yoga baby; a birth story

Selfies taken from video diaries I made. Top left; 1:30am before we went to the hospital, Bottom right; 4am after we found out for sure we were stuck at the hospital for the duration.

Part of me wanted to start this post, "It was a dark and stormy night..." because it was very dark and very stormy - and on some weird level I knew (even predicted) my baby would be born during a storm.

Instead I'm starting like this...

On Friday, December 12th at 10:55pm, our son was born.

yoga baby; one week

Yoga baby was born last Friday, December 12 at 10:55 pm. 

I do not have a week 41 picture because... Dun dun dunnnnnnn... I was in labor all day! 

This little human is entirely too perfect to wrap my head around. 

I'm working on getting his birth story written out. Hopefully I'll have that to post soon. 

In the meantime, don't expect to hear much from me on the blog for a little while. We're adjusting to life with a brand new, very needy little person in our home, and it's hard for me to justify the moments he's not in my arms, sitting at the computer when I should be getting some much needed shut eye. 

I hope you all have wonderful holiday. If I don't manage to check back in before Thursday, Merry Christmas! 

yoga baby; 40 weeks

Week 40

Whelp, we made it. Today is Thor's "due date". The Universe decided we would do the full 40 and maybe a little extra, so here we are...

Here's what's happening with me and the little guy...

Cravings: No cravings. I get hungry and so I snack on whatever's around and then I don't want meals because I'm full of snacks.

Aversions: Just don't ask me what I want to eat after I've had a snack. The answer is nothing. 

Energy:  Sometimes my energy is actually really good, but don't expect me to want to stay up past 9pm.

yoga baby; thor's nursery

We've got just a little time to go before we meet this little guy - ranging from any day now to 4 more weeks. I've been spending a decent amount of time getting his room ready for him. I meant to post this ages ago, but it kept conflicting with other things I wanted to post first!

I hope you had a lovely weekend! Ready for the tour?

This is roughly what you see when you walk in. Hooray for panoramic photos, right?

yoga baby; 38 weeks

Week 38

We are full term. Now the waiting begins...

Here's what's happening with me and the tiny one...

Cravings: Same old same old. Mac, peppermint/chocolate things, lemonade, french fries. I don't always want them. but if presented with them, I will eat them without fail.

Aversions: I've been better about this. Luckily hubs does most of the cooking, but I've started frozen meal prep, so I can't say I'm averse to cooking. ;)

Energy:  Everything is exhausting. 

a shower for thor

The weekend before Halloween some truly wonderful women, whom I've had the pleasure of knowing most of for more than half of my life, threw us and our little man a beautiful shower.

It was a gorgeous day - not Fall-like by any stretch of the imagination.

They had a gorgeous spread of delicious food, including a cake (torta, actually) made by my mama, an adorable onesie decorating station, and a fun game so folks could guess how big I am - thanks to everyone who cut shorter strings ;) - and everyone played bingo while hubs and I opened presents.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the afternoon.

yoga baby; 36 weeks

Week 36

Wednesday marked one month to D-day. That was utterly terrifying, but also wonderful. I'm desperate to snuggle this little guy in my arms instead of inside my belly. 

As of today, we have just about 4 weeks to go. It feels like a waiting game now... a waiting game in which I stress about everything that still needs to get done!

Here's what's happening with me and the tiny one...

Cravings: No cravings. I have noticed I eat a lot of peppermint flavored things and mac and cheese. I don't outright crave them though. They just happen to be available and I like them better than other things. . 

Aversions: I still am not into cooking. 

Energy:  Waning. I'm not as sleepy as I was in the first trimester, but I sure do get winded quickly.

yoga baby; maternity photos

Earlier this week, I met up with a friend of mine at Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks for a little sunset maternity shoot.

I'm not gonna say much else other than that. I am so happy with these photos. Have a look!

yoga baby; 34 weeks

Week 34

With just about 6 weeks to go, I am already feeling huge, but taking my weekly pictures has been a shock. 

Here's what's happening with me and the tiny one...

Cravings: All I want are carbs and sweets. I still don't crave specific things - except I NEEDED to make these cookies last week (and I did). 

Aversions: Cooking. Haha, oh, that's not an aversion, that's just laziness. I have been better about eating vegetables though. Hoorah!

Energy:  I've been napping almost every day. On weekends I'll nap for an hour +. Weekdays they're shorter and usually just a little pre-bedtime shut-eye. BUT I did have a really great workout on Monday. I wrote about it a little bit in my weekly workout recap, but I started dance central spotlight with such lightness! It was such a nice change from my new norm of lumbering around. 

from power to prenatal; transitioning my yoga practice

You guys know me a little bit, right?

I'm a fitness fanatic and I like to push myself to the limit. I think I've briefly mentioned this is some of my posts lately, but the transition from my former to current yoga practice has been tough - not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally. It's hard to go from your personal limit - where the line is usually in your head because 9 times out of 10 you ARE strong enough to finish this set - to your pregnancy limit - where your body says "Nope, sorry dude." and you actually need to listen because otherwise your body will crap out and really, you don't want your body making that decision for you when you're 7 or 8 months pregnant.

Working out so hard that you pass out or throw up is not really an option at that point. Not that that's comfortable in any situation. I've only worked out that hard once and I immediately regretted it, but going from a super active and fit person to someone who goes on walks, gets winded walking up stairs, does prenatal yoga, and dances with an Xbox in her living room... has been a challenge.

Despite wanting to push myself to my former limits, my body just won't do that anymore. Now that my belly is actually starting to get in the way during yoga, I thought I'd take some time to document how my practice has changed and why...

Here are some of the ways I've had to adjust my yoga practice to accommodate for this little person.

Take a wide stance
...in everything.

Forward fold - I cannot fold forward with my feet together or even hip distance apart anymore. The belly will not allow, so I take my feet wide apart so there is room between my legs for my bump and I can still get a good stretch in my hammys.

Don't be afraid to step off the mat. I did this for the first time about two weeks ago. I've been doing this modified twist for months, but just recently I had to step my front foot off the mat so my belly didn't get squished by my thigh. I was surprised, but it happened and that was that. Now my front foot is nearly always off the mat in this pose.

No more headstands (at least until this extra weight stops throwing off my balance and compressing my spine). I've been doing handstands and supported shoulder stands when I feel like I need to invert. I can't do regular shoulder stand either because it's too difficult to breathe.

yoga baby; 32 weeks

Week 32

Last Sunday was the 5th, exactly 2 months from Thor's EDD. From here on out, it's looking like *less than two months to go! *fingers crossed*

Here's what's happening with me and the tiny one...

Cravings: Nothing in particular. I have been eating a lot of bagels for breakfast lately. I actually really wanted an onion or everything bagel, but I always opted for something more mellow because I didn't want to smell like onion all day, but this week I gave in and got an everything bagel... and it was glorious. 

I also wanted to briefly mention second breakfast because it's real. Every week day around 10:30/11, I get the munchies. 

Aversions: Vegetables. Not in a real aversion kind of way, I am just really not excited about eating them most times, which is weird because I usually love veggies. 

Energy:  Depends on the day. Usually I'm pretty good, but some days - especially in the heat we've been having - I could nap every day and be happy. 

Summer in October; The Pregnancy Clothing Chronicles

Am I actually writing a blog post about this?

I think I am... even though the weather is cooling down (now). I'm also not including any pictures in this post because there is nothing glamorous about complaining about how your clothes fit.

Last Sunday, after spending the better part of the day in yoga clothes - having taught at 830am and then taken yoga at 1pm - I got out of the shower around 5pm so hubs and I could make our one outing of the day together; a quick run to Target for a new video game.

I showered before he did. I always do when we are planning to go out because it takes the length of one husband shower for me to get my face on. Usually that works out perfectly.

Usually was not this past Sunday.

This past Sunday I got out of the shower and started looking through my clean clothes for something light and flattering to wear into the 100 degree heat. AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT I FOUND????

Nothing.

I found nothing that fit all of these criteria; clean, light, and flattering.

Maybe I just needed to do laundry? Yes, that's possible.

but I think I know what else you're thinking - "you're pregnant, Alyssa, get over your definition of flattering", but it's actually not that hard for me to find flattering things... usually (by my standards anyway). I kind of love my shape right now. When adorned appropriately, pregnant bellies are downright adorable and I'm proud to have one.
The trouble was finding things that were flattering and didn't also make me feel like I was wearing wool - because when its 100 degrees outside and you're pregnant, everything is itchy and hot.

I dug around and found a pair of clean, black maternity shorts with an itchy belly band that I can't fold down anymore because my son is too large and won't tolerate that kind of discomfort/tightness around the lower abdomen any longer, and a tank top that I only kind of like when I'm not pregnant, but was one of the few shirts in my closet that was long enough and could be easily paired with the shorts.

I was not comfortable. I was sweaty and itchy and all I wanted was to turn around, go back home and put on my pjs.

The next best option was to use this time at Target to buy things that looked large and comfortable... which is exactly what I did. I bought myself three super soft cottony things - a GOM nighty (on sale, woot!), this lattice back dress in black, and a really long cozy tshirt.

I wore them all within the next 48 hours, and today it is 20 degrees cooler than last weekend, so I may never need to wear them again. *face palm*

yoga baby; 30 weeks

Do I look bigger on odd numbered weeks?????

Week 30

Only 10 weeks to go... even more exciting and terrifying.

Here's what's happening with me and the tiny one...

Cravings: Grapes, mostly. Not very interesting. I did really want In N Out earlier this week. Didn't manage to get over there though. Sad.

Aversions: I have a love hate relationship with food right now. I always want to eat, but I am always always feeling completely stuffed. So, I'm averse to everything and nothing.

Energy:  Comes and goes.

Missing: I'm kinda over missing things. Same stuff though - clothes that fit and are comfortable, fitting in small spaces, all the foods I'm not supposed to eat, all the drinks I'm not supposed to drink, etc.

Movement: My favorite thing right now is when I first get into bed and am laying on my side and part of my belly is resting on the bed. He stomps/punches into the mattress like "what is this? get it out of the way!" out of frustration. It makes me laugh every time.
He's big enough now that he can "kick" both sides of my belly at the same time, which is cool and scary.

Feeling: Achy, but generally good. I am always thirsty. Always always always. I can have a full glass of ice water and I'm thinking about when I need to get up for more. Weirdly, this does not make me have to pee more, which makes me think I may be really dehydrated, BUT you wouldn't think that if you saw how much water I drink.

Wearing: Tunic tops and leggings, maxi dresses, shorts. None of my old clothes. Well, almost done of my old clothes. I wake up in the morning, stare at my closet and say aloud "I hate clothes".

Yoga: Still one of my favorite parts of every week. I love that I can feel strong, like I'm getting a good workout and not hurting my joints or feeling like I need to support my belly. I have been taking major advantage of being able to get upside down as often as possible - especially since I'm carrying so low, it gets really uncomfortable sometimes. Inversions help move him up and out of my pelvis, so I can relax.

Can't Live Without:  Still my body pillow and ice water. I've started propping up pillows on the couch/floor/bed so I can lay on my stomach without actually laying on my stomach.

Getting Ready? The baby's room is furnished! Last weekend my mom was going to come over and me put up the decals I got on Etsy, but the weekend got away from us. On Sunday night I did manage to lay it all out flat so the edges won't curl up.
OH! I almost forgot and am adding this after hitting *publish* - I started putting up the decals last night. I'm a little worried about where some of the pieces are going to fit. The room is not very big, but I'm confident we'll figure it out.
I haven't been buying much because I don't know what we'll get at the shower. Once I see what we don't need, I'll probly go on a bit of a shopping spree.

I did start to work on an emergency kit in the last few days. We're gonna keep it in the baby's room because in the event of an emergency, that's likely the first place we'll go. I'll tell you about it next week. ;)

pregnancy is uncomfortable

What I'm doing here I call my "belly stretch". I do it whenever my insides feel especially squished and I just stick my belly out as far as I can. It feels great, but usually as soon as I relax, I'm right back to feeling squished again.  Also, Panda Bear cracks me up in this picture. 

There. I said it. Pregnancy is uncomfortable.

Don't get me wrong. I am so so so happy and feel so very blessed to be able to grow this little human and bring him into the world, but I don't think there's a rule anywhere that says I have to be happy when my back hurts and my clothes don't fit.

Since I have just gotten into my third trimester, I wanted to take a few minutes and talk about some of the pregnancy symptoms that I've personally experienced thus far and how I'm dealing with them.

Sciatic Pain - Especially on my right side, since about the halfway point, I've been dealing with some sciatic pain. I've considered myself fortunate lately because I have the knowledge and understanding of how the muscles and bones work to optimally stretch it out. One of the key ways I've been able to work out my low back is literally curling myself into a ball and using the floor to hit points. If you have the stability and need to focus on one side more than the other, you can actually just hang out in a ball, letting only that part of your back hit the floor. My mat provided a really nice firm, but not hard/painful surface for me to work into my low back. I also found that by getting into a supported back bend like bridge pose with a block under my sacrum helps take some of the compression out of the low back and, if you're feeling stable, you can play with weight distribution.
The biggest thing for me, personally, has been working on engaging my glutes when I do lunges - not letting myself sink into the hip/pelvis. Even though it can feel better on the front of the hip to stretch it out, it puts all the extra pressure on the low back, so simply by keeping my glutes and pelvis engaged, I'm helping my low back.

yoga baby; 28 weeks

Week 28

SEVEN MONTHS! 3rd trimester, yo! Sheesh, how fast this is all going! So exciting and completely terrifying!

Here's what's happening with me and the tiny one...

Cravings: Cake. I made a chocolate bundt cake after my last post, and for the entire following week I still wanted more cake.

Aversions: Not any one thing or things in particular. Sometimes I just have zero appetite for real healthy food. I'll think to myself how I'm not hungry and food sounds terrible, but 10 seconds later I'll be on the couch with a popsicle.

Energy:  Major energy drop these last two weeks. I crash hard in the afternoons. Sometimes my energy is never that good to begin with. I pretty much feel like I could sleep all day every day.

Missing: Mostly the above. Energy. I was talking to a fellow pregnant friend about what workouts we used to do pre-pregnancy, and it really got me missing my tough workouts. I miss being able to challenge myself. I miss being better at things. Ha. I know that sounds terrible, but I really miss feeling strong.

yoga baby; 26 weeks

 Week 26

It only took six and a half months, but look at that, an actual bump. Haha. We had a growth spurt this week. That's more that a couple cheeseburgers.
It's been a busy week...

Lots happening with me and the tiny one...

Cravings: I'm just constantly hungry. Even when I'm full I'm thinking about what I'll eat next. I've been wanting some cake or donuts or similar lately. Haven't gotten around to that. Maybe that's why I still want it.

Aversions: No outright aversions. I just get home from work, look in the full fridge and think how I am really hungry, but not in the mood for any of what's in there.

Energy:  I feel fine, but I wipe out quickly. I get a lot of second winds - if you can even call them that. I'll work on a project for a while, tire out or get bored, and then get back up and on it again with equal or even more vigor.

Missing: Fitting in small spaces - like between my car and the closed garage door. I also miss my pants. Hahaha. Good thing it's too hot for pants anyway. I'm pretty excited to wear shirts with sleeves again when it cools down.

yoga baby; 24 weeks

Week 24

According to the internet, that means I'm 6 months pregnant. 6 MONTHS? Like whoa.
I was poking around on Instagram last weekend and exploring the hashtag #22weekspregnant... someone posted a picture of themselves and said "officially 6 months pregnant today! #22weekspregnant" and all I could think was "someone is not good at math"

Here's what's happening with me and the tiny one...

Cravings: Same same. It's hot though, so eating things that cool me down is good.

Aversions: Still not really having them. Food and I are generally friends. I did eat too many tomatoes recently, so I've been having fewer tomatoes. Not completely avoiding them though.

Energy:  Same. 70/30 good days to bad days.

Missing: I need to briefly mention how much going out to dinner has been disappointing lately. Nice restaurants like to serve a lot of things that are not preggo friendly. It gets frustrating. When I picked the restaurant for my birthday dinner with my parents, hubs says "the menu looks 'meh'" and I said "you do know that pretty much every menu looks like that to me?". It ended up being really great though. Pleasant surprise all around. They even made me a blackberry mint lemonade since I couldn't order a cocktail. It was lovely. Maybe I'll try to recreate it on here.

Feeling: Groggy in the mornings - like all the way til practically lunch time.

Movement: He is getting so much stronger. I used to only feel him move a couple times a day. I knew he moved around a lot (little man flips up a storm every time I see him on an ultrasound), but I would only feel a little bit of that. On Monday night, hubs and I were making dinner and he just went nuts. Some of the strongest movements I've felt so far. It's a little scary to think he's only getting stronger because the first one was so strong and such a surprise I actually said "whoa!" aloud. It's my own fault for calling him after a Norse God.

Speaking of... look what my mom made my honey for his birthday...

GET IT?!

Wearing: I hate clothes. My mom says "Haha, just wait." but I feel like on some level I will hate clothes less as I am bigger because I won't just look like a chubby person in certain outfits.

Yoga: I can still do arm balances - well, some of them, the ones that don't require belly squishing. Also, my energy is pretty great in class. Apparently I'm not supposed to jump back into chuttarunga anymore since it puts extra strain on the wrists, but my wrists feel fine, so... I haven't decided how I feel about that restriction yet.

Can't Live Without:  Ice Water. I have a giant tumbler filled with ice water on my desk at work at all times. If it's not there, I feel crummy.
My body pillow. I don't have a snoogle or a boppy or anything. It's just a giant body pillow from BBB. Even on nights I don't sleep on my side, I like to have it there to lean on or throw my leg over. Plus, I'm a blanket gatherer, so now that its a bazillion degrees out at night and I don't want blankets, I can just hug the pillow and it stays pretty cool.

16 weeks to go, y'all!

yoga baby; 22 weeks

Week 22

One of my other pregnant friends said this best. The days are long but the weeks are fast. It rings so true.

Here's what's happening with me and the tiny one...

Cravings: Meh, I was telling my girlfriend last week that my cravings are less cravings and more a complete lack of self control. Do not take me to the grocery store hungry. Bad things will happen.
Also, if there are french fries and lemonade around, I could pretty much have that 24/7. No craving necessary.

Aversions: Still not really having them. I started eating more veggies lately. Hooray me!

Energy:  Same. 70/30 good days to bad days.

Missing: Wine. I'm planning a redo of my 30th birthday for January or February in which much wine will be consumed by yours truly. Complications may ensue because of breastfeeding, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
Also, Tracy (Shutterbean) talked about eggs over-easy in one of the last JTB podcasts and I maaaaay have gotten a little misty.

Feeling: Iced tea is my besty. For reals. I feel a headache looming. I drink some iced tea. I feel better. Best ever.
Still having the occasional round ligament pain. I'm so glad I know what that is now.

Movement: Thor (that's what we're calling him until we reveal his name) does barrel rolls, especially when I lay flat on my back - occasionally when I bend forward. The feeling makes me think of a large fish in a small tank swimming in circles and hitting the sides.
I also felt the first real kick a little over a week ago. I was stressing about the stone fruit recall (after having eaten an entire Costco pack of pluots by my lonesome), so I was looking to him for reassurance - just something to tell me he was OK and we didn't get Listeria, and he just kicked me right in the center of my palm - snare drum style. I said thank you and we went to sleep.
Since then he's been partying up a storm. I feel him for kick and punch and roll for a minute or so a few times a day.

Wearing: I got two more foldover skirts from Target. I heart them so much. I wear them every Friday in my weekly pictures (except week 20, sorry about that).
I used my birthday discount at Anthropologie to buy myself a really cute mid-length dress with a lot of room for my tummy. It's hi-low, which makes me a little nervous, but its long enough in the front that it won't be a problem.
I have had some success in the shirt department. I found a couple at Target and my mom realized she had a shirt she never wore in her closet that I would like, so I have a decent collection of long comfy shirts that cover (and will continue to cover) the stretchy tops of my fancy maternity pants.

Yoga: I am the queen of modifications. Wide stance forward folds. Make room for the belly. I'm still twisting and it totally works as long as I plan ahead and have my legs out of the way. Twisting chair looks ridiculous when I do it because my feet are so far apart. Not glamorous.

Gender: Pretty sure there's still a little dude in there. My mom was so funny when we told her he was a boy. She hasn't spent much time around little boys since her brothers (so, we're talking 50 years), so she was saying she has no idea what to do with boys. Silly momma.
I'll drop this category for my next update. We all know he's male.

18 weeks to go, y'all. This business is flying by!

yoga baby; 20 weeks

You'd probably see more of a difference between weeks 19 and 20 if I were in my standard Friday foldover skirt outfit, but I'm teaching this morning, and changing seemed like a pain. 

Week 20

This here is madness. How are we already at the halfway point???????

Here's what's happening with me and the tiny one...

Cravings: I really wanted strawberries with whipped cream 4th of July weekend. Someone posted a picture of berries with cream and that was the end of that. I also kind of got annoyed with someone over the weekend talking about cravings. They were just saying things like "its what the baby wants" and "baby's in control"... and I was thinking to myself, "Me control. No baby control. Me." When I say things like that I am definitely joking around, so I got annoyed. Like I said two weeks ago, my cravings aren't desperate. I just decide something sounds really good, and usually, because I'm pregnant, I use that as an excuse to get it. Sorry for being mini ranty.

Aversions: I really did not want brussel sprouts last week. but I'd hardly call it an aversion. I am still trying to like salmon. It just... its so... bleh. I can stomach it. I'll eat it because it's good for *us, but I still don't like it.

Energy:  Great some days, barely there others. I would say I'm about 70/30 good days to bad days.

Missing: I told hubby I wanted a coffee cocktail served with a raw egg and unpasteurized milk last weekend. We all laughed. In all seriousness though, I could totally go for some tuna sashimi.

Feeling: Still getting headaches. I am taking magnesium every day now though. Still waiting for that to kick in. I think it's helping. Someone recommended I try adding a B supplement too, so help me hold on to less tension  and have more energy or something?  Which would in turn make my head hurt less? I'm not sure. I'm all for trying things though, since I can't take *most medicine. The midwife (as well as a friend of mine) told me that a little caffeine won't hurt. So I've been having some ice tea or iced coffee in the afternoons when I feel them coming on. So far so good.
I was having super fun sharp cramping pains the last week or so, which I've since learned is round ligament pain. I was a little worried for a minute there, but since it's totes norms. I have peace of mind.

Wearing: Maxi dresses and *gasp*... my first pair of maternity jeans. My mom and I went shopping and she treated me to a really nice pair of jeans that I should be able to wear for the duration - provided my butt and thighs stay roughly the same size. Plus, I figure, it's summer - how often am I really gonna want to wear jeans? I ended up with two pair of sexy stretchy topped shorts too. ;)
I am having SUCH hard time finding tops I like to go with them though. I don't like clingy - especially not when its 90 degrees and sticky outside - but add to that the furnace that is my belly and I really really don't like clingy. So, my shirts need to be flowy and relatively long. I got a Stitchfix this week, and I even adjusted my sizes in my profile to accommodate the whole giant front of my torso, and I told them I wanted long and flowy... and it was still a fail. I sent everything back except the necklace they sent, which I wasn't even that crazy about, but I didn't want to have wasted my styling fee.

Other: My belly button is a little stretched out. It looks a kinda weird - not abnormal or anything - just round, which its never been before. It used to be long and skinny, so now it's just a little stretched out. It's the most noticeable where my belly button piercing used to be.

Gender: They's a HE! We're having a baby boy!

You may have already seen on facebook or instagram. Were you right?

yoga baby; 18 weeks

Week 18

Happy 4th of July! Growing up 4th of July was always my favorite holiday because a) fireworks are awesome, and b) I loved having a holiday in my birth month. It meant my birthday was right around the corner.
Today I am 18 weeks pregnant, and...

Here's what's happening with me and the tiny one...

Cravings: Just the boring impulse kind. Still loving me some lemonade. I sorta craved ravioli last week - baby hadn't had it yet, but now they have and we've met our ravioli quota. I also wouldn't really call my "cravings" much more than being mildly in the mood for something.

Aversions: So far so good.

Energy: Getting better, but I'm really into mid-afternoon naps and going to bed early. My workouts are lame. I met a fellow pregnant lady last week after yoga and we were lamenting our dwindling workout regimes. We both used to workout for an hour PLUS every day and now we consider ourselves lucky if we manage to make it to yoga.

pregnancy super foods

Happy Friday, folks! Happy 17 weeks of existence to my baby!

A couple of weeks ago, I found this list of "pregnancy super foods"

It made me so happy... because 10 out of the 12 foods on this list were not only in my regular diet, but some of my favorites. So, I thought why not share them with you, and give you a little something to think about.

Whether you're pregnant or not, these foods are so freaking good for you.

1. Avocado - High in healthy fats, these gorgeous green fruits are also an excellent source of folic acid (for baby's brain development), vitamin C, B6, and potassium. Aside from classically throwing these on sandwiches and into a big bowl of guacamole, I love to slice up a ripe avocado, sprinkle a little salt on there and call it a snack. Healthy and delicious.

yoga baby; 16 weeks

Week 16

Today is 16 weeks. This is flying by. I'm off getting a massage and having a lovely spa day with one of my best girlfriends today. Consider that item checked from my summer fun checklist. ;)

Here's what's happening with me and the tiny one...

Cravings: Fellow pregnant or previously pregnant ladies, tell me if you experienced this as far as cravings go: I don't just randomly think of things that sound good. The seed has to be planted somehow. Someone posts a picture of In N Out and I immediately crave In N Out. My parents texted a picture of Lebanese food they had while on vacation. I immediately asked my husband how he felt about falafel and hummus for dinner. All I have are impulse cravings, which is weird, because I'm usually a pro at wanting things out of the blue. I think it's the baby wanting to try new things it's never heard of. My brain processes pizza. Baby says "Oh, pizza? What's that? Let's have that... right now." That's usually how it works. I get said food and eat it. It's wonderful. Baby has tried said food now, is satisfied, and I don't crave it anymore.
That said, I also want lemonade ALL THE TIME. I would drink it all day if I had that option.

life update; things are happening

Do you remember how I fell a few months back? Pull up bar crashed to the ground and all of my workouts in subsequent weeks were heavily impacted by my limited mobility.

I think it was the universe telling me to dial it back on the workouts.
It took me about 2 weeks to get back to normal, and in the midst of all that, I learned something kind of huge.

WE MADE A TINY HUMAN!

Friday is 14 weeks. Yoga baby is due to make his or her arrival early December 2014.

These last few weeks have been absolutely flying by.