so hard to eat much healthier than I did with my previous one. I gained so much weight that my doctor asked me to slow down! Plus baby weight isn't fun for anyone. I have also been trying to eat as little meat as possible so finding alternatives it is!

I am sure there are a million recipes out there (Pinterest!) on how to make vegetarian lasagna, but this is how I make it. No measuring and with ingredients and veggies we like.

So simple, although it does take a bit of time to put together, but the end result is so worth it!

You'll need-

Eggplant- 1 and a half
Zucchini- 3
Cottage cheese
Mozzarella- skim, 1 2cup bag
Oregano
Organic marinara sauce- 1 jar

The first step is to roast the veggies a bit with olive oil, salt and pepper. I sliced them really thinly, laid them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 5-7 minutes or until slightly cooked. I didn't want them browned, just pliable enough. If you've had eggplant before, you know that it takes a while to cook enough for it to be cut with a fork easily, and for it to absorb flavors. If you feel like this step is too much, or too time consuming, you can probably skip it and just bake your lasagna for a little longer! I totally wouldn't make this during the week, I save these types of recipes for the weekend, especially Sundays when I have to make bigger meals for lunch on Mondays. :)

Once you have all of the veggies lightly roasted, spread a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of a glass baking pan and layer one of the veggies, add more sauce, cottage cheese, mozzarella and a bit of oregano then the other veggie. Continue layering until you're out of veggies!

Bake for about 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees. Cheese will melt, sauce will bubble and the veggies will be deliciously soft and flavorful. It tastes just like lasagna.

This makes about 8 servings. I always make this much because we have it for dinner and lunch the next day.

I hope you try this and enjoy it!

Camping Trip

This past weekend, I took Friday off to take advantage of the three day weekend we had for the 4th of July. I stayed home with Elliot and Jack had to work, but I really didn't want to stay home all weekend. I wanted to take advantage of the days with my family we had ahead.

As soon as Jack got home from work I told him we should do something like going camping, since we have everything needed from Jack's camping days with his friends.

Off we went Saturday morning! It was such a fun adventure. We had never been camping together, therefore, Elliot had never been camping and he had so much fun roughing it up in the wild! :)

On the way there he kept asking where were we going. I explained a million times but I don't think he could grasp the concept yet, pictures and all. I packed him snacks and a couple of surprise toys to keep him occupied but he did so good and never once complained.

We found the perfect little spot to set up our tent and chairs right by the mountain and we swear we heard a bear in the middle of the night, which was terrifying since we were in bear country! It was also really cold at night and Elliot woke up a couple of times saying he wanted to go home, we knew we made the right choice by only staying one night. Easing him into this camping thing slowly! The next day we packed everything up and headed back home. The entire way Elliot kept saying he wanted to go home. I guess he's an old soul most comfortable at home, just like us!

We took him by the lake on our way out so he could see the fish and ducks. I think that was his favorite place and part of the trip. He didn't want to leave and I can't blame him!

Three things to take away if you're planning on camping with your kids-

1. Take an air mattress for your tent. This was life saving! Most importantly, take an electric pump for your mattress and inflate it inside the tent. Getting it inside after was a B. 

2. Count the amount of nights you're staying and double or triple that in outfits for the kids. I took three pants and two shorts plus two jackets and four pairs of socks for Elliot for ONE night. Jack looked at me like I was crazy when I was packing but we ended up using pretty much all his clothes. Lot's of blankets too!

3. Let your kids explore and get dirty. At first I kept telling Elliot "don't go here, don't do that!" till Jack told me I needed to let him be. He was so right! Elliot just wanted to be a kid and he loved it. We let him do just that, hence the use of all his clothes. 

Being six months pregnant wasn't easy, but we made the most of it and had such a nice time. The place is beautiful and so calming and relaxing. We had the most perfect weather for a fire and Smore's. I had never had one before and I wanted to make it a point to try one. They weren't my favorite as they are too sweet for me but they were pretty good!

We then had a small celebration for Independence Day with yummy food on Monday. This couldn't have been a better weekend. 

We are already planning our next trip. I hope you are having a great week!

Hump Day Bumpdate

Yesterday Jack and I went to the doctor for my twenty week visit. This pregnancy has truly been flying by and I cannot believe I am halfway there! Smooth sailing from now on, fingers crossed.

Here's a little update on how everything is going-

How far along: Almost 21 weeks. Eek!

Gender: Still a boy! It's funny because as the ultrasound tech was trying to look at baby boy's parts, he was crossing his legs so hard! I jokingly asked "It's still a boy right?" and after trying for a few more seconds, the tech was able to say that yes, it's still a boy. Jack and I found out we were having a boy at 10 weeks with a blood test, and I asked the tech if those can ever be wrong, and he said they could if done too early. It's definitely a boy. :)

Maternity clothes: ALL THE WAY! This belly is growing a mile a minute. I keep telling my doc that there's twins in there, he can't find the other one. ;)

Sleep: Finally started sleeping better. I pulled out my pregnancy pillow from the closet and it is life changing. If you're expecting and you don't have one, please go get one now. You'll thank me later.

Best moment this month: Yesterday's checkup! There's nothing more reassuring than having this ultrasound to find out baby has all the bones he needs, his brain, kidneys and heart look really good plus listening to his heart beat is literally music to our ears. Also, the doctor told us that I am a good candidate for vaginal birth after my c-section which is both exciting and terrifying. 

Worst moment this month: Everything has been good! 

Miss anything: After being so sick with this pregnancy for the first 19 weeks, I thought being grossed out by the smell of beer or any alcoholic drink would never go away. Now I'm craving a really cold Corona! Ha. Irony.

Movement: Tons! According to the ultrasound tech, baby boy is breech right now. It's not surprising since I feel kicks all day long right on the bottom of my belly. 

Cravings: Watermelon, anything with chili, coffee (yay!), salads, pretty much anything refreshing.

Queasy or sick: Not anymore!! 

Looking forward to: Jack and Elliot feeling the baby kick. I'm dying for Elliot to better understand that there's actually a little person in my belly, just as he was! Right now he knows there's a baby, but blows me off when I tell him the baby is kicking or ask if he wants to see a picture of the baby. He says "He can't see it" while looking at my belly. Ha! 

Couscous & Lentil Salad

On the weekends, the last thing you want to do is spend so much time in the kitchen making a full meal. I do this during the week and usually we eat out on the weekend, but that gets really expensive really quick. Plus who doesn't have the usual argument about where do we go? What do we eat? I don't know you pick, what do you crave? I'm sure you all have been there.

We had leftover couscous and lentil that I made during the week and decided that I would somehow make that a quick and painless full lunch. This dish is usually made with wheat and lentil, but I couldn't find the wheat at the store and haven't made a run to the Middle Eastern store lately.

Here's the original recipe for that, just replace the wheat with couscous as they are cooked the same or you can use wheat!

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You'll need:

Cracked wheat #1 or #2- You can get this at a Middle Eastern store or at any grocery store you'll find boxes to make Tabbouleh, just use the wheat in the box and not the spice packet.

Green lentils
Pepper
Salt
Olive Oil
1 Clove of garlic

You cook the lentils in water with the clove of garlic and a little salt for about 10 minutes or until almost done. In a large deep pan, add a little bit of water and the wheat, add the lentils with a little bit of the lentil water, salt, pepper and a little olive oil. Cover the pan and let it cook for about 10 minutes. Taste it, it should be soft but not mushy. You'll love it! I also make a cucumber, tomato, cilantro salad with lime, salt and plain yogurt. It's the perfect combination! The creaminess of the salad with the wheat. 
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For this salad you'll need:

Cucumber
Tomato
Red onion
Mint
Cilantro
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper

I was craving some sort of hearty salad, so I peeled and sliced a cucumber very thinly, diced a tomato, sliced a red onion and added mint and cilantro along with the juice of a lime, olive oil, salt and pepper. You can even add some Feta cheese and olives! It was so filling and so delicious that it was the perfect lunch. We have been trying to avoid eating meats too much, and this one was perfect for that. Super healthy too!

Let's conquer Monday friends!

Working Mama + Toddler In Daycare

You know that dreaded daycare phone call you get when you're at work, the one you don't want to get, you don't expect, and when you see it, your heart starts racing and a million things go through your head? Yes, it's happened to me more than once. More than I ever want to experience.

Now with another baby on the way, being a full time working mama seems harder and harder to grasp everyday. I hate those calls. Jack says hate is a strong word, but I do, I hate them.

When I hear my phone vibrate on top of my desk, the worst always comes to mind. My son is hurt. Something happened to him. What is it? Did he fall? Or maybe he has a fever? He threw up? Those actually aren't as bad as the ones I've received where the teacher on the other end of the line sounds nervous, and you immediately know something is wrong. Shit, what happened?

I was actually on my way to lunch not too long ago when I got one of the dreaded phone calls. I answered nervously and as soon as I heard his teacher I knew something was wrong. The first thing she said was, "Elliot is okay" my heart started pounding in my chest. He had been jumping on his little cot where he takes his naps and landed right on the corner of it head first. Ugh. He's bleeding, she said, but she put an ice pack on it for the swelling. Swelling? Shit. I call my sister and of course, like in every other situation, she drops everything and goes to pick him up. Thank God I have her. She sends me a picture and it looks pretty bad, a bump with a cut the size of a golf ball, but he looks happy to be with her and my heart and body relax. I don't have to leave work this time.

I go pick him up from my sister's and hug him and kiss him while he tells me all about his accident. He tells me he has a "coco" (slang word in Spanish for a bruise or cut) a million times and I hug him and kiss him a million times.

This isn't what I want to talk about though. I want to talk about the life of a toddler in daycare and in turn, my life as a working mom.

I know I have mentioned time and time again (probably too many times) that being a working mama is hard. For me personally, the hardest part of my day is when I drop Elliot off in the morning. I try to sound so excited that he's going to "school" and how he's going to have a great day and learn so much while playing with his friends. Inside, I'm hurting thinking to myself, I don't want to go to work, I want to stay with my son!

It has taken me a while to come to terms (not entirely) with the fact that me staying home is just not feasible right now. I'm okay with that. Most of the time. I still have my days where I wish I could, but here is where I start to think about all of the pros that have come from having Elliot in daycare.

He has developed so much as a little boy that he leaves our mouths wide open with that he says and does. He has learned so much! Aside from social skills, he's in a Toddler School Program where they go through a book with the teacher and they learn about everything. ABC's, numbers, counting, colors, shapes, animals, you name it. He loves doing homework! Huge plus. We will be driving down the street and he will start counting school buses, or trees or birds and I am so thankful for that. It makes me feel at peace with the fact that I am away from him for eight to nine hours a day.

He also has a strict schedule, he eats and sleeps at the same time everyday. The biggest pro for me is that he loves his teachers and his teachers genuinely love him. I see that when I drop him off and pick him up. He also loves his little friends and waves bye to all of them when we leave. He listens more and understands what he needs to do when something is asked from him.

I also love that my job is flexible enough where I can leave if I have to and I am so so grateful for that. I have spoken to my boss about how I absolutely love my job, but my family will always come first no matter what, especially with me being one of the only women with small kids in the company. He understands.

What does need to catch up with the times is paid FMLA. We are one of the only countries where we only get twelve weeks and they can be paid or unpaid depending on your employer. In my case, they are unpaid and I have to try to save as much vacation and sick time as I can for my maternity leave. That really irks me. Canada gives mothers a year. A year! Germany gives them THREE years! We are so behind when it comes to quality of family and life. That makes me sad and angry! Hopefully this changes soon! Before this baby is born if possible. ;)

For now, I make the best out of my situation and always try to look on the positive side of things. I also know those calls from daycare are inevitable and "cocos" would happen at home as well. No, I'm not with Elliot as much as I want to be, but when I am, I spend quality time with him and I know he appreciates that. I also tell him that mama has to go to work because daddy and I want to be able to afford what he needs. I'm sure he doesn't understand that quite yet, but he does know that in the mornings he has to go to school because mama has to work, but "you will pick me up right mama?" Of course my baby, mama will always be there to pick you up!

Have a great Friday friends!

The Truth About My Pregnancy (Five Things Friday)

Instead of writing about five things I'm liking this Friday, I will tell you about five things that are very different in my second pregnancy.

Obviously every pregnancy is different, but just how different? Let's see.

1. Morning sickness (aka ALL day sickness)- This has been the biggest difference with this pregnancy. I was sick ALL day everyday for about sixteen weeks and still get a little nauseous in the afternoons sometimes. It was by far the worst I've ever felt! I'm so glad I'm over it for the most part. I was sick only a few times with Elliot and by twelve weeks, it was completely over.

2. Tiredness- I am tired 24/7. I remember being tired with Elliot's pregnancy, but only for the first trimester then slowly gained my energy back. Plus we lived in a 500sq/ft apartment and cleaned it in about an hour. Adding a toddler to the mix isn't easy! Having a house to clean is exhausting! Working forty hours a week is also tough. Eternal exhaustion should be in the parent dictionary. Whinertown as well. ;)

3. Weight gain- I never really lost all of the baby weight I gained with Elliot's pregnancy (I gained a lot!), and that didn't help at all on this one. Besides the fact that I started showing way sooner, all of my weight gain has always gone to my mid section. I am so uncomfortable this time around since I am much bigger than I was with Elliot at this point! I've gotten a few comments about that and I know they're not ill- intentioned at all, but I still feel self conscious about it. I have been eating much healthier and I do feel so much better about that. It was free for all with Elliot's pregnancy.

4. Irritable- With Elliot's pregnancy, my hormones were in all the right places I guess, Jack says I was so nice and not hormonal at all (ha!). I agree with him. This time, I find myself getting frustrated easily with Elliot. Add all of the above mentioned points and that equals a very irritable me. I hope it gets better!

5. Miserable- All in all, I will be completely honest and admit that so far, I haven't been enjoying this pregnancy as much as I should. Don't get me wrong, I am ecstatic about our little addition, but I'm not enjoying what my body is going through as much this time around. I'm admitting this in hopes that there's a few of you out there who are on the same boat. Is this normal? Did you feel this way? Does it go away?

The one thing I am fully loving right now is that I get to feel this baby boy moving all over, and I can't wait to be further along for Jack and Elliot to feel him too. I also love that my body is carrying a baby and I know that once I have him in my arms, all of these feelings won't matter one bit. I know I will think back and laugh at this post! I'm looking forward to that. For now, I want to be honest about what I'm going through right now. I didn't want to admit it, but once I talked to Jack about it, I felt so much better. Oh the joys of pregnancy! :)