West Coast Heat Wave?!

How do I beat the heat on this sweltering summer day? I am six months pregnant and not used to the heat at all. I live in the Pacific Northwest and I enjoy it's grey and drizzling days just fine thank you. Today is about 85 degrees and there is seemingly no relief. So how do I beat the heat and not loose my mind completely?

First, I knew this was coming. Yesterday was really hot too. Yesterday I went to my grandma's for the day to visit with family, as my husband Paul was in Seattle for two days for a progressive rock festival. SeaProg. So before I left the house, off to Grandma's, I hung up the heavy curtains on all the windows and closed up everything. The idea is, that if you house is well insulated enough, by closing windows and shuttering you'll be locking in the cool air from the night before inside and locking out all the hot air. Turns out, my house is not well insulated.

I  got home after a hot, hour long drive. It was already after 9pm and was starting to cool down outside. I was greeted by my big panting dogs when I drove up. They had been laying out in the cool grass. They followed me to my front door, eager to go inside with me. As I opened the door, a huge rush of hot stuffy air came rushing out. My dog Louie, who is completely blind, was standing at my feet ready to be the first one in. After I opened the door to the oven inside Louie sqinted through the blast of hot air and took a few steps backward before turning around and high-tailing it out of there. Smart fella.

I threw the door all the way open and pushed forward against the thick stale air. Swimming through until I could get to the next window. I opened window after window and strategically placed fans in front of a few before getting the hell out of there. I sat in the cool grass with my big stinky dogs. I figured they knew what they were doing. After about 10pm the house seemed safe to enter, there was a breeze and fresh air and the temperature was dropping.

So today, being home all day I planned ahead. I would not survive in my own home if there was a repeat of yesterday. The plan was to leave windows open as long as there were in a shaded area of the house. No cooking inside, not even the fricken toaster and load the fridge with bottles of water. Also, any cleaning or laundry needs to be done as early as possible.

I started the morning with laundry at about 8am after sleeping in later than I usually do. Then I left for the grocery store at about 10am with a very specific meal in mind. I shopped that produce section and made away like a bandit. I got fresh strawberry's, blueberry's and raspberry's. I got bananas and apples. Those were all for later. The big plan was to make something really refreshing. Something that a pregnant lady could enjoy. A hot day can easily be beat by getting drunk and going to float the river, or getting drunk and going to the water slides. Or just getting drunk and passing out somewhere, hopefully in a shaded area but not necessary. So although I cannot sedate myself today, I have a trick or two. I will make gazpacho!

Not just any gazpacho, Cucumber Avocado Gazpacho. Delicious, cold and refreshing and no cooking required. Here's my recipe, give it a try:
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Cucumber Avocado Gazpacho

Active time: 25 min

Ingredients

• 3 English cucumbers (2 lb total), peeled
• 2 Haas avocados
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 yellow bell peppers, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 fresh jalapeno chilies, seeded and minced
• 2 large garlic clove, minced
• 4 green onions
• juice of 1 lime, about 1/4 cup
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• sour cream (to garnish)

Preparation

Seed cucumbers and put seeds in a blender with garlic, green onion, parsley, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice and bell pepper. Cut cucumbers into 1/4-inch dice and combine with bell peppers and zucchini in a large bowl. Move about 1/4 of the diced veggies into the blender. Dice 1/2 avocado and add to bowl. Scoop out remaining 1 1/2 avocados into blender. Add water, salt and pepper and blend until smooth. Add more water to get a creamy but soupy consistency.

Return puree to bowl and stir. Refrigerate for a least a few hours. Dish is best served the next day, that's why this recipe makes a lot!

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Okay, so gazpacho is made and in the fridge. I also made a batch of pico de gallo since I was already chopping veggies. I cleaned and cut up my strawberries and it is just after 1:00. My laundry is done and I am officially sweaty! Next step, that cold refreshing beer... I mean shower! A cold refreshing shower!

Take a cold shower, as cold as you can stand, then turn the water way way colder. You're body with thank you later. After that frigid shower, your house should seem tolerable, mine did. I lay down on bed bed and took a nice, naked nap in front of the fan. Too modest for a naked nap? Or too many people bothering you? Try to stay as naked as possible and have all the shades drawn and lights off.

When I woke up it was just like I had passed out in the kiddie pool at the water slides, only no hangover! Winning! I was very hungry too, just like if I'd drank a bunch of beer and passed out in the kiddie pool at the water slides with a hang over. Being pregnant is weird. So to the fridge for some ice water and gazpacho!

After some work and organization, a frigid shower, a two hour nap and a meal it is 5pm. By my calculations it should be cooling off and I should be in the clear. I was wrong. It is 80 degrees! Nooo! I guess I'll have to repeat a few steps. Maybe another cold rinse off in the shower and some more ice water and gazpacho later. Also more sleeping. That is the key.

So what if it's 112 in Arizona right now. It's 80 here and I am not used to it. I know it could be hotter, but I live here for a reason and the reason is 65 degree summers. So, each man's struggle is his own.

22 Weeks

Last Thursday, day 1 of my 22nd week I woke up to the sound of the ocean. It was the last day of our mini vacation to La Push. That seems like a decade ago now. After Friday back to work, then a weekend and two more days of work. Working. We have to do it. Sometimes I even like it. This week, not so much.

I have struggled with high blood pressure since a pretty young age. It runs in my family. Not too mention some excess weight, less than perfect exercise routine and some bad habits that include salt, alcohol and cigarettes. I was put on blood pressure medication and diagnosed with chronic hypertension at the age of 22.

Years later, with better diet and the absence of alcohol and cigarettes altogether, I still wasn't able to control my hypertension without medication. My numbers were lower, but just not low enough. Nice try but no dice. Stupid genetics. Oh, well. At least I am trying. Quitting the drink and smoke wasn't going to hurt me anyway. Now I'm much more ladylike and dainty. Ha!

So when we decided to go off the pill and see if rubbing our parts together could make a tiny human, I made a doctors appointment. I wanted to know how pregnancy would effect my blood pressure and my current medication. I also wanted to know how my blood pressure and current medication could effect my pregnancy. Smart choice. The doctor switched me to a different prescription that I could take through pregnancy. My wonderful doctor also explained that many women have a drop in blood pressure in the first trimester due to increased blood volume and some other factors. So we'd need to watch to make sure it didn't go to low. Into the third trimester it is common for it to rise again, even for people with normal blood pressure to begin with. The more you know.

Friday morning when I woke up in my own bed for the first time in a few days after getting back from our vacation on the coast, my blood pressure was 110/67 before taking my morning medication. That is unusually low for me, but very good. Not too low by any means. That number would actually be ideal. That night, when I got home from a stressful day of making up for three days off. I redid all the work that was done incorrectly while I was gone, on top of an unusually busy day anyway, by blood pressure was 157/87. Not so good. Not good at all. Too high. I took my medication as scheduled, but I think I learned something very important. Stress effects my blood pressure. Probably more than I would like to admit.

What does all this mean for the baby? Well, I should calm down. Kidding, no really I should but...
As long as I'm controlling my BP with medication things are good. Pre-eclampsia is slightly more common among women that have preexisting hypertension, but not guaranteed. I need to take it easy when my numbers are high, I need moderate exercise when my numbers are good and I need to always remember to take my pills. The rest is just watch and wait.

I've read about women needing to be hospitalized or induced because their blood pressure is high. That is horrifying. I want to work and stay active right up until I'm crowning for god's sake! Please don't strap me to a bed. Worrying about the possibility of that will surely cause stress which will surely raise my blood pressure. So I'll knock that off right now. All I can do is what is in my control, the rest is just hope for the best.

Road Trip!

Cape Flattery view point.

We took a trip! No, not that kind. Stupid hippies. We took a road trip! It was a new kind of adventure that involved more bathroom stops and snacks than any road trip before. Yay pregnancy!

My husband Paul and I packed up the car and headed out to the coast with our dog, Snorp. The drive was long but it was overcast so it stayed pretty cool out and we made a lot of stops. The first stop was the Coopville ferry. Walking stairs on a moving boat was a strange sensation with my already off center of balance. I took my time and used the hand rail. We used the boat ride to stretch our legs and check out the scenery.

When we arrived at our destination, a small A frame cabin in La Push, WA, we unloaded the car and walked to the beach. It was awesome! I've never seen such waves on the Washington coast before. This was my first time in La Push, Paul had been there once before, along with Snorp the dog. Walking in the sand looking at drift wood and trying to get Snrop to go into the water (it didn't work, read more about our trip and our dog HERE). Good times.

Back at the cabin, changes were a-brewing deep within my body. This baby boy is growing. After a long car ride and a lot of walking lulling him to sleep, he was awake and more active than ever. The soft swimming sensation I've been having for the last month or so was replaced by jolts and kicks like I've never felt before. It was almost as if I was having quick, sharp muscle spasms in my lower abdomen.  Deep down inside.

After a good nights sleep we took another long drive the next day. We headed to the most northwest point of the contiguous United States. Sounds neat. Neah Bay. Through the Makah Reservation and out to Cape Flattery's trail head. It was raining of course. So we got the full northwest experience. We hiked down a long trail with several handmade boardwalks elevating us above the soggy ground. Nearly a mile of walking and we arrived at the Cape Flattery look out. It was so worth the walk. Amazing view. The walk back up was definately more exhausting. I just took my time, paced myself and we made it back okay. Alright, so Paul helped my pace myself and helped me so I didn't slip. What a gentlemen.

A nice drive back to the cabin, walks on the beach and another good nights sleep and we were ready to head home. Already! Okay, I guess so. We took the long way home and it was nice to have a change of scerery from the ride down. I felt pretty accomplished with all the walking I did. I also was proud that I didn't let my pregnancy hold me back from doing anytihng that I wanted to do. Except maybe having a beer but who cares.

I don't look pregnant, I'm just big boned.

I don't look pregnant, I'm just big boned.

Lately I've been thinking I don't look like I'm twenty weeks along. My cantelope sized uterus is neatly nesseled in my big body under layers of muscle, fat and skin. Is it possible that I will never have the adorable, bulbous belly that I see on cute mommy's to be at the grocery store? Just my usual jelly roll? Or is it just me and my distorted view of my self? Do I look pregnant afterall? Does it even matter? No. It doesn't. But somehow that doesn't stop me from wondering.

Clothes are not comfortable. I want to wear pants, but I haven't been successful in finding any that fits me comfortably. I'll be honest, I haven't tried that hard. I hate shopping and I hate trying on clothes. Meh. Today, a new reality dawned on me. Maybe I will have to buy maternity clothes. I've gotten this far by buying 3 dresses from the plus sized section at Target after I first found out I was pregnant. I also have a million pair of leggings. Okay not a million, but four. My thinking was that I could wear theses dresses now while they are oversized and I can grow into them. I also thought, leggings, they are stretchy tights. They couldn't possible be too small for me, ever. I am wrong. I didn't understand how my body would be changing.

Today I was wearing one of the dresses I mentioned. Very comfortable. I always wear an undershirt. A stretchy tank top. I have a lot of them because it's something I wear everyday. An extention of my underwear and bra onsamble. TMI? I don't really know why I do. I guess I'm just modest and overly cautious. "What if my clothes suddenly shredded to peices or desinigrated!? At least I'll have this tank top on." So today I realized that my idea of a stretchy tank top and leggings that will always fit me was wrong. Under my dress, secretly, my tank top began to roll up as my leggings would roll down. By time I went to my first bathroom break of the day I lifted my dress to find my pregnant belly completely exposed. My leggings below my belly and my shirt rolled up under my boobs. Okay. So maybe these are a little tight for me now.

So if I want my underclothes to stay in place, I think I'll need to get a size or two bigger. Better yet I would get some that have extra fabric in the belly area. Oh, you mean maternity clothes? Noooooo!