CostcoWarrior

Counting Protiens 29 April 2009

As part of a pregnancy diet a mother is recommended to eat 80 to 100 grams of protien a day.  In the birthing classes we are taking we have been instructed to count protein grams instead of calories in all the food we eat.  It has been fascinating to spend the last two weeks ”watching” my intake of this highly neglected macro-nutrient. 

I would recommend the experiment to anyone, although I believe non-pregnant adults are only supposed to intake 25-70g per day based on ideal body weight.  (There are cool protein intake calculators available via Google.)  Even just playing the protein game for a day can be very revealing.

I’ve learned some foods are very high in protein counts.  Others foods are sadly very very low.  

Gummi worms are very very low.

Maternity Clothes Challenge 28 April 2009

This morning it happened.  One pair of pants is now very nearly “unbuckleable”.  The gates of that mysterious and completely unknown land are close at hand:   Maternity Clothes Land.

There are a lot of things about this land that trouble me.  It’s a challenge that I didn’t really think about before a few weeks ago, and now I’m realizing how much there is I don’t know about this whole thing!  Some people say just to wait as long as you can and try all these crazy hair band tricks to keep your pants up.  Well.  I’m a bit stuck.  I wear slacks to work.  They don’t have hair-band-able clasps.  So really, I need to do something about this soon or I’m going to wake up one morning with literally nothing to wear to work.

So, I’m left wondering where does one even shop for maternity clothes?  I mean, I’ve seen “maternity” sections in stores, but honestly, what non-pregnant woman ever pays attention?  Are those the “fall apart, not worth the money” sections that I’m supposed to avoid?  Do I need to make a special trip to some all-maternity shop for the real maternity clothes?  Or am I supposed to just bag the cost and go to an even cheaper place called “second hand store”?

And how is one even supposed to know how to shop when they aren’t technically big yet?  I’ve heard there are these strap-on bellies, but somehow those just logically aren’t working for me.  How are those going to offer any sort of accuracy on the shape side of things?  And how do these clothes work when you keep getting bigger and bigger?  Are they magical?  Do they grow with you?  As cool as that sounds, it kind of creeps me out.  And seriously, how are these things even SIZED?  Is it like my size before the pregnancy?  Or just a random number that I have to ignore while I try on the entire section/store?

Then there’s the question of how many and what variety?  Do I just buy pants and stretch all my shirts out?  Do I just buy cute shirts and hope one of those belly band things holds my pants up?  Do I get a bunch that I can wear for work and wear sweats the rest of the time or just buy one pair of work pants and buy clothes that I can wear on the weekends?  This is seriously like replacing two wardrobes and I’m getting a headache trying to decide.  I feel like this part is important to know, too, before I show up somewhere and just stare blankly at the racks with NO CLUE what I’m even looking for.

And then there’s the whole issue of specialty clothes.  Do I invest in a maternity swimsuit for the planned family vacations in the hot hot summer sun?  Or do I just match together makeshift “I can get this stuff wet” clothes.  I really can’t say I’m excited about either option, especially going for the swimsuit.  I’m guessing that’s gotta be a hellish experience–who likes shopping for those when they’re NOT pregnant??  But what other choices are there when I’m huge and melting in July and August?

Of course, there’s the problem of when I’m going to do this shopping too.  Between working and schooling and resting and exercising and cooking and cleaning and errand running and fitting everything else called LIFE into the schedule, WHEN am I going to find the HOURS that this shopping challenge will require?? 

And finally, for all of those who really know me well, HOW IS MY WALLET SUPPOSED TO HANDLE MATERNITY CLOTHES LAND??  People talk about how expensive kids are, but no one ever talks about how expensive it is just to clothe yourself while they’re still inside of you.

I don’t think I’m ready for this.

I Rode the Bikes 23 April 2009

I probably need a more light-hearted post after the last one, so I would like to announce I RODE THE BIKES!!

For Earth Day, our company put into use 6 brand new bicycles for employee use for quicker, more earth-friendly travel between buildings.  Normally it’s a 10 minute walk to the other building, but today I RODE THE BIKES!!!

They are bright red, have white-walled tires, have big black wire baskets on the handlebars, have a really cool “ding-ding” bell, and they have the coaster brakes.  Coaster brakes, for those of us who don’t remember are the “I’m 10 years old and this is my new bike” brakes that you initiate by pedaling backwards.  The bikes look something like this:

It took only 2 minutes to get to the other building, but it was a beautiful 2 minutes in the sunshine, reminiscent of childhood afternoons when I spent hours on my bike.

I need to vent because today pregnancy has really sucked 21 April 2009

First a warning to any and all readers.  This will not be a nice post. Re-read the title.  Again.  Not only will this not be a nice post, it will be a gross post. But if you re-read the title like you were supposed to, I really need to vent.  Consider yourself warned though, I am not going to spare any details no matter how badly they fall in the TMI category.

*****

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Round Belly Gang?? 16 April 2009

When we announced we were expecting, we weren’t expecting to learn how many of our friends and associates were also expecting–most of them within weeks of our own due date.  There were so many, that I of course started a list, because lists are God’s gift to me in particular.

In addition to the 4 friends and associates that we knew about “pre-announcement”, SIX more jumped on the pregnancy bandwagon. 

Let’s do the math together.  4 + 6 = 10.

That’s 10 new babies from friends of ours around the same time as us.

And that is crazy.  Even a little sci-fi “twighlight zone” crazy.  I’m sure, if it were a film, it would be called “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.”  …Wait.  Someone already used that one…