Still Lovin' It!

So, it has been over a week since I have officially switched to being a vegetarian, and I still love this new lifestyle!!! At first I had been nervous because we had a house guest last week, so I wasn't going to officially start until after she left, but that wasn't an issue for me at all, especially since I am not making the kids go vegetarian. So, I had ham in the house for her to have ham sandwiches for lunch. Otherwise she was pretty flexible with our new way of eating. I was even surprised that when I had taken her to subway she ordered a Veggie Delight, so I knew she wasn't totally sick of not eating meat! :o)

So far things are still going great. My body is feeling great, and I am loving the new foods I get to prepare. Tonight I am going to start experimenting with beans. Our grocery store has a bulk section where you can buy tons of different beans, rices, and grains, in as small or as large of quantities as you would like, so that has made it really fun and easy as well! On the menu tonight is Hawaiian Salmon burgers (I AM still eating fish!), with coconut rice and red beans. We'll see how it goes! :o)

Other things I have become addicted to include: tomato, basil, and mozzarella sandwiches on Ciabatta bread with balsamic vinagrette, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, and cottage cheese mixed with crushed pineapple. Yum, yum, yum!!! This whole vegetarian thing really is easier than I thought! :o)

Thanks for following me on this journey!!!

I passed my first "test"!

Tonight we decided to take a drive down to Seal Beach and eat at Ruby's out on the pier. For those of you not in Southern California, Ruby's is a 50's style diner that mainly serves hamburgers of all different varieties. And I have to say, a hamburger did not even look tempting to me! I ordered the Vegwich, and was actually very happy with how much I enjoyed it!

This may sound strange, but one of the things I have been looking forward to about going vegetarian is that I don't have sooooo many options staring me in the face. Jason had read a book that had concluded that more choices actually make us more dissatisfied with what we end up choosing in the end. More choices lead to more buyers remorse, or fear that we have not chosen the best option. I am really excited that my options are now very limited for eating when I go out to eat. And tonight I was very satisfied by my limited options.

I left feeling satisfied, but not overly full as I know a burger and fries would have made me. And I don't have the regret that I used to have after eating a burger when I would feel so stuffed afterward.

So far I am surprised at how satisfying this vegetarian lifestyle is for me. I had a friend that told me it wasn't so hard, and I am starting to believe him! I am still feeling more energy, although there has been some major processing of life that has been weighing on me the last few days. But, overall I am really happy with how my body feels. And dare I say my pants are fitting better, which I shouldn't be able to say in pregnancy. Don't worry, I'm still getting the necessary calories, but I really think my metabolism is kicking it up a notch. No, I am not TRYING to lose weight while being pregnant, but so far I'm really happy with the results!

So Far Really Good!!!

So, it is 5:45 AM, and here I am at the computer. This happened yesterday morning as well. And both mornings I woke up completely on my own. This is just short of a miracle! My entire pregnancy I have been sleeping in until 7:45ish, waking up right about the time Jason is leaving for work. And I've been taking a few naps a week. But, remarkably, since becoming vegetarian (this kind of unofficially started on Saturday...) and finding protein in other sources I am not as tired anymore! I know, it has only just begun. We'll see if I am still up at 5:45 in a month!

I am really amazed at all the foods that are high in protein. Yesterday I was pretty sure I had all my daily recommended protein in by lunch time. And I wasn't as hungry or wanting to snack either.

Thanks for staying with me on this journey! I will continue to update as time goes on!

My Attempt at Vegetarianism!

Hello again trusty blog. It has been a while since I have blogged! Honestly, it feels as if life has been stagnant and I have not been having any new revelations to blog about. But, I now have one, and it is a good reason to resurrect the dusty ole' blog! For lent I have decided to give vegetarianism a try; from there we will see if this becomes a permanent life choice.

This was not a decision that I made overnight. This was something that I had always wanted to do but never thought I could. As I have slowly cut meat out of my regular diet I finally feel like I am at a place to do this. I had never prepared much pork, as Jason doesn't like pork, so that was pretty much out of my diet. Over the last year I had given up red meat (except for the rare occasion when it sounded good to me, which didn't happen often). So, all that is left is chicken. I am by no means trying to make anyone feel guilty about eating meat, nor am I trying to persuade anyone to become a vegetarian with me. This blog is simply my journey of giving a new diet a try. (One that I am VERY excited about!)

The decision to do this became final when I had my last doctor's appointment this past Friday. I had been concerned about switching to a vegetarian diet in the middle of my pregnancy. My doctor assured me that as long as I get the recommended protein in a day there is nothing wrong with this. (Which made me realize I hadn't been getting the recommended amount of protein on a normal basis, so already this has caused me to reevaluate what I am eating.)

I plan on posting my progress on my blog, so stay tuned and see if I can successfully become a vegetarian!!!

Why So Bitter?

I want to begin by noting the historic event that took place last night. America voted into office our first African Americna president, and I can not be more proud to say that I was able to take part in that event. I am proud of the accomplishments that Barack Obama has, both for himself and for the African American population!

However, I could not help but notice a sense of bitterness from the Republican party last night. (I am not grouping every Republican into this "bitter" category, just talking about a feeling I got as a whole!) I truly am baffled by this, and am looking for some understanding about it. I am not playing sides saying Democrats have it altogether, because we don't. (That's right... I just called myself a Democrat, and I htink I am getting more comfortable with that label every day!) Just trying to get some understanding on something that has really made me sad over the last few months.

I truly do respect John McCain as a war hero, and as someone who had the potential to be our next president. Had John McCain won last night, I would have been bummed, but would have moved on and accepted that he would be our next president. I feel that we can not truly, and humbly, debate with the other side until we respect the other side, and I admit I tried to debate the other side before respecting it, but in the last few months really began to respect John McCain.

Throughout this campaign, I have noted that I didn't feel like the Republican party was for anything; rather, they were against Barack Obama, and that confused me. Every time I heard John McCain speak, it was what Obama wants to do, usually in some distorted fashion. And, I heard of many McCain supporters at varying rallies being downright hostile about the opponent. Why? I never heard any of this hostility at Obama rallies.

Then there were all the smear ads that came out about Obama. Many McCain fans that I know began sending us "Anti-Obama" literature. Some laden with some of these smears, which are preposterous. I never even thought about posting a negative McCain ad, nor sending it to any of my friends, McCain supporters or not. I was Pro Obama, not Anti McCain, and I think you can be for one and not against the other. So, why are a lot of McCain supporters so Anti-Obama?

Then last night, I was saddened when watching the final results come in. While watching McCain's concession speach, I really did respect the guy. Amidst the "boos" in the audience every time McCain mentioned Obama, I thought McCain gave a powerful speech. After a time, they showed Grant Park in Chicago and Obama's speech, which I thought was very humble and amazing. He truly does want to unite this country, and even acknowledged McCain supporters, saying he wants to be a voice for them, and he needs them in this journey. Later, we found out that the McCain rally had turned off the signal right as Obama started speaking. Really??? Really? You turned off the signal right as our next president took the stage? Really? This baffles me. Sure, they are bummed that it wasn't McCain giving an acceptance speech, but you are that bitter that you can't even concede that this man is our next president, and give him the respect to hear what he has to say?

I truly believe that Obama would have lost to McCain, I would have been sad, but picked up from there and went on with life, trusting our next Commander in Chief. Just as I am bummed that some of the propositions that I have been so passionate about didn't go the way I voted, but I will pick up from there and live my life as Christ called us to live. That is something we get to make a decision to do every day, no matter who is president. I truly believe that Barack Obama is trying to live out his life the way he feels Christ called him to live, and as our president, let's stand behind him as he leads our country in this manner!

I'm just confused. So, I am looking for understanding from either side, McCain or Obama, since today we are once again on the same side of the line. For the first time in 21 months there are no defining lines by candidates, we do stand as America. So, I would welcome a civil discussion about this issue, and look forward to hearing a vast number of opinions about the issue.

I Kissed a Girl and I Liked it Then I Went to Hell!

One thing I have been really passionate about lately is Proposition 8 here in California, which is the proposition on the ballot to overthrow the decision to allow gays to marry. A yes vote would take away the right for homosexual couples to get married. As a Christian, I am supposed to vote yes, right? Well, I am not!

The title of this blog was taken from a sign outside a church in Ohio. And when I saw it on the news, I literally cried! I'm not sure if the tears were of anger or of hurt. Maybe it was a little of both!

My first point, is in the passage in the Bible that is most commonly referred to as pointing out homosexuality as a sin also deals with gossip, slander, and lust as being sins. I don't seen anyone picketing gossip, and I certainly haven't seen any signs outside churches that read, "I gossiped and I liked it, then I went to hell..." Because there is sure a lot of gossip going around in our Christian communities, isn't there?

Secondly, I feel that the gay community has been greatly discriminated against, especially by the church! I feel like the church has dealt with the issue of homosexuality in a terrible way. Instead of loving a homosexual and seeing them as a human being, most Christians have cast them aside and told them to go deal with their sin. I'm not sure that people who have not dealt with homosexuality can truly understand what a homosexual is going through, and I think for us to tell them to just, "get over it" is wrong!

So, I want to find a way to love homosexuals, and not to cast them aside from society. And I feel that one way to love them is to make them equals with rights for marriage! I can honestly say I don't understand what it is that you are going through as a homosexual, but let me try to understand, instead of banning something that you hold so near and dear to your heart!

As a Christian, let's stop excluding people from our "club", and make Christianity an open door for ALL to feel welcomed! Let's learn how to love people, even those who look different from us, and stop this form of racism that homosexuality has become! Let's stop condemning people to Hell, and start loving them in order to make this world a more civil place!

The Best Gift

This Christmas is probably going to be one of my most memorable when looking back for many reasons. One of the obvious ones is because this was Kaelyn's first Christmas that she really understood what was going on. For about two weeks leading up to Christmas, every morning when she would wake up she would ask Jason or I, "Open Chissis Pesents?" So cute!!! Another reason why this Christmas was so memorable was because it was the first Christmas since Jason and I have been married that we got a big chunk of time to spend as a family on Christmas Day. That really meant a lot to me. In fact, we didn't go anywhere. We stayed in our pajamas, and enjoyed each other all day long. That is something that is rare. Jason and I cooked a big holiday meal for just the three of us, and we really were able to spend the day enjoying each other instead of rushing everywhere.

One thing I was really struck with yesterday was just how blessed we are as a family. It was so fun for me to watch Christmas unfold through the eyes of my almost-two-year-old. Each present she opened had to be carefully loved by her before we moved on to the next one. Each new present was a new adventure for her to unwrap. She is such a tender little girl, and it was great to just sit back for a day and watch her be herself. Jason is also a great blessing to our family. He is one of the most caring and loving men I have ever met. He takes so much joy and pride in his two girls (Kaelyn and myself) and child to come. That was also incredible to watch.

The best gift I received yesterday was not just watching my family interact in the way my family does, but also a gift that I unwrapped, but it has much more value than the monetary value placed on it. It was a frame, and inside it Jason had printed up what looked like a diploma. And it reads that The Medina Family will do whatever it takes to encourage and help me to go for my Master's Degree. This gift spoke deep into my soul, and I could never purchase a gift big enough to make me any more happy than this one.

So, it is official. I am starting the application process to go for my Master's Degree. I am looking to take the GRE in another month or so, then apply after that. I am still skeptical that I am going to be accepted, but right now, an acceptance letter is the only thing standing between me and a Master's Degree (well, and a bunch of years of hard work!)!

Thank you family, for supporting, loving, and encouraging me when I don't always believe in myself as much as you do!

I'm Dreaming of a Master's Degree!

Well, I have been saying it for a while... I want to go back to school. Today I actually sent away for information for a Master's Degree. It feels a little weird! Not sure if I am actually going to go through with it yet. So many excuses not to... New baby on the way, not enough money, will I ever actually use it? Nonetheless, I can't get it out of my head.

I often wonder if I am just thinking back to college and romantisising the past. I often forget about the tearful phone calls to my dad each semester wanting to quit. (Thanks for keeping me going, Dad!) I mean, how stressful can it be to take one class a semester? (I'm pretty sure that's all I'd have time for with the little ones running around!)

So, wish me luck on going through with this. Still not sure if it would work financially. I mean, everything is just so cheap here in Southern California (please don't miss the sarcasm!) But for now, a girl can dream, right!?

Disillusioned

So, tonight Jason and I took Kaelyn to the park, as we often do on nights when we are all at home. Kaelyn loves the ducks at the park, so tonight we took some bread with us to give the ducks a little dinner. While Kaelyn was throwing bread in the water, most of the ducks were interested and came over to get their share of bread. However, there were about five ducks that wanted nothing to do with the bread. That is because those five ducks are fake. I noticed this a few weeks ago when we were down by the water looking at the ducks. I found it odd that there were certain ducks that never seemed to leave the spot where they were. Then I noticed the water line on one of the ducks. Real ducks don't get water lines! The more I looked at this duck, the more ridiculous is looked to me. Especially the one that is constantly beak-heavy.

The sad thing to me is that this isn't the only piece of "fake nature" that I have noticed surrounding me. There are the countless fake palm trees that are cell towers, which look atrocious by the way! There are also fake rocks that are covering electical boxes along a canyon road that we often take. The funny thing is, I think, we do this to cover up what is really there, but once you see it, it looks unnatural and odd. And you can't help looking at it every time you pass it. So, instead of covering it up, we actually are drawing more attention to it.

These fake ducks fall into another category, I think. Unless this is a way of covering up an underwater cell tower! These fake ducks, in my opinion, are to add to the ambiance of the park, even if there are no ducks around. This also strikes me as odd. Are people really happier in a park with fake ducks than with no ducks at all? Do people really gaze upon these fiber glass creatures and get a sense of calm over them? I sure don't!

The Wondeful World of Potty Training!

So, yesterday Jason and I had the joy of taking Kaelyn to Babies R' Us (Sorry I can't figure out how to type the "R" backwards!) to purchase a potty. I honestly wasn't thinking, "Alright, I'm going to potty train Kaelyn." My serious thought was, ok, we'll give this a try, and see if it works! If it does, great, if not, we'll put the potty on the shelf for another few months and try again.

So, last night we got home with the potty, and Kaelyn was so excited she was actually helping us put it together. As soon as we got it together, she opened the lid right up and took a seat! (Step number 1 of potty training... Not bad!)

So, since she was such a willing participant last night, I figured today at regular intervals I would take her in there diaper free, and see what would happen. I plopped her on there a few times, and she was so happy to be there. In fact at one point today I found her in the bathroom on her potty, of her own free will (fully clothed of course!)

Our last attempt of the night, I had put her on there, and we were happily reading the potty story book we bought with the potty last night, and all of the sudden she stood up, and a few drips came out! YAY!!! I had gotten her back on the potty, and we managed to get A WHOLE DRIP into the potty! So, I would say, day 1 of potty training was a success! Let's hope the rest of the days can be this good! Maybe tomorrow we'll get two drips in the potty!