Fresh Food Perspectives

I'm signing off from FFP...

It's been 7 and half years since I started this little wonder blog. That's just crazy to fathom. So much has changed over those years about my life, me as a person, Team Braddock, you name it! 

I've learned a lot from blogging. I mean A LOT! And your comments have only contributed to my own personal growth. So,

Thank you for following along, some of you since the beginning. 

Thank you for sharing my content and participating in giveaways.

Thank you for using my recipes, tips, and information.

Thank you for caring about me and my family, especially when we went through some hard times.

I've realized in the past 5 months that FFP and I are no longer a great fit for a lot of reasons. Many of those reasons are tech-related. I've also realized that my philosophy for life, health and nutrition has shifted somewhat, mostly do to all those changes that I've experienced in my life. 

So, I've decided that it's time for Fresh Food Perspectives to retire. I'm going to keep the site live for a little while longer, but I'll no longer be blogging here. 

But wait!

This is NOT goodbye.

Instead, I have an invitation for you. Will you please follow me on my new journey, passion and philosophy to 

Make Healthy Easy ?

Yes, I'm moving forward with a whole new blog that is all about ways to help you (and ME!) make healthy easier in our every day lives. Specifically, I'm all about

Real life strategies for better health.

To put it bluntly, I want to be better at helping people achieve health and this is the best way for me to do that. I feel really good about this change and the new look. 

I'm going to continue making delicious and do-able recipes that help make life easier. I'm going to share fitness ideas and motivation, product reviews, health inspiration, and interesting posts about simple strategies that can really make a difference in your health. I want to deliver content that is going to make a difference in your life.

I'm so stinkin excited about it!

So will you please join in and follow my new site Make Healthy Easy at JennaBraddock.com ? It would mean so much to me to have you as a part of this new journey.

Please click on over and view my new About page where I introduce myself in a fresh new way, my Recipes page which is slowly adding my FFP recipes and quickly adding all new recipes, and my Videos page, where you can view some of my latest media clips. 

I would also love it if you joined my email update list so you never miss a minute of the MHE action. I'll also be sharing some tips and stories exclusively with these readers so you don't want to miss it. As a gift for following along, I'd like to give you my all new Smoothie Jump Start & Buying Guide completely FREE! Simply enter your info below and confirm it in your email to receive this helpful guide to getting started with smoothie making at home.  

You can also go directly to my new site to sign up too. Look for this icon on the right:

So let's do this! 

Let's work together to Make Healthy Easy for us all. 

I really don't think you or anyone else want to miss this so, after you sign up, please share this guide with a friend.

Thank you again for all your support. I cannot wait for what this year brings for us all. 

For the last time on FFP,

December 2nd - A Fateful Day in 1969

Today I am veering from my typical topics to bring you a very special story about this day in history. December 2nd has always been very significant to my family because it was on this day in 1969 that my dad experienced the most significant battle of his tour of duty while serving in the Vietnam war.

My brother wrote this beautiful account of this battle for his blog several years ago and agreed to let me share it with you today. He is a very talented story teller and I tear up reading any part of this account. Without the valor of the men described below, my father, or my family, literally would not be here today. 

By sharing this with you today, I am honoring these men and all the other men and women who have bravely served our country. Thank you! 

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Written by John Houmes, a PCA pastor who is in the midst of planting a new church in the Hollywood/Hallandale area of South Florida. Please read about his ministry at hhchurchplant.com

On December 2nd, 1969, in the jungles of Vietnam, the soldiers of Company B, First Battalion of the Eighth Cavalry in the First Cavalry Division displayed exceptional bravery during a battle with North Vietnamese troops. During the six hour battle, the men of Company B, nicknamed “Pigiron”, displayed such courage that they were later given every medal for valor that the Army awarded.

At 1340 hours, the second squad of the second platoon of Company B under the leadership of Sgt. Bob Credit found a North Vietnamese regimental under-ground base camp and immediately engaged the enemy. The rest of the second platoon came to their aid as the battle raged. Company B was still outnumbered 300 to 25.

During this time, 2nd Lt. Robert Leisy saw an enemy sniper ready to fire a rocket propelled grenade at his radio operator, Pfc. Bernie Baillargeon. Leisy, knowing that the platoon was doomed if the radio went out, jumped in front of the grenade and absorbed its full impact. Mortally wounded and refusing medical attention, Leisy continued to command the platoon and direct a strategic withdrawal from the battle. Leisy would die later that day.

 My dad (middle) with Lt. Leisy (right).

​The battle continued on and a withdrawal was ordered. Pigiron was heavily pinned down and uncertain whether they would be able to get out alive. Artillery was called in, but the range of the guns was limited to right about where Company B was located. Lt. John Eckhardt, forward artillery observer, called in and directed over 600 rounds of artillery anyway.

Capt. Jerry Fitzgerald, pinned down by overwhelming fire power, coordinated more artillery, gunship support, tactical air strikes, medical evacuation and commanded the rest of Company B. As the company withdrew, Pfc. Baillargeon, while injured himself, carried 3 wounded soldiers out of the battle area to safety. Each time that he returned to the battle area, he faced machine gun fire and grenades. Baillargeon nuetralized a machine gun nest and a sniper. His last act of heroism that day was to return to the battle field and retrieve a radio that had been left behind.

The two in the center are my dad and Bernie in 1969. The other picture is Bernie and my dad recently. 

Pfc. Robert Dalton, the ammo carrier for M-60 machine gunner Pfc. Al Pickard, repeatedly exposed himself to deadly enemy fire to provide ammunition necessary to protect the company as they withdrew. Pickard provided covering fire as the company retreated. He was wounded twice, but continued to operate his machine gun. He died after he was shot a third time.

Pfc. Rueben Valencia, second platoon point man, saw various enemy firing positions while under withering fire and engaged the enemy. His accurate assessment of enemy positions lead to the neutralization of those positions facilitating the strategic withdrawal.

Sgt. Bill Nichols, second platoon squad leader, displayed unswerving leadership and courage against overwhelming enemy forces. His calm and clear leadership gave his squad the ability to safely retreat from the deadly battle.

Pigiron withdrew to a hill to wait out the night. Most of them thought that they would not live to see the morning, believing they would be overrun. The next morning, there was a cease fire, and they returned to their previous day’s position to retrieve the bodies of two of their men. Al Pickard’s body had been booby trapped. Still injured, Bernie Baillargeon was able to safely insert the pin back into a grenade that had been set under Pickard’s leg to explode when his body was moved. 

There was another small fire fight and several booby trap explosions. Some men were injured from these explosions. They left the valley and returned to the hill again for the night. Cobra helicopter gunships flew over Company B’s position during the night to protect them from the North Vietnamese. The next morning, the Air Force dropped “daisy-cutter” bombs to clear the foliage so that helicopters could land and extract Company B. The “daisy-cutters” cleared an area approximately the size of two football fields. Pigiron was extracted from their position and returned to Firebase Ellen.

For their courage displayed on December 2nd, the men of Company B were awarded the Medal of Honor (Lt. Leisy), the Distinguished Service Medal (Al Pickard), three Silver Stars, and three Bronze Stars, as well as numerous Purple Hearts. Although I was born ten years after that fateful day in 1969, it holds a special place in my mind and heart. My dad was a member of Company B. He was part of second platoon that came to aid once the battle had started. He was 20 feet away from Lt. Leisy when he saved Bernie Baillargeon and the radio from the rocket propelled grenade. My dad was pinned down in the rear of Company B’s position. He had been ordered to hold position near a large tree while others slipped around the tree to communicate with the rest of Company B. The North Vietnamese had formed a “V” that Pigiron had walked right into. My dad was eyeing Pigiron’s right flank, fearful that the North Vietnamese would close the “V” and overrun them. With the other men who were able to make it out, he withdrew to the hill carrying his friend Jessie Cornelison. That day is burned into my Dad’s memory.

Dad in front of the company B sign. 

My dad

​I grew up hearing stories about December 2nd. Lt. Leisy, Al Pickard and Jessie Cornelison were all familiar names to me. They were just names until 2001, when after months of research on the internet, phone calls, and letters, my dad was able to make contact with the men of Company B and plan a reunion for the following year. I was honored to be able to attend.

The men of Company B met in Fort Lauderdale in March of 2002. Some of them had not mentioned Vietnam since they got on a “freedom bird” plane in Saigon to return to the US. Others were uncertain how they’d feel after 33 years. The men got together. They talked. They listened. They cried. They hugged each other. They met each other’s wives and children. They toasted their fallen brothers. They told stories. They looked at old photos. They filled in missing details. They healed.

Rueben Valencia kisses Bernie Baillargeon at the Pigiron Reunion. The men of Company B - Pigiron...decades after the battle on December 2nd. 

​I was humbled as I watched this unfold and saw my Dad in the midst of this. The events of December 2nd and the stories he told about Vietnam had become such a big part of my family, and more personally, me. My Dad and I are very close, and I could not help but be filled with pride as I met the men that my Dad served with. Before then, they had just been names in stories. After that, they were my friends. They told me if I ever needed anything just to let them know and they’d take care of me. They said my Dad was their brother, and that made me family.

Several years ago, I was honored to attend the fourth annual reunion of Company B. The men told more stories. They honored their fallen brothers again. They looked at more pictures. They hugged each other’s wives. They healed. 

I can’t help but think that the events of December 2nd, 1969 were tragic. But Pigiron is tough, and they are brothers. They always will be. 

It's My Blogiversary!

September 2, 2007 is when it all started. Well, at least for this blog. Yep, it's been 7 years folks that I've been plugging away at FFP. That just seems crazy. I love this little blog. We've been through a lot together and I really hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing for it and laboring over it. 

In fact, THANK YOU! Thank you for reading and coming back or trying out a recipe. Thank you for your comments and messages, especially when my family has gone through some hard stuff. You are awesome (go ahead and say that out loud -- I {you} am awesome!) and I'm very grateful you are a part of my FFP community. 

My blog has changed over the years and continues to grow with me. The reality is that I'm a different dietitian, cook, woman, and person in general than I was 7 years ago. That's not a bad thing at all. It's part of life and I happen to embrace change readily (it's literally a part of my personality according to Myers-Briggs). 

And I'm not done changing either. I see so much more potential in this blog, more than I can even verbalize. I have so much to share with you, especially as I gain new knowledge and experiences. I'm excited for it to continue to unfold with time. I hope you will stick around with me as we all change and grow together. 

But enough of the sappy stuff, let's celebrate!

(If you would like to read a little more about my blogging history, visit this post from last week.)

Since I love to throw a good party, and I can't have you all over, I'm throwing a party on the blog all month! I'm going to be a good, smart blogger, and schedule lots of content to keep this party interesting and fun. I'm even saving some great, new recipes to share with you. Oh, boy! I'm getting excited. 

So please check in regularly to see what is going on. Or better yet, sign up for email subscription by clicking HERE.

(PS - Any friends of FFP who are interested in guest posting this month, send me an email at jbraddockrd@gmail.com)

To kick things off, I revealed a totally awesome hashtag project I started this past weekend. It's all about #MakeHealthyEasy. Please take a minute to read THIS post and get caught up. Start using the hasthtag #MakeHealthyEasy on your social media channels to connect us all to great ways to make healthy living easy. (Who doesn't want that?) I can't think of a better way to celebrate this blog then to collect a ton of ideas on how to make it easier to be healthy. Please join in and share the word with others! 

So besides lots of great posts and an awesome hashtag party of sorts, I've put together a killer giveaway. I've reached out to many brands that I've enjoyed working with over the years that #makehealthyeasy for me. Some great companies have already joined in and I'm waiting to hear back from others. So this giveaway is going to run all month long in hopes that a few more prizes will be added. 

(PS#2 - Any brands interested in participating in this giveway, send me an email at jbraddockrd@gmail.com)

For now, here are a few of the prizes. These are all foods that #MakeHealthyEasy in my life. I'll be sharing a little more about the how and why of that throughout the month. 

• 2 single servings of Energy Bits for 2 winners
• 1 $50 Cabot Cheese prize pack for 1 winner
• Beech-Nut baby food sample packs for 3 winners
• Naked Juice coupons (TBD)

So stick around and let's have some fun. If anyone wants to get nastalgic, leave me a comment with your favorite FFP post or recipes. I'd love to know!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jackson Update: Boston Recap

First, and foremost:

Thank you!

Thank you for all the love, texts, emails, support and prayers you have sent our way as we traveled to Boston for Jackson's doctor appointment. It means the world to us! We felt your support and truly saw the Lord pour out his goodness on us.

We had an appointment on Friday afternoon with Dr. Peters at the epilepsy center at Boston Children's Hospital to get a second opinion on his seizures and treatment. {To get caught up, read this post.}

 

Dr. Peters spent 2 hours with us carefully reviewing Jackson's whole history. It was evident he had spent significant time in his chart and knew the situation very well. He assessed Jackson phsycially and even had him run through the hallway, which he loved. 

 

One of the things that Dr. Peters said to us, that I don't think I'll ever forget, is that on paper (before he met Jackson) he was very concerned about Jackson. But after meeting him, assessing him, and seeing his development, his level of concern significantly decreased. He agreed that Jackson is generally a really healthy kid. Yay!!! Just hearing these words was such a relief to us. 

We talked about the different potential root causes of Jackson's seizures - major organ/system problem, onset of disease or infection, and genetic/metabolic abnormalities. From all the tests conducted we are fairly certain that Jackson does not have an organ/system abnormality and Dr. Peters agreed. He did not have an infection or disease, based on his "million dollar work-up" of lab work done when he was hospitlized. The last question mark was the possibility of a genetic/metabolic abnormality. We had already done lab work to look for this that all came back negative. The only test we have not done is actual genetic mapping. Our geneticist in Florida didn't recommend it though because it wouldn't really change the treatment plan. Dr. Peters agreed based on the fact that Jackson's development is very normal. 

So, it seems like, for now, we still do not know what is causing the seizures. 

I know. That's a hard fact to digest. But I do have peace knowing that all signs are pointing to our little man continuing to develop pretty normally. 

What we appreciated the most from our appointment was Dr. Peters saying that Jackson's current medication is just not working for him. The goal is to be seizure free and that has never happened. So we discussed, very thoroughly, the medication options we have and potential side effects. We decided that we will be adding another medication to his daily routine in hopes that it will help him become seizure free. If this occurs, then the first medication can be reduced and hopefully eliminated. After a 2 year period of being seizure free, we will talk about taking him off all medication. 

So that's where we are at. Overall, we are very glad that we took the trip and met with a physician that was so knowledgeable. It was what I was hoping for from a second opinion. 

We're not sure if we will need to go back to Boston, but we certainly enjoyed our time in this beautiful city. Dr. Peters suggested at minimum, we would not need to come back for 6 months, but ultimately he would leave it up to us to determine if we wanted him to continue seeing Jackson. We will continue working with our local neurologist based on the recommendations we received and see what happens. 

We also had a lot of fun being tourists in Boston. I'm hoping to write up all we saw, did and ate while there too. It just may take a little while. Mama (me) is pretty tired these days. 

Thank you again and again and again for all your support through this process. It's not over, by any means, but I don't know if we would've had the courage to do all this without so many people encouraging us and sharing their experiences. XOXO

Jackson Update: A Second Opinion

It's been a few months since I've written an update on my son Jackson and it's definitely time to fill you in. If you are new to FFP, and unsure of what I'm talking about, you can catch up here and here. 

To sum it up in one statement, my sweet 2 (almost 3) year old son has complex partial epilepsy and we don't know what causes it. 

We've been dealing with these seizures about every 4-6 weeks for the past 15 months. He's been on medication this whole time and we just keep increasing the dosage. So far we've been working only with neurologists here in Jacksonville. Many people have suggested we get a second opinion and it wasn't until recently that my hubs and I felt the time was right for this. 

We put some feelers out among friends, particularly other parents whose kids have special health problems, and kept hearing about the excellent care, resources, technology, etc. at Boston Children's Hospital. Upon further research, we discovered that Boston has one of the top epilepsy centers in the country AND I had a friend whose husband works at the hospital, in a different department, who connected us with the epilepsy team. 

After a few more steps in the process over the past 2 months, we find ourselves about to leave for Boston for an appointment with the pediatric epilepsy team. We did some additional testing here in Jax that the specialist requested (thus the Instagram/Facebook posts about another MRI). Things keep coming back normal so we are hopeful this doctor will give us some new insight.

Please keep our family in your prayers this weekend. I don't know what to expect from this trip but am hopeful. Thank you to all those who continue to ask about Jackson and have been praying since daying one. 

Media Update

Hello FFP family! Happy Tuesday. I'm pumped to share with you a few things I've had the opportunity to do in the media world outside of this blog. You know I have a hard time keeping up with regular content on my blog but when some neat opportunities present themselves, I have a hard time saying no.

First off, last month I guest blogged at Kath Eats Real Food on how I became a sports dietitian and fueling with whole foods. It reminded me of how much I love sports nutrition and that I need to include more about this topic on FFP. Check out my article here.

Last week, I was included in this article on Menshealth.com about almonds. I seriously love almonds so this was a fun article to contribute too. Plus, I love that I hopefully was able to reach you men out there. Not sure you are reading FFP, but I hope one day you will. 

And today I had the pleasure of writing this article for my hometown JaxMomsBlog.com about power foods for moms. We all need energy to keep up this summer and these are a list of must-eat foods to help you do it. 

For those are in North Florida, you can catch me next Wednesday, May 28th on First Coast Living talking about eating great when money is tight. 

Check these out and let me know what you think!

 

2014 Goals

Now that we are a few of days into 2014, I'd like to share a few of my goals for the year with you. I've never been a hard-core goal person as I like to remain open to what life may bring. But I do think it's important to know what you're working towards and plan the steps it takes to achieve it.It's also important to verbalize your goals to others and not just keep them in your head.

So here they are, in no particular order.  

• Physical: I'm just now getting back in to the swing of things with exercise post-Benjamin. It's starting to feel very good to push myself again in the gym and begin to run. So my goals for my fitness this year are to be able to hold crane pose in yoga, run the River Run 15K here in Jacksonville in March, and try stand-up paddle boarding this summer. I want to be stronger by the end of 2014.
• Blog: I have to be honest - I want to increase the number of people I am reaching through FFP. I want to write content and develop recipes that people actually use in their day to day life. I also want to improve in my food photography. I'm hoping to purchase a DSLR camera this year, which will help with this goal tremendously. I also want to learn how to use Photoshop, which I've had on my computer for over a year. Lastly, I hope to continue to connect with food companies, food producers, and farmers to bring you giveaways, solid reviews and the truth about our food system.
• Media: I want to continue working on TV here in North Florida monthly and also pursue opportunities on a national level. 
• Knowledge: I am studying for the re-certification test for my credentialing as a Certified Specialist in Sports Dietitics (the CSSD after my name) and hope to pass the test in February. I'm already enjoying re-reading my manuals and adding to my sport nutrition knowledge. 
• Food: It is always my goal to taste new foods, learn about new ways to prepare food, and try restaurants that inspire me in my own kitchen. I'd like to take a cooking class at some point this year and try new restaurants both locally and beyond.
• Gardening: Every year I try to improve my green-ish thumb. My goal for this year is to add a raised bed to my garden and try some veggies I have not grown before.

Have you thought about your goals yet? What are you working towards this year? Please share with me in the comments. I'd love to hear them. 

Happy New Year!

2013 In Review

 

 

I love this quote! It's so profound to me after the year we have been through. Reflection is a very important part of growth. Without looking back at what has happened and how it has affected you, you don't grow. You just simply move forward blindly. But the problem remains that it is often hard to slow down enough to do it. 

Today, I am going to slow down and reflect on the past year of FFP. I hope you in turn will also take a few moments to reflect on your past year and how you've grown. 

Before I begin, let me preface by saying that as a working wife and mom I always live in a tension. I once had a student say to me, "Mrs. Braddock, you have it all - a career and a family!" I quickly corrected her and said that when you work and have a family, you always sacrifice something. They are not always big sacrifices, it's not always the same sacrifice (even from week to week), and sometimes it's a hard decision to make, but you usually have to give up something important for something else more important. So please keep this in mind as I reflect on the past year.

Here's some of the cool things that have happened to me and FFP this year:

• First and foremost, I had my second baby. That, my friends, is quite the accomplishment for me and any other woman. You can read about Baby Ben here.
• FFP got a fresh look last spring. Many thanks to future dietitian, Dustin Lawhorne, on his handy work. I hope you enjoyed the gray and turquoise theme. I may look to redo the look again this year as I love change. 
• My food photography is improving (hopefully) and my most popular Healthy Aperture submission was Slow Cooker Rosemary Acorn Squash. This was also my most visited post from the year.
• I won two recipe contests this year with my Avocado Croquettes with Avocado Cucumber Sauce  and Blueberry Banana Mascarpone Coffee Cake.
• I had the privilege of being on TV 13 times this year, talking about all my favorite food and health topics. If you missed any of them, you can find links to the videos here.
• I was invited to attend four food industry media trips and was able to attend one. You can read about it here. I love attending these trips because it gives me a first hand look at many of the food questions we are all asking. My goal is to see as much about our food system with my own 2 eyes as I can. Then, I can report to you all "from the horses mouth" and give you the fresh perspective you are looking for. 
• I've had the privilege to work with many food companies and offer great giveaways. Many thanks to Late July, Gourmet Garden, Snazzy Gourmet, Vita Coco, and King Arthur Flour for working with FFP. 
• I've greatly increase my presence on Twitter and Instagram. Please follow me and join in on the conversation and see lots of pictures of what I'm eating (ok, and my cute boys too). 
• Personally, my family went through the most challenging year we have ever experienced. My husband took his first head coaching job at a new school and new district (sounds glamorous but it's really hard work), we bought a new house (which was a terrible process), I was pregnant and had a baby in August, and my oldest son started having seizures. (click the links to read about each experience) Jackson continues to have seizures more frequently then we'd like, but they are much less severe and more manageable. He is on medication and we are told it takes a while to find the sweet spot on the right dosage. Thank you to those who sent words of love and support through these experiences. Brian and I have been talking a lot this month about how much has happened this year and how each experience has changed us. We are hoping for a little less eventful 2014, but we've learned that's really out of our control. 

So thank you for joining me on my journey in 2013. I hope 2014 brings us both happiness, (good) challenges, growth, health and lots of love. Check back in later this week as I share my goals for 2014. Start thinking about your goals. I'd love to hear them. 

Happy New Year!

A Lesson in Self-Compassion

It's taken almost 8 weeks since Ben's birth, but I finally made it out to hit the pavement, by myself, to do more than a walk. Yes, I actually ran on Sunday morning. It wasn't pretty to look at (although I really don't consider myself a great runner either way) but it was good for my soul. 

The weather is finally cooling off in the mornings and evenings here in north Florida so there was just a slight chill in the air. The sun was rising and there were beautiful pink streaks of clouds in the sky. My body actually felt like running, or I'll say moving faster. 

I stayed in my neighborhood and just enjoyed the quiet ambiance as well as picked up ideas for my yard from my many creative neighbors. I found myself down one of my favorite streets because all of the yards are so pretty. One particular tree caught my eye because it had huge, beautiful hanging white flowers that looked like bells. I noticed the tree was moving and then realized the owner was doing something to it. I couldn't resist; I had to ask. "Excuse me sir! What is that tree? It's so beautiful." From behind the shaking flowers emerged the older man who I would then spend about 10 minutes getting to know and learning about his many beautiful plants, including the one that first caugt my eye, an Angel Trumpet. I love to grow plants so I really enjoyed learning about several unique plants he had and how to care for them. I've decided my next plant purchase will be a plumeria. Have you ever smelled a real plumeria? It's worth tracking one down. 

What's the point of telling you all that? My morning run was not long, or really intense. (I think I ran 2 miles total at a super slow pace. In the grand scheme of my workout goals, this didn't accomplish much.) But being outside, experiencing the sunrise, meeting a new neighbor, and enjoying nature did so much more for my body, mind and heart. 

I'm learning right now (and will forever be doing so) to be compassionate to myself. This is a word my good friend spoke to me this past week as I voiced my frustrated over how unproductive I feel in this season of my life. I daily deal with not being able to "get things done" or finish projects - anything from grading an assignment, exercise, blogging, calling a friend, cleaning the house, and even feeling like I didn't love on my kids enough. It leaves me exhausted and inpatient, longing for life to switch to another time and become more efficient. Yikes! Even just typing that convicts my heart. 

My run this morning helped me be present today in my circumstances, however messy they are right now.  (Although I still struggle at this very moment trying to finish this post while hearing my babies wake up from their naps. I need 15 more minutes!) Compassion to myself means that I can try to accept that life is hard right now, and it may stay hard for a while. Compassion to myself reminds me that I need to constantly remember the most important priorities in my life and let the chips fall where they may. Compassion to myself attempts to accept that one day I will run a long-distance again and fit into my clothes. And most importantly, compassion to myself means that I can open my heart in a bad moment of the day to receive the compassion and love Christ has for me. That is the real game-changer. 

So this week, take a few minutes to get outside and pound the pavement at any pace. Open your eyes and heart to whatever may be out there to encourage you. You never know who or what may lift your spirits. 

Have you learned to be compassionate to yourself? If so, please share in a comment. Or maybe you are struggling like I am. Either way, let's stick together...

Baby Ben's Debut in Life and on TV

He's here! He's here! He's here! 

Benjamin Gerald Braddock arrived Thursday, August 22nd at 4:20 am. He weighed in at 7 lb 0.5 oz and measured 19.8 in. He is a tiny little thing compared to his brother who was born at almost a pound heavier. I was honestly thinking I would have an 8-pounder since I was so uncomfortable for several weeks and he seemed to take up every inch of my belly. 

Here's the quick version of how it all went down.

I went to work at UNF on Wednesday looking like this and not suspecting anything. The day before my doctor had scheduled me to be induced today (8/27) and I was good with that.

Around 6:30 pm I started having contractions that seemed to be pretty rhythmic. I put my mom on alert. Around 7:30pm I started writing down my contractions and by 9pm I concluded they were not going away and we needed to call the doctor. 

We headed to the hospital and tried to mentally prepare for the night ahead. My labor with Jackson was almost identical at this point and he came at 9:50 am the following day. We figured we had some time at the hospital while I progressed. No such luck!

I was admitted around midnight and still doing ok pain wise. I offered to do some walking (this is what I had to do with Jackson) to help things along but my nurse seemed to think this was going to happen quick and it wouldn't be necessary. Neither Brian or I still really believed her but I took her recommendation and asked for my epidural. 

A mere 3 hours later I had significantly progressed. My nurse woke me up from a cat nap, checked things, and quickly alerted me that we were having a baby. My response was, "like in 30 minutes or so. I need to call my inlaws." The nurse replied, "No, in like 5 minutes."

I shouted to Brian to wake up (in a deep sleep on the couch next to me due to football fatigue) and tried to relay that this was happening RIGHT NOW! It took him several minutes to realize what was happening. 

The nurse told me to give a little warm up push and then immediately commanded me to STOP pushing. Ben was ready to enter the world. So everyone rushed in and got ready to receive him. In a mere 4 pushes Ben joined us. It was crazy how quick it all happened. 

In an hour's time we went from being asleep (sort of) to having a baby to our room being quiet again with our little guy in our arms. It took an hour or so after that to really wrap our minds around it. 

What took no time at all was falling in love with our Little B. He is beautiful. 

So far things are going really well. He is a sweet baby. I am enjoying this newborn stage so much more this time and I'm really thankful for that. Adjusting to a family of 4 will take some time for everyone, but it's going to be great. I don't think Jackson fully gets what's going on but he sure is good at giving his little brother kisses. 

I'll conclude this post with Ben's TV debut. Thanks to my friends at First Coast News, Ben was featured in a story on Friday night and then on the morning show twice on Saturday! What a celebrity already. Here is the clip that we were featured in on football families last Friday night. This gives a little glimpse into my life as a coaches wife. Unfortunately, the original suspense of waiting for Ben to come (and wondering if he would come on a football Friday) was foiled for the news, but it worked out ok for us. 

 

Thank you for all the warm wishes in the social media world! I can't wait to keep you updated on life with 2 little guys and get back in the kitchen and writing regularly.