Oh The Veggies and Fruits One Can Juice!

I have been looking into getting a juicer for a few months now, mainly to make fruit juice for Stirling, so I can avoid the sugar-infused store bought juice. My parents knew that I had been talking about juicing and gave us a juicer for my birthday last week.  I finally found some time to test it out after the USA vs Ghana match. After reading the manuel and the recipe booklets, I decided it was time to begin juicing!

Michael and I have been discussing what we should do to detox and I think I have found our answer... THE JACK LALANNE JUICER!  As I have learned this past week, you can make practically all meals with just a juicer and fruit and/or vegetables. Who knew you could use the pulp from a potato and an apple to make potato apple pancakes?! or make different combinations of vinaigrettes!

My first go with the juicer went extremely well. The first combination of fruits I tried was organic blueberries, 1 nectarine, and 1 orange. This combination made a small glass of fruit juice, the flavor was absolutely delightful (I had thought it would be a bit foamy, but these fruits did not make any foam). I then tried a combination of 2 plums and 1 peach. Honestly, it was not as tasty as the first fruit combination due to the tartness of the plums.

 I am finding that I actually enjoy juicing and found myself searching through the fridge trying to find other juice-able items... we had an avocado in the fridge, but you cannot juice them. Sad.

I am excited to go to the store to buy more things to juice! I think I am going to mix cabbage and kale with some strawberries and blueberries next.

Homegrown

I have been wanting to attend farmers' markets for a while mainly because I want our family to reap the benefits of healthier and tastier food. Not only this, but we will be supporting local farmers and sustainable agriculture through the money we spend.

So...

Today we scheduled time and went to the Frisco Farmers' Market for the first time at 8am!! I woke up Michael this morning anxious to attend our first farmers market together, and what does he say..."Why do farmers markets start so early?" I laughed and agreed, although I was VERY exhausted since I had been awake with Stirling for an hour prior to waking Michael. We left the house just after 7am, which was exactly when we had planned to leave (I felt a sense of accomplishment as for it is difficult to leave on time to anything with a five-month-old).

After we had found shade to park, we proceeded to walk towards the farmers market with our reusable pink shopping bag (feminine style is as necessity when you are outnumbered by all the Shephard men!) At the market we found grass fed and grass finished meats (just what we had been looking for) fresh strawberrys, fresh peaches and shrimp scampi pasta(absolutely delicious). I was impressed with our selection, and we decided that would do until next weekend when we attend the Denton County Farmers' Market. 

We have been completely satisfied with the taste of the produce we have purchased at the farmers' market, and I cannot wait to attend farmers' markets on a regular basis! Maybe we will find an occasional creepy crawly in our cabbage... 

The First SIX Months

It all began one year ago from May 14, 2009 when we found out we were pregnant and having a child. The emotions we felt were undescribable, but we knew we wanted to create a healthy lifestyle for each other and as a family; therefore, we took the unsual route and decided to get my prenatal care from Inanna Birthing Center. Inanna was the PERFECT choice for us to choose this free-standing full service birthing center! Throughout my pregnancy, I was always comfortable with the women at the birthing center with Michael always by my side. Our journey to a healthy pregnancy involved me working out every Friday beginning at about 8 weeks pregnant and eating as healthy as possible, although I do LOVE french fries. I believe being involved with Inanna and meeting the women I met was definitaly where my desire to embark on a  more conscious lifestyle began.

After 9 hormonal months, it was FINALLY time for Michael and I to attempt to encourage the birth of our baby. Michael was due to leave the day before my due date. Since I was already 4-5 cm dilated and 100% effaced, the midwives tried their hardest (which was VERY uncomfortable) to narturally get labor started. After two long, hard days of trying to start labor, our baby was still not wanting to enter this world. It came time for us to decide whether or not we should just get a c-section; it was one of the hardest decisions of our lives (Michael proved his love for me and showed self-lessness). We ultimitally decided to not voluntarilly get a c-section becuase of all I had worked for throughout my pregnancy and my desire to give birth naturally. Michael left the next morning, not knowing when our baby would be born or what our child would look like. It was another hard decision for Michael to leave, but we again, did what was best for our family.

Five days after Michael had left, it was "the" day, our baby decided he was ready to meet his family! I was full of about every emotion humanly capable, but knew strength. prayer and trust were what was going to get me through natural birth. I wrote the birth story of our baby for Michael to read in a letter I had written him. Here it is for all who had not gotten the chance to read it or who are just interested (NOTE:READ AT YOUR OWN RISK, BIRTH IS NOT FOR THOSE WHO GET GROSSED OUT...p.s. guys this may include you):

On the morning of Tuesday Jan. 19, I began to get contractions and pains that were in my cervix. I then thought that today would be the day the baby would be born (I text messaged mu doula to give her a heads up and told a few other people), oh boy, was I correct. I had to go to Dallas with my mom to send Shep my birth certificate to the OCS Administration. As this was going on, I basically went though A LOT of pain. As my mom and I were on our way home from Dallas, I proceeded to call the Birthing Center to let them know about my pain, and they told me to come on in for a check up. After waiting about an hour, I finally got a check up and was 6cm dilated and 100%effaced... The midwife said it was time to break my water to start the strong contractions. I text messaged a few people and among those were Jenna (who took off work and flew in from Houston and was here by 2:30pm) and Bria (who took off work to come to support me at the birth). We decided to head back around 4pm to break my water; my water was not broken until I think around 7pm... We (Jenna, Bria, Doula, My mom and My Dad) were basically walking around the TWU campus and ate sandwiches as we were waiting for the midwife to break my water. We proceeded to break my water and there was quite the amount! Everything was going great, and I was contracting pretty hard. I was laying on my side at first and then began to walk the pain off and then decided to labor on the birthing ball (like and exercise ball). As I was contracting, the midwife would be checking Stirling's heartbeat... when I was on the ball, his heart rate dropped from about 120 beats per minute to about 80. The midwife warned me if this happened during another contraction, we need to be closely monitored at the hospital. Well, his heart beat once again dropped as I was contracting. I had to lay on my side to recover his heart rate and then the midwife called the hospital to tell them we were on our way and to prepare for us while also calling the doctor.  At first the midwife was not too worried but then she decided I must take an ambulance to the hospital because she had a feeling and would rather be too safe. So the EMT men (Bria and my mom said they were very good looking) came and got me, as the midwife literally rushed them to rush me to the hospital. As i was in the ambulance, Jenna was riding in the front and I was in the back getting an IV and emergency oxygen for the baby as they began to as me all those typical questions.. age? first baby? when are your contractions? and timing the contractions. I then got to the hospital and was hooked up to a baby monitor where his heart was dropping to 60 beats per minute as I was contracting. They began to put me in many different positions and then on my hands and knees while bending down to get the baby relief from being on my pelvis. Since the baby was not getting any stronger and could not survive a vaginal birth (all within I think about 5 minutes). I was literally given a shot to totally stop my contractions and was rushed into the operating room... My parents and Bria had just arrived to the hospital and were told I was already prepping for surgery. I was in the surgical room with I think about 7 nurses who were prepping me. They could not take my blood fast enough and began to clean my stomach and put warm cloths on me to keep me warm because my adrenaline was RUSHING and I was shivering and could not stop. I then remember the nice anesthesiologist woman talking to me and telling me to breathe and that I was getting put to sleep although she really wanted to give me a spinal, but there was no time. The doctor looked over the sheet and told me that he would see me when the surgery was over... (everything took about maybe 20 minutes) DO NOT REMEMBER ANYTHING after I woke up... minus the following: I remember the nurse coming up to me and showing me the baby and telling me he came out screaming with poop all on him and he was beautiful and i gave him a kiss. I was then asked a million questions that I could not answer because of the emergency c-section. I was told later that there was a NICU room ready for the baby when he arrived and a team of nurses waiting... he ended up being PERFECT and did not need any special attention (I thank the midwife and the doctor for this). Then I arrived in my room to find Shep's mom (my wonderful mother-in-law), her friend(Joanne), my mom, my dad, Bria and Jenna ALL waiting for me to wake up and to be able to hold our new bundle of joy! Now we are at home and I am slowly recovering, Shep knows we are safe and cannot wait to meet his son!!

Our Beautiful Baby Boy is 18 1/2 inches long... 6 pounds 11 oz.. born at 9:04 pm on Jan. 19, 2010

Five long weeks after Stirling was born, Michael decided to give up his dream and focus on our family. Seeing Michael and Stirling meet was the most brilliant thing I have seen; there was an instant connection, in which they have been inseparable since. 

Our new focus is creating a healthy atmosphere for our family and to give Stirling all opportunities to have a WONDERFUL life (beginning with breast milk and lots of hugs and kisses). Michael and I are SUPER busy juggling our masters degree courses, work, exercise, home-cooked meals, spending time with one another, ect. 

Since Michael claims he has "struck gold" with Stirling, I have decided to continue the health of our family and child through adding a more conscious lifestyle into the mix. Here goes our journey! I am excited to see where this journey will lead us!