Chapter 35

Yep, this is my birthday week, and birthday weeks usually get me to thinking about where I have been, where I am at, and where I am going.

I have had some pretty awesome birthdays in my life. As a kid my mom always made sure our "day" was super special and celebrated all the things we loved. I was pretty spoiled on birthdays because even on Angela's and Jessica's birthday, I usually got my own cake! This, however, was not my mothers doing, but the lady who baked our cakes that we affectionately called Aunt Faye.

You probably remember my surprise 30th birthday celebration. That is one that will definitely go down in history as one of the most fun weekends ever! You can read about it here.
http://brookemorehead.blogspot.com/2011/03/im-gonna-be-mister.html

So where am I now with only 6 days left until I turn 35? This week at school we had a guest speaker, and he talked about how all of his life his father emphasized the importance of "being a man" and his progression of understanding what that meant in his life. He broke it down into three points calling, commitment, and contentment. His words really resonated with me.

We are all "called" to do something great! Great varies in size and shape and action from person to person, but we are still called to do something great. I know for myself that a lot ,if not most, of the time, I sit in park with my ignition on idle just accepting what comes my way and going with the flow. This is not all bad, but to do something great, I've got to get moving.

I have set BIG financial freedom goals for my family this year. I am taking as many small steps a day as possible to get there.  A commitment is an agreement that your heart and mind make to dedicate time and energy to doing something great! I am committed to being better today than I was yesterday in all aspects of my life. It is easier said than done because sometimes, today, kicks my ass!

I am content in know that even the things that seem small to me can make a great big difference to someone else like Wes or Harper. A smile, a hug, a simple encouragement can change someone's day.

So here's to being content in my commitment to doing great things in chapter 35 of my life. Cheers!

Until next time...

XOXOXOX

Clean Eating

You have probably heard of clean eating but might be wondering what exactly those two words mean or how to go about cleaning up your pantry and frig. Eating clean is about focusing more on the nutritious foods that come from the earth and less on the not so nutritious. This means embracing foods like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, plus healthy proteins and fats. You don't have to count calories or give up entire food groups. You simply cut back on unrefined grains, added sugars, salt, and unhealthy fats. You fill your shopping cart with more foods from the outer isles of the grocery store than the inner isles.

I know what you saying, "that is great and all, but how do I do it?"

When you make your shopping list each week, select one or two items to switch with clean items. For example, if you need bread this week, make it a point to find "clean" bread (100% whole grain, no added sugar and identifiable ingredients such as whole wheat flour, salt and yeast). If you ran out of white rice, pick up a package of brown rice this week. It doesn’t have to be difficult to make the transition to clean foods—nor does it have to happen 100% overnight!  With this slow and steady approach, you don’t have to spend hours at the store reading labels either. Start small: You are also more likely to stick with it if you don’t shock yourself with a sudden change. (SparkPeople, Clean Eating 101)

So now that you have your refrigerator stocked, what are you going to eat? This used to happen to me all the time. I would go shopping and buy all of this food, but then go and grab something to eat at McDonalds. The most important thing you can do is create a meal plan BEFORE you go shopping. 

And then enjoy delicious foods like these that are clean and easy to make! 

Now you are thinking WONDERFUL, but how can I afford all of this? If you think about, you spend more money dining out than you do shopping and eating at home. Last week, Wes, Harper, and I ate out 2 times. The total was $110.00 for 2..TWO meals. Sunday we spent $112.00 at the grocery store for 6 meals a day for three people for 6 days. In my opinion, we can't afford not to eat like this. Here are some tips from sparkpeople.com (Clean Eating 101) to help keep your budget in check. 

• Look for in-store coupons. Coupons and sales flyers for your grocery store are more likely to highlight discounts on real food (like fruits, vegetables and unprocessed meats) rather than the coupons provided by food manufacturers, which only discount processed foods.

• Shop in bulk. Bulk items are often far more affordable than the packaged varieties. If your store offers bulk food bins, you also have the option to buy as little or as much as you want at a given time.

• Stock up on sales. When your store does have a sale on clean food staples such as meats or frozen vegetables, take advantage of that by stocking your freezer. It will save you money in the long run.

• Manage your food well. This is a big one. We throw away a ton of food in this country every day and it contributes to our food bills in a big way. Freeze cooked foods you know you won’t get to right away and don’t cook so much that you can’t eat it before it goes bad.

• Buy whole chickens. These go on sale regularly. Be sure you use the entire bird by making broth for soups with the portions you don't eat (bones, necks, backs, etc.). You can always freeze it if you can’t use it right away. Try these suggestions to get the most for your money out of a whole chicken.

Remember these simple rules and you will win at clean eating!

Until next time..

XOXOXOXO

The Knee

I remember it like it was yesterday. The sun was shining bright in the cloudless blue sky, the birds were chirping a lovely morning song, the air was filled with Harper's laughter. We were running after each other in a game of toddler chase, and then I felt it. A pull, a twist, a something completely uncomfortable. Ewww.. mommy hurt her knee, let's go inside!

The rest is history as they say! My knee did hurt on and off after that morning, but honestly, I didn't think that much about it. I thought it was just a pulled muscle or possibly just me being a baby. I am like, sometimes.

Until....

This past Saturday night, when I couldn't get up off the couch because my leg would not move. I could not straighten it out without feeling liking I was going to faint. I couldn't roll over in the bed. I couldn't walk to the bathroom. All of which led to me reluctantly visiting the ER Sunday morning.
Which led to an appointment with an orthopedic doctor, Thursday morning.

Everyone in the building was sure I had torn my meniscus. They were already signing me up for surgery and explaining how it was all going to go, but luckily that is not the case.  The MRI showed that I didn't tear anything. I just bruised my bone really badly. This caused fluid to build up around my knee. Because I was sitting with my knee bent on the couch, a pocket of fluid gathered there in a cyst formation, which bound the tendons and ligaments in the back of my knee causing the immobility until the fluid was able to move out.

According to MD-Health, Like most types of trauma, a bone bruise is characterized by pain and swelling. However, the pain involved in a bone bruise tends to be more severe and lasts longer than a soft tissue trauma. The swelling may be seen around the soft tissue surrounding the bone, such as the skin and muscles, and may be accompanied by discoloration. When a bone bruise is adjacent to a joint, blood and fluids can spread to the joint, causing it to swell.

A bone bruise may cause minimal damage to a bone which may be detected with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) but not by plain x-rays.

A knee brace and some anti inflammatory medication should have me back in business in two to six weeks. It is already a lot better and at least I can get around now because crutches are NOT for me!

Hopefully, this blog will not turn into a journal of my medical history, but rather it will be a fun and informational fitness and nutrition blog. I digress.

Until next time..

XOXOXOXO

The "C" word

Cancer is never a word anyone wants to hear no matter how common or curable. A few months ago, I noticed a certain place on my back was itching and burning more often than not. It was right above my pant line so for a while, I thought it was my pants rubbing a sore or something like that. 

It was in a spot I couldn't see by twisting in the mirror, so I had Wes take a picture of it with his cell phone one night in November or December. My first thought was hmmmmm.. itching, burning, pink spot, I better have this checked out. Especially, since just a few months prior, I had some moles removed that came back ok but showing signs of sun damage.

January 18, I went in and had a biopsy of the place, and sure enough the report was basal cell carcinoma, skin cancer. 

According to the American Cancer Society, basal cell carcinomas are the most common type of skin cancer, and approximately eight out of every 10 non-melanoma skin cancers will be basal cell carcinoma. These cancers develop within the basal cell layer of the skin - the lowest part of the epidermis.

This type of skin cancer tends to occur in areas of the skin that receive the most exposure to the sun, like the head and neck. Basal cell cancers usually grow slowly, and it is rare for them to spread, or metastasize, to nearby lymph nodes or even more distant parts of the body. However, this can occur if the cancer is left untreated, so early detection and treatment is important.

Basal cell cancers can also recur in the same place that the original cancer was found. Patients who have had basal cell carcinoma once have an increased risk of developing a new basal cell cancer elsewhere. Potentially as many as 50 percent of these patients will develop a new basal cell carcinoma within five years of the first diagnosis.

I am heading back to the doctor, Monday, February 8, to have another outpatient surgery to make sure that they remove everything that is there. I write all of this to say, pay attention to your skin. If you think something is "funny" or out of place, please get it checked. I did not wear sunscreen as a teenager, and I visited the tanning bed way to often as a young adult. Cancer is cancer, and it is ugly. 

Don't put off seeing your doctor. Early detection is SO important. 

Until next time..

XOXOXOXOXO

Harper Elizabeth Morehead (Our Natural Birth Story)

The Bradley Method
From the beginning of this pregnancy, I knew I wanted to have a natural child birth. I had no idea what that really meant other than reading about other moms who had done it on "mommy blogs." At a random appointment, I mentioned to Dr. Ware, my OB, that I thought I would forego the epidural. She said that in her experience, if you really wanted to forego the epidural, you needed a plan. She recommended reading about the Bradley Method. I came home, Googled it, and despite even Wes' apprehension that I could actually go through with it, signed us up for classes in Hattiesburg every Tuesday night for the last 12 weeks of our pregnancy.

The Bradley Method is centered around 3 main ideas: nutrition, exercise, and most important, relaxation. I believe with all my heart that these three things transformed my pregnancy. Lets just say that 23 weeks of throwing up consistently 2-5 times a day and the inability to put my own shoes in the second trimester was not my idea of fun. As soon as our instructor, Elizabeth, sent us the workbook, we started the diet, doing the prescribed exercises, and relaxing at night. All of sudden, I had energy. I could do pretty much anything I could before I got pregnant. Sure I got tired faster, but the difference in the way I felt was night and day.

The more we learned about the benefits of natural child birth, the stages of labor, and how to manage pain, the more confident Wes and I both became in our ability to birth our children without medication and certainly without non-essential interventions.

After many lengthy conversations with Dr. Ware, a birth plan was written, and anticipation of the "birth day" of our little girl grew!


Pre-labor/Early labor

My labor really started about 4:30 Thursday morning (March 27). I worked Thursday, of course, because my plan was to work until my due date unless baby came before. Thursday afternoon, Wes and I walked the neighborhood and while the amount of contractions increased, the timing of the contractions remained sporadic. I contracted all Thursday night and began to have a bloody show. Friday morning (March 28) things slowed down a bit. It was a stormy day so Wes and I went to the mall to walk some more. Again, the contractions became more frequent but with little consistency.  I had a doctors appointment at 3 pm so we headed over hoping to hear that progress was being made. I had my first cervical check of the pregnancy.  I was dilated none to one, but the cervix was soft. After hearing that we both sort of relaxed and stopped timing each contraction although, I continued to have contractions all Friday night. Saturday (March 29) was pretty calm as far as contractions go, but I still had them sporadically throughout the day. I worked in the yard and just sat down when one would hit. They really picked up Saturday night, however.  Even though, I knew I wasn't in transition, Wes and I had agreed that we would go to hospital when my contractions were 5 minutes apart for an hour. They had been for about an hour and 45 minutes. So, we headed to the hospital around 11pm only to find out still very little dilation so we headed back home. Sunday morning (March 30) woke up with contractions still going strong, but the times were still sporadic. Sunday afternoon I soaked in the tub for about two hours and contracted the entire time. Around 8 pm, I asked Wes to contact our doula, Rachel White, because I could not take another night of contractions without progress. We were both exhausted! She suggested a Tylenol and a beer. I obliged, and I attempted to go to bed!

Active Labor

The Tylenol and beer might as well have been thrown down the drain because they did nothing to provide relief. In fact, my contractions were getting stronger and closer together with each passing hour. Wes feed me ice chips and compressed my hips while we laid in bed. I would fall asleep between contractions and wake up saying help me, help me! Which meant I wanted Wes to massage or compress or give me ice chips or do all of these things at once. I really had no idea of how much time was passing, how far apart the contractions were, or anything else. All I could concentrate on was breathing through each contractions and relaxing after each one. Wes was a CHAMP!!! I know he was tired and frustrated because with every contractions, I wanted something different. I wanted more pressure, less pressure, more ice, less ice, and sometimes I just sobbed! I had to go to the bathroom, A LOT! I would try to make it from the bed to the toilet between contractions, but I almost never made it! I would yell for Wes to come to the bathroom to help me! Of course, he always came. Finally, I asked Wes if he was timing these contractions. He said yes, they had been 2 minutes apart for about 2 hours. I said we needed to go the hospital this must have been around 3am. He did all the last minute prep, and off we went. While in the car, I started saying that I had to push. Wes kept saying, "Do not push in this car!" I kept telling him not to drive too fast, I couldn't wait if we got pulled over. 

The Hospital/Transition

When we arrived at the hospital around 4am, I somehow walked into the ER entrance, and I remember leaning against a concrete pillar. A security guard told he would get me a wheel chair, and I told him to hurry, I had to push. I remember seeing a lady named Emily that I remembered from Saturday night and she ran with me down the hall and up to second floor. This time when we got to labor and delivery, they didn't worry about putting me in triage. I went straight into the labor room where a lovely soul named Sharon was my nurse. She automatically asked about our birth plan, and I could hear Wes giving her the information about the wireless electronic fetal monitoring, asking her to call Dr. Ware, explaining about the the Group Strep B antibiotics because I tested positive, etc. I went straight to the bed and started taking off my clothes. After a few minutes, I was checked and had dilated to 5cm! I didn't really need to push after all. Rachel arrived, and I really calmed down quite a bit. 
The next few hours are kind of a blur.  I remember talking to my parents on the phone and asking them to let the dog out before they came to the hospital. I remember walking around, sitting on the birthing ball,  and being in the bed at times.  I remember Dr. Ware calling us on the phone to tell us she was on her way.  I remember Rachel telling Wes to get the nurse when I said I had a lot of pressure in the front and wanted to push.  I remember the nurse or maybe Dr.  Ware saying I was at 10 cm with a bulging bag
of waters.  I remember two nurses and Dr.  Ware kind of standing in the background.  I asked about the time and it was around 9am, I think. I thought to myself,  I'll have this baby before lunch.  And then there was what seemed like a really,  really long pause.  

Second Stage

I asked the room,  "so with the next contraction I can push,  right?"  All agreed.  I asked Rachel why my water didn't break and she said something about my diet being good.  I didn't talk much during this stage except to ask for tissue ( Did I mention I had a cold? ) and ice.  And really I just held my hand out and didn't say anything.  My favorite position to push in was standing up with my arms on someone's shoulders and squatting during the contraction. I also liked sitting in the bed with Wes behind me.  I wasn't very loud and Rachel keep reminding me to make low groaning sounds. The pain during this part was not as intense as I expected. Pushing took all the intensity out. I still had no idea how much time was passing. I just keep relaxing between contractions and thinking about breathing through the next one. We were taught to take two deep breaths, hold the third one, and push with our lower half. I just keep thinking about over and over. I remember Wes telling me that an hour and half had passed. I think I asked to be checked again at this point, and someone said that the she was about half an inch from crowning and to give it my all in the next few pushes. I did! I pushed long and hard and held my breath and I never felt a baby crowning. I asked the room for suggestions and said I must be a bad pusher. Someone suggested changing positions. So I moved to all fours and tried to do some pelvic rocks between pushes. That was the first unbearable pain, I had felt. I let them know that that would not work. I moved to the birthing ball and that was when I really started to feel the pain in my lower back. This is when I started to talk directly to Dr. Ware and tell her where it hurt and ask her what to do. She said she thought the baby was OP (occiput position).  My water still had not broken. Dr. Ware checked me at this point and the water finally broke which was a relief, but there was meconium in the water.  There was no reason to be alarmed. The baby nor I were in distress. But by this point, I had been pushing 4.5 hours. Dr. Ware also said that the baby had moved back into the uterus and a lip was forming around the cervix. So, I said this is going to be a section, isn't it? 

C-Section

Dr. Ware expressed that she did not want to do a section on a healthy baby and momma, but she didn't think this baby was coming out. I know there was more discussion, but I don't really remember what was being said because the contraction pain increased by a lot. I remember Rachel and Wes rolling me back and forth on the bed to try and turn the baby. I remember Wes asking everyone to leave the room. I remember crying. I don't remember what I said or how the decision was made. I remember asking Dr. Ware how long the section would take and she answered 20 minutes. I said, if you can get it done in 20 minutes let's do it. At this point, everything started moving really fast and felt very chaotic. I got an epidural (just the shot) and that helped me relax a lot. Dr. Ware came in and said that I wouldn't be able to hold the baby right away because she wanted her to be checked for meconium aspiration, but that they would bring her over right after that. The nurses starting telling me that the baby was almost out, and Wes wasn't in the room. I started yelling down the hall for him to run! I remember Wes standing or sitting next to my head. I heard Harper cry. Wes left to go see her. And then.... it felt like I couldn't breathe. I couldn't focus on anything else. I kept saying over and over again, I can't breathe. The nurse assured me that I was fine and said she was giving me medicine for it. Wes brought Harper over and I started ripping at my gown to get skin to skin and it was all tangled in the cords. And then... I felt sick and started dry heaving. And Wes and Harper left to go to the nursery. Sadly, I don't remember what happened after that. I remember seeing Harper for the first time and someone asking who she looked like and I said Wes. I don't remember breastfeeding her. Luckily, Wes took lots of pictures. I don't remember getting to our regular room or Harper coming in from the nursery. I do remember the medication being so strong that as soon as they gave it to me, I feel asleep. 

In the End

While this is story is very disappointing to me, Elizabeth, our Bradley instructor, emphasized that in the end a happy, healthy family was always our goal. Well, we met that goal! And while, I didn't actually deliver Harper without medication, I did give her the best trail of medicated free labor I could have. I didn't give up, and she and I are healthier for it. 

There are no words to express how amazing Dr. Alisha Ware was. Her call shift ended at 7am Monday morning. She had clinic that day, but she stayed in the labor room with us all morning and afternoon. She never left our side because she wanted to make sure that the nurses and other doctors on call gave us the time and freedom to have the labor and delivery we wanted. I am forever thankful for her! 

Wes and I could not have survived the day without Rachel White, our doula. She was so supportive and helpful and gave us the extra confidence we needed. She is also as skinny as a twig, but strong! That girl held me up for hours!! I am happy to call her friend. 

And Wes, what can I say about him. He started this process wanting to sit in the waiting room and have the nurse come get him when it was over to being my labor and delivery coach. He exercised with me every night. He made me eat eggs for breakfast even though I protested everyday.  He labored with me for 4 long and tiring days. He endured a lot of gross stuff. He gave me everything I asked for even when I am sure he just wanted to slap me. He called our families and text the updates during the entire process. He kept our friends informed. He didn't let me miss a minute even when I wasn't lucid by taking pictures of precious moments. He stayed with Harper and instructed the nurses on how to care for her. He gave me food when he wasn't suppose to. He never left my side. He always reminded me to breathe. I love him so! 

At my last doctors visit, Dr. Ware said that a VBAC is not out of the questions because of my excellent labor. Would I do it again, absolutely! Only next time, I want one of those 7 hour labor and delivery deals. 

Until next time..

XOXOXOX

Photo Card

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

New York City in 48 Hours or Less

Hey everybody!! I know it has been a long time, and I will get to that in another post. But, I don't ever want to forget this weekend, and maybe you, too, want to see New York in 48 hours or less.

Thursday 7am: Wake up and do your chores.
Take a shower. Drop your dog off at the vet.
Swing by the bookstore and buy a guide to NYC.
Park at the airport. Sail through security because your liquids are in a bag.
Eat lunch at airport. Board plane to Houston.
Make your connecting flight to Newark, NJ.
Watch 2 movies on the plane (Parental Guidance and Guilt Trip)
Arrive in Newark, NJ at 7:25pm. Take a shuttle to a train. A real train with a conductor and a clicker just like in Polar Express.
Take the train to the subway. Haul suitcase up and down stairs of the subway while trying to keep up with your husband who thinks he is walking slow, but you are having to jog to keep up.
Exit subway a few blocks from your apartment. Walk 10 feet behind your husband because you just can't jog with luggage anymore.
Get lovely flowers from your sister-in-law. Go in apartment. Put luggage up. Walk a few more blocks to an Italian restaurant. EAT!! Finally!!!
Walk back to apartment. Sleep!

Friday 7am: Wake up and get ready! It is going to be a BIG day in the BIG Apple.
Walk a few blocks to the subway. Ride to Carroll St. Get off. Walk a few blocks to Dawn's apartment.
Relax and listen to some of her new recordings. Walk around her neighborhood and around her neighborhood looking for a restaurant that is closed. Walk to another restaurant. EAT!
Walk to the subway. Ride to the Brooklyn Bridge exit.
Walk to entire length of the Brooklyn Bridge.

At the other side walk a few blocks to Ground Zero. The memorial isn't open, but it is surreal feeling to think I was possibly standing in the same spot where a young lady hid behind a car covered in ashes. 

Freedom Tower is beautiful even in an unfinished state.

Walk several more blocks to Battery Park to see the Statue of Liberty from a distance. Don't take to ferry, today. There's no time for that. 

Watch a street show in Battery Park. While walking to the subway admire the beehives at the edge of the park. 

Ride the subway to Time Square. Step out of the subway and into an amazing view. Tall buildings, billboards, lights, people, FUN! 

Walk down Broadway. Stop at the Hershey store because the Reese's are as big as my face, and they have giant bottles of chocolate syrup. What more do you want?

Cross the street to M&M World where you personalize your own M&Ms and dance with Blue. So much fun! 

Keep walking up Broadway to Wes's old Theatre right next door to David Letterman's theatre. 

Look for a pizza place that was there 12 years ago, but spot the Soup Nazi and decide to eat lunch there. Order the lobster roll, shrimp and corn bisque, a plum, a chocolate, and a coke. Walk to Central Park and enjoy your food there sitting in the grass. 

Walk through the park and enjoy a Popsicle. Use the bathroom in the Plaza Hotel. 

Go into FAO Schwartz. Play with toys! Marvel at the newborn nursery. Wish you could have visited when you were a kid. Get your fortune told by Zoltar. 

Use the bathroom at Trump Tower. Walk down 5th Ave. You are starting to get tired, but there is so much to do. Stop at Tiffany's, Uni Glo, and H&M to browse.

Walk through Rockefeller Center. Stop and eat that pizza you've been searching for. 

Walk back through Rockefeller and see where the Today Show is filmed. Walk down to Radio City Music Hall for a photo op. 

Catch a glimpse of the Naked Cowboy. 

Catch the subway back to the apartment. Chill for 45 minutes. Change into something fancy. Your feet are hating you for putting on high heels. Catch a cab to Lincoln Center. Drink an $8 glass of wine to help ease the pain in your feet and legs. 

Watch the New York City Ballet Company. AWESOME!

Check out Dawn's dressing room backstage. 

Forego the margaritas and catch a cab to the Empire State Building. Hold back those tears. Your feet aren't hurting that bad. Okay, they are but don't cry this is your Sleepless in Seattle moment. Ok, the moment is ruined. The pain is too bad. Go up to the 102nd floor, get the picture, get out.

Catch cab to apartment. Crawl up stairs and into bed at midnight. Sleep! What a day.  

Saturday 8am: Wake up and pray you can walk. You can with a limp so get ready. There is more to do. Walk to a breakfast place. Take it all in. This is your last day. 

Walk to China town. Purse? Watch? Use the bathroom in McDonalds. Read the sign that says you have 30 minutes to consume food. You are being monitored. Ok, I must be in the school cafeteria. Visit the Phoenix Mall and let Wes haggle for a purse you want. So fun! 

Continue walking to SoHo. Browse Top Shop and  the Scholastic store. Make mental note to shop in SoHo next trip. 

Walk to the campus of NYU. 

Start walking back to apartment to pick up luggage. Stop and eat at Papaya King. Best hotdogs, EVER! Drink the coconut champagne. 

Get luggage from apartment and seriously consider going to the New York Public library, but don't go because you might miss your flight. 

Walk to subway. Be smart this time and get Wes to carry your suitcase up and down the stairs. Ride the wrong subway train. Catch another one. Get off subway at Penn Station. Get confused. Get lost. Get directions. Run to train with legs that are struggling to move. Catch airport shuttle. Get searched at airport because your jeans have too much bling. 

Watch Zero Dark Thirty on the plane. You have thirty minutes to make your connection in Houston. You shuttle to terminal A. Shuttle breaks down as it arrives at terminal A. The doors won't open. You are stuck inside. All those signs about emergencies. Follow them. Press the button. Talk to a person. Lift the lever, pull the cord, force open the door. Notice security guard freaking out. Run past him. Make it to gate in time to order McDonalds. 

9:45 pm Home Sweet Home