Whole30 Week 1

Recently Jon and I decided to give the Whole30 a try. I'm sure you've at least heard about it, as I had, but I didn't really know all that it entailed. With the help of my sister-in-law who just completed it, and the Whole30 book, (highly recommend!) we decided to give it a try. We started November 1st, so as of now we are on day 12. We won't be doing a complete round (40 days including the reintroduction phase) because of Thanksgiving and Jon's birthday (we don't want to be deprived of holiday food!) So we will be doing 20 days and then introducing things back in. We plan on doing a full 30 day version after the holidays.

My reasons for wanting to do this are mainly just for my overall health. Lylah is 7 months old now, and although I only gained about 25 pounds with the pregnancy, I was already about 8-10 pounds over what I consider a healthy weight for me when I started. My diet during pregnancy and immediately after wasn't horrible, but I let myself eat whatever I wanted for the most part when pregnant and breastfeeding (hello ice cream!) Lately, I was having a hard time eating regularly, and eating enough, so I would end up shoving some goldfish in my mouth, or eating a cheesestick and calling it a meal. No bueno. I also had gotten lazy in cooking dinners and found myself wanting to get takeout multiple times a week (which we didn't do...but the desire was there). Also, I've been struggling with some PCOS symptoms lately that I didn't have before so I was looking for ways to treat them naturally, and I know diet can be a huge factor. I knew about the Whole30 but hadn't really looked much into it, mainly because I though it would be too difficult to "give up" all the things they recommend for a month.

But...after hearing about my SIL's experience and talking with my hubby, we decided to give it a try, but only for 20 days so we could still enjoy Thanksgiving. Yes, I realize we are going against the "rules" but, honestly I think it will be easier for me this way because I'll get to figure out what meals we like, how often I need to shop, and what works best for us before we commit to the full 30-40 days. So, with week 1 over here's my thoughts and a couple recipes that we like!

Non-Scale Victories
- One of the things they stress a lot in the book is non-scale victories. These can be different for each person but almost everyone that does the W30 even for a little while will have at least one. I don't have a lot so far since it's only been a week but I do have a couple that I've noticed!

1. Easier to fall asleep. I didn't even realize it was hard for me to fall asleep, until I noticed it was easier, if that makes sense. Once I get in bed I'm usually asleep in 5-10 minutes (unless I waste time looking at my instagram feed)

2. Easier to wake up. Now, this may be a result of Lylah sleeping through the night pretty consistently...but I think it's also a result of the W30. She sleeps through the night (usually about 9 hours) however the time change threw her off quite a bit for a couple days. Even so, it wasn't as hard for me to get up at the odd hours when she was adjusting. Also, the hubs had mentioned that he feels it's easier for him to get up as well.

3. Josh trying new foods, and liking them! Yes, I consider this a victory for me :) Everyone knows three year olds can be super picky eaters. Luckily Josh isn't too bad and will eat a good range of things. However, one of my goals during this process is to feed him less processed snacks (goldfish!) and more whole foods (fruits and vegetables). When we switched out our regular spaghtetti noodles (which were quinoa noodles so not terrible for you to begin with) to roasted spaghetti squash instead, he didn't even notice. I told him it was spaghetti and he shoveled it in without complaint. He also ate a full bowl of beef chili with tons of vegetables in it and loved it. Score.

4. I also feel like I am generally more patient, or at least am able to stop and pause before reacting in a way that would be harsh. I'll admit it's not all the time, but I have noticed that more often than not, I'm choosing patience when otherwise I would get easily frustrated.

5. My hunger is regulating to just meal times. I used to never be hungry in the morning when I woke up, which meant I would skip breakfast and then be starving by 10 am. The past week I have made breakfast every morning (except 1) and when I say breakfast I mean eggs with a vegetable, fruit, and usually sweet potatoes too. It holds me until lunch, and then lunch holds me until dinner and I don't usually need anything else after that. Occasionally I'll eat a snack in between, but that's only if I'm legitimately hungry.

Body Changes
- I honestly haven't noticed too much. You aren't supposed to weigh yourself during this process (hard!) so I'm not sure if I've lost any weight. I have noticed I feel less bloated now, although I felt more bloated the first few days (normal).

Cravings
- My cravings aren't gone, but I am very proud to say that I haven't cheated at all. Not even one little goldfish or lick of my finger. It's been tough, especially around days 4-5 when I really wanted chips and salsa :) But I've just kept telling myself that nothing will change if I give in, and that I'm in control of what I put in my body. If I do crave something, I'll drink some water and then try and distract myself doing something else. If I'm still "hungry" then I'll usually eat something with a high water and fiber content (like an apple or cucumbers).

Recipes
- I only chose a few recipes this time around, mainly because I didn't want to stress myself out with having to cook a new way AND a new recipe at the same time. I got most of them from the W30 book and others from Pinterest or YouTube videos of whole 30 success stories. Most of them turned out great and we will just keep cycling through these for the remaining 2 weeks. I'm lucky in that my hubby doesn't mind having the same things. I always made sure to make enough for leftovers the next day so that I didn't have to think about making something different for lunch. Huge time and money saver! Here's my favorite breakfast, dressing, and dinner recipes from this week!

BREAKFAST - Spinach and Sausage Egg Scramble

Ingredients:
- 1 T cooking fat (I like ghee (clarified butter) for this recipe)
- 1/4 C diced white onion
- 1 link Adelle's Chicken/Apple sausage, diced
- 1 handful fresh spinach, chopped
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
- Heat 1 T cooking fat in a skillet until completely melted
- Add onion, and cook until translucent, about 3-5 minutes
- Add sausage and cook until slightly brown
- Add spinach and garlic powder and cook until the spinach begins to wilt
- Add eggs and cook to your desired texture
- Add salt and pepper and enjoy!

I've made this almost every morning this past week, except sometimes I'll leave out the sausage or onion. But I always have the eggs and spinach. It's such an easy way to get protein and a vegetable first thing in the morning. I like adding the sausage especially if we are going to be out of the house because it really fills me up and helps me avoid snacking.

I buy this ghee at Trader Joes, but you can easily make your own too!

SAUCE/DRESSING - Whole30 Mayo and Ranch Dressing
*Both recipes can be found in the Whole30 book*

Mayo Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 C light olive oil (don't use extra virgin for this)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
Directions:
- In a blender or food processor, mix 1/4 C olive oil, egg, mustard powder and salt until all combined.
- With the speed on low, add in the remaining olive oil until mixture emulsifies, and resembles mayo
- Stir in lemon juice
- Store in a jar or container in the fridge. Lasts for 1 week PAST when your eggs expire

That's it! So EASY!

Ranch Dressing Ingredients:
- 1 C mayo
- 1/4 C coconut cream (the easiest way to do this is to place a can of full fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight. The cream will rise to the top and you can just scrape it off!)
- 2 T red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1 T minced fresh parsley

Directions:
- Mix together the mayo, coconut cream and vinegar in a bowl (I found it easier to just do this in a food processor, but feel free to use a whisk and bowl if that's all you have)
- Add the spices and parsley and stir until combined.
- Store in a jar or container in the fridge for 3 days

DINNER - Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
*Idea from Brittaney Owen*

Ingredients (serves 2 with leftover chicken)
- 2 giant sweet potatoes, baked
- 6 chicken tenders (I used frozen ones from Costco)
- Franks Red Hot original hot sauce (to taste)
- Whole30 compliant ranch dressing
- 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 salt, 1/2 tsp pepper (mixed together)

Directions:
- Clean and vent sweet potatoes and bake at 400 for 1 hour
- When the potatoes have about 15 minutes to go, start your chicken
- Heat 1-2 T cooking fat in a skillet over medium-high heat
- Add in chicken (if your chicken isn't frozen like mine, the cooking time will be shorter)
- Season both sides of the chicken pieces with your spice mixture
- Cook chicken until golden brown and no pink inside (about 10 minutes for me)

- Once chicken is cooked, remove from skillet and let rest for 2-3 minutes
- Cut chicken into bite size pieces and return to skillet

- Over low heat, coat your chicken in as much hot sauce as you want. I'm not a big spicy food person so I added very little. Then my husband added more to his when it was plated

- Once your sweet potatoes are out of the oven, split them in half

- Place chicken inside the sweet potatoes and top with a drizzle of ranch dressing
- Serve with a vegetable or salad

*I made sure there was leftover chicken and used it in a salad for my lunch the next day*

My kitchen "helpers" :)

I know it seems daunting at first to make your own mayo and dressings, and I'll admit the first time I made them it took a bit of time to make sure I was doing it all right. But the next time I did these, it was super easy and took maybe a total of 15 minutes. And this ranch is SERIOUSLY good. My bottled ranch loving husband even said it was amazing. I'm excited to continue our Whole30 experiment and keep trying new things!

Overdue Update

I'm a terrible blogger. Granted, I never promised I would be great at it, but lately I've been really terrible. Sorry. Don't be like me.

Our life since the last time I posted...uh in MAY! (again sorry!) has been very busy and full. In addition to the daily life things (i.e. keeping kids alive, having clean clothes to wear, making dinner that doesn't consist of pouring cereal into a bowl,) we went on a trip to GA, we had family come visit us, Josh turned 3 and started pre-school, we moved (again!), and Lylah turned 6 months. I know it may not sound like a whole lot...but it definitely feels like a lot!

Adjusting to our new normal has been a huge learning curve for me. Lylah has been a wonderful baby so far, but babies are needy. You who else is really needy? 3 year olds. So, my days are usually spent trying to meet the needs of these two needy children while still managing to remain patient, calm, and not beat my head against the wall or lock myself in the bathroom just for a few moments of peace. Yes, I'm being a bit sarcastic. I love my kids. I wouldn't trade these days for anything. Except sleep...I might trade a day for sleep.

I really can't complain about not getting sleep anymore. Lylah is doing amazing at night now. She's been sleeping through the night for the past 4-5 days now in her crib in her room. I was a bit nervous about the transition. We had to do a few nights of sleep training with Josh when we moved him to his crib, but he adjusted really well and still sleeps great. Lylah was waking up almost every hour at night for the past month when she was sleeping in our room, so I was kinda expecting that to continue. Jon and I are both surprised and grateful she is doing so well! We try to put the kids down at the same time so Jon and I can actually spend time together. For the most part, they both are asleep between 8-8:30 and Lylah will usually sleep 8-10 hours, get up to eat and we play for a bit and then she will take nap. Usually she falls back asleep once Josh wakes up. I also try to have them nap in the afternoon around the same time so that I can get things done (like the laundry doing and dinner making). It's amazing how different I feel now that I'm getting sleep. It really does change your entire outlook on life :)

Someone told me the other day that they really miss my recipes, which was the initial purpose of this blog to begin with. I miss them too! Right now, I stick to dinners that are easy and that I know my 3 year old and husband will eat. Most of those are already posted on here somewhere. I am planning on getting into some new recipes soon though and will try my best to share them as I create or try them.

My goal is to do separate blog posts on our summer happenings, but for now, enjoy these pictures of our life lately.

Summer days

Cousins at the Science Center

Race car ride with Mimi

Celebrating Josh's 3rd birthday

Daddy and his girl

1st day of preschool!

First Panther game of the season!

Moving day!

Buddies

My joyful girlie

Ice cream treat

6 months old already!

So big!

Lylah 1 Month Update

I've been meaning to write this post for a while (about 3 weeks!) but between taking care of 2 kiddos, going back to work, and the daily demands of life, I haven't been able to sit down and do it! But now that she's almost 2 months old I figured it was time ;) Our days are so full (and honestly I have a hard time remembering what day it even is!) but I absolutely love our life right now. It's not glamorous - think poop, smashed goldfish in the carpet, mountains of unfolded laundry, and a mom who is lucky to get a shower once a day - but it's these days that I know I will miss most...so I'm trying to enjoy them!

Our first month with little miss Lylah has been so great. She is a wonderful baby! We had a slow start to breastfeeding/gaining weight (an emotional time for mama!) but now she is gaining weight and developing really well. By her 1 month appointment she was 7lbs 15 oz (more than a pound over her birthweight) but they advised me to keep feeding her every 2 hours throughout the day in order to help her gain faster. It has been a rough schedule to follow but I will do anything for my girl! She also has a bit of a skin rash that is taking it's time to clear up, so we are exploring the possibilities of a food sensitivity and mommy is dairy free for a while. I'm missing my ice cream and cheese! I'm hoping that it helps and that she will eventually grow out of whatever is causing her skin to flare up. Luckily she doesn't seem bothered by it too much and is happy most of the time so far.

Our wonderful church family and friends provided meals for us for a whole month (so grateful!) and we had an awesome visit from Pop Pop, Gigi, and Miri. We've also been spending lots of time at Mimi and Gray's new house (Josh LOVES their new pool) and just enjoying time together as a family of four. Here's some photos from our first month with our Lylah Jo.

My whole world in a picture :)

Newborn expressions

Hmmm...not sure about this sister thing

Our first walk as a family of 4

First bath! 

Always smiling!

Celebrating Grandma's 80th birthday!

So sleepy

Gigi with grand #4

Walks with the boys

Getting some loving from Aunt Miri

Gigi snuggles

Pop Pop admiring his newest grand baby

We love you!

My smiley girl trying out her bouncer

Success!

At 1 month Old Lylah Jo is:

- 7lbs 15oz

- 22 inches long

- 25th percentile for weight, 75th for head circumference, 90th for height

- In newborn size diapers and clothes

- Sleeping all day, up all night :)

- Eating every 2 hours round the clock

- Enjoys baths, being swaddled and bounced by daddy, and sleeping on Mommy's chest

- Hates tummy time and dirty diapers

We love you Lylah!

Lylah's Birth Story

We are almost 4 weeks in to our new normal as a family of four! I can't believe how fast time is going by and how much our girl has changed already! I wanted to share Lylah's birth story, mainly so I can share it with her later on and so I don't forget the details :) But also for anyone else who is interested. I personally love hearing about other moms' birth experiences.

WARNING: I write about waters breaking, contractions, and all the usual birth stuff so skip to the pictures if you don't care to know :)

This entire pregnancy we really weren't sure how Lylah was going to come. With Josh I was induced due to my high blood pressure, endured 36 hours of labor, and then had an emergency c-section. It was exhausting! (but worth it of course!!) My doctor said as long as my blood pressure and other vitals were normal, she was fine with me going into labor on my own and trying for a VBAC. Just to be sure though, we scheduled a c-section at 40 weeks in case labor didn't happen. I honestly was preparing myself for a scheduled c-section and although I was hopeful she would come on her own, I didn't really believe it would happen.

On Monday, March 28th, around 10:30 pm I was laying in bed watching Netflix (which was a normal part of my bedtime routine for the past couple of months) and I felt a slight "trickle". I didn't think much of it as I thought maybe it was just normal discharge (gross I know). It continued for about 15 minutes and I finally decided to get up and go to the bathroom. As soon as I stood up I felt a gush of water. I was SHOCKED! I knew it was my water breaking (because it was either that or I had just peed myself).

I started shaking, crying, trying to wrap my head around the fact that this was happening. I walked to Jon who was in the other room and told him "Um...so my water just broke." Needless to say, he was surprised as well and asked if I was sure.

Whoosh. Another gush onto the floor. Yep, I was sure! Amazingly, Jon stayed super calm and matter of fact, while I on the other hand was freaking out a little. I couldn't believe it! Here I was going into labor a week before my scheduled c-section. Our little girl was coming!

I wasn't having contractions yet so we took a little time getting packed up and ready. I took a shower because I wasn't sure when my next one would be, and Jon started making calls to the family. I started having contractions about an hour later but they were mild and only about 12 minutes apart. We woke up Josh and drove him to my mom's house. By the time we got to my mom's my contractions were getting stronger, so we went ahead and went straight to the hospital.

Once at the hospital, they had to make sure I was indeed in labor (yes I definitely was thank you very much) and they got us checked in. This process took FOREVER and the contractions were definitely getting stronger and closer together so I was eager to get to a room. Jon played music for me and I just kept breathing. About an hour and half later we were in a labor room and my nurses got an IV started and took some blood. I was able to talk through the contractions but they were definitely strong. Jon did great talking me through them as he watched the monitors and told me when each one was almost over.

Since I was only a couple centimeters dialated, my doctor wanted me to walk the halls for a while to try and get gravity to help me progress. I walked for about 40 minutes and then got sick (fun!) Contractions at this point were about every 4-5 minutes. And they HURT.

A couple hours later I was progressing (3ish cm), contractions looked great, and I decided to get the epidural. I knew how wonderful it was going to feel since I had one last time as well and I honestly was eager to get some rest since it looked like Lylah's delivery would be fairly quick. My doctor arrived around 6am to check on me and said that Lylah's head was still high, but my contractions looked great. They kept changing the way I was laying to try and encourage her to move down, and a couple hours later, I was at 5 cm and she had moved way down. I was thrilled!

Over the next hour I got to 6 cm, however Lylah started having decels, meaning her heart rate started dropping too much and too often. Flashbacks of Josh started going through my head. It was the exact same thing that happened to him! I knew at this point that a c-section was very likely since a drop in heart rate is usually a sign of a baby in distress. We waited another hour, but unfortunately I hadn't progressed any further. I also started having significant pain in my lower right side that was consistent and not coming and going like contractions. Once the pain started, my doctor wanted to get me to the OR right away and get the girl out! I was completely in agreement and at peace with everything. I knew that Lylah's safety could be in jeopardy if we waited.

The c-section went wonderfully, although slightly more complicated than last time. I was much more "aware" this time around since I had only been in labor for 12 hours instead of 36 so I felt a lot more discomfort. It took a while to get me completely numb but eventually I couldn't feel any of the test pricks (it's such a fear of mine to be able to feel the initial cut happening so I'm glad that wasn't the case!), Jon came in and the surgery began. Not long into the surgery I started having horrible pain in my upper right side and shoulder. I still don't know what it was from but I was in tears screaming for something to take the pain away. If it had been on my left side I would've thought it was a heart attack. They were able to finally give me something to take the initial edge off but the pain continued until they sewed me up. About 20 minutes later, they started to prepare to bring Lylah out. They held a mirror for me so I could watch her come out (SO COOL!) and on Tuesday, March 29th at 11:29 am our Lylah Jo entered the world!

They got her weighed and measured (a 6 lb 9 oz little peanut!) and brought her over to me right away. We were able to go skin-to-skin while they finished my surgery (something I wasn't able to do with Josh because he had to go get bloodwork done since he was born with a fever) so it was really special to have that bonding time right away. They got me sewed up and moved to recovery, and just like that we had a daughter!

During my surgery, my doctor was able to determine why both Josh and Lylah never made it out the "usual way". It turns out that my kiddos like to come face up first and my pelvis doesn't allow my babies to turn when it's time for transition. This is why I get "stuck" at 6 cm and both my kids got wedged in my pelvis and started losing oxygen, resulting in low heart rates. I'm glad to know there is a medical reason for my "failure to progress" and any future children we have will be delivered via c-section.

In recovery we oohed and ahhed over our tiny princess, shared the news with our family and friends, and Lylah started nursing right away (another answer to prayer!) A few hours later we got moved to our recovery room and got a visit from Mimi and big brother Josh (who declared "I don't like it" when he first saw her, much to our amusement!) My recovery from surgery went very well, and we were able to go home on Thursday afternoon. Having been through a c-section before was so helpful for me because I knew what would help me recover best (getting up and walking ASAP and getting off the pain meds ASAP).

Although I didn't get the VBAC I was hoping for, I am so thankful that God answered my specific prayers of going into labor on my own, knowing I was for sure in labor and not having multiple 'false alarms', a healthy baby, a good nurser, and an uncomplicated recovery. He answered each of those prayers for me and I could not be more grateful that HE cares enough for me and Lylah to answer my requests. We couldn't be happier that our family now includes our Lylah Jo. We found out about her existence during a very sad and difficult time for our family, losing our beloved Mom Jo, but her life has already brought us so much joy. What a gift from the Lord, to allow this little girl to represent the legacy my grandmother left. I know that she would be so proud and just love her to pieces!

Here's some pictures from LJ's birth and our days in the hospital. More on our family life is coming soon!

Last belly pic while in labor!

She's here!

Meeting my girl for the first time

Bonding

Josh isn't so sure about this!

My hero

Sweet visitors

My favorite picture 

All dressed up to go home!

Going home!