Baby names on the rise!

This was a very interesting article on www.disneybaby.com... baby names on the rise! We all know whats popular right now and last year, but whats up and coming?? I was excited about this! Surprised by some and not at all by others!
I think I already know 3 Amelias and 3 Harpers, but I was shocked to see Charley and Mila on the list! Two of my favorites! I also know several Kinley, Kinsleys, but was surprised to see Olive, Juniper and June?? Hmmm?

Boy names...I know plenty of Jacksons and Henrys, so surprised those are on the "names sure to sky rocket list!" But surprised by Asher (my fav on my boy list) and Milo?

Well...here they all are....

Girl names sure to sky-rocket:

• Amelia
• Charlotte/Charley (sure to be a Top 10 soon)
• Scarlett
• Harper (the fastest-rising girl name in the Top 100)
• Penelope (especially now that a certain Kardashian, possibly responsible for the “Mason” boom, named her daughter Penelope. Sigh.)
• Adele
• Estelle/Stella
• Briella/Brielle (the fastest-rising girl name of 2011)
• Mila (another name that skyrocketed last year — presumably because of a Ms. Kunis)
• Aubrey/Aubree
• Molly
• Violet
• Lucy

More girl names on the rise:

• Isla and other short -ah ending names: Aria, Luna, Cora, Eva, Nora, and Clara (in the tradition of Emma, Olivia, and Ava).
• Elsie, Elise, Eliza and Eloise (the new El- names?)
• Ivy
• June
• Juniper
• Olive
• Names ending in -lyn or -lynn (Evelyn, Raelynn, Emmalynn, Addilynn, etc.). This is a huge trend.
• Names ending in -anna (Audrianna, Lilliana, Aviana, etc.)
• Alice
• Bryn
• Harlow
• Kinsley/Kinley/Kensley
• Vera
• Ember and other “Em-” names like Emery and Emerson
• Milania
• Bristol
• Kennedy

Boy names sure to sky-rocket:

• Brantley (the fastest-rising boy name in 2011)
• Jackson and all of its alternative spellings: Jaxon, Jaxen, Jaxon
• Declan (the next Aiden?)
• Grayson/Greyson
• Elijah (already ranks in the Top 20, but it’s steadily climbing to the top along with Liam)
• Levi
• Henry
• Oliver
• Isaiah
• Asher
• Silas/Sylas
• Milo
• Wyatt

More boy names on the rise:

• Iker (the fastest-rising boy name of 2011)
• Raylan/Rylen
• Maximiliano
• More “X” names: Felix, Axel, Jax, Rex, Dexter, Dax, and Lennox.
• Harvey (It’s still in the 800s here in the States, but it just entered the U.S. Top 1,000 last year after the name ranked in England’s Top 50. The next name import?)
• Flynn
• Jasper
• Atticus
• Abram
• Abel
• Cato and other “-O” ending names: Arlo, Hugo, Theo, and Nico
• Kayson
• Archer
• Kingston
• Surnames (in addition to Jackson): Hayes, Parker, Lennox, Sullivan, and Edison.
• Zeiden

Paleo Breakfast

Top 5 reasons why you should not skip a paleo breakfast

It is so easy to skip breakfast, assuming that it may be a huge task during the busy morning hours. But preparing breakfast can be a surprisingly pleasant experience on a paleo diet plan. Here are the top five reasons why you should never skip a paleo breakfast.
Nutrition: Paleo breakfast is nutrient dense, it literally packs 50-60 % of the daily nutrient needs of a person. Paleo breakfast is super rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids and omega- 3 fats. Breakfast acts as the master switch for the brain, because brain cells require glucose for optimal function and the cell membrane of the brain is primarily made up of omega-3 fats. Paleo breakfast nourishes the brain with a steady stream of glucose and they are omega- 3 rich. Hence, skipping a nutritious breakfast may affect cognitive performance and reduce the work output.
Energy booster: Paleo breakfast combines fresh fruits, vegetables along with proteins and fats, which ensures to maintain the energy levels in the body. Complex carbohydrates are predominant in paleo diet, which stabilizes the blood glucose levels.
Gut friendly: Paleo diet provides both soluble and insoluble fiber which aids in healthy bowel movements. It aids in maintaining gastro-intestinal health and reduces the symptoms of acidity, bloated feeling etc. Researchers have confirmed the gut-brain connection and have concluded that a healthy gut positively influences the brain in the process of decision making and thoughts.
Convenience: Paleo breakfast is a simple assembly of nutrient rich fruits and vegetables, which can be consumed as a smoothie, or as an omega-3 rich omelet loaded with vegetables or as a scrambled egg with vegetables can be made in minutes.
Healthy: Paleo breakfast strictly excludes processed foods, sugary foods, trans fat loaded cooking methods and replaces them with ample fresh foods and judicious inclusion of leafy vegetables, nuts, organic meat etc. This promotes long term health and sustained energy levels.
Paleo breakfast ideas

• Fruit Smoothies - Combine fruits of choice in blender
• Mixed vegetables on omelet - Whisk an egg, to make an omelet loaded with vegetables of choice.
• Salmon with scrambled eggs - Combine sliced smoked salmon pieces and add on to egg and scramble them . Season with pepper and chives.
• Fruit salad - Toss together fruits of choice and berries
• Veggie delight on egg scramble - Combine spinach, zucchini, tomato, along with bacon strips and scramble with egg, season with pepper.
• Shrimp and egg - Toss tomatoes, cilantro, avocado with sea salt , pepper. Make an omelet and top it with chopped cooked shrimp and the vegetable mix.
• Need more ideas? - Click here!

From: www.paleodietfoodlist.net

Paleo for Kids?

Is eating Paleo safe for kids and babies? Allow me to answer a question with a better question: Is eating a Western diet safe for kids? No, it’s not. And yes, eating Paleo is.

Why Wouldn’t It Be?
The top reasons I’m assuming people think eating Paleo might be dangerous for their child or baby are these:

• Not enough nutrients
• Too much meat
• Not enough dairy (in other words, not enough calcium)
• Too much meat
• Not enough sugary snack foods?

continue reading this article here: http://www.paleoplan.com/2012/09-06/is-paleo-safe-for-kids/

Bottom line.... Yes, Paleo is safe for your kids and babies!!

Workout of the week: Timed Circuit

While I'm out on bed rest I'm trying to at least give my clients some at home workouts they can use. I like timed workouts because they are easy to follow and will definitely challenge you no matter who you are. This workout is only 18 minutes, but should push you to your limits!

Do each individual circuit repeatedly for 6 straight minutes (as many sets as possible!):
20 jump squats
15 push-ups
10 plank walk outs

20 Squat/Overhead Press
15 Burpees
10 plank up/downs

20 sit ups
15 tricep dips
10 side oblique hip dips (each side)

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

By no means is this post about fitness or health, but I had to share my experience with making ice cream cone cupcakes! I thought for Parker's birthday party instead of having a cake we would have an ice cream bar and let everyone make their own cones, sundae, etc. She looooves her ice cream, so it fit her perfectly! My baby girl (for now) is 3 :(

Here is how the cupcake ice cream cones are made:

Start by putting 24 cones into a mini muffin tin...super smart pinterest idea :)

 

Make your cake batter the same as usual. Using a large ziplock or a measuring cup fill cones only about half full!! Let sit a minute to sink in.

Bake 20-25 minutes. I always use my cake tester...never following the timing directions :)

 

 

Let cool, ice and decorate however you wish! Just don't try carrying them too far in this! Half of them will end up on the floor @#&%!!! :)

Enjoy!!

Fall Recipes!

I'm so excited its getting chilly out! Makes me want to eat chili and soups. Especially since I'm home on "rest" the soups are great to have for lunch and are still yummy or even better left over. I'm on the search for some good recipes, so if you have one, send it along. This morning I made pumpkin pancakes, but I was in a hurry to get to church and I cheated and used bisquick and a can of pumpkin. I'll find a good recipe for those too and post.
Tonight I made potato, corn, and broccoli soup! My own concoction!! I'm not sure I can replicate the exact ingredients since I played with most of it, but it turned out great. Hit the spot on a chilly fall day!

Potato, Corn & Broccoli Chowder

5 medium potatoes
1 bag frozen white corn
1 green or red pepper
1 bunch of fresh broccoli
3 cups skim milk (roughly)
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
2 Tbsp. hot sauce (roughly)
black pepper
sea salt

Directions:
bake potatoes in microwave, let cool and peel. Steam broccoli. Saute green pepper and corn in pot for a few minutes. Start adding skim milk to veggies. Add in potatoes and mash. Add cheddar, salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste. Cut broccoli small and add. Let simmer on low. Add more of anything else to taste!

Rest, Rest, Rest!!!

Well, update....I'm on what I would consider "bed rest"! Not long after my last post I went and laid in bed and had another (this time worse) gush of blood! Back to labor and delivery we went. Again I was sent home a couple hours later, but I had to visit my OB on Monday and he determinded the placenta was bleeding and that I would go on "rest" for at least 2 weeks! "Uhhh...what exactly do you mean by rest?" was my first question. "I teach at school everyday from 12-3pm, but I can just tell the kids what to do and sit in a chair." He replied with, "No, you won't work, you won't workout. If you need a gallon of milk, go get one, if you want to go out to eat, fine...have your husband drop you off at the door, but you won't go grocery shopping, you won't go to the mall, you won't do laundry. You are to be resting the majority of the day." The tears a welling in my eyes at this point! He really made his point though by saying its either this and hope this condition gets better, or we deliver a baby who is way to young to be delivered and she spends 4 months in the NICU! We DO NOT want that!

So......when you put it that way.....I can do this. It will all be okay. 2 weeks of rest, 2 weeks of no pay is better than losing our baby, or visiting our baby everyday in the hospital.

We are hopeful that the placenta may still move. As the uterus expands the placenta may pull away from the cervix. If the placenta stays where it is, there is a chance it will bleed again and each time it bleeds its generally worse and eventaully won't stop. This is when you are hospitalized to hold off birth or they deliver the baby I guess? I know now is just too soon.

So, today is day 3. I tried to rest most of yesterday, like sitting on the couch on the computer, or sewing and last night I went to my last night of Fitcamp and sat while they ran their 3 mile run! It was pure torture to sit there, but it was a beautiful night and they did amazing in their run!!
Today, I got a haircut and I will pick up the kids from school. My hubby is traveling until Friday so I am on my own. Looks like tonight will be game night, movies, and probably my go to dinner of cous cous and green beans!

I have plenty of time at home so that means lots of updates and hopefully some good fitness and nutrition info!! :) Oh...and extra prayers are always appreciated!!! Thanks!

Placenta Previa...please go away!

So I spent the majority of my day today in Labor and Delivery. No, thank goodness I was not in labor, but I was experiencing some bleeding last night. I couldn't remember what the rule was if your placenta is low lying?? Did he say come in if you have any bleeding, its okay to have a little spotting, I couldn't remember! So, I decided after I had a big gush of red blood I would call! My nurse told me it was best to come in, but I was a little hesitant because I didn't want to go if it was really nothing. I hate being that person who freaks out about every little thing. She told me I could wait an hour to see if it went away and if it continued to come to the Women's Evaluation Unit. Oh, she also told me to lay and elevate my feet....so what did I do?? Go to a fair of course! :) It was on our evening agenda and the kids were ready to go when we got the call back, so we had to go. Luckily though, the bleeding stopped.

This morning I had another little gush, so I felt it was best to just be checked out this time. After all, I have never experienced bleeding before with any of my pregnancies. This couldn't be normal. By the time we got there and got checked in (to labor and delivery because the WEU is closed on weekends, go figure) the blood was now brown...yes, a beautiful thought I know. :)

I was seen by a resident who did all the fetal monitoring and did an external ultrasound to check out the baby and then an internal ultrasound to check out the placenta. Good news was that baby girl is doing just fine! Bad news is that the placenta is still covering the cervix and is the reason for the bleeding. They had asked about my daily acitivies yesterday which included all of the following: sex, bootcamp class, vaccuuming and mopping the whole main level of the house, coaching a soccer game, and an afternoon nap!  She determinded that that may have been too much, but of all things, the sex was probably what did it! After 4 long hours (including getting my blood drawn! Ooo..I hate it! Although I promised I would document that I am type A+ so I never have to do that again) I was released on "pelvic rest", code for "no sex" indefinitly. That made my hubby real happy :) ha! Not as bad as the shot in the butt they were telling me about to stop bleading, or bed rest like I had read on every website and feared!!! They said my doctor will talk to me in more detail at my next appt in two weeks and if anything happens between now and then I am to come back in.

What I'm not liking about my research into placenta previa is most of the time is looks like women go on bed rest until their baby is able to be safely delivered?? That must mean a long time on bed rest huh?  Yikes, me and my job cannot afford that! I read before that this is common at your 20 week ultrasound, but that 80% of the time the placenta ends up moving away from the cervix and most woman are able to deliver just fine. I'm only in my 22nd week and this is happening, so I'm not sure if thats bad or normal? I guess I'll get an update in two weeks!

WE DO NOT NEED DAIRY!

I love this article on the green smoothie girl website! Explains why humans do not need dairy. People usually look at me like I'm crazy when I say it. Pleae read. For more nutrition myths visit her website here: http://greensmoothiegirl.com/nutrition-manifesto/nutrition-fact-and-myth/

Dairy won’t give you strong bones OR teeth, sorry.

Myth #8: “Milk and dairy build strong bones.”
The most powerful industry in America is the dairy industry, earning over $50 billion and spending over $200 million annually to spread the lie that dairy products nutrition is necessary for human children’s health. They’re smart enough to target mothers (and they started, very successfully, with our grandmothers), because they can create habits for life if a child is drinking cow’s milk at an early age.
So, while for many this will be a revelation, it shouldn’t be: our mothers were conned! The idea that the milk of another species is an appropriate and necessary source of calcium is a serious thinking error that has led to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and autoimmune disease in epic numbers.
Ask yourself why the U.S. consumes more than double the amount of milk and dairy than the #2 milk-drinking country—and yet has one of the highest rate of osteoporosis (and massive dental decay, despite the best dental-care system) in the world. The other highest osteoporosis countries are—that’s right, the other highest milk-drinking countries (in Europe and Scandinavia). Africa doesn’t drink the milk of cows and has essentially no brittle bones. Drinking milk is not leading to strong bones and teeth–it never did, except for baby cows.
Colin T. Campbell, PhD, one of the most preeminent nutrition researchers in the world, conducted the most comprehensive, longitudinal research study in history (still ongoing) known as the Oxford-Cornell China Project. The New York Times dubbed it “the Grand Prix of Epidemiology.” Published in 2004, The China Study examined dietary habits and disease rates in 6,500 adults in China over almost 30 years.
Campbell started with animal studies duplicated by other researchers all over the world and progressed to his enormous human population. The researchers documented massive evidence that casein (the protein in milk) is linked to high rates of disease when ingested at a rate of 20 percent of the diet, which is the American average. He documents very low rates of those same diseases in subjects eating only 5% or less animal protein. The protein in all the studies, animal and human, was casein. Eight thousand statistically significant correlations resulted from this study. (“Statistically significant” means the likelihood the finding is due to chance is less than 5 percent.) These findings definitively decimate American mothers’ nutrition beliefs that feeding their children dairy products will build strong bones and good health.
Human calcium deficiency diseases are extremely rare for anyone on any type of natural diet. Our need for calcium is relatively low, in fact, and mothers needn’t worry about pushing on their children massive amounts of cow’s milk (often genetically modified and full of hormones and antibiotics).
I raised all four of my children without cow’s milk, and only one of them has ever broken a bone (when she was pushed off the top of a slide, and she healed very quickly), despite all of them being competitive athletes and therefore constantly in injury-prone situations. I personally have never drunk a glass of cow’s milk in my life, and at 40, I was measured to have the bone mass of a 20-yr. old. I did feed my children a little raw goat’s milk and homemade goat yogurt as they were being weaned from breast milk, and I continue to do so. Goat milk more closely resembles human breast milk; it also has a smaller fat molecule that permeates the human semi-permeable membranes without being mucus forming. Additionally, fermented milk proteins like kefir and yogurt are predigested and often cause no problems even for those who are lactose intolerant. I asked Dr. Campbell personally about his opinion of goat milk, as well as of kefir and yogurt, and he said that his research did not address it.
Cow milk’s large fat molecule is acid- and mucus-forming in humans; thus we are all “lactose intolerant” to one degree or another. Our grandparents, with their strong genetics, withstood it well. Unfortunately, our own children with three generations of weakened genetics, are not faring so well. Every time I see a child with green snot running from his nose, I wish I could in some socially acceptable way beg his mother to get her child off cow’s milk.
I have counseled willing mothers about this many times, and every time the mothers reported that the mucous problems disappeared or decreased as they eliminated dairy products. Related asthma and allergies dramatically decreased as well. (Eliminating sugar at the same time, as well, is a very wise idea. It, too, is highly acid—and therefore mucous-forming.)
Fact: Baby humans need human breast milk until their eyeteeth come in at about 18 months (at which time they begin producing digestive enzymes to break down table food). Only baby cows need cow milk. Nothing replaces human breast milk for infants 0-18 months. The best alternative, if breastfeeding is impossible, is raw goat milk (and definitely not soy milk). Get your calcium from leafy greens, as the dairy products nutrition is bioavailable to cows but not humans.

Names, Names, Names....

Why is it so hard to name a baby?? I've been gathering names since before this child was conceived, but now that we actually know she is a girl and its time to give her a name, I can't fall in love with one!! I think I'm one of those obsessive mothers who has to find the absolute PERFECT name! Nothing too common, nothing too girly, nothing to trendy. I guess you could say I'm picky!

I have a Taylor and a Parker (both girls), so  you can already see I like the unisex names. I like a strong name, but something still cute for a little girl. So far my family isn't loving the unisex names I've chosen for this baby. Charlee, Evyn, Emerson, and Cameron to name a few. And others that I like such as Adison, Halle, and Kyla maybe too popular?

I've been through numerous books like 50,001+ best Baby Names and sites like Nameberry, Parents, and Baby Center, but I'm still in search of the perfect one!

If you have a unique and not too feminine girl name that you think would be the perfect one...email me! gofitmomstl@gmail.com I need your help!!!

Its ANOTHER GIRL!!!

I'm still slightly in shock. After following all the "directions" on how to conceive a boy, we are again having a girl!

 I would be lying if I said I wasn't slightly dissapointed. It makes me feel totally guilty too. We are so lucky to have 2 healthy children, have never had trouble conceiving, and have another healthy baby on the way, but there is still a small part of me that doesn't understand. Every person I know is having a boy and we are having our 3rd girl! My husband was pretty quite in the ultrasound after she told us it was a girl. He was clearly upset. I stayed very positive and the tech proceded to show us some 3D images of her just to cheer him up. Very nice of her, but I don't know that it worked!
Later we get home to "reveal" to our kids and my mom only to give more dissapointment! My 5 year old was mad. She said, "I don't want a sister! I wanted a brother!" and then stormed off! Oh goodness. So, I've been trying to stay so positive for this poor little girl. I don't want her to think no one wants her!! I know it will take a little time and we will all be very excited. My husband has already commented that "he will try one more time"!!! "You will?? With who?", I said. Sometimes I feel like I'm crazy for having 3 kids! I guess only time will tell. For now I am ready to start planning for this next little bundle.

Oh, important updates that I keep forgetting about...
My due date has been pushed back to Jan 23 from the 18th. This was due to the baby's measurements.
And, my placenta is low!?? I've done some reading and now I'm totally freaked about placenta previa (which is what it is called if it remains where it is). The doc says that 80% of the time the placenta will move away from the cervix, but I will be having another ultrasound in 2 months to check it again. Complications that come from placenta previa...bleeding, early delivery, and C-SECTION!! NO! Please say a prayer that it moves!

Here are a few pics from the reveal: