March Madness

First, and perhaps most importantly, I'd like to wish my big brother a very happy birthday! I also feel it's about time for you to get a little insight into this character who greatly influenced who I am today. So here are two prime examples of classic Chris:

(The English major in me was actually quite proud of this one.)

Happy birthday, Chris!


Terry and I are taking March Madness to an extreme this year. Apparently we've decided to just go ahead and pack as much as possible into our lives--expecting and preparing for baby, including birth classes every Sunday, touring and choosing an apartment for next year, moving, figuring out my plan for work next year, and trying to live the rest of our normal lives. It gets a little overwhelming, but at least we have a few months until the little one gets here.

After our birth class Sunday night, we came home with some homework assignments, including a few pregnancy exercises to practice and a task to record a food journal. Our first class focused a lot on nutrition and providing proper nourishment to mom and baby, and I love the packet of information our teacher provided. A lot of books and articles I've read gloss over the topic of nutrition and simply encourage pregnant women to "eat healthy" or "increase your protein," but they don't specify much about the best foods to eat. Our teacher is encouraging, among other things:

• 80-100 grams of protein per day 
• 2 servings of dark green leafy vegetables daily
• At least 3 servings of other vegetables (with an emphasis on color variety) daily
• 2-3 servings of fruit (no more) daily
• Whole wheat or brown rice foods daily
• Small meals every two or three hours, including carbohydrates and protein
• Plenty of water throughout the day
• No alcohol, sugar, caffeine, refined flour, processed foods, artificial colors, etc.

Obviously, we're all just encouraged to do our best, and no one will be perfect, but she also addressed cravings:

• A salt craving (or peanut butter craving) means your body needs--what else?--salt. Salt is excellent for you, as long as you're eating the right kind (sea salt, fleur de sel) and in proper amounts.
• A sweets craving is actually a signal that you need protein, so brownies probably won't do the trick.

I'm sure I'll be raving about this class and our awesome teacher for the next several weeks, so I'll keep it short for now. I'm just glad the first session went so well and that it answered a lot of questions I didn't even know I had.

Meanwhile, last night I was supposed to head over to my friend Heidi's house for a moms-to-be sleepover, but I ended up staying home with Terry to figure out more apartment stuff. We're hoping to hear back soon about an apartment we like, so wish us luck! My sleepover with Heidi will be on Wednesday now, which works out well because Terry will be on a quick overnight work trip. 

Oh, and happy Mardi Gras! No beads here...and no alcohol...so I guess we're not really doing it right. But as we have done in years past, Terry and I will each give something up for Lent. I'm giving up most of my time on Facebook (I'm taking it off my phone, which has just become a bad habit, but I am still planning to post my blog links on Facebook), and I'm also giving up TV before bed. 

Do you give anything up for Lent?