Medical

Headed out to my 3rd acupuncture appointment today. I stopped taking my progesterone because the acupuncturist told me not to so he could see what my body did on its own. No surprise to me I started spotting right after ovulation all the way up until my cycle started early on day 24. Surely this is TMI but I like to keep record of it so feel free to read on.

I'm actually going to start seeing a hormonal specialist in Palm Springs ASAP via a recommendation from a (now pregnant!) friend. She had some similar issues to me and was prescribed some bioidentical progesterone etc that she swears by and after two months was prego. She is now 4 months prego! You know who you are;) From what I gather this doctor looks at your blood tests in depth (from a lab he recommends) and tells you what your hormonal deficiencies are then prescribes bioidentical drugs to compensate for your low hormones. Apparently not all doctors measure hormones quite so extensively. For example there are five measurements taken for hypothyroidism 1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6. My current doctor only looks at level 5 and 6 and told me I'm good to go with my thyroid. However, with hypothyroid running in my family (and me having serveral symptoms of it) I'm curious to see what this new doctor will tell me when he looks at all 6 aspects of my thyroid. I don't know if any of this makes sense. Basically I'm giving everything a shot before we decide IVF is our only hope.

Emotional

I'm feeling hopeful with the acupuncture, new diet, and my essential oils. I'm also really looking forward to meeting this hormonal specialist with my Mom. (Did I mention she's even going to pay for it?!) She truly believes it could help me and I'm excited about it. I do get overwhelmed because there are literally SO many reasons to as why I'm not getting pregnant. I often don't even know where to begin and what treatment is good or what is a waste of time but I've got a year to figure that out before we pull out the big guns.

Spiritual

I heard/read some great and encouraging things this week. Here they are in no particular order...

Psalms 34:18-19 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles but the Lord delivers him from them all.  

1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you. "You are staggering beneath a weight that your Father would not feel. What seems to you a crushing burden would be to him but as the small dust of the balance. Nothing is so sweet as to lie passive in God's hands and know no will but his. Child of suffering, be patient. God has not passed you over. He who is the feeder of the sparrows will also furnish you with what you need. Do not sit in despair, hope on. There is one who cares for you. His eye is fixed on you. His heart beats with pity for your woe, and his all knowing hand shall bring you the needed help. He will bind up your wounds and heal your broken heart. Do not doubt his grace because of your tribulation, but believe that he loves you as much in seasons of trial as in times of happiness. God has never refused to bear your burdens, he has never fainted under their weight. Say goodbye to anxiety and leave all your concerns in the hand of a gracious God." Charles Spurgeon.

I hope that encourages those of you in trials as much as it did for me. 

And here's a little bit of Blair for your life...

"Mom! Come get in my tabernacle!" LOL clearly this girl has been studying the life of Moses in her Bible study.

 

Earlier this week she enjoyed her rainbow necklace at the library craft time.

Happy weekend!

I'm happy to say the fatigue and bloating have subsided...phew! Here's what I've noticed so far...

More Energy: I notice that I wake up in the morning before my alarm goes off. This is not to say that I choose to get up or out of bed at that time but hey, my body is at least feeling refreshed enough to wake up all on its own.

Less Cellulite: Notice I did not say "no" cellulite. If I'm not imagining it I really do think that the overall appearance of cellulite is less. Two more weeks of this and it should be gone. Haha.

Better Mood: I don't know if it is because I know what I am eating is so darn good for me that I feel proud of myself or what but I'm feeling determined and really good about what I'm eating.

Perseverance: I'm actually considering doing this for a lot longer than 30 days. It practically matches my fertility diet that my doctor recommended anyway so I think M and I are going to keep at it. I might throw in the occasional dessert for special occasions but aside from that I think we are going to keep this up. It's good for us and can only help our cause.

Exercise: I haven't noticed that the gym is any easier lately or that my performance has improved but maybe that takes time.

Here are some of the highlights from our menu this week...

Pancakes: aka bananas and eggs. 2 eggs for every banana sprinkled with cinnamon. Technically pancakes are a no-no because they trigger responses in your brain differently than just eating two eggs and a banana the regular way but to be honest I'm not out to change my brain chemistry. I just want to eat whole, healthy food. So bring on the pancakes.

Pulled pork from the crockpot, squash and onion medley, avocado, and blackberries. Simple but good.

Bear with me on this one...Shepherd's Pie. I know it looks like a pile of doo but it was very tasty! Ground beef, a carrot medley, celery, onion, all covered with mashed potatoes (using coconut milk and Ghee butter). Very hearty and very tasty!

I encountered my first trial this weekend...the dreaded birthday party! It actually was totally fine. They had a slider food truck so I just got my sliders with no bun, sauce, or cheese and they were still quite tasty! I had to pass on the cupcakes and cake but honestly I was ok with that. I had a great time hanging out with my friends from high school which was a great distraction!

The cupcakes sure were darn cute though!

My whole 30 go-to girl is on my left in the leopard sweater. It sure helps to have a friend who has gone through it!

Happy Thursday friends! It's almost the weekend!

Last week my Mom and I headed out to Hobby Lobby (my favorite!) so I could return a couple things and get some decorations for Blair's birthday celebration. They always have the cutest stuff! Here is what I am loving...

Huge monogram letters for $12!

Pretty cute if you ask me!

How fun and beautiful is this print? If I only had a spot for it...

The chicest dishware!

I found this umbrella for her "Peppa Pig" party since Peppa loves jumping in muddy puddles. Blair insisted on keeping her baby dry from the rain while we shopped. Apparently Hobby Lobby gets very stormy weather inside. ;)

Happy Tuesday!

Yesterday was sure my kind of day. We woke up to rain and Blair slept in...the day was off to a good start! We stayed cozy inside and then when the rain cleared for a bit we went out to play in some "muddy puddles" as Peppa Pig calls them. M snapped some adorable photos of Blair for her Peppa Pig party invitations I'm working on. Her birthday isn't till March but you know me....the ever type A planner. ;)

Like I said, my favorite kind of day. And man do these pictures just melt my heart! She was thrilled to get messy in the puddles and I was thrilled to capture her joy. I know I will cherish these forever!

Earlier this week one of Blair's older friends, Delaney, gave her some of her retired dance costumes and ballet outfits. Her mom warned me that they were" very pink" but that was an understatement! I died when I pulled one of them out of the bag and Blair instantly wanted to wear it. It reminded me of a Lisa Frank binder (anyone?). See for yourself...

That hair pretty though...

Doesn't she look like a piece of bubblegum? Lucky for her the weather has been in the 80s here and she can wear that thing without her clothes under it. The photos were actually taken by my brother and I'm not sure if he asked her to put her hands on her hips like that but it's killing me regardless! How can you not love a face like that?!

Tomorrow I'm talking about our experience with Whole 30 thus far (Thursday's Thirty). Get excited!

Okay so confession: I haven't read the whole book (yet). But I've got the basics down and am working my way through it. This is what I've got for you so far...

Whole 30 is basically not eating anything processed along with no dairy, no carbs from grains/legumes/beans, and no added sugars. There is a lot more in the book about why they chose the foods you can and can not eat with a ton of research but I'm not here to tell you all that. I'm hoping to simplify this for those of you thinking about trying it out. And encourage YOU to read the book ;).

You're probably asking what is left to eat? The answer is plenty! I have truly been full throughout my now week long experience with this. Let me break down a typical day for you...

Breakfast: 3(!) eggs
                 potato, bell pepper, onion medley
                 fruit (I had blackberries).
                 Everything in the skillet was cooked with Ghee butter (found at Sprouts).

Lunch: Waldorf Chicken Wraps
             chopped chicken
             chopped apples
             chopped celery
             raisins
             cashews
             homemade ranch dressing
             I'm lacking on the veggies in this recipe but it did keep me full and was tasty!

Dinner: chile lime chicken burgers (Trader Joes)
             broccolini (cooked in EVOO)
             sweet potato fries (baked with EVOO)
             avocado
             homemade ranch dressing
             blackberries

One of the goals of Whole 30 is to eat the right amount and right kids of foods at each meal that way there is no need to snack. So far this has proven true and I don't feel hungry in between meals (this doesn't mean that I don't miss snacking). The only reason I have a mid afternoon snack is because I need some energy before I go to the gym and I don't want to eat a whole meal.

So far the hardest part about Whole 30 has been the prep/planning time. This diet does not provide convenience and if you let yourself go too long without food and then are starving you are in trouble because it's hard to whip something up. I'm lucky because M preps most of our meals. I tend to be on my own for lunch (unless it's a weekend...holla!).

book: It Starts With Food
Instagram: whole30
                   planksloveandguacamole
                   whole30recipes
                   nomnompaleo
Pinterest: search "whole 30 recipes"

So far I have been crazy bloated and crazy tired...both of which are normal according to this whole 30 timeline. I can't wait to be past this stage!

Boy mamas rejoice! We officially have first year photo prop signs for boys in our etsy shop! If you or someone you know is expecting, this would be the perfect gift. :) In fact I'm sending them to one of my favorite bloggers who is due this month! Here is a little preview...

And if you are having a girl...

 

Happy Wednesday!