Reston Mom

On the summer menu

GRILLED BBQ CHICKEN PIZZAS

What you need:

whole wheat pitas

favorite BBQ sauce

pre-cooked chicken 

thinly sliced red onion

sweet corn (best if freshly sliced off the cob raw)

diced tomato

mozzerella cheese

fresh cilantro

olive oil

What to do:

Preheat grill. Brush the bottom of each pita with a little olive oil and place on a cookie sheet. Mix cut-up chicken with a little BBQ sauce.  Spread a little BBQ sauce on the top of each pita and then top with cheese, chicken, red onion, corn, and tomato (don't overdo the tomato or it can get soggy). Grill either on pan or directly on rack until cheese is melted and bubbly.  (Watch your heat or you'll blacken the bottom of the pitas).  Remove and sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro.  Use a pizza cutter or kitchen shears to cut each into about 4 triangles.  Enjoy!

What baby's eating today

avocado, mango, fresh basil leaves, unsweetened almond milk - all go into mommy's blender and VOILA! Healthy baby food that Shepherd loves! 

what I'm thinking while I work out

I did 70 "leapin' lizards" today in 10 minutes*  It was awful.  I didn't feel like doing it.  I had to give myself a big pep-talk beforehand.  Some days are just like that.  But, I've been trying harder lately to keep myself in shape by exercising and caring for my diet.  And I've been meditating on a few things to help me out. I'm going to share what those things are, but it might sound pretty strange to you if you aren't a Christian. Maybe it will still sound strange if you are - but this has helped me more than anything ever has before.

I've heard trainers and other folks say that if you want to "get into shape" or "lose weight" or "get healthy" or "get ripped" or whatever, that "you've got to do it for yourself first."  They say that you can't do it for anyone else, but you've got to think about yourself and your needs first. Put yourself first. 

I totally disagree.  First of all, I know myself too well.  I was thinking about myself when I ate that donut and when I sat on the couch watching tv.  If my only motivation is me, well then I'm weak and lazy and it just isn't going to happen....  Second of all, that isn't the way things work in God's economy.  And since, in my experience, things always seem to go better when I do things His way...I'm going to give that a try.

So, here is what I think about when I really, really, really, really want that brownie (or five) and when I really don't feel like exercising - here is my personal mantra:

"This body is not my own."

Don't you find that you tend to take better care of things that belong to someone else? I do.  That's why I can't do this for myself first.  And, my mantra is true you know.  Truth helps too.

So here is what I'm meditating on:

My body is for God.  I was created for His glory.  My body should display the beauty of his design in me, the lovliness of the human form.  I should be fit and healthy to serve Him (and therefore others).  If his Spirit dwells in me, I should honor my body as a holy dwelling place.  I should honor it anyway just because God made it.  I should show gratitude by taking good care of what God has given to me.

My body is for my husband.  ( The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. 1 Corinthians 7:4).  God designed my body to bring pleasure and comfort and reassurance to my husband (likewise vice-versa).  Therefore, I should maintain my body in a way that brings the maximum amount of enjoyment to my husband.  Not out of fear or to earn his love, but to be a blessing to him because he already loves me and thinks I am lovely.

My body is for my children.  God gave me four children through this body.  He has entrusted me with their care.  I should make an effort to keep myself strong and healthy and supplied with energy in order to take the best possible care of my kids.

Lastly, my body is for myself.  When I am able to go as God bids, to healthily enjoy my husband, and to healthily enjoy my kids and when I am able to give enjoyment and care to them, it is pleasing to me.  

*what are leapin' lizards?  A form of burpees.  From a standing position, drop to your hands and feet, push your feet out in one movement behind you until you are on the floor on your belly. Push up into "plank position".  As you do this, bring your right knee towards your elbow with your leg turned out so that your inner thigh is parallel to the floor (think of how a lizard might walk it's back legs), then return to plank position.  Jump your feet forward so that you are in a squatted position and jump straight up and off the floor with arms raised straight above your head.  As you jump up, twist your body so that you are now facing the opposite direction.  Repeat, but use the opposite leg and rotate your jump in the other direction - thereby alternating between legs and direction each time. How many can you do in ten minutes?

no sugar challenge

I've got my whole family joining me in a no-sugar challenge for this week, since this is completely my weak spot.  It hasn't been as difficult as I'd imagined.  I realize that if I just stay away altogether, the cravings begin to wane after a bit and are manageable.  However, once I start eating sugar, it just sucks me right in.  

So for this week: no adding sugar to things like oatmeal or coffee, no sugary foods or beverages, no chocolate (argh!), no sugar substitutes - except for small amounts of honey or stevia.  I did not stop a few things like peanut butter (we choose a variety with very low sugar) but I have been trying not to gorge us on fructose either - such as over indulging in fruits and fruit juices, what would be more than normal moderation or other processed - even minimally processed - foods like "health bars" that contain a lot of brown rice syrup or "cane syrup" . It's easy to turn to replacing the sugar in my diet with other stuff to fill that craving instead of focusing on eating what is really good for me. 

You'd be surprised what things you find sugar in.  You've got to read labels closely for sugar, corn syrup, sucrose, etc....  Even "healthy" foods like yogurt contain a lot of sugar.  

the next workout

Here is my workout from yesterday - it was pretty hard for me.  I was doing the push-up part of the burpees girl-style by half way through.  I feel good today though, stronger and sore.  It was worth it.  I didn't get my time however, because though I thought I started the timer, it wasn't going.  I was bummed about that. I'll write more soon about getting back in shape and what I've surprisingly been meditating on that is helping so much.  

Repeat 3x:

10 breakdance style push-ups (5 each side)

10 reptile burpees

50 mountain climbers

20 sumo squat knee-ups (10 each side)

20 prisoner get-ups

20 tricep dips (I used my coffee table, or a chair will work)

breakdance style push-ups:  start in "crab walk" position with butt off of floor, decide which side you want to do the push-up and which foot wil stay on the floor.  Slide the other leg under and behind the other foot and flip over into a one-legged push-up position, do a one-legged push-up, return and repeat on other side.

reptile burpees: once you are in plank position, look over your right shoulder, slightly tilting your body in that direction, bring your right knee up towards your elbow/shoulder with your hip turned out (so that the inside of your thigh is parallel to the ground), return to plank, do a push-up, repeat the reptile on the left side, and complete the burpee.

sumo squat knee-ups: stand with legs a good distance apart and knees and toes bent slightly outward, squat pressing your butt towards the ground with weight in your heels, as you come up - lift your right foot off the ground bringing your bent right knee up towards your chest as you twist your body toward the right side, bring foot down and squat again, repeat on left side.

prisoner get-ups - lie on the ground with legs straight and arms straight over your head.  tuck your left foot behind your right knee and press your right foot into the ground, bring your arms up and over your head using your abs to sit-up and immediately follow through with the motion using your right foot to stand up with arms over head.  Then, basically do the entire thing in reverse until you are lying down again and repeat with the alternate foot.

tricep dip - using the edge of a low table or chair - facing outward, grasp the edge of the table with palms down and elbows bent, tighten your abs and straighten your body into a plank and balance on your heels.  Use your arms to lower yourself toward the ground and then raise your self up again for one dip.  

getting back in shape

Today my fitness goal was simply to fold my 8 loads of laundry, carry each one up the stairs, and put it away.  It felt like a lot since my legs are still tired from yesterday's workout.  Maybe I'll actually get in some intentional exercise later, but for now I'm just going to post the workout from yesterday.  My friend Katie sent this to me - her time was better than mine, but I was just happy to actually finish the workout. My time was 24:15 and like I said, my legs are feeling it today.  Maybe I'll start posting more about my current fitness regime.  If you want to try it and time yourself, I encourage you! You don't need any equipment except your own body.  Just do whatever you can and work to challenge yourself instead of matching my time or someone else's.

Do the following series four times:

20 push-ups (10 full, 10 girl-style)

20 air squats (2 feet flat on floor, strong abs, weight in your heels, push your butt as low to the ground as you can)

20 walking lunges (ten each leg)

run your stairs 10 rounds (once up and down = a round) (I had to walk this alot :)

20 box jumps (I used my first stair since I'm not used to these)

 

pumpkin butter thumbprint cookies

I'm always trying new recipes and I love it when I come across a keeper.  Right now I'm loving these little cookies - they are like a traditional thumbprint cookie, but not too sweet.  I think the pecan-sandiness and sweet/salty taste of the cookie in combination with the pumpkin butter really captures the idea of fall.  These would be great to munch on during the game or even as a before dinner appetizer on Thanksgiving - or a nice hostess gift as well.  If you like a sweeter cookie, you can opt to lightly roll the edges in powdered sugar once the cookies are completely cool.  Also, if you aren't a pumpkin butter fan some seasonal alternatives would be to fill the cavity with apple butter or whole berry cranberry sauce or preserves.  (I bet the cranberry ones with a little powdered sugar would be very pretty at Christmas time). Yum!

Oh Oh Oh - I just had a brainstorm!  This cookie dough recipe would make a great pre-cooked cookie crust for something like a no-bake pumpkin cheesecake! Oooooh, I'm going to have to give that a try!

1 C + 2 Tbsp whole pecans
1 C flour
1 stick of butter
3 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp of vanilla extract
Pumpkin butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place pecans in a food processor and pulse until they resemble a very coarse sand.  (Don't over process until the nuts become butter). Add the sugar, flour, and salt and pulse until combined and you can't really discern the nuts anymore.  In a separate bowl, cream the butter and add vanilla extract combining well.  Add dry mixture to the butter mixture and hand mix until the dough come together.  

Scoop out a tablespoon of dough at a time.  Break the tablespoon in half and roll each half into a ball. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Use your finger (I use my pinky to get the right size) to make an indentation in the center of the cookie ball.  Fill the indentations with a little bit of pumpkin butter. Bake for 12 - 18 minutes.  

The cookies will not really brown or give much sign on top when they are finished.  I look for a light golden bottom to the cookie.  

cute Thanksgiving ideas

I love these cute and easy ideas for a kids table at Thanksgiving:

Paper bag popcorn turkey over at One Charming Party

Apple cider apple cups over at Gimme Some Oven

breastfeeding and Jesus

You can tell by the title that this may be a little bit of a strange post and there is some personal stuff in here that might be more than you want to know, but hang with me here for a moment.

After four babies, I feel like I could almost qualify to be a lactation consultant.  I can tell you about positioning the baby, correct and incorrect latching, nipple care, how to tell if the baby is really eating or just using you as a pacifier, avoiding the engorgement discomfort, etc...

And still, I spent a good portion of the first week in excruciating pain (at least every time Shep latched on). Apparently sometimes it doesn't matter what you do, tender skin is no match for a voracious little eater.  

I can see why some moms quit breastfeeding.  Really.  It is so hard to do something when you know it is going to physically hurt you.  Knowing that it is good for the baby and having the experience to know that it is very temporary does help.  But I confess that in the moments that Shepherd was drawing tears from my eyes while drawing out his dinner, that didn't feel like enough.

I'm beyond that point for the most part now and enjoying those times with Shepherd.  I made it through the tough moments by meditating on something amazing.  

From Phillipians 2 - Rather, He made himself nothing, by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.

Jesus suffered for my sins and for the sins of everyone - and he suffered pain unimaginable, both physically and emotionally.  Because of what He did, I will never have to know that kind of suffering.

But the thing is, He didn't have to.  He obeyed the Father's will.  He made himself nothing. He submitted himself to pain and suffering and death.  He chose this path because of his unfailing love for me.  And for you.  

And so I spent those moments focusing on this truth.  While I allowed myself to experience a little pain for the sake of the child I love, I pondered the great love which sent Jesus obediently to suffering more gravely and more undoing than I can ever know.  And I found solace there - in the knowledge that any bit of suffering I do here now is immensely slight in comparison to that which I have been saved from and that the truly overwhelming love I feel for the child in my arms is far less than the love God has shown for me.   

In that light, my pain was so small.  And placing myself there for the sake of a child I love became a joyful act and an unexpected special reminder.

It's a boy!

Shepherd Michael was born Monday morning and weighed 7 lbs 4 oz and measured 21 in. long.  

I can't say enough good things about my docs or my hospital (Fairfax) - the entire experience was really good, just as it was when Amelia was born.   

I'll write more later about what it is like to bring a fourth baby home.  Reflecting for now, I'd definitely say that each pregnancy got harder but each C-section got easier.  I'm feeling really well and also feeling really comfortable with Shepherd and all the things that go along with a new baby.  It seems that experience does make a big difference.  In some ways, there is a small feeling of victory, like "finally, I got this."  But there is always something new to tackle with each child.  Having a boy is wonderful, we are already so smitten by him.  He came out looking like our kid - lots of dark hair, very round face and cheeks, Matt's feet; all things he has in common with his sisters.  Strangely, he has a cute little cleft chin.  We have absolutely no idea where that comes from.  

He emerged screaming (not crying, screaming) and peeing everywhere! He continued to scream/cry (really, he's a screamer - he was furious about being born) for nearly an hour....but has been the most content baby ever since.  He sleeps great, eats great, burps great - and has peed on his father at least once.  We are both still working on the diapering technique which is so new to us.  

We are happy to be home although our new baby is a little bit yellow.  All of our kids have had some jaundice, though none of them have ever had to go under the lights.  So, we've got extra appointments this weekend for Shepherd, which is a little annoying.  His skin was so red for the first few days and then with the yellow, he kind of looked a bit like a sunset :)  But he is absolutely gorgeous and I am so very grateful for him.  Our family feels complete and we are just settling in to enjoy these early days.