Vegan for a Day

I'm calling this post Vegan for a Day because even though I plan to try veganism for a week, I don't want to set myself up for failure and let's face it, I'm not good at sticking to plans.
So, I read Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet and I decided to try her way of life. She made some really great points in the book about how we're not really designed to eat meat or dairy and she talked about all the nasty stuff it does to our bodies. So I thought...why not try this out and see if there's anything to it. Now, my diet consists of lots of cheese. I love it and I eat it frequently. And while I don't drink much milk, most of what I eat contains some sort of dairy or eggs. And truth be told, most of our dinners feature meat as a centerpiece. But another truth be told...I usually feel pretty crappy. I've either got a stomach ache, a headache or just a general crappy feeling going on, especially after I eat.
Alicia swears that by eating whole grains and greens and staying away from meat and dairy, I'll look and feel fabulous. Well..here goes nothing.
So I started the day with oatmeal with a tiny bit of pure maple syrup and blueberries. Yum. I was somewhat concerned about the lack of protein, but Alicia swears that we'll get all the protein we need from a plant-based diet.
For lunch I had these Gardein fake chicken tenders made out of soy (nine grams of protein per tender).

This wasn't the best choice I suppose (brown rice, beans and greens would have been ideal) but I was craving chicken and this brand was recommended in the book. They were delicious. Crispy and wonderful and only 100 calories per two tenders.
I also had a big bowl of sauteed squash and zucchini. Yum again.
For dinner, I roasted sweet potatoes and sauteed some kale. I love sweet potatoes and kale, especially together. I added in a little sticky brown rice. It was fantastic. My husband grilled chicken and I did get a little twinge when I saw it, but I stuck to my veggies.

My day as a vegan was so relatively easy, I decided to go for another day. For breakfast today, I ate the leftover sweet potato and kale.
And again the soy tenders. These really are pretty awesome.
For dinner, I'm going to have "chorizo" tacos and collard greens.
We shall see what tomorrow brings...

Letter to Abigail

Dear Abigail,
You are due to arrive in a little over two weeks, but I'm secretly hoping you decide to come a little early, safely and by your own choice of course.

I feel as though I've been waiting on you my whole life. I've wanted to be a mother for as long as I can remember. It's the one thing I knew, without a doubt, that I wanted more than anything else in life.
When we learned you were a girl, I cried tears of happiness. My very own baby girl to love.

These past few weeks, I've grown ever more inpatient. I just can't wait to see your face and hold you in my arms. I dream about you every night. I know you will be the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.

I'll admit, pregnancy has not been easy on me. Even without any complications, I've had a hard time dealing with all of the symptoms that come along with this crazy nine-month journey.

But I know each and every ache and pain will be worth it.
I know as soon as I look at you, I will forget every complaint.

Still Pregnant

Well...here I am, in the homestretch, six weeks to go and I could not be more ready for this pregnancy to be over. Sometimes I feel like I've been pregnant for years and will never again experience the old comforts I used to take for granted. Like being able to tie my own shoes without pain.
When I look back over this process, I wonder how in the world I will ever be able to do it again. I know they say you forget all the bad stuff of pregnancy but I have a feeling my husband will be there to quickly remind me of how miserable I was, and how miserable I made him. This baby girl might just be an only child.
I hate that I've been so terrible at this. I've complained every step of the way and often forgotten to cherish the fact that I have life growing inside me. I must confess: I'm an ungrateful bitch when it comes to being pregnant. 
On the other hand, I am thrilled about the baby girl I am soon to meet. I can't wait to see her, hold her, love her. She will be well worth the swollen puffy feet and ankles, back pain, weight gain, sleep deprivation. And I'm sure I will quickly forget about all that stuff when I look at her sweet face.
For now, however, I will moan and groan my way through the next six weeks. Bear with me.