Pregnancy Update: Week 29

It’s been 10 weeks since I've done one of these pregnancy questionnaire thingy’s, and my oh my has lots happened since then!

How far along: 29 Weeks and 1 day!

Gender: A baby girl :)

Total weight gain: 20+ lbs. Heh, surprisingly I’m not complaining because I’m a little curvier! The first thing to expand was my entire lower body and chest… My only concern is that I don’t know if I’ll be able to fit in my pre-pregnancy jeans again.

Maternity Clothes:  Yep! I have been rotating a couple of maternity jeans with several non-maternity leggings. A couple of weeks ago I ordered a nice variety of maternity basics from target and also been able to wear longer pre-pregnancy shirts.

Sleep: Lately I've been having a bit of insomnia…I’m not at the point where I’m struggling to find a comfortable spot, I've just been having a hard time turning off my thoughts!

Miss Anything: The ease of waking up and being able to throw together a nice outfit without a ton of effort; nowadays I’m forced to sort out what still fits/looks appropriate the night before. I also miss being able to exercise the way I used to.

Cravings: Runny eggs, popcorn, toast with avocado and cranberry juice.

Symptoms: Feeling tired again, getting cramps in my thighs and aches in my hips.

Belly Button in or out: It’s trying to come out. Right now it’s looking like a cinnamon bun.

Mood: Mostly excited!

Best Moment this week: Hmm... I made really good chex mix and also red quinoa with spicy peanut tofu stir fry. (I feel like I put something food related for the last post...) 

Looking forward to: We just entered a new year! I’m looking forward to seeing my family next weekend, the upcoming hospital tour, childbirth classes and my baby shower in February. And obviously March! The arrival of Lydia seems to be on my mind quite a lot and I can’t imagine how I’ll feel when she’s finally here in my arms… Ah, I’m going to be a mom!!

Exercise: Since I started getting cramps in my pelvis from doing plyometrics (sometime last month), so I decided to take a step back and do lower impact cardio interval training and have been able to do that 2-3x a week. On other days I mix it up by doing strength training at the gym or home, barre/Pilates and making sure I stretch every day.

On My Mind: Right now I feel blessed! A couple weeks ago we learned that I had the antibody Kell in my blood from recent blood work. Not knowing what that meant I did what any American would do and googled it. (My explanation might be a bit choppy so please bear with me!) I learned that if I have the antibody and if Michael carried the antigen then Lydia might be at risk. I also learned it’s possible that I got the antibody from a previous blood transfusion. A nurse from the department of fetal medicine called and scheduled us an urgent ultrasound and a consultation with high risk doctors to learn more about Kell. I immediately prayed to myself, and then I told my mom and she asked people from her church to pray and we told people from our church to pray for us too. Surprisingly I didn't feel worried but mostly at peace because I knew God was in control and that our questions would be answered that upcoming Tuesday. I thoroughly believe that God prepared our hearts for this.

At the appointment we got to see Lydia via ultrasound and learned that she is healthy, active and has no signs of anemia. After the ultrasound we met with the doctors and learned more about antigen Kell. We learned that if Michael had the antigen that it could mix with the antibody in my blood and cause the blood in my placenta to attack Lydia’s red blood cells. My pregnancy would require monitoring and if she showed signs of severe anemia they would have to give her a blood transfusion while in utero. I found that fascinating. Fortunately the doctors reassured us that because in her previous ultrasounds showed no signs of anemia meant that she could be in the clear and not need future transfusions. But in order for them to know they needed to test Michael’s blood to see if he even has the antigen. 

After the appointment we both felt at peace with the situation and prayed that his tests would prove him Kell negative. On Christmas Eve while printing out pictures at Walgreens, I got a call from the nurse and learned that Michael was Kell negative! Prayers were answered and we were so happy knowing that Lydia wouldn't need any further testing or blood transfusions. It really was that simple. Praise the Lord! And now I’m back to thinking about seeing her again..

xo, Jessica

Chunky Vegetable and Bean Soup with Avocado Toast

I am a big fan of soups and stews.  No wait, let me rephrase that. I am a huge fan of anything that requires one pot and overflowing with lots of flavor, and nutritious ingredients. This can very easily pass as a vegetarian soup depending on the broth you have on hand and ingredients can be modified to your liking. For example if you don’t have leeks you can use white onions, if you don’t want to use chard you can use kale or spinach and you don’t even have to add olives if you don’t wanna, etc. (But I personally recommend the olives because they provide a great umami kick!) When making this soup the world is your oyster! This recipe was lightly adapted from Real Simple magazines February 2014 issue.

Serves 6

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 organic leeks (white and green parts only) sliced thin

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 teaspoons oregano

1 bunch Swiss chard, thick stems discarded and leaves sliced

4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

2 15-ounce cans of butter beans (I used a can of butter beans and a can of black beans. So feel free to use whatever beans you have at hand!)

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

4 Kalamata olives chopped, plus a couple splashes of olive liquid

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon sea salt

pepper to taste

¼ cup nutritional yeast or grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

¼ cup parsley, coarsely chopped

Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until soft and add oregano. Add the Swiss chard, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add broth, beans, tomatoes, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 20-30 minutes. Add in the nutritional yeast, olives and parsley. Discard bay leaf and for a thicker soup transfer just under half the soup into the blender and puree. Transfer the puree into the pot with the remainder of the soup and stir. Serve immediately and garnish with parsley, nutritional yeast and/or Parmesan cheese.

Avocado Toast

Back in the day, I had a mild allergy to avocadoes but then one day it went away! Fast forward to now and you'll find me placing half an avocado in smoothies, salads or better yet smashed on sprouted grain toast. I like to think of avocado toast as a healthier and more vibrant update on butter with toast. 

Serves 2

2 slices of toasted sprouted grain bread

1 avocado, mashed

½ teaspoon salt

Fresh cracked pepper

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon sriracha or red pepper flakes

2 radishes, sliced thin

Toast bread. While bread is toasting removed pit of avocado and place in a small bowl and smash with fork.

First toast breads. Cut avocado in half and remove pit. Place avocado flesh in a small bowl and mash with a fork or a small mortar and pestle; if you prefer a creamier consistency mash until smooth. Season the avocado mash with salt, pepper, apple cider vinegar and sriracha. Place avocado spread onto two slices of bread and top with fresh radish.

-Jessica