In case you haven’t heard, and you probably haven’t because I never officially announced it- we’re expecting baby number 4 in December!
I had one week in this first trimester that truly kicked my butt. All of a sudden, coffee became repulsive so fatigue, nausea, and crazy cravings kicked in. I’m talking about an unquenchable urge to eat General Tso’s chicken, which takes some prep work to prepare gluten-free, yet by the time the food is finished, I feel personally offended that I ever could have wanted this meal and I just want to hide in my car because I can’t take the smell. Good times. But don’t worry too much about me; I’ve managed to gain more weight than I ever have in the first trimester. Somehow my doctor didn’t think this was a grand accomplishment! Nevertheless, I’ve learned that the body does what it needs to during pregnancy, and it will all even out some point along the way. Finding proper ways to nourish yourself takes a much deeper role than simply eating well. Our bodies are only one-third of our being. And let’s face it, when our souls are craving something, we can stuff the “answer” into our bellies instead. I’ve been notorious for trying to treat stress with chocolate, and then I’m still stressed and crash from a sugar high. Over the weekend, I had the awesome opportunity to meet with representatives from some of the leading vitamin companies and sample their products. I’ve been particularly impressed with Child Life’s DHA. I use Child Life for my kid’s multivitamins, calcium, and echinacea and vitamin C, but didn’t know they offered anything for an adult. I had avoided taking DHA supplements during this pregnancy because I thought I might not stomach it well. But I decided to try it about an hour and a half before bed, just in case I ended up in the bathroom. Unlike many other brands, they had the great idea to add a lemon flavor to their formula so that when you burp, you’re not propelled to vomit because of the awful fish taste! Getting back my nutrition back on track with Child Life’s DHA and my prenatal vitamins have helped me feel slightly more “normal.” And, once my stomach's strength returns, I'll add in some probiotics and collagen! What kind of vitamins did you take during your pregnancy? What are your recommendations?
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Happy Mother's Day to all you moms making 8 snacks a day and filling up sippy cups every 20 minutes. Your work has more value than you know!
Happy Mother's Day to those of you answering the 1 am, 3 am, 5 am cries for milk. You're building an incredible start for your baby. Happy Mother's Day to you geniuses at making a meager grocery budget stretch for 7 days. You're are stewarding well through the roughest seas. Happy Mother's Day to you who are shuttling your children from one activity to the next. You're investing in a brighter future. Happy Mother's Day to you mom's wearing a cloak of loneliness through the longest shortest years, remember your never alone and loved by the Creator of the world. Happy Mother’s Day to you moms wondering if you’re in over your head. We all are. But are worries and struggles are no match for an unstoppable God. Happy Mother's Day to you tired champions, working to provide for your children and giving it all, even when you're running on empty. Your sacrifices are more than enough. Happy Mother's Day to you women facing greater struggles than your children can comprehend, in your weakness, there is One whose strength is more than sufficient. Happy Mother's Day to you moms who stay up late each night, pouring your heart out in prayer for your child. Your prayers will not return void. Happy Mother's Day to you tending to a broken heart in an endless sea of grief. May the Comforter guide you moment by moment. Happy Mother's Day to you remember the moments when you're children were small and would slip their tiny hands into yours. Your love has built generations. Happy Mother's Day to you who are reflecting on the passing of time. How can your child be a grandmother herself already? Your righteous influence will guide your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to seek the narrow path. To moms young and old, near and far, have an incredible Mother's Day! (Did I miss your the stage of life? Add your Happy Mother's Day statement in the comments!) This article originally appeared at the Re:Birth blog 5/13/2018 Are you hungry? What if I told you these brownies were packed with protein, fiber, and iron… Getting hungrier? I am! A few weekends back, I attended a WOW Bloggers conference in New York City and had the privilege of meeting with some awesome “better for you” brands like Ester-C, ChildLife, and Regular Girl. At the end of the event, we got to take home some serious goodies, like at least 30lbs of amazingness that I shamelessly dug through on the train. Amidst the bags of treats, books, and vitamins were three beautiful jars of MaraNatha Almond Butter. Almond butter is like a liquid gold in our house. It’s a bit pricey, yet we use it daily on sandwiches. I’ve always seen recipes which call for huge amounts of almond butter, and just couldn’t justify it in my frugality. But after the conference, I had three new flavors to play with! First on my list of things to make were almond butter brownies. I found a recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie and changed it up a bit to fit what I had in my pantry. I blended some gluten free oats into flour in my nutribullet with that strange adapter that I had never actually used before, and then added the rest of the dry ingredients. The final touch was the creamy maple almond butter. I added one cup, and a bit of milk to get the right batter consistency. Unlike normal brownie batter, this batter is safe to enjoy right off the spoon because it’s free of eggs. Good news for people with allergies and/or chocolate addictions! Then simply cook it at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. When you remove if from the oven, it will still be gooey, so this is when the hard part comes in. You have to let it sit for 30 entire minutes while the delicious smell fills your house. Try to stay busy, and not pick at the crust, but if you have to, I won’t tell ;) We demolished these brownies way faster than I’ll admit online... and the best part was, my midwives called a week later and were so impressed with my iron levels, I’ve got to thank MaraNatha! Main Ingredients1/2cupoats, (gluten free, if needed) 1/2cupsugar 1/4cupcocoa powder 1 1/2tspbaking soda 1cupalmond butter 2tbsmilk of choice Preparation1Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease an 8-inch baking pan. 2Grind 1/2 Cup of oats in a food processor until it becomes very fine like flour. 3Mix the oats, cocoa powder, sugar, and baking soda until smooth. 4Add in one cup of almond butter and mix well. 5If the batter is thick and difficult to mix, add 2 Tbs of your milk of choice for a thinner batter. 6Bake 20 minutes. 7Allow the brownies to rest for at least 30 minutes before cutting into them for a gooey treat, or let them sit overnight for a firmer brownie. 8Enjoy! |
Alexandrais a writer & tired homeschooling mom of five. Categories
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