Vegan Mama: My Favorite Things!

Bella and Lindsay and Juniper JUMP FOR JOY!

It has been a beautiful week so far. 

Matt, Bella, and I headed back to two different East Coast homes for a special two-week vacation this month - first to my brother and sister-in-law's place in Boston, and next to Matt's family's home in Concord, New Hampshire. On Saturday, our two families officially met for the first time, and we also had a special baby shower for Juniper (our baby-to-be). 

Having a vacation of any kind has been so soothing to my very busy soul. It's been especially healing as I continue to grow this little baby girl inside of my body. We reached the "6 Month" mark on Tuesday, folks! 

The best part about my vegan pregnancy has been all of the support. I feel so lucky - I have people all around me - loved ones, friends, and everyone in between - who, after nearly seven years, have seen what a positive impact my living vegan has had on my body and life, as well as those around me. 

Homemade vegan macaroni salad courtesy of sis-in-law!

When I mention that Juniper will be raised vegan, I've only received curiosity and positivity about it. The questions have been easy to answer so far, and for this I am so grateful. Maybe it's because our world is slowly changing to accommodate those who believe in compassionate choices for all. Maybe in it's all in how I'm choosing to see it. Whatever the reason, I'm sitting here with my coffee and soymilk, so thankful for the journey.

Speaking of my vegan pregnancy, here are some of the things I am LOVING right now while my belly grows:

Earth Mama Angel Baby Butter

I lather this stuff on my belly like it's my full-time job! Not only does it help make my skin soft and supple as it stretches, but it smells yummy! Another great body butter is Organic Coconut Oil, which I occasionally use too.

Rainbow Light Vegan Prenatal ONE Multivitamins.

Six months. :-) 

I absolutely love the Rainbow Light brand as a whole. Specifically, these prenatal vitamins have been easy to digest, filled with great stuff for me while this little kiddo takes up shop inside, and something easy for me to do every day to ensure I'm getting all of the nutrients I need.

Prenatal Yoga Videos Through Yoga Works.

Before I praise the heck out of Yoga Works,  I have to praise my dear friends Nik Shriner and Ashley Platz. Both are members of a weekly goal setting group I'm a part of in Los Angeles, and both have been kicking my butt to make sure I exercise regularly while I experience pregnancy. Ashley specifically has been incredibly motivating. A wonderful actress and yoga instructor, Ashley was kind enough to let me in on a very cool development through her yoga school, Yoga Works, which is an online video directory of classes. Just go to myyogaworks.com to sign up. I especially love that I can go at different levels depending on my energy that day.  And my body is feeling so much stronger for it!

My iPhone Camera & the Samsung Camera My Mom Gave Me for Christmas.

A moment captured during our baby shower.

Taking photos of these past six months has been tremendous. I've grown and changed so much in so little time, and having the visual proof has been a stunning experience. I highly recommend taking weekly belly photos, along with visuals of the doctors visits, new baby clothes, celebrations, and everything else involved in preparing for your baby. Now, I just need some photo albums and a great printing station!

Conscious Parenting Books.

Lately, the two I am immersed in are "The Magic Years" by Selma Fraiberg and "The Conscious Parent" by Shefali Tsabary. Both are teaching me about parenting in a way that allows for the transformative journey for both child and parent. The concept of self-awareness has been something I've been interested in for a while now, so the idea of incorporating that into my parenting really excites me.

Sleep.

Sleep has been my best friend lately. If I'm feeling tired, I nap. If I'm exhausted by day's end, I go to sleep early. I don't judge the process, I just say thank you over and over for the extra sleep as I prepare to sleep less and less in the coming years!

Meditation (w/ help from the Insight Timer App).

My daily goal is to get in anywhere from 7-20 minutes of meditation. I usually manage about 15 on productive days, and when I reach that amount, I feel clearer, calmer, and more ready to take on my day. The Insight Timer App helps keep a gentle timer going as I meditate so I don't have to worry about it while I do it. For those beginning meditators, just know that even a mere 3 minutes can make a huge difference in your day.

My Loving Partner.

Having support from family and friends is awesome, but when the bulk of the support comes from an amazing, bighearted, kind partner? It makes for an experience more loving than I could have ever imagined. 

Juniper Francis.

Deciding on a baby name is always a fun challenge, and the evolution for us has been especially fun. We started with June. Which led to Juniper. Throw in Francis to honor Matt's late grandfather, and we have ourselves a full fledged name. Nicknames our family have already decided upon include: June, Junebug, Junie, and FrancyPants. I also love Ginny, a call to the fact that Juniper berries are used to make gin. Whatever your inclination, I suggest looking up as much as you can about the name - and in my humble opinion, you don't necessarily need to spend days and days deciding on the name itself. June came to me as I was driving down a road and saw a sign for "June Street." 

As we continue the fun of our East Coast vacation, I'll leave you with a quote from "The Conscious Parent". Have a wonderful week, KMIVers! 

"When you parent, it's crucial you realize you aren't raising a "mini me," but a spirit throbbing with its own signature. For this reason, it's important to separate who you are from who each of your children is. Children aren't ours to possess or own in any way. When we know this in the depths of our soul, we tailer our raising of them to their needs, rather than molding them to fit our needs."

PS:

Bella here, and I just wanted to say that, in the time I have known Lindsay I have tried new vegan things almost every day. And soon I'll have a new baby SIS! I have also been rooting for Lindsay as she is continuing her journey of making a human vegan baby inside of her. WAIT, I need to learn how to cook VEGAN! I might see you guys again. Bye!