Results matching “healthy eating” from Jeanette Hada's Wellness and Happiness Blog

It's 2:16 a.m. and Aislee is sleeping in my lap.  She's growing amazingly fast and is really active these days.  It's been challenging for her fighting her first real cold.  She'll wake up several times frustrated with her stuffy nose.

I've been thinking how incredibly different life has changed with the baby.   I wouldn't have it any other way.  It's almost frightening how much I love this tiny human.  The funny thing is, before she was born, my dear friend told me that it's important to not neglect the husband when the baby arrived.  It's been non-stop taking care of her that there really is no time to pay attention to Naoki or really myself these past several months.  Taking a shower uninterrupted is a luxury and I'm thankful when papa is able to take Aislee for a walk while I handle a few household chores.  He spends most of his free time caring for the house and garden.  What's interesting and a little funny, is that after you have this cute little one with small everything and inquisitive expressions, anything that was remotely cute or appealing in your partner ceases to be...well, cute.  Suddenly, the baby has taken control of all that is cute.  Not even Lucky, our comedic bird, can compete.

Other observations of life with baby...  Buying new clothes, shoes, makeup is no longer a necessity.  It has been replaced by buying food, toys (for baby), and diapers.  I wear mostly what's comfortable now.  Her comfort and well-being is my top  priority.  So far, I've been blessed with clients who are baby-friendly. She comes with me everywhere -- even to tour properties.

I never thought becoming a mother would incur so many changes.  The pressure cooker Naoki purchased is a lifesaver.  It makes healthy baby food in minutes!  I'll try chubbing Aislee up with avocados, sweet potatos, and bananas.  She loves Japanese pumpkin, kabocha, which cooks beautifully in the pressure cooker.  I add a little cinnamon sometimes.  She seems to enjoy it.

Finding time to eat for myself has been difficult while juggling caring for the baby and working.  Making sandwiches enables me to eat and have a free hand while eating.  My current addiction is Trader Joe's Garlic Cheddar Sourdough toasted and smothered with avocado on one side and thinly sliced cucumbers and cream cheese.  Sometimes I'll slather raspberry jam and a savory speadable cheese on the same bread which is super good as well.

Ok, time for us to move to the Sun Room to sleep.  This is where we now have our bedroom.  The Star Room is our library/office, the Moon Room is also an office (that's in serious need of cleaning).  I work in the Fire Room most of the time and the Sky Room (aka the dining room is used for gatherings.  We'll be hosting Aislee's first birthday in July and hope to see some of you here at our gingerbread house.

My baby girl, Aislee, was born on Monday, July 21, 2008 at 8:35 a.m.  It's been a rollercoaster ride adapting to life with this tiny human.  She is almost 11 weeks and looks more child/infant-like than a newborn now, though she's still technically a newborn til three months.

Here's her birth story...

Our baby girl, Aislee Reika Hada, was born unexpectedly this past Monday, July 21 at 8:35 a.m.  She weighed 6 pounds 11 ounces and was 19 inches in length. (Estimated Due Date: 07/28)

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We had originally planned early on to have a home/waterbirth, but along the way Aislee's growth and amniotic fluid levels became a concern, so my midwife declined my request for a homebirth at 37 weeks due to possible risks.  Scrambling to find an OB closer to home, I was referred to one that determined it was necessary to schedule an immediate inducement with a possibility of a cesarean.  I consumed large amounts of water and supplements and went to a specialist for a second opinion the next day. They found the baby to be in perfect health at the appropriate size with plenty of fluid, which the inferior ultrasound equipment did not pick up at that OB's office.  (Thank God for second opinions)

This past Friday after having issues over giving birth at a hospital, I requested my midwife to reconsider my birth plans.  She replied on Sunday that she was leaning towards granting my request if I would make additional preparations for postpartum care.  Later that evening after eating a bag of oatmeal cookies and a half loaf of lasagna, I went into labor...which I thought to be just a digestive problem from overindulgence.  I called the midwife at 3 a.m.  Her assistant arrived at 4 a.m. when active labor kicked in.  The midwife came around 6 a.m. and Naoki finished filling the birthing tub at 7 a.m. (too late, I wasn't about to climb into a tub at that point - thankfully the task had kept him busy though).  The baby was born on land naturally, not in water as planned, at 8:35 a.m.  She's healthy, alert, and very feisty.

Pics can be seen at http://www.aislee.net

One of the biggest perks of living close to my mom is having access to her wonderful home cooking! During my first trimester, I experienced a loss in appetite and could barely eat anything that wouldn't make me nauseous. The only dishes I could truly indulge in were prepared by my mother. Garlic and onions would turn me green, which is strange since my mom used both of those ingredients to make her lasagna. My baby is probably made of 80% lasagna / 5% oatmeal cookies / 10% white peach cobbler / 5% pickles. Of course, I've made it a habit to take my vitamins, extra calcium (w/magnesium and D), folic acid, plus a consistent amount of omegas for her development. I falter a few times a week when it comes to eating low-glycemic, and really try to monitor my sugar intake. At nearly eight months, I've gained 18 pounds and will continue to watch the scale and what I eat to insure this little girl is getting proper nutrition and gaining weight in a healthy way. In other news...we finally closed escrow on our home last Friday. It was a challenging experience purchasing a bank owned fixer upper, but the lovely little gingerbread craftsman was well worth the wait and huge pile of paperwork! I've dealt with many REO (real estate owned) properties this past year and am always amazed at what they previously sold for and how much attention or lack of was spent on maintaining the home.

We just arrived in Japan yesterday after a long journey by car, plane, speedboat, and minivan!

Our first place to visit was my in-laws in Mie. My lovely mother-in-law, Misako-san, prepared a wonderful assortment of dishes of different types of sashimi, homegrown edamame (soybeans), lots of fresh vine-ripened veggies from their garden, and mixed rice loaded with yummy bits of shitake mushroom, tofu, and other greens. In addition to their green tea, they also have a huge garden of tomatoes, cucumbers, shiso (a type of basil), grapes, and much more.

For breakfast this morning, we had grilled mochi (rice cakes) wrapped in seaweed, miso (w/tofu, seaweed, and more mushrooms), fishcake stuffed with cucumber, and more melon and white peaches...yum!

It pains me to write about this subject, as I find it difficult to maintain composure as an adult when discussing the subject of ..well, flatulence. You know, passing the gas, tooting, cutting the cheese, etc. I could go on, but then the point of this blog entry would be lost.

Many of us have issues with digestion, either with acid reflux (heartburn), gas of some sort, constipation and/or diarrhea. Going from an unhealthy diet of junk/fast food to a super healthy eating plan can also cause an "uproar" in our system. What may be lacking are the necessary and beneficial enzymes need to properly breakdown our food, as well as a quality probiotic supplement to assist with the complete digestive process.

Well, I'm not sure if this could be counted as "healthy" eating, but if you wanted to indulge in something wickedly delicious, a custard/cream puff from Beard Papa might do. That is if you don't mind waiting for a few to 30 minutes in line.

This chain originated in Osaka, Japan and has several shops in various parts of Asia and is now scattered in