The Flergers!

So, doubtless most of you have seen my numerous food posts on Facebook over the last month or so and have seen the hashtags regarding the Whole30 that I've been talking about.

I've never been on an eating plan or made special concessions regarding food choices in my life--its just not something that I've ever had to do or wanted to. So when a coworker (Hi Dack!) told me about the Whole30 back in late January I thought "Pshh. NO FREAKIN' WAY I could do that!" No sugar? No dairy? No alcohol? That's a one-way-ticket to Crazytown, and I'm not boarding that train. I put it in the back of my mind and let it collect dust.

If you only even know me a little bit you know that I LOVE FOOD. I do. I love to cook it, to eat it, to talk about it, to think about it, to plan for it, to make it important, etc. Ever since I was a kid I've been baking or cooking for my family and it is my first love. But for a while now its become a frustration to me. And since I had another baby and we moved and my time got spread super-thin, food had just become a hassle. It was just "one more thing" I had to worry about for myself and my family and I started to resent it. I didn't really feel like cooking (I did it, but often begrudged the task) and I'm sad to say that for a while we were relying heavily on fast food, take-out and cereal. I am not knocking this as a lifestyle choice--its just not the norm for me or my family and it was not a good thing for us.

None of the things I talked about in the previous paragraph have anything to do with WHY I decided to do the Whole30, but they will come back into play, so stay with me.

Several months go by and I learn that my beloved friend RoseMary has been talking to her daughter about the Whole30 and she and I started talking about it again. This time, instead of thinking negatively about it, we started asking questions and reading about it. We talked to Mr. Dack and found out what it did for him and how he felt afterwards. We started pinning recipes to Whole30 Pinterest boards and drooling over potential dinners. We joined a support group on Facebook for inspiration, guidance and to know that others were doing it too.

WHY did I have a change of heart about it? Ya'll--I'm 38 but for a while now I've felt like I was 65. I have had aches and pains in my joints for no reason, especially in my knees and shoulders. I haven't slept well in years, and when I got a good night's rest it was thanks to a sleep aid because that was the only way I could stay asleep. Towards the end of the school year my eating habits had gotten really bad and I felt like crap all the time. I was eating nothing but sugar and carbs (but not from vegetables) and drinking more regularly than I probably should have. My brain felt foggy all the time, and I'd compensate for the fogginess and lack of sleep by drinking coffee off and on all day. My hormones still felt all out of whack post-pregnancy, and my PMS and periods were really bad. I had an upset stomach and felt bloated more than half of the time and just figured that was how things were going to be and that I would just learn to live with it.

Or not. Because lets be honest...I'm a control freak and I'm not content to just sit here and feel like crap. I'm gonna do something about it!

The more I read about the Whole30 and talked to people the more curiosity I about it. I read a lot of amazing testimonials online and in doing this I found people I knew who were coming out of the woodwork who had also done this. These are the people that I leaned on for support until I felt ready to take charge myself. I got the book "It Starts With Food" on my Kindle and started reading it, and then the Whole30 cookbook came out and I grabbed that one too. I scoured Pinterest for things that sounded "doable" for a Whole30 newbie and started making a menu plan and grocery list. I decided that I was going to do this even if I was the only person in my house who was.

The first thing you need to know is that this is VERY doable. It is NOT a diet but it is a "reset" for your metabolism and a "do-over" to help you with your relationship regarding food. You can read more about the program on the Whole30 website (which is a really good resource and I highly recommend starting there if you are even thinking about doing this.) I also highly recommend reading the first book, "It Starts With Food" to fully understand what you are getting yourself into and to understand the WHY behind the foods we eat and what they do to our bodies.

The rest of my adventure was posted online daily, even while I was traveling with the kids to New Mexico and during the week while we were there. I worked very hard to stick to my eating plan and to make real food that nourished my body.

Because of the Whole30, my relationship with food has changed. I have a renewed sense of joy when cooking and I am excited about making food for my family again. I get excited about trying new marinades or eating a vegetable I don't normally cook. This brought back the love that I had lost with cooking and it feels good to be back!

As for how I feel? This is the best part!!

Now, while I didn't enter into this for a weight-loss plan, it has been a perk. I've lost a little over 11 pounds, most of which I discovered was bloat (I just thought it was leftover tummy from my pregnancy with Gable.) My mid-section has curves again (not rolls) and my tummy is flat again! I weigh the same now as I did before I got pregnant with Lucas...I haven't seen that number on the scale in a long time. I can see my hipbones again (just slightly.)  My favorite jeans fit again and I can breathe in them!!

The achiness and inflammation in my knees and shoulders has gotten significantly better and I don't feel like an arthritic 65-year-old. I have a lot more energy now as well. Even on days when I don't nap with the kids I can make it through the day just fine (and I don't have to load up with caffeine to do it!) Speaking of caffeine, my relationship with it has changed as well. I still like to have my cup of tea or coffee in the morning but I don't use sugar now or feel like I need to. I've grown to love it with coconut milk and that's it. I did discover "bulletproof coffee" a few days ago and oh lordy it is good, but I don't make it every day.

While I was still emotional during the PMS stage of the month, my cramps and bloating have been virtually non-existent this month and my emotions have felt a bit more in check. That is huge because things were pretty miserable before now. And I've never been more regular in my whole life (sorry if that is TMI, but its a perk, and one I feel worth mentioning.)

The sleep thing has been one of the other great improvements I've noticed. I had a little trouble sleeping the first 4-5 nights while my body adjusted to its new metabolism, but since then I sleep beautifully. Even if I have to get up in the middle of the night, I don't have much trouble getting back to sleep. And I haven't taken a Unisom or Tylenol PM since before I started. :)

I've been off plan for 3 days now but I haven't changed much of what I was doing while I was on the Whole30. I'm going to slowly incorporate foods back into my diet to see how my body responds to them. I'm starting slowly with small amounts of non-gluten grains and then will slowly try legumes, dairy, and alcohol. (I did have a glass of wine on my birthday I'm holding off as long as possible with anything gluten related because that is one of the biggest culprits of inflammation.) So far, I don't really miss bread and I'm feeling okay without it. I'm not adding sugar to things that I don't feel need them but I'm not going to stress out if I eat some ketchup with it in it.

From here on out, I think I'm going to try to follow a largely Paleo diet and stick to what I've learned about what I can eat, what I need to eat, and what I shouldn't. I am having a lot of fun learning more about eating real food and I look forward to more cooking adventures!

If you are thinking about giving the Whole30 a try, let me know. I will gladly share my meal plan that I used, cheer you on, and be a support system for you! I intend on doing this again each summer (or if I need it before then, like maybe after Christmas) and it really does help to have someone to talk to about what you are doing.

It has been a rollercoaster! As I sat down to think back on this last year I feel as though most of it was a blur. That is due mostly in part to grad school--while I was getting smarter the brain was feeling dumber. :(

In case you missed it (or in case I did!) here is a quick run-down of this past years events.

January

• I started my second year of grad school and my second semester as a 1st year librarian.
• Jesse turned 35 years old! (OMG!)
• As part of Jesse's birthday gift, we gave the office a facelift--new paint, new shelving and new office furniture! 

February

• I went to TCEA in Austin--my first professional conference.

March

•  The livingroom and hallway got a makeover--we pulled out the ugly, old, badly stained carpet that had been in our house since before we purchased it and replaced it with vinyl laminate wood flooring. It looks so pretty and fresh now! 
• I participated in the Firefly Run with some of my co-workers. It was my first 5K. 

April

• We didn't do holiday pictures last year, so instead we participated in a photo shoot at my friend Delia's house and got some awesome pics of us doing what we do best (being silly!) 
• Lucas was diagnosed with a speech delay.

May

• Our baby boy turned 3 on May 7th! His Honey and Papa came for his birthday and we were so happy to have them here! 
• The craft room got a facelift--reorganization, a new book shelf and curtains and its a new paradise instead of a crap hole!

June

• Jesse and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. We took a Carnival cruise to Cozumel for the occasion. Honey and Papa came back to stay with Lucas while we were away, and as an anniversary present/early birthday present they painted the entryway, livingroom and hallway (all of this orchestrated by the best friend a girl could ask for, Christina Hoofnagle!) 
• Lucas started speech and occupational therapy at Our Children's House at Baylor--he'll continue once a week appointments until it is no longer needed. 
• Dad  built me a raised bed and I grew tomato plants, jalapeno peppers and attempted to grow some other stuff but failed miserably (it was just too hot!) 

July

• I turned the big 3-5 (eek!)
• Lucas started potty training on July 4th (Independence from Diapers Day!) 

August

•  Lucas and I took a trip to New Mexico to help my parents move and get settled at their new home in Glencoe, NM. 
• I began my 2nd year as a librarian and started my last semester of grad school, and Jesse began his 10th year as a teacher!
• Lucas started at a new school! 

September

• My practicum for grad school began this month, and I had to begin writing my final exam portfolio. 

October

• I got a new barbeque grill! 
• We went to an awesome Halloween party and saw our friend Dain play in his new band. Lucas went to his first Halloween carnival at school. 

November

• I had a great time at my first-ever Pinterest Party with some awesome crafty ladies! 
• I finished my final exam so I had a little extra time and chose to clean out our garage. It was a 2 day ordeal but we got all kinds of stuff tossed out and made a lot more space!
• I got a new car! We now are a two-Prius family! 

December

• Grandma Berger passed away and I came home to Albuquerque to be with my family for the services. 
• I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Masters in Library Science!!! 
• My son took his first Santa picture since 2009--this was a major celebration because he's been terrified the last 2 years! 
• We had a White Christmas! 

So there ya go--a little glimpse into the Fletcher Fam. My hope for this next year is that I will be able to start blogging again (now that I have more time on my hands!) Happy New Year! 

Tomorrow is not going to be easy. In fact, I fear this week will be rather difficult for me. Officially my maternity leave ended 6 weeks after Lucas was born, but being a teacher I've been fortunate to have the whole summer with my boy but tomorrow we have to go back and I'm not doing very well with the idea.

I'm going to turn a new page tomorrow when I have to leave my child behind in the care of others while I go and start the school year. And while this challenge is going to be difficult (not to mention heart-wrenching) I know that I am not alone. I have changed so much as a person this summer--I learned so many things that I never knew before and I am so thankful that Jesse and I have been able to be home with Lucas to learn all about him. I've been keeping a list of things that I've learned since becoming a mommy so I thought I would share them with you.

I've learned that...

...four hours of consecutive sleep feels like a vacation when you are the parent of a newborn!
... a surefire way to get a baby to poop is to put a clean diaper on them and strap them in a car seat (especially if you are running late...)
...you can function on 4 hours of sleep for quite a while.
...projectile poop is NOT a myth!
..."newborn size" clothes don't fit 9 lb. babies...
...farts are a good sound.
...you forget to eat because you'd rather sleep
...there isn't much on t.v. at 4 am.
...you look forward to getting your new parenting mags in the mail.
...if your baby has a diaper blowout at Starbucks and they don't have a changing table in the bathroom that you'll get so ticked that you change the kid right on the table you were sitting at just to send a message.
...you can lose hours of time just staring in awe at your baby.
...you can finally relate to what a cow feels like (pumping is an interesting experience).
...if I don't write it down in the middle of the night then there is no way I'm going to remember it. That theory also carries into the daytime.
...your husband is the sweetest person on earth for getting up to change a crying baby so that you can rest for just a few more minutes.
...a crying baby, for whatever reason, is more heart-breaking than anything I can think of, but especially when he's crying and we can't figure out why.
...I've never wanted to hurt anyone more than the nurse who made my son cry by sticking him with needles.
...you can sit for 2 hours while your arms and legs go numb while you hold your sleeping baby because you are just so happy he's napping (and he looks so incredibly cute.)
...that Facebook is your best friend when you are up in the middle of the night.

I found this on Babycenter (one of my top favorite sites) and I think it sums it up. There are so many other things that I learned this summer but those are just a few. I'm going to do my best to pull my boots up by their straps and head to work tomorrow, but I'm not a fool. I'm packing a baggie of makeup to fix that which will come off when I leave the Montessori school that Lucas is going to tomorrow morning. Wish me luck and pray for me. And enjoy the following.

Forty two things that change when you have a baby...(by Babycenter)

What changes when you have a baby? A better question may be: What doesn't change? Here, writer and mom Rebecca Woolf lists her most notable post-baby observations. Then scroll down to read our favorite comments from readers about how their babies changed their lives.

1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.

2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid. [See a reader's perspective in #22, below.]

3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.

4. You respect your body ... finally.

5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.

6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.

7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.

8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.

9. Your heart breaks much more easily.

10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.

11. Every day is a surprise.

12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)

13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.

14. You become a morning person.

15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.

And from our readers...

1. "You discover how much there is to say about one tooth." — Ashley's mom

2. "You finally realize that true joy doesn't come from material wealth." — Anonymous

3. "You now know where the sun comes from." — Charlotte

4. "You'd rather buy a plastic tricycle than those shoes that you've been dying to have." — Sophie's mom

5. "You realize that although sticky, lollipops have magical powers." — Roxanne

6. "You don't mind going to bed at 9 p.m. on Friday night." — Kellye

7. "Silence? What's that?" — Anonymous

8. "You realize that the 15 pounds you can't seem to get rid of are totally worth having." — Brenda

9. "You discover an inner strength you never thought you had." — Ronin and Brookie's mom

10. "You no longer rely on a clock — your baby now sets your schedule." — Thomas' mom

11. "You give parents with a screaming child an 'I-know-the-feeling' look instead of a 'Can't-they-shut-him-up?' one." — Jaidyn's mom

12. "Your dog — who used to be your 'baby' — becomes just a dog." — Kara
[Many readers begged to differ, saying things like, " I disagree with number 12. My dogs are my additional children," "Nothing about previous babies, whether two- or four-legged, changes when a new miracle comes along," "My dog will never be 'just a dog," and "This is sad to me. My dog is still my baby too."]
13. "You take the time for one more hug and kiss even if it means you'll be late." — Tracey

14. "You learn that taking a shower is a luxury." — Jayden's mom

15. "You realize that you can love a complete stranger." — Dezarae's mom
16. You find yourself wanting to make this world a better place. — Arizona
17. If you didn’t believe in love at first sight before, now you do! — Ciara
18. You start to appreciate Sesame Street for its intellectual contribution. — Anon.
19. You have to quit watching the news because you see every story from a mother's perspective and it breaks your heart. — Brooke&Boys
20. You just plain love life more - everything comes together and becomes better because of one tiny person and your love for them. — Anon.
21. You finally find out the real reason you have those breasts. — Anon.
22. In response to #2 [above], I'd say that where you were once afraid, you're now fearless. I was always very timid and shy and let myself get walked all over … but now where my kid's concerned, I'll speak my mind and really connect with my inner "b"! — gummismom
23. The support you get from other people surprises you, because the people giving it are not always the ones you'd expect. — japanese_macaque
24. Nothing is just yours any longer. You share EVERYTHING! — DylanLsMom
25. No matter what you've accomplished in life, you look at your child and think, "I've done a GREAT job!" — Anon.
26. You want to take better care of yourself for your child. — Treasor
27. You can have the most wonderful conversation using only vowel sounds like "ahhh" and "oooo." — littlehulk2008

Lately it seems every weekend we have something going on, and this weekend has been no different. Our Friday night was filled with a bit of chaos, but it was a much-needed night out after this past weeks illness recovery and fatigue. If you are a fan of the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, then you know that this weekend was the opening of the Twilight movie. I am generally NOT a fan of going to any movie on opening night for various reasons...A) I dislike feeling like a sardine B) I can't see unless we sit far away and C) I have to pee a lot and D) People (and their uncontrolled children) can be obnoxious at opening night. But having said that, I promised my dear sweet husband (who promised his students) that I would go with him. He even bought my ticket, popcorn, pickle, Sprite and M&M's just to seal the deal! When we arrived at the theater it was INSANE! There were like 200 people in line, and this was 45 minutes before the movie started! I was trying not to hyperventilate! Strangely enough though, once we got into the actual theater the seating challenge was less so than I had expected--we ended up scoring great seats in the back (hoorah! No one could kick my chair) right on the end of the aisle (a relief for a pregnant woman who pee's a lot.) The gobs of teenagers in there were really quite well-behaved, and aside from the screaming whenever Edward or any of the other hunky boys in the movie were on the screen, it was a pretty great experience! The screaming teenagers to be honest were actually quite fun, and Jesse and I had a good time laughing at them. :)

We were invited to a Bar Mitzvah for one of Jesse's students and we went this morning. I was actually quite excited because I'd never witnessed one of these celebrations before! The Jewish ceremonies are quite musical, as much of the reading was sung as opposed to just read out loud. Jesse had to wear a yarmulke on his head (I wanted a pic but he refused) and was even asked to take a professional picture with his student for the event. Afterwards they had a luncheon with various kosher foods, including bagels, cream cheese, lox, capers, tomatoes, salad and fruit. My kind of meal!

I think our weekend will hopefully be restfull (well, what is left of it.) Here's to cold, gray weather (makes for a wonderful nap!)

I didn't realize until today that its been almost a month since I last blogged. Being newly pregnant (and not sure what to expect, despite the various books that tell you) has left me without much to say (unless you want to hear about barfing or exhaustion...). But this weekend Jesse and I attended the State Fair in Downtown Dallas and I thought I'd show some pics. We saw a great dog show (complete with frisbee flinging and flipping dogs) and wonderful bird show that made both Jesse and I want a bird...But we have enough critters currently, and I'm brewing up another one as I sit, so enjoy the pics and hopefully I'll be back to blogging once I feel a tad better... :)

For those of you who aren't familiar with Talk Like A Pirate Day, read here: http://www.talklikeapirate.com/