Tag Archives: Family

To All My Prego Friends

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 Time I have spent with my pregnant friends lately has reminded me of the miracle of life and the beauty of our beginning.  Being a part of something so monumental will always be one of my favorite experiences in this life.

From the question of  “Could I be pregnant?” to hearing the heartbeat and feeling that first flutter to meeting this “mini me” is such a thrill!  Like the diversity in every human being, so is the pregnancy experience.  I love hearing stories and telling my own.  What a fascinating, whimsical  time.  It’s a season filled with NAUSEA, funny food CRAVINGS, curious DREAMS,  NO ENERGY at times, night sweats, CRAZY emotions, WEIGHT gain, and STRANGE changes within your body –  all within a short period of time.  And can we talk about feeling overwhelmed?  It’s so hard to grasp the fact that your family as you know it, whether it’s just you and your hubby or the 4 kids you’ve already had, is about to change.
I remember when we just had our first-born, Taylor.
It was the 3 of us.
We were a perfect family.  Life was sweet.
Then we prayed for a second baby and before we knew it, I was waddling around all big, emotional, and swollen.
We were all so excited about the new addition!
We all began to prepare in our own way.  Jeremy stayed calm and cool and just enjoyed Prego Ashley.  He understood and loved witnessing the miracle that was happening in me.  I also think he was amused by the
“new wife” he all of a sudden had!  đŸ™‚
It’s important for the husband to understand the changes happening within the woman.  If he can appreciate the wonder that is taking place, he can be more supportive and enjoy this time.
I went into my super mom mode of nesting and nurturing.
Taylor took on her new roll as big sister and began practicing.
I LOVED watching Taylor turn into a big sister.  She prayed for a brother or sister and knew this baby was a gift to our family!
I do have to admit, however, that there was a small unspoken part of me that was sad that the 3 of us would never be this way again.  I could not wrap my head around this “new” family… but I couldn’t wait for it to begin!
Well, on a September morning we found ourselves at the hospital
and that afternoon we got to meet our son for the first time.
It was one of my favorite days of my life.  In a moment, my family was now different… better…more complete.  Now it was the 4 of us.
It was perfect.  I love the four of us- Team Benson!  Now I cannot imagine “us” without every person.
So here are a few tips that might make your pregnancy a little more Comfortable and Enjoyable!
  • Eat small, nutritious  meals often
  • Stay updated with the growth and development of your baby.  It’s so cool to realize that when you eat spinach, for example, you are actually giving your baby what it needs for healthy skin, eyes, bones, and more!  This can change the way you look at food!
  • Pack your underwire bras away until you are finished supporting your baby!
  • Be cute, but be comfortable!
  • If you start swelling, watch your salt intake and drink lots of water.
  • When your ankles start swelling, put your feet up!
  • Read “So That’s What They’re For“  by Janet Tamaro for breastfeeding… GREAT BOOK! 
  • Exercise during pregnancy can help with energy, stamina, posture, and decrease back pain and fatigue.   It can also help you sleep better and can make all the difference in having an enjoyable, comfortable pregnancy.  Being active  may prevent  gestational diabetes (diabetes that develops during pregnancy), relieve stress, and prepare your body for labor and delivery.
  • Swim as much as possible… especially in the last trimester.  Take a break from the gravitational pull on your body in the water!
  • Other types of exercise safe for pregnancy:  walking, indoor stationary cycling, step or elliptical machines,  low-impact aerobics, stretching and strength training.
  • Pilates is good as long as you don’t do any exercises lying on your back after the 1st trimester.  I do have to add that Pilates is the BEST thing you can do to prepare your body for  pregnancy, and the BEST thing you can do postpartum!  After having a natural birth to my son, the nurse that was with me during the hard labor and delivery asked, “What DO you do?”  She was amazed with my strength and how quickly I was able to push out my baby!  I totally sold her on Pilates that day!  She saw the benefits!  I will also add – while I’m at it – that I recovered very quickly from my pregnancy.
I will write a new post  on my own personal experience with exercise and pregnancy soon!  I will also talk about exercise guidelines and prenatal supplements,
including what herbs are good, and which ones to avoid while pregnant!

WHAT IS HAPPENING WHILE WE SLEEP???

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I want to start by saying “Thank you” to my dog- Apple– for modeling for us today.
When we sleep our body repairs!
    • Exercising:  during resistance training, the muscles actually tear.   While sleep, the muscle rebuilds stronger to adapt to the new load demanded of it.

 

  • Sickness: during sleep, extra protein molecules are produced that help the immune system to strengthen and mend after being compromised by pollutants and infectious bacteria.

 

 

  • Growth:  we can’t forget that kids do a lot of growing during those important hours of sleep.

 

New studys are suggesting that getting the right 
amount of sleep may…
  • improve memory– the brain appears to restructure and reorganize memories- they become stronger
  • improve inflammation– research suggests that people who get fewer hours of sleep—six or less per night—have higher blood levels of inflammatory proteins
I look like I need sleep!

  • improve performance- A study conducted by Stanford University looked at college football players.  Those who got 10 hrs of sleep for 7-8 weeks had improved sprint time.  They also had less fatigue and stamina in the day.

  • improve grades- sleep deprivation impairs learning
  • improve attention– adults get sleepy with lack of zzzz’s, but kids get hyperactive, are inattentive and impulsive  (ADHD-like symptoms)
  • encourage a healthy weight– when sleepy, hormones that increase appetite increase in the blood; studies also show that people who were well rested lost more body fat and those who were sleep deprived lost muscle mass

  • and decrease car accidents–in 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that being tired accounted for the highest number of fatal single-car crashes where the driver ran off the road. A higher number than crashes caused by alcohol! Lack of sleep affects decision making and reaction time.
So how much sleep do we need to get these wonderful benefits?
 
according to Better-Sleep-Better-Life.com

Newborns (0-2 months old) 12-18 hours
Infants (3-11 months old) 14-15 Hours
Toddlers (1-3 years old)l 12-14 Hours
Pre-schoolers (3-5 years old) 11-13 Hours
School-aged Children (5-10 years old) 10-11 Hours
Teens (11-17 years old) 8-9 Hours
Adults 7-9 Hours
 So yes maybe I just want to show off my cute kids and my dog, but I also want us to look at our sleep time as HEALTHCARE!
 It’s necessary for us to be our best… to be on top of our game!
Apple seems to have sleep figured out.
 Let’s take our cues from her and get some!
Sweet Dreams

I am ME Because…

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In 1980, at age 2, I began having problems with asthma.  By the age of 4, it had gotten really bad.  I had weekly allergy shots and high doses of Theophylline  and Alupent.  I also depended on my rescuer inhaler regularly.  At age 4, I weighed 27 lbs.  When I would get up to 30 lbs, I would get sick and drop back down to 27 lbs.  One pharmacist said that he had never filled such high doses of this medicine for anyone.  This was necessary to keep me alive!  From ages 4-9 we visited the ER every couple of months.  For a long time I had asthma attacks every night.  My parents tell stories of nights that they could not wake me up to take my inhaler.  I remember being stuck in my dream trying to use my medicine while my parents, in reality, were splashing water in my face trying to wake me up so I could actually use my inhaler.
This experience created an extremely insecure child.  All I wanted to do was be normal… to run and play without stopping to use medicine because I couldn’t breathe!

1984 (age 6) Prior to the olympic games, my parents recorded – on VHS tape 🙂 – the movie about the 1976 olympic gymnast Nadia Comăneci.  She was the first olympic gymnast ever to score a perfect 10, and went on to score 6 more 10.0 and win 3 gold medals.  That became my favorite movie and she became my hero.  I wore that movie out, and boohooed every time I watched it.  I was so inspired by the gymnasts’ athleticism and my heart yerned to have the freedom to run, jump and move like they did… to be able to work hard and achieve great things.
That summer, I watched with all focus and attention, the great Marry Lou Retton score perfect 10s on both her floor routine and the vault.  It was beautiful, and I cried.  It still makes me cry today when I think about how that made me feel.

Well, I never became a great gymnast – I tried 🙂

but I was blessed with an incredible family who was “determined to not let their little girl think she was a sick kid”- my mom.

Recently, as I looked through my child hood pictures, began to see my life differently.  Yes, I was sick and could not even participate in a full class of P.E., but I did have a lot I COULD do.

I took 8 years of dance.
After 4 years, my father presented me with flowers.  This was a BIG moment!

I also spent my childhood out at the lake.  We had a barge… a floating, one-room “house” with bunk beds and a mini kitchen.  It was really cool… and seemed a lot bigger to me when I was young.

At age 7 my dad taught me to water ski.

My Grandma always had me out being active.  We road bikes a lot and kicked the ball around.  I remember her taking me to the tennis courts and teaching me how to play volleyball and basketball.

More moments that shaped me…


Pretty sure the 80’s threw up on me! LOL
It’s ok, you can be jealous of my hair and glasses.
One final influence I want to mention is my Uncle Ken- my dad’s brother.
He was a professional power lifter in the  70’s and 80’s… achieving 2nd in the world in with the deadlift!
He encouraged me and taught me never to say “I can’t”
I clearly remember a particular moment when I was in high school, at the gym with my dad and uncle.
In the middle of our workout, Uncle Ken loaded a 45 lb. bar with 45 lb. plates = total of 135 lbs. and told me to deadlift that!

I think I first chuckled and then I said, “I can’t do that!”  Then he corrected me and began to help me focus mentally.  To my surprise (and not his evidently) I was able to dead lift that weight… 1 time!  That was all I needed to do.  I learned a HUGE lesson that day.  I can do more that I think I can if I set my mind to it, stay focused, and work hard!  If there would have been a gold medal to be given at the gym that day, I’m sure I would have won it 🙂
I am who I am today because of my experiences.  In every physical activity I have ever done, I’ve had to overcome asthma and have had to work harder than anyone.  I’ve learned that if I stay focused and remain positive I can reach my goals.
Never say “I can’t” and never quit!
I thank God for the childhood I had and for giving me a family who wouldn’t let me be a sick kid!

Slow-Carb Diet and…. Chuy’s??????

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I know many of you are wondering if Jeremy and I have had to give up our favorite Tex-Mex food, and the answer is… absolutely NOT!  It’s actually extremely easy to eat mexican food on this diet.

We have stumbled upon Chuy’s 3 times this week and I would like to share the secrets with you!

Sadly, I couldn’t eat chips.  I missed them very much!  Good friends and conversation really helped take my mind off of my habit of reaching in to grab one of those crispy chips and scooping up some fresh salsa and creamy jalapeno.

I ordered chicken fajitas, substituted the rice with extra beans, and asked them, “PLEASE don’t bring me any of those delicious warm homemade tortillas”.  I just couldn’t bare having them in front of me.  I also asked for my own bowl of creamy jalapeno.

I mixed the chicken and vegetables with the beans, guacamole, fresh salsa and creamy j.  IT WAS SO GOOD!  I intended to take a picture of it before I ate… at both meals. However, my mind must have shut down when I got my food and  didn’t even think about the picture until the food was GONE!… both times!!!

I do have pictures of us enjoying Chuy’s in Houston when Taylor was 2 years old!

To sum it up, there are plenty of options at mexican food restaurants.  I was filled and satisfied.

This is NOT allowed in the Slow-Carb Diet – sad! – but if you have been faithful and committed to your diet for 6 days, I think you should enjoy this to reward yourself!

See you at Chuy’s!