Mac and Cheese and Pizza, Oh My!

Bubbly Raclette -- YUM!

Here's a list foods I plan to eat once I finally become pregnant (and don't worry I am not going "let myself go" -- I've worked too hard to get this far, so everything in moderation):

1. Macaroni and Cheese

2. PIZZA

3. Cheese Fondue and Raclette

4. Cheesecake

5. Tres Leches Cake

6. Hot Chocolate made with real whole milk
7. Chocolate shake from In-N-Out

8. Chocolate anything

I guess I miss me some dairy, huh?

Going to the Chapel... The Wayfarer's Chapel

Last month, Isaiah and I attended a lovely wedding in Rancho Palos Verdes, California (in Los Angeles County). Guests witnessed the couple exchange wedding vows at the Wayfarers Chapel, a Lloyd Wright design overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The chapel itself is made mostly of glass windows and panels with some wooden and steel beams, so lots of natural light and endless sky!

One of the sweetest details of the entire wedding is the story behind the venue selection: The groom is a good 10 years older than the bride and has never been married. When he was in his early twenties, he attended a wedding at the Wayfarer's Chapel and told himself that one day when he got married it would be there. Fifteen years or so later, he made it happen!

Buckwheat Groats -- Who's He?

Fair Trade Certified!

In the months since I've started the we-want-a-baby-lifestyle-change, I've definitely had to think outside the box when it comes to meal planning. (The fact that I just typed "meal planning" is also pretty life changing. Yes, every week I make a table with detailed plans of what we will eat.)

Thinking outside the box has meant introducing new foods to our diet like kale, millet, blackstrap molasses, almond milk yogurt and buckwheat groats. (Isaiah affectionately calls them "Mr. Groats" and jokes about naming our first son Buckwheat Groats Freerksen.)

We now shop at Whole Foods for organic produce, to supplement the greens we get from Naturally to Your Door (a local organic produce delivery service), to prepare our meals. Did you know spinach is actually a large leafy green? (Too many years of eating packaged baby spinach would make you think otherwise.) We spend so much money on food now = no more shopping for me, though I truly believe it's all worth it.

I miss a lot of my favorite foods (i.e. cheese), but I feel really good about what I've been putting into my body. The big plus for Isaiah is that I cook for us every night (he assists), so he's fed a yummy hot meal each evening.

Flashback to one of our early dates: We were at the buffet at a local casino. My plate full of fried food. Isaiah's full of green, healthy things.

Me: What, you don't eat fried food?

Him: (Shrugging his shoulders) I just think this stuff tastes better.

Really? Yes, really. 

Meet Mr. Groats

a.k.a. "Kasha"

Infertility, Grownup Stuff and Finding Myself

Forbidden Fruit

A fraud. That's me. I have a blog called Swiss cheese, but 4 months ago I gave up cheese. It's not that I don't like cheese anymore -- it's that I can't eat it anymore. Not my idea, of course, but a "strong suggestion" from my acupuncturist. That's because cheese is no good for fertility and neither is caffeine. (I haven't had a caffe latte in FOR.EVER.)

We're trying very hard to make a baby, but my body is just not cooperating. I have a condition called PCOS. I didn't even know it existed until my doctor diagnosed me. Basically, it means I rarely if ever ovulate. Fortunately, a change in my diet, acupuncture, Chinese herbs and supplements have all contributed to some positive changes in my body. I am hopeful that motherhood is in the cards for me someday, but I suppose it's not God's timing for me yet. I have always wanted to be a mother, and I pray that it will happen for me soon.

I wasn't sure whether or not I should share such personal information here since usually my posts are pretty lighthearted: nostalgia for Switzerland, tidbits from weekend trips here and there, my passion for Fair Trade and resale/thrift/vintage, etc. I decided to divulge because I wanted to talk about infertility some place other than one of those mommy blogs or forums. Not because I don't appreciate those sites (they're quite helpful, though sometimes a little overwhelming with so many acronyms to learn: BD is baby dance, TTC is trying to conceive, OPK is ovulation prediction kit, HPT is home pregnancy test, BFP is Big Fat Positive and the list goes on). It's just that this blog is about my life and now all of a sudden fertility, or lack thereof, is a big part of my life. Plus, pretty much everyone at work already knows about it because I just got so sick and tired of everyone asking me when we were going to have a baby.

Fertility stuff is in my face every day. Every morning I take my temperature. Twice a day I take prenatal vitamins, fish oils and herbal supplements to balance my hormones. I don't eat soy, gluten, dairy (except for BUTTER, I can't live without BUTTER), sugar or caffeine. I can only have a couple of fruit servings a day. I eat lots of vegetables, eggs, and meat. We buy organic, free-range, grass-fed as much as possible. I cook dinner every week night. The past 4 months have involved a huge lifestyle change, not to mention I lost my dad only 8 months ago and we're trying to buy a house.

When did life get so complicated?

I don't even know if teaching is my calling. Needless to say, I've been feeling a little lost lately, but I know I'll get through it all. This is the girl who decided in 9th grade that she was going to attend NYU and made it happen. She's the girl who decided she wanted to spend the summer in Italy for free and lined up a nanny gig to hang out with an adorable 3-year-old along the shores of Lago di Garda. She's in here somewhere -- she just needs a little more time to find herself again.

Soaring Over the Rhine Valley, Switzerland

Did I ever tell you that Isaiah's work colleagues all pitched in to send us on a private flight over the Rhine Valley before we left Switzerland? It was so thoughtful of them and certainly a unique, memorable gift. 

It was the perfect Saturday morning, just a week before our departure back to the States, when we met our pilot, a full-time commercial pilot and part-time recreational pilot, at the local airport (St. Gallen-Altenrhein). The flight lasted about an hour, and we flew over Säntis, near the pre-Alps of Graubünden, over our apartment, and past the Open-Air music festival in St. Gallen. 

Isaiah even got to take control of the plane for a bit, though we had a close call with another prop plane. Yikes!

The Runway

Lake Constance

Open-Air Music Festival in St. Gallen

Säntis

To this day, we feel so blessed to have met the people we met. We're so thankful for their kindness and look forward to returning to the Valley for a visit someday soon...