Last Day as a Mother of Two

It's now official. Today is my last full day as a "mother of two". My due date for baby #3 was last Thursday, and I am now 4 days overdue. I had an appointment this morning with my midwife and she had mentioned inducing some time next week, as that would be the furthest they could let me go. However, after the crazy weekend we had it is just time to get this baby out (an illness that I'm not going to get into has hit the family which knocks out one option of childcare and my other source of reliable childcare will not be available next week---so my reasons for wanting baby out now are not entirely selfish, as I feel pretty good physically and could keep going).

I am scheduled to be induced tomorrow at 6 a.m. Honestly, I'm a bit nervous. I was hoping not to be induced as it could increase my chances for another C-section. I had a C-section with my daughter, and even though it wasn't what I had desired, it still went well. But then with my son, I attempted a VBAC, and did really well with that (and healing was much better!). I really hope I can have another successful VBAC, and that my decision to be induced doesn't come back to bite me.

I've been spending the remainder of my day at home with my two sweet children as I get in my last really good snuggles before their world gets rocked. Sugar Plum should be fine, as she's gone through this before, but Snuggle Bug may have a hard time. He knows there is a baby in my tummy and he snuggles it all the time. I just don't think he understand that baby will soon be outside of my tummy and making a lot of noise and needing a lot of attention. I've spent a portion of my afternoon on the couch with this little guy and had to get some last shots of him loving on my tummy. It's been an amazing few months as I've grown and got to experience Snuggle Bug's tenderness and his love towards his unborn baby brother.

I adore his big blue eyes.

I told Sugar Plum as soon as I got back from my appointment this morning that her new baby brother will be here tomorrow. She's so very excited. The picture doesn't show it, as the movie Alice in Wonderland has her attention. Just for the record, I love her big green eyes too.

As far as everything else goes, I feel prepared yet very unprepared. My house is not how I'd like it to be. I'm good on my everyday chores like laundry and dishes, but everything else is chaos. Not extreme chaos, but I wish I had more motivation to get some other things done. I've accepted the fact that the house will never be completely ready, especially with a 4 year old and 2 year old destroying it.

I think I'm prepared enough with food. I have two baked penne dishes and two lasagnas in the freezer, along with a bag of chili and a bag of Brunswick stew. I made a list for my husband of take-out options to bring me while I am in the hospital. While I am going to try finding vegan options on the hospital menu, I know it will not be easy so it's good to have a backup plan. As I experienced during our hospital stay last October for my sons surgery, the cafeteria does not offer hardly any vegan options. (Yes, they do have salad with one vegan option for dressing, but I, like many other vegans, have gotten very tired of salads as they are the only vegan option at most restaurants). While they did have hummus, it looked gross and dried out since hummus eaters in eastern North Carolina are few and far between.

That's about it I guess! My next blog post will hopefully be about our newest little one.


Jenny

Our Fourth of July

Bright and early yesterday morning, the Sugar Plum came into our room and asked in a very  loud and excited voice, "Is it time for the party?!!". I looked over at the clock and it wasn't quite 6:30 yet, so of course I told her no and to go back into her bed and read her books so we could get a little bit more sleep.

So that is how my morning of the Fourth of July began. I had done some baking the night before (a blueberry and lemon cake and chocolate strawberry shortcake cupcakes), which is how Sugar Plum knew that today was going to be a special day.

When it was time to wake up, my husband promptly went outside to blow up the kiddie pool for the kids. This got both of them very excited as they watched their daddy from the back door. I did a little bit more cooking and then relaxed for the rest of the morning. I waited until early afternoon to add the frosting and fruit on the desserts, so that it would be as fresh as possible (nobody likes a wilted strawberry). My husbands parents arrived in the afternoon and we all went outside to watch  the kids play in the pool. It's fun as an adult to watch little kids play and splash in a pool, or play on the swing set, etc. I remember having fun doing these things as a child but I think I love watching my own children have that kind of fun even more.

We had a good Fourth of July dinner and desserts, then sat around and chatted for awhile. Then it was time for my in-laws to head home. We opted not to go see the fireworks because Sugar Plum is terrified of loud noises, so the kids ran around the house and played for awhile before bed time. They were both being very silly, Snuggle Bug with his funny faces for the camera and Sugar Plum had fun running away from me while I tried to take her picture. Luckily with my new camera I was able to catch her in action without the shots being blurry. Her laughs and smiles are one of my favorite things.

By bed time, the kids were so exhausted from their busy day that Snuggle Bug fell asleep during the bedtime story and while Sugar Plum made it through the story, she decided not to have any books to read in bed and let us turn off the lamp early (she usually spends about 15 minutes looking at her books before she falls asleep). So we knew she'd be out soon (and she was, within about 5 minutes). I hope everyone was able to enjoy their Fourth of July holiday!

 

 

Jenny

Weekly Menu for 6/28 - 7/4

I am looking forward to this weeks menu, as this week includes a holiday and I love holiday meals! It means I get to "pig out" and eat desserts and let the kids eat whatever they want (for the most part... they will still need to eat something descent before they get dessert, as I don't want to deal with tummy aches later). Most of the week is pretty easy as far as meals go, because I'm hoping that "nesting" will kick in and I'll be busy preparing for baby.

Reminder: I start my menu planning for Saturday since that is the day I do my grocery shopping.

Our menu this week is as follows:

Saturday

Breakfast: Cream of Wheat w/ Agave and Strawberries

Lunch: Leftovers or Peanut Butter Sandwiches

Snack: Popcorn

Dinner: Brunswick Stew

Dessert: Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Sunday

Breakfast: Chocolate Chip Waffles

Lunch: (late breakfast, snacks or leftovers for lunch before church)

Snack: ----

Dinner: Boca Vegan Chik'n Patties

 

Monday

Breakfast: Cereal & Fruit

Lunch: Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwich

Snack: Teddy Grahams

Dinner: Baked Penne w/ Vegan Italian Sausage 

 

Tuesday

Breakfast: Cinnamon Sugar Toast 

Lunch: Veggie Strips (Vegan Chik'n Fingers) w/ Tater Tots

Snack: Pears

Dinner: Veggie Fajitas, Rice, Refried Beans

 

Wednesday

Breakfast: Orange Marmalade Muffins

Lunch: Tofurkey "Turkey" Sandwich

Snack: Apples &  Peanut Butter

Dinner: Sweet & Sour "Meatballs" w/ Veggie Lo Mein 

 

Thursday

Breakfast: Biscuits and Gimme Lean Sausage

Lunch: Peanut Butter & Crackers, Raisins

Snack: Applesauce or Fruit Cocktail

Dinner: Homemade Pizza

 

Friday

Vegan Fourth of July Feast

 

 

While the meals are pretty easy, I'm not looking forward to this weeks grocery bill! Because I'm getting so close to my due date with Baby #3, I'll be doubling up on some of the recipes so that I can freeze them for later. Definitely want to make sure my kiddos are fed while I'm in the hospital and I really don't want to be busy in the kitchen when I get home (or running out to the grocery store).

 

Jenny



Weekly Menu for 6/21 - 6/27

Being a vegan, I get asked often what I eat. There are a lot of people who still don't know what a vegan is and how it compares to being a vegetarian. When I explain the difference, I get some crazy looks and they think all I eat is lettuce and tofu. While lettuce and tofu are both delicious when prepared properly, vegan food is so much more than that and can be quite tasty. I try to prepare most of my meals from scratch, but with two children and getting close to my due date with my third, processed foods like fake meats (generally, I try to keep those to a minimum) have started gaining popularity on our menu for the time being.

One big misconception about vegan food is that it's very expensive. It can be expensive for some people, but I prefer to cook "veganized" versions of more normal types of food, and stick to a strict budget ($600 a month for food and all other essentials--shampoos, soaps, detergents, toilet paper, clothing, toys, etc.). I probably spend less money on food than most non-vegans. It's all about careful planning and not being wasteful.

Each week, I try to plan out a menu for the week, make my shopping list, and buy everything I need in one big trip to the grocery store. Sometimes I go to two different grocery stores, as the cheaper one doesn't carry a lot of vegan essentials and their produce is not always the best. Here in the South, my "go to" stores are Food Lion (for the basics at a cheaper price) and Harris Teeter (for fresh produce and special foods).

Because I typically do my grocery shopping on Friday afternoon or on Saturday while my husband can watch the kids, I begin my menu on Saturdays.

This week, my menu is as follows:

Saturday

Breakfast: Vegan Coconut Yogurt & Granola

Lunch: Maple "Bacon" Tempeh and Tomato Sandwiches

Snack: Popcorn

Dinner: Spanish Rice

Dessert: Hot-Fudge-on-the-Bottom Cake w/ Vegan Ice Cream

 

Sunday

Breakfast: Pancakes w/ vegan breakfast sausage (Gimme Lean Sausage)

Lunch: --- (our Sunday breakfast is more of a brunch, so we're still not very hungry around lunch time and will either eat leftovers or some sort of snack before we go to our 1:00 p.m. church service)

Dinner: Chili Dogs, Loaded Baked Potatoes, & Corn on the Cob

 

Monday

Breakfast: Orange Marmalade Muffins

Lunch: Vegan Chik'n Fingers w/ Sweet Potato Fries

Snack: Apples & Peanut Butter

Dinner: Breaded Eggplant w/ Spaghetti & Marinara Sauce

 

Tuesday

Breakfast: Sausage Biscuit (using the second half of the tube of Gimme Lean sausage from Sunday)

Lunch: Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwiches

Snack: Teddy Grahams (not something I typically buy for the kids, but we still have some leftover from a road trip)

Dinner: Bean Burritos

 

Wednesday

Breakfast: Cereal & Fruit

Lunch: Pizza Hummus w/ Triscuits and Fruit

Snack: Popcorn

Dinner: Sesame Tofu, White Rice, & Green Beans

 

Thursday

Breakfast: Cinnamon Toast

Lunch: Peanut Butter, Crackers, & Raisins

Snack: Pears

Dinner: Southern Black-Eyed Peas w/ Biscuits

 

Friday

Breakfast: Vegan Coconut Yogurt and Granola

Lunch: Sloppy Joe's

Snack: Fruit Cocktail

Dinner: Grilled 'Cheese' Sandwiches & Tomato Soup

To satisfy anyone's curiosity on the cost of groceries this week, the total comes to: $105.36. This also includes things like soy and almond milk, vegan butter, orange juice, grape juice, and other things that are not necessarily on our menu but we do consume each week or that I'm running low on and like to have on hand.

Jenny