{Pregnancy Update} 31 Weeks

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How far along are you: 31 Weeks

How big is the baby: This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He’s probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby’s kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy. (source)

Baby’s Gender: We both think it’s a boy.

Baby’s Name: We have a name for a boy or a girl

Weight Gained: 21 lbs

Clothes:  I am down to 4 dresses, 1 tunic, maternity capri leggings, 1 pair of maternity jeans, and a few tops.  I decided to order a new pair of Lucy workout capris since most of my workout bottoms don’t fit comfortably around the waist.

How are you feeling: I am feeling pretty good. I am tired out more easily but otherwise I am feeling happy and healthy.

What do you miss: Running- I am still dreaming about it. I also miss sleeping on my stomach and not having to pee every 2 hours or less.

Symptoms: I have had some really bad heartburn though (had it at yoga Tuesday night and was awful), frequent urination, Braxton Hicks contractions and dry, brittle nails

Cravings: Lots of veggies. Mashed Potatoes.

How are you sleeping:  I am actually sleeping fairly well considering I am up every 2-2.5 hours to pee.

Workouts: This week I have been on a number of walks and I went to prenatal yoga which honestly wasn’t my favorite class. Why? Well we had a sub because our teacher is also a doula and she was at a birth and I really didn’t love the teaching style of the sub.  I had mega heartburn and any time I did any forward bending it became even worse.

Things I’m looking forward to: Our baby shower and the arrival of our baby!

In other news:

We finally have a header for our family blog and it should hopefully be launching in the next 3-4 weeks!

We decided to hire a doula! I plan to blog about this more indepth on the family blog so stay tuned!

Yesterday we had our midwife appointment and I found out my glucose tolerance test came back great, that I’m not anemic and that the baby is breech <– midwife says that there is still time for them to turn but if they haven’t by 35 weeks we will have to look into various ways of trying to get them to turn. I can’t wait for them to turn and stop stomping on my bladder!

Neil and I are now off to enjoy another pre-baby date night! We are off to the theater to watch This American Life LIVE!

What’s In My Shower?

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What’s In My Shower?

Over the past few years I have been working to find natural body products that I really love and that work well for my husband and I.  We easily settled on a few body washes that we really love but it has taken years and many bottles of shampoo and conditioner before we finally found a few that work for both of us.  Now that we have found our favorites we have eliminated non-natural products from our shower and rather than having a ton of different brands of products (for testing purposes) we now have just a few which makes the showering experience so much more pleasant- less clutter = more peaceful.

Current Conditioner: Avalon Organics Clarifying Lemon– I actually picked this up because it was on sale for $5 off at our local co-op a few weeks ago and I fell in love instantly.  It smells amazing and it works really well to condition my hair without leaving a residue.  It is also great for summer if you are looking to put some natural highlights in your hair, the lemon helps, like when I was as kid and sprayed a mixture of lemon and water in my hair to create natural highlights in the sun. Other conditioners I like: BWC Daily Benefits, Kiss My Face Whenever and Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat Conditioner

Current Shampoo: Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint– I haven’t always been a fan of Dr. Bronner’s but about 6 months ago we gave it a second chance and I really am liking it and Neil is loving it.  I do find that I need to occasionally use  a different shampoo (which I’m currently out of) because it can leave a bit of residue in my hair but overall I like it.  I also love that Dr. Bronner’s can be used for so many other things such as body wash and the peppermint is great for clearing out your sinuses. Other shampoos I like: BWC Daily Benefits, JASON Smoothing Sea Kelp and Giovanni Tea Tree Triple Treat Shampoo

     

Current Body Washes: JASON Purifying Tea Tree, Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint and Kiss My Face Anti-Stress – I know it looks like a lot but I use them all depending on my mood.  JASON is my everyday go to, Dr. Bronner’s I actually don’t really use as a body wash but Neil does most days and then the Kiss My Face is really perfect when I want to relax. Other Body Washes I like: Dr. Bronner’s Rose and Kiss My Face Active Athletic

Other Products:  Eco-Armour Shaving Foam, Bulldog Natural Skincare Face Wash (for Neil not me) and Kelapo Coconut Oil. The shaving foam is for my legs and I love it. The face wash is Neil’s and he loves it (I don’t keep mine in the shower).  Lastly, the coconut oil is used by both Neil and I for different reasons; I use it on my pregnant belly and Neil uses it on his scalp to moisturize it.

What’s in your shower? What are you favorite natural body care products?

Recipe of The Week: Vegan Mexican Pizza

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Ever since Neil received his two bread baking books at Christmas time he has been addicted to baking and it has been wonderful to have a baker in the house (I’m not really one). One thing we have been making lately are homemade pizzas but unfortunately we don’t have a baking stone so although the pizzas are tasty they just weren’t as crisp on the bottom as we would like. Finally last week I bit the bullet and bought Neil a new Emile Henry Baking Stone and as soon as it arrived we new we had to make pizza.

In honor of Cinco de Mayo we made a Mexican inspired pizza that was topped with Galaxy Foods new vegan Mexican Shreds (disclosure: I received the shreds free from the company to try out). I have to say I loved the shreds and the melted so well on the pizza. I am really weird about vegan cheeses and although Daiya, Cheezly and Sheese are all okay I’m still not much of a fan and often just make my own cheese sauces via nutritional yeast and nuts. Galaxy Foods has been the only vegan cheese that I actually like and so I was excited to try their new shreds, which were tasty, melty and perfect for pizza (and a baked pasta dish I’ll blog about later).

Vegan Mexican Pizza

Ingredients:

  • 1 pizza dough
  • 1/2-3/4 cup salsa
  • 1 portobello mushroom cap, thinly sliced and sauteed
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced and sauteed
  • 1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced and sauteed
  • 1/2 cup defrosted frozen corn or fresh
  • 1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tablespoons pickled jalapenos
  • 1 cup vegan cheese shreds

Directions:

Preheat your pizza stone in a 550F oven for 30 minutes.  Roll out your dough and top with salsa, veggies, beans, corn, jalapenos and cheese shreds.  Place on the pizza stone and bake for 8-10 minutes until browned and bubbly.

To serve top with a sprinkle of baby arugula or shredded lettuce, fresh chopped tomatoes, more pickled jalapenos and vegan sour cream.

Weekend Wrap Up: Good Eats & a Giveaway (Closed)

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If you are looking for the giveaway you’ll just go nuts about scroll down! 

This weekend Neil and I were fairly busy and it seems that things aren’t going to be slowing down anytime soon!  We started the weekend off with a homemade Mexican pizza (recipe to come tomorrow) which was absolutely delicious.

Here it is all fixed up with a sprinkle of baby arugula, fresh tomatoes and sour supreme.  We enjoyed our slices, went for a walk and settled on the couch to watch a few shows.

Saturday morning I got up bright and early to bake up a batch of Babycakes gluten free Pumpkin Spice Muffins for our early morning birthing class.  Around 8:30 our birthing class teacher arrived (we are taking private classes) and we served up coffee, muffins and fruit before starting our four hours of class. In other news our birthing class teacher is also a doula and last week after doing a bunch of reading Neil and I made a last minute decision to hire a doula for the birth.  I checked with Sarah (our birth coach) to see if she had any July openings and she did so after our class we decided to hire her to be our doula (she is really wonderful and so comfortable to be around).  I’ll discuss more of this doula talk in Thursday’s update post.

After our four plus hours of birthing class Neil and I were so hungry we decided to use up the remaining homemade dough and make another small pizza for lunch and then I passed out for a few hours.  When I finally woke up Neil was going a little stir crazy and was ready to get out of the house so we decided to have a date night downtown including window shopping, drinks (beer for him and water for me) and dinner out at A Single Pebble <–Neil had a gift card from work so free (almost) dinner for us! After dinner we headed home and cuddled on the couch while watching the remainder of the Yankees game, we should have just gone to bed though such a bad game.

Sunday we enjoyed a lazy morning before heading out for brunch with friends that we hadn’t seen since last July.  We spent over two hours enjoying food, conversation and having tons of belly laughs at Duino Duende.  It was so nice not to have a rushed meal and really enjoy the company.  After brunch we rean a few errands, took a nap, Neil did a training run and I watched House Hunters International.

While Neil finished up his run I made dinner of arugula walnut pesto with peas and white beans, a side of kale and leftover tofu from dinner at A Single Pebble.  After dinner we went for a stroll and then relaxed on the couch. What did you do this weekend?

Now that you’ve read my weekend recap keep scrolling and you’ll find a great giveaway! 

Review and Giveaway: Doug’s Nuts

A few weeks ago Doug’s Nuts sent me a few complimentary bags of their nuts to try out and ever since then I have been in love.  When I first open the nuts I am expecting them to be sugary based on their shiny coating but they were super mild and really delicious.  They are coated with a flavorful glaze consisting of organic evaporated sugarcane juice, honey, oatmeal stout beer <– my husband saw beer and had to try them immediately, sea salt, organic vanilla extract, and other natural flavors. In the mix are roasted almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, and pumpkin seeds (the hazelnuts and pecans are my favorites).

I unfortunately finished off my two pouches pretty quickly (time to get some more I guess!)  but boy where they good.  I enjoyed them over soy yogurt, by the palm-full and my favorite way as a topping for apple “nachos”.  What are apple nachos? Simply thinly sliced apples (I use my mandolin) drizzled with almond butter and topped with a sprinkling of Doug’s Nuts and a few mini chocolate chips for good measure.

Giveaway Details- Open Until Friday May 11th at 8pm EST: CLOSED

  • Doug’s Nuts will provide and ship one 6-pack of Doug’s Nuts to the winner ($30 + shipping costs value) – OPEN TO US RESIDENTS ONLY
Winner:

To enter:

  • Visit the Doug’s Nuts and come back and leave a comment letting me know something that you have learned. (Mandatory)
Additional Entries: (Leave a separate entry for each)
  • Follow Doug’s Nuts on Twitter
  • Follow Running With Tongs on Twitter
  • Tweet “I’d go nuts to win @runwithtongs @dougsnuts giveaway http://wp.me/pFVWo-3fL”

Fitness Friday: Slowing Down

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Since my last Fitness Friday post on April 20th (I know, I know I am slacking) my workouts have been pretty consistent but getting shorter and less intense.  I have found that I am starting to waddle a little bit when we walk and I have the third trimester sleepies so my energy to do more intense workouts isn’t great.  I am however committed to staying active through the remainder of this pregnancy so that I can hopefully get back to more intense workouts shortly after the baby arrives.

This week I skipped prenatal yoga and I haven’t gotten in as many walks as I had hoped due to the rainy weather that we have been experiencing lately.  I hope to get out for a short walk tonight if the weather holds off otherwise I will do my  Summer Sanders Prenatal Workout Video <–I will be reviewing this in two parts, second trimester and third (I didn’t do the first trimester workout).

How are you staying fit?

{Pregnancy Update} 30 Weeks!

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How far along are you: 30 Weeks

How big is the baby: our baby’s about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it’s not very keen; even after she’s born, she’ll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she’ll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.) (source)

Baby’s Gender: We both think it’s a boy.

Baby’s Name: We have a name for a boy or a girl

Weight Gained: 19 lbs

Clothes:  They still fit but I did pick up one more dress.

How are you feeling: I am feeling pretty good and I’ve actually been sleeping alright lately.  I wake up often to pee and switch sides I sleep on but overall feeling rested. I also have been napping most days.

What do you miss: Running- I have been dreaming about it.

Symptoms: I have to pee all the time. Braxton Hicks Contractions.

Cravings: Veggie burgers. Berries. Oatmeal. Vegan Mac & Cheese. Popsicles.

How are you sleeping: See how are you feeling above.

Workouts: I did lots of walking and cleaning this week.  I did not go to pre-natal yoga but am looking forward to it next week.

Things I’m looking forward to: Starting our birth classes this week. Our baby shower in June.

Sacred Pregnancy by Anni Daulter

This Week–> Sacred Pregnancy Week 30: Nesting

This Week’s focus:

This week’s focus is all about nesting both emotional and physical nesting. “Emotional nesting: “Mama-nesting” means that you are taking the  time to clean out the mental junk that may be hanging out in your  emotional basement. Do some emotional housecleaning, releasing fears about becoming a mother and replacing them with trusting your instincts.”

I would say that I have already started nesting both emotionally and physically and I look forward to working on this more this week.

 

Monday err…Wednesday Meal Plan 5/2/12

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I have been really off the ball this week when it comes to meal planning! Monday I was wiped out from our crazy busy weekend and then yesterday I got home and didn’t want to do anything but hang out on the couch so I still didn’t do my meal planning.  Now here we are on Wednesday morning and I am FINALLY planning the menu for the week.

Meals we’ve eaten:

  • Monday: Dinner out- Veggie Burgers
  • Tuesday: Baked polenta with marinara and a side of cheezy broccoli and white beans

Meal Plan:

  • Wednesday: Veggie Burgers on top of sauteed kale with baked sweet potato fries (we had this last Friday for dinner and I am craving it again)
  • Thursday: Veggie Curry Noodles
  • Friday: Homemade Mexican Pizza
  • Saturday: Breakfast- fruit and Babycakes GF Pumpkin Spice Muffins; Lunch- Vegetable Chickpea Soup with Homemade Bread; Dinner: Coconut Quinoa Dahl
  • Sunday: Brunch at Duino Duende; Dinner- Quinoa Mac & Cheese with Kale

What’s on your menu this week?