Idyllwild and Bodhi

Will and I went on a mini vacation to Idyllwild, CA in the 3rd week of my leave of absence. It felt so great to just get away from everything and spend time together in nature. We even brought the doggies along - they were so cute and loved it! It was extra special because we had never gone on vacation with them before and I know an opportunity like this might not come by again after the baby is here.

I didn't know that Idyllwild is at almost 6,000ft altitude, with the trails being even higher. I don't do well at high altitude even in my best of days... so being pregnant I think only made things worse. I had a throbbing headache on and off, got tired pretty easily, and couldn't really sleep at night. But Will didn't push me beyond my comfort limits... he'd scout ahead on the trails to make sure they weren't too steep, found shady spots for me to rest, and made sure I had a lot of water and snacks throughout the day. Yay! So, the trip was not too hard.

Here's a picture of the pooped-out pups on the ride home... great transition to my new topic. It's no secret that Bodhi is my favorite because I've raised her since she was 8 weeks old and now she's an 11 year old grumpy lady. She was my first baby! They say that dogs can tell when you're pregnant and I'm not sure if Forrest feels differently about my condition in any way, but Bodhi has been sticking to my side. She definitely knows something is up and I hope her new clingy behaviors means she'll like the baby. Mostly because she really hated Forrest when we got him... and it was horrible for like the first 2 years. She just barely tolerates him now (except during car rides... and then she is happy to snuggle with him because she uses him as a pillow) and we still have to break up fights once in a while. I don't really want her despising the Little Bun when it gets here.

Jacqueline handmade me this amazing charm necklace for my birthday!! She sculpted everything from clay - including the lifelike little Bodhi. So amazing! And then there's a little heart to symbolize the Little Bun in the oven... and the rose with separate leaves is an homage to a very top secret inside conversation that we had years ago. But I just love how Bodhi is a part of this super meaningful charm necklace that was made to celebrate this very important milestone in my life... and I hadn't even told her all my worries about Bodhi. That's why we're BFFs! We have telepathy. It's a serious thing.

Well, I'll just have to wait and see how the family dynamics will change when the baby arrives, but I'm very optimistic that everything will be peachy. I have an appointment with my new obstetrician this Thursday... so I'm really excited to meet her and can't wait to see the Little Bun again!

The Future Is Here!

So, in the beginning of this baby begetting journey I felt daunted by the fact that it would be an uphill battle. However, I think all the over-thinking, over-analyzing, and over-preparation may have been in my favor. We were able to conceive our Little Bun roughly after 6 months of trying. That's like pretty normal actually... Yay!!!

The successful cycle happened immediately after I finished 3 rounds of Clomid, reduced Metformin dosage, and had been sticking to The No Fun Food Life for about 70% of my diet. I also had greatly increased my physical activity - pickleball, badminton, hiking, scale the strat, etc. - the month before it happened. All that cardio! So... yes, even women with PCOS can have babies with a good diet, moderate exercise, and dedicated doctors who are proactive. I still have to watch myself and try to keep up with the diet & exercise to prevent gestational diabetes... more work ahead!

I also had a little help from ALL of my preggo friends. I literally and very shamelessly asked to rub all their bellies for lucky baby vibes. These two lovely ladies even gave me a double belly-bump for good luck! Everyone kept telling me it will happen... and in the meantime I freaked out anyway. So, thanks for putting up with me! :)

I'm coming up to the end of my 1st trimester and so far the ride has been pretty smooth. I'm extremely tired, moody, have acid reflux, sore boobs, and randomly find myself starving throughout the day... but nothing that's been debilitating or excruciating. I took a 3-week leave of absence from work because of the recent company restructuring and mass exit by 14% of the company. It was stressful, frustrating, and depressing to go to work every day. My blood pressure had sky-rocketed at a checkup and during the first crucial weeks of the baby's life all the vital organs and essential foundation are under construction... so I decided to detach myself for a bit from the craziness of work. This week I went in for another check-up and blood pressure is 120/80... yeah!!

The one food that I extremely miss are deli sandwiches. I don't know if anyone knows this about me but I eat the Subway Club sandwich almost once a week! LOL - the one really nice morning guy that works at the Subway in my neighborhood knows my order! Apparently, deli meat has a pretty low probability of being contaminated with Listeria - a bacteria that can thrive even with refrigeration and is killed by cooking and pasteurization - but pregnant women have increased susceptibility. To come up with a remedy to this hankering... I made myself this 1 pound (yes, I weighed it!) open-faced sandwich. Sprouted grain bread, hummus, avocado, mozzarella, and tomato. It hit the spot! :)

Steak & Greens

My friend, Audrey, sent me some collard greens clippings from her garden to see if I could use them to grow in my new veggie garden. I'm still trying to see if I can nurse them to life... in the meantime I got some from the grocery store.

Collard Greens are one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat. Here are some impressive daily numbers from just 1 cup of cooked Collard Greens: Vitamin K 858%, Vitamin A 80%, Manganese 49%, Vitamin C 46%, Fiber 30%, Calcium 27%, Choline 17%, Vitamin B2 15%, Vitamin B6 14%, Iron 12%. And that's just the Top 10... there are 11 more goodies your body needs in that list!

I didn't want to just eat greens... so the hubby stopped by the grocery store on his way home from work and fulfilled my urgent request for ribeye steak. Yum! He fired up the grill and made some corn as well. SO GOOD!!!

Collard Greens (super easy)
Steam or blanch the Collard Green leaves about 5-7 minutes, about 1.5 inch pieces without the super tough stalks. Saute slices of Garlic, however much you prefer, in 1 tbsp Butter + 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil for a couple minutes. Add the Collard Greens, stir and saute for another 5 minutes. Serve!

I couldn't quite finish my entire steak... guess my eyes were bigger than my stomach... so I had leftovers to get creative with. I chopped up the steak, added some tomatoes and avocado, and wrapped everything in a corn tortilla. I made about 3 of these little beauties for dinner. So simple but so amazing!

Protein. Dairy. Fiber.

In an attempt to keep things well-rounded... I tried a new recipe from my Eat What You Love Everyday cookbook.

Hearty Breakfast Bake
In a large bowl, combine 4 Eggs, 1.5 cups Liquid Egg Whites, 1.5 cups Cottage Cheese, 3/4 cup (almond) Milk, 1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese, 3 cups Shredded Potatoes, 1 tsp Thyme, 1 tsp Black Pepper... optional 1 small diced Green Pepper.

Coat a skillet with cooking spray and saute 1 chopped medium Onion until soft. Crumble in 4 Turkey Breakfast Sausage (like remove the casing) and brown meat. Add Sausage & Onion mixture to large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour ~ overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees, coat baking pan with cooking spray, pour in mixture. Bake for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese and bake another 10 minutes.

I'd never made something like this before... and funny enough it reminded me of the Chinese steamed egg my mom makes. Just a little bit, but enough to make me think I can just make a Chinese steamed egg with a lot less work. LOL... but it did make me eat cottage cheese which is really good for you... too bad it tastes so weird.

I told one of my friends about my effort to add protein... and she suggested Edamame. Duh! I realized that I had a frozen bag in my freezer... so I boiled some up and sprinkled with course sea salt, just like in the Japanese restaurants. Yummy!

It's incredible the punch they pack in just 1/2 cup: 13g Protein, 4g Fiber... and 420mg Potassium. What? That's unexpected... I mean I eat these all the time whenever I get sushi... never knew they were a good source of Potassium. Hurray!

Miso... is so delicious!

One of my favorite things is to make a big batch of Miso Soup so I can enjoy a warm, tasty, and nutritious meal whenever I need. I like to savor a bowl first thing in the morning or after dinner if I need a little something before reaching bedtime. I've made it many ways before but my favorite is the recipe from The Kind Mama.

Kabocha & Wakame Miso Soup
Put water into a pot - how much depends on your preference for broth-to-ingredients ratio. Soak the Wakame (the seaweed) and Shiitake Mushroom to re-hydrate. After they're softened and plump, either scoop or strain them out - chop Wakame if the pieces are too big. Keep the soaking water.

Heat the soaking water to boiling over medium heat. Add: Wakame, Shiitake Mushroom... and Kabocha Squash, Daikon, Leek, and Red Onion. Use your desired amount of everything and chop to your desired size. Boil for about 15 minutes, until all the veggies are soft.

Put 2-3 tbsp or more Miso paste (depends on flavor preference) into a small bowl. Only use the refrigerated kind that contains living probiotic culture (NOT the powder kind). Ladle a couple big spoonfuls of the hot water into the bowl to dissolve the Miso. Turn down the heat to very low. Add the Miso to the pot and it should just be warm enough for you to see the Miso swirl on its own, but DO NOT let the water boil... even with small bubbles... because then you'll destroy all the living nutritious goodness of the Miso.

Here are 10 scientifically researched benefits of Miso:
1. Contains all essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.
2. Stimulates the secretion of digestive fluids in the stomach.
3. Restores beneficial probiotics to the intestines.
4. Aids in the digestion and assimulation of foods in the intestines.
5. Is a good vegetable source of B vitamins (especially B12).
6. Strengthens the quality of blood & lymph fluid.
7. Reduces risk for breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancers.
8. Protects against radiation due to dipilocolonic acid.
9. Strengthens immune system & helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.
10. Is high in antioxidants that protect against free radicals.

And while we're at it... some benefits of Wakame! Magnesium, Iodine, Calcium, Iron, Vitamins (A, B2 - riboflavin, C, D, E, K), Folate, and Lignans.  If you don't normally eat sea vegetables, you need to get at it. Seriously.

This Miso Soup is so filling and delicious... and packs a serious health punch. So, next time you've got the sniffles or feel a bit under-the-weather... don't reach for the canned stuff filled with sodium, preservatives, and year-old 'shelf stable' noodles & junk. Treat your body and yourself to this elixir of health. Yum!

The Kind Diet

I read a book by Alicia Silverstone called, The Kind Diet, years ago. It sparked this whole eating revolution within my own life... in fact, I only ate meat that was certified organic and humanely raised and handled for the entire year of 2010. I permanently made the switch from keeping milk in my fridge to almond & soy milk. I learned a lot about eating kindly for the earth and for my body. That book really changed the fundamental way I viewed the relationship between me, my food, and the planet.

Since then, she's come out with another book - The Kind Mama. I read the introductory chapters about the plant-based lifestyle research and benefits. And then I read the chapters on how it can increase fertility. I just love her holistic approach to everything and the complete picture on plant-based nutrition and the female body. So, in my renewed dedication to The No Food Fun Life, I am still going to aim for carb-free and sugar free... but I think I'm going to ease up a bit on the natural starchy veggies, fruits, and whole grains. It will probably make life a lot easier and more enjoyable.

In the beginning, it was easy to get swept up in the initial momentum and go all-out carb free, get on the meds, download apps, and just turn the whole experience into a regimen. I was on a mission and it was quite stressful. Now that it's been almost 6 months and the frantic excitement has died down... I want to keep up a healthy lifestyle filled with good nutrition and fitness, but less militantly.

So, here's the first meal I've made since deciding to embark on a kinder diet. I made my lunch for tomorrow... some Korean Hobak Jun (side dishes) of egg-battered fried tofu and zucchini. I also scrambled the leftover egg. I made a big batch of the Miso Soup recipe found in The Kind Mama. It was the first time I had cooked with Kabocha Squash... and it's a delicious little squash. Love it!

What else is changing? I've stopped taking Clomid, the nightmare hormone pill. Even though I only take it 5 days each cycle, I am positive that it continues to affect your body long after. I finally feel joyful and lighthearted again for the first time in months... since starting the medication! It was like running on a revved up hormone engine... I was strung super tight. I didn't even realize how miserable I've been feeling until I felt better. I'm hoping acupuncture can help regulate my ovulation issues instead.

I've also been working less hours. I think the Clomid affected me so much that I literally got talked to at work about my attitude and behavior... :/ I don't agree with everything that was brought up in that meeting, regardless of my emotional issues. But, I also don't excuse or justify anything either.. Suffice it to say, it was a get-it-together and back-to-reality moment... I think sometimes I forget some important lessons I learned from previous workplaces because I FEEL like I do valuable work and that I am among friends... I've put myself back into my government worker bee shoes and just started playing it a lot safer. I've also pulled back my hours at work as a self-preservation tactic. For the past few weeks I've averaged about 35-ish hours per week. So far, so good.

And I reduced my Metformin to 1/2 the dosage - which has done wonders for my eyes! LOL... Anyone remember that post? The side effect from the Metformin was doing really strange things to my eyes... my right eye was always red no matter what and my left eye couldn't stop watering all day. It got to a point where the skin at the corners of my left eye was red, raw & broken from the constant watering and me wiping the moisture away. I couldn't really put Neosporin on the corners... but you know what worked amazingly well? Honey! The skin healed up and got better... yay!

Well, that's about it. Everything else is pretty much the same. Something happened at work today that was cray-cray... but that's like a whole new topic that would be too complex and weird to write down. It certainly has been a super weird atmosphere... and it's not slowing down... But, I'm just going to not let it affect my state of mind. Anyway, I'm going to head to bed because I know my tomorrow is jam-packed. Gotta get that quality sleep... *Zzzzzzzzzz*

PS - After many complaints from my loyal readers about how difficult it is to leave comments with their phones... I finally figured out how to tweak the settings. So, now it should be easier? Give it a try and let me know if it has improved! :)

Badminton, My Throwback Thursday

So... in keeping with the racquet sports for the month of March... I attended a practice/tryout session for the Corporate Challenge Badminton!!! Why is this a Throwback Thursday moment? Well... as some of you may know... I played varsity badminton in high school!

At the time, I was feeling a little bit overstuffed from the team potluck and I also had a bit of a headache. None of my friends were going to be there. I seriously spent the last hour of my day contemplating skipping the practice.... all these things were stacking up & telling me to just drive home instead of going the exact opposite direction of home to play a sport I hadn't touched in over a decade w. a bunch of strangers. I think I was afraid of how bad I might perform. I was on the varsity team back then, even though I wasn't like an Olympic contender or anything, I was good enough. I was afraid that I'd get on the court and find myself starting from scratch... or worse... maybe I'd be able to envision what I should do and just wouldn't be able to execute any of it and become super frustrated & embarrassed with my own inabilities.

As I got to the freeway junction where I had to choose whether I'd go home or go to practice... I sucked it up and drove to the Las Vegas Badminton Club. I doubted my decision the entire way as I sat through traffic, drove around the enormous complex many times because I kept missing the obscure door, as I stood in the front being awkwardly not greeted by the Chinese mother/daughter receptionist duo, and finally signed the waiver. Then, I stepped into back area where all the courts were. And instantly, I felt excited! I was exhilarated! Exuberant! *Eeeeeeee*

I introduced myself to the team captain and immediately apologized for how bad I'm going to be because I hadn't played in over 12 years. She was so encouraging and spent time running some volleying and serving drills with me while the others played doubles. The first half hour or so was ROUGH. I'd swing and just keep missing. I had to slow down and remind myself that I had adjusted my swing to accommodate the really short paddle of pickleball. I kept at it and stayed positive.

An hour or so into the game... it was like riding a bicycle! Of course, my various partners really helped. Use your wrist! Hit high and force them back! Give them room and let them make the mistake! I loved every minute of it! The muscle memory came flooding back and the game, the strategies, the moves ... they just all started popping up. Don't get me wrong... I'm nowhere near good by any means, but I was definitely pleasantly surprised by the progress.

On top of it all,  I made a bunch of new friends! I definitely made the right decision. :)