He's Kicking!

     I finally got to feel our little one kick, and I am so excited for that.  We were sitting at home yesterday evening before going to bed, and I was in a goofy mood so I started singing a song I remember from childhood, The Story About Sammy.  My wife rolled her eyes and said, "Oh no!"  Of course, I wanted to continue torturing her, so I said that even if she didn't want to hear me sing the song, the baby most certainly did!  I got my phone, and searched for the song online.  Once I found it, I placed the phone next to her belly and pushed play.
     "Oh, great, you woke him up!" she said.  "He likes it!" I said.  To add to the fun, I made some fart noises near her belly by blowing air onto my arm.  Well, like most little kids, apparently our little one thinks this is hilarious.  He started kicking.  He's kicked before, but this time he kicked hard enough for me to feel him.  I was so happy to finally get to feel him move.  I think we will have to have a lot more silly songs and fart sounds very soon!

Fast Fetus!

I am so excited for our little one to be born this October.  And though he is still a tiny fetus, I am already proud of him.  

This past Saturday, my wife ran the Evaro Mountain Challenge 5K while 5 months pregnant.  That alone is an astounding feat in my opinion.  But, to top it off, she placed 2nd!  I think our little one will be fast!

We are very committed to doing the best that we can to teach our son that good health is important.  We will do everything that we can to encourage the development of good mental health, active physical health, and positive eating habits that we hope will give him a lifetime of happiness.  I can hardly wait to see who he will become!

Telling the Family

"Um . . .on purpose?"

"Wait a minute; you're going to have to explain this one to me.  I don't understand how you people do that."

"I thought it would be a Chinese baby."

"Wow, that's unexpected."

"Oh, hm.  OK.  Yay.  I want to talk to you about this, but I'm really busy right now."


Those were the reactions of our family members when we told them that we are expecting our first child.  It's funny how when heterosexual couples get married or cohabit, people ask them when they are going to have children.  My wife and I have been together for 11 years, and no one has ever brought up the subject of children to us.  Everyone so far has seemed very surprised and a little confused when we announced the growing of our family.

But, for the most part, after the initial shock, we have had nothing but congratulations and well wishes from everyone.  It feels good to finally tell the family, as we are 10 weeks along, which is 25% of the way through the pregnancy, and keeping it a secret has been challenging.  We will tell friends and co-workers in 2 weeks, as long as our family can keep it off Facebook and prevent the beans from spilling prematurely.  

Making the Food That Makes the Baby

There really isn't a whole lot I can do as the parent who is not making the baby within my own body.  I can watch, wait, worry, and even try to plan, but I feel like there is something more I should be doing.  Something to contribute to the over-all health & development of our little person, something to somehow help carry the burden of creating our child.

When reading about pregnancy, one topic I frequently notice is nutrition.  Pregnant mothers need to consume an average to 300 extra calories each day.  They also need to make sure that those calories come from nutrient-rich, healthy foods with plenty of iron, calcium, folate, and fiber.  The tiny developing baby inside my wife is eating what my wife eats, and is literally being constructed from the food.   As the family cook, this is something I can get involved with.  I can make the food that makes the baby.

Here is a quick lunch that I put together for the two of them.  It is red quinoa with kidney beans, kale, walnuts, and apples.  There is also olive oil, lemon, and herbs bringing the flavors together.

For dinner, I made a soup inspired by Julia Child's recipe for French onion soup.  A good soup takes all day to make, but it is always worth it.  This soup started by roasting some beef bones & onions in the oven, simmering them for 5 hours with other spices & vegetables, then straining the broth.  To serve, I filled the bowl with the soup, added a poached egg from our hens, and then grated some Swiss cheese onto the soup.  My cheese sank into the soup and did not form a gorgeous topping as Julia Child's did, but it still tasted nice.

In addition to foods that are good for developing babies, there are also foods that can harm them and which should be avoided.  Things like caffeine, alcohol, sprouts, and shellfish to name a few.  My wife particularly enjoys tea: black, green, and herbal.  But while pregnant, she has been advised to avoid consuming any tea.  Here in Montana, the winters are long and cold, and a hot cup of tea not only tastes good, but it also soothes and warms the whole body.  So, on this snowy February afternoon, while the stock for the soup was simmering, I concocted a couple of healthy mixtures my wife can use to substitute for nice cup of tea.  

The jar on the left is a suspension of vanilla beans, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and ginger in honey.  The jar on the right is a suspension of a lemon and ginger in honey.  It will steep in the refrigerator for a couple of days, and then it can be added by the spoonful to cups of hot water for "tea."

Honey, fresh ginger, and lemon slices can also be steeped in simmering water for about 10 minutes to make a satisfying tea substitute one cup at a time.  Ginger and lemon can help to ease nausea, which troubles some pregnant women.

I really like the idea that I can make the food that my wife will use to make our baby.  Our baby will be made of so much delicious food and love.  I'm excited to meet this little one and find out what his/her favorite foods will be.