oatmeal power breakfast.

Since I am in my last trimester, I have been trying to  add a lot more omega-3s in my diet. I have had a very big oatmeal craving throughout my pregnancy. I know, it's bad because of all the carbs, but it has it's benefits! It helps keep me regular and helps me avoid heartburn. 

In order to get more nutrients in my morning meal, I added;

Fresh blueberries

2 tablespoons of Black Chia Seeds (filled with omegas and fiber ! ) 

Pecans

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

1 cup of 2% milk

Rolled oats 

Hope I inspired you to eat yummy and nutritious!! 

36 weeks.

I think today was the day I realized that this little guy is on his way. According to my estimated due date, he is about 36 weeks. However, he has been measuring 1 gestational week earlier. So, I am feeling more like 37 weeks! I am feeling such a difference from last week. I have been experiencing false labor. It feels like a few steps higher than Braxton hicks contractions. When I would get Braxton hicks contractions, I would just feel uncomfortable and feel tightening across my uterus. The contractions I am experiencing now will continue for a few hours, and will occur in regular intervals. I did pretty good at monitoring them. However, there was one night I was having about 7 in an hour and I kept falling asleep after one would subside. It was hard to keep track, even when they would wake me. I was tempted to call labor and delivery that night. I think my body will let me know when I am in real labor. My goal is to labor at home as long as I can. Since I am attempting a VBAC, I don't want to feel pressured and be on a "clock" as soon as I walk into he hospital. 

Baby movements: he is moving like crazy!! He doesn't have a favorite side anymore. 

Symptoms: heartburn like crazy!!  I also get episodes of nausea. My hips are so weak. It is definitely difficult to be in any position. It has become very difficult to change position also. I also came down with a cold! It is not making this week any easier. 

Nursery: I still have to finish washing some of baby boys new clothes. 

Health: my blood pressure has been trending a bit higher. It is still under the preeclampsia threshold. There was a trace if protein in my urine. Lab work was fine the last time we checked. However, this still has me a bit worried since I had preeclampsia with my first pregnancy! 

Dilation: 1 cm as of  yesterday! 

Big brother: izzy has begun playing "little brother. " he has a pretend bottle and feeds his teddy bear. He also started to at "pretend baby store." He can't stop talking about how he will carry his little brother and help feed him. 

Daddy: also beginning to realize that the date is closer than we thought! 

Can't wait to see what changes will happen within the next couple days ! 

Teriyaki Rosemary Salmon

Sauteed Veggies:

1 tablespoon of EVOO

1 pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic

1 pinch of pepper

1 teaspoon of butter

a few sweet peppers

mushrooms

onions

- over medium heat, mix butter and evoo. when ready, toss in garlic for a few seconds and add all veggies until they are to a texture of your liking ( I dont like my veggies too soft, I try to keep as many vitamins as I can).

Teriyaki-Rosemary Salmon

hawaiian sweet teriyaki sauce

salt

pepper

butter

salmon

rosemary

lemon

marinate for an hour or longer all ingredients except butter. set your oven to preheat at 375. in a baking dish, rub butter across the bottom of the dish. lay out the salmon and add half a tablespoon of butter on top of each fillet of salmon. bake for about 30-40 minutes or until the fish begins to fall apart when you touch it with a fork lightly. 

Oops! I can fix that!

So...... when you mess up pillows by putting them in a dryer with a pen, this is what you get. I always try to make sure to check the dryer before putting things in. Whoever used it last left behind a stinkin little present.  I took out the first pillow along with some towels I had thrown in and freaked out. Then...... I thought to myself, there has to be a way to cover it!! so here it is!! I hand stitched a fabric over. It took under 30 minutes to cut and sew it on while watching TV! It doesn't have a home yet, but I'll probably use it in the bedroom when I use the black/grey bedding!

Paleontologist for a day

Izzy had soooo much fun yesterday. We decided we wanted to have a theme for the day. He decided it should be a "Dino Day."  One of our activities was to pretend to be a paleontologist. I kid you not, he played with this little last minute kit I put together for 2 hours! He pretended he was a paleontologist and he was dusting the "desert sand" off the "dinosaur fossils."

I mixed together some unbleached flour, coffee grinds (to give it more of a sand texture), and a few tablespoons of water to make some parts of the mixture a little more muddy. I added some dollar store dinosaur toys and used some old brushes for him to dust the flour off!

We both had a blast. 

Nursing school tips and interview

What was most exciting for you your first semester? When I started nursing
school, reality hit me when I logged into Blackboard to view the syllabi for my courses. I bought a brand new planner and began to fill in my reading assignments, quizzes, simulation days, clinical days and exams. I read lecture titles such as “Assessing the Peripheral Vasculature,” “Concept Mapping Heart Failure,” and “AnxietyRelated Somatoform and Dissociative Disorders” I took a deep breath and smiled as I realized the type of content I was finally going to be studying. It was real and I finally made it to nursing school. I was ready for what was to come, or so I thought.
needed to focus on the action plan instead. I am very passionate about this subject because it is something that I struggled with. I think the key words of advice are to constantly recenter yourself with the purpose of why becoming a nurse is best for your family, be resourceful, remain positive, and be organized.

What was your greatest struggle Junior 1 semester?
My greatest struggle as a Junior 1 was learning timemanagement skills. It took awhile for me to learn how to plan my time to be a nursing student, mom of a toddler, chef, maid, accountant, etc. At first I felt I was the only one struggling in this area. Fortunately, I was a member of the Scholars in Service program. In this program I was able to find other students who were sharing the same struggle. Together, we shared ideas on how to make our lives easier and more organized.
What do you wish you could have done better your first semester?
If I was able to go back in time and give myself advice, I would tell myself to set time aside for things I love to do such as crafting, mombaby activities, and exercise. I was always so tense and preoccupied with what I needed to get done due to procrastination. Looking back, there probably wouldn’t have been such procrastination if I was rested, healthy, and clearminded. Trust me, you need sleep to function and be attentive in theory, lab, and clinicals!
(optional) What was your experience as a parent in nursing school? Being a mom while attending nursing school has its challenges. Looking back, I focused a lot on the challenges my first semester until I realized I
What is one thing you wish someone would have told you before starting the program?
I wish someone would have told me to read about communication. Being a first generation college student, my family didn’t understand what college was like, let alone, nursing school. With little time to spare, you have to find a way to get family members to understand the intensity of nursing school. Otherwise they are going to think you’ve gone mad. If I would have had the selfcontrol and communication skills needed to explain the intensity of nursing school, I would have steered away from many of the bumps I had along the way. It is very important to let your family members and loved ones know that they have a great role in your success by supporting you and let them know how to support you.  

Hello to all of those who stumble upon my blog in the future. This is a place where I will be free to write about whatever in the world is interesting to me at the moment. Beware that I jump from hobby to hobby and topic to topic. I will be rambling about things from cooking, cleaning, fitness, nursing school, and being a mom. Hope you find it interesting!