June 24th, 2013 - Tobias Luke

 I'd been having contractions for a few weeks leading up to Sunday night, and they were often in the evening, so I didn't think anything of the contractions I was having when I headed to bed a little before 11pm on June 23rd. I got up to go to the bathroom two or three times between 11 and 1:30 am, which was the beginning of my body "clearing out," and noticed that the contractions seemed to be getting closer together. I started timing them once I couldn't sleep through them very easily. After seeing they were 3-4 minutes apart and over a minute long, I woke Micah up at 2:30 am to help me relax through them since it was getting harder to relax on my own.

We called Brande around 3 am to let her know what was going on, and Micah got a hibiclens solution mixed up for me to use throughout the labor (I was GBS positive close to the end of this pregnancy, and that was one of the preventative measures I found very effective in medical studies). At some point between 3 and 4 am, Micah filled the birth pool in the guest room with hot water, leaving enough room to top it off with hot or cold when we were ready to use it, and covered it with a shower curtain to hold the heat. We moved back and forth between the guest bed and the bathroom for most of the labor, resting between contractions if we were on the bed. Around 5:45 am, I had a little gush of amniotic fluid escape while I was on the toilet. I got back to the bed, and then it really started gushing. Every time I moved around for the next few minutes I would gush more fluid, and it felt like it took an eternity for my contractions to return after the water broke. About 20 minutes later contractions came back with a vengeance, and I learned what it feels like to labor without the bag of water cushioning everything.

From 6:45 - 8:20, my contractions were very intense, most were very long, but there were also five to seven minute breaks between them, which we both used to fall asleep until the next one came. Though neither of us admitted it to each other at the time, we were both getting discouraged thinking this was going to go on for a long time. I threw up a few times randomly, and several contractions seemed like they could be transition, but then there would be a change of intensity and another long gap and it seemed like we weren't getting anywhere. We learned afterwards that the long gaps could signify transition just as much as the signs we were watching for.

Chloe woke up at about 7:30, and when she heard me vocalizing through a couple contractions she told Micah she wanted to go downstairs. They went down and got a little Mr. Rogers "play view" video I borrowed from the library for her to watch during the labor if she got bored or needed distraction, but when they came back up she only stuck with it for a few minutes. She followed us between the bedroom and bathroom, asking me if I didn't feel good with a few of the contractions. At some point, Micah went down and got her a bowl of cherries to munch on, and she asked me if I wanted some between a few contractions. I was glad I had the presence of mind to 
interact with her between contractions, which was very different from her labor and delivery.

I had determined not to get into the pool until my body started pushing because I didn't want to get in too early, and I kept looking longingly at the water between the intense contractions thinking it looked like it would feel amazing.

At about 8:15 am I had a contraction that felt very different, and I could feel Toby's head exerting a lot of pressure as it got ready to start moving down. I told Micah, "I want Brande here," so he called her and told her we were ready for her. My body started pushing the very next contraction, so I gleefully got into the water...as gleefully as you can while in labor, anyway.  It took a few minutes for another contraction to hit once I was in the pool, and it sure didn't take the pain away, but it was very helpful in promoting relaxation as I tried to work with my body and let it prompt me to push when needed.

After getting in the birth pool, it was apparent for the first few pushes that all the "cleaning out" that happened in early labor wasn't everything. Chloe was very intrigued that mommy pooped in the pool, and has talked about that more than the actual baby coming out. :-)

The Lord orchestrated the details of Brande's location, and at the time Micah called her, she was 10 minutes away dropping her kiddos off in Morton instead of 25 minutes away at her house. If she had been home, she wouldn't have made it in time, but as things were, she got to our place with 12 minutes to spare.

When she arrived, I asked how much they could see, thinking the head had to be just about crowning. I forgot how long it takes in the moment to move a baby down the birth canal, and when Brande suggested I feel for the head, I was amazed I still had to reach up a bit to touch the top of his wrinkly head. It felt like it took an eternity to get to the point of crowning, and then another eternity for the head to come out, but Micah thought it went very fast...which makes sense since it wasn't his birth canal pushing out a small watermelon. ;-) It was fast in the scheme of things - 35 minutes of pushing until he was out. 

Brande did a little counter-pressure on my perinium as Toby's head crowned. Once his head was out and the next contraction came, she helped ease him out as his big shoulders and hips exited. She said he wasn't stuck, just a little sticky. The beautiful moment she pulled him up out of the water to hand him to me is etched in my brain - so exciting. As Brande handed him to me she commented that it was a big baby, guessing he might weigh 10 lbs. After some quick footwork to dodge around the cord, he was on my chest (I had been on my knees in the pool while leaning on the side for support). He was blue, but pinked up very quickly (which is normal for a waterbirth baby). After a few coughs he was breathing great (and the coughs are another thing Chloe talks about..."baby coughed in the pool"). He was covered in vernix, and has quite a bit of lanugo on his shoulders and back - so soft. :-)

We sat admiring him for several minutes, and I could tell there was a little more between his legs than there was with Chloe, but didn't confirm my hunch until right before getting out of the water - a boy!

I decided I wanted to get out on the bed to deliver the placenta, so after the first round of checking vitals, we all moved to the bed. I'm setting a personal trend for not bleeding much during childbirth or delivering the afterbirth, though third stage has taken some patience both times. After about 55 minutes, the placenta came, and we cut the cord shortly thereafter. The midwives then extracted some cord blood for the newborn screening and a blood-typing test (the second test is for our knowledge since there's an rh factor difference between Micah and myself. Chloe has my negative rh factor, and Toby has daddy's positive factor).

After Toby had latched on and nursed for a good hour or so, he was content enough for Brande to do the newborn exam.  The first part was weighing Toby. She got out her biggest sling and Micah lifted him, which he said reminds him of weighing a fish.  As Micah lifted the scale, Toby and the sling remained on the bed until it got to 11 lbs 1 oz. We were all very shocked that an 11 lb baby came out of me. He was 21 3/4 in. long, and his head circumference was 14cm.

For the next three hours we visited with our midwives, had a little breakfast, and I got cleaned up and crawled into my own bed - all as vitals were checked several times. We started calling our parents and family after the birth team left, which took a little while when we realized we could only use the cell phone due to our home phone not working from the early morning thunder storms we watched through much of the labor.

Minutes old...

Weighing the little man

Tobias and Brande (he's yawning)

English Muffins

I love english muffins...

They're perfect with jelly and cream cheese for breakfast,

or with meat and lettuce for lunch, 

or slathered with butter and honey for supper.

Although I love the chewy, dry texture of store-bought, homemade are chewy and moist - and so worth the extra effort.  Another bonus is the lack of yucky additives I can't even pronounce... ;-)

I've been doing a lot of experimenting with Einkorn grain recently, and used a good amount of it in this English muffin recipe.  I've never made them with whole wheat, and to ease my way into it I did half WW and half all-purpose unbleached flour.  I was very pleased with the results - yummy, chewy, and moist!

I tend to cook them with heat that's a little too high...I do it on my electric skillet and fiddle with the temp the whole time I'm cooking them.  Some come out perfect and toward the end of the bath can end up a little doughy, but I toast them later anyways, so they get fully cooked at one point or another.  :-)  I need to just find a good temp and stick with it...

Here's the recipe...


Whole Wheat English Muffins

4 cups whole wheat flour, freshly ground, divided
1/2 tsp. Real Salt
2 tsp. instant yeast
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp. honey
3 Tbsp. softened butter
cornmeal, for dusting surface

Grind wheat (I have my eyes on a WonderMill...but currently utilize the generosity of friends and family that are willing to grind my wheat berries, which I then keep in the freezer).

Combine 2 cups flour and the next 5 ingredients (salt, yeast, water, milk, and honey).  Mix until combined - the dough should be thin and runny.

Cover and let rise for an hour.

Add remaining 2 cups flour and softened butter - mix to combine.  Turn dough onto surface sprinkled with cornmeal and roll ou to 1/2 inch thickness.  Sprinkle top with cornmeal.  Using a biscuit cutter or a juice glass, cut out rounds from the dough.  Continue until all the dough has been cut.

Let muffins rise until doubled - usually an hour or so (unless it's summer in my sultry, south-facing kitchen...it's amazing how fast bread rises in 90* temps).  Heat a skillet over medium heat and cook the English muffins in small batches on each side until golden brown.  

These are amazing right after cooking, toasted, or from the freezer, and they make delicious egg sandwiches!

This recipe based on this one from Baking Whole Grains

Chloe-isms

Talking "Baby"

The end justifies the means?

Not very often does the end justify the means...

...but in my opinion, there are times to let messes happen for productivity reasons.

Completely emptying mommy's wallet and diaper bag

 = 

2 trays of dehydrated strawberries, 

emptying and refilling the dishwasher, 

washing what wouldn't fit in the dishwasher, 

and making two jars of raw yogurt. 

Added bonuses:

sweet little fingers learning to dig credit cards from their sleeves,

teething gums feeling the sensation of everything from gift cards to panty liners,

and the ease of cleaning out my wallet when the first step has already been done.

:-)

Bubbie's Birthday

She has many nicknames, but "bubbie" is one of the most-used...

...throughout the day, I was remembering what it was like last year at this time...

...holding brand new life that didn't even know what she'd just been through.

Those first 24 hours were so special. I hardly left our bed, cuddling our little miracle from the Lord. Our lives were forever changed.

I thought I knew how it was going to be.

We would add this new member of our family to our current lives and keep plugging along as we had been, just with a little one in tow.

Ha.

The past year hasn't been a bed of roses...
...but there have been so many special moments given by the Lord...and Lord willing there will be many more to come. Becoming a mom is something I have looked forward to ever since I was little. The Lord was gracious and granted my desire with so much blessing...and so much responsibility.


I hope I can emulate my mom in helping my baby discover the world from the safety of loving, nurturing arms...with true Wisdom from above as we face new seasons and stages.

Happy first birthday, cuddle bug.

Fruit of Labor...

It's strawberry season!

I love summer and the fruit "picking seasons" that come with it!

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and apples.


So many berries...


Lil' Bug was on my back in the mai tei for the first bucket (yikes, was that a workout), but got cranky quick since we didn't eat much before leaving home...

...so back to the van to nurse...


...and then picking and eating some more berries...


...red, white, or covered in dirt - they're all yummy!

10.5 lbs from this trip...most went straight to the freezer for smoothies and ice cream. About a pound is dehydrating, and we ate the best-looking ones fresh.

The next trip will be for jelly and pie. :-)

Diaper Duty

It was laundry day after a rainy week...

We were very low on diapers while they hung on the line to dry.

So, enter the "back-ups" (prefolds with diaper covers) - which are unreliable in more ways than one...

...including staying on the designated bum.

But its wearer was more than content to be free of her "baggage"

and quite excited about it.

Birthday Fun

We celebrated Lil' Bug's first birthday early since my family was able to visit for memorial day! I'm not a fan of feeding refined sugar to anyone, and since this was going to be Lil' Bug's first sweetener, I chose to make a grain-free carrot cake sweetened with honey, and cream cheese frosting sweetened with maple syrup. I used this recipe from Grain-Free Foodies, but adapted the frosting since my dad doesn't do well with honey that hasn't been baked.

I have a sister that is avoiding dairy for now, so her piece is the naked one on the corner.

The frosting was a hit...

...and it was a lot more fun to play with the ribbon than open the presents...

Grain Free Food

A couple recent grain-free/dairy free/refined sugar free munchies I've enjoyed...

No Grain Honey Bread

I haven't baked much with coconut flour since it requires a large amount of eggs, but it was nice to be able to eat pieces of "bread" again for breakfast a few days in a row. It's a heavier pound cake consistency, and I browned it a little much, but it still tasted good! I'll decrease the honey next time I make it (I didn't use Stevia) since it was pretty sweet.

Chocolate Coconut Protein Bars

My pic makes these look kinda like logs of poo, but they're really quite tasty! :-) I followed the original recipe and they were a little dry, so next time I'll add more oil as is suggested in the comments.

Pizza

I've seen a lot of recipes for grain-free pizza using almond meal, but I used most of my almonds in yesterday's apple cookies, so I tried a nut-free version tonight.

Lil' Bug loved it!

My plate with cultured dairy...

...and Micah's with yummy mozzarella.

Food Processor and Rhubarb

Courtesy of UPS, my food processor box arrived bashed and ripped open. I've never seen a delivery guy run so fast to get away after quietly slipping it on our front porch...

KitchenAid always packs their appliances very well, so even though the huge block of styrofoam was cracked through, the processor wasn't touched...so I put it right to work!

Apple breakfast cookies were the first thing I used it for - and wow. What would have taken me an hour (to shred, grind, etc) took me 10 mins tops...and that time includes dealing with the wining child clinging to my legs.

Next up was rhubarb dream bars (half white flour/half whole wheat) and rhubarb pie (with a palm shortening crust and sweetened with some honey) - after chopping the rhubarb and realizing I'd done all of it, I felt like running outside to find more things to chop! And you know that "cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs" line? I always dread that part...inevitably I would have 5 interruptions before me and my fork even started to get the mixture resembling peas, much less crumbs. I was super-pleased (and completely floored) when it literally took about 8 seconds and it was done. Done! I should have made a food processor a priority a long time ago! Live and learn...

Settling in...

We moved! Two weeks ago, actually.

And since then I've unpacked several boxes between laundry, cooking, cleaning, fighting the ant invasion, and flying out to Utah for a week to see my new nephew and my once-again tiny sister. :-)

Micah has built me a clothesline and our garden has been planted...

And soon, Lord willing, my counter tops will be overflowing with produce from our garden instead of the farmer's market and health food store...

(all lined up to dry like good little vegetables and fruits after soaking in water and GFSE)

Lil' Bug enjoys the yard...she loves being outside...

Craigslist and eBay have been entertaining me recently...I sold enough to turn around and get a KitchenAid food processor so I no longer have to take all day to make my grain-free foods in a blender that can't handle the load of seeds and nuts.

This baby's gonna hit the shelf whirring when it arrives. :-)

Meal Plan 4.25.11

We had company this weekend, two family Easter gatherings over food, and in anticipation of a busy week of packing, last Friday I sat down to make a meal plan so I could get the shopping done and just focus on getting stuff in boxes this week.

MON - Ground Beef Hash (with carrots and collard greens instead of swt. pot. and kale)
TUES - Chicken and Avocado Salad in Lettuce Wraps
WED - Taco Soup
THURS - Shredded Veggie Bison Meatballs (based on this recipe)
FRI - Bean and Bacon Soup

SAT - Curried Lentil Soup

John 19

⁴⁰So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. ⁴¹Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.

⁴²So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Stew, and More Stew

To incorporate a lot of bone broth into my diet, I've been making stew. LOTS of stew. I can't quite stomach drinking the broth straight, so in order to get it in me and keep it there, it must have a few veggies, meat, and spices.

This Italian Wedding stew was a hit with Micah - I made mini meatballs w/ only onions and italian seasoning mixed in, and added those to a soup base of 1/2 broth, 1/2 tomato paste and water. The last of our summer squash from last year's garden was a yummy addition.

Today I made some brussels sprout chicken stew...all of my soups and stews develop as I'm making them - I decide what meat I want, then go from there, matching veggies and seasonings (*sniffff* this smells like it would taste good *sprinkle, sprinkle*). I wasn't crazy about this one, but more because I used the leftover onions and carrots from the pot of beef broth I made...and they were devoid of flavor.

Grain-Free Granola - GAPS Friendly

I'm very much a cold breakfast cereal person.

When I was a teenager, my favorite kind was the chocolate sugar bombs that turned the milk into chocolately goodness in the bottom of the bowl.

I now know the tremendous downfalls of that cereal, and have switched my love of cold cereal to homemade granola and birdies in a nest...except both are off-limits for a while.

Bowls of steaming hot oatmeal or creamy buckwheat aren't a favorite...and now that oatmeal and buckwheat are on the "no" list I still crave that cold milk in my bowl, bathing crunchy cereal that just screams morning.

Well, my mornings just got a little brighter, thanks to Elana over at Elana's Pantry.

This. recipe. is. amazing.

Grain-free granola. No oats, no flour, no gluten, no sugar...just yummy goodness in my bowl once again. My bowls of cold cereal have returned.

Since I'm off dairy for a bit I enjoy it with coconut milk, and since macadamia nuts must be competing with the price of gold ($17+/lb at the health food store!), I chose to get raw sunflower seeds instead.

It's amazing how sweet this is with no sweetener added - thanks to the raisins.

I made this with my blender...which was quite the process since I could only do about 1/4 cup at a time or it wouldn't move...so I'm adding "food processor" to my garage sale list. :-)

I was also very impatient and wanted the granola for breakfast after soaking it all night, so I baked it fast instead of keeping it live in the dehydrator...maybe next time.

Salmon Stew

We've had chilly, rainy days recently, which makes me crave soups and stews.

At the beginning of the GAPS diet, you are to eat boiled meats and vegetables so they are easily digested. You're also not supposed to eat the fruit I already had today, but like I said earlier, I'm doing a modified diet due to breast feeding.

Last night I steamed some salmon and made a broth-based stew from random vegetables I found at Nature's Grocery. Definitely turned out yummy.

I have some organic chicken legs in the crock pot - for the meat, as well as the broth - and will pick and crush the bones to make some bone broth at the end of the day. I usually get a good amount of broth out of a few pounds of meat, which is encouraging. The crock pot definitely helps a ton with the process!

Long Version

"So how are you doing? Haven't talked to you in a while."

"Pretty good," I reply, trying to decide what to say next...

If it's been even a few weeks since last catching up, there are so many details.

If it's been much longer than that, we should just take a day relaxing at Starbucks over our strawberry frappes...except I can't have a strawberry frappe, or anything else they have to offer for that matter. Which is part of my new adventure (besides the fact that Starbucks and relaxing just don't go together anymore with a baby under 1!).

_______________

Rewind to my pregnancy a year and a half ago - I was dealing with - no, more like suffering from - a mind-numbingly itchy rash covering my legs, hands, and various random spots on my body. It peaked and dissipated several times throughout the pregnancy, and I wrote it off as something to do with pregnancy hormones. It went away a few weeks before the birth, and stayed away for three months...until October of last year.

The rash came back with a vengeance, and I knew it wasn't pregnancy related. Then weird health things started happening - such as getting shingles on my face that left me with an unsightly scar in the shape of the state of Illinois on my forehead. I assumed I was sensitized to something during pregnancy, and set out to pursue answers with an integrative medical doctor.

Was it gluten...dairy...or a food issue at all? Perhaps environmental, or systemic/auto-immune? Over the past four months we've done a battery of tests, little by little, seeking answers. And this past month, we got some.

_______________

I am allergic to anything I eat...

...because I have a leaky gut.

And why do I have a leaky gut? Parasites!

Nematodes living within me, sucking up nutrition I should be receiving, and creating a compromised gut lining that allows food particles from anything I eat to escape into my blood, which results in allergies.

So I've been off gluten and dairy for weeks now, and am gradually working my way into a grain-free diet. I was already avoiding processed foods for the most part, but have now cut out all forms of sugar (refined, unrefined, and natural) and am seeking to help my gut heal with nourishing foods...which is where the GAPS diet comes in...

There is a lot of info online about the diet, so I won't get into the concept much, other than to say it is a diet limited to foods that help the gut heal instead of working against it. Absolutely no starches (potatoes, most beans, corn, etc) are allowed, as well as any additives or processed foods. A "must" on the diet is incorporating homemade meat or bone broth into every meal, and utilizing the live cultures found in homemade yogurt, kefir, raw milk, lacto-fermented pickles/sauerkraut/carrots/etc., as well as taking a good quality pro-biotic supplement.

I am unable to completely go on the "intro diet" that is supposed to occur before the "full GAPS diet" due to breast feeding - it creates a pretty good detox that I don't want Chloe to have to deal with.

Though my diet options are limited, grocery shopping got whole lot easier since I can only eat fresh items. Just don't ask Micah how our food budget is doing this month. :-)

_______________

Oh, and those parasites? They'd better be kissing my bad gut flora goodbye and taking their exit. I took a strong medication last week to get rid of them, and can now focus on rebuilding the gut lining they destroyed. Which means maybe I'll be able to eat like a normal person again someday. That's what we're hoping for.

Now what was I doing...?

I didn't know becoming a parent meant...

• Stacking today's unread newspaper on top of yesterday's unread newspaper.

• Eating dinner like I'm trying to break a world record for the most pasta swallowed in the shortest amount of time. Standing up.

• Letting Micah choose between poop and laundry as a topic of conversation.

• Figuring out how to pee without putting the baby down.

• Spending three hours getting the baby to sleep and then waking her up two minutes later to make sure she's still breathing.

• Forgetting what I was...