Rolled Oats Healthy Coockie

This recipe is very easy to make and good for the whole family.

Ingredients:
2 big and very ripe bananas
1.5 cup of rolled oats
2 tbsp of walnut oil (you can use vegetable/corn oil)
1/2 cup of raisins
3 tbsp of whole flax seed
2 tbsp of salted sunflower seeds
1 tbsp of peanut butter
1 tbsp of honey

How to:
1. Heat oven to 350
2. In a medium bowl mash the bananas and add all other ingredients.
3. Mix well and let it sit for about 15 minutes at room temperature
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
5. Using a regular spoon drop mounts of the mix onto baking sheet, about 2 inches apart
6. Using your fingers or the back of the spoon apply a little pressure on the cookies to flatten them a little
7. Bake for 16 minutes

TIPS:
>Use organic raisins if possible, they are plump and juicier.
>Publix carries whole flax seeds and sunflower seeds in their Greenwise brand

Fun Facts:
Flax and Sunflower seeds are a good source of protein and fiber

Bye, Bye Baby-Blues

Where do I begin? How do I begin to organize my thoughts and share with you this amazing, powerful experience that is to be a mother?

“Having a baby is a wonderful—and WONDER-FULL—experience that makes you laugh, cry, and stare in amazement… all at the same time.”

The above quote is a pretty accurate statement, which totally relates to my experience as being a new mother.

Ryder turned 1 month on September 9th and miraculously we have all survived. Actually there is no “miraculously” part to it, but rather the incredible support and goodwill of our mothers, especially my mother who has stayed with us on a daily basis to help with the overwhelming task of being new parents. Without my mother’s help I don’t think we could have “miraculously” survived. We knew that our lives would change and we often wondered the extent of it during our conversations, nevertheless we felt that we were ready for it. Little did we know that we were in for the biggest, toughest and most challenging task of our lives both, as individuals and as a couple. No one, no book or word of advice could have prepared us for how intense this change would be.

As most of you know we were faced with an unplanned C-Section, and complications with my bladder, which resulted in a tear of the bladder and wearing of a catheter for 10 days. These unplanned and unforeseen events made for a slow physical and emotional recovery. I cannot tell you how inadequate I felt for not being able to deliver my baby naturally and that feeling was just a trigger and the beginning of how I would come to feel after the delivery.
In our minds the equation was simple: great pregnancy – no complications = great delivery; Well that tells you how good our math skills are. When our doctor informed us that a C-section was the recommended approach due to how things were progressing, or should I say not progressing, we could not help but to feel sad, disappointed and scared. Nevertheless we tried to keep an optimistic attitude about it, after all we were getting closer to meeting our bebê.

The C-Section was a very traumatic experience for both Duke and I. My body, or what I could feel of it, shook uncontrollably for pretty much the entire procedure. The nurse explained to us that it was a common reaction to the anesthesia called “The Baby-Shakes”. Once Ryder was delivered and attended to by the nurses we got to hold and love him for a quick moment. What a wonderful moment that was. I finally got to meet my bebê. After our brief moment with Ryder he was taken away and Duke had to exit the room as he was not permitted to stay for the remainder of the surgery. It was a scary feeling not having him by my side. Our stay at the hospital lasted four days and then we were on the way home, Duke, Ryder and I.

As the three of us arrived at home from the hospital the reality of it all hit us and we felt a little confused and disoriented like chickens running around with their heads cutoff. All of our running around seemed to be geared towards accommodating the new resident in the house, Ryder. Now that I look back and play that moment in my head it was actually kind of comic. Frodo and Sam were going frantic; Frodo tried to have a taste of Ryder’s foot; I am in pain and in a daze (combination of pain killers and the coming home situation); Duke, well I am not sure what he’s feeling at this point, but by the look in his eyes I can tell you he felt overwhelmed as well; and Ryder, well our little Burrito seemed to be oblivious to the chaos and the only one not bothered by all the commotion. He slept peacefully and angelically in his car seat, however the peaceful state didn’t last for too long and we soon came to realize that our little Ryder needed a fourth trimester inside the womb, as per Dr. Karp’s theory. He wanted to be cared for and held in the same way as when I had him inside my belly, 24/7, and on top of that he had his nights and days mixed up. Let’s just say that bringing home the baby was nothing like the TLC shows. It was both physically and emotionally exhausting and we felt lost at best. For all of you who are not parents, let me tell you that nothing in this world can be or sound more excruciating than the sound of your baby crying while you are unable to silence or sooth him because you just don’t have a clue what is wrong. You are at your most helpless point ever. I felt desperate and I would cry with him inside and out, it was really tough.

Sadly the combination of not being able to deliver my baby vaginally, the challenges and unsuccessful attempt to breastfeed him and the failure to sooth him when he cried uncontrollably led me to experience the Baby-Blues. It was all too much for me to handle. I found myself questioning my abilities and capabilities as a mother and as an individual; my self-confidence and self-reliance were shaken to its core like never before and it was an overwhelming and uncontrollable feeling. I felt as if all of the other “Lauras”—(the wife, the dog mother, the house caretaker, the student, the professional, the friend) all had to be sacrificed for the new me—the mother — and that thought made me panic. I felt as if I had lost control of my life. I have never felt so powerless or scared in my entire life. All of these conflicting feelings were flying through my head, it was really tough to handle, I never thought I would feel this way considering how much I yearned to become a mother. Secretly I felt horribly guilty and ashamed for having these feelings and I kept asking myself why I felt that way. I just did not and could not understand, nor accept, feeling that way and that made things even worse and more intense. How can a time such as this that should evoke so much joy and love also evoke so many conflicting feelings? I knew about the Baby-Blues, but I didn’t know it would happen to me. For some ignorant reason I felt that only women who “lacked motherly instincts” would experience that, but boy was that a slap in the face.

In a few weeks Ryder will turn two months old and I can almost say that the Baby-Blues are almost gone. I feel much better and I can finally enjoy my little bundle of joy the way I was supposed to (if it wasn’t for my hormones trying to get the best of me). I am learning that I don’t have to sacrifice the other Laura’s, but for now they are taking a “mini-vacation” until we all get adjusted into our new roles and into this new chapter in our lives. Duke has also given mini-vacations to all of “his personnel” as well.

Ryder has matured and so has his ability to self-soothe. We are on a much better schedule and his quiet/alertness times are getting better and longer. He is healthy, beautiful and full of life and did I mention that he has a charming-dimpled-smile to die for and that melts your heart?! No amount of obstacles or challenges would lessen my joy and love for him. He is without a doubt what I have asked and waited for and if I had to go through it all over again I would do so without hesitation.

On the delivery day as Ryder took the first gulp of air into his lungs, and his strong cry filled the room my heart and soul was filled with an indescribable feeling. A profound sense of purpose filled my entire being; it was a very emotional and at the same time tangible feeling. I will never forget that moment and how I witnessed the miracle of my son’s life and for that I am grateful to God.

As I said in the beginning of this blog, being a mother has been a powerful and humbling experience with many LOL (Lessons of Life). I always thought that I would be able to do a pretty good job as a mother, that all of my “motherly instincts” would take over and everything would be just as easy as making a dish, but how pretentious of me to think that. Isn’t it amazing how a little being comes into your life and teaches you big lessons?! There isn’t really anything little about babies, except for their little bodies. Everything about them is big; the lessons, the adjustments, the cries, the smiles and most of all the LOVE.

In the same way I didn’t expect the changes and whirlwind a baby brings to your life, I didn’t expect to feel this much love for Ryder. It just blows me away.

In this humbling experience I am learning one very important lesson, maybe the most important of all. As a mother you provide all of the physical aspects in caring for your baby: the diaper changes, the feedings, the baths, etc… but on an emotional aspect a mother has to maintain the emotional umbilical cord that remains after birth and that feeds her child’s heart and soul for forever.

Thank you to all of you for allowing me to share the pregnancy and after-birth experiences with you. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have. I am not sure if I’ll continue with the blog as time is really a scarce commodity in the Glover household these days; maybe when Ryder is 21 I’ll get back to it ;o)

To view some of Ryder's photos and short video click on the link below:
Make sure you have your speakers on for the video.

Photos: http://www.dukesdotcom.com/pictures/Ryder_first_days/index.htm
Video:
http://www.dukesdotcom.com/Rydervideo.html

Laura

The Waiting Game...

39 Weeks - 7 Days to go!

Just a quick update to let you know that we still don't have our bebê with us ;o(
We went to the doctor yesterday and no indication of labor yet, so chances are that Ryder will come on his due date, August 13th, or possibly postdate.

For a while we were asking him to wait a little just to allow us to get his room and everything else ready, and then we had the unexpected Medical emergency with Kelly, Duke's sister, who had an open heart surgery a week ago. Again we had to ask him to wait a little longer for us until things had settle a little.
Well Kelly seems to be doing ok on her way to recovery and our little guy seems to be a good listener because he still not here ;o)

I told Duke that our bebê is either scared of coming out into this crazy world or he simply enjoys his current home, the womb, too much. So now we've been telling him that it is ok for him to debut, but I guess nature will take its course and we just have to keep waiting.

We made a video of Ryder’s room and published on the website http://www.dukesdotcom.com/
We were really happy on how it came out, it is colorful, happy and cozy, exactly what we were aiming for.
His Vovó, Rai, helped me with customizing some decor items and make the nursery even more special. Thank you Vovó Rai!

Well I guess that is it for now.
Hopefully the next update will be with Ryder’s arrival news.

Beijos!
Laura

We are full Term! 37 weeks – 21 days to go!

Seven weeks have passed since my last update and as expected nature is taking its course as we approach the big day. But before I go on with the latest updates Duke and I would like to say thank you to our friends and family for coming to our baby shower and for their generous gifts. We had a wonderful baby shower and we greatly appreciate your generosity, but most importantly we appreciate you being part of this very special moment in our lives. A big thanks to Sonya and Steve for hosting our baby shower in their spacious and beautiful home; Debbie, my mother-in-law, for all the help (especially with the cupcake fondant lion faces which was very labor intense, but worth it, they came out really cute); and my mother for making the delicious Brasilian docinhos that everyone seemed to love.

I heard from many of you that I was the only person crazy enough to make my own baby shower food, but I am sure there are other “crazy” new mothers like me out there ;o), besides I am a perfectionist and I could not pass up the opportunity to make good food for this very special occasion. I hope all of you enjoyed the food and your time at the shower as much as I did. Sorry to all the guys, but it was a ladies only shower.

We are getting closer and closer to Ryder’s arrival and we can hardly wait for him to be here, especially after seeing how lovely little Isabella is and how much love and joy she has brought to all of our lives. At 37 weeks our bebê is considered full term, which means he is ready to make his debut to the world. His lungs are fully developed and he is ready to take his first breath outside the womb. He could arrive at any moment and if he follows his prima Isabella he should be here any day now. Although we’ve been asking him to wait a little longer so we can take care of some last minute details and make sure we have everything as ready as possible to bring him home.

For the past 3 weeks we’ve been going to the doctor on a weekly basis and everything seems to be going really well. Three weeks ago Ryder’s weight was 4lbs and 10 ounces; he will be a little bebê like his parents, and although Duke doesn’t seem very thrilled about that small detail, I told him that in Brasil (of course we have a saying for everything in Brasil), we say “the best fragrances come in small bottles”, so that is nothing to worry about except that we want him to be a healthy bebê.

Duke is still being plagued with Couvade symptoms, some days my poor baby can hardly catch his breath, but we hope that once Ryder is here the anxiety will subside and he will be able to breathe in a normal pattern again. A lot of the anxiety he is experiencing has to do with me and how the delivery will go, he is very concerned about the labor pain I will have to endure. If it was up to him I would get the epidural as soon as we set foot at the hospital. Hopefully he won’t pass out on me as his father did when he was born. As for me, well I can hardly catch my breath either! However not for the same reasons as Duke, but rather because as Ryder grows in the womb everything gets really crowded.

These past three weeks I finally came to experience and understand firsthand the warnings from veteran mothers in the expecting business. Up until my 34th week I could pretty much do anything as before pregnant, but that my friends has changed. I am feeling pretty uncomfortable to the point of sleepless nights, constant trips to the bathroom, backaches, waves of tiredness and many symptoms that I didn’t have or had very little of before. Oh, and don’t let me forget to mention that I have a slightly different walking pattern these days and it is called waddling. No I am not proud of it, but I was not able to avoid it as lately I don’t seem to have control of my body, it has control over me! I am now in the last stage of the pregnancy, but it is not as bad as it sounds especially when I think of what awaits us at the finish line. Yet not a second goes by that I don’t feel blessed for having such a great pregnancy up to this point, specially being at a “mature” age, and as I keep repeating myself I would not change any of it for anything in the world. I have experienced feelings that I have never experienced before, somehow it just feels that life is so much more grandiose, and everything is more meaningful and beautiful, and in a not shallow way I feel more beautiful, a beauty that irradiates from within.
Most of you know that it was my desire to become a mother one day, so forgive me if I sound melodramatic, but this is all a big deal for me. I had to wait for Duke to be ready, with the possibility that it could never happen, and give me the assurance that we would do this together as I believe it should be. Well, that day has come and here we are living what at times still feels like a dream, a beautiful dream. The ultimate step in the life of two people who love each other and almost like magic are able to create something so wonderful; a new life that is a piece of the two of us. Soon we will be a three-some and if life was wonderful before now, now it will be wonderfully complete.

These past nine months have been quite a journey; one that we both know is just beginning and one that we can't wait to continue on. We find ourselves both excited and scared at the same time and we know that no amount of "preparation" will spare us of the unpredictability of parenthood, the joys, the tears and everything else that comes with the territory. We just pray that we have what it takes to love and care for Ryder the best way possible with one single objective in mind, to raise a healthy, happy and good, hearted human being.

Being pregnant has been an extraordinary experience, one that I guess only mothers can understand and attest to, but I also understand that it is a very personal experience and not all expectant mothers may feel or experience pregnancy the same way. For me it has been nothing but bliss. I feel blessed and privileged for the opportunity that life has granted me and let me assure you that I am not naïve enough to think that it will always be an easy journey, but we have made the choice to become parents and a commitment that we will be there for Ryder and for each other all the way and always.

A few days ago as I washed and folded Ryder’s newborn clothing I stared at these tiny pair of socks and tiny white shirts and I couldn’t help but to have my eyes filled with tears and my heart filled with joy and excitement to think that very soon we will be holding Ryder in our arms and that we have been entrusted with the biggest and most amazing task of all, to care and to love him forever, because “we are forever responsible for what we have tamed” – from the book The Little Prince.

BABY SHOWER and Other Pictures
Click on the slideshow and a new window will open for bigger pictures viewing.




Follow this LINK to watch a short slideshow of our pregnancy pictures.

Until next update
Duke, Laura and Ryder

She Is Here!

Today, July 14th, 2009 Little Isabella was born, she just couldn't wait any longer and decided that it was time to make her debut.
Paulinha, little Isabella and pround dad Gary are doing well and filled with joy.
She is the most beautiful, precious little thing!
She weights 6.5 Lbs and measures 19 inches.
My sister had the most speedy and "easy" delivery ever, it was unbelievable!
I just hope that things go well for me as it did for Paulinha.

I am posting a picture taken with Duke's phone, so you guys see how cute little Isabella is.

Beijos!
Laura