GESTATIONAL DIABETES MEAL IDEAS

Any of my readers that follow me on Facebook know that I failed my glucose test a couple weeks ago and have Gestational Diabetes. I was feeling really bummed about it at first because it meant having to go back to seeing the high risk doctor regularly again, the dreaded finger pricking, and the all-around guilt I felt for knowing my baby is more at risk for being bigger (which means risking C-section) when she's already been measuring a bit big anyway and more at risk to develop diabetes later in life. But after talking to friends and a few people who had it in their pregnancies, I felt better. Still not over the finger pricking though! The bright side is that I should be able to manage it with just diet and no meds, which means eating better for me and baby anyway!

So I got my handy dandy diabetes kit and was ready to roll! I got out a little journal and started logging all the food I ate for each meal and what the subsequent blood sugar level was 2 hours later. Man, does that open your eyes....

The first day testing, I had a bowl of shredded wheat cereal for breakfast. Even measured out just a cup. Blood sugar level went way high! What?! I read over the pamphlets the doctor gave me, searched information online, and started to realize it has a lot more to do with balancing your meals out then avoiding anything. Not that there aren't things you should try and avoid or limit. 

My first week with GD, I was in Florida, with the rest of the staff I work with, for a teaching seminar. While there, our meals were provided for us at the college cafeteria. Which basically means 8 full buffets for every meal each day! Oh the self control. I did try to do the best with what I could. But most days I had 1 level go over. Some days even 2. I started to think that maybe that was just normal and accepted it. 

After I got back from Florida, I made my grocery shopping trip for all the things I thought I'd need for my new diet. Oh my goodness....even having 1 level a day is not normal and I should not accept it! For the week I've been back home I've only had ONE day where even 1 level was too high (eating fast food the day before grocery shopping). I'm getting the hang of it and eating more things I wouldn't normally (like peanut butter! yuck) and I'm pretty proud of myself so far. Now it's like an inward competition to see how many days in a row I can make it without any levels going over. The hardest part has honestly been having to make sure I actually eat 3 full on meals every day! I hate eating when I'm not hungry.

Here's an example of some of the things I've had the last week.

1) 2 eggs on a whole wheat english muffin, organic unsweetened apple sauce, and a glass of milk. 2) Bran flakes (plainest cereal ever) with banana (makes it taste so much better). 3) honey, all natural organic peanut butter, and banana slices on whole wheat english muffin. With the rest of the banana on the side and a glass of milk. 4) Turkey sandwich (haven't had deli meat the entire pregnancy cause heating it didn't sound good but I finally broke down and got some since it's an easy lunch) on whole wheat sandwich thins with multi grain tortilla chips (these are SO much better than regular tortilla chips! yum!) and black bean/corn salsa. 5) Baked breaded salmon and baked shrimp with broccoli and grilled squash. 6) Cucumbers and carrots with spinach/artichoke hummus (nope. still don't like hummus!).

Hope this gives any of you with GD some ideas and motivation. I'd love for any of you to share some meal ideas with me! Especially any of you who have/had GD too. I get tired of having the same things all the time. Well, time to go make dinner. Tostadas tonight! =)

FOR THIS CHILD I HAVE PRAYED...

This is the BEST news I have ever been able to give....

I'M PREGNANT!!!

It's a little blurry but that little screen for sure says "pregnant". I've only checked it about every 5 min.

It's out there. It's real. I still can't believe it! I took 3 different tests (4 if you count the one I took a week prior and mistook as negative) and just stared at each one! Not gonna lie, I still have the first digital one and I will keep picking it up to stare at the words "pregnant" until the battery dies. We found out January 25th and it was confirmed by the doctor today, February 4th. I'm estimated at 7 weeks! Find out for sure by Friday. *Although I am pretty sure already given they had me tracking my ovulation and I can pretty much pinpoint conception.*

Thank you everyone for all the prayers over the last 9 months since I shared our struggles with conceiving. We are feeling so excited and happy and just kinda floating on Cloud 9. I don't know how anyone ever keeps this in for the whole first trimester!!! I always thought I would be someone who would do that. But we've had so many people in prayer for us that I couldn't not share this huge blessing that you've all been praying with us about. I wanted to tell the world the moment it happened. It was hard enough waiting to have the doctors appointment to confirm.

So reactions....

Mine was ridiculous. I bawled. Not in a "happy tears" kinda way. I was terrified. The first test I took was just a test strip I got with my ovulation tests. I was so scared that I was reading it wrong. That I was just not getting something right. It couldn't possibly be positive. 

**Let me explain... if you've ever taken the kind of ovulation test that is just a test strip (not the plastic ones you get at the store) then you know they aren't the easiest to read. It's basically judging how dark or faint a line is compared to another line. With an ovulation test, if the line is ANY fainter than the one that comes on the strip then its negative. When I used the pregnancy strip the week before, I figured it was the same thing. The line was faint so I threw it away and tossed it up to my cycle being crazy and abnormal as always. Another week later, I decided to take another one, not really believing it would be different. That's when it hit me that the package of the pregnancy strips did NOT have the same results. No line was negative and ANY line was positive. This led to lots of staring and comparing. And then all the bawling.*** 

Basically I was too scared to be happy at first. I've been planning on telling Chris is some cute way and that was completely ruined. He came into the room to me sitting on the bed bawling my eyes out. He hugged me tight as he tried to figure out what had happened. After a minute of not being able to speak, I finally got out "maybe I'm pregnant". He obviously was a little confused by my reaction. He smiled and just reminded me that this is what we wanted. I showed him the test strip and then made him go get me a box of the digital ones at the store. I wanted one to just straight up say the words so there was no mistaking me reading it wrong. We went by the store on the way to church so I wasn't able to take it till after. But then I got the words I've been looking for for 2 years. Finally I let the happiness and excitement and just pure joy take over. Chris had a big smile and he hugged me tight. I can't believe how cool, calm, and collected he's been through the whole thing. I am freakin out!! In the best way. I also planned on waiting to tell the parents. I've had it all planned how I would get an annoucement picture done and just have them over for dinner and give them the picture. That didn't happen. I couldn't wait to share all this joy with someone. We told the parents the same night. I took video of my parent's reaction. Didn't take my mom long to figure it out on her own. Apparently it's "all over my face". 

I wanted to wait until after the actual doctor's appointment to tell the rest of the family. Over a week I had to wait! Brutal. Again...how does anyone wait a whole trimester?!  Yes, I get that there is a reason... but God forbid that something does happen (I can't even THINK about that without crying all over again) then I know having the support of family and friends would be a lot easier then feeling like I had to carry the burden alone since I never told anyone in the first place.

And now I get to share it with the rest of the world. 

There's so many of you out there that are still in the waiting process. I just encourage you to stay strong and have faith. You guys have been such an encouragement to me these last few months and gave me the strength I needed to not let myself get discouraged. It CAN happen!!! 

Excuse the jumbled emotion of thoughts pouring out in this post. I'm just so dang excited I don't think I could try and make sense of any of it. God willing, in just 9 months I'll have a baby!!! I'll be a MOM! Craziness.

NEW RECIPES

I've been trying a lot of new recipes since I started meal planning. I wanted to share a few that I've tried the past couple weeks. These are my real pictures of how they all turned out! I hate when the pinterest picture (or whatever other site you use to find recipes) looks like perfection and then it doesn't come out at all like that! =) 

Find this recipe here

I was so excited to find this recipe. I love having coffee in the morning but I like it sweet and creamy. Like half coffee, half cream kinda coffee. But I am trying to cut out sugar. This was super easy and fast to make and smelled soooooo good. Even after adding it to the coffee it still smelled so sweet and delicious. Then I tasted it and I was a little disappointed. It didn't taste nearly as strong as it smelled. It kind of just tasted like watered down coffee and not very sweet at all. BUT I am going to try again with regular milk instead of almond to make it thicker and add a little more of the spice and honey to sweeten. I'm not giving up yet. For all you normal coffee drinkers out there, this recipe may work just fine for you. It's a nice alternative (with way less ingredients) to store bought creamer.

Find this recipe here

 So this picture is actually my husband's plate. After I made his plate I couldn't get another big piece of leaf like that so I ate mine like a salad. I have yet to find good wrap leafs! Anyways... not going to lie. I was a little worried about this as I was cooking. There's a couple different asian seasonings and everything was just making a weird smell to me as it was cooking. But this was delicious! Definitely going in the meal plan rotation. I maaaay have used a teensy more sriracha than necessary. I love sriracha and spiciness but my husband can't handle too much. His mouth was on fire...but he still finished it. 

Find this recipe here

This meal is not paleo since it includes beans and corn. And a meatless meal was something different for us. But this is another good one! I really liked it but not sure how often it will make the rotation since the husband wasn't as much of a fan. He finished it but only after dousing it with a ton more cheese. He's not a big veggie (especially onion and pepper) lover and that's mostly what is in this. He actually really likes spaghetti squash (when I make it as spaghetti anyway) though. This basically just sautéed onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno layered with black beans, corn, and the spaghetti squash. The only hard part to this was actually cutting the squash! 

Let me know if you try any of these and how you like them.

RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH A GRATEFUL HEART

Well another year has passed and a new one is underway. This time of year is one of my favorite. Still coming off from the magic of December and into the freshness of new beginnings and endless possibilities, people seem fulfilled, refreshed, and determined to be the best that they can be. 

As the world is solidifying resolutions, vowing to change and better themselves, and looking to the future, I find myself looking back. I find myself reflecting on the past year and the overwhelming amount of gratitude I feel. There's no other version of my life I could imagine that would be better than the one I have now. 

Are there things I want to better myself at? Of course. I want to journal/write/craft/read more. I want to lose weight/be healthier/take care of my body better like anyone else. Are there things my heart desires? Yes. A baby. Being more faithful to in-depth bible study and strengthening my relationship with Christ.


Those are all good things. Setting goals, striving towards being the best me that I can be- it's a great thing. It's important. But it's also important to recognize and reflect on the ways that God has provided for, cared for, and blessed me already in this life. 

As I reflect on my life, I feel gratitude for God's unending love and grace. In all the ways I fail  Him, in all the ways I need to better myself spiritually- He never gives up on me. Never stops loving me. He continues to shower me with blessing after blessing. 

I think about another year I got to spend with my husband. I swear I fall more in love with that man everyday. Not even 5 years ago, I would have never been able to tell you that we would end up together much less be where we are now. Today, people comment all the time about how amazing our relationship seems and how in love we seem. Do we have a perfect marriage? Obviously not. Do we fight? Of course. Is it amazing anyway? I think so. The years I've spent as his wife have been the best of my life. And that's just another example of God's grace and blessings. He was able to take something very broken and make it amazing.

I think about another year I spent at my job. I love my job almost as much as I love my husband. And that's saying a lot! I love getting to be even a small part of these kid's life if only for a short time. My prayer is that in someway I get to make an impact in their life. I love getting to spend my day teaching and being creative with my kids. I love that I get to work in a Christian environment in a ministry that is passionate about teaching kids about God.

I could go on and on about everything I am grateful for in my life. Maybe the life I have seems boring to some. Maybe they see nothing special. But it's mine and I love it. I challenge you, in this time of determination and goal-making, not to forget to take a moment to thank God for what IS.

Here's to ringing in the new year with a grateful heart and accomplishing all those goals in 2015!

HAPPY NEWS

Before anything else, I have to say I am completely blown away by the response to my last post. I usually average about 40-50 views per post but that one is up to 239! To think that that many people have read something I had such a hard time admitting publicly scared me to death initially. It has been weird to have people approach me about it and to remember that people know now and I can talk about it. But more than any anxiety or weirdness or awkwardness, I have felt overwhelmingly encouraged by the outpouring of texts, comments, and messages declaring their love, support, and prayers. Thank you just doesn't seem like enough, but thank you. Y'all will never know what it's meant to me.

Happy news! Chris started a new job with GE on Monday. He gets to sleep a little later and gets home earlier. It's been nice having a little more time with him at night. So far it seems like it will be an amazing company for him to work for. Better hours, way better benefits, and less of a drive. Happy husband, happy me. 

I have been getting discouraged lately as far as weight loss. I know it slows down after the initial bulk but I have been stuck on -15lbs for a few weeks now. I get irritated that I have let myself have a cheat day every week and then irritated that that irritates me because I don't want to be too obsessive about it. I just feel better when I only cheat every few weeks or so. A sugar craving has been hitting me hard the last few weeks too. Not as in candy and chocolate or anything but more so with wanting coffee and it not being good enough with just almond milk. I just want some sugar in it! I never want to lose the motivation to keep going and continue this healthier lifestyle. It isn't only about losing weight but just being healthier in general. When I feel discouraged I try to focus on where I started and see how far I've come in the last few months instead. Sunday was Easter. After taking pics with my husband and looking at last year's Easter pics, I was excited to see that I could actually tell a difference in the both of us and that kicked all the discouragement to the curb.

Easter 2013                                             Easter 2014

Another exciting thing about Chris's job is that with the money we are going to save on our insurance every month we should be able to finally get the gym memberships we've been wanting forever! I have missed running so much and can't wait to lace up my Brooks again. I am so ready to add this needed aspect into our new healthier lives.

PS- I've been working on the tabs at the top of the page. Click on them and check it out. 

A SEASON OF CHANGE

Wow. So obviously I'm not the best at keeping a blog. So many things I could try to blame that on- lack of anything to write (except I think to myself at least once a week "I should blog that"), too busy, my computer is super slow (it is, but I just got a new one this week!), etc.- but it comes down to one simple thing...Laziness. I simply never want to put in the effort on the nights I am actually home to write a post. Maybe now that I have my fancy, super fast, really cool computer- Shout out to Apple MBA!- I'll be better. No promises. 

Let's play catch up in the life of Tiffany. Here's some of the highlights since last time. 

Sadly, our beloved maltipoo, Oliver, has gone to live with another family. One of those "for the best but still really hard" changes. He really needed to be somewhere he was rarely left alone or at least left with another dog or something because of his severe separation anxiety. There were A LOT of tears (notice the puffy face in this picture taken that day), but he is just with the most perfect family who loves and spoils him rotten and we still get to see updates! 

We have since adopted a cat. Callidora "Callie" Caram is our newest furbaby. She has been quite a change but we just love her. She is a completely defiant little princess who loves attention.

A happy, fun change is I got a new car! Hooray!

Also, after months and months of praying and trying to make sure it was God's plan, we started the journey to look for a new home church. We were soon led to Eagles View Church in Saginaw and have been growing and learning so much through the current "Labels" series. We have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the people through our Newcomers LifeGroup and our Wednesday night LifeGroup.

And lastly (that I can think of), a month ago Chris and I switched to the Paleo lifestyle. If you have no idea what that is, this guy can explain it better than me. But basically, it's eating the way our hunter-gatherer ancestors did pre-agriculturally. For me personally, it connects in the way that everything we need has been provided for us on this earth. For thousands (millions?) of years, our bodies were accustomed to eating from this earth rather than from a factory. It's not a "diet" (Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc) or just about weight loss. It's an overall diet lifestyle that has many health benefits. Anyways, does that mean I'll never have a Braum's hamburger or cheesecake ever again? No. But so far we have really enjoyed it, without feeling deprived, and have been pretty successful. Now I just got to get back into running. Anyone wanna buy me a gym membership? =)

And that's basically where we are now. Changed and still changing. Life has really been in a season of change lately. Not only for myself, but for a lot of those around me. Today, as I was thinking about the things I wanted to pray about, it hit me how all 3 of my older sisters are going through pretty big life changes right now. One is in the process of adopting two precious babies, one has just become a stay-at-home and homeschooling momma, and one is going through a divorce and making the transition to a single mom. So as I prayed for each of them this morning, I was thinking about how life is ever changing. Sometimes these changes are planned, sometimes unplanned. Sometimes they are good, sometimes bad. Sometimes God has set us on one path, just to lead us to another. And sometimes we just take a little detour along the way. Regardless of the change or the circumstances behind it, our faith becomes important and must be strong. Change, even when it's good, can still be hard. We just have to remember that God has a plan and is in control. He knows more than we do about the long run and as long as we are seeking Him, He will guide us where we need to be. So I encourage you, if you are also going through a season of change, to hold on to that.

BLESSINGS AND GORILLAS

Running today was miserable! How do all you runners do this in the Texas heat?? I was only able to jog a mile and I walked a lot more than normal, and I still came home more drenched than usual! Why in the world did I just sign up for a 5K at the end of JUNE?! Anyways... up until this point I have just been running (and yoga for stretching after), but today we added a mini-workout after our yoga. We used the app "Gorilla Workout" and did 4 rounds of squats, lunges, and push-ups. Then threw in some crunches in the end. Needless to say, I am sore. Why cant we all just sit around watching TV and reading books everyday and just be magically fit?!

Moving on...God has been so good! He just shows me over and over again how faithful He is when we just put our faith in Him! I am not saying this next part to brag (quite the opposite) or to say that you should do this so all these good things can happen to you...but my husband and I tithed for the first time a couple weeks ago. Sadly, this has always been a really hard thing for me. I am very much the type of person that budgets everything and does not make irrational choices on things I don't need outside of that budget. If you don't have it, don't spend it. And save if you can! So tithing...it goes against everything in my nature. I don't understand the concept of giving money that you don't have and just expecting that somehow money for bills is going to show up. And yes, I do know that part of the purpose in having faith that God provides for you. With that being said, tithing is something that started convicting us both months ago but always got pushed to the back of my mind and ignored. After going to a marriage seminar at church, we finally decided that we couldn't ignore it anymore. So, last month we gave our first tithe. And immediately, I have seen God's blessings!

After church that same day, we went to Albertson's. We went to Costco before we moved, but it's not very convenient to go to anymore, so we have been trying to find a grocery store that would kinda compare. We started with Walmart. We spent just as much as we did at Costco and the food lasted half the time. We decided to try Albertson's this time even though we'd never used them before. I can literally say I am not even sure what happened! I had the weekly ad and just used that to guide some of my choices. I was excited because I knew we were spending the same amount, but getting so much more (and more variety) then we had been able to at Walmart. Then I proceed to check out, when I learned how much I had actually saved- just using their ad mind you- $140! PLUS, he handed me a 3 inch pile of the store's monopoly game pieces that have coupons inside of them! I walked out completely dazed. I think we found our store.

And then, even BETTER- WAY better- news... My husband got a new job! Without even looking for one! A friend called last week saying that his company was hiring for the same kind of work that Chris does now. Chris sent in his resume and got the job the next day! There's some paperwork and such to do, but he got it! He starts in 2 weeks! His company he works for now is great (great bonuses and insurance) but he has to work 2 hours of overtime every day (10 hr days) to have an even decent paycheck cause the hourly is just not much. Plus he doesn't get off til 7 which puts him home at almost 8pm every night. With his new job, he will be making the same amount he does now WITH his overtime factored in, in a normal 8 hour work day. And he will get home around 3pm! He will still get over time from time to time and insurance (after 90 days). I am so incredibly excited to be able to spend more time with my husband and so happy for him that he can have hours he likes and not have to work such long hours every day.

So, hoping to get things is not the reason at all to tithe (God knows your heart), but I just wanted to say that God truly does bless and provide. I know I have rambled on and on but I couldn't NOT share that praise! Thank you God!

FITNESS

I began running 6 weeks ago. A huge thing for me. I have never been one to exercise at all and pretty much hated running (that has developed into a hate/LOVE relationship). I started running 3 days a week with the Couch-2-5k 8 week program. I only have 2 weeks left. I went from barely being able to run 60 seconds (not kidding, it was pitiful) to being able to run a little over a mile, at this week 6. I know a mile is nothing to you runners who run miles upon miles at a time, but for me it is something. It's an accomplishment. It's having stayed committed for 6 weeks (and still going!) when all I really want to do is sit and watch tv or read a book every day. And it is turning the "I can't" into "I can".

Today, I did my FIRST (I was hesitant, but there WILL be more) 5K at the annual "Coleson's F.R.O.G". ** an amazing foundation that helps families of children diagnosed with life threatening illnesses, such as pediatric cancer** event. My goal was to run a quarter over a mile (how would you say that? a mile and a quarter?.....) before I stopped for the first time, since I was able to run a tiny bit over a mile yesterday. Unfortunately, I didn't make that goal. Whether it was due to the fact that I didn't have my running motivator (aka my best friend, Tiffany) beside me to make me pace myself (I go much faster then I should) or because being surrounded by people running faster made me want to be faster, or maybe I just didn't push myself hard enough- either way, I am happy and proud to have finished and to have supported such and awesome cause. And I know one day I will be able to run the whole thing without stopping at all. Who knows? Maybe a half marathon or *gasp* full marathon one day??

Believe it or not, running is not the entire point of this post. Although I did not post 2 days in a row, as my last post

Through all this running, one thought has stayed with me. And that is that spiritual fitness is even more important than physical fitness. I finally started running out of the desperation of wanting to lose all the weight I've gained since I've been married and the frustration of feeling like I have the aches, pains, and endurance of someone more than twice my age at only 25. I KNOW that physical fitness is important and have never been motivated enough to do anything about it. It took coming to a place of "I cannot live this way anymore" to change that. Same goes in your spiritual life. It takes coming to that place of realizing you cannot live without Him, that you cannot do it on your own. When does it become a point to motivate yourself enough to dig into His Word? To cry out for God? To seek Him in all things? Just as there are things we have to do- steps we have to take- to be physically fit, there are also things we have to do to remain/grow spiritually fit. Just like a poor diet and no activity or exercise would stunt being physically fit, so does not digging into God's Word and not developing a relationship with Him.

I am not preaching this to y'all but rather to myself. It has been a strong conviction for me these last few weeks. Remaining faithful to studying my bible has always been a hard thing for me. I always start a devotional or new study with renewed excitement and the best intentions. And then other things begin slowly filling my time. Eventually, I find it has been days, even weeks, since I last picked up my bible other than for church. Desperation and Frustration fueled my running habit. How much more should desperation for God and and the frustration of being unfaithful motivate me to seek Him in His word? With running, I give myself goals and inspiration, while I let reading my bible fall to the side.

I do not mean that physical fitness does not matter. After all, it is God who gave us these bodies and we should cherish them and take care of them for His glory, like the precious gifts they are. **Side note: when you start seeing your body as a GIFT from God instead of your own to do as you want, it makes the wanting to take care of it a lot easier!** I only mean that as important as it is, how much more important is the spiritual being that lives inside that body? It is, after all, the only part going with us when we die. I am challenging myself, and you, to dig into our bibles and develop our spiritual man. Be spiritually fit!