Pregnancy Update Week #34 and Cookie Recipe!

Good morning! It is a beautiful day and I am just sitting down to enjoy a decaf almond milk latte. My dear, sweet friend Marci texted me a little while ago asking if I wanted a coffee delivery this morning! Ummm, yes please! It feels so good to have wonderful friends and to feel so loved :)

So, I am a little over 34 weeks pregnant now and want to do an update, as well as share one of my very favorite cookie recipes with you today ;) 

First things first...

How far along? Just over 34 weeks!

Baby's size: According to the silly little app that sends me weekly updates on my phone...the size of a large cantaloup! (19-22 in, 5.5 lbs) 

Total weight gain: I think I am up to 140 pounds so that would be a total weight gain of 30 pounds! Woot woot!

Stretch Marks: Nope, no new ones. Just the mild ones I've already been "blessed" with from growth spurts when I was younger. I once had a boyfriend who called them my "tiger stripes!" Haha. If I end up getting any more stretch marks from this pregnancy, I will find a way to love them since they played a part in growing my baby :) 

Sleep: Usually great! I always have to get up and pee at least once in the night, usually more, but it's no biggie and I can fall right back asleep most of the time. But, sometimes I toss and turn a little bit and have a hard time falling or staying asleep. Plus I have been having SO many weird dreams lately. Tricky dreams about the baby's gender, dreams where the baby turns into a wild animal and bites me when I'm trying to breast feed, dreams about going into labor early, etc. I almost always wake up sweating from these dreams! But, that could also be the hormones making me sweat!

Best moment this week: Nothing super specific stands out in my mind. I have just been feeling really good and happy and excited! I washed all the baby's things the other day...clothes, towels, bedding, etc and spent some time in the baby's room putting things away and trying to get organized. The baby's room is still a work in progress, but here are a few pics ;) 

I still need to get a nice, comfy chair but everything is coming together! The baby's room doesn't even need to be fully complete for a while because the baby is going to live in our room at first :) 

Miss anything? If I ever miss anything, it's usually just a fleeting thought, nothing that I ever dwell on. I could say that I sometimes miss sleeping on my belly or not feeling so uncomfortable, but I'm truly trying to love (or at least accept) every little thing that comes along with pregnancy because it is such a powerful, amazing journey to experience. 

Movement: Yes, the baby moves a lot! But, somehow it still seems pretty mellow compared to what I've heard and seen from other women. I think the baby is just super comfy, cozy in there and it's movements are pretty smooth most of the time. Plus it has limited space in there now so it can't move THAT much, anyway. The baby has been chillin in the same head down position for months now. It's getting ready ;) 

Food cravings: I have gone through SO many different phases with food since I've been pregnant! Right now, I don't have too many cravings and my appetite isn't too strong. I'm sad that I can't eat as much as I could before! My stomach is so squished that it's hard to feel hungry sometimes! It's not fair. Haha! But, a few of my favorite things right now are: cereal and coconut milk, peanut butter, sweets, smoothies, pretzels and string cheese ;) Here are few things I've eaten recently:

 Yummy quesadilla with sweet potato, broccoli, kale, black beans and goat cheese. (I could only eat half of it...whereas earlier in my pregnancy I probably could have polished off the whole thing AND some ice cream.) 

Gluten-free pancakes. Peanut butter, banana and chocolate chips between each layer. Topped with maple syrup ;) I didn't seem to have a problem eating ALL of these ;)

Delicious dinner Marci and I made the other night! Salad, sweet potatoes roasted with sage, polenta and goat cheese topped with a chickpea tomato stew :) Body, heart and soul nourishment right there! 

Anything making you queasy or sick? No, not really. I just have to make sure I don't eat too much at once or else I feel uncomfortable and suffer from a little indigestion. No heartburn though! Fingers crossed that it doesn't hit me!

Gender: No idea. I have been so back and forth the whole pregnancy but, now I don't have a feeling one way or the other. I am SOOOOO excited to find out though ;) 

Symptoms: I get A LOT of Braxton Hicks contractions! And my back and hips are sometimes sore. I have to pee a lot. I generally feel uncomfortable a lot of the time. Rolling over is hard. Getting up from sitting down is hard. I waddle when I walk ;) I totally have pregnancy brain. Bending down is hard. I groan and grunt a lot when I'm trying to do things around the house...(I know, attractive right?!) Haha...but, really it's all good. Even though I'm uncomfortable a lot, I'm more comfortable with being uncomfortable now :) Over all, I still LOVE being pregnant. It's fun. 

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy! But, I'm also starting to feel a little nervous as I get closer and closer to my due date. Nervous about labor and delivery and wondering if the baby is going to be healthy and if I'm going to be a good mom...stuff like that. I suppose that's probably normal.

Looking forward to: Having this baby! 

34 week belly shot! Like the rainbow glow I'm emanating? ;)

One of my best friends, Jennae came over the other day and played her shakuhachi flute for me and the baby. Kona "helped." ;)

And now for the cookie recipe!

(Adapted from a recipe in The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone)

Delicious, Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup quick-cooking oats

3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour (I have also used Pure Pantry Gluten-Free Baking Mix)

1/3 cup sugar (I used coconut sugar)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup maple syrup and/or honey (I like to do both! The flavor combo is amazing!-Just make sure it equals 1/3 cup) 

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp molasses

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil your baking sheet.

Combine the oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the syrup and/or honey, coconut oil, vanilla extract and molasses. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry and once it is all combined, fold in the chocolate chips.

Roll the dough into balls and place on your oiled baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. 

These cookies are so soft, sweet, chewy and ADDICTIVE! I love the combo of flavors from the coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup and molasses. And the subtle hint of tropical coconut from the coconut oil. Mmm...they are like something from a dream! ;)

I hope you all have a beautiful, amazing day today! Do yourself a favor and make these cookies ;) They will make your day super sweet! 

<3