Week 22 Pregnancy Update – Emotional and Reflective

This week comes with a lot of emotion!

As the weeks continue to tick by and I see the women on the blogs I read actually having their babies, (Brittany, Sabrina), it reminds me that this journey is only temporary. Before I know it, I’ll have a little girl to take care of and pregnant Jamie will be MIA. And while I do plan to have more children, there is something so magical and mysterious about the first pregnancy. Nothing is known to me- it is all happening for the first time. Each week brings on new changes, sensations and feelings I’ve never had before.

The other day I was thinking back to the months where I was trying to get pregnant. I was remembering all of the things that I was doing and reading in hopes of increasing my chances to conceive quickly. I soon realized that not everything is as easy as it sounds and I felt stressed for a while hoping that I would indeed be able to have a baby. Those times make you question everything you always assumed you would have. There is always a chance that pregnancy is not possible, but it’s not until you start to try to have a baby that you are slammed in the face with that reality.

 

Then I started thinking back to those first few weeks when I knew I was pregnant and that special feeling of sharing a secret that only Joe and I knew. We spent time planning funny and creative ways to tell our parents the good news. The whole thing was so much fun… almost as much fun as seeing their faces light up with joy when they heard the news. Then there was the nerves and anxiety of waiting out the first trimester. With each week I was  closer and closer to the 12 week mark when the risk of miscarriage reduces greatly. Just waiting and being cautiously optimistic as the weeks went from 5, to 8, to 10, and finally to 12.

After that hump was the wait to find out our baby’s gender. I had dreams about meeting my son, and then other dreams about meeting my daughter. One day I would swear it was a boy and the next I just had that *feeling* that it was a girl. I remember looking over at Joe when the ultrasound technician said, “It’s a girl.” We both just shared a silent moment. Taking it in. Realizing that we were going to have a daughter.

I guess the 22 week point marks a nice time in the pregnancy. Still a lot to do and look forward to, and so much to remember and reflect on. My goal for this time is to do my best to really cherish and hold on to these memories. Each day is passing quickly, but I really need to live in the moment.

Yesterday, on my way home from work I was starving so I attempted to eat the other half of my buffalo tofu salad pita from lunch. Within 1 second I had buffalo sauce all over my belly and just EVERYWHERE. I started hysterically laughing and just continued to let things drop all over me. I just had a moment. With myself. And my bump. And it was fun. So I documented it.

Week 22 Bump

 

Other Facts

Baby’s Length: 11 inches (the length of a small spaghetti squash- WOW!)

Baby’s Weight- 1.2 pounds! (Confirmed in an ultrasound on Tuesday)

Cravings: Still all about the chocolate! And cheese. And anything vinegary and spicy (pepperoncini’s fit this description perfectly- hence this large jar in the fridge)

Current Interests (related to pregnancy): The Brewer Pregnancy Diet. I’ve been reading a ton about this diet and learning a lot about the importance of nutrition during pregnancy and why the pregnancy weight gain as a one-size-fits-all model is completely ridiculous. I’m planning on posting on this soon, but for now you can read more HERE.

 

Previous Updates:

Week 21

Week 20

Week 19

Week 18

Week 17

Week 16

Week 15

Week 14

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Do You Dislike your Thinner or Fatter Self?

The other day Joe was scrolling through my blog as I was sitting on the couch. He came across a picture I posted and said, “Wow you look really good in this picture”. Instead of saying thank you, my first thought went to…”I must look terrible, now”.

In no way, shape, or form did Joe ever reference my current body, he was just giving me a simple compliment.

 

At that moment I realized…I’m jealous of myself. In the picture Joe was referencing I was at the healthiest weight I had been at in years. I was doing things a healthy way too (eating right and running a lot), so I should be proud of who is looking back at me in the picture. Instead, I kind of hated her.

 

This has also happened to me with pictures of my heavier self. I  recently came across a picture of myself in college at a really high weight. Probably my highest weight to-date. I instantly looked at it and was disgusted. I didn’t want to acknowledge that it was me.

After thinking about both instances I knew that I needed to reflect. Ultimately all of those pictures are of the same person. The only thing that changed from the thin picture to the fat picture was the number on the scale. At either point in time I was the same person with the same warm heart, the same sense of humor, and the same wonderful life.

I always thought that at some point I would find that happy place with health and diet and leave all of my insecurities behind. While I know I’ve made progress, I am starting to realize that until I can accept myself for who I am and not what I look like, that I will never find release from the emotions attached to my physical appearance.

I think that being pregnant has really challenged me to love myself no matter what I look like on the outside. While I am certainly trying to be a healthy pregnant lady, there is no doubt that my body is changing and that I am getting a lot bigger on the outside. But on the inside, my body is performing miracles. At times when I’ve been upset about my lack of self control or the fact that my weight gain that is higher than the charts say it should be, I just stop and ask myself what the heck am I doing?!

Do I want my daughter to ever sense that her arrival made me stressed and upset? Would I want my own daughter to feel the same way about her body that I do about mine?

How to you feel about seeing yourself at a lighter or heavier weight?
Do you accept who you are at any point?

What have you done to increase your level of self acceptance?

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A Natural Cleanse

No no, not that kind of cleanse silly! I’m talking household cleaners!

As a part of the Foodbuzz Publisher Program, I was selected to try out some Clorox Green Works cleaning products. FYI: (I was not compensated for these reviews but did receive complimentary products).

I have to admit that when it comes to cleaning products, I have always gone for the traditional stuff. I like the strong smell of a powerful cleaner that makes me know things are spic and span. However, I realize the impact that harsh cleaners can have on the environment and I know that natural based cleaners are also safer for children. This was the perfect opportunity for me to get to try out some natural alternatives made by a brand that I have used for years!

In the package I received three products to try: all purpose cleaner, cleaning wipes, and laundry detergent. You can check out the entire product line here. The product I was most excited about was the cleaning wipes. I love the convenience of these wipes and especially love having them in my drawer at work to keep my desk clean. (If you eat at your desk at work, you should really consider doing this!).

The Green Works wiped worked great! They made my work area clean and germ free but they also smelled great and were certain not to offend co-workers. I also love the fact that they are compostable. I normally feel bad about using disposable wipes versus a cleaner and a rag, but this takes away the guilt of using this convenient product.

At home I have also cleaned my kitchen counters with the all purpose cleaner and it did a great job and smelled really nice. I haven’t used the laundry detergent yet, but I plan to do so soon. I can tell you that it has a nice lavender scent.

Have you tried Green Works? If so, what did you think?

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One Year Blog-i-versary!

Hi everyone!

I had really wanted to share this post with you last week on the actually anniversary of my blog (9/23), but things were just too hectic and I didn’t get a chance to do it!

I can’t believe it’s been a year since I started Food in Real Life. As some of you know, I had a previous blog with Blogger, but it never quite captured the feel of what I was going for.

 

Additionally, I wanted to start a blog that talked more about my running since it was something I was proud of. I have always been someone that thought I hated running and that I could never do it, so when I actually started loving it, I wanted to encourage others to give it a try as well.

I remember the day I spent setting up the blog and how excited (and nervous) I was to publish my first post.

Some memorable events over the past year

I finished grad school

I ran two half marathons:

 

Philly Half Marathon

National Half Marathon

I was forced to stop running due to a foot injury

 I went to my first Steelers home game

I became pregnant

Some of my favorite posts in the past year:

Superficial Pregnancy Fears

A Guest Post by Joe

Holiday Weight Woes

10 Things I wish I knew about Running

 

My most popular posts according to readership

Perfect Peanut Flour Pancakes

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Chicken

The day I had a meltdown in Trader Joe’s

Empty Calories

Ask Me Anything #1

 

 

I really look forward to where this blog will go over the next year. Some things I’m looking forward to blogging about are how my life changes with a new baby, an increasing focus on budgeting and budget friendly meals, and my post baby weight loss. I’d also love to start running again when my feet feel better and if so, I’d like to chronicle how my training goes after a year off of running.

 

I could also use your help and feedback!

 

What are your favorite posts about?

What would you like to see from this blog going forward?

What do you like or dislike about the current content/format?

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A Big Day…(delayed)

Happy Friday! I’m so bummed because I wanted to write a great post for you today, but things were actually pretty busy at work and by the time I got home and worked out, I was pooped!

 

Needless to say, we’ll have to celebrate my 1 year blogiversary on Monday!

 

In the meantime, we can celebrate this other milestone. A shout out to Rhonda the Honda! The best car a girl could ask for. Fingers crossed for many more miles!

 

Have a great weekend!!

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Week 21 Pregnancy Update

Here we are, another week of pregnancy in the books! This was a big one for me. Not because 21 weeks marks any kind of significant point in my pregnancy (at least I don’t think so) but it was the week I pretty much “popped”!

 

Last Monday I went to visit my friend Diana who recently had a little girl.

While I was at her house, we both concluded that I still didn’t look pregnant. I mean sure, if you know me then you’d know, but otherwise, that bump was still oddly concealed.

 

You wouldn’t know it from my progress pics where I usually wear form fitting tops, but when I wore looser clothing or a pair of pants that cuts me off mid-waist; it was kind of hard to tell.

I’m not going to lie; I was kind of bummed after our discussion. I wanted to have that round and firm belly bump that I had always dreamed of. Not this wide, mushy, waist-less look I had going on. I figured by 20 weeks I would definitely look more pregnant than this.

 

Then miraculously on Thursday morning I woke up and there it was. My cute little bump, all round and firm. YAY! To make it even better, Joe had been away all week and when he got home Thursday night he confirmed it. He couldn’t believe how much I grew!

 

It’s also interesting how much better my maternity clothing fits now. If you’ve never worn maternity clothes before, this may be surprising, but for me, when my belly wasn’t round, the maternity clothes weren’t as comfy. I found that they drooped, slipped down, and the tight fitting tops weren’t flattering on a not-so-firm belly. I also didn’t realize that there really is a “fit” to maternity clothes- they aren’t just stretchy pants. You still need to order your regular size and just the top of the waist is stretchy (the lower abdomen, hips, butt, and legs are pretty much normal)

As soon as the “poppage” happened, I slipped on a pair of maternity jeans and a snug fitting cotton top and felt like a million bucks! Finally, I think I’m seeing that pregnancy glow in myself (time for a celebratory peppermint patty!)

This week’s progress photo:

 

Other Fun Facts

Size of Baby: 10.5 inches long (banana), 12.7 ounces

Cravings: CHOCOLATE! And with Halloween coming up there is certainly no shortage of temptation. I bought some fun size kit-kats that have been hanging out in the freezer (and in my mouth). I also enjoyed a few fun size peppermint patties with lunch this week.

Hunger Levels: Lately I’m finding that either I can go hours without feeling hungry or I need to eat every 2 hours. Today I’ve been starving, but yesterday I ate only half of my morning snack and skipped my afternoon snack. The hunger just wasn’t there. Pregnancy really is helping me get back on track with my natural hunger cues.

Exercise: Now that I’m working I no longer have the luxury of working out in the afternoons when I seem to have the most energy. Since I’m out the door at 6:50am morning workouts aren’t happening…so I’ve been trying to adjust to an evening workout at home. Yesterday I did a quick on-demand cardio workout and I plan to do another one today. My new goal is to exercise 3-4 times a week.

That’s all I got! And just a heads up that tomorrow is an exciting day for Food in Real Life! Stay tuned…

 

Previous Updates:

Week 20

Week 19

Week 18

Week 17

Week 16

Week 15

Week 14

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How NOT to quit your job

I’m pretty sure that anyone that has worked at a job for a while has at some point thought about quitting. Most often, these thoughts arise when the job has become less enjoyable or more stressful. I’m familiar with this feeling considering that I’ve worked at a lot of positions since I graduated college in 2003.

 

However here’s a little story about a job that will never show up on my resume and once you read this, you’ll understand why….

(Note: this is actually a picture of when I graduated from grad school in 2011)

 

When I finished school in 2003 I was working at a small news magazine in New York City where I had previously interned. The magazine agreed to have me back but they knew they couldn’t hire me full time. Eventually, through my connections there I scored an assistant media buyer position at a prestigious advertising agency.

Although the position was supposedly a “dream job” because of the young environment and connections into hot media parties, I had my doubts about it. (awful salary, didn’t like the people that interviewed me, and the company frequently boasted a “pay your dues” motto). But I took it anyway.

(hey, parties are great! But they don’t make the job….)

 

After a few months of working ridiculous hours under very high stress for horrible money on a team of sexist, unprofessional people, I knew I had to get out of there. I was SO NERVOUS to quit. I’d never quit a job before!

On the morning I went in with the intentions of quitting, I arrived to an email from my boss stating a complete restructuring of my department. For some reason this wrench in my plans made me FREAK OUT. I ended up writing an email to my boss telling him that I quit effective immediately and then I literally ran out of the building. I had lost it.

I was totally embarrassed and relieved at the same time. I’ll never forget that feeling I had as I was walking away office hoping I didn’t bump into anyone that I knew. My heart was pumping and I was tingly from the nerves.

 

Although over 8 years later I’m still mortified about what I did (and my family still makes fun of me), but I learned SO MUCH from the experience. I was able to reflect on what happened over time and it helped me to become a better decision maker. The next time I left a job I was still extremely nervous but I was able to go through with it (and give 2 weeks notice), and leave on great terms with the company.

 

I also learned the importance of going with my “gut” when it comes to choosing a job, even if I’m feeling desperate for work.

I’m sure that some of you who read my blog are still in college or recent graduates. As someone recently back on the job market for various reasons, I understand what it is like to be out there in this economy. Finding a teaching job is almost impossible at this point, but I know that one day I will have that “dream job”. And I won’t run away this time.

 

Have you ever quit a job?

What is your dream job?

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Meal Planning- Yay or Nay?

If you asked me some of my best tips for losing weight- after telling you to exercise and eat healthy foods (duh), I’d tell you to meal plan!

This is what has worked for me in the past because the structure has not only kept me “on track” but it has also forced me to put the time into thinking about what I’m going to eat before that moment arrives.

However, I think that meal planning is important for not only those of us who want to lose weight. Recently I haven’t been sticking to a plan at all, and I’m realizing now that I need one. Here’s why.

 

Benefits to Planning Ahead

 

Makes Dinners a Breeze

Thinking ahead can be helpful for a number of reasons. The first is that meal planning gives you a sense of what groceries you will need for the week. I find this especially helpful for planning dinners. Honestly, the last thing I want to do at the end of the day is go to the grocery store. I’d much rather come home, assemble some ingredients and call it a night.

Additionally, I find that in the evenings I’m much more likely to grab things that are convenient or less healthy because I’m tired and hungry. If the meal is already planned and the ingredients are purchased, then I know that I have to use them so they don’t go bad.

 

Helps Your Creativity

I don’t know about you guys, but when I don’t plan snacks and meals, I find that what I grab on the fly to be very boring. No lunch planned? Ok, I’ll grab a yogurt, some crackers, and a piece of fruit. That may sound fine in the morning, but then around lunch time when everyone is eating sandwiches and salads, I feel kind of sad. This might lead to me wanting to go out and grab a replacement lunch. Usually the replacement lunch is not the healthiest choice, and then I’m out $5-$10 bucks.

When I take the time to plan my food, I’m more likely to come up with good ideas for what to eat. I can create inventive and healthy snack ideas instead of just going with what is convenient. I can look up recipes online or page through a cookbook for inspiration. When I dig into a lunch bag that is planned versus one that I haphazardly put together, I KNOW the difference. And ultimately those planned days leave me more satisfied and with more energy.

 

Meal Planning versus Intuitive Eating

Often I’ve found myself trying to go the more “intuitive” route when it comes to eating. Furthermore, many of the books I’ve read about overcoming emotional and binge eating advocate this kind of approach. (Geneen Roth for example). While I believe that intuitive eating is an important step in finding a healthy balance, I still think that there can be a place for meal planning.

Since I’ve become pregnant, I’ve become an intuitive eater more than ever, but I also haven’t been a very good planner. I basically just eat what I feel like eating and I don’t give myself a hard time about it because most of my favorite foods are healthy for me and the baby.

Yet, lately I’ve found that my lack of planning is shooting me in the foot. I’ve started to end up with meals that are less balanced and less nutritious. This usually happens because I didn’t make sure to have good ingredients in the house, or I didn’t get creative in my snacks and ended up grabbing something packaged. Now that I’m working full time again, I really need to prepare ahead of time in order to ensure that I can put together healthy, balanced meals.

The New Plan

As of today, I’m going to start writing out my meals again to help eat better and plan better. I’m not counting calories, and my meal structure is mostly based on the times of day that I typically get hungry. As of now I’ll be eating 3 meals and 4 snacks (the last snack of the day is usually my dessert). I also am not worried about veering off this plan, it’s really just there to help me, not to tell me what to do.

 

When I go to grocery store, I’ll have more of a plan, but this will certainly not stop me from picking up random items and treats if I want them.

This is actually one of the most fun things I’ve allowed myself during pregnancy. For example, yesterday I picked up a box of delicious spice cookies (like gingersnaps) that I always see come out around this time of year. In the past I wouldn’t let myself buy them, but now I say yes to keeping more treats in the house.

 

Are you a meal planner? If so, how do you do it?

If you’re not a meal planner, can you share how your daily meals come together?

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Tired girl, dancing baby

Hi guys!

 

I’m just popping in to say a quick hello. I’m too tired for a full post, but wanted to just give some quick updates.

 

This past weekend I spent time with my mom and sister. We tackled a huge task….REGISTERING!

 

The great thing is that my sister is so generous to lend me so many of my nephew’s things so that I don’t need to register for that much stuff.

I wonder if he will share his cow costume from his first Halloween…

He’s too big for this highchair now…I can’t believe it

 

Even with all of my sister’s help, it is still a challenge to figure out what I need and which brands and all that stuff. I ended up with three registries- Pottery Barn Kids, Giggle, and Babies R Us.

 

The rest of the weekend was spent going through my sister’s things, discussing the nursery, doing more shopping and buying some really cute baby stuff

Like this cute hat:

This side view is terrible, but those are flaps on the side that come down under her chin.

 

This morning I went to a doctor’s appointment- just a check up, and everything is great. I thought I might get in trouble for gaining a bit too much weight this month, but the doctor didn’t mention it.

 

After my appointment I headed to WORK! Yep, I finally scored myself a longer term job. I’ll be temping as a receptionist for the next few months. I’m so relieved. It doesn’t pay a fortune but it will be a consistent job that is low stress. Everyone at the company seems really nice and flexible with whatever I may need as far as time off for appointments and what not.  YAY!

 

Even though my day wasn’t that long, I’m just really wiped out right now. And apparently the baby and I are not on the same schedule. Just as I plopped down on the couch she started dancing away in my tummy! It felt amazing. By far and away this is my favorite part of pregnancy so far.

 

Alright, this is getting longer than I thought. Off to eat dinner and watch TV!

 

Where do you work?

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How I organize my blog photos

This morning I was loading some pictures on to my computer and I decided that I needed to do some housekeeping in the blog photo department. I had done this before but lately just found myself throwing them into one big folder and then wanting to delete all of them because I didn’t have the patience.

 

The truth is that I don’t often re-use a lot of the pictures I save, but somehow it is a nice comfort to know that they are all there. (I also back them up onto discs).

 

Right now, here is how I have things organized. I have a main depository of pictures (the folder is named "food" I guess for "food in real life")

When I’m short on time I just drop the pictures in this folder. Then when I have time, I go into the archive folder and file the pictures away based on their purpose.

It was nice looking through some of the old pictures. My blog is not quite a year old yet, but the anniversary is right around the corner so I started some reflections a bit early.

 

Here are some of the photos I enjoyed looking at this morning:

 

Memories of this past fall and winter:

Some of the fun recipes I made and forgot about

QSC Casserole!

Chicken Soup (the good one!)

 

Times with family and friends

And clothes I no longer fit into

Ok, maybe I didn’t spend that much time in that folder

 

Sometimes it’s just nice to spend some time going through pictures. Makes you really reflect on time passed. Back in the day we used to always print photos, and I have boxes and boxes of them. Maybe it’s time to start printing more so that I can compile some photo albums.

 

Does anyone still make photo albums?

How do you organize your blog photos or photos in general?

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