Baby Update... 14 weeks

How far along? 14 weeks…. 1^st Week of Second Trimester

Baby Size: It’s the size of a lemon

Total weight gain: About 5 pounds

Maternity clothes? Still fitting into some pre maternity pants, I have bought a few pieces of maternity clothes and they are very comfy!

Stretch marks? No thank goodness!

Sleep: Sleeping is still pretty good- however waking up with back pains.

Best moment this week: My husband was talking to my belly last night and it made me laugh and so happy- he was telling the baby how much he loves it and how it needs to give me lots of heartburn!!! LOL

Miss Anything? The GYM!!!! I miss my hardcore workouts with my trainer Jon! Also fitting into a size 12 pant!

Movement: No movements yet at least that I can feel!

Food cravings: Still Tacos, Guacamole, Salads and the newest one frozen yogurt!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Brushing my Teeth!

Gender: Unsure yet!

Labor Signs: No

Symptoms: Not too much to report...just the regular back pains here and there, nothing too bad!

Belly Button in or out? In J!

Wedding rings on or off? On

Mood: Happy for the most part but still battling some body image issues.

Looking forward to: Next week’s Doctor’s appointment and ultrasounds!

xoxo Ashley M.

Sayings....

My nephew and I

Body Under Construction..

Tips on How to Speed up your metabolism

Chicken Fajitas On Whole Wheat Tortillas

Chicken Fajitas On Whole Wheat Tortillas
Here’s what you need…
• 1 teaspoon Chile powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 uncooked chicken breasts (4oz each)
• 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• Lime wedges for serving
How To Make:
1. In a resealable bag, combine Chile powder, salt, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cornstarch, and water. Add chicken, bell peppers, and onion; gently knead to coat. Refrigerate for 15 minutes

2. Heat the oil in a skillet, empty the contents of the bag into the skillet and cook over high heat. Stir occasionally and cook until the vegetables are tender crisp and the chicken is cooked through, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice

3. Transfer to serving dish and enjoy with lime wedges and whole wheat tortilla

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 252 calories, 5.45g fat, 24.54g carbohydrate, 3.5g fiber, and 27.36g protein.

12 weeks and 3 days! The belly photos ...

I am starting show!

Victoria Secret- Needs some changes

Victoria’s Secret bothers me to no end for one reason: Their lack of diversity in their models.

Look at these women— what do you see? Sure, they are all thin and beautiful— and there is NOTHING wrong with that. But what is wrong is that this is the largest lingerie brand out there— and it gives the image that tall, thin, and tan is the only thing out there that is beautiful. And it gives men the idea that all women should look like them. ALL Of these models admit that keeping their model body takes a lot of hard work with dieting and exercise— so the ideal that people are now striving for is so unrealistic! Girls are starving themselves to fit into this persona!

The majority of women buying victoria’s secret products are not super tall, super thin, and super tan— so why doesn’t the company try to represent the majority? I would just LOVE to see a diverse group of bodies in those iconic magazines and on that beautiful runway. And I’d love to see it done with no labels. No new “plus size” line or “petite” line. Just a bunch of beautiful women of all shapes and sizes rocking the sexy, comfortable lingerie that Vicky’s has to offer!

It is just sad because all of these women are GORGEOUS. But there is absolutely nothing about any of them that makes them unique. All I see is a bunch of long legs, fake tanned bodies, long hair extensions, excessive make up, and an extremely hard to maintain and achieve body. The only way to really tell them apart is their faces! You could cut off their heads and I think we’d all have trouble identifying who is who!

Almost 12 weeks (11 wks and 5 Days) Ultrasound Pictures... Enjoy!!!

Newest Cravings- Jamba Juice Strawberry Nirvana Smoothie

I have been craving Jamba Juice now for about two weeks, it seems I can't get enough of the fruits and vitamins associated with the smoothie. I always go for the one with the lowest sugars, calories and lower sodium levels. I reccommend my followers try out the Strawberry Nirvana- its just so yummy!!!


Strawberry Nirvana Nutrition Info

This mornings Strawberry Goodness!

Thanks for Following!!
Ashley M.

Strong...

Keeping Hydrated During Pregnancy

Good hydration is extremely important for a healthy pregnancy and postpartum period. Water flushes waste products from the cells and aids in liver and kidney function for both mom and the baby. During pregnancy, water is also needed for the body's expansion as mom's blood volume increases significantly. Insufficient water intake can be a factor in constipation, preterm labor, and miscarriage, and even slight dehydration can cause or contribute to fatigue. Proper hydration is also important for adequate breast milk production and flow.
Most women know about the need for proper hydration during pregnancy, but many do not get adequate fluid intake. Some women do not like drinking water; others say they are not generally thirsty. Additionally, women are often unaware that some beverages are actually dehydrating.

Pregnant women typically need between 8-12, eight-ounce glasses per day, even higher if the weather is warm or you are exercising. Most people think that if they need to drink more they would feel thirsty and while thirst does signal a need for hydration, not everyone feels thirsty when they need to drink. Often we don’t get thirsty until after we are already dehydrated. Better to be proactive.
Caffeinated and high-sugar beverages are actually dehydrating and should not count in your daily total of fluids - and are best avoided. It's better to drink smaller amounts of healthy liquids frequently vs. large amounts only a couple times per day. Think of a house plant - if you don’t water it enough and then give it a lot of water, most of the water runs straight through, and certainly does not make up for the hours of time where hydration was lacking.
If you feel fatigued, increase your water consumption for a few days and see if you feel better.

Benchpress

Smiles....

Love yourself..

Deceptively Delicious Brownies

Deceptively Delicious Brownies

 

 

Spinach puree:

Saute spinach leaves (make sure to cut off stems, or use baby spinach) in pan with 1 Tbsp of water for about 90 seconds until wilted. Puree in food processor or blender.

Carrot puree:

Steam carrots until tender (you could save time and get those steam-in-a-bag kind) . Puree in food processor or blender.

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
• 1⁄2 cup carrot puree
• 1⁄2 cup spinach puree
• 1⁄2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1⁄4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread (I used butter)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 large egg whites
• 3⁄4 cup oat flour, or all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8x8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or over a very low flame. (or microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted).
3. In a large bowl, combine the melted chocolate, vegetable purees, sugar, cocoa powder, margarine, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Whisk in egg whites. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt with a wooden spoon.
5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes. *Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 bars. 

*This is important... for the spinach taste to completely disappear, wait until they're cool before eating.
In fact, each brownie has only 133 calories and 3 grams of fiber. A healthy brownie?? Sign me up.

**Found on the blog- The Poop Whisperer-- http://www.poopwhisperer.com/**

10 sources to help pick a name for your baby

Naming a baby is an important step in becoming a parent. People have different reasons for why they name their children as they do. Finding the perfect name for the new baby can be a daunting task and for some it’s quite the adventure. Here are some really unique ways to come up with a name for your child.

1. Ask someone else to name the child. – This is not as strange as it may sound. In many cultures parents ask an aunt or uncle or grandparent to name their child. In fact there are many cultures in which the parents don’t have any say in naming their child. Naming a child is truly an honor so you might want to pass the honor along to someone close to you who would understand what a gift and responsibility they’ve been privileged to receive.

2. Ancestors – Find out who your ancestors are and maybe you will find some really interesting names. You may even find someone special that you would like to name your baby after.

3. Watch the film credits – Some writers watch film credits looking for character names. Why not do the same thing to find cool names for your baby? The credits of Pixar films usually have a list of Production Babies so you might find something interesting there.

4. Read the phone book – Now there’s a list of names for you! There is sure to be a name or two that resonates with you especially if you live in a place where the phonebooks are large.

5. Look to your heroes – Who’s your hero? Whether fictional, real, or make believe you might find the perfect name for your little bundle of joy among your list of heroes.

6. Create a name – One mother came up with a very unique name for her daughter. When asked what the exotic sounding name meant she replied, “Oh, it doesn’t mean anything. I just took part of the name from three cars I liked and put them together.” Other parents have combined parts of each of their names or their parent’s names and created a new name for baby.

Peeps touching the belly = uncomfy

Hello Friends and Followers,

So this past week I have had a few people touch my stomach and while they meant well, I certainly felt a bit uncomfortable. After losing close to fifty pounds with still having another thirty pounds to lose and now being pregnant and already seeing a change in my body - I am still uncomfy with my stomach area. The rest of my body seems to look and feel the same but my stomach is growing and while I know I am in the beginning phases of pregnancy and that every body is different it just makes me feel so out of place. I am 4'11 so any weight I gain shows up quicker since I am so short. I know many woman who do not show at all until at least 6 months- I certainly am not one of those girls! Body image will always be an issue for me, but do not take me wrong - I am so blessed to be having a baby and very excited about it! I just think this will take some time and I am beginning to adjust but the whole touching the belly thing and people looking at me wondering if im pregnant or just fat kinda makes me feel uncomfortable.

I am curious if any of my followers have felt similar to me during pregnancy, I'd like to hear your story! So please feel free to comment below!! :)

Ashley M.

My Dad and I - clearly you can see my tummy is growing :)

My Mom and I :)

Quotes...

Taken this weekend at my cousin's wedding