Random musings

*Turns out my MIL did not have cancer, however she did have a tumor in her kidney.  Thankfully, the results came back yesterday and it was benign.  :-)

*In other old people news, my FIL has to have a hip replaced in September and will most likely have the other one replaced in the spring.  Yikes.

*This morning in the train station, there was a woman talking on a phone and the cover looked just like the phone below (no bunny tail though).  It is weird that the first thing that I thought of was that she also uses the phone as a vibrator?

Via Google Image Search

*I am officially an a**hole.  I get super annoyed with the people that park themselves on the street corners and play loud music, occasionally playing with the music on their trumpet or other instrument.  I know that this is how some of these people are making a living, but they are just not good and what makes them think that a cranky, hot pregnant woman wants their ears assaulted while walking to/from the train?

*Yesterday I was 19 weeks into this pregnancy.  When will I stop checking the toilet paper every time I go to the bathroom?

*On the same note, will I ever take out the pad that has been in my backpack that I take into work?  Or will it stay there throughout the pregnancy?  I took out the tampons....but left the pad in just in case....

*Are you as annoyed as I am with people on Facebook that post stories about criminals posing as cops and pulling people over in unmarked cars, or criminals that get into your car as you are pumping gas?  One person even posted something bashing Obamacare, saying that the IRS would have to hire 12,000 new agents to verify that people had health care.  For gosh sakes people CHECK SNOPES.COM before posting something like that.  GAH.

*You know how people get asparagus pee?  I swear that I also get popcorn pee.  Please tell me that your pee smells like popcorn after eating some to make me feel better.

*Twizzlers are delicious, but man they have a weird after taste.  It just makes me eat more of them to get the yummy taste back in my mouth.  I think the solution is just not to buy another package of them.

*CP decided to play with Buster in the backyard last night after work.  Buster went up to catch a ball and landed right in a pile of his poo.  Once I got home from work, CP and I gave Buster a bath outside.  We were joking during the middle of it that bathing a baby is going to be so much easier without all of that fur!  We probably won't have to put a leash on the baby to make sure they don't run away as well....  ;-)

*CP bought a few fatherhood books off of Amazon recently and my heart melted.  Now he just has to crack them open.  Any suggestions on good motherhood/parenting books I should order?

What are your random thoughts today?

Swollen

Last night I noticed that only one leg was swollen. I hadn't been on my feet that much right beforehand and it was definitely odd that it was only one leg. Specifically, I couldn't see my ankle bone anymore and my calf was bigger. My hands were fine (they have been the body part most likely to swell in the heat so far).

So I went to Google and the first few clicks said that pregnant women have a higher risk of DVT or deep vein thrombosis. Basically, if one leg is swollen, call the doctor. I ended up calling the doctor on call who didn't seem too worried as I don't smoke, this is my first pregnancy, and my leg didn't hurt. He still thought that it would be prudent for me to get a doctor's appointment today because at 19 weeks it really is too early for swelling.

I (of course) went to bed joking with CP "if I didn't wake up", but I did have problems falling asleep last night. What if I did have DVT and the clot headed to my lung? Should we have gone to the hospital? I put an extra pillow under my swollen leg and thankfully woke up today. My leg is a bit better, but it is still more swollen than the left leg. Now I just have to wait for the office to open and hopefully I can get in to see a doctor early. I was supposed to give a short presentation to one of the other divisions today but I don't think that I am going to make it into work on time for that. Hopefully they understand and we can reschedule.

Will update later.

*UPDATE*

I was able to see one of the other doctors in the practice this morning.  My blood pressure was normal and I may have lost some weight since my last appointment?  (I'll have to check next week.)  The doctor was very nice, took a look at my legs, and said that he also wasn't too worried.  The fact that it got a little better overnight leads him to believe that it is not DVT because the swelling wouldn't go down at all with DVT.  It may be that my uterus is sitting a bit more on one blood vessel than another, leading to less circulation on one side.  He did say that it is a little weird to see this so early in a pregnancy, but pregnancy affects everyone differently. I could still have a blot clot, but my risk is not any higher than anyone else walking through the office door.

Basically if it gets worse I am to call again, but for now, he doesn't want to move to doing a doppler ultrasound on my leg.  I am also to continue doing what I am doing- not eating salty foods, drinking water, staying active, etc.

*Phew*

The other good news is that I got to hear the heartbeat on the doppler at the end of the appointment.  Still beating strong in my uterus- woo hoo!

Fresh dishes

I LOVE FRESH PRODUCE IN THE SUMMER.  Sometimes it makes me want to move to a warmer climate to have a longer growing season, but I would miss the snow and yes, even the cold.

Recently, I have had two AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS dishes that I just had to share.

Lemony Orzo Pasta Salad

Looking for a super easy but also tasty summer salad?  My friend made this a few weeks ago when we were at her house and I had to make it myself.  It's fresh and light- perfect for hot days.  Did I mention that lately I have been a bit obsessed with orzo pasta?

Ingredients:
-2 cups of dry orzo pasta
-2 tbsp olive oil
-juice and zest of 1 lemon
-1 large English cucumber, seeded and chopped
-1 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
-1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
-1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
-salt and pepper to taste

*Note: we had fresh basil that we chopped and added into the salad

Directions:
1. Cook the orzo according to package directions.
2. Drain the pasta, then let it cool for a few minutes.
3. Toss pasta with the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, cucumber, feta, and herbs.
4. Season with salt and pepper.

Recipe originally found here


Eggplant and Red Pepper Salad

My mom made this dish this past weekend and WOW.  I will definitely be making this again soon- especially once we have eggplants to pick from our garden!

Ingredients:
-1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch rounds
-2 tbsp kosher salt
-6 tbsp vegetable oil
-1 large onion, finely diced
-2 large red bell peppers, finely diced
-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
-1/4 cup chopped parsley
-1/4 cup lemon juice
-1 tsp paprika

Directions:
1. Sprinkle eggplant with salt, arrange in a single layer on a paper-towel-lined plate and let rest for 1 hour.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat.  Add onions, peppers, garlic, and saute until onion is soft and translucent, 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, thoroughly rinse salt from eggplant and blot dry.
4. In another saute pan set over medium-high heat, heat 2 tbsp oil until it shimmers.  Working in batches, add eggplant in a single layer and fry until dark brown all over, 2-3 minutes per side.  Transfer eggplant to paper-towel-lined plate as you go.  Repeat with remaining rounds, adding oil as necessary.
5. Add eggplant to onion-pepper mixture and cook, stirring to combine, 5 minutes.
6. Remove pan from heat.  Mix in parsley, lemon juice, and paprika.

Not sure where my mom found this recipe, but I know she cut it out from a newspaper!  Maybe the Chicago Tribune?

Holiday weekend

Ahhhhhhh.  What a great long holiday weekend!

Thursday CP and I watched our town's Fourth of July parade which for a suburban town, was actually quite impressive.  Afterwards it was the neighborhood block party.  A bouncy house was rented for the kids and both the kids and the adults enjoyed the dunk tank.  Thankfully it was not super hot out and I was able to stay in the shade for most of the day.  CP spent many hours in front of the smoker to make beef brisket which people went wild for, and I made a super easy orzo salad that also went over well.  The party raged until 1:30am (CP included), but I went to bed earlier.  

Friday morning we woke up early (with CP not feeling so well) to pack up the car and drive to my parent's place in Michigan.  We had a fairly relaxing day while also doing our best to tire out Buster. The dogs really love going up there because there is so much room to run around (these days, it's just Buster doing the running).

Saturday my mom joined CP and I for 9 holes of golf.  I was initially a little worried that I wouldn't be able to play because I threw one baseball at the dunk tank on Thursday and felt a pain in my stomach.  I was worried that twisting or something wouldn't be good for the pregnancy.  But I swung a few times and didn't feel any pain so we were off!  A hot day for sure and we were all rusty but we had a good time. After lunch it was raining off and on so CP and I decided to hit up an outlet mall.  The outlet had one maternity store so I scored a bunch of shirts for great prices.  I also found a sports bra that is not quite the size I need but it is close enough and much better fitting than my pre-pregnancy sports bras.  Yay!

Sunday morning CP and I went kayaking on the Galien River.  All and all we paddled four miles and got a great arm/shoulder workout.  We saw a beaver, a water snake, Canadian Geese, some ducks, and some really nice houses on the water.  I miss kayaking and hope we can do it some more before I get too big.

Thank goodness for all of the exercise because my mom made a homemade cherry pie for dessert on Saturday night AND homemade ice cream.  YUM.

How was your weekend?

Striving to reduce plastic

My first bike ride in a few years went well yesterday with CP.  8.1 miles in about an hour- and I didn't fall!  Looking forward to our next ride together.  :-)

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Recently I was listening to NPR and an interview they had with a woman that wrote a book on her experience breaking up with plastic. (Plastic Free- How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too)  The author talked about how she heard about how much plastic goes in our landfills, but she didn't start worrying about the problem until she read about the Great Pacific garbage patch.  

After that, she decided that she was going to make some changes in her life to try to drastically reduce or completely cut out all plastic out of her life.  The interview was fascinating.  I knew about some of the things that she talked about- one being that once most plastics are recycled, they often can't be recycled again because the compounds break down too much.  I knew that toxic chemicals are often found in Tupperware and that every time I heat up a lunch that I have brought to work, I am eating those chemicals as well. (But have been too lazy to buy glass containers.) I also knew that BPA (Bisphenol A) has been found on paper receipts that we get every day at the store.  What I didn't know is that when you throw your receipts in the recycling, the BPA then gets recycled into paper products.  

Hearing this has made me start throwing out receipts instead of recycling them, but feeling sort of guilty because then the BPA is going into a landfill, to take however long to decompose.  The main thing that it has reinforced is that I don't want to touch paper receipts.  I think that I am getting paranoid about it.    If I have to touch a receipt, I make to sure to get rid of it as soon as possible and to wash my hands as soon as possible, the whole time thinking about the BPA that is leeching into my skin.  Every time I see a cashier I feel sorry for them because they are getting BPA on their hands all day long.  And obviously if I have the choice of a paper or emailed receipt, I go for the email receipt.

Based on the interview, I have ordered the book and I'm excited to start reading it.  I look forward to figuring out ways to reduce the plastic in my life and making my home and body a little healthier.  If these are things that I can do prior to the baby getting here then I am all for it.  I'll let you know what I think of the book after I finish it!  (She also has a blog if you are interested in checking it out.)

*I have not been asked to review nor given a copy of this book.*

Weight

At my doctor appointment on June 20th I was pleased that I had only gained 5 pounds so far this pregnancy.  In fact, a little more than pleased.  I was relishing the fact that I haven't gained much weight.  For someone that didn't have any nausea during my first trimester and zero food aversions, I thought that I did well through my first 15 weeks of pregnancy.

I did start out a bit overweight for this pregnancy and so far my doctor is completely happy with my weight gain.  She said that these days doctors recommend gaining 25-30 pounds during pregnancy and even though I started out a bit heavier, that I could still gain 25 pounds and be okay.  She would also be okay if I didn't gain all 25 pounds.

I am NOT decreasing my food intake at all, I just am making healthier choices than before because I am not as stressed.  Think lots and lots of FRUIT and salads and drinking tons of water.  I mean, I used to drink tons of water, but now that alcohol and soda no longer touch my lips (okay, the occasional soda but it is very infrequent), I am filling up quite a bit more with water.  I also am exercising and moving around a lot.  Not running or doing high impact stuff, but walking daily and doing prenatal yoga once a week.

To be completely honest, I really don't want to gain 25 pounds with this pregnancy.  I still feel like people are looking at my stomach, judging me for being fat instead of looking at it and knowing that I am pregnant.  My doctor said that most people gain a pound a week in the second trimester so that I shouldn't be scared if I suddenly pack on the pounds. But I don't want that to be me.  I of course want to be healthy for the baby, but every pound that I gain is going to be a pound that I have to lose after the c-section.  You know, when I can't exercise for at least six weeks. I know that breastfeeding should help with weight loss, but what if I have problems with breastfeeding as some women do?

For now I am just going to continue doing what I am doing and trying to eat as many fruits and veggies as possible because they are all good for the baby.  And to cross my fingers that my weight gain is slower than a pound a week.  At least my bicycle has finally gotten fixed.  I'm picking it up tonight and CP and I are planning on going on a ride!*

*CP is a little worried because he thinks that I might fall due to my clumsiness.  I hope that I don't prove him right!!

Seeking long hours

Yesterday afternoon was quite a mess.  There was a switch problem on the commuter rail so when I arrived at the main station to catch my usual 5:25pm train home, the place was in utter chaos.  Trains that were supposed to have left 50 minutes ago were delayed and there were so many people in the station you could barely move.  The terminal was hot (it was a 90 degree day yesterday in Chicago) and too many people for my liking were bumping into my belly.  I managed to get on my train after using some of my some of my high school basketball box-out moves, but the train kept stopping and starting once we left the station.  Not sure why, but the severe thunderstorms were probably not helping.  It didn't help that the a/c didn't seem to be working and there were tons of people packed into the train.  A great combo.

Halfway through the train ride I realized that I was supposed to pick up Buster from doggie daycare and that I wouldn't make it before closing.  I got in touch with CP who was at a happy hour at the time and told him that he needed to do the pickup.  He made it just in time and I finally got home at 6:30.

I tell this story because after an email from a friend in Denver who is pregnant and looking into daycare options, I realized that we may need to look into these things soon as well.  So I made an Excel spreadsheet of all of our options here in our town, both facility places and in-home places that I could find on the internet.  Some places I think will be ruled out simply on hours alone.  Sure I work from home two days a week and those days will be easy in terms of pickup and dropoff, but the three days that I leave the house between 7-7:30am and don't get home until 6pm?  If there are train problems or other issues, well, it is going to be difficult. Not to mention we have to pick a place that works with MY schedule because who knows when CP is going to be in town to help out.

And then yesterday CP was in a meeting with some of his higher-ups and was told that his group is being moved to a different facility- 30 minutes north of his current building.  Once that change occurs this fall, when he is in town his commute jumps from 25 minutes to almost an hour- while I am going an hour the opposite way into the city.  CP is understandably pissed as when he took this job last year he was not told that this could be an option.  His boss knows that he is not happy either, so hopefully CP can work it so that he works from home one or two days a week.  Ugh.

Just another reason we need to find a daycare with long hours.  Blergh.