Monday, April 6, 2009
Favorite Low Carb Snack (diabetes friendly)
I also eat this for breakfast sometimes
when I get tired of eggs and a piece of toast!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
15-30 grams of carbs Snack/Meal options
Sandwich made with:Two slices of bread, equaling 30 grams of carbohydratesEgg, cheese, meat or tuna
One-half sandwich, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates
Two small six-inch size corn or flour tortillas, equaling 30 grams of carbohydrates
One hamburger or cheeseburger, equaling 30 grams of carbohydrates
Twelve saltine crackers, equaling 30 grams of carbohydrates
One English muffin, equaling 30 grams of carbohydrates
Three graham cracker squares, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates
One cup of aspartame sweetened yogurt, equaling approximately 15 grams of carbohydrates
One piece of toast. Butter or margarine, if desired
One cup of unsweetened yogurt, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates
Six cups of popcorn, equaling 30 grams of carbohydrates
One cup of sugar-free pudding, equaling 30 grams of carbohydrates
One small bag of pretzels or baked chips, read label for 30 grams of carbohydrates
One cup of plain yogurt or aspartame sweetened yogurt, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates
Three tablespoons of Grapenuts cereal, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates
14 Ritz Crackers, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates Broth
One-half of large bagel, equaling 30 grams of carbohydrates
Two rice cakes, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates
One small piece of fruit, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates
One cup of soup, read label for 15 grams of carbohydrates
Two-thirds cup of buttered noodles, equaling 30 grams of carbohydrates
One whole pita bread, equaling 30 grams of carbohydrates
One-half cup of cooked grits, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates
Muffin-pizzas made with one whole English muffin, equaling 30 grams of carbohydrates
Gestational Diabetes
I don't feel too overwhelmed because last summer, before I found out I was pregnant, I lost 27 pounds in 3 months by exercising, counting calories, and eating healthy. When I found out I was pregnant I decided not to be as strict with myself and stopped measuring out my food. I have a good idea of how many calories is in what since I was doing that daily.
So now I'm back to measuring my food, counting calories (my Dr. told me to eat 2,000 calories a day) and this time around counting carbs. Carbs are not evil for diabetics, but they do have to be monitored. I think I can have 15 carbs for snacks and about 50 carbs for each meal. From what I understand so far, a lot of it has to do with portion control. Not too much is off limits (well eating a piece of chocolate cake probably is!), it's just monitoring how much of whatever it is that I can eat at one time. Since I'm just starting off, it might take me a little while to get it right. I'll be taking my blood sugar to see what works for me and what doesn't since everyone is different.
I hope this is just a pregnant thing and not something that I will have for life. In the meantime I am going to look at this as a blessing and see it as a motivator to live the healthy life that I want to live anyway. God is in control and I am thanking Him through this. I'm so glad to have a supportive friend through this as well. She is so very encouraging and knows so much about diabetes having gone through/going through it herself. I'm going to the hospital tomorrow to pick up some info on gestational diabetes and hopefully it will be informative enough for me to know what I need to do since my Dr. wasn't much help. Also, I have another glucose test next Wednesday or Thursday to see how my body does just being on this diet and walking four times a week. If my blood sugar is still high I will have to start giving myself insulin shots everyday. I hope I can monitor it with my diet. We'll just see how this goes!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
*I did change the "him" to "her" and the "he" to "she" throughout the article.*
"Fetal Development: 27 Weeks
27 Weeks - Pregnancy
Baby
Your baby has gotten used to your voice by now, and probably even your partner’s. She will be drawn to you after birth naturally when she hears you talk to her. Besides hearing your voice, the sound of your blood circulating, your heartbeat, and other sounds are loud and clear to her. She may be soothed by “white noise” in the background after she is born, such as a fan, humidifier, vacuum cleaner, or clothes dryer. If she is fussy, you may want to try some white noise to remind her of the security of your womb.
Your baby has hit yet another growth spurt, as she adds over ½ an inch to her height this week alone. She is now 14 ½ inches long and weighs almost 2 pounds! The neurons in her brain are making new connections every day, and her brain will be like a sponge in the next few years, absorbing more and more information. The more you expose your baby to, the more her brain will grow and thirst for more. Start thinking about getting her a neat mobile and an activity mat or baby gym. Exposure to different shapes, colors, and textures during the first few months of infant hood will really sharpen her senses.
Mom
At the end of your six month, you have probably gained about 15 to 20 pounds.
Hahah! I love Norah Jones, picnics on the floor with my hubby, and massages!!! How did they know?!
I crossed out the middle of that last paragraph because that's not how I am feeling at all. I don't feel lost or depressed, I don't feel like I'll be pregnant forever, and I don't feel like people only focus on my pregnancy...and if they do, I don't mind!!
I am so excited about these last three months. For Erik, I never experienced my last two months of pregnancy because he came that early. I know that I will go full term this time and I believe that with all of my heart. Some people may think that I was somehow lucky to not have to "endure" the last months of pregnancy, but I have never thought of it that way. The pain that Chris and I went through was excruciating and far surpasses being physically uncomfortable. We weren't sure of how Erik would do in the intensive care unit and how he would develop later on. It was unbearable to see other babies around us pass away, some of which were born around the same gestational age. God has had his hand on Erik as we have seen him grow and mature as though he was never born early. He is so eager to learn new things and his quick mind amazes me. I teach him something one time and weeks later he remembers it without fault. I thought that maybe he would end up with hearing and speech problems like a lot of preemies end up having but that has gone out of the window. I have been told by several people on different occasions that he is articulate for his age...and of course, I think that as well! I know I am biased as a mother and every mom thinks their child has brains, but I just can't help doting on him! I am sooo very proud to be his mom!
Today I saw Andy...I mean Dr. Hill...haha (see http://intheyellowskies.blogspot.com/2009/02/im-25-weeks-pregnant-today-some.html for what that means!) and I took a glucose test. Those drinks are sooo nasty. I find out tomorrow how my blood sugar levels are. I've been using a friends blood sugar meter and the numbers are all over the place. (Like one day I just ate a bowl of cereal for breakfast and it was 182...then today I had Chinese food and it was 107!!) Some days are perfect and other days they are high. I told my doctor about my numbers (I take my blood first thing in the morning and then an hour after I eat) and he didn't seem too concerned. He said to watch my sugar intake and keep my calories at 2,000. This shouldn't be a problem because most days I am about 200 to 300 below that intake and I don't have much of a sweet tooth anyway. (Except I do admit that I am addicted to chocolate pretzels...but have only bought one small bag this entire pregnancy..go me!) I have gained 8 pounds so far and am hoping not to pack on much more. Since I'm already on the "more to love" side, I should probably only gain about 15-20 pounds. My doctor hasn't said anything about that but from what I've read it seems recommended. Chris and I are going on a hike this weekend and I'm pretty sure we'll be walking for about 4 hours. Wish us luck!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
March Madness!!
For starters, this Saturday Chris and I plan on going to see a production at UL called "5 Women Wearing the Same Dress." It is a comedy about 5 bridesmaids, taking place in Knoxville, Tn. He has to attend 2 plays this semester for school so we are going to turn them into date nights instead of homework!
http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/kisatchie/images/Brochures/OHV_Meeting_Brochures/Calcasieu_RD/Wild_Azalea_Brochure.pdf
Then the week after that I will be going for another 3D ultrasound at Sneak Peak. I am going on Monday March 23rd at 10 a.m. I will be 28 1/2 weeks pregnant, which I've heard is a really good time to go. We went when I was 19 weeks and it was still too early to really see Ivy's facial features yet. I'm so excited to see her again!!
The weekend after that- Saturday the 28th we plan on going to Baton Rouge to see "Sesame Street Live: Elmo's Green Thumb" and then on Sunday our nephew is turning 5 and he's having a party to celebrate!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
25 weeks pregnant
I saw my doctor today. Sort of.
I got to the doctor's office, signed in, and was then called to the back and the secretary says to me, "Well, you may or may not know this, but Dr. Broussard retired this week." I don't know if it was pregnancy hormones or if I was genuinely this upset, but I broke into tears. The secretary starts to cry too (like balling crying like me with big tears rolling down her face) and says that it was really sudden for all of them too and not to worry- they will take care of me and find a new doctor for me. She also said that he didn't call anybody, but that he put an article in the newspaper.
She walked with me- arm in arm- to where my new Dr. office will be showed me the waiting room and handed me some tissues. I was a wreck. I could NOT stop crying! I was trying to get it together because I didn't want this doctor to think that I was dissapointed that he was going to be my doctor. My new nurse called me in and took one look at me and said, "You sunburned or something?" I am sunburned but my face was even more red and puffy from the crying. I told her that I was just a little caught of guard with Dr. Broussard retiring and that I was emotional. She tells me, "Well at least he didn't die!" I just looked at her and shook my head...realllllly slowly...What?! And then she tells me that when she was pregnant, her doctor went on vacation- I think to a hunting trip- and was accidently shot. :( In her odd attempt at making me feel better, it at least got my mind off it and helped me to calm down a bit. (I'm serious--I was sobbing!) I am not emotional about this anymore but I am dissapointed. I really really liked my doctor, my nurse, and -this is going to sound really picky but -I liked his office better! He had a big beautiful fish tank with exotic fish and the room was decorated all colorful and had whimsical mermaids hanging from the ceiling...He was such a FUN guy!!!!! AHHH! I'm getting over it.
So my new doctor is Dr. Hill. http://www.acadianawomen.com/Dochill.htm He reminds me of Andy from "The Office". He sounds like him and kind of makes the same gestures! Too funny. He's a lot younger than Dr. B and was really talkative. I don't know what else I would expect, but I liked that he just jumped right in as my doctor. He expressed a lot of concern about Erik being born premature (by 8 weeks) and so from now on I will be seeing him every two weeks. It seems like a lot since I have 15 more weeks to go, but it does make me feel like I am being taken care of. This was also fun to read about: (from the link that I posted up there) " Interests include music (singer/songwriter, violin, guitar, harmonica), hunting, fishing, weightlifting/fitness, gardening." He seems like a really well rounded and interesting guy!
After all of that craziness, my mom and I went to Target and I started up a baby registry. I'm having a small shower in about a month and Wendy and Katy told me that I needed to get my registry set up and my addresses to them by Monday. I'm really excited because it will be fun having another shower, especially because this baby is a different gender than my first. This one is going to be much smaller since it is my 2nd go-round and so I told myself that I would limit myself to 15 items. And then I got carried away!!! Going around with that little pricing gun was almost as fun as shopping! Plus, Target has this great perk--whatever is left on my registry will be discounted after the due date. I think it's something like 10-20%. I hope no one thinks I'm greedy!
Then we went to Cafe Roma for lunch (mmm) and after we saw the comedy "Medea Goes to Jail". Maybe it was more pregnancy hormones surging through me, but I cried more than I laughed. It was a good movie with a ton of good messages throughout. My mom loved it and was cracking up! She really needed a pick-me-up. There is a lot going on in my family right now and I think some good belly laughs were just what she needed. The last movie that she saw in theaters was "Toy Story"! She took me and my sisters who were only toddlers back then and now they are in highschool!
Well, little miss Ivy is about the size of an eggplant. I took some pictures of my pregnant belly and will post them later. I look like I have about 5 eggplants in there! Hahha!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Gardening: I love Mulch!
Before: Overgrown with weeds and in need of some new plants and mulch.
After: Looking fresh! Hibiscus coming back from the winter in the back left and right corners. White Irises under the window. Ginger in the middle, Sweet olive in the front, and a very tiny mexican sage in the middle toward the right side.
Recipe: Cheddar Apple Soup; Cajun Turkey Pita
Yep! I'm still on a soup kick. This soup recipe is originally from the Better Homes And Gardens magazine (October 2007) but I saw it this morning on another blog and decided to give it a try. It was good, but not soup-y enough for me. It was more like a side dish that would go great with a honey ham around Christmas time. It's still a keeper, but will probably only make this once a year or so. In my opinion, the title should be called Cheddar Potato Soup because it was mostly potato with a little bit of an apple taste. VERY FILLING! I could hardly even eat half of what was in my bowl.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Personality Test
Two books that I have read are "Personality Plus" and "Personality Plus for Couples" by Florence Littauer.
Today I ordered "Personality Plus for Parents" on eBay for a few bucks. Erik is still very young, but he won't always be! And while he does have a
personality already, it is a little difficult to tell just yet what exactly it is. This book will help me get a head start on understanding him and what makes him "tick".
http://www.neoxenos.org/temperaments/temperament_test.htm
My personality
The Sanguine / Phlegmatic
The sanguine-phlegmatic is an extroverted, optimistic, warm individual who readily connects with others and is well-liked by all. His sanguine side makes him creative, enthusiastic, friendly, and inspiring. His phlegmatic side makes him somewhat cautious at times, and also highly sensitive to other people’s moods, emotions, likes and dislikes. He keenly desires harmony in relationships. He tends to overextend himself in order to meet others’ needs and to personalize any negative criticism (If the boss says, “We are not meeting our quotas,” the sanguine-phlegmatic thinks, “Is he angry at me?” If her best friend says, “I really can’t wear red lipstick,” the sanguine-phlegmatic will think, “She’s trying to tell me that my lipstick looks terrible!”). After all, the sanguine-phlegmatic has a double-dose of feeling; twice-blessed by the tendency to prioritize relationships and harmony. If you are a sanguine-phlegmatic, most everyone likes you! You are easy-going, creative, fun-loving, enthusiastic, imaginative, caring, generous, flexible, and spontaneous. You are probably considered “emotional” because of your easily aroused feelings, your attentiveness to relationships, and your tender heart. Your weaknesses are superficiality, indecisiveness, disorganization, and procrastination. Often you find it difficult to know exactly how to state what you mean, or how to express yourself logically; this contributes to a tendency to talk more than is needed or to provide more detail than is necessary. In a relationship, you will likely gravitate toward a logical, organized, strong-willed and decisive partner—someone who makes decisions quickly and provides strong moral certitude and structure to your life. You can be easily influenced (which is exacerbated by your tendency to ask others for advice — without thinking it through) and to do what seems “kind” before considering whether it is objectively right. Many sanguine-phlegmatics are drawn to teaching (and parenting), the helping professions, and volunteer works for the Church or for the welfare of society. You place a high priority on your personal search for meaning and self-identity. The strong need to discover your “true self” will be met by a rich prayer life and a personal relationship with Christ. Your weaknesses probably tend to bother you more than anyone else. For example, you may find yourself blurting out something without thinking, or spending too much time seeking advice only to find yourself more confused than you started, or oversleeping every day this week — despite all the best of intentions. You may find yourself becoming over committed because you simply can’t say “no” and have a strong need to be liked/please people. A typical sanguine-phlegmatic trick is to spend too much money shopping or (better yet) dining out with friends, and then to put off balancing the checkbook (too much work, too many other distractions) until it is hopelessly behind. Now you are overwhelmed with everything that has piled up! You may complain half-heartedly, blame circumstances, or go shopping. . . but you may not really make a concerted effort to change. If your temperament is sanguine-phlegmatic, for a better understanding of your temperament it is recommended that you read the full descriptions of the sanguine and phlegmatic.
The elephant and the mouse.
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
i·mag·i·na·tions (-mj-nshn) n. a. The formation of a mental image of something that is neither perceived as real nor present to the senses.b. The mental image so formed.c. The ability or tendency to form such images.
a. An unrealistic idea or notion; a fancy.
b. A plan or scheme.
This scripture speaks to me in different ways. When I was younger it helped to remind me not to let impure imaginations run wild in my mind. Now it speaks to me in a different way. God's word is alive and does speak to us if we are willing to hear. Even though this particular scripture is talking about something different than what I am about to write about, it does speak to my personal life about casting down my own vain imaginations...not only against God's word, but against people in general.
This scripture reminds me to not let what others say get blown out of context and allowing it to become distorted. I think women struggle with this more than men do because we are usually more in tune with "reading between the lines." While this is a God-given gift to be intuitive, we shouldn't let it get out of control. I think God is warning us that if we let our imaginations run wild with these "unrealistic ideas or notions" that we are actually in disobedience to him by letting these thoughts exalt themselves against Him. When I think of something exalting itself against God, I think of Pride. I think of when the angel, Lucifer, thought he was better than God and was cast out of heaven. He tried to exalt himself against the Lord...and look what he is now...the epitomy of evil, Satan himself.
This is a very strong warning that I don't think we take serious enough. If someone says something, we should take it to mean what they say!!! We shouldn't let insecurity take over and twist it around just to appease our minds! Why would we do this? Because sometimes we get this "feeling" that someone thinks a certain way about us and when they start talking we automatically look for something that they say or do to confirm that in our minds. Again, I think women are the WORST for doing this. God is warning us to say what we mean, mean what we say, and take what others are saying as meaning simply that. There is absolutely no way for us to be able to tell what others are really thinking or going through unless they tell us themselves.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Recipe: French Onion Soup
Ingredients
(You will need an oven safe bowl)
One small onion (or a half of a large one)
enough Olive Oil to cover the bottom of pan
1 pat of butter (about a tbls)
1 heaping spoon of minced garlic (I love garlic!)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tbls. flour
A splash of White cooking wine
A few shakes of Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 cups of beef stock (I just eyeball it!)
A thick chunk of french bread
white cheese
(The traditional cheese for this soup is Gruyere, but I have yet to find that in the store. I've used different ones like provolone or white cheddar, or mozzarella. This time I used an Italian blend of shredded cheeses since it is what I already had on hand. It had Parmesan, mozzarella, asiago,provolone, fontina, and Romano.)
***(TASTE FIRST BEFORE ADDING SALT! Mine was not salty enough (i used unsalted butter) so I added a few shakes of Tony Chachere's (a cajun spice that has salt in it).
***I also had parsley on hand, so I threw a pinch of it in there.)
Pour the olive oil in the pan, and turn on medium. Cut the onion in quarter to half dollar size pieces. Put the onions in with the pat of butter and the tsp. of sugar. Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes covering the pan, but stirring often. DO NOT BURN! You want the onions to get really soft, but you don't want to see any brown on them. Add the garlic and the Tbls. of flour and stir, cooking for about 2 more minutes. Add a splash of white cooking wine and scrape the bottom of the pan, getting all of the onion, garlic and flour mixture off of the bottom. (That's where a lot of the flavor is.) Add a few splashes of Worcestershire. Slowly pour in the beef broth and cook for another 5-10 minutes on medium to medium high heat or until really hot and bubbling.
Pour the soup into an oven safe crock (or bowl) and top with french bread. I break a little of it up and put some at the bottom and then place the other pieces on top. Add cheese.
Turn oven on broil (I use a small conventional oven) and place in oven on the top rack. Keep an eye on it so that it won't burn. You just want the cheese to melt and get a little brown.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Movie Date, Lobster and Red Velvet Cheescake
Since it was Valentine's, we splurged ($15!) and ordered desert. We ordered off of the Valentine's special menu again and got the red velvet cheesecake.
It was a red cheesecake with a graham cracker-like crust, served with blueberries, strawberries, and whipped cream. We ate about half of it because it was so rich, but finished it off when we got home!! :)~