"Mocktails"

While I couldn't stand the thought (much less the smell) of alcohol (particularly wine) in my first trimester, I'm over the aversion now. I don't CRAVE cocktails, but I miss having them...for social reasons, stress reasons, etc. But I'm too much of a rule follower to ignore the advice of the midwives.

So here's the solution...MOCKTAILS...non-alcoholic drinks that make you feel like you're having a cocktail. There are three categories for mocktails:

Taste-Alikes--Drinks that try to be similar to the real thing. My favorite is a substitute for a vodka tonic: Tonic. Sure, it lacks the vodka kick, but add an extra lemon (or lime), and it's almost as refreshing as the real thing.

Look-Alikes--Drinks that are served up in cocktail ware, to make you feel "pinky" fancy when drinking them. My favorite example is the virgin chocolate martini. Dredge the rim of a martini glass with some cocoa and sugar, shake your milk and chocolate with ice in a shaker, and strain into the glass. Yummy!

Totally Unlikes--Unique drinks you've either never had before or rarely have, so that the unusual-ness itself adds to the enjoyment. The best I've had is at a local restaurant called, Alo, which serves Mexican and Peruvian "sips and bites." They have a great cocktail menu, which includes some fun, pregnant-friendly choices, including a fruity, floral soda I'd never find in a grocery store.

So with all the options in these three categories of "mocktails," there are plenty of options to enjoy, as well as make me forget that I'm giving up anything. CHEERS!

What is it about mac n cheese?

I don't know why...but I have had pretty consistent cravings for mac n cheese ever since about week 10. It's not something I normally eat (too much Kraft blue box in college, I think). But Central Market makes a mean version that I hadn't tried until I became pregnant. Now, it's like my comfort food of choice.

So tonight, after a particular roller coaster of a work day, how fabulous to come home to some meatloaf and mac n cheese. Did I just say that? I don't really even LIKE meatloaf!!

My Prenatal Yoga Wish

No hot yoga certainly doesn't mean "no yoga." So I've been trying out a few studios around town, ordering a couple of DVDs from Amazon, even leveraging the free podcasts on iTunes. The trick is finding something that is suitable for a regular practitioner who just happens to be pregnant.

There are plenty of yoga studios in Dallas that offer challenging classes. I went to one a couple of weeks ago that kicked my butt so much I was sore for two days afterward. It was a regular Vinyasa class for non-pregnant people, and since I was only 15 weeks, I could perform just about every pose except for the ones where you lie directly on your belly (like floor bow). Great class, but clearly not going to be sustainable as the mango-sized baby grows to be the size of a watermelon. So I tried a Prenatal Yoga class at another studio. But there, I was one of the least pregnant women in the room, and so didn't get as much out of the entirely modified, mostly stretching, and props-based class.

Same goes for most prenatal yoga videos. It seems that there is a booming market for prenatal yoga classes that cater to women who have really never taken yoga before or are only considering yoga once they get into their third trimester. So as I practice to the video, I'm wondering how much benefit I'm getting.

Then there's iTunes. I won't waste words expounding all the ways I love iTunes. But there are some pretty mediocre yoga podcasts out there where the instructors either talk too much (about the metaphysical and not the poses themselves) or don't talk enough (where exactly ARE they in this series?). And prenatal yoga podcasts are effectively non-existent.

Now, don't get me wrong...I know I'm ranting, but I do acknowledge that yoga is a very personal practice. Every body is different, and every day is different. There is no one-yoga-fits-all and so the probability of standardized yoga formats that deliver against the needs of every individual is close to zero. And I'm not draconian in my desire to push my body to unhealthy extremes.

But here's my wish. I wish for a yoga class that offers challenge for regular practitioners but includes modification for growing bellies and changing bodies during pregnancy. A class where props are used when needed, rather than as a matter of course, and where poses can be taught in first, second, and third trimester fashion. Ultimately, a class where I leave feeling not like I am settling for easy classes just because I'm pregnant, but like I furthered my yoga practice.

Hot Yoga Withdrawl

I love hot yoga. The relaxing warmth of the room, the sweat, the way my heart races during the peak of the standing series, and then the welcome transition to the floor series. Because the postures are performed in the same order every class, I find the series to be more meditative than a vinyasa or "flow" class, and it's easier to measure progress and changes from one class to another.

And I love the studio I'd found in Dallas. Sunstone Yoga has several studios convenient to both home and work. So I could go in the evening on workdays and in the morning or afternoon on weekends. Very easy to get in 2-3 sessions each week.

After my first ob/gyn appointment at 7 weeks, I was told that I could continue my practice. While I was a bit surprised (I had read some conflicting guidelines online about whether hot yoga and pregnancy were a good combination), I was ecstatic. I'd just have to figure out how to make modifcations as my pregnancy got further along.

But then I decided to change practitioners because I was seeking a more "hands-on" rather than "medical practice-on" experience for my pregnancy and delivery. In choosing the Dallas Birth and Women's Center, I knew I'd have the kind of care I was seeking. But with the "hands-on" care also came some stricter advice. At 13 weeks, I was told, "no more hot yoga." My heart sank. "Really? Even if I'm careful?" Nope. And from that day forward, I followed my midwife's advice. It's been a long 4.5 weeks without my regular practice.

The Nursery...furniture

Next comes the furniture. Ashley researched some antiquing methods to apply to some furniture we have that has been in our family for over 50 years. It had been painted and even antiqued before, so this was a super-antinquing job! A combination of sanding, applying wax to edges, then painting, removing wax with steel wool, then applying two coats of polyurethane, and...voila! (To be fair...this "voila!" took a couple of weekends worth of work.)





And then once we had the furniture selected, we needed a crib to match. We went to Craig's List to look for some gently used cribs (and really...how rough can a newborn be on a crib anyway?) and were lucky to find an antiqued one. Though, I must say, factory-antiqued is not quite as authentic as Ashley-antiqued. However, we are quite pleased to now have crib, mattress, and mattress cover all set up. So the room is furnished! I just need to find bedding, drapes, and a rug to coordinate.

The Nursery...beginnings

Nesting definitely takes on added meaning when the baby room starts coming together. And for us, that meant relinquishing the "junk" room (to which we always kept the door closed) and converting it into baby bliss. We had already painted the room yellow before we moved into the house so that it would be marked as future spot of future Smiths, but Ashley added some beautiful atmosphere by painting the ceiling to look like a blue sky with clouds...some of which are animal-shaped. Take a look: