A Twist on Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I had these scrumptious sandwiches at a catered party and at the demand of my husband, who ate 5 or 6 of them, I had to recreate these at home. Most pulled pork is BBQ flavored and served with slaw on the sandwich but this! This is a twist! Here's how it goes down (be prepared for your new family favorite):

What you need: 
1 - 2 lbs of Pork Shoulder Butt Roast (This is not the pig's actual booty portion, it's the shoulder)
1 can pineapple rings
Sweet Hawaiian Rolls
Mayonnaise
Sriracha
Crock Pot
Frying Pan

What to do:
1. You will be slow cooking the pork shoulder to ensure it is nice and juicy and shreddable. IF your pork shoulder is frozen, throw it in the crock pot before work and it will be done cooking by the time you get home - 8 hours or so. IF the pork shoulder is refrigerated, it will take about 6 hours to cook.

When your pork is all done cooking, turn the crock pot to warm and transfer the pork onto a cutting board. With two hefty forks, shred the crap out of and return it to the crock pot.

2. Put your frying pan on high heat and place the pineapple rings in the pan. You want the grilled effect so keep an eye on them, turn them when one side starts to brown and remove them before they burn.

3. In a bowl, combine about a cup of mayonnaise and 1 to 3 tablespoons of Sriracha. If you like it spicy, add more!

4. Now for the showdown! Take your Sweet Hawaiian Roll and split it in half. Slather on a nice layer of Sriracha mayo on both sides of the roll. Pile on your juicy pulled pork. Top with a grilled pineapple ring, the other half of the roll and you've got yourself one hell of a pulled pork sandwich! It will be so delicious you won't even be able to get a picture of it before its all gone.

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My Birth Story

The day I went into labor - phew!!! What a wild ride! I remember like it was just yesterday. Three months later, the memories still burnbright in my mind and the sensations, thoughts and emotions are flooding backin. Giving birth to my son was one of the greatest accomplishments of my lifeand the day he was born was the biggest life changing moment I have everexperienced.

On April 25th, 2013 at 12:40 pm I had a strong Braxton-Hicks contraction. Itlasted about a minute and a half and I didn't think twice about it. I had beenworking on a project and enjoying the sun so as soon as the"fake" contraction passed, I continued on. I had only taken note ofthe time because Ezequiel was due the following day and it was a "just incase" moment; however I didn't want to get my hopes up. At 2:00 pm,another Braxton-Hicks contraction came and went. At 2:40 pm, after spending aminute and a half on my hands and knees breathing through what I thought wasyet another strong Braxton-Hicks contraction, I realized that I had never hadso many “fake” contractions so close together. I started keeping track of whatended up being the beginning of my labor contractions and realized that by theend of the night, I might have my son in my arms. 

My contraction log

My contractions continued every 20 to 45 minutes and each timethey lasted about a minute and a half. Some of them I could breathe throughjust fine and some of them stopped me in my tracks. A couple times I foundmyself on my hands and knees, taking DEEP breaths with my eyes closed thinking only 30 more seconds, only 20  more seconds. After the contraction wasover, I felt completely normal as if nothing had even happened. Around 4:00 pmI called my midwife who confirmed that I was most likely going into labor butthat these contractions could continue like this all night long. She told me toeat, drink lots of water and relax as much as possible. Relax…. HA! I washaving my baby!!

April 25th 2013
"In Labor"

Andrew came home from work around 6:00pm and my contractions wereabout 20 minutes apart. We knew we would be going to the hospital within thenext 24 hours so we made sure our bags were packed and that our friends andfamily knew what was going on. During our childbirth preparation class, theinstructor suggested having a water bottle with a straw so that Andrew couldjust hold it while I sipped and labored. She also suggested eating a mealbefore going to the hospital since it could be hours before I ate. Mycontractions were still pretty far apart and were manageable so we decided togo to the store to get a water bottle and then get some Thai takeout. I made it to the car, no big deal. I made it into the store, nobig deal. I had a contraction in the store, tried not to make a big deal out ofit. It will pass. We got to the Thairestaurant and while we were ordering, I had another contraction but this timeit was a big deal. It hurt. I wassweating. I couldn’t move. It felt like my whole body was being consumed bythis wave of pain that began in my lower back, moved around my sides then downinto my lower abdomen. 90 seconds of intense cramping, tensing and pain. Iknew that once they were over I would be just fine. 

We left the restaurant andstarted crossing the street to the car then BAM – another contraction right inthe middle of the road. I tried to hurry out of the street but Andrew forced meto walk slow and said something along the lines of “I’ll eff someone up if theytry to mess with my pregnant wife”……. thanks babe. This contraction was alsovery strong and the first thing that came to mind was to squat next to the carand hold on for dear life. In the time between leaving and coming home, my contractions wentfrom 20 minutes apart to 15 minutes apart. 

Rule #1: 5-1-1

When yourcontractions are 5 minutes apart, they last for at least 1 minute and this goeson for at least 1 hour, then you need to get your ass to the hospital. Thecloser together they got, the more anxious I became because I wasn't trying tohave this baby at home but I also didn't want to go to the hospital too early.It was very important for me to labor at home as long as possible because thisensured that there were no unnecessary medical interventions and I could feelsafer and more secure in my own home.

Not only were the contractions closer together but they were muchstronger. Earlier in the day, all I had to do was breathe through them but now,I had to stop what I was doing, close my eyes, breathe deep and focus – Ezequiel. Ezequiel. Ezequiel, you’re coming tomeet us. Around 9:45 pm, I decided to relax in the bathtub. It was a nicefeeling but somewhat difficult feeling like a whale in a tiny pond, trying notto drown during a contraction. While in the tub, I felt a slight gush down there. The bath water turned alittle pink. Another little gush. I called the midwife and told her that mywater may have broke but that it was hard to tell since I was already in water.I told her that my contractions were about 10 minutes apart and she took backher statement from earlier - my contractions probably won’t last all  night since it sounded like Ezequiel wascloser to meeting this world than she thought.

I decided to get out of the tub and move onto something softer sinceI was in some real pain. As soon as I stepped out, another gush. Did I pee? Didthe baby come out? Nope, my water is still breaking! Then a contraction. Andrewmoved me into the bedroom where he had lit a candle, turned down the lights,put a towel on the bed and laid out some dry clothes. Contraction. I don’t wantto get dressed. Just let me lay down. Contraction. Close your eyes. Deepbreath. Focus. Push. Breathe. Push.

It's 10:30 pm and I suddenly have the urge to push this baby out.We are still home, my mom is still 45 minutes away and I can barely open myeyes. Plus I’m naked and I can’t imagine moving right now. Contraction. Then Ihear, your contractions went from 7minutes apart to 5 minutes apart and the last one was about 4 minutes ago. Ithink we need to go to the hospital. Contraction. Push. I tell Andrew tomake the calls and get the car ready. I struggle to put my clothes on and Ihave one leg in my pants when another contraction hits me. Andrew helps me downthe stairs, outside and… contraction… into the car. We begin our 5 minute driveto the hospital but it feels like forever.

A couple months back we were told there is a skybridge from theparking lot that goes directly into the maternity ward so when we show up toProvidence Portland, we start looking for this “skybridge”. Around and aroundand around the parking garage we go. Contraction. Speed bump. Contraction.Wrong way. Reverse. Contraction. No skybridge. At this point, the baby’s headhas descended into my pelvis and I’m practically sitting on his skull. Everylittle bump and turn feels like a punch to my entire lower body. I startscreaming at Andrew to get me inside the hospital. But this is a one way only so I have to drive all the way around. Screwthe one way, drive the wrong way or else I’m going to freak out. Finally we getto the doors of the ER and the receptionist attempts to check me in. Whats your name?... Miss, whats your name? Canthis woman not see that I’m in extreme pain right now?? I can’t even open myeyes because every time I do, I lose focus on my labor and I can barely evenspeak a word. I manage to squeak out a few words – Andrew, tell her what she needs to know. Finally I’m being rolledinto my room.

As soon as we step in the room, I’m ripping my clothes off. I don’twant anyone or anything touching me. I lay on the bed and continue breathingthrough my hard labor that clenches and squeezes my entire body. The nurses andmidwife come in and check my cervix and I’m already 8 cm dilated! No wonder Ihad the urge to push before I even got to the hospital. The midwife talks methrough a few contractions and asks if I would like to have the baby in thebirthing chair. This new chair came from Germany and apparently is the first ofits kind in the US and I was one of the first women to give birth in it. Thereare two sections to the seat – a U shaped part for me and an attached piece forsomeone to sit behind me. A knotted sheet hangs from an overhead bar so you cangrab on and bear down.

Breathing through a contraction

I can barely walk at this point. I’m completely unaware of what is going on around me or who is in the room. Frankly, I don’t care. The only thing I can think of is to focus on the pain, breathe deep and let my body do the rest.

As soon as I get to the birthing chair, my urge to push getsstronger and stronger. I ask the midwife what to do – should I push now? Orshould I wait? I don’t want to get too tired too fast but she assures me tofollow my body’s lead and if I feel like I need to push, then I should push. Sothat’s what I did. For two straight hours! Now, when I say “push”, it’s verysimilar to the urge you get when you need to poop. However, this isn’t youraverage poop – this is a 7 lb human forcing his way through your body. And theyaren’t tiny pushes either; they are pushes that could send your eyeballsshooting out of your sockets. They are pushes that take every ounce of energyyou have ever accumulated in your entire life. Pushes that flex every muscle inyour body and puts you to the biggest physical test of your life. I pushed hard.

Resting in between contractions. Mom Michelle supporting me. 

Bracing myself for a contraction

Pushing

When you go into labor, there is something very primal that takesover. Its the only explanation to my focus, motivation and strength. It’s alsothe only explanation as to why it sounded like someone was being murdered inthe maternity ward since I was screaming at the top of my lungs. And no, itdoesn’t feel like a watermelon or a bowling ball coming through your vagina, itfeels like a human. I felt his head resting on my pelvic floor, then drop lowerinto my cervix then finally start to crown. I felt his shoulders grind along my pelvicbone on his way out followed by his hips, butt and legs. It was intense.

The midwife informed me that he was beginning to crown and Ineeded to push longer and harder if I wanted to see him anytime soon. Ithought, how can I push harder than Ialready am?? My arms were sore and tired from tensing up. My legs weregiving out from all the pressure. My hands felt like they were on fire fromgripping the knotted sheet. But I wanted to see my baby, so I pushed. Harder.Longer. I can see his head. Push. Here he comes, I can see his hair. Push.He’s coming, he’s coming! Push. Iopen my eyes for a brief moment and see Andrew on the floor in front of me,wide eyed. He tells me he can see our sons head and I just need to push alittle more. I give one final big push.  

At 1:13 am on April 26^th 2013, Ezequiel Adrian Holguincame screaming into this world. Andrew was the first person to touch and holdour son. He caught the sweet slippery mess of a baby and said he has never feltanything more wholesome in his entire life. Ezequiel weighed 7lbs 1oz and was 20.5 incheslong.

My first reaction to Ezequiel

Seeing Ezequiel for the first time

Ezequiel awake and alert

Baby Ezequiel

Enjoying our son

Before I was even pregnant, I knew I wanted a natural birth. It seemed like the only appropriate way to bring a child into this world. Ina May Gaskin was a great inspiration through her book "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" because she was able to reassure, motivate and calm me. She explains the fear that is instilled in pregnant woman when it comes to childbirth, whether its fear of pain, fear of pushing a large baby through a small hole or fear of simply letting your body take over. She explains how to kick out that fear and bring in your most natural instinct - birthing a child. A womans body is created for birth just like its created for making a baby in the first place. The entire point of labor is to open your cervix and make way for the baby to travel through the birth canal and of course its going to hurt. Your uterus is making wave like motions on purpose to move that baby down and out. The most amazing thing is that your body knows exactly what its doing and throughout my labor and birth, I remembered that and let my body do its own work. I had an amazing birth experience and yes it hurt, but now I can barely remember that pain because the second Ezequiel was born, the pain subsided and I was overcome with relief. Now, I do want another child and I will do it the same exact way - it's definitely worth it. 

Ezequiel at 1 month

Ezequiel at 2 months

Ezequiel at 3 months

Silly boy

Making bubbles

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8 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me

1. You will cry a lot and feel really depressed during the first couple weeks. It's very rough but it's very normal. 
I felt pretty awful during the first two weeks. I was overwhelmed, I was tired, I was anxious, I couldn't eat and I felt like I had no control over my life. This was despite the fact that Andrew was home with me, people were bringing us meals every night, my mother in law helped clean our apartment, I was getting decent sleep and I had a beautiful son. The reasoning behind the baby blues is you lose a lot of amazing hormones when you lose your placenta and you kind of dive bomb into a nasty place. You can't explain it, you can't control it but there is hope. I wouldn't say I'm over the baby blues yet but some days are easier than others - just make sure you let those flood gates open!! I was trying not to cry so that I wouldn't feel weak but the more I cried, the better I felt and the more I talked about it, the more hope I got. Tell as many people as you can about how you feel because you will have more support than you think. Also remember, you are not alone. Every new mom experiences these feelings and according to all of them, things do get better.

2. An amazing pick-me-up vitamin regimen: Fish Oil, Vitamin D and B-Complex.
This regimen was suggested to me by a midwife and it really helps me get through the rough days. B-Complex helps relieve stress and lifts your spirits. Vitamin D is like sunshine in a pill - enough said. Fish Oil has Omega 3's which can boost your mental health, relieve tension and benefit your skin. I take these three vitamins twice a day and I swear by them.

3. Your nipples will crack, bleed, be sore and piss you off. This WILL go away, even without a "perfect" latch. Schedule a lactation consultation ASAP. 
Unforeseen breastfeeding problems can be devastating. For me it started with a bad latch (or lack thereof) in the hospital. Ezequiel had an excellent suck, actually more of a bite but for some reason couldn't figure out how to do it on my nipple. An awesome nurse taught me to stick my pinky in his mouth until he was actively sucking, which didn't take long, then transfer him onto the breast. It was like a warm up and it worked great but the deep latch wasn't there and my nipples cracked and were very painful. Then the engorgement came which was also painful and difficult to manage so I pumped to relieve some pressure. However, I didn't know that my milk supply would be so abundant so pumping only increased my supply and my poor baby was literally drowning at each feeding. My nipples were already cracked and since Ezequiel had a hard time latching due to a fast milk flow, it contributed to even worse nipple damage. I finally met with a lactation consultant who had me pump on the worst side and feed on the better side. This was a pain in the ass because it threw off my supply once again and I think my left boob is permanently larger BUT I have a nice supply of frozen milk now. After this routine however, my "better" side became worse so then I got a nipple shield and of course, I worried about Ezequiel not being able to wean off of it. As soon as my nipple healed though, I got him off it as quick as I could. My milk supply was still very abundant and in order to regulate it, I was instructed to nurse on one side per feeding - contrary to other advise I had received - but it worked. Ezequiel still can't get his bottom lip to stick out while he eats which could be considered a "bad latch" but after 2 1/2 weeks, my nipples are healed, they don't hurt and I feel much more confident about breastfeeding. I still leak a lot and he still has a hard time with the fast flow but his weight gain has been outstanding and he gets about 3oz of milk per feeding.

4. Stock up on pads, panty liners and nursing pads before the baby. 
You will bleed for at least two weeks and you can't use tampons. I didn't stock up because I didn't realize I would bleed for so long and even though I had been gifted with some pads, I ran out within the first week. It was really hard getting to the store in the first week and no offense to Andrew, but it would have been impossible for him to figure out which pads to buy and where to even find nursing pads. If you are like me and your milk comes in fast and hard, you will leak constantly. I was worried about running out of nursing pads so I would re-use them or keep them in my shirts for way too long, which I'm almost positive contributed to Ezequiel's thrush (see next point).

5. Your newborn could get pink eye (conjunctivitis) and thrush within the first two weeks.
Ezequiel got pink eye in week one and thrush in week two. This was a big bummer for us because we felt like we were constantly bothering him with medications and doctor visits. It is normal for newborns to get these things but we were not expecting it. Pink eye can happen from anything and Ezequiel had an issue with putting his fingers in his eyes so it's possible that he touched something dirty, then touched his eye, then bam - goopy, sad eyes for a week. We got a prescription ointment - Erythromycin - which got rid of it within five days.
In week two we noticed a white patch on his tongue that didn't go away. At first I thought it was milk residue but it didn't wipe off. Sure enough, the doctor diagnosed him with thrush, which is a yeast infection in the mouth. Babies can get thrush when mom has cracked nipples and can also get thrush while being treated with an antibiotic (the Erythromycin), and we hit both of those nails on the head. I contributed to the thrush by re-using nursing pads, not changing my bra or tops after they got wet with milk and not treating myself for thrush. APNO came to my rescue (see next point).

6. Don't waste your money trying various nipple creams and ointments for your aching nips - ask your doctor for a prescription for All Purpose Nipple Ointment (APNO). 
This prescription can be expensive and may not be covered by your insurance. It wasn't covered by mine and cost me $25 but it is well worth it because it is literally all purpose - anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory. It will treat thrush and cracked, sore and inflamed nipples. You apply a little amount at a time
so it will last you for quite a while.

7. You CANNOT spoil a newborn. 
I became obsessed with thinking about routines, schedules and allowing Ezequiel to form bad habits. I have the books "12 Hours of Sleep By 12 Weeks Old" and "The Baby Whisperer" which I skimmed to try and figure out how to get my 2 week old on some sort of routine. I worried about letting him sleep in bed with me because I didn't want him having a hard time getting out of our bed. I worried about holding him too long, I worried about putting him down for too long. I worried about allowing him to fall asleep in my arms because he might not be able to fall asleep on his own if I keep doing that.
After talking with my midwife at my two week postpartum follow up, she told me "you cannot spoil a newborn" and it clicked. She advised me to co-sleep if I want to, hold him all day if I want to and rock him to sleep as much as I want to. All the books will tell you that you don't want your newborn to form bad habits, so don't do this and don't do that. However, my midwife pointed out that a newborn is too young to even be in a habit forming frame of mind. Which is also why trying out routines and schedules is pointless until they are 4-6 weeks old. No matter how badly I want him on a routine, I came to the realization that newborns are always changing from week to week and I can't be hard on myself if he doesn't do what I want him to do.

8. Don't expect to get back into your normal routine anytime soon. 
I didn't blow dry my hair for 2 1/2 weeks - this used to be a daily thing for me. I haven't curled or straightened my hair since before I went into labor. I rarely put on makeup anymore. I don't shower every day. I could hardly wipe my ass for a week. This is just how it is and this was hard for me to deal with. The healing process down under takes a while and you will be splashing, dabbing and walking softly for at least a week. You can't poop without the fear of ripping out your stitches. You will look 6 months pregnant when you leave the hospital and this will slowly go away. You can't wear your normal shirts without worrying about leaving them milk stained. You can't pop out of bed and make french toast and eggs. You can barely eat a meal in peace. You can't sleep without the sound of a baby whimper making your nerves jump out of your skin. You can't cuddle your partner because the baby knows what you are trying to do and will demand your attention the minute you lay a finger on him/her. No sex for six weeks - so get it in before you have the baby. I'm slowly coming to terms with this predicament but like everyone says, it gets better. They never say when though...

My little "superman" - or my little cheerleader, encouraging me to stay strong. Either way, he is my new life whether I like it or not and so far, he's pretty cool. 

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