Flutterings (& Chocolatey Mug Cakes)

It was a lazy Tuesday morning (my only "lazy" morning)
and I laid awake in my bed.

Just laying there.
Breathing in and out, in and out.
Trying to picture that little, growing baby inside me.

I laid my hands on my belly and continued to breath.
In and out, in and out.
And there it was!

I gentle poke from the inside.

I laid perfectly still...Another poke!
Gah, I love this! My favorite part of pregnancy is being able
to feel a baby wriggling and stretching inside me...

Me! Just another human being who happens to be housing
another, growing human being, who will grow up to be a big
girl or boy who can laugh, cry, dance, think, believe, and achieve.

The thought is beautiful and almost unfathomable in some ways.

Hah! I think I can feel my little peanut squirming around as we speak!
It's miraculous.

While pregnancy brings the joys of feeling a human-being inside,
it also brings the feeling of some random cravings...
Which is where the "chocolatey mug cakes" part of my post comes in!

Remember this post from a while back?

Well, I have another chocolatey mug cake recipe to share with you!
Because I want everyone to know the joys of mug cakes. ;)
And so I don't feel alone in my random chocolate cravings

Healthy Chocolatey Mug Cake
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 mug cake
Nutrition at a glance (more detailed nutrition at end of post):
Calories (337), Fat (20.4g), Carbs (40.3g), Fiber (7.6g), Sugars (18.6g), Protein (5.9g)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. whole wheat flour (or white flour)
• 2 Tbsp. dutch processed cocoa (regular cocoa works fine, but dutch is more rich!)
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1-2 Tbsp. organic cane sugar (regular sugar works, or 1 Tbsp. of honey or agave nectar)
• 1 flax egg (1/2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed + 1 Tbsp. water) -- a regular egg, well beaten, also works!
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. dark chocolate almond milk
• 1 Tbsp. applesauce
• 1 Tbsp. melted coconut oil (you could also just use 2 Tbsp. canola oil in place of the 1 Tbsp. applesauce/ 1 Tbsp. coconut oil--I just like to use applesauce for half of it because it's healthier ;) )
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp. Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips--they're the best!

Directions:

1. (If using the flax egg) In a small bowl, prepare the flax egg by combining the flaxseed with water. Let sit for 3-5 minutes until it has a viscous, egg-like texture. 
2. In a large mug, stir together the flour, cocoa, and sugar (if not using agave or honey).
3. Add to the mug the egg (if not using flax egg), almond milk, applesauce, oil, vanilla, and agave or honey (if not using sugar). Mix until well combined.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips. 
5. Microwave somewhere between 50 and 60 seconds. The time really depends on the strength of your microwave. It may take a bit of experimentation to get it just right.
6. Enjoy! And keep a glass of milk nearby. :)  

Note: The flax egg makes the mug cake slightly grainy, which I don't mind because I'm not sensitive to different textures. However, if you are not so much a fan of different textures, I would use a regular egg for a more fluffy texture. :)

                                                                                          

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Serving

Per Serving% Daily Value*

Calories 337

Calories from Fat 184

Total Fat 20.4g31%

Saturated Fat 14.7g74%

Sodium 14mg1%

Carbohydrates 40.3g13%

Dietary Fiber 7.6g30%

Sugars 18.6g

Protein 5.9g

Vitamin A 1% · Vitamin C 15%

Calcium 5% · Iron 29%

*Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Pregnancy Numero Dos!

If you hadn't heard already, I am expecting a BABY!
Yes, baby #2...in July...due one day before Kaiya's birthday!

Hopefully I'm not in the hospital for Kaiya's 2nd birthday...
We may have to celebrate a little earlier...or later :D

Anyways, I just wanted to share a bit about how this pregnancy has been.

Pregnancy #2 = Pregnancy #1 = Wonderful!

I know there are hundreds and thousands of women who have very difficult
pregnancies, and I have no idea how they get through it all! That would be so difficult!
Especially for those pregnant mommas who already have one or two (or three) little ones.

For me, however, the first trimester of pregnancy is a little rough,
filled with nausea and exhaustion,
but starting the second trimester is heaven!
I have much more energy and I just feel good--like my body enjoys 
housing and nourishing a little baby. 

And I truly feel blessed to experience pregnancy like that!
because pregnancy for a lot of women is really difficult.
And I have so much respect for those whose bodies have a
difficult time with pregnancy (my mom had terrible, hospitalizing pregnancies!)

Anyways, despite the very similar pregnancy experience with Kaiya and Baby McG #2,
this pregnancy is also very different in some ways.

Why is this pregnancy different?

Reason #1: I already have one little munchkin to take care of (plus a big, handsome one ;) )
As my belly grows, it gets a little more difficult (and exhasuting!) to carry Kaiya around with me all the time! And I do tend to need at least one nap a day, but that often doesn't happen because Kaiya can't be up and about while I snooze. :D That would lead to disastrous consequences...

Reason #2: I am doing pregnancy yoga and working out daily
When I was pregnant with Kaiya, I was taking like 17 or 18 credits of classes and working, so I didn't have much time, or energy, for physical activity outside of walking to and from campus. This pregnancy is much different. Every day I do some sort of physical activity, whether Joshua
does some personal training with me or I YouTube some pregnancy pilates or yoga. I find
that as I stay fit and active during my pregnancy, I have a lot more energy and I feel much stronger
and confident about what my body is capable of during pregnancy. It is also extremely beneficial for labor and birth!

Reason #3: I am prepping for a natural delivery
This is also why I am working out a lot more during this pregnancy that I did with Kaiya. I want to have a strong, capable mind and body for a natural delivery. That's right. Completely natural. No pain meds. With Kaiya, I went into the whole labor thing with the thought, "I'd like to have a natural birth but I might have the epidural. I don't know. I guess I'll decide when it comes to the big day." BAD IDEA!!! That is the wrong thought process to have going into labor, because you DO want the pain meds if you haven't prepped for a natural birth. So, I ended up having the epidural with Kaiya (which I do not regret!).

However, with this baby, I want to try a natural birth AND I am going to prepare for it. Have you heard of Hypnobirthing? It's a natural birthing technique that emphasizes relaxation, meditation, and breathing throughout labor and understanding your body's strength and capability. I've done some research on Hypnobirthing and really want to try it out! So, I am going to buy this book and CD to prepare for my natural delivery. (I will have to do another post after the delivery to let you all know
if hypnobirthing worked for me!)

Reason #4: I won't be in school after the birth!!!! (my favorite reason this pregnancy is different)
Self-explanatory. I couldn't be more excited to be a mommy at home with my favorite people and not have to run off to school or work every day.

By the way...I'm 15 weeks along now! Almost 4 months. 5 more to go!