Don’t you just find it cute when you hear your little tot pray?

I just love it!

In one of our nightly family devotions, we asked Roi to pray for his future wife.  Call us weird, but why not?  If we could teach our kids to pray for their future, why shouldn’t their future mates be included in it?  We would say, “Don’t pray for a boyfriend (for Ria) or girlfriend (for Roi), but rather, pray for a husband/ wife.  God’s design is not for us to be jumping from one relationship to another.  Marriage matters so much to Him and it pays to pray and prepare for it.”

So here is Roi’s prayer:

Lord, please give me a wife when I grow up…

I pray that she will be a healthy one– and Lord, I pray that I will not lose my temper with her.”

That really cracked us up.  That’s the cutest prayer I have ever heard.

And oh, I would love to meet that lovely, healthy wife to-be of Roi when the perfect time comes!

There are so many different guides out there, each of them hailing a certain food as top in terms of its nutritional value to you whilst pregnant; with this in mind it can be difficult to know exactly what you should and shouldn’t be eating. If you are confused by the plethora of advice and are seeking some simple suggestions that will give you and your baby the right vitamins and minerals, this article takes you through how to create a balanced and enjoyable diet throughout your pregnancy.

Get Fruity

We will all be familiar with the importance of eating 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, but this is never more essential than when you are pregnant. Fruit contains the vital vitamins and minerals needed to aid digestion and prevent constipation; something pregnant women are more likely to suffer from at some stage.

Top Tip: If you are not really a fan of fruit, there are things you can do to jazz up the portions. Chop fresh apple and add grapes, tangerine segments and strawberries and put in a large mixing bowl. Add a tin of pineapple and a handful of fresh blueberries then cover with fruit juice. Pop the bowl in the fridge and ladle out a portion a couple of times a day, top with a little yoghurt for a yummy treat.

Eat your Veg

Maybe you are dreading the thought of eating vegetable or perhaps you really don’t mind them; either way you will need to make sure that vegetables are forming a major part of your diet. There are so many vegetables out there to try so why not get down to the market and sample a few of the more unusual vegetables available such as okra or purple sprouting broccoli.

Top Tip: Steam your vegetables rather than boil them as this retains more of the goodness and enhances colours. Steam florets of broccoli for around ten minutes then toss in a little light margarine together with a few mint leaves for a tasty portion of your five a day.

Pile on the Protein

Make sure you are eating protein rich foods everyday as this is a really important part of a healthy diet. Protein can be found in meat and fish, but don’t worry if you are vegetarian as protein is also found in pulses and nuts.

Top Tip: Pulses include chickpeas, haricot beans and lentils which can all be added to a number of dishes such as chilli, curry and pies. Look for the tinned versions if you want to avoid having to soak them ahead of cooking, this way you can just open the tin, rinse them and add them to whatever you are cooking.

Dairy

Dairy products such as milk and cheese are a source of calcium, something that your baby needs for healthy development. Some cheeses are not suitable during pregnancy such as mould ripened soft cheese like brie and camembert due to the risk of listeria, a bacteria that can harm your unborn baby.

Top Tip: Hard cheeses such as cheddar are fine so choose a low fat alternative and pop a sprinkling on top of a jacket potato, in pitta bread or perhaps make cheesy beans on toast for calcium rich lunch time meals.

It is important to make sure you eat well throughout pregnancy as this will promote a healthy start for your baby. Choose a balanced diet and don’t be afraid of having the occasional treat every now and again, just remember to base your diet around fruit, vegetables, protein and calcium rich foods.

Vicky writes about all things parenting related from month by month guides to advice on choosing the best pregnancy lingerie.

I saw this video posted by my friend on facebook and it intrigued me. I am so amazed at this discovery of 5 languages spoken by babies, regardless of culture and race. It’s like an international language spoken by our little bundles of joy!

I wish I have seen this video when I was a new mom, though. I was soo-oo bad at making Ria, my firstborn quiet down. On top of that, I did not know how to cuddle or carry her properly so I got that “I am uncomfortable” language a lot. Haha!  Of course I got the hang of it through time and did a lot better with Roi.  But this video would have been helpful because all I did was to guess what my babies were trying to tell me that time.  I did not understand their “language” so I just relied on mommy instincts, which worked fine as well… But yes, it took a lot of guessing sometimes!

Well, to the soon-to-be moms or to all my mommy friends out there who are yet rearing month-old babies, hope this video is helpful for you.