New Little Life On The Prairie: October 2013

I am always up for trying the latest and greatest health food fads and although Chia seeds are nowhere near new, they are becoming more and more popular in the health conscious person's diet. When I first heard of Chia seeds I couldn't help but think of Chia Pets. Yes, I just sang Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia and don't lie, you sang it to when you read it. Come to find out, these little seeds are the same as the ever popular childhood greenery toy. These itty bitty seeds are native to South America and have been a staple in Mayan and Aztec diets for centuries. Today, they draw the interest of many people for their health benefits and uses in cooking. It turns out the South American staple is a rich source of nutrients and antioxidants.

What are these so called health benefits you ask?

Chia seeds are packed full of Omega-3 Fatty Acids. The omega-3s in chia seeds can help reduce inflammation, enhance cognitive performance and reduce high cholesterol.

The seeds are an excellent source of fiber, with a whopping 10 grams in only 2 tablespoons. That is one-third of the daily recommended intake of fiber per day.

They are rich in antioxidants that help protect the body from free radicals, aging and cancer. Antioxidants help prevent wrinkles too. Can I get an AMEN for that!

Two tablespoons of chia seeds contain 18 percent of the daily recommended intake for calcium, 35% for phosphorus, 24% for magnesium and about 50% for manganese. These nutrients are important to help maintain a healthy weight and keep up those energy levels. The combination of protein, fiber and the gelling action of chia seeds when mixed with liquids help to keep you feeling full longer which means fewer calories you are snacking on each day.

Chia seeds are even gluten free. I used to be strictly gluten free however I started to slip a bit during pregnancy when I craved nothing but carbs during the first trimester. Now that Olive is here, it is time to start getting my diet back on track which means as little gluten as possible.

You may be wondering how you should incorporate these seeds into your daily diet? Well, there are several ways you can do this. To keep it simple you can sprinkle them over salads, add into smoothies and protein shakes, make chia pudding, bake into breads and muffins, etc.... All it takes is a simple Google search and you can find hundreds of ways.

I personally like to add them into my morning bowl of oatmeal. I don't notice much of a taste at all but I do love the little crunch that it adds to things. To make my morning breakfast even better for me I spruce it up with a 1/2 serving of chocolate protein powder, a splash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and banana slices. In one quick and simple meal I have already covered a serving whole grain, protein, healthy fat, a fruit, and all the little extras that the seeds provide. Plus it keeps me full for hours!

Now that you have heard how I add a serving of Chia seeds into my daily diet, how do you plan on adding them into yours?

Wow, I can't believe I have taken a 8 week break from writing an entry. The time feels like it has flown by and for good reason. As many of you know Olive is here now and I'm sure you have all been waiting to hear a bit about her. I obviously had a warped sense of reality before she was born because I thought I would have plenty of time to take care of my daughter, keep the house as spotless as I usually did, and still have extra time to write a couple posts a week. Obviously that was totally wrong. At last, I am finally back and even though it may not be several posts a week, I am hoping to get out at least one.

Ok, enough apologizing, let's get to the good stuff....Olive!

After being almost a week overdue we had an appointment with our midwife and she decided that she was going to do two things. #1 she was going to induce me two days later if we had no signs of progress and #2 she was going to try a natural and somewhat uncomfortable procedure (I'll spare you the details) there in her office that would give me a 50/50 chance of going into labor in the next 24 hours. The odds were in our favor because by 7pm that evening I was well on my way to full born active labor. We arrived at the hospital by 11pm and we were admitted. Labor was just as everyone could expect...miserable! They had filled my head with these thoughts that I could get an epideral as soon as I got there and to my dismay, that was not the case. Damn! There were a few complications that kept them from wanting to give me one and finally by the time I was 8cm dilated they decided to give it a try. Due to an old injury and as we were told very thick ligaments in my spine it almost didn't happen. Apparently the anesthesiologist was having a hell of a time getting everything in place. All I could focus on was having to not move a single inch while having back to back contractions (apparently having a 5 inch needle going in and out of your back could cause major damage if you move. Hmm, who knew!) while Hans stood there holding me down and getting more and more freaked out at what was going on behind me. Thank goodness I could not see because apparetnly it involved multiple attempts, lots of blood, and a very sweaty and nervous anesthesiologist. In the end it worked and labor was a breeze from there. At 9:20am on August 27th our little girl came into this world.

She was born at 7lbs 11oz, 21 inches long, and had the longest little fingers I had ever seen. It was actually the first thing Hans and I both noticed. After all the smiles and tears we were able to really look at her and examine every inch of this little miracle. It's so amazing at how much you can see in ultrasounds so you have somewhat of an idea what they look like but to actually see her up close is a totally different story. A few traits are already very clear. She has my eyes and Hans' lips and unfortunately she has my ears and Hans' funny toes. She is going to hate us for that later in life but now they just add to her cuteness.

Three long days later they finally let us go home. Hans and I both thought holy crap, they are actually letting us do this? We had no clue what we are doing but we are about to figure it out really quick and you know what, I think we have done a pretty damn good job at it so far! Big thanks to my Mom for spending the first 5 days at home with us. She cooked and cleaned while we tried to get used to Olive's busy schedule of eating, pooping, and sleeping. More of the eating and pooping and a lot less of the sleeping.

The next five weeks were a whole lot more of the same thing but at almost 6 weeks she threw us for a loop. Our little piggy who had never ever had a problem sucking down a belly full stopped eating all together and started screaming bloody murder non stop. Of course the day this happens is the day that Hans had left for a week long hunting trip. The next week was a crash course in don't panic and figure things out.The Doc diagnosed her with a nasty case of reflux which he compared to really bad heartburn. He sent us home with some medicine and told us to keep her propped up while sleeping. So from the date she has been sleeping in her swing, napping in her car seat, and downing baby antacids twice a day. The medicine seemed to help in the sleep department because she now sleeps like a champ at night. She goes down between 7:30pm and 8:30pm, wakes up around 3am or 4am where she eats and most of the time instantly passes back out and then is up like clockwork at 7am. Naps are still pretty short and she decides that sometimes she just doesn't want to take many of them but we are working that out. The medicine did not really help her mood out though. We still had a very cranky baby who spent more time crying than smiling. This is something a mom does not like to see and I knew there had to be something else going on with her. After a bit of research and a trip to the local Walgreens, I came home with something called Gripe Water. I have now learned that Gripe Water is God's gift to parents that have a screaming baby. It's been three days now and we have not had tears unless she is hungry or Pop pokes her with his new scratchy beard and scares her. Way to go Pop! It is also seeming to help her calm down enough to nap a bit more throughout the day. I loves my daughter more than anything even when she cried non stop but now that she is laughing all the time I not only love her but I have a blast with her. I can sit there all day and play with her. Last Saturday Pop was even going to watch her for a few hours while we went out with a friend of ours who was in town and I decided I would rather all of us just hang out and watch football. It was the perfect evening! I got to just kick back with friends, family, and my smiling little girl. I could not ask for anything more.

It's been a very chaotic 8 weeks that have flown by in the blink of an eye and I look forward to the next 8 weeks, the 8 weeks after that, the 8 weeks after that, and so on and so on...... Stay tuned for more updates but until then enjoy a few of the hundreds of pictures that have been taken.