It's almost over, mama. The holidays and the year are coming to an end. There are so many moments in our own lives and in the headlines of 2019 that we will look back and marvel at.

Did you become a mom this year? Did you child start school for the first time? Did you get pregnant or start the adoption process in 2019? Or did you go viral?

It's something many people try to do, but most who do it weren't trying at all and these are the ones that make us smile the most.

Remember that dad and the adorable babbling baby in the viral video from earlier this year?

The original viral video surpassed 2 million views within 48 hours of being posted and caught the attention of the marketing team at Denny's, who cast the dad, comedian DJ Pryor and his then 19-month-old son Kingston in a commercial.

In November, Kingston turned 2 and is still busy having serve and return conversations with his proud dad.

This photo wasn't even taken in 2019 (it's about three years old) but it went viral this year, inspiring many family reunion outfits. Mom Chrissy Roussel posted the now legendary photo of her kids and their cousins to show all the grandkids her parents have.

"The photo was my sister's idea," Chrissy, who has three brothers and two sisters, told POPSUGAR. "Having a big family means lots of noise, laughter, and, most importantly, love. Between the 17 cousins, there's always someone to play with and have fun with. They have a ball together. I loved having a big family growing up, and I'm so happy that my kids have the same experience."

When her old pic randomly went viral in 2019 Roussel couldn't believe it.

"I have to say we had NO IDEA this picture would be shared so much and resonate with so many people. We just thought it would be a fun pic to take of all the cousins while we were at the beach. My sister Maryellen suggested the shirts, and my amazingly talented SIL Katie (Annabelle Rose Photography) took the pics," Roussel wrote on her Facebook page.

Thanks for the inspo, Chrissy!

It was the back-to-school photo on everyone's feed this year.

Scottish mom Jillian Falconer posted two hilarious photos of her daughter Lucie's first day of school and never expected them to go viral, but her daughter's hilarious photos made her world famous for a hot second in September.

The photo on the left is Lucie as she was dropped off at school. On the right is Lucie when her mom returned to collect her. Her hair is wild. Her socks are drooping. Her school uniform is crumpled. She wears the expression of someone who has been through it.

Her mom could not believe the state she was in so she snapped a pic to share with Lucie's dad. "Lucie is just like any typical child. When I went to pick her up from school and saw how she looked, I was mortified," Falconer told her local paper, the Barrhead News.

The newspaper posted the photo on its Facebook page and the pic went viral, attracting likes from around the world. Falconer told the paper that when she asked Lucie what she'd been doing at school to get into that state she said, "Oh nothing, I just played with my friends."

Adorable.

And who can forget the "ghost baby" of Halloween 2019?

Mama Maritza Elizabeth went viral after she posted a spooky photo of her baby monitor on Facebook. It shows one of her kids in their crib and through the black and white of the baby monitor, it clearly looks like there is another baby in their crib with her son.

"So last night I was positive there was a ghost baby in the bed with my son," she captioned her pic, which was shared more than 300,000 times.

"I was so freaked out, I barely slept. I even tried creeping in there with a flashlight while my son was sleeping. Well, this morning I go to investigate a bit further. It turns out my husband just forgot to put the mattress protector on when he changed the sheets I could kill him."

We're so glad Maritza solved the mystery of the ghost baby (without waking up her sleeping son).

In 2019, Kendall Caver became a new dad and a viral sensation. He earned that title by supporting his wife through her a long labor. In the viral video clip Caver holds up a series of cards while his wife, Jasmine, looks on from her hospital bed. As his wife prepares to have their baby, Carver is flipping through the story of his life with Jasmine and offering words of encouragement.

In his original post to his Facebook page, Caver captioned the video with the sweetest statement. He wrote: "Encouraging my Wife through 2 days of labor Last night my Warrior Wife gave birth to a beautiful Baby Girl!"

"Breathe, just like we've been practicing," the first card reads.

His cards tell the story of a couple on a 10-year journey, who are best friends who love each other deeply and supported each other through a previous pregnancy loss.

"I would do it all over again to know the indescribable happiness I know today," Carver wrote on one of the cards.

(Are you crying yet?)

"You are my best friend...soulmate...and in just a few pushes...you'll be the most amazing mother our daughter could ever ask for."

We hope their daughter, Sofia, has the best New Year a baby could ask for, too.

Maybe it's the decade coming to an end or Toy Story 4 hitting us with grown-up Andy, but 2019 made all of us think about the bittersweet beauty of kids growing up. That's why this viral music video for Michael Bubl song "Forever Now" hit us so hard.

The video is a simple animation of a child's room as it transforms over time from a nursery to the packed-up bedroom of a young adult leaving the nest. We held it together until it got to this part: "It wasn't so long ago, we walked together and you held my hand. and now you're getting too big to want to."

The first time flying with your baby can be stressful, especially if your little one isn't feeling the friendly skies. Jamie Applegate Hunter was on a Frontier Airlines flight from Tyler, Texas to Denver during the summer of 2019 when she caught an act of kindness on camera. Another woman who was flying with her baby was having a hard time calming her baby girl. The little one was screaming, so a flight attendant, Joel O Paris Castro, stepped in to comfort the baby and give mama a break.

Applegate Hunter snapped a few photos of the feel good moment and posted them to Facebook.

"IDK how to make things go viral, but this flight attendant on Frontier Airlines from Tyler to Denver helped a mom calm her screaming baby, and it was PRECIOUS!! It was her first time to fly solo! It's the feel good story we need today," she captioned the pics.

In a Facebook comment, Paris Castro told his side of the story.

"Days like this make being a flight attendant the most rewarding job ever!! She was a beauty hahahah. She just wanted to explore the plane!!" he wrote.

Applegate Hunter said she didn't know how to make something go viral, but she obviously learned how in 2019.

In 2018, Nancy Ray became a #boymom and in 2019 she went viral for it. This powerful image of Ray's third birth was captured by photographer Lauren Jolly and shows the exact moment when she realized she hadn't given birth to the daughter she was expecting, but to a son!

Her face is a hilarious mixture of joy and shock. She'd delivered her child faster than she'd imagined and had spent a significant amount of time snuggling with her baby girl when she finally realized that he wasn't a girl at all.

Ray was three days overdue in December 2018, when she drove to a birthing centre to deliver the baby she thought would be her third daughter. In less time than it takes many of us to do a load of laundry, Ray had gone through labor and delivery and had a baby in her arms.

"Two hours later, my baby was born with me halfway in the tub! 15 minutes later, we went to cut the chord and I said... "WHAT IS THAT?!? Is this a boy baby!!?" Ray recalls in an Instagram post about her son's birth. "My husband @willrray quickly lifted his leg to check and then proceeded to literally fall on the floor. (The picture above is him checking!) I will forever advocate for birth photography because this is one of my very favorite photos of all time."

It became one of our very favorite viral moments of 2019, too.

These two little boys are so cute their viral video was watched over a million times in 2019. Michael Cisneros, took a video of his son, Maxwell, spotting his best friend on a New York street. The scene is absolutely precious: Maxwell and his friend, Finnegan, are so obviously overjoyed to see one another. They run straight towards each other and hug, and our hearts completely melt every single time we watch it unfold.

"This is just so beautiful. Finnegan + Maxwell= BESTIES!!! If we could all be like this," Cisneros writes alongside the photo.

According to Cisneros, the boys have been friends for about a year. "When they are away from each other, they are always asking about one another," he tells ABC News. "They go to music class together...and they love to danceboth are excellent dancers."

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Teacher Lindsay Agbalokwu did not expect to go viral in 2019, and she didn't expect to give birth on school grounds either. But early one morning in the fall, she found herself in pain and the school's vice principal went to enlist her friend and fellow teacher, Marissa Kast, to come and help her. When Kast found her friend, she knew it was clear things were progressing. She didn't yet know that her friend's baby would be born very shortly, on school grounds.

"I told our vice principal 'I'm taking her to the hospital'...So I got my car, I had to pull it around to the other side of the building where Lindsay was," Kast told Motherly.

By the time Kast moved her car she could see the school's principal, Natalie Lewis, and dean of students, Chris Earls were helping Agbalokwu out of the school. The pregnant teacher "was barely standing on her own and then she was in labor," Kast explains. As the principal dialed 911, Agbalokwu's water broke.

Kast happened to have a sleeping bag in her car, so she placed it on the sidewalk and had the expectant mother lay down while an emergency dispatcher gave the educators instructions to assist with the delivery.

"[I thought] please let them get here in time. Like, I do not want to deliver a baby," Kast says. "This was not on my agenda for today. And so we lay her down, we kind of got her settled and then I heard sirens and I was like, 'I hear sirens, just hold on like you can do this'...She had Chris on one side, Natalie on the other and she clutching their hands, pretty much breaking them."

Soon a fire truck was there and firefighters were delivering little baby Zara into the world. Kast says she's forever grateful to those firefighters who showed up and helped her friend in the nick of time.

"We got her ready, we were there helping her, like coaching her, but they are the two that delivered this baby," she says.

We bet 2019 is a year everyone involved will never forget!

Read more from the original source:
Lawmakers are working to ban crib bumpers + sleep incliners - Motherly Inc.

Brown rice is a whole grain thats often considered a health food.

Unlike white rice, which only contains the starchy endosperm, brown rice retains the nutrient-rich germ and bran layers of the grain. The only part removed is the hard outer hull (1).

Yet, while its higher in several nutrients than white rice, brown rice remains rich in carbs. As a result, you may wonder whether its safe for people with diabetes.

This article tells you whether you can eat brown rice if you have diabetes.

Brown rice is a healthy addition to a balanced diet, even if you have diabetes.

Still, its important to monitor portion sizes and be aware of how this food affects blood sugar levels.

Brown rice has an impressive nutritional profile. Its a good source of fiber, antioxidants, and several vitamins and minerals (1, 2).

Specifically, this whole grain is high in flavonoids plant compounds with potent antioxidant effects. Eating flavonoid-rich foods is associated with a reduced risk of chronic illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimers disease (1, 3).

Growing evidence suggests that high fiber foods like brown rice are beneficial for digestive health and may reduce your risk of chronic disease. They may also boost fullness and aid weight loss (4, 5, 6).

One cup (202 grams) of cooked long grain brown rice provides (2):

As you can see, brown rice is an excellent source of magnesium. Just 1 cup (202 grams) provides nearly all your daily needs of this mineral, which aids bone development, muscle contractions, nerve functioning, wound healing, and even blood sugar regulation (2, 7, 8).

Furthermore, brown rice is a good source of riboflavin, iron, potassium, and folate.

Thanks to its high fiber content, brown rice has been shown to significantly reduce post-meal blood sugar levels in people with excess weight, as well as those with type 2 diabetes (9, 10, 11).

Overall blood sugar control is important for preventing or delaying the progression of diabetes (12).

In a study in 16 adults with type 2 diabetes, eating 2 servings of brown rice resulted in a significant reduction in post-meal blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c (a marker of blood sugar control), compared with eating white rice (13).

Meanwhile, an 8-week study in 28 adults with type 2 diabetes found that those eating brown rice at least 10 times per week had significant improvements in blood sugar levels and endothelial function an important measurement of heart health (14).

Brown rice may also help improve blood sugar control by aiding weight loss (11).

In a 6-week study in 40 women with excess weight or obesity, eating 3/4 cup (150 grams) of brown rice per day resulted in significant reductions in weight, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI), compared with white rice (15).

Weight loss is important, as an observational study in 867 adults noted that those who lost 10% or more of their body weight within 5 years of receiving a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes were twice as likely to achieve remission within that period (16).

In addition to its potential benefits for individuals with diabetes, brown rice may even reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the first place.

A study in 197,228 adults linked eating at least 2 servings of brown rice per week to a significantly reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, swapping just 1/4 cup (50 grams) of white rice with brown was associated with a 16% lower risk of this condition (17).

While the mechanism isnt entirely understood, its thought that the higher fiber content of brown rice is at least partially responsible for this protective effect (18, 19).

Additionally, brown rice is higher in magnesium, which has also been linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes (20, 21, 22).

Due to its fiber content, brown rice may improve blood sugar control, which is critical for people with diabetes. It may also lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes to begin with.

The glycemic index (GI) measures how much a food raises blood sugar levels and can be a useful tool for people with diabetes (23).

Foods with a high GI raise blood sugar levels more than those with a medium or low GI. As such, eating more foods in the low and medium categories may aid blood sugar control (24, 25, 26).

Boiled brown rice has a score of 68, categorizing it as a medium GI food.

To put this in perspective, examples of other foods based on their GI score include (27):

In comparison, white rices score of 73 makes it a high GI food. Unlike brown rice, its lower in fiber and thus gets digested more quickly resulting in a greater spike in blood sugar (17, 28).

People with diabetes are generally encouraged to limit their intake of high GI foods.

To help reduce the overall GI of your meal, its important to eat brown rice alongside low GI foods, protein sources, and healthy fats.

Brown rice has a medium GI score, making it more suitable than white rice which has a high score for people with diabetes.

Managing your total carb intake is an important part of controlling your blood sugar levels. As a result, you should be mindful of how much brown rice youre having at a meal.

As theres no recommendation for how many carbs you should eat, you should base your optimal intake on your blood sugar goals and your bodys response to carbs (29, 30).

For example, if your goal is 30 grams of carbs per meal, youd want to limit your brown rice intake to 1/2 cup (100 grams), which contains 26 carbs. The rest of your meal could then be made up of low carb options like chicken breast and roasted vegetables (2).

In addition to watching portion sizes, its important to remember that whole grains are just one part of a balanced diet. Try to incorporate other nutritious foods at each meal, including lean proteins, healthy fats, fruits, and low carb vegetables.

Eating a varied, balanced diet one thats high in whole foods and limited in processed, refined products not only provides more vitamins and minerals but also helps maintain stable blood sugar levels (31, 32).

In fact, a study in 229 adults with type 2 diabetes showed that those with higher diet quality had significantly better blood sugar control than those with poor diet quality (31, 33).

You may want to consult a healthcare professional to determine what a balanced diet looks like for you.

Maintaining a balanced diet thats high in whole foods and low in overly processed ones has been associated with improved blood sugar control in people with diabetes.

Brown rice is a pantry staple thats inexpensive and easy to cook.

After rinsing the rice under cold running water, simply place 1 cup (180 grams) of dry rice in a pot and cover with 2 cups (475 ml) of water. You can add a small amount of olive oil and salt if desired.

Bring it to a boil, cover, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 4555 minutes or until most of the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let it rest for 10 minutes with the lid on.

Before serving, use a fork to fluff the rice for better texture.

Brown rice is a versatile ingredient that can be used in grain bowls, curries, salads, stir-fries, soups, and veggie burgers. It can also be combined with eggs and vegetables for a hearty breakfast or used in a low sugar rice pudding.

Here are some diabetes-friendly recipes featuring this whole grain:

Brown rice is easy to cook and can be used in a variety of dishes, including stir-fries, grain bowls, and salads.

Brown rice is perfectly safe to eat in moderation if you have diabetes.

While its high in carbs, its fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals may improve blood sugar control, thereby helping manage diabetes.

However, you should still watch your portion sizes and pair brown rice with other healthy foods, such as lean proteins or healthy fats, to help keep your blood sugar levels in check.

With its nutty flavor and chewy texture, brown rice can be a nutritious addition to a well-rounded diet.

More here:
Is Brown Rice Safe if You Have Diabetes? - Healthline