Nesting

I'm not sure I ever really thought nesting was a real thing. That is, until I got it. Hard core.

For some reason, the past 2 weeks, I've been dying to either buy a new house or redecorate this one. As many of you know, we've been in our place for a year now. While we moved in originally thinking we'd be here for a long time, we've been on and off the housing market so often we just never really bothered to commit to living here. Now that we've done the math based on our expected monthly expenses after baby, we've decided it's best to stay. But now, it's nesting time!

Normally I'm pretty impatient and have a one track mind, but my short term progress has been nothing short of impressive. Less than a week ago we were on the market for a house, as of today I have a design plan for 3-4 rooms in the house with paint swatches purchased and testing on the walls for 3 and accessories for one whole room ready to go. All I'm waiting for is painting helpers and a free day. Not too bad for a few days work.

I can't wait to reveal the updated rooms. I'm hoping to have the living room done by the end of next weekend!

Here are some of the accessories I found for the living room and the paint swatches on the living room chair rail and by the nursery window.

Damned if you do...

Today I checked my baby app and saw that bambino is now the size of a mango. Normally I wouldn't get excited about a fruit, but c'mon, this is MANGO!

I can only hope my baby is this sassy and sexy, regardless of gender.

Anyhoo, I got excited because of the mango-ness and made the mistake of posting it on Facebook. Now instead of the funny Mango clips or quotes, I am being bombarded with messages from family members about why I haven't posted more on the produce size of my fetus during my pregnancy. Um, because it's gross and I don't want to ruin lemons for the hundreds of people I'm friends with on Facebook.

In an attempt to further my "family ties" experiment, I messaged everyone who commented to say I'd love to stay better in touch and even included some information about my pregnancy and how things are going. I've even invited visitors to come out to stay with us and see my belly instead of hearing about it online. Somehow I just don't know if it's enough! I'm trying not to get frustrated but it's hard. I just need to keep an open mind and know that people are upset they're not hearing more because they love me and want to be connected. It's crazy how technology has stifled our ability to pick up the phone.

I implore all of you to pick up the phone and call someone today. Don't email them, text them, Facebook them, chat them. Call them. Call someone. I bet you it will make their day. 

Spin That Bump!

A little post spin class bumpage for your Tuesday afternoon. Trying to keep shit in the right spot... For now

The Family Ties That Bind

Now that we're starting a family of our own, we've been talking and thinking a lot about our relationships with our own families. Granted, my sister and her family are our closest (geographically and emotionally) relatives on both sides and are a huge, irreplaceable support system for us. That being said, we saw a lot of room for improvement in our level of communication and relationship with basically every other member of our respective families.

So in theory, if we each call our parents and siblings weekly, we should have a better relationship, right? Not necessarily. Now that we're a unit and growing more family members, it's important that we each extend communication and common courtesies to each others families. So now we've doubled the number of calls/outreach that needs to happen with each family member for each person. Sounds daunting, right?

I won't lie, the idea of calling extra people each week was totally daunting to me at first but then I realized how lucky I am. I have ONE mother in law. Poor E has two mothers in law and two fathers in law. Poor guy!! I also decided to bite the bullet and call my mother in law on Sunday and we had a really lovely chat! It's funny how quickly you chalk up something like correspondence to a "task" and forget that it's actually one of the true joys in life. Not only was it great to catch up with her and hear what's going on in her life, it was really heart warming to be reassured that people besides me really DO care about my pregnancy, the life we're creating and the changes in my body. It really put a smile on my face.

Also, I know it goes without saying, but how lucky are we that we live in a day and age where we're able to live wherever we want and technology allows us to keep up with friends and family in voice and face? E's sister lives in England and we have plans to Skype with her and her 2 children this weekend. His brother lives in Brooklyn and we have plans to Skype with him and his daughter. E's mom is way more on top of it as a grandma and "sees" them both much more regularly than we do, but it's so great to know that our child will be able to have a "relationship" with their cousins and family no matter how far flung we all are.

Sadly, it's much easier for me to strike up a conversation with his family (mostly women) but he's at a disadvantage because I surely did not choose a man like my dad. Luckily for him, now that we're house hunting (again) E has more of an "excuse" to call my father to discuss heating and cooling systems, roofing, windows, etc. Whether or not we decide to buy right now, we'll surely have some projects coming down the pipe because we'll be either fixing up a new place or sprucing up our rental, so that should be really helpful to spark conversation until the baby comes.

On the other hand, while they both love the Yankees, I think semi-regular conversations with my mom and step-dad may be a bit more of a challenge. He truly does have his work cut out for him.

I guess rambles aside, the moral of the story is that keeping up with family isn't as big of a chore as it seems. The things we sometimes push aside as a task can really be a bright spot in the day. Here's to a stronger familial relationship and a bigger family to come.

'Life is pain highness'

Although the Princess Bride is one of my all time favorite books and movies, it also happens to be meaningful and poignant at times.

When I'm at a time in my life where I'm preparing for what will essentially be the biggest and hardest moment I've ever encountered I can't help but consider what is pain and what does it mean in our lives.

As a person who has never broken a bone before, I probably have no idea what true physical pain is. But somehow I consider myself to be a person with a high pain tolerance. I do have a tattoo (albeit a small one) and several piercings. I was in a train accident where I did get hurt, but like I said, nothing broken. Do you think a broken bone is really the most painful pain? I'm not sure I do.

During a conversation yesterday a friend said to me she had 'nothing to prove' by attempting a natural birth and that she was giving herself the option of the epidural. That really have me a lot to think about. As someone who aims to have a natural birth, do I feel like I have something to prove? I kind of think I do. I have no idea why.
Maybe it is because I've encountered so little physical pain in my life that I feel like I shouldn't shy away from a highly anticipated painful experience. Maybe it's because my older sister had two unmedicated labors and she's not tormented, traumatized or pro-drugs. I really admire the ability of my friend to keep her options open. For some reason I've always known I wanted a drug-free labor. Even before I was sure if I was going to have babies or not. I may regret being so close minded after the fact but only time will tell.

Or maybe it's because propaganda films like Business of Being Born have beat into me that I'm some sort of bad mother if I choose to medicate during labor. While I found the film to be informational and insightful (in spite of Ricki Lake's terrifying nipples) I also found it to be extremely one-sided.

For the record I think every woman has the right to choose her labor experience and I'm grateful to live in the time of modern medicine where that is possible. Pushing a human from your body is an undeniably personal experience and anyone who tries to have a say in what you do to prepare for or get through said experience without a request for advice can suck an egg. If I wanted to birth my baby in a hole in the ground because my spirit animal is a sea turtle and I felt it was my duty to birth as they do I would have the right to do so.

I guess all I can do is prepare as much as I can and see what happens in a few months and how I feel. I mean, my birth plan and that of my baby may vary greatly. Maybe my fetus is hatching a dramatic escape plan right this very minute just to spite me. That would be very apropos of my spawn to do such a thing.

Weighty Matters

Today was our 18 week check up. It wasn't until I was in the car on the way to the midwife that I realized I would be weighed today. When I stepped on the scale the woman flipped over the dreaded 150lb bar instead of my usual 100lb bar. While slightly offended I was happy to see her flip back to the 100 necessarily as the scale teetered dangerously close to the 149 mark. Luckily we landed at 144, a mere 8lbs from my start weight for this venture. While I wasn't 100% happy with my initial start weight, I've been satisfied with the rate at which I've been gaining.

For the most part I've been eating healthy and trying not to overdo it, but days like yesterday just happen where you're snowed in and somehow an entire bag of Cape Cod chips disappears... into your face. But luckily those days are (very) few and (very) far between. Now if I could only fit in a weekly body pump class...

Planning Ahead

While I work from home on this snowy Tuesday fresh off the news that another friend will be joining the ranks of mommyhood, I wanted to share this hilarious birth plan. While I've been known to over plan and have unrealistic expectations for real life scenarios, this totally seems doable...

Jamie and Jeff’s
Birth Plan.

BY Paul William Davies

- - - -

[Originally published June 28, 2012.]

- - -

Dear Hospital Staff:
Thank you and congratulations for being on shift for the birth of our child. The following sets forth our wishes for our stay. If a medical emergency requires you to deviate from this plan, please refer to “Jamie and Jeff’s Emergency Birth Plan.”
Please note: Jamie is RH Negative and BPA-free.

Philosophy

While we do not have a traditional “philosophy” of “childbirth,” we have been heavily influenced by orthodox Wholefoodism and the “(d)well baby/good design” movement. We believe strongly in the power of the female body and a long-term night nurse. We are opposed to torture/gluten. In the event you are ever unsure how to proceed today, please ask yourself, “What Would Gwyneth Do?”

Environment

We would like mood lighting, like on Virgin America.
The following people, who were with us at conception, will again be in the room with us today: Jeff’s mom; Jeff’s sister; Jeff’s sister’s friend, Melanie (plus 2); Jeff Koons.
Please provide WiFi so we can check what you say against Wikipedia and our favorite mom blogs.
Music is very important to us, as music was playing in the Mongolian yurt when we first made love.
In lieu of a traditional hospital gown, Jamie would prefer to be dressed like Zooey Deschanel in 500 Days of Summer.
Please avoid any use of the words “pulsate,” “soiled,” or “octo” in the delivery room.

Prep

Jamie would prefer no enema or shaving of pubic hair. If shaving is necessary, she would prefer something in the shape of a vuvuzela. Jeff’s pubic hair should NOT be shaved.
Jeff would like an IV.

Labor

Please generally avoid procedures that are totally unnecessary or excruciatingly painful.
Jamie would like Jeff to do the pushing whenever possible.
We have chosen a Doctor (“Mr. Cooper”) because he shares our desire for a natural, low-intervention birth. Mr. Cooper will deliver the baby via Skype from his home in Taos.
If Jamie starts to sob uncontrollably during labor, please turn off The Notebook. In the event the crying continues, please administer the following drugs to Jeff (per Mr. Cooper): Darvocet, Diamorphine, Vicodin, Medical Marijuana.
If induction is necessary, Jamie would like to try the following before Pitocin is administered: walking, stretching, flipping over, rolfing, online browsing, nipple stimulation and/or sexual intercourse.
Nipple stimulation should be done by the resident Jamie met on the tour who looks like Benjamin Bratt.

Delivery

We strongly prefer a girl.
If you have not already done so, please now take a few minutes and read Early Admission: How to Deliver an Ivy League Baby!
Jeff will remain in the squatting position throughout delivery.
When the crown of the head appears, please turn down the music as Jeff will be reading aloud from Be Here Now by Ram Dass.
Please, no texting while suctioning.
Jamie would like a mirror so that she can see the horrible expression on her face if it’s a boy.
IMPORTANT: if the baby appears to be black, please immediately escort Jeff out of the room and bring in Jeremy Rayburn from the 5th Floor waiting area.
In the event of a Cesarean, please practice Western medicine.

Post-Birth

We are interested in the following preschools: St. James, The Schoolhouse at Cedar Point, or Kidsplace. Willow Glen is ONLY a backup.
Jamie would like Jeff circumcised.
Please do not cut the cord until we are through the toddler years.
We would like the baby certified organic by Oregon Tilth.
Please don’t put the baby on a scale, as we don’t want her to have the same body image issues as her fat mom.
We would like to donate the placenta to the people of the Gulf Coast.
We ask that the baby be bathed in our presence, in the delivery room, in San Pellegrino.
Per Mr. Cooper, do not feed the baby mussels.
Per Gisele Bundchen, do not give the baby a bottle (i.e. chemicals) for at least 6 months.
If the baby must be taken from the room because of a medical emergency, we would like Jeff to accompany the child. (In this scenario, Benjamin Bratt would stay with Jamie. Please maintain mood lighting and insert the CD in Jamie’s handbag labeled, WHEN JEFF LEAVES.)
We will not be vaccinating our baby. Please vaccinate all other babies on this floor.
Namaste,
Jeff and Jamie

A not so serene Sunday

I have to preface this entire post by saying I normally wouldn't even post something like this but I told my friends who haven't had kids yet that I would be as brutally honest as possible throughout the process so... Here goes.

There are days (more than I like to admit) that I feel I deserve a bit more attention than I'm given. Today was one of those days.

I'll start by saying I quickly and open heartedly chalk this up to hormones and rarely do I actually say it out loud,

E was out of town this weekend at a beer festival (do you see where this is going already?) so I filled my calendar with brunch and shopping and girly errands on Saturday. I had an amazing day with a lovely friend and did some maternity, well, returning actually so I can't call it shopping. But whatever it was fun. I came home, decided to treat myself to a mani/pedi (did I mention all of my shopping was returns?!) and had a low key night at home.

The next day I struggle out of bed so tired even though I slept like 10 hours and walked the dog in the snow because my husband was out of town.

While on the walk I bust my ass on some well-hidden black ice (thank you fresh coating of snow) and fall right on my knee, dropping the dog leash. Here's where this gets fun. The dog hears the commotion and what does my faithful companion do? Gets spooked by the leash "following him" and runs into someone's yard, getting stuck around a tree and poops his pants. I witness all of this from on the ground and somewhere between laughing and crying.

I cleaned the poop off of his tail with some snow, get halfway home and he starts doing that dog paw thing where cold or salt are hurting their pads. Clearly I can't pick him up because I'm bleeding from the knee, so I hold his paw in my hand until it warms up and we head home.

Of course the first thing I do when I get home is take a picture of my injury. Duh.

Then I text E and lay down to ice myself. Boy am I glad I texted him because it prompted a forewarning of 'I'm in very rough shape and I fell on my hands last night.' Oy.

So not only am I pregnant and injured, but now I spend my entire day taking care of my hot mess of a husband after a beer festival. Cue the not feeling like I get enough attention...

At first, I felt really bad for him. He openly admitted he's not going to any of these again and that he was in rough shape. That I can support. And honestly, his hands are in pretty bad shape. It's the fall down drunk version of stigmata...

So I was ok playing nurse and being supportive, but when it came time or more dog walks and cooking dinner, I just got pissed. My 'situation' was 100% an accident, which is heightens by what my father refers to as my 'delicate condition' but his was 100% self inflicted (accidental or not) and I ended up having to dote on him!?!? Man was I pissed.

In his defense, he was more functioning than normal because of 'my condition' but I'm still super annoyed. Let's hope he heals fast because my fuse has been crazy short lately...

A Booby of a Problem

This was a week of ups and downs. On Thursday I went for my first maternity bra fitting and had high hopes. I honestly didn't plan to buy anything but I at least needed to know what size I was so I could shop in the future. However, that is not what I got.

A girlfriend and I made fitting appointments at a high end bra shop for after work on Thursday. While she had a great experience, had a great fitting and ended up leaving with a new bra and happy boobies, I had never felt more unattractive in my life. 

I just don't think the sales women knew what to do with a pregnant lady. One girl even referenced her "Training" when talking about my "situation". Oy. They also never once measured me. They just put me in different bras until one kind of fit, then told me they didn't have the size I needed (a totally normal size for the record). It was also strange to me that they would only put me in maternity bras that were so huge and ugly that I actually asked the woman if I was only allowed to wear turtlenecks in these contraptions. I've never had boobs in my life and I'd really like the opportunity to enjoy them for a little while.

Needless to say I left frustrated but I reassured myself that there was nothing wrong with me or my body, the women I dealt with just had no experience with a pregnant body and what to do with it, how to dress it and absolutely not how to speak about it.

Strangely, I woke up the next day to a more visible bump. Weird how that happens...

Evan is out of town this weekend so I had brunch with a girlfriend today and did some shopping. I behaved and didn't get much, but the weird part is that today was the first day that strangers commented on my bump. It felt really nice, but it's weird for people to be able to look at you and know about what's going on inside your body. And to be ok commenting about it. Isn't that trippy?! I thought so.

Today I also went maternity clothes shopping in person for the first time. I have to say, as much as I love life in Vermont, our shopping situation really blows. Especially for maternity. The sections are just so small, rarely have a sale rack and just not a lot of options. Luckily I was a talented online shopper prior to our move here so I'm not completely without options. Unfortunately, now that my body isn't always the same size I'm used to, that does add a layer of difficulty to the process and I see a lot of buying and returning in my future.

Productivity Only Lasts a Day

After basking in the absolutely lovely things people had to say about my growing body yesterday, I came home determined to be productive. I made two dinners (one for last night and one for lunches today), had nice talks with both my mom and my sister, walked the dog and even did a beauty mask. Hub gets home late on Wednesdays so I stayed up to hug and kiss him before bed only to wake up absolutely pooped.

I have a training almost all of this morning so instead of missing my Thursday yoga class I decided to do some poses in what is soon to be the nursery before my shower. Paired with some light weight work from last night before bed and boy am I tired. Let's hope I can make it through this class today without falling asleep!

Luckily the rest of my week/end seems pretty low key. After a long overdue bra (re)fitting tonight I plan on snuggling up in my PJs with my man and my pup and hitting the hay early. What are you going to do today?

I don't think you're ready for this belly

'Cuz my body too babylicious for you babe!

A Gender Bender

So as many of you know, Evan and I went into this venture originally wanting a little boy to be all rough and tumble with. But all 3 of our siblings had girls first and due to my still budding motherly instincts paired with some old wives tales, I have a feeling its a girl.

However, for the past 2 weeks (since the baby has had an identifiable gender) I have been CRAVING protein. I literally could eat meat and eggs all damn day. On Saturday I seriously almost drank a whole gallon of milk, had a 1/2 pound burger with an egg on it and steak for dinner.

So now I'm wondering, am I having a Ron Swanson?

Research Genius or Rebel Without a Cause?

Ask my mom or my sister but I've never been much of a rule follower. I've always found a way to make the rules "bend" for me and what I wanted. I used to break or ruin things "because it was there" and at the ripe age of 9 I was caught playing hookey from ballet class to play softball and got kicked out of dance class. But honestly, what a dumb punishment?! The last thing I wanted was to be in ballet and now you're not making me do it anymore? Thanks stupid.

Anyway, apparently not much has changed as I've gotten older. Every time I question my blind following of one of the many pregnancy rules, I start to do some research and find that a lot of widely known and followed rules are either scientifically unfounded, outdated or just wrong.

See exhibit, well, if you count eggs as A and steak as B I guess it's C. (Exhibit C)

Let's discuss the facts here. Life is busy and pregnancy makes you tired. This made me question just WHY am I not supposed to have coffee. I know some of it is supposed to be about hydration and general well-being. Well I drink on average four 24-oz water bottles just during the work day alone. That doesn't count the average one 24-oz bottle of water consumed during my workouts or any water consumed at home. So only counting the water intake at my desk that's 96-oz of water a day. MINIMUM. So let's just assume hydration isn't really my problem. Anyone who sits between me and the bathroom can attest to this.

So that really only leaves the actual effects of coffee and/or caffeine to debunk. The study, which happened in Goteburg, Sweden (home of the Volvo, so that obviously means I take it that much more seriously) studied 60,000 pregnancies and was inconclusive to the actual danger of caffeine on the fetus itself. It did, however, link caffeine to lower birth weight and longer gestation periods. In theory, if this report is accurate, every 100mg consumed per day delays birth by 5 hours and decreases birth weight by 1oz. The study does not say if this is an aggregate, I would assume it's not because that running tally would mean pregnant women in any coffee-heavy culture would basically never have babies because they'd just stay in there then decrease in size until they disappeared. Not really a viable option.

So say I average 200mg of caffeine per day (I don't drink coffee every day and I don't always have only 1 cup to be perfectly honest) then my baby will be 2oz smaller than it was intended originally and 10 hours later. At the risk of sounding flippant, I think I can live with that. Seeing as I'm putting on pounds like a wrestler trying to make a new weight class, this kid (and in turn, my vagina) will probably benefit from a few less ounces on its birthday.

Another pregnancy rule debunked. At this rate, I should be able to prove pregnant women should juggle samurai swords while dog fighting before August. You're all welcome.

Reality sinking in

After and particularly active day I went to bed a little stiff and a little sore.

Before bed, E told me I was starting to really look pregnant.

This morning I awoke to the sounds of a sick puppy who then only wanted his mommy to comfort him.

Reality is really sinking in. I am (going to be) a mom! If Milo is any indication, I'm already a good comforter and care taker. Whew!

Make it Work

It's amazing to me that already we've had to research and interview daycare centers at this point in my pregnancy. But waitlists bow to no one and I'll be damned if I'm sending my kid just anywhere.

Honestly, wrapping my brain around leaving my baby with someone else while I go work before I've even met or kissed him/her (yup before it even has a gender!!) has been a lot to handle. I've had a lot of internal conflict about it.

Is this the right place?
Do they have enough curriculum?
Will these teachers even be here when my baby comes to daycare?
Is their schedule at the right times?
Who will pick up/drop off?

There's just so much to process and so many things to consider while I'm still trying to figure out the best way to plan a baby shower pig roast! 

Luckily I have amazing friends who help me realize I'm not alone.

Today a fellow preggeroni sent me a link to this blog and it says everything I will likely say or have said in a far better way than I can ever say it myself. While I'm not currently a working mother, I will be. And I'm sure I'll struggle with it. We're currently going the daycare route because we can't afford in-home help, but (at least at this point) it seems to be about the same kind of situation.

I'm not sure I'd have the strength to work from home and put on headphones as not to hear my children while someone else played with them. It takes an incredibly strong person to do that. A person with resolve and drive to be a successful woman as well as a mother. That is powerful. And gut wrenching.

I will be lucky to come back to my flexible position at my amazingly supportive company after I've had time with future bambino and my baby will be out of sight but surely not out of mind. But at least I won't have the added stress and internal conflict of "oh just one more song" or "she's sick, we should cuddle". Because, well, I just don't think I could resist! 

Big things must be happening...

This week I've been pretty exhausted and today I was equal parts exhausted and starving! I seriously don't know if I should pass out or eat something...

My baby apps say bones are getting more dense and ears are forming. I wonder what else is going on in there?!

Namaste. Bitches.

What a difference a positive attitude and a week of rest makes! I was initially really bummed I had to put my workout routine on hold after I tweaked my foot walking around Montreal.

Note to other pregnant ladies: Apparently you shouldn't walk 4+ miles in snow boots without arch support while you're pregnant. Learn from my mistakes. My painful mistakes.

After letting myself rest for just over a week I just had a really great yoga class that put me in a great mood! That class is always just so lovely and such a joy to complete before I start my work day. It's not a prenatal class, just a regular old Vinyasa Flow class but the instructor is just so wonderful and it helps that it's free and held less than 100 feet from my desk. I plan to keep it up as long as possible during my pregnancy. I think it will be a positive influence on my mood, my body and my baby. It feels good to be back on track!

Bumpin'

Just a day in the bump. Sorry it's just bump and boobs. My arms aren't long enough to get my face in the picture.

Positive Pregnancy Revelations

While looking back at my last few posts I realized I've been a bit of a negative Nancy lately. And I'd like to think it was for good cause (if one can really justify prolonged negativity). I've been in that stage where I feel/look chubby and not pregnant, which has taken a bit of a toll on my self esteem. My hormones are a bit out of whack and I've kind of been in this state of limbo with not only my pregnancy but my routine, my workout regimen and my wardrobe. I know that sounds like a really shallow statement, but for me it's been true so judge me if you will.

But I think I've turned a little bit of a pregnancy corner.

The first turn of the corner came from the little help of some friends and Ina May Gaskin. A super special hug-filled shout out to the amazing women who recommended I read Guide to Childbirth. So far it's been the most influential motherhood book I've read and the most positive influence on my pregnancy.

One of the passages that resonated with me the most was about the studies that correlate positive thoughts to productive labor and unwanted influences or negativity with the retardation of labor progress. She went on to say that believing in yourself and thinking about your body in a positive light are the first steps to effective labor. Honestly, I've never been the kind of person to think positively about my body and I definitely haven't been doing it since becoming pregnant. Well, there's no better time to start than now!

The second turn came just this morning while struggling with what to order during breakfast. I started second guessing my blind following of pregnancy food rules because, well, a lot of them seemed pretty antiquated and not really applicable to the way I eat in my every day life.    

When we got home I started reading into the science behind foods to avoid and in an effort to better understand the whats and whys, and obviously to question them, what I found was surprising.

First, I found an article about eggs.  Now if you know me you know I have subscribed to the motto "if you like it then you go and put an egg on it" for many years (or at least in that terminology since Single Ladies hit the scene). So for me, breakfast has been pretty difficult. While reading the article I deduced two things:

1. While not totally safe, eggs are some of the lesser worries (bacteria-wise) for us pregnant ladies. The issue with eggs is the risk of salmonella. Salmonella does not easily penetrate the placenta and is more likely to get the mother sick before the baby. So yeah, there's totally added stress to your body if you get salmonella during your pregnancy, but it won't harm your baby.
2. HOWEVER, there are also studies that prove that farm fresh, antibiotic-free eggs are less likely to GIVE you salmonella than that of factory farmed conventional eggs.

Taking points 1 and 2 into consideration, I'm led to deduce that as long as I know where my eggs are coming from and how old they are, I can totally have runny yolks. Within reason. I mean, I obviously plan to use this as a treat and less of a staple in my diet but good lord if I'm not amazingly pleased to read this.

Elated from victory #1 I found this little gem on Epicurious about general rules of pregnant eating.  Overall, this was a great article to read and follow about baterium in general and different food theories, especially from the point of view of someone who loves to eat.

The best part for me was about meats in general, but mostly about steak. The biggest fear with undercooked meats is listeria, which is far more detrimental to your baby and your body than salmonella. However, listeria lives only on the surface of meats. So hamburger or any other ground meat should be cooked fully through to well-done status, but a steak or any other whole piece of meat only needs to be seared to be considered safe. This basically means I've ruined 2 good steaks for nothing. Again, I will be treating a medium rare steak as a treat (with the rampant heart disease that runs in my family I try to subscribe to this philosophy most of the time anyway) but I'm really relieved to know I can fulfill not one but two of my top protein cravings (with peanut butter coming in at a close third) without feeling totally guilty.

All of these revelations have made me quite the happy pregnant lady today. What's made you happy today?