Pregnancy: What's Up Doc?

A little update from my doc. 

(Good thing he's such a good doc, because he sure does keep ya waiting!)

Me: So when are we gonna get him outta here?

Doc: You'll stay on your contraction meds (Procardia) until 36 weeks, then we'll do another sonogram to see if you still have previa. If your previa has resolved, we wait until 39 weeks to schedule a c-section, or you can go into labor on your own. If your previa hasn't resolved, then we can do a growth scan and schedule it before 39 weeks. 

So that's that. I won't be 39 weeks until September 26th, so I ordered a jar of patience off Etsy. And I ordered a camo body suit so when I do go in public, I don't have to answer the kind inquisitive folks questions about twins, etc. 

My mom was just here for 4 days, and boy did we enjoy that. I have the kids and some books to keep me entertained during the day. And a really supportive husband who comes home after school. His dear class set up a meal schedule (mealbaby.com) for us during this time. 

Before we know it, Tegegne will be 5! (on Sept 20th) So we are discussing the details of his small but special birthday party. 

It's also quite exciting when Michael starts a new school year. The kids and I stop by the classroom, or pack lunches and join his class throughout the year. We love getting to know the students, too. He and I had a blast brainstorming decor for his classroom, and I love what he's done. 

Happy almost Friday to you.

Kristyn

(Etsy Honeycup.)

Pregnancy: Gestational Diabetes

Good morning! 

So here's what I learned from the dietitian I met with yesterday. "Getting gestational diabetes was not your fault. It was nothing that you did or didn't do. It will most likely go away once your baby is born. Here's the low down:
When you eat, your digestive system breaks most of your food down into a type of sugar called glucose. The glucose enters your bloodstream and then, with the help of insulin (a hormone made by your pancreas), your cells use the glucose as fuel. However, if your body doesn't produce enough insulin – or your cells have a problem responding to the insulin – too much glucose remains in your blood instead of moving into the cells and getting converted to energy.

When you're pregnant, hormonal changes can make your cells less responsive to insulin. For most moms-to-be, this isn't a problem: When the body needs additional insulin, the pancreas dutifully secretes more of it. But if your pancreas can't keep up with the increased insulin demand during pregnancy, your blood glucose levels rise too high, resulting in gestational diabetes.

I also learned that in order to get my glucose levels to lower I must start watching my carb levels. I learned that milk, yogurt, and fruit were carbs. She suggested that when I look at a food label I look at total carbs instead of sugars. Then she shared my doctor's recommendation for my diet. It goes a little something like this.

7:30am TEST (Meaning prick my finger with the monitoring system to see my blood sugar level after fasting (sleeping).)

Breakfast - 30 grams of carbs, + protein (no juice, fruit, milk)

8:30am TEST

9:30am Snack - 15 grams of carbs

11:30am-12pm Lunch - 30-45 grams of carbs

12:30-1pm TEST

3:00pm Snack - 30 grams of carbs

6-7pm Dinner - 30-45 grams of carbs

7-8 TEST

9:30 or later Snack - 30 grams of carbs + protein

Fifteen grams of carbs is like one slice of toast, one small piece of fruit, half cup of pasta, or a slice of thin crust pizza. Meats and vegetables do not count as carbs.  I must steer clear of white flour and white rice and Michael's chocolate chip cookies would probably send my number through the roof. Anywho, that's what I've learned. Now I've just got to be better at pricking my finger. This morning I couldn't get the thing to work and pricked 6 times for only two readings. 

Here's to soar fingers and a good day to you!

Kristyn

Happy Froddy: On The Poddy

Happy Friday!


Our weekend will consist of a whole lot of this. I've been thinking about it and decided to give it a try. The boys packed up and went to Big Sky while Hensley and I are staying home with one mission. Drink lots of fluids, and use the potty! It's a potty party!  (Sorry you weren't invited.)


I'll check back in after the weekend to let you know what we learned through the process. Here are the links I read on the topic...


Potty Training in 3 Days or Less
How To Potty Train in 3 Days or Less
Potty Training in a Day


(cartoon.)

Hensley Ruth: 15 Months

Starter: Enthralled by edamame!

You obviously enjoyed the main course! (Chili. Since 9 months old...it's been your fave!)

Hensley Ruth,


You eat and sleep so well and laugh, dance, and cry some in between. You are more recently becoming outgoing and it is so much fun to watch. At First Fridays you danced the night away and at least 10 people (we do not know!) got you and your bro on video. Your dad and I did not, unfortunately.  


Your 15 month check up went well. You're in the 10th percentile for height (29 inches) and weight (19 lb, 6 oz), but are growing at a good rate. Your favorite words are shoe, wow, bubby (diaper), bubba (Tegegne), daddy, and mommy. You are repeating us more and have even said some French words which made your daddy well pleased. Your entering toddlerhood, but luckily it's not the teens and you still snuggle with me.


We love you so much!


Mommy

Eating & Sleeping (Wink): Courses & Night Shirts!

So are we still eating meals in course, you ask? Yep. And I think it's a keeper. It's so simple.


Here's what we had today:


Course 1: Ants on a Log. (We were out of raisens, so our "ants" were dot sprinkles!)

Course 2. Tuna Melt. (Hensley took a few bites, but hey, she tried it.)

Course 3. Grapes. (Ours were not frozen, nor on a stick, but they totally should be next time! Yum!)

(photo.)

Here are the basic tips for meals in courses with kids:


Course 1: A Vegetable (They must try it. That's it. Introduce lots of vegetables, and reintroduce the same ones (maybe prepared differently) even if they "didn't like it the first time.")
Course 2: Something with protein
Course 3: Fruit and/or Yogurt, and if its a special day a cookie or two!


And if you're feeling fancy, or French, or something, throw in course 2.5...a bit of cheese. No, Velveeta doesn't count, I said fancy! 


Here's the real deal...this is not just for families with kids! Mealtime can be an excellent time to catch up with your spouse. Making it last longer, and eating at least 3 courses, will allow for this to happen!


Also, not a topic for kids...Joanna's tip on What Men Really want Women to Wear to Bed via Glamour. Just something to spice up all of this kid talk, because let's face it. When Mama and Daddy are happy, the kids will be happier too! 


(Food tips inspired by the book, Bringing up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman)

FYI: Dangerous Game Among Teens

I don't share news stories often, but heard this devastating story on NPR this morning. A mother was being interviewed and her teenage son had recently died from the "choking game." The game has many slang names and is a huge fad among middle schoolers and teens. Anyway, please inform yourself via the links below or your own research. I heard that story this morning and got this huge urge to educate the teens I know before they are pressured into playing this "game" that they know nothing about. 


Choking Game, Wikipedia


Pass-Out Game,  Chicago Tribune


Pass-Out Game, NY Daily News


God, I pray for these kids that get curious and pressured into this "game." Please have mercy on them, and give their young minds wisdom to know that it is dangerous. I pray for the teens I know and Lord have mercy on our children who will someday be teens! Amen.


(image.)

What I'm Reading: Getting Kids to Eat!

Hi there! So, I'm really going to summarize this topic since my post-spring break house is bloating with chores. I'm just so excited to share about this because we are trying it and it is working!

So what is it, you ask? Well, in Bringing Up Bebe, Pamela Druckerman talks about French kids and food. She researches how they are good little eaters who do not throw food, and will eat a wide range of foods. They can even sit through 4 course meals at a restaurant! (Seriously...no way!)

The first idea regards snack time. French kids eat breakfast, lunch, an afternoon snack at 4pm (a goûter), and dinner. No other snack times. So when they sit down for meals, they are actually hungry. And the goûter is a special time, where they sometimes have visitors to enjoy the snack with. Druckerman tells a story of a mother and daughter who were out late morning and picked up a pastry. They had already eaten breakfast, and when they purchased the pastry the little girl knew that she would get to eat it during the goûter at 4:00. She didn't even ask her mother if she could eat it that moment.  In the US we allow kids (myself included) to eat what they want, when they want. 

The kids and I have been doing this, and it is going so well! We do our snack at 3:00 and dinner around 6:30.  I remind Tegegne to make sure he is full at meal time. And we totally look forward to 3:00 and really make it an enjoyable time to snack together. He still asks for snacks at other times, but I remind him that he can have it at 3:00. He is getting used to the idea. Our neighbor gave him a large packaged muffin (ha!) yesterday and he immediately said, "Mommy, I want this for my 3:00 snack!" 

The second idea is what meal time looks like, and how, and what is offered. In France, preschool is free and quite good. There is one committee in Paris who makes the meal plan for all of the public preschools in Paris. Druckerman sat in on one of these meetings and was in awe of what was on the menu. Each meal is in four courses. They start with a vegetable. (This is genius, btw.) One of the meals they planned was a follows. Chopped tomato with balsamic drizzle, a nicely prepared fish for the second course, blue cheese for the third course, and fruit for dessert. (Can you believe that?!) Each preschool has a chef, and the food is nicely prepared and presented. They also find it important to describe the food to the children, offer them a variety of foods, and reintroduce things often.

I have also been doing this with Tegegne and Hensley and it is fabulous!!! I'm giddy about it and hope to keep it up! Hopefully, we can continue to eat this way as a family. Tegegne has been so excited to eat the first course and see what is next! He also asked me to describe the food again so he could tell Hensley! It is easy and so fun. As far as meal planning, I've just got to make sure we have fresh vegetables, a protein, and fruit or yogurt.

Here's what they ate last night. For the starter, chopped red and yellow pepper and broccoli with a poppy seed drizzle ((I tried to make it sound fancy! ), rotisserie chicken with barbecue drops, and apple, pineapple, strawberry, and grapes chopped with a dollop of Greek yogurt with an agave nectar drizzle. In the book she notes that the child must try the food, but they do not force them to eat everything. Hensley tried several pieces of the vegetables, ate all of the chicken (which she had refused previously), and of course LOVED dessert! Due to the lack of fine cheeses at a reasonable price, we are sticking to 3 courses! We have a large stack of small melamine plates, that works great for courses.

Other things she mentioned...during the week young children eat around 6:30 and go to bed (or to their room to play), then the parents do mealtime alone! Weekends are for family dinners! They also bake with their young children most Saturdays. They stress the importance of having the child help prepare the meal in some fashion (or at least setting the table), so they will be much more excited about eating it. If they don't sit down and enjoy a meal, it doesn't count in France. They do not eat on the go like Americans do.

What these basic rules do for children is so valuable. They grasp patience, and do not have the mentality that they get what they want whenever and however. 

I know it is not easy to enforce these ideas when those around us are eating snacks at 10 or 11am, but we've been doing it and will continue.

Ha, so much for making this short. Thanks for reading, and if you are intrigued at all I'd love to talk more about it...and I'd highly recommend the book!

(book, photo.)

Road Trip: And Shopping Tips

Where she wished she would have been when we were out shopping all day!

So it was a rainy day and Hens and I took a "road trip" out of the city into the fine county of Johnson...aka Johnson County. Where they are charging 9.something% sales tax. One of those things I never look at until I bought a pair of sandals and thought I'd just paid for shipping on a pair of shoes I purchased in the store! 


I got some great tips from sales associates today. We are in the midwest where folks are just plain friendly, but it was extra noticeable today! Or maybe they just worked off commission. Either way, they sold me! 


Did you know that when purchasing vitamins, capsules will get you more of the nutrients than hard pills? And of course the liquid form gives you the maximum percentage of vitamin absorption. 


The shoe salesman suggested that a slight heal (like just 1/2") would be much more comfortable and better for my feet than a flat shoe. I did not know this.


And this is not a tip, but have you tried Nature's Path Optimum Blueberry Cinnamon Cereal? Yum. A friend is doing a diet with no oil, and this is one of the few cereals that doesn't contain oil. It was a sampling item at Whole Foods, so after Hensley and I had nearly a cups worth of samples, I bought a box. I'm so glad I did. I mean the word Optimum is in bold capitol letters on the box!


On a less healthy note, I'd love to try these easy peasy cinnamon rolls soon!

Hensley Ruth: 11 Months

You've almost done it, Little Stink Stink. Almost one year old. You still cry nearly every time you're strapped into the car seat. Good thing your cry is kind of low pitched, but really Hens. You've been eating lots of crackers and we've been weaning you off of breast milk with almond milk. We've also introduced peanut butter.  Still breast feeding at breakfast, lunch, dinner and almond milk at snack time. Also smoothies, and whatever we are having for dinner. You've been quite healthy thus far. Thank you Lord. Here's a bit from your doc, doc.


1.  "milks" for toddlers.
2. Nuts (peanut butter included), shellfish, and eggs.
The research regarding introducing solid foods is actively changing. This means the foods that have been traditionally restricted until later in toddlerhood (eggs, shellfish, peanut butter) are no longer on the “Do Not Have” list. In fact, some recent data suggests that delaying the introduction of high-allergy foods (shell fish, nuts, eggs) actually increases the risk of developing a food allergy. Other studies do not show an increase in allergic disease by starting allergenic foods early. In addition, adding dairy sources (cheeses, yogurt) and animal proteins (meat, chicken, pork, fish) can be added at any time. 


Love your doc!  


Love you too, Hens. 


Mom

Relaxing and Healthy: White Tea

Did you see the cartoon I posted yesterday? Well, I thought about it and realized that I rarely think "I'd rather be working!" When I am a the peak of my children melting down completely, I don't actually think of working.  Instead, I try to take myself to a peaceful place...such as sitting with a friend at a coffee shop drinking some tea. 


Speaking of tea, are you familiar with the benefits of a cup of white tea? I'd like to drink more of that stuff. Locally, Shang Tea in Crown Center is a great spot to learn more about and purchase white tea.  

photo.