Pregnant with Baby #2

I'm a little crazy when it comes to trying to get pregnant. I obsessively start peeing on pregnancy tests about 8 days after I've ovulated. Thank goodness for Wondfo tests from Amazon. Otherwise we'd probably be broke.

This time around I wasn't charting, but I always have a good idea of when I ovulate based on the average length of my cycle and cervical mucus. My husband and I were on our second month of trying to conceive and I took a few tests (yes a few!) around 9 days past when I believe I ovulated. After about 15-30 minutes I kept seeing what looked like super super faint lines on the tests. I thought they were evaporation lines since they weren't showing up within the time limit and they didn't really have any color to them. After 5 evaporation lines I finally googled the lot # for that particular batch of Wondfo pregnancy tests and read about other women having the same problem. So, I thought I'd seek counsel with my private group of wonderful moms on Facebook. They all seemed to think I was pregnant and demanded that I take another brand of pregnancy test right away. Luckily I just happened to have one. It was positive!! 

I called my midwives the next morning and asked for a blood draw to check on my HCG level. My first draw was 11.5 which was consistent with how far along I figured I was at the time. I went back 48 hours later and my HCG level tripled to 33.9 which is exactly what we were looking for. My expected due date is 12/24/14, Christmas Day eve. We are so excited to give Ayla a little brother or sister! 

I'll be posting updates and belly photos as my pregnancy progresses. So, stay tuned!

How I Handle the Tough Days

We all have those days. Your kid(s) didn't sleep the night before, they woke up early, and are especially cranky and fussy. There is a toddler attached to your leg whining for breakfast and you drop the eggs on the ground while trying to muster the energy to make some coffee. After the battle of a decade you have finally fed your offspring, and possible yourself, gotten both of you dressed, and managed to walk out the door. Then the dog escapes from the yard in the two seconds you had the gate open while trying to corral your 25 pound toddler onto your hip so she doesn't run off into the driveway.

That was me this morning. I finally managed to get into the car after yelling at the dog that he was never allowed outside again. I sat there in the car for just a second trying to take a few deep breaths. Then I called my husband to vent for a few minutes. I told him I was going to give the dog and our child away to the circus. He said that probably wasn't a good idea. Of course I agreed, but I did tell him I need a break.

By the time my daughter and I got back from the grocery store I was in a completely different mood. Just the short trip to buy bananas and almond milk turned the entire day around. It got me thinking about ways we can give ourselves a little break during the day when we aren't actually alone. I complied a little list of things you can do when you're having an especially difficult day.

• Start with some deep breaths!
• Load the kids into the car and go for a drive.
• For some quite time put on their favorite show, DVD, etc.
• Go for a walk and let your kiddo explore.
• Make it a mission to find the perfect park. Try a new one when you both need a distraction.
• Take a hot shower. Whether it be during nap time or if you have to bring toys into the bathroom for entertainment.
• Go outside and play.
• Go for a coffee (or whatever you favorite drink is).
• Read a book. I try to do this during nap time.
• Listen to music. It could be something soothing or something to dance around to.
• And if all else fails start counting down the hours to bedtime. 

What do you do to keep your cool when you're able to lose your mind?

5 Clean Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes

The world always needs more chocolate chip cookie recipes. Doesn't it? Better yet how about some clean chocolate chip cookie recipes. I rounded up 5 good ones for you. Enjoy!

1. Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie

2. Primal Chocolate Chip Cookies

3. Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

4. Clean Eating Chocolate Chip Cookies

5. Double Chocolate Protein Cookie

Toddler Eats #3 On-The-Go

In part three of my toddler food series I'm going to show you some of the healthy meals and snacks I bring on the go for my kiddo. It can be harder to keep food healthy when are you aren't at home. These ideas aren't exactly picture perfect for every meal of everyday, but they travel well, require hardly any preparation, and they're way better than fast food.

• Olives. These are super easy to just throw into a little tuperware container. Or Pearl makes them prepackaged in to-go cups. You can find those in the grocery store with the rest of the canned olives.
• Food Pouches. One of my favorites! I really like the organic GoGo Squeez apple sauce pouches from Costco.
• Diced Fruit Cups. These can have a lot of sugar in them so be sure to get the kind packaged in fruit juice, not syrup.
• Fruit. A lot of fruit is packaged very nicely by nature for eating on the go. :) Ayla's favorite is banana.
• Fruit Leathers. These are great and kids love them! Try to find a brand with minimal ingredients. Costco sells the Stretch Island Fruit Co. brand that just lists fruit on the label.
• Crackers. Ayla's favorites are Annie's Homegrown cheddar bunnies crackers.
• Canned Vegetables. You can find prepackaged veggies in to-go cups next to the canned vegetables in your grocery store. The sodium content in canned and prepackaged veggies is pretty high, but it's definitely a healthier alternative to french fries.
• Raisins. I buy a big container and then put a handful into a reusable sandwich bag.

The next options need to stay cold. As I'm getting ready to run out the door I'll throw of few of these things in a thermal lunch bag with an ice pack that I keep in the freezer.

• Hard Boiled Eggs. I buy ours at Costco. They sell an organic hard boiled egg that's already peeled. It's so convenient, but of course you can make your own.
• Cheese. I like to buy the Mini Babybel cheese or regular string cheese. Ayla seems to prefer the shape of the Babybel brand.
• Yogurt. The squeeze tubes of yogurt work great, but most of the time I just grab a tub of the regular whole milk organic stuff and throw a spoon in the lunch bag.
• Lunch Meat. This is another one of Ayla's favorite. I'll roll up slices and throw them in a sandwich bag.
• Pickles. Since I grab a few out of the big jar in the fridge I like to keep these cold.
• Hummus. I like to get the small servings sizes of hummus. Sometimes I'll grab the ones packaged with pretzels too.

A Letter to my Daughter #3

Dear Ayla,

We went to the park a couple of days ago with a few of your cousins. It's a beautiful park in Seattle right on Puget Sound. We walked around the beach looking for seashells and pretty rocks. We ate lunch on a picnic bench and you discovered the undless joy of going down the slide on the playground over and over again.

The day reminded me of how much you've grown. You can climb the stairs on the playground by yourself and you nudge my hand away when I offer you help. Although you refused my help you still wanted me to catch you at the bottom of the slide. And after 30 minutes of tromping around on the rocky beach you wanted me to carry you the rest of the way.

I'm enjoying every little expression you make and every word you learn, but most of all I love that you still cuddle with me and you still run over to me for kisses. You make my heart so full Ayla. I love you.

Love,
Momma