BABY BUMP CRAVINGS: TATERS SMOTHERED IN GRAVY

So I made the Papa venture to the store to pick up a vegan mushroom gravy and packaged tater tots.  I am not the sweetest of fans and this pregnancy has mostly been a savoury one (Could it be a boy?).  It may be the last of such gluttony due to the fact that acid reflux has come on hard the past couple days.  But they were oh so good!  I'll be making some homemade stuff soon but as the Eldest Babe and I agree:  "AWESOME!!"

Happy MoFo!  And I'm still looking for pregnancy recipe ideas.  Get in my belly!

VEGAN MOFO 2014: BABY BUMP CRAVINGS THEME

TODAY'S DISH:  Buffalo Cauliflower Wings with Ranch Sauce from Hot For Food

For the past 5 years I have participated in Vegan Mofo.  It is a month where bloggers write about everything vegan.  You don't have to be vegan but you blog vegan.  This year, being the preggo that I am, I decided to have the Baby Bump Cravings theme.  It is a great way for me to meet my cravings and participate.  I plan on making some recipes up and just wingy it.  I also plan on using inspiration from other vegan bloggers, recipe books and good old pinterest.

First up, I have been dying to try cauliflower wings.  Recently I came upon the Hot For Food blog.  It is run by Lauren Toyota, a Canadian MuchMusic VJ and her partner.  Her photos are stellar and just make me salivate.  When I saw this recipe I just had to try.  

I really did love the taste but I also made a few minor mistakes which I will improve upon next time.  First, I coated the cauliflower bites too much with the batter.  It didn't crisp as I would have liked.  Parchment paper is also a must.  I had a lot of burned spots on my baking dish.  

Lastly, with regards to the ranch sauce, I suggest soaking your cashews overnight rather than the minimum 3 hours for a creamy taste.  

All in all, it tasted amazing!

If you are interested in saying hello or have any questions please comment in my comments section.  I really enjoy talking about veganism and meeting new people in the online community.  

Happy MoFoing!

  

WHAT THE MAMA WORE: BUMP HUMP

This lovely dress has been sitting in my closet for over a year.  I bought it from a ModCloth when I was close to my pre baby weight with Vye.  I never felt confident enough to wear it because I was bigger up top.  But now I am big all over and it fits nicely with my curves.  There is the cutest Peter Pan collar that ties in the back.  The black lace gives a nice elegance and it so light and airy.  I feel like a fairy.  The copper dress underneath, on a non-pregnant lady would fall nicely to the base of the dress where the lace ends.  I kind of like how it falls on my pregnant frame, ending just where the floral lace ends.  As the pregnancy continues I will continue to find comfy wears.  Please suggest some if you know of them ladies.

IT'S A.....

ALIEN.  Third ultrasound is under our belt and this babe looks healthy and beautiful.  But sure is it stubborn!  Last ultrasound the baby was in a butt down position.  I must say, we were a bit disappointed.  The technician was immediately rude to me when she saw that we brought the kids.  The babes had to hang back with the Papa and the first 40 minutes of the ultrasound she did not let me look at the screen, confirm that the babe had a heartbeat or say anything to me.  I almost burst into tears.  I mean I am definitely emotional being pregnant.  But when the Papa came in, he asked, when her head was turned, if I was alright and if she was rude.  Her lack of bedside manner was apparent and I'm so glad I didn't concoct the situation in my head.  Also, nice to know the Papa got my back.  After the babes came in, she warmed up a bit and it isn't her fault that the babe didn't reveal anything down there.  Still disappointing nonetheless.

Today, I headed to the appointment with excitement.  My technician was great.  I have had her before when I was trying to figure out my health issues.  The babe however was not, technically speaking.  The babe has the cutest nose but the most stubborn of personalities.  At present, the babe is BREECH, butt down.  This could change as the pregnancy progresses.  This position however made it difficult to determine sex, see a profile and check the ventricles of the heart.  I was instructed to move several times and then instructed to move about and eat some sweets.  The babe continued to have legs crossed and cover its face with its hands.  Very shy indeed.

No confirmation in hand, I left a little broken hearted.

Why do I want to know soooo bad?

1.   Some people love surprises.  I am not one of those people.  I have never been one okay with flying by the seat of my pants.  I like to prepare and know what I'm getting myself into.  Far from spontaneous, very little adventure:  that's me.  SOOO vanilla.

2.  Baby name.  For us, we like to assign the thing inside us a name to connect with it.  It somehow, for us becomes so much more real when we say hello to the little babe by name.

3.  The gender could mean a whole new wardrobe and a new room appointment.  We are not gender specific dressers, but we have a lot of what some would call female clothes (dresses, florals, colours). If we did have a boy I would want to make a cool wardrobe from scratch.

4.  WHAT does one do with a boy when all I've raised is girls?  A question that may need to be answered.

BUMP WATCH 2014: PREGNANCY JOURNALS

The last time I wrote I was nearing the end of the first trimester.  There are wives tales of sickness ending as you enter your second.  For me, this has never been true.  My mornings are plagued by terrible sickness that lingers throughout the day and then comes on strong again in the afternoon lasting well into the evening.  It is quite defeating.  The times I would most like to be spending with my babes are spent nursing my tummy and splitting headaches.  There are moments and times I cannot ever get back.  I am a go getter and naturally an idealist.  But dreams and art ideas never come to fruition because my physical being tells me no and my mind just doesn't want to go there.  I wait desperately for the Papa to come home, for some sort of release.  He jumps in feet first, without complaint or hesitation.  There is a gratitude that I have but a heavy guilt.  His time is precious with each of us and his is mostly spent picking up my pregnant sick body slack.

Some may be wondering "why subject yourself to a fourth sick pregnancy?"  The sickness is temporary and in fact, is not a sickness at all.  My body is doing what it does naturally to grow a human being.  That's a lot of work.  I am a vessel for this life and will subject myself to the forces of nature.  The end result is beautiful by the way.  There is no love greater than that between mother and babe.  That is what I live for.

So thank you my little big family for doing all that you can to ease my thoughts and sickness at present.  I am so full of gratitude.

GESTATION:  16 Weeks!  The babe is now the size of an avocado which my sister tells me also takes 9 months to reach fruitfulness.  I am sure I felt movement, but I could be crazy.  I am out of the first trimester and the sickness resides.

CRAVINGS:  Food please!  If you mention it I want it, NOW!  Masterchef is my nemesis.  They recently did a seafood challenge and I couldn't stop thinking about a lobster mac and cheese.  Obviously I didn't have any

MANTRAS:  I am determined to have a positive birthing experience. I have been reading the Mongan Method's Hypnobirthing Philosophy and it has been really helpful (will discuss in a later post.)

BUMP WATCH 2014: PREGNANCY JOURNALS

There is so much I'd like to share regarding this pregnancy and how I am feeling, physically and emotionally.  It is my fourth pregnancy and some may think I'm a seasoned vet.  Well, in some ways. I understand and accept the changes in my body easily.  I am a vessel for this being and it is my responsibility to allow my body to transform in anyway to fulfill this life force that beats inside me.  But I think when we decided to try to get pregnant again, I blocked out the parts that were terrifying and uncomfortable, or else I would not be trying again.  

This pregnancy was a little unexpected in the sense that we were trying but we weren't expecting it to happen so quickly.  Vye took a while to conceive and it was quite discouraging.  This time was almost instantaneous.  We are very lucky and extremely blessed.  At first, I admit, it was a shock.  I hadn't fully completed that list of to dos that many of us make before having even one child.  Who am I kidding?  I abandoned that list years ago.  

The symptoms also came full force at 5 weeks.  Headaches, nausea, drowsiness, vomiting.  Oh and a pop at 6 weeks that I tried desperately to hide because we obviously hadn't had that first ultrasound yet.  

BABY GESTATION:  12 weeks and I've popped!  Mega pop!  I am positive people noticed before we spilled the beans.  I'm usually quite petite and it is evident that parts of me are expanding.  

DUE DATE:  December 4, 2014 (I am usually a week early and am hoping to be this time as well, as per the complications of several family birthdays falling in December)

CRAVINGS:  This is bad, but I love the smell of cooking meat.  I indulge daily in ginger ale, popsicles (the Rocket pops rock my world), sandwiches with buttery spread, salty stuff and yes, pickles.

SEX:  Yes please!  LOL.  No we are waiting to find out and we have decided to keep it close to ourselves and not make any reveals.  Personally I think we are having another baby girl, but we are so happy to welcome a healthy baby into our lives and the girls are just over the moon.

EMOTIONALLY:  Not so bad.  My temper is a little short and I notice a definite mood shift when the moon is full but generally I am my regular self.  There are however, anxious fears of giving birth naturally.  I will discuss these at a later date as it is something I am going to have to definitely work through.

PHYSICALLY:  Symptoms hard!  Nausea, Vomiting (I never vomited during any of my other pregnancies), varicose veins popping in my legs (they usually subside), headaches, and restlessness at night).  I'm on heavy doses of the diclectin.  

ARRIVING DECEMBER 2014...

 ...Babe #4.  Details to come but sorry no gender reveals this time.

Our Christmas Eve