Introducing.....the Littlest Vegan!!!!!!!!
Being responsible adults, Kevin and I weren't quite ready for the positive pregnancy test that we found ourselves staring at in the company of a friend! (that's how much I didn't think I was pregnant, but wanting to put a colleague's comments about my insomnia and nightsweats to rest, I took the test).
We knew that we wanted to have a little tribe of geeky, music loving, stripey sweater wearing, world travelling vegan kids - but we were thinking that there would be a few more mother's days with cards made from the paws of Sylvia and Eliot before we got around to the job of having to pick a midwife, come up with a birth plan and try to estimate the reality of having a home birth in our apartment herein Brussels. But.....this is it. We are in the zone and have managed to transfer ourselves from the all-encompassing thoughts of "oh my god, we are having a baby" to "yahhhhh we are having a baby".
I have already taken a few verbal shots (from family members no less) on my choice to be a vegan mom-to-be and subsequently raise vegan children. But, I couldn't really care less, I know I have done the research, I know I am healthy, I know that I get enough folic acid, iron, vitamin B12 and I know that our baby is as well. My midwife supports me 100%, and Kevin is behind me all of the way.
I admit to have been knocked down by all of the nausea, stomach upset and fatigue the last month has thrown at me. I also admit to developing an obsession with peanut butter and toast, but I am ok with that. The last few days have been toilet-hugging-free, so I think I might be out of the yuckiest bit (webbed fetus fingers crossed) of the morning/all-day-long sickness.
Needless to say we have had to bump up the wedding, from April to February 14th (come on, you didn't think I would miss a day to be fancy and uber-pretty, just because I have a little bit of a tummy???).
My mom has become the ultimate grandbaby-crazy woman. You mention the word baby and she loses her mind. Good. She deserves to be this excited, and I am glad that my body can do something that seems to be making so many people happy (despite the horrors it is raining down on me over the next 6 months or so).
Today was the first day that I really felt myself - was able to get to the market, clean the house, and I even made soup! I used a Rodrigo Squash (i had never seen this variety before) and some potatoes as the base. I enjoyed ever moment of making this soup. I have missed the chopping, peeling and guesstimation that is my time in the kitchen.
I welcome any/all comments from vegan parents/moms to be. I believe in the power of sharing personal stories more than all the books written on any subject - so if you have anything you want to share, tell, whisper, scream - send it my way. I will be more than honoured to add your experiences to my growing understanding of this total life change.
I also have to add - (shout out to the world) a huge thank you to the most amazing partner a woman could ask for! Kevin has been wonderful. Right from the first moment when he put his arms around me and whispered "you are going to be a great mom" to the endless glasses of juice he has gotten me. He has picked up the slack around the house on the days where I have just about enough energy to tie my shoes. I love this daddy-to-be more than I ever thought possible. Mwahhh!
Here is my dead simple squash soup from tonight:
She's Having A Baby Squash Soup
1 Roderigo squash - peeled and cubed
4 cups of water (or more depending on how thick/watery you want it)
spices - I used: turmeric, cumin, pepper and chili flakes
I cooked the squash in the water for about 1 hour and then blitzed it. The smooth, creamy soup was the perfect receptor for the spices.
1 baguette from your favourite dog man at the market
1 tsp of olive oil
1 clove of garlic
I smashed the garlic and oil together and spread it all over the fresh bread before popping it under the grill for 5 minutes.
The bread was a perfect side kick to this mildly spicy and all-the-way tasty soup.
34 comments:
Awww this is the littlest vegan's Nanny and I can tell you that we support our vegancowgirl and her food choices 100% I am ready to learn how to feed a vegan baby!!!!!
Yay! Congrats to you on your growing vegan family!
Congratulations on your surprise! (I'm glad to hear you are feeling better, too.)
congrats on your happy announcement!
Congratulations! I had a vegan pregnancy and it all went fine. I did get low on B12 and iron towards the end (I was low on iron in my first pregnancy though when I was vegetarian so it's probably just me, could have been low on B12 then for all I know but they never checked!) but some vitamin suplements got me back into the right levels and I was fine. My son is also vegan, he's 17 months now and I don't think non-vegans can believe he's vegan as he's so healthy and growing so well. He will also eat almost anything due to being introduced to such a wide range of vegetables etc so I don't think I'll have a picky eater on my hands when he's older! Take care of yourself and I hope it all goes brilliantly!
I'm glad your back and with such a great news. Congratulations. Wishing you all the luck.
I was totally vegan when I was pregnant. In the end I had to take some B12 injections. Probably because I had been throwing up for the all 9 months, but this almost never happens to anyone. So don't worry.
Congratulations! What great news.
How exciting! Congrats!!
I had a super-icky horrible terrible pregnancy, but it wasn't due to being vegan. I did end up having to include some animal products in my diet (I was having daily fainting spells, throwing up into my 8th month, pre-eclamptic) but I am like the freaky exception to the rule. I know tons of moms who did it vegan, and you'll be spot on! The best advice I could give, just go with the flow, because no matter how well you plan things, they can really be turned upside down during a pregnancy (I saw myself having a yoga/sophorology home birth...yeah, that didn't happen). The important thing is a healthy both of you!
Cnogratulations! What exciting news. And glad to hear that you're feeling better! You probably already know this, but I think Becoming Vegan has some really good info about pregnancy, and Dreena Burton's second book (Vive le Vegan, I think?) has a whole section on feeding little ones. :)
Congratulations!
Congratulations!!! I'm excited to read about your journey so I can prepare myself for when we decide to have kids!
Congratulations to you and Kevin :o)
And it's great to see you back in the blogosphere!
How wonderful to have such a supportive family and midwife (veganwise). You sound over the moon, I'm so glad you are feeling better :o)
Congratulations! Be well...
I totally got all teary-eyed when I read the title of your post!! I can't wait for this little herbivore!! Just don't trust Andrew, he will probably attempt to seduce the baby into his cookie eating ways!
You need to give me some idea as to what you need for the baby because I want to buy him/her a really awesome present.
Missing you already,
E
congrats, congrats, congrats! what an awesome surprise! that's so cool that you & the wee one will both be vegan - hooray! :) i 100% support ya, VeganCowGirl - that's just glorious!
how exciting!
What a surprise of an update! I hadn't been to your site in some time and certainly didn't expect this kind of news. Congrats and all the best from both of us!
Welcome back and congrats!!!
Congratulations! Thanks for sharing such exciting news. I'm so glad you are getting over the morning sickness. And it sounds like you have a great support system around you. So exciting!
Oh, my goodness, CONGRATULATIONS!! I'm so very happy and excited for you and Kevin!
mazal tov! i'm so glad you're back.
Hooray, hooray, hooray! A major congratulations to you and Kevin! I can't wait to follow your blog through this pregnancy and then, of course, see all the new baby photos in a few months!
Glad to hear you're coming out of the first-trimester doldrums. They're a doozy! Second trimester is pure bliss.
Your lives will be nothing but better with the addition of your little vegan!
Oh congrats!!! I can't imagine what it must be like to think you're not and then find out you are. I totally commend you on the vegan pregnancy-ness, and I know you'll have a healthier baby than most non-vegan pregger folks. Don't let those family members get you down!
AW! CONGRADS!!
Oh my gosh! How exciting - congrats!
Oh my God!!! Congratulations!!!!! I am so excited for you!!! (Can you tell, what with all the exclamation points I'm using?)
Wow, what great news!!!
congratulations!! you ARE gonna be the best mom, with those stripey music-loving rascals! and props for raising the kid vegan, I can't believe anyone would give you a hard time for that when it's soooooo darned healthy, lucky baby!
Congratulations!
Congratulations! How exciting, vegan babies take over the world!
A few blogs from vegan moms (besides Shellyfish who already posted a comment): Two Vegan Boys, Half Pint Pixie and Vegannifer.
PS: You're getting married on Valentine's Day! YAY!
Awww Congratulations to you both! (and welcome to the beginning of the wonderment that is parenthood!)
hey cowgirl,
i know you're tired and bizzay as all get out, but when you have time consider indulging me in a game of tag. read my blog for details. i won't be offended if you don't do it.
WOOOO HOOO! I am so excited for you!! A big congrats too!! I was 90% vegan throughout three pregnancies (or more accurately, a "lazy vegan" I guess 'cause sometimes I just didn't have the energy to read yet another label and was STARVING or crazy-craving something stupid like Skittles and Marmite sandwiches.) Yes. I was that weird... and perfectly healthy despite the skepticism of family and friends that it could be done...
Congratulations that's amazing! It sounds like you are well prepared to be a vegan Mom- if anyone gives you crap tell them you want negativity around a new life. :)
Congratulations! I am so happy for you! I too, took a pregnancy test with my first one to disprove that I was pregnant! I had the night sweats and thought something was wrong! I think the thing that most people don't get is that when you are vegan or vegetarian you pay more attention to what you eat to make sure you are getting everything you need! I find that so frustrating because everyone thinks that all I eat is salad and that I never get any "real" nutrients. Oh well, it doesn't really matter what they think! I can't wait to hear about your little one along the way! By the way, I have been on a peanut butter kick lately too...it is just so good!
Congratulations! :)
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