post partum: clean eating

Another week gone by, another week with no dairy. Crying over here. I am really craving it for some odd reason. Like yogurt, I would kill to have a bowl. You always want what you can't have though... I am proud of myself though for eating super well this week. Although, I went to my 6week postpartum check up and the scale said ZERO lbs lost. Which sort of freaked me out. I am definitely not one who uses a scale on the regular, I gage my weight by how I feel and how my clothes fit (which at the moment is not well aka I am still wearing maternity leggings). Still though, I was a little bummed. Here are some shots of the meals and snacks that went down this week. If you want some more clean eating meal ideas check out my post last week.

Kale sautted in olive oil with garlic + ginger + soy sauce. Pomegranate seeds. Avocado. Wheatberries.

These rice cakes are GOOD. Tamari + seaweed rice cake. Avocado. Sea salt.

Sauteed veggies. Steak marinated in soy sauce. Rice. Which I jsut recently heard that brown rice actually isn't better for you. I need to find a good article with the facts.

Green smoothie. Kale. Pineapple. Mango. Banana. Udo's omega oil. Probitotic. Maca. Coconut water.

Whole grain toast. Avocado. Hard boiled egg. Sea salt. Hot sauce (tapatio to be exact).

Post partum: Clean eating

Eating clean. I love it. I feel good, I look better, and both of those things generally elevate my mood. Since Silas has started eating actual meals I have found I pay less attention to my own eating. My meals consist of eating scraps off his plate, stealing bites here and there. Not eating well rounded meals throughout the day does not make me feel my best (especially when I am breastfeeding 24/7). The first 5 months after having Silas I was really strict with my diet due to his MSPI (milk/soy protein intolerance). I went vegan for about 3 of those months and completely eliminated all packaged foods (so much hidden dairy!). I lost the baby weight extremely fast and my skin had never looked better. When he started eating solids was when I fell off the wagon. So, here we are after baby #2 with the same issue. Felix is most definitely suffering from MSPI and I am on day 5 of no dairy/soy. By day 3 I felt like a million bucks, no joke. Since I now have two little babe's to tend to, prepping meals during naps and at night are the way to go. For instance, the other night when they went to sleep I made a curry and that's been lunch the last 2 days. Below are a few clean eating ideas that can be made in advance and are so easy to throw together. I think the best way to go about it is creating dishes with components that can be made in advance, stored in the fridge, and go together in a few different combinations.

Avocado. Roasted sweet potato. Lentils. Homemade hummus. Cucumber.

Kale with a tahini dressing. Tomatoes.

Zucchini noodles. Hazelnut pesto (vegan). Snap peas.

Avocado. Cucumber. Homemade hummus. Black bean + Lentil patties. Crackers.

So the lentils I cooked in the beginning of the week went into the lentil patties along with black beans that I had made in my crockpot and froze in batches. Some things I always have on hand are avocados and sweet potatoes. I have been making homemade hummus in batches and it's not only cheaper than buying it, it is soooo good. The vegan pesto I also made and it's really delicious. I love eating meals where there are a variety of things on my plate, such as the lentil patties with hummus and the roasted sweet potatoes and lentils in the first picture. It's so easy to put things like this together!

So this is what it feels like...

He slept. My baby slept "through the night". Yesterday, was one of the worst days and I'm not religious by any means, but I think the universe was all "Dude, let's cut you some slack". And then they sprinkled some magic sleepy dust on my little guy and he slept from 9-5. Sure, we were up at 5:30. But, beggers can't be choosers. All morning Nick and I kept exclaiming how different we felt. "This is amazing!". Ha. It's really funny the things that make you happy sometimes. So yesterday was a bitch fest for me and today I am feeling like I've got it all. Which I do have it all...but the sleep thing was the cherry on top. If you read my post yesterday, just know that I'm not a debbie downer all the time. Just when I haven't slept for 16 months...

Here's to hoping I'm not jinxing last night and this continues...

Fit pregnancy

Now, I am in no way preaching about this topic. I am simply putting my experience out there of having an "unfit pregnancy" and a "trying to be fit pregnancy". You know, I look back at my pregnancy with Silas with a slight tinge of bitterness. "I hated being pregnant" is what you could most likely find me saying about it. And really, it was my fault that it was how it was. I gained an extreme amount of weight with him. By the end of my third trimester I was unbelievably swollen, Silas was facing the wrong way as a result of my laziness, and during labor I had high blood pressure. Now, whether that had to do with the weight gain...I'm no doctor. But deep in me I know that it possibly could have been a little more enjoyable had I focused a bit more on the physical well being of my body. I could list off a bunch of excuses on why I gained so much; living in a new city, winter weather of -10 degrees, etc., etc. But really, that's all a bunch of crap. I knew with this pregnancy I wanted...needed to feel better about myself. I mentioned to a girlfriend who had just started working at a new yoga studio that if they needed someone to clean in exchange for free classes I was so down. I have always been envious of my girlfriends who practiced on the regular and had attempted throughout the years to become somewhat of a yogi myself. It never stuck because I was always "busy". Well, here I am cleaning a studio two nights a week in exchange for unlimited access to classes and I am hooked. I have actually never felt stronger or more flexible since my high school cheerleading days. And the crazy thing is, I've only been at it for 5 weeks.

It's been an awesome experience fixing my "mistakes" from the last pregnancy and I am just really enjoying myself this time. It's also nice to get out of the house and spend some time working on me. Motherhood doesn't always allow you the privilege of that very often and I am relishing in it.

Here are a few of my tips:

*Don't overdue it or start something that is extreme. Know your body and its limits. One reason I love doing vinyasa is that it allows me to take it as far as I feel as I can. Or con the contrary, hold back when I need to.
*Find someone to work out with. My friend Rikki is an amazing little yogi ( Hi, Rickles!). We take usually one class a week together. She is definitely more advance than me, but I love having my mat next to hers because it's 1) inspiring (I want to do crow, dammit!) and 2) seeing her flexibility and knowledge of the poses pushes me to be better at it.
*Talk to your health care provider about what is best for you. Now, i see a midwife who is all for my yoga practice. But, I know that there is probably more than a few OB's out there who would say "OMG YOU'RE GOING TO HARM THE BABY!". Whatever the case may be, you should make sure that what you're doing is safe and that you don't have anything going on medically that would prevent you from whatever exercise you've decided on.
*Know your limits and don't push yourself to the extreme. Remember, you are pregnant. Things are different. Listen to your body. Today, I stopped about 5 times to sit and skip a pose and sip on some water. It's OK to take breaks and go easy. Little bits of exercise are better than nothing!

Baby Boosh // 16 weeks

How far along? 16 weeks

Total weight gain: 5+ lbs (not sure of exact)

Maternity clothes? It's time to make the switch. I've picked out a few pieces on asos.com that I am thinking about pulling the plug on and purchasing.

Stretch marks? Still using avocado oil/coconut oil to prevent new ones.

Sleep: None whatsoever. It's really making things difficult around here.

Best moment this week: While I was holding Silas the baby kicked him because he was pressing on my belly. The jealousy has already started!

Movement: Lots and lots

Food cravings: Sour candy. Which I caved and bought some today. Immediately felt awful.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing really. Eggs made me a bit queasy the other day.

Gender: 4 more weeks and I  can't wait.

Belly Button in or out? Looks the same as always...flat.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Mood of the week: Blah. My husband is working so much so I've been feeling super sad about not being able to spend any time with him. Miss my boo!

Looking forward to: My appointment on Wednesday and finding out if we are team pink or team blue!

Juice junkie pt. 3

My poor, little vitamix. Now, we do not own one of those fancy ones that heat stuff and make ice cream or whatever. Ours is old. Old and yet, still very much a coveted item in my kitchen. People get a little jelly when you tell them you have one! I feel cool. Sorta. Anyways, this vitamix has been put through the ringer. I made sunflower seed butter in that old thing. And it took forever and I will never do that again. It sort of made some weird noises and I could tell it wasn't happy with me so I put her in the corner and there she sat for what I believe was a much needed rest. Moving on. I have been lacking in the juice/smoothie making department as of late. Why? Because I'm lazy. "It's so easy though!", you say. I know. But I am lazy, like I said. This past week though I had an epiphany. It went a little something like, "Stop eating bread for breakfast or you'll gain __lbs during this pregnancy like the last." Hit me hard. So I decided some yummy juices and smoothies would be a better choice than say, sourdough with a bunch of avocado spread on it and siracha delicately displayed on top. Here's what I've been making...

My rule: Keep it simple. It's tempting to throw about 100 things into a smoothie. I choose to not do that. Sometimes I add omega-3 + DHA oil into them, especially if Silas is going to have some. I no longer use maca since becoming pregnant, but I miss it's energy boosting effects and I recommend it for sure!

1) Kale. Chard. Lemon. Blueberries. Banana. Maca. Filtered H2O.

2) Kale. Lemon. Strawberries. Ginger. Coconut H2O.

3) Watermelon. Grapefruit. Ginger. Carrots.

Happy Juicing! xo

Red curry lentils

Wow. That is what I have to say about this dish. My mind was blown. So easy. So delicious. I made a slight change to the recipe which I noted. It can totally be made vegan, although I went the non-vegan route. This is a must make recipe. You will not regret it!

Ingredients

• 4 cups regular brown lentils (I used 2 cups green, 2 cups brown)
• 2 onions, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger (I grated mine)
• 4 tablespoons butter (optional)
• 5 tablespoons red curry paste
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1½ teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoon sugar (I used 2 tablespoons of an apple chutney; amazing!)
• a few good shakes of cayenne pepper
• 2 cans tomato puree (29 ounces each) ---> (I used only 30 oz and then water)
• 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
• ½ cup coconut milk or cream
• cilantro for garnishing
• rice for serving

Directions

Rinse your lentils and put in crockpot. Dice onion, garlic and add to pot. Throw in spices and then add your tomato puree. Stir and then set it on high for 6hrs (I turned it off around 5). Throughout the cooking process, check back and add more water if needed. Around 4 hrs check for doneness. You don't want it to turn to mush! The lentils should still have texture, but definitely not crunchy or raw. Cook up some rice to serve with. I added a dollop of yogurt and cilantro on top and served with warm naan. Delicious and easy!

*original recipe can be found here. Changes have been noted

Father's Day DIY

If you're a last minute gift giver, or just want to kill some time on Father's Day then this little DIY is perfect. Homemade pomade! Once, Nick sent me to the store to grab some for him and I was blown away by how pricey this crap was. $20! No way. So we found a recipe and decided to make a jar for a fraction of the cost and none of the disgusting chemicals.

Ingredients

- quality beeswax (can be found at health food stores, online, or sometimes your local grocer)
- coconut oil
- a few drops of either avocado oil, jojoba oil, or olive oil
- essential oil if you like (although, beeswax smells amazing and we did without)

Directions

Grate your beeswax using a cheese grater. Set up a double boiler using a metal bowl. Load in your beeswax and let melt. Add it coconut oil. The ratio is 1:1. Our melted beeswax looked to be about 4 tablespoons so we added 4 tablespoons of coconut oil. Add a couple drops of your choice of "other" oil and a few drops of your essential oil. whisk together and then pour into a heat proof jar or tin. Do not use plastic as the mixture is really hot and could potentially melt it. Cool at room temp or in the fridge. Tada! Homemade pomade for your man (and you!).

What's for dinner?

This week I totally failed at my normal grocery list/meal planning. Honestly, I was just too tired. When things get crazy like this I tend to just head to the store and grab the basics and that way I don't have to think very hard about what I'm making, I have a bunch of possibilities. I try to stay away from doing this though because then it means I spend a lot of $$ and I tend to make multiple trips to the store to grab items. By planning out our dinners for the week it keeps the reigns a little tighter on my wallet. This week was a great week for leftovers though. I try to make dinners that are great (or even better!) the next day for lunch.

Poulet au citron et lavande. This is by far my most favorite chicken dish. Chicken thighs and drumsticks are so cheap so this is a great dish because it's easy on the wallet and absolutely delicious. It has honey, lavender, and lemon. The recipe is by the lovely Rachel Khoo, one of my favorite chefs. I really look up to her style in the kitchen.

Salade Nicoise. French theme this week? This was my take on the traditional Salade Nicoise. I cooked up a salmon filet and served it with a dill vinaigrette. All of these componets were made ahead of time and that makes dinner so much easier!

Hawaiian style pulled pork with coconut rice. We had leftovers from this for almost 3 days. The pork was made in the crockpot so all I had to do was make the rice and roast some veggies. So easy.

Falafel with a mint + dill yogurt sauce. I was not in the mood for cooking the other night so this came to mind. A healthy and light salad made easy with falafel mix that I get in the bulk bins at my grocery store.

Happy cooking! xo

What's for dinner?

I get a kick out of creating healthy and delicious meals for my family. Those who know me know that one of my favorite things to do is to cook. It really is such a calming place for me; the kitchen. I am a slight control freak in that department so I prefer to go it alone. The last month or so has been pretty hectic at our house and so I've made it my mission to really establish a dinner routine to make things feel a little more at ease around here. It's nice to wind down, sip a glass of wine, and prepare a meal for me and my husband. Here is a look at what I've been cooking lately...

Coconut rice, roasted veggies, yogurt/tumeric marinated chicken, cilantro + green onion

Brown rice, curried avocado, roasted veggies, yogurt/siracha marinated chicken, cilantro + green onion

Spaghetti squash "lasagna" with bolognese and bechemel.

Vegetarian chili with quinoa, avocado, cheddar cheese, greek yogurt, cilantro + green onion.


Some people may look at this and say, "that's not healthy eating." But, to me it is. Balance is key if you want to stay on track. The majority of my ingredients are organic (local if possible) and everything I make is homemade. No processed food in my house. I find that keeping my -pantry- as small as possible makes this easy. I have to make everything from scratch if I want it, which is fine by me. This past weeks meals were a little heavier on the dairy than I like, but I'll mentally note that and possibly avoid dairy completely the following week. This is how I like to eat; fresh, balanced, organic. Looking forward to doing a posts (and more posts in general) about how I prep, shop, and some mainstays that are always on hand.

Hopefully this gives you a few meal ideas!
xo

Juice junkie pt. 2

Continuing to take breaks form this -space- for the moment due to some crazy changes happening in our household. Not much time to sit in front of my computer! Anyways, the reason why we are here today is to discuss my obsession over smoothies/juicing which I have discussed before. Silas freaks out if I go into the kitchen (it's blocked off by a baby gate) so my time to eat during the day is minimal. Now, let's not get crazy here and replace food with juice/smoothies, but it makes it easier to get through the day if I have a couple of these vitamin packed drinks rather than snack on chips or what have you. I love, love our vitamix and it really is my favorite household appliance. I can pound one of these out in about 15 seconds with that gorgeous piece of machinery. Worth every penny.

Now, lets talk about the ingredients. I really put little thought into what I'm about to make. And I mean, little. I tend to just toss in whatever we have going on in the freezer and fridge. One thing I love to experiment with thought is color. I absolutely love creating a juice that looks beautiful. It really makes it more fun to drink. Vibrant pink (beets, raspberries), bright green (kale, cilantro), orange (mango mixed with tangerines). I usually start with a base of coconut water because it contains a good amount of potassium and electrolytes, but if I don't do that than it is always filtered water. Next I go with something on the sour/tart side. Citrus (grapefruit is my fav!) is a good go to for that. Next up is a little something sweet- mango, banana, pineapple. Those are my go to choices and sometimes I end up adding all three. If I feel like going green it's always kale. Raw kale, stem on. Ginger is also my must have. So you can see how easy and fun it is to create your own mix. I have a couple of "go to" combinations, but I also love to experiment. This week I bought a small watermelon and added it to everything. It tasted amazing. Definitely got my wheels turning for some new summer inspired juices that are thirst quenching, but still so good for you.

Most recently I've been adding some super foods to my drinks. I've always been a big hemp seed person  - delicious, nutty, and lots of protein, and Chia seeds have been big in my house too. After doing some research though I knew I wanted to a little more. Maca and camu powder were my choices and a bit more affordable than the others that I wanted (Goji berries! Why do you cost so much?! Also, Bee Pollen!!). Obviously it's best to do your own research on what is right for you, but there are so many ways to get nutrition packed into your daily juices.

Here are a few of my recent favorites:

Carrot. Grapefruit. Ginger

2 cups of carrot juice
1 ruby red grapefruit peeled
1 1/2 piece of ginger

*Blend until smooth and chill.

Watermelon. Pineapple. Mango. Banana

2 cups of watermelon
1/2 cup of pineapple
1/2 cup of mango
1/2 banana

*I use mostly frozen fruit. Blend until smooth.

Kale. Maca. Pineapple. Mango. Banana. Coconut H2O

4 stalks of kale, stem on
1 tsp of maca powder
1/2 of pineapple
1/4 mango
1/2 banana
Coconut H2O

*Blend until smooth adding coconut H2O until you get a consistency you want.

Teething remedies

As I had stated in my previous post, last week was hard. And I mean so hard that I contemplated just sitting in the bathroom and crying for a few hours. But, alas I could not. I had a baby to comfort and soothe like no other. Silas is getting teeth! woo hoo. I'm sad to see his gummy smile go, but happy that this is finally happening. The kid is 11 months so it's been a constant "when is this going to happen" deal. And what's really funny is that it's his top middle two that are coming in, which if you're and expertise in baby teething you know that it's usually the bottom two that come in first. Anyways, onto the methods that I've been using to help my babe feel comfortable. Now, some doctors out there claim that teething really has no impact on a baby. They are full of shit (in my book). My kid is miserable. And I mean M-I-S-E-R-A-B-L-E. It started a few weeks ago while we were in Michigan and kind of took off from there. The first sign was a constant grab at the mouth that accompanied a very intense whine. Now, imagine this happening for 10 hrs straight. I wanted to run away. Of course, being a new mama I was a frantic basket case because I had no idea what to give him. Tylenol was a big no no for me so I turned to some homeopathic remedies and they really seemed to take the edge off. I've listed them below (with a picture to correlate!) and unfortunately, I included some Tylenol (boo!), but sometimes you just have to do it.

(left to right)

1) A thermometer. Silas had a fever that reached 103 two nights in a row. He was nursing a TON and had normal diapers so I was sure that it was nothing to worry about, however I did call our pediatricians office to talk to a nurse on call just to be sure. If you are ever unsure though, call or take your child in immediately. I am glad that I had this on hand though. I checked his temp about every few hours.

2) Tylenol. Now, I really used this as a last resort. I have been adamant with myself that I would not give him Tylenol unless it was absolutely necessary. I caved and ended up giving it to him twice. Both times were at night and I halved the recommended dose. Also, they now make is DYE free which I found to be an absolute must. Unfortunately, the idiots don't make it flavorless so we had a puke episode due to the disgusting "grape" flavor.

2) Teething tablets. I found that a combination of these and the homeopathic orajel were my savior. Together they did the job. The tablets dissolve quickly and he took them so easily. I usually popped one in and then nursed him.

3) Lavender oil. This is such a soothing scent. I mix it with a bit of coconut oil and give him a nice soothing massage after a bath. I actually do this on the regular, but when he was teething it seemed to calm him some.

4) Orajel. Now, this is homeopathic and not the regular stuff. With babies you want to really stay away from benzocaine which is found in normal and baby orajel. This can be found right next to the regular stuff! A little swipe seemed to be efficient at eliminating some of the pain.

(not pictured)

*Breastfeeding. I can't speak for the bottle thing, but breast feeding was our #1 go to. Silas wanted to nurse almost every hour and I let him. It shot my milk supply up through the roof (and now I have to deal with the side effects; hello leaky boobs!), but it calmed him down and I know it felt good on his gums. And no, he does not bite me.

*Camilia. These little drops can be found at Whole Foods or probably any natural food store. They really helped us out and were so easy for him to take (flavorless!).

*Amber necklace. Unfortunately, we left ours in Michigan. I will vouch for their effectiveness though. I would put it on him as soon as we woke up and it seemed to take the edge off.

* I am not a medical professional and everything you give your baby should be talked about with your doctor. 

Vegan + Gluten free chocolate cake for the win

 Hi! I'm back. Sorry for the intermission (not like I'm thinking a lot of people really care), BUT the past week has been pretty damn rough. My child is teething and it is not going well for us at the Bushong house. 103 temp 3 nights in a row was the cherry on top. Anyways, chocolate cake. I love it. I love chocolate. So, gimme! I also love the thought of allowing my child to indulge in a cupcake, a slice of pie, those yummy gooey brownies every once in a while because he's a kid, and childhood should be full of delicious things. But, lets get real here...I am not about to load him up with sugar and dairy. Two reasons: Sugar for a 1 year old; no. And dairy makes Silas cranky in the most unpleasant way (bless my husband who is usually the one to handle those diapers). I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what I can make my handsome little babe for his first birthday. Ta-da! My lovely cousin post a vegan chocolate cake recipe on her blog. Perfect. All I had was gluten free flour in my house so I subbed out the regular stuff for it and there you have it, a vegan + gluten free chocolate cake. It taste amazing. And yes, it has sugar. You can't win every battle. Enjoy! xo

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour (I subbed out same amount of gluten-free all purpose flour)
• 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp of xantham gum (only if you are using gluten-free flour. Otherwise, omit this ingredient)
• 3 Tbsp. cocoa (unsweetened)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp.  salt
• 1 tsp. white vinegar (I used apple cider)
• 1 tsp.  pure vanilla extract
• 5 Tbsp. vegetable oil (I used coconut oil; melted.)
• 1 Cup water 

Directions

Heat oven to 350. Grease your baking pan or cake pan. Mix all ingredients together (you're supposed to mix it all in the dish you bake it in, I went ahead and used a separate bowl). Poor batter into pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 25 minutes. Check a few minutes prior to that time and use a tooth pick to check for doneness (?). Do not over bake! When done, cool on a rack completely before frosting.

Chocolate frosting:

I came up with this on a whim because cake absolutely needs frosting! In a bowl whip together 1 cup of organic (non-gmo!) shortening, 1 smashed ripe banana, 1 tsp vanilla extract, coco powder (however much you like, I like it super chocolatey), and agave (although, I would have preferred to use powdered sugar). Whip until light and fluffy. Taste to make sure it is sweet enough, you should be using unsweetened coco powder.

*original recipe can be found here and my cousins blog can be found here.

Elderberry syrup

I got pummeled with sickness while in Michigan a couple weeks ago. Let me tell yah, having the flu and taking care of/nursing a baby is pretty much the worst. After the flu I was lucky enough to then come down with one of the worst colds I've ever had. It all sucked. Not to mention that as a nursing mother there is not really much you can take. And then I discovered elderberry syrup. While in Michigan a friend who works at a badass health store mentioned that he took it. And it jogged my memory to when I came across this post from a blog I read. And THEN after declaring my sickness on facebook, a girlfriend mentioned that she made elderberry syrup. Obviously, all signs pointed to me taking/making elderberry syrup. And I did. I called two grocery stores and they did not carry these little dried berries. Next, I tried out a herb shop in my neighborhood and not only did they have every single herb known to man (which I will be back to check out), but they had my berries! So here yah go, a recipe to make your very own elixir. The shit in the store is expensive so I highly recommend making your own. My berries cost $2.25/oz. My raw, organic honey ran me $7.99. Everything else I had in my pantry. Cheers! xo

Ingredients:

2/3 cup dried elderberries

3 1/2  cups filtered water

2 T dried (or fresh) ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp clove

1 cup honey (raw, organic, local ----> this is all a must)

Directions:

Bring your elderberries, water, and spices to a boil and then simmer for about 30-40 mins until the liquid is reduced. Turn off and let cool completely. When the liquid is completely cooled add in your honey.

It's recommended to take about 1/2 tsp daily. I would up it to about 1 tsp if you were actively sick. Also, do not give to babies younger than one year as it contains honey.

What Silas eats

 In the beginning of introducing solids to Silas i couldn't help but feel like it was becoming a burden. Getting him to try things, watching him closely to make sure he didn't choke, dealing with the puke episodes that sometimes occurred. It turned me off to the whole thing. I'm happy to report that it's a different story now. I really enjoy thinking of new things that he can try and it's exciting to know that I am giving my child the best nutrition possible. My guidelines for his "meals" are simple: whole foods, organic, no additives (sugar, salt, and if oil; coconut). I love putting together a little plate for his dinner. While we haven't really got the whole chew/swallow thing down, he's learning and experimenting with flavors and that is really all I care to accomplish with  our meal time. And somedays are better than others when it comes to this. There are days where we forgo the solids and that's fine with us. He is still breastfeeding on demand so I am not worried about his calorie consumption when it comes to eating and i think that has made this whole experience less stressful.

steamed carrots - mango - sauteed kale w/ garlic

sauteed spinach in coconut oil - raspberries - peas

Some things I do to make it easier for Silas's dinner time are using frozen organic veggies. This has been a life saver. Add it to a pan with a little water and heat them up and you've got a healthy option for them to eat. I've been experimenting with giving him some cooked greens as well. Cooked greens are a little harder to chew/swallow since he doesn't have any teeth so it's something I monitor closely when he's eating it. 

We haven't really gone the traditional route with introducing solids. We started at around 9 months and I didn't introduce one food at a time for 3 day increments. No purees either. I say go with what you feel is right, don't rush it, and let it happen naturally. If Silas doesn't like something I don't shove it down his throat. I might try it again the next day or even wait a couple weeks. I don't want to raise a picky eater so I am all for experimenting with flavors (we put cinnamon in his oatmeal). I also enjoy picking at his plate and taking bites of it myself. I feel it encourages him to go for it.  

You can read more on Silas's eating here.

Let's get crazy and make some veggie tacos

I am not a vegan. Or a vegetarian. But back when I first started breastfeeding we came to the realization that Silas had a serious intolerance to dairy and soy which he was getting through my breast milk. So for awhile there I went vegan. And I loved it. My skin looked amazing, I lost all of the baby weight instantly, and I felt so so good. I am getting ready to hop back on that vegan train. Here is an extremely easy lunch/dinner idea that can be whipped up in no time. Change out the ingredients to correlate with the season if you so desire.

Veggie Tacos

ingredients:
Brussels sprouts
bell pepper
green onion
black beans (1/2 can)
sweet potato
avocado
cilantro
Pepita's
radishes
corn tortilla's

Directions:
I like to saute all of my veggies separate and then mix them together. So keep a big bowl to the side and when you're done with one just throw it in. Dice up the sweet potato, cut the bell pepper in thin strips, slice the brussels sprouts into fourths (1/2 and then 1/2 again), drain and rinse the black beans. Saute your potato, sprouts, and bell pepper with a little bit of cumin and some sea salt. Toss in your big bowl with 1/2 can of your cleaned black beans and some green onion. pile onto your corn tortilla. add sliced avocado, cilantro, Pepita's, and some radish slices. Serve with a slice of lime, or don't. It's really up to you.

Seriously. That is how easy it is. They are easy and delicious...and that's all you can really ask for in life I'd say. So, get crazy and make some veggie tacos. Happy eating! xo

Big boy eating

First off, sorry for the absence this week. The days have literally just flown by, which means I have lots of posts coming this weekend. I feel like I have a million things to say, but I am really trying to organize and not just throw it into one long blah, blah, blah blog post deal. Anyways, Silas is officially on the road to eating some solids. At 9 months old we finally feel like he's ready. We tried a few things when he was 6 months, but it just felt waaaay too early to be doing it. He gagged. Threw up. It was not fun. And yes, I know a lot of people start then, but for us it wasn't right. And I'm just not too keen on pushing him to grow up, yah know? The last couple weeks though he's been so interested and I love giving him bites of things. Of course, I am limiting it to fruits and veggies only. No dairy. No meat. No grains (he tried some organic cheerios, but they got stuck on the roof of his mouth). I usually make a kale smoothie everyday and he has been into those for a month or so now so that has been a great segue into trying some different things in the last couple of weeks. I love that babies are born with such a clean slate. I want to make sure that Silas has a chance to have the cleanest diet that I can provide for him, especially since all he has ever had is breast milk up until this point. 

Organic kale, pears, and green peas. Plus, adding in a RAW probiotic to help his belly during the transition to solids. (I also use this brands pre-natal and I LOVE them)

This was the face he made when trying a cheerio...hilarious.

I call this one "Avocado Trance". P.S That shirt was completely ruined.

It's exciting to see him try new things. I wanted to make his food, that much I knew for sure...but I wasn't really wanting to jump into that until I knew he was ready. So this week I bought a few pouches of mixed baby foods by Earth's Best. I love this brand. It's a part of the Non-Gmo project which I have been trying to support as best as I can by buying products labeled with their symbol at my local grocery store (F U monsanto!). Silas LOVED these. It gave me the confidence that he was ready to go ahead with the solid thing and to make some of my own. I can't wait to get creative with different flavors. I have decided to do both purees and some chunkier solids. We started this venture with peeling whole apples and letting him naw on them. The same with carrots and pears. It let him experience a new flavor without forcing him to swallow a spoonful of something. I found that going the spoon feeding route was a little too shocking to his pallete and usually resulted in a major vomit episode. I am super excited for my bebe to join my hubby and I at the table for dinner and I am so happy that we have let it become a fun and gradual experience rather than a forceful one. We are still doing lots and lots of breastfeeding and I am in no way looking to replace any of that with solids yet. "Food before one is just for fun" is our motto around these parts! Bon appetite little ones! xo

Me, Myself, and I

It's hard to juggle all of the titles that life has thrown at me in the last year. And by titles I mean "mama" and "wife" which joined the previous solo title of "ME". It's a constant switch back and forth between the duties that each role seems to dictate. The emotions that go into each one seem to vary as well. When I'm by myself (which is rarely, but let's go with it...), let's say in the shower, no one to answer to...I am ME. As soon as I step out it's a constant switch up between being a mama and being someones wife. In order to be the best wife and mother I feel as though I have to make sure that I'm taken care of as well. Are you following me or am I floundering? This is a difficult subject to broach. Many women believe that putting their child anywhere but at #1 is preposterous. It's mean. It's neglect. But, in my mind...neglecting yourself and your own soul is mean... it's neglect. So, how do you make sure each part of yourself gets enough attention and nurturing? Well, I for one have yet to figure it out. It's hard to not feel the guilt that comes with putting yourself first which I think is what holds the majority of mama's back from nurturing and caring for themselves. All of your time and energy is spent loving, caring, and molding your relationship with your significant other and a tiny little human so it's so easy to let your owns needs (emotional and physical) be pushed into the background. It's hard to put into words how to say this properly. I am not  trying to say that I put all of my selfish needs in front of my child's, that I let him sit in a dirty diaper while I put on makeup or paint my nails. I don't value myself any more than my baby, if anything I feel the need to take care of myself because I value his well-being so much. Does Silas benefit from a mother who doesn't feel good about herself?Absolutely not. Does he benefit in anyway from a mother and father who have lost their connection, their love? Again, no. So it's important for me to take that time (most of that time is when his papa is around, someone is always with the baby! Don't fret) to remember that I am still important. And that my marriage is too.

I'm guilty of letting myself go at times. Days without a shower, pj's 7 straight days. THer are times when it feels good to not care, but then a day comes and I feel and intense push to get in that sower, do something with my hair, throw on some mascara, and feel human again. This week I have a hair appointment and a breakfast date with some girlfriends (sans baby). The plans are made on my husbands only two days off...so yeah, I feel like I'm missing out on some family time and that's hard. I might feel a little guilt, but I'm going to work really hard on pushing that away. Each of these components in my life deserve a fair amount of love and time. And if you neglect one, the others will suffer. It's a balancing act, that's for sure.

"In order of importance: 1.Self, 2. Marriage, 3. Child. 

Of course all are as important as each other, but neglecting 

the one before is a disservice to the one after."

-Jemima Kirke

Sleepless in The Bushong house

The Sleep Bandit (and his double chin).

First off, I hope you got my cheesy title for this post...and if you don't well...you win some, you lose some. Second off, I can't for the life of me remember what a full night's sleep feels like. Seriously. Going on 9 months now and we have yet to get a full night of Silas sleeping like a little angel baby. I'm a part of this facebook group and I laughed when a mama posted about how her 3 month old "just randomly decided not to sleep for 4 nights in a row, what could be wrong?!". Listen, lady. I'm going on day 270. So, here Nick and I are...craving some ZzZZz's and we literally have no idea what to do. I feel like we keep convincing ourselves that it will, no...more like has to happen at some point. And then sometimes I think to myself "Did I fail somewhere?", because to be completely honest I was a total asshole exclaiming to the world that I was going to have a 3 month old who slept through the night.

Yes, Silas. This is how I feel after a sleepless night too. (Actually, he was pretty sad when is Papa left for work this day. Poor little bebe sat by the entryway like this after he closed the door!)

In the midst of a rather irritating and sleepless day I started looking up sleep training BS. In there somewhere it kept mentioning how I was supposed to be responsible for "teaching" my child how to properly sleep. So, of course I felt like I really screwed it up. That's how this parenting gig works though. There are a million ways to do things and it's straight up overwhelming at times. The guilt of "Am I doing this right?" is all consuming. I nurse Silas to sleep every night and I nurse him back to sleep the 10 times he wakes up during the night. We co-sleep. To 1/2 of the parenting population I am doing it wrong. To the other 1/2 I am doing it right. It's hard. At this point we aren't really going to change much. I don't want him to cry it out and I don't see how me spending 2 hours with him doing that, rather than 15 minutes letting him nurse is going to help me get any more sleep. I mean, what can we do at this point? The kid is almost 9 months. I'm not going to stop nursing anytime soon and we enjoy snuggling him and co-sleeping. I guess we've made our sleepless bed and now we have to lie in it. With that said, I'm going to go drink a glass of vino and sit on pinterest because that's what mama's who don't sleep do ;) Cheers! xo