I turned on the air conditioning in my car today. In February. I don’t even use my air conditioning in July.
Baby Cakes is making me hot, and, as someone who is freezing cold 90% of the time, I love it.
Breakfast
Pinova apple and my homemade nut butter
We had ½ cup(ish) each of cashews, walnuts, and almonds hiding in the back of the cabinet – so I threw them all in the food processor with some salt, turned it on for about 3 minutes, and voila – mixed nut butter. Deeelicious.
For lunch, I had leftover tortilla soup.
After school I had a doctor’s appointment, and I haven’t gained any weight in the last few weeks. While that’s okay with me, it’s apparently not good for Baby Cakes, so I resolved to eat all of my dinner tonight.
Not a problem with these Jamaican Jerk Fajitas. I had no idea what I was doing – I just wikipediea-ed “jerk seasoning” and then went wild.
The veggies: zucchini, two bell peppers (yellow/red), red onion, two rings of canned pineapple (okay, not a veggie) – all sliced
The “jerk” seasoning: allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, thyme, salt, pepper – I think it was about 1 tsp. of each
I sautéed it all with about a tablespoon of olive oil.
Just like the doctor prescribed, I ate the whole thing (granted, it was a taco-sized tortilla) – and it was seriously good.
Then I drank a sip of water. Then I burped – and I threw up. (Luckily, I was standing next to the sink.) I guess it was too much food for my squished stomach. Lesson learned. I’ll figure out a way to squeeze in those extra calories somehow.
In the 3rd grade world…
Another fantastically entertaining journal response.
This morning’s prompt was:
If you were given a plain white shirt to decorate however you wanted, what would it look like? Why?
I would make an awesome shirt. It would have the words NO GIRLS on the back. It would have a bomb. There would be flames on it. But before all that, I would get it to be black. Maybe I’ll put paint ball splatters. Then I’d put a face that’s flaming. It would be awesome. That’s the way I’d decorate it.
Your best guess…written by a boy or a girl??
That is such a funny journal response! I love it!
haha! Girl?
JK. haha thats too funny! I suppose they are still in the “Koodies” type days! lol
I love how you made such an assortment of nut butter for you breakfast! hah
hahahah that would be an awesome shirt. or totally violent, whatever.
Hum… I think it might be a boy?! Just a guess though. Good luck with the extra calories… I’ve had a severe lack of appetite lately and food has not been very appealing
Total boy.
Love that journal. Oh my.
I’ve never tried making a mixed nut butter before! LOVE IT!
What gave you the idea to add pineapple to your Fajitas?
Hehe, was that a boy by chance?
I need to try that nut butter! I have been afraid of trying to make my own and just ruining a whole bunch of expensive nuts. I never thought about doing a mixture though!
Lots of delish foods on the plate today, too bad you weren’t able to keep dinner down
Good luck trying to plump up a little 
Good to hear the follow up comments from the doc…. Baby Cakes is measuring just right and doing well….. Adding calories sounds like fun! I’d like to try it…. ha ha
I’m glad you’re such a creative cook and eat all kinds of healthy things… you’ll find something that tastes good to do a little plumping!
I’ll keep my fingers crossed so you can eat a bit more, without throwing up.
Maybe eating every hour something calorie dense?
homemade nut butter! YUMMMM
I would have to say a boy… but you never know
Don’t worry, you’ll gain the weight that Babycakes needs! A little oil here, a little nut butter there, some extra snacks there.
The fajitas look amazing! I love that you made your own homemade jerk seasoning. I’m trying this soon.
I love seeing what’s happening the 3rd grade world! It cracks me up!
Sorry about the weight gain probs and getting sick
The journal entry is hilarious!
You look like a healthy weight to me.
Did your doctor say how much weight he believes is healthy and why?
I am just wondering, because I can’t find any proof that lots of fat on the Mom body does any benefit for Baby. A little extra is prudent to ensure there is at least enough nutrients for Mom and Babes – especially if there was an emergency where Mom can’t eat.
I know there is much opinions and politics in what I am saying here. I am definitely open to any wisdom anyone has to share – I want to know what I am getting myself into.
It’s just that, from what I’ve found so far, it’s all a matter of opinion, not fact.
~Curious and Contemplating
I read this in the middle of a break studying for my Nutrition Throughout the Lifecycle Exam.
Pregnancy weight gain is 50% fetus (fetus, placenta, amniotic fluid) and 50% mommy (uterine walls, breast tissue, and fluid retention). Your total blood volume increases by approximately 20% during pregnancy (this is a piece of the weight gain puzzle). Your blood volume increases to help facilitate the supply of nutrients and the removal of wastes. The smaller the increase of blood volume during pregnancy, the greater the risk of low birth weight and miscarriage.
The recommended weight gain for a woman with a normal BMI pre-pregnancy is 25-35 pounds. This range comes from the fact that when you calculate all of the things that need to grow during pregnancy (fetus, placenta, amniotic fluid, uterus and supporting muscle, breast tissue, increased blood volume, maternal fat stores – only 7lbs here – and maternal fluid retention) the total weight gain is 30lbs.
I am so sorry for writing a novel on your wall, Katie. Apparently I’m pretty jazzed about the topic!
Thanks for your response Emily.
I am aware of pregnancy weight gain facts – I have read them many times in my recent research and quest to create the healthiest little one in the coming months.
So my thoughts are two part:
1. I don’t use BMI to calculate a healthy weight for most people. (It was invented when doctors needed to come up with a way to tell obese people they were in the danger zone) It doesn’t take a lot of things into consideration and proceeds to tell my husband and I we are underweight, though we could each obviously lose 5-10 pounds and still be healthy.
At the ‘healthy’ BMI, my husband and I had rolls and felt horrible. LOL.
2. What if a Mother only gains 3 pounds of extra body fat? Does that mean she must overeat to gain extra body weight in the form of fat stores? Are we told that this is healthy? Why?
I have found no basis of reasoning for this. Most Mothers already have 7 pounds of fat stores available (in case of emergency) before they conceive.
It feels like the old, “because I said so”, routine.
People have been birthing healthy babies for a lot longer that doctors have created birth weight ‘ideals’. I have found women who had healthy babies while gaining as little as 19lbs. If Mother and Baby are healthy and weight gain represents appropriate fetal growth, what’s the concern?
I must end with this to be clear. I have no idea where Mrs. Unger is in all of this (how much she has gained thus far, etc). I am not saying she does not need to gain weight because I do not know. It just brought up these thoughts I have been having and I wanted to share them here to see what others had to say, and if anyone had thought of it like this before.
Also, as I embark on my first Baby journey I will continue to prioritize healthy choices and see where that puts me in the weight gain category.
Katie – I respect that this is your blog and you may not be interested in what I have to say – TOTALLY COOL!
It is kind of a hot topic. Do with this what you please.
I love your blog and really appreciate you sharing your pregnancy and teaching adventures with us! It’s something I look forward to in my day. You have a great sense of humor.
Pregnant One
I AM interested in your thoughts – my apologies for not responding sooner. The only reason my doctor was concerned about the lack of weight gain was because the BABY isn’t growing as rapidly as she would like. She stressed that MY weight is fine – it’s the baby that needs to gain weight (thus, I will put on a couple of pounds, too).
I also think that the BMI is a pretty stupid way to measure “healthy” – I have no clue what mine is – I just know I’m tall and lean and fine with that. I exercise daily, eat when I’m hungry, and stop when I’m full. Those are the only “measures” of healthy that I use with myself. In fact, I have no clue how much I weigh. I just listened to the doctor when she said “eat more” – I’m not force feeding myself, just trying to eat a few more calorie dense foods (nut butter, olive oil, etc.)
Thanks for your thoughts and kind words about my blog. Katie
Thanks so much for this! I think I have read some of these percentages before, but it’s nice to have it all in one spot so I can refer to it. I think I’m doing just fine with weight gain – sometimes doctors just like to scare me, I think.
Happy Friday!
Well I’d venture a guess that it was written by a boy but I have a feeling you’re going to say it was a girl?? Crazy kids.
I’m so sorry to hear about you throwing up your dinner.
I’m still in the “I want to puke but I really don’t” phase. If I feel like crap I’ll try my hardest to throw up before meals since I’m one of those people who can’t eat a certain food if I’ve previously gotten sick after eating it.
Good luck with your weight gain, even though food isn’t as appealing as it once was I’m sure you’ll have some fun with the process of plumping up little Baby Cakes!
Ummm…I’d have to say boy.
I wonder if he’ll still be saying that in 5 years – Haha!
Hahaha.. wow. That’s creative!
Your poor stomach!
My gosh I love your kiddies!!
sorry you threw up your jerk seasoning dinner! it sounded delicious
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[...] Yes, I want cake. a third grade teacher with a sweet tooth and a healthy appetite (for two) Skip to content HomeAboutContactQ&ARecipesBreak the FastBaked OmeletteBanana BlissBreakfast Chia Seed PuddingBreakfast QuinoaGluten-Free Vegan PancakesPumpkin Oat CakesTriple Chocolate Peanut Butter OatsDelish DinnersAlex’s Sweet Potato Summer SaladChicken MeatballsChile Chicken over ZucchiniDempsey ChickenEggs Foo YoungFake Fried ChickenPantry Clean OutPinto Bean BurgerPizza CrustShrimp PastaSlider SaladSweet Potato FrittersTangy Crock Pot ChickenTurkey Lentil SoupVeggies, Veggies EverywhereWhite Chicken ChiliExtras and ThingsChristmas CrackGlazed CarrotsHummusLa Fouace aux Noix (Bread)Spanish RiceSpicy Sweet Potato FriesMid-Day Yummies(Mostly) Raw Thai ColeslawCottage Cheese DeliciousnessTuna Melt NachosMost importantly…dessert(Almost) Raw Flax Cookies5 Minute Chocolate Mug CakeAlmond ButterApple Chunky CakeChocolate Almond RicottaCinnamon Oatmeal SundaeCinnamon Pumpkin Agave BlondiesDessert PizzaLemon Peel Ricotta CrèmeMeeker’s fave CC cookiesOatmeal Pumpkin CookiesRainy Day Hot ChocolateRaw Chocolate CakeSeven Minute Frosting ← Squished [...]
This made me laugh out loud. I love how you do “In the third grade world” section…it’s very entertaining
I had a fourth graders measure each other today and one girl told me she was 6 ft. 4in. If that was the case, I must be 8 ft. tall. Love those kiddos.
I’ll have to try those jerk fajitas! They look fabulous. I also love apples, and how awesome that you made a mixed nut butter. How delicious.
Definitely the penmanship of a boy! Excellent spelling. The only thing that gave me chills + jitters … was the mention of b***. (Not gonna repeat it.) Hopefully, one way or another, it was brought to the student’s attention. Children do have pretending/vivid imaginations.
Love your blog. Best of with Baby Cakes! Things will be much-much better. You’ll be able to “hold down” this recipe real soon. Patience.
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