2nd Trimester

Today marks the beginning of my 2nd trimester - I am exactly 14 weeks. I had an appointment this morning, nothing new or crazy... listened to the heartbeat which in turn led to listening to a movin & groovin baby again. Yes, Dr. said she could hear baby moving, just through the heartbeat! We are going to have our hands full... Oh, and have I told you how much I love my OB? I LOVE HER!

Your baby's the size of a lemon!

At 3.4 inches and 1.5 ounces, he's almost doubled in weight since last week and keeps on growing.

 

 

 

 

Hungry much? Now that you’re not feeling so queasy, you’re probably enjoying eating. A lot. Plus, you’re fueling baby’s growth -- which is happening at super speed at 14 weeks. Be sure to keep plenty of healthy snacks by your side just in case you get the munchies. It’s important -- for you and for baby -- that you don’t indulge in too many greasy, fatty foods, so you’re both getting the right nutrients. (Of course, the occasional bowl of ice cream is totally okay.) And we just wanted to remind you: eating for two doesn’t mean doubling your calorie intake. Not only have you gotten your appetite back at week 14, but you’ve probably also gotten some of your energy back, too. If you found yourself shying away from exercise during trimester one, it’s time to get back on track. Go take a walk!

What's Baby up to?

• He's probably sucking his thumb and wiggling his toes in there!
• His kidneys are making urine, and his liver and spleen are doing their jobs, too.
• And he's growing lanugo, a thin, peach-fuzz-like hair, all over his body -- it will help him keep warm!

Week 14 Symptoms

• As you emerge from the nasties of the first trimester, you're probably getting your energy back. (YUP!)
• You're probably feeling some aches and pains, as your muscles and ligaments stretch to accomodate your growing baby. (YUP!)
• Hungry! Once the queasies of the first trimester subside, you might find your appetite on overdrive.
• You might notice your hair getting thicker and shinier, one of the (few) attractive side-effects of pregnancy.

 (courtesy of thebump.com)

What's Going on in Week 13??

Your Baby: Week 13

Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords... savor this, their non-functional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with a head now only one third the size of the body. Intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy. (Much more convenient.)

13 wks, 5 days

We are expecting our first bundle of joy in March 2012!

It has been a very, very exciting month or so since we found out we are expecting...

Michael and I were enjoying a quiet weekend afternoon doing some reading... I had taken a pregnancy test (the one with either one or two lines) earlier in the day and forgot about it in the bathroom. I went back to check, not expecting much since we had many negative tests in the months prior... but to my surprise there were TWO lines! I had envisioned telling him in a fun, surprising way.. but I couldn't wait to plan something. I immediately went back to the bedroom and curled up next to him with the stick in my hand, he looked... squinted a few times.... and.... didn't believe me. UGH! Way to ruin the moment! He insisted we purchase a test that was a "little more black and white", meaning, the test that is idiot proof and says, "Pregnant" or "Not Pregnant". So, off to WalMart we went....

A little while later... "PREGNANT". We laughed, I cried, and he still wasn't convinced.... until my bloodwork the following Monday. Finally, it's really, really, really official :)

My first trimester has been full of ups and downs! Most food made me nauseous.... cooking dinner was a miserable experience and most nights I couldn't eat what I had made. Michael has been nothing but sweet in helping to cook dinner, do things around the house, and make sure I'm comfortable and have whatever I need. He's even had a crying, emotional wife (yup... crying for no reason!) on a few occasions to which he has responsed, "Want to just cry on me? That's what I'm here for!" And cue: Awwwwwwwwwww!

Maternity clothes: My wonderful mom sent me my first maternity shirt! It's super cute and I'm actually wearing it right now :) All of my pants still technically fit, whether or not they are comfortable is a different story. Things are definitely feeling tighter and I'm looking forward to making some maternity purchases.

Sleep: Getting up, on average, 4 times a night to pee... once every 2 hours is a little ridiculous! I'm looking forward to this getting better.

Total weight gain: 8lbs. Believe it! Hahaha...

Movement: None yet.... although in our first ultrasound, Baby was movin and groovin!

Food cravings: Macaroni & Cheese and Captain Crunch Berries (I have a bowl every night!) My first real craving was chocolate chip cookies... I absolutely HAD TO race to the grocery story to buy what I needed to make them. I also had a weird craving on Saturday.... refried beans.... sorry, Michael..

Symptoms: Exhaustion, Frequent trips to the potty, Nausea is mostly gone... except if I let myself get too hungry! Frequent (healthy) snacking is a MUST.

 Exercise: I've been keeping my workouts just as consistent as before baby... but one of our Dr.'s three rules is to keep my heart rate at a max of 130 when exercising. I normally wear a heart rate monitor when exercising anyway, so I know my heart rate during a workout/run is 165-180. Uh-oh. Keeping my HR at 130 has been challenging.... my 8:00/mile pace has turned into 12-12:30/miles... painstakingly slow! So I've been mixing it up on the elliptical and continuing my total body weights routine. Even lunges and squats can crank my HR up to 145 or so!

Gender: Uncertain.. Dr. says several signs point to boy. No way to be 100% sure yet!

New Recipe Ideas and a High 5 for Me!

So, if you've never heard of the 17 Day Diet, check it out here. I read the entire book back in April/May and decided to give it a shot. My faithful companion (my hubby) decided to give it a shot with me. It went well, we followed the diet, lost weight, went on a cruise..... and..... RIP diet. It was tough getting back on the horse entirely, but we're at it again.

The first 17 days is the toughest... no starchy carbs, period! A sample daily menu is as follows:
Breakfast: 1/2 Cup Eggbeaters with spinach, mushrooms, onions and 1 Tb. Frank's Red Hot (no cals, no sugar, no carbs)
Snack: Fruit (for example.. red grapes, small orange,  or mixed berries)
Lunch: Salad - LOTS of colorful greens and veggies (peppers, tomatoes, celery), a hardboiled egg or turkey/chicken breast strips or can of tuna, topped with 1 tsp. olive oil and 1 Tb. Balsamic Vinegar or Red Wine Vinegar
Snack:  1/2 Cup low-fat  cottage cheese mixed with 1/2 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
Dinner: Grilled or baked fish or chicken (salmon, tilapia, catfish) and veggies (steamed anything, mashed cauliflower) or a small salad

If I'm craving something sweet I'll have a 60 calorie, sugar-free pudding cup... sugar-free is the important thing (over fat-free).

Anyway! While I've discovered some creative, yummy ways to eat carb-free I still crave not only eating, but cooking other yummy things.

This is my list of things I want to make.... eventually....:

• Moroccan Chicken with Couscous
• Cilantro-Jalapeno Hummus
• Buttermilk and Blueberry Pancakes
• Chicken Cordon Bleu
• Cheddar Spirals
• Beer Margaritas

The Moroccan Chicken, Cilantro-Jalapeno Hummus, and Buttermilk & Blueberry Pancakes are not all that sinful, they just look delcious and I CRAVE pancakes. The Cordon Bleu and Cheddar Sprials, however, are just plain naughty...

In workout news.... I participated in an event on base this morning at 0645 called the Splash and Dash! It was a 400 yard swim followed by a 3 mile run. Most everyone else participating were doing it in pairs (1 person runs, the other swims), but oh no.... I decide to do it myself. I'm glad I did! When I came around the corner to cross the finish line of my run I couldn't believe the time - - 33:01. I started my personal watch when I started the run... when I finished it was at 23:58. 3 miles in 23:58??! New personal record... yippee!

Healthy Eggplant Parmesan

Serve with Tomato Lime Meatballs!

Ingredients
1 large eggplant, peeled (use a potato peeler)
4 egg whites
Fat-free Parmesan cheese
Garlic powder, to taste
1 cup of low-carb marinara sauce

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cut eggplant into ¼ inch slices.

3. In a shallow dish, beat egg whites and 4 tablespoons of water until foamy. Dip eggplant slices into egg whites, then into fat-free Parmesan cheese, pressing cheese into eggplant.

4. Place eggplant on prepared baking sheet that has been sprayed with vegetable spray and sprinkle with garlic powder.

5. Spray vegetable cooking spray over eggplant slices.

6. Bake 30 minutes at 400 degrees, turning eggplant over after 20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.

7. Cover with 1 cup of low-carb marinara sauce and bake for 20 minutes, or until eggplant is piping hot and sauce is bubbly.

Tomato Lime Meatballs

Easy... delicious... healthy...

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey breast

2 small onions, chopped

1/4 cup old fashioned oatmeal (as a healthy substitute for bread crumbs)

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

6 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. paprika

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp. ginger
1 tsp. turmeric (can substitute ground mustard if you don't have turmeric)
3 Tbsp. lime juice
1 jar low carb/low sugar marinara or spaghetti sauce (I use Classico's Red Pepper sauce for a kick)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine ground beef, 1/2 of the onion, oatmeal, parsley, cilantro, egg, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes and, if desired, salt and pepper. Shape into 1-inch balls or use an ice cream scoop for easier, more uniform meatballs.
3. Arrange meatballs on baking sheet and bake 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile heat olive oil in 4-quart saucepot over medium heat and cook remaining onion, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir in garlic, ginger and turmeric and cook 1 minute. Stir in lime juice and sauce.
5. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.
6. When meatballs are finished baking, stir them into the sauce and cook an additional 10 minutes or until meatballs are done.

I imagine this would be sinful served with pasta... but it's hearty enough to eat by itself or with a simple, healthy Eggplant Parmesan.

Stack the Deck

My husband and I have done this workout on a few different occasions.... once or twice when we've wanted to switch things up a bit, and several times when we've been traveling and unable (or unwilling) to pay $12/day to hit a gym. You'll be AMAZED at not only the intensity of the workout, but how quickly the time goes by.

STACK THE DECK
Use a deck of cards to determine not only the move, but also the number reps to do. Decide and write down on a sheet of paper what each suit will represent. Pull a card and do the number of reps indicated for the suit of the card. Face cards are worth 10 and aces are worth 11. Draw a new card for each move.
For example:

Hearts - Push Ups
Spades - Squat Jacks (jumping jacks but you're jumping into a squat when you're in the 'X' position)
Clubs - 8 Count Bodybuilders (Google it..)
Diamonds - Jump Lunges
Jokers - 1 Minute Planks

You can modify this workout depending on the amount of space you have. It can be done in a hotel room, living room, or if you're able to get outside you have even more options (i.e. park bench could do bench/tricep dips, sprint across the tennis court, etc.)

So NO EXCUSES! Get out there and get mooooooo-ving :) All you need is a deck of cards!