Emilie's Baby

More nightweaning- a bad night, a better night

2011-11-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

Well, good thing I didn't count on nightweaning getting easier! Saturday night (third night) was awful! We put him down, asleep, at 10:30. We both went to bed by 11:30. Gideon woke up every hour the first part of the night. Then, he was so upset about not being able to nurse, he stayed up for almost two hours. I would let him nurse, unlatch him and put him down drowsy. He would immediately start screaming and trying to latch back on. Dave would walk him and he would calm down. As soon as he would put him down- screaming and going for the boob. Finally, about 5 am, I couldn't handle it anymore and just let him nurse.

The fourth night was so much better overall! He fell asleep early nursing in the living room and when I went to lay him down, woke up. We ended up just heading back to the living room because he was so awake. About 10:30 Dave walked him until he fell asleep and laid him down next to me. He stayed put for a short while before trying to nurse. I wouldn't let him so he finally fell asleep perpendicular to me, his head right against my neck and shoulder. He slept that way for two hours when I woke up and gently moved him. Then, he slept another two hours before waking up! Soothing him any other way wasn't working, so I sat up to nurse him, laid him down drowsy and he was out for two more hours! When he woke up at 6, I let him nurse in bed a couple more times before we got up for the day at 9.

I found a sleep guide online that recommended choosing a 7 hour stretch at night to phase out nursing. So, we'll do the 11 to 6 stretch. After 6 am, I'll let him nurse in bed if he wants- it will help us both get more sleep!

Since we started nightweaning, Gideon has been taking much longer naps. I guess he's worn out from the long nights as well!

Nightweaning time!

2011-11-19T12:19:00.001-08:00

Four nights ago, Gideon woke repeatedly to nurse and nursed for what seemed like hours at a time. He climbed back and forth over me to switch sides so many times and for some reason, I just could not doze off while he was nursing. Since he was a few months old, I've been able to nurse him while sleeping. But, all I could think about was getting him to unlatch and be as far away from me as possible.

After a horrendous day following that night and another difficult night, Dave and I decided it was time to nightwean. I really do not want to wean completely so we are just focusing on nighttime. Our game plan will probably change but I wanted to keep track of how it went, what worked and what seemed to make it harder.

Our bedroom is set up with a queen bed against the wall and a twin bed pushed right next to that. Gideon and I share the queen- he's usually against the wall- and Dave sleeps on the twin. This gives each of us the most room.

The first night: Put Gideon down (asleep) about 10 pm. I started out on the twin and Dave slept with Gideon on the queen. Gideon woke up at midnight and Dave walked him and tried to soothe him. I ended up nursing him sitting up, (I am trying to avoid nursing lying down so he will stop associating the bed with nursing.) He dozed off and I put him back in his spot. He woke up again at 2 am and again, Dave could not get him back to sleep. He woke up AGAIN at 4 am. Same thing but this time he wouldn't go back to sleep. So, I unlatched him, put him on the bed with Dave and left to sleep on the couch. Gideon fell asleep after a few minutes of fussing and then woke up at 7 or so for the day. He immediately wanted to nurse when he saw me, of course.

Last night Gideon took a very late nap so he was wide awake until 11:30. Dave walked him in the room for awhile but he just kept looking at me. I nursed him sitting up but he still would not fall asleep. So, I put him in his spot and I went to the twin (Dave was getting ready for bed then). Gideon tossed and turned a little and then started crawling toward me. His head made it to the twin before he laid down and fell asleep. He woke up about an hour later and would not take no for answer about nursing. Ijust moved to the couch then and Dave was able to get him back to sleep. Dave said he woke a few more times and he was able to soothe him. About 5:30, Gideon was screaming so loud and for so long that I was worried the neighbors would call the cops. I went in and nursed him (sitting up) for about 10 minutes. I laid him back down (awake) and left the room. I only heard him fuss for a few minutes before it was quiet. At 7:30, he was up for the day and I went to get a little more sleep in bed. Gideon did come in and nurse while I dozed then.

The second night was better than the first. I really hope it continues this trend, though I'm not counting on it. I figure there will be more really hard nights, but eventually, he will no longer expect to nurse at night!

Once he is nightweaned, we may end up moving the twin and queen beds apart and putting him on the twin by himself. Especially if he forgets that he's nightweaned once I'm sleeping next to him again! Also, if anyone has any tips, share them!

Tutorial for toy guitar strap

2011-11-12T10:00:00.001-08:00

Gideon has this guitar that he loves. Dave and I were saying that he needs a strap for it so he can be more like Daddy. So, while Dave took Gideon on an errand, I sat down to make one! Here's what it looks like- very adjustable and we can take it off for when we aren't able to supervise him with it (he really likes wrapping things around his neck.

Maybe this will help him learn how to hold the guitar correctly.

So, I started out trying to put a shoelace through the little holes but it wouldn't fit. So, I found some ribbon and made a couple loops.

I just hand sewed them on and turned so the sewn part is inside the hole.

Then, I chose my fabric (from an old pair of jeans), hemmed the short sides and then made a tube with the long sides.Turn it right side out.

I added some batting to it as well so it'd be cushy on his shoulder and neck.

I stuck the batting and the shoelace inside the tube and sewed up the ends. Then did a little basic quilting so the batting wouldn't move around too much.

Tada! A guitar strap! Just tie the shoelace to the loops of ribbon- very adjustable! As with everything that goes around the neck, make sure to always watch your baby so they don't strangle themselves.

My machines

2011-11-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

I have a Singer sewing machine from the 1970s and a Pfaff Hobbylock 794. I love them both. The sewing machine I purchased when we moved to Lewiston for $100. It came with the table and accessories. It is missing the front cover but it doesn't affect the performance. I found one at a thrift store recently and I would totally have bought it for parts if we had the room.

The serger was my grandma's and I inherited it when she died.

Aren't they beautiful?

Tutorial to make a sock doll (from a knee sock)

2011-11-10T10:22:00.000-08:00

I made another sock doll yesterday so I could post a tutorial. I'll be sending this one to my niece (you are welcome, Nicole). So, here's how to make it!

I used a serger to sew up the seams but a regular sewing machine will work just fine.

Take a knee sock and imagine the heel as the butt of the doll. Turn the sock inside out and cut from the toe to about an inch from the heel. Sew up either side (I rounded the toes a little to look more like feet.)

Then, choose how tall you would like the doll and cut off the top of the sock. Cut about an inch from the band of the sock and cut the middle part in half (for the arms).

Turn it right side out and then stuff the legs of your doll. I rolled up an old athletic type sock and put it in the butt so the doll will sit up on it's own and has a little more weight to it. I also cut up another sock and added it for the extra weight but was a little softer when mixed with the other stuffing. Go ahead and stuff the arms and sew those as well.

Once it is all stuffed, sew up the top.

The top part you cut off will become the hat. Sew that up and turn it right side out. Place it on the top of the head and hand stitch with a coordinating thread. Separate the head from the body by wrapping thread around and sewing through the neck. (This always makes me feel a little weird and violent.)

Sewing on the arms is a little harder and has to be done by hand. I fold over the sewn part and then sew flat to the side (so the very end is hidden). When one is sewn on, I stab the needle straight through the body to the other side to sew the second arm.

Once the arms are done, you can sew eyes and a mouth or just leave them without. And, you are finished! This could be done with smaller socks, you would just need two instead of one.

Just remember, making these is not a science. If something doesn't look quite right, tweak it until it does. Have fun!

I made a sock doll for Gideon!

2011-11-09T11:02:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to make a doll for Gideon. He doesn't have any stuffed animals out because he pulls the fur or fuzz off of them to eat. But, I figured a sock doll would be harder for him to pull threads from.

I looked at a few tutorials online and then just started cutting. I think it turned out pretty cute. I used a regular pair of athletic socks to stuff the middle so it's a little heavier and can sit on its own. The rest is just regular stuffing.

The first thing he did when I gave it to him was give it a hug!

Then he just carried it around by its head. He hasn't played with it much yet but at least he has something soft and cuddly if he wants it!

Nursing a toddler- to wean or not to wean

2011-11-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

Gideon still nurses. A lot. He's not showing any signs of stopping either. I planned on nursing for at least two years when I was pregnant and I still would like to, but, Gideon is becoming a very rude nurser.

After he bit me one night (he was asleep so it was not intentional, he's never been a biter) I was sore the next day so all these annoying things were driving me over the edge.
Here are just a few of the things he tries to do:

Twiddle the other nipple. If I move his hand away, it immediately finds its way back. SO ANNOYING! He never did this when he was younger and I've never allowed it so I have no idea why he continues to try.

Playing with my face... which would be fine, except that he starts scratching and pinching and poking.

Standing up. Or turning his head to see behind him while still latched on.

Slapping my chest as he nurses (this started as patting gently but then he gets too excited and it starts to hurt!)

I still really don't want to wean him. Especially now that cold and flu season is here. And, it would devastate him. There would be so many tears. Not to mention it would be hard on me and Dave. Dave, of course, supports me in weaning or continuing.

So, I've made new nursing rules. No pinching, no poking, no scratching, no standing, no twiddling. If he tries any of these things, I move his hand and say no. If he tries it again, I immediately put him down. He's had a million mini tantrums in the past two days because of this but I think he'll get it soon.

If he doesn't get it, then we'll have to reconsider weaning, I guess.

Learning some new crochet stitches

2011-11-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

Through the amazing world of Pinterest, I've found some great new crochet stitches to try out. I'm working on a few different things using the new stitches I've learned.

No foundation crochet is awesome. I just used it to start a scarf and it really does make a nice tension free start!

The Puff stitch flower
is really simple once you make one. I'm making a bunch of the blue ones and might end up with a blanket... or a scarf. Not sure yet! The purple one uses the puff stitch and will be a scarf.

The Star stitch makes a very light, soft scarf and I'm working on a blanket using the same stitch.

I feel like it's been forever since I learned a new stitch so learning all these has been fun.

What's in my bag?

2011-11-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

I decided to actually do one of this link up things. I was running a little low on blog inspiration so this is perfect timing!

Here's my bag- it's big and doubles as a diaper bag.

And, the contents of my bag! I'll just list the things in there- I think you'll be able to tell what is what.

Package ready to send to a friend
Wallet (checkbook, cards, license, some change and coupons)
Water bottle
Container of goldfish crackers
Pile of trash- receipts, papers, wrappers (this will not be returning to the bag!)
Notebook with pen in the spiral
Spare keys for the truck and the car (Also, I found the second spare for the truck... which means if I had locked my purse and my everyday keys in there I would have been OUT OF LUCK! I totally thought Dave had that key!)
Silver card case (contains some store cards and business cards I want to keep)
Tums
Chapstick
Floss
Baby spoon
Pen
Small plastic bag with safety pins, rubber bands and hair ties
Roll of nickels that I forgot when I went to the bank today
Gum
Small squeaky whale Gideon was given three weeks ago (also not returning to the purse!)
Change of clothes for baby
Small blanket
Four diapers
Ziploc of baby wipes
Ziploc with pads and tampons

Both the Dooney and Burke purse and the Coach wallet were gifts and I love them! My entire life I've had cheap purses so it's nice to have a couple that should last me for years.

Sweater redo (with bonus scarf!)

2011-11-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

I found this sweater at a thrift store for $3.75. I did not love the HUGE amount of sweater in the front (I guess you are supposed to wrap it around you like a scarf?) I don't know, but it was not flattering on me. I almost put it back on the rack until I saw the fiber content- cashmere and cotton! If it had been polyester I would have put it back immediately, but I prefer natural fibers so this was an awesome deal to me! I knew I'd be able to make it work for me.

So, I washed it, tried it on, marked where I would like the front to end and then cut off the excess. I serged the edges and TADA! A new sweater! The thread I used did not match exactly. I had one cone of purple that almost matched so I used that for the thread you would see the most of on the front. I used a slightly lighter purple and two cones of navy for the rest. I have tons of serger thread I inherited from my grandma along with the serger and I'm really trying to not buy more unless it's a really great sale. (Same goes for all my crafting supplies.)

Here's the finished sweater. As you can tell, it was a foggy, drizzly day!

And, with those big chunks I took off the ends, I made a ruffled scarf! It's the first time I've used the serger to purposely make the edges ruffled and I love how it turned out. The scarf has a wrong side and a right side since I joined the two pieces with the serger before serging the sides.

A sweater blanket- upcycled of course!

2011-11-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

I started this blanket months ago and set it aside because I was getting annoyed with it. It's not easy working with a bunch of different weights of knitted sweaters!

I had a pile of sweaters and scarves that either didn't fit or I didn't like wearing any more. All were pretty worn so I decided to upcycle them instead of donating. Having a serger definitely helped with this project but it could be done with a zig zag stitch on a sewing machine.

First, I cut the arms off the sweaters (serging the edges as I cut so I didn't end up with a bunch of unraveling edges!) Then, I got them into the largest usable pieces I could. Once I knew how much I had to work with, I made a plan for the size and placement of the squares. Then, I did more cutting and serging.

When I started to put the blanket together, I had some major issues with my sewing machine catching on the bulkier knit items. It was frustrating and made some of the squares a little wonky. (That is a technical sewing term.)

I backed the blanket with an old sheet. This, also not easy! It kept bunching and since the knitted materials stretched and the sheet didn't, some were no longer square. I finally safety pinned each square to the sheet and then adjusted until it was as straight as I could get it. I was going to do some quilting on it, but the same problem arose with the machine catching on the knit. I finally gave up and put the blanket in a in progress bin for about 8 months.

On Saturday, I was trying to decide what would be my next project when I remembered the in progress bin at the bottom of my craft closet. We just rearranged the room so I can actually get to it. So, I dug out the blanket. I decided to just use yarn ties instead of trying to sew any more. I used light yarn on the dark squares and dark yarn on the light squares.

But, I didn't know how to edge it. There was no room to do a bias tape binding without making the outside squares smaller than the others. So, I just serged the whole thing! Kind of the cheater's way out, but oh well! I'm all for easy!

The finished product is perfect for a lap blanket or a small child blanket... just not my small child. He likes to try to eat the fuzz off sweaters and would definitely be trying to pull the yarn out.

He wanted to be in the pictures. He is wearing a diaper in that picture, the onesie just covers it up! He is pretty much always without pants at home.

How I thrift and some tips for you!

2011-10-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

I have an ongoing list of things I need/ want that I watch for at thrift stores (I'm also not opposed to buying them on clearance). My list includes some kitchen things, the sizes Gideon needs in different types of clothes, yarn and other craft supplies, and many books. I am building a collection for Gideon of books I loved as a kid and from authors/ illustrators that I like. I'm also building a collection of chapter books for him.

I'm by no means a pro thrift shopper. I know there are people who thrift and then sell the treasures they find online and make money. I do have some tips for the basic for family thrift shopper though!

1. Keep an ongoing list of things you need or want. I used to keep a note on my phone until my list started getting too long and then I switched to a small notebook I keep in my purse.

2. Find out when or if the thrift store has half or or sale days. Goodwill does a certain color tag starting on Sundays for the week. A local thrift store I go to does certain types of items every few days- one day clothes are 25% off, another day books are 35% off, etc.

3. Don't expect to find everything (or even anything) each time. It's not a grocery store and there are no guarantees.

4. Go often and browse. You don't have to be there for hours. Just a lunch break or a few minutes while the baby is happy will work. Find out if the thrift store does a specific stocking day or time so you can go and get first look at things.

5. Don't buy things you don't need! Just because it's cheaper than new, if it's just going to collect dust in your house, it's no good to you!

I went thrifting on Friday and got an AWESOME deal! About 70 yards of lace trim for $1. It was just rolled up into a big ball so I wasn't sure if it was in one piece or not but I took a chance for a dollar.

Altering a t-shirt

2011-10-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

I have a couple of regular old t-shirts that I don't really like. The neck is too high and makes me feel claustrophobic. I just prefer V-neck so I decided to alter them with my good old serger.

I cut the V-neck using a shirt I like as a guide.

Then, I just serged it.

I decided the sleeves and bottom looked kind of funny to not match the neckline, so I serged all around them as well.

I think I like them better. They are looser and just seem to fit better. I'm not sure if the bare serging makes them look like pajamas though... oh well, I'm one of those people who don't mind wearing pajamas out in public!

Tips on decluttering

2011-10-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of this year, I joined an online challenge to get rid of 2011 things in 2011. I've gotten rid of 1737 things! It's kind of fun to keep track. I count any clutter that I get rid- everything from clothes being donated to trash that Gideon adopted as a toy getting thrown out finally.

Since i have no pictures for this post, I'll put one of Gideon in here! Also, I have no idea why it's sideways. It's right in the file...

I don't know if I'll actually make it to 2011 but I do need to go through all our clothes. I also want to get rid of some DVDs- we have so many we've never really watched more than once or twice. Those I'll try selling before taking them to a donation place.

I think keeping track of the things I'm getting rid of has helped in a couple ways. I'm still buying things (obviously based on my thrift store posts!) but I'm more aware of things coming into our house. It also seemed to release some sort of mental block about getting rid of things. I had two boxes of clothes that didn't fit me (from before I was even pregnant) that I carried with us through FOUR moves! I finally just donated them- I didn't even open the boxes up because I knew I would be tempted to keep things, just in case. Once I donated those, it was like freedom! I went through my other clothes and if something didn't fit or if I didn't like it very much, it went in the donation pile. Now my closet is easier to go through and we won't have to move a couple boxes the next time.

Right now, I have a plastic tote that I fill with items to be donated. When it's full, we bring to one of the thrift stores in town.

I know we'll be moving again within the next year. After that, there's another move planned after a year or two there. So, it behooves me to keep our stuff to a minimum. Easier to pack, easier to unpack!

Sewing while Gideon is awake

2011-10-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

Sewing while Gideon is awake is a little more difficult but manageable. He definitely enjoys it, even if I don't!

He likes to take the thread off my machine. After he played for awhile, I put it away.

So, he reached inside to grab the thread and try to eat it.

Successful tasting of the thread. Thankfully, I still managed to start and finish a project!

I made a needle and hook roll yesterday. Even with my little helper it took less than an hour.

I just used one large piece of cotton fabric, serged the edges, sewed on three pieces of felt and then put holes in the felt for the needles and hooks to go through. I used scissors at first but then realized my seam ripper worked faster and was more accurate.

Then, I just sewed a matching strip of fabric for the tie. Easy peasy! It works and looks better than the plastic grocery sack where I was keeping my needles.

Toddler activities

2011-10-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to enrich Gideon's play. He finds plenty to do- putting canned goods in my pots, scattering my kitchen utensils throughout the house so while I'm cooking I have to check EVERYWHERE for the spoon or whisk I need. He plays with his toys- guitars, stacking toy, blocks, cars. We play lots of peek a boo and hide and seek (course, he'll come out as soon as I say, "Where's the baby?") He goes grocery shopping and on walks with me.

So here are a few of the activities I've done with him lately.

Coloring! He loves it but tries to eat the crayon after only a few minutes.

Playing in the sink while Mommy cooks is also very fun. He tends to get himself and the floor soaked but at least it keeps him out of trouble while I'm kneading dough or prepping dinner.

Inside jungle gym with his old crib mattress. All we do is pile a bunch of pillows and blankets under it and let him run up and down. He loves it and it wears him out!

Rice cereal. I love those rice or bean sensory tables but since Gideon still eats EVERYTHING, I needed something that would be okay if he ate it. This rice cereal is the perfect stuff. He used the spoon to move them around and then dumped the whole thing on the floor! At least then he tried to pick some of it up.

I also decided to make some sensory bags for him. I ended up making four. One has a marble with a little maze stitched in, one has plastic so it crinkles, another has knotted up yarn and the final one has beans. He hasn't shown too much interest in them but I plan on making a few more.

Sensory bags

WARNING: Puffed rice does not tend to stay in the container, so be prepared to vacuum!

Thrifting clothes for Gideon

2011-10-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

I've bought so many clothes for Gideon at thrift stores. The Goodwill in Post Falls and in Couer d'Alene have most baby clothes for 99 cents. And, if I get the right color tag, they are half off!

The other thrift stores I go to have baby clothes between $1 and $3. I don't think I've spent more than $2 on any other one item of clothing for him.

I've bought pants, shorts, shirts, sweatshirts and pajamas for him. Most of them were very gently used. I even found a new with tags sweatshirt and sweatpants set for $1.99 last week.

Those pictures are only the current (clean) clothes I've bought for Gideon. There are others that he's grown out of already and some are in the wash. I love saving money on clothes for him since he is growing so quickly!

Thrifting toys for Gideon

2011-10-21T17:37:00.000-07:00

I love going to thrift stores! And, I buy lots of stuff for Gideon at them. Clothes and toys can be great finds. Especially when new clothes and toys are so expensive! $15 to $30 for a toy the child might not even like seems too expensive to me.

I always carry a notebook with me that has a list of things I'm watching for at thrift stores. Kitchen stuff, what books I need or want, sizes in kid's clothes I'm looking for, etc. And, I always look through the kid's toys. There can be some really junky stuff but every once in awhile, I find something that Gideon will really love.

I like to look for musical instruments. I'm still on the lookout for a small keyboard or piano and any percussion instruments. But, I found a Little Tikes guitar several months ago. He loves it so much! I think the batteries need to be changed though because it's started making some awful noises instead of music. It might also be because Gideon likes to stand on it. But, it was $1.50. Can't beat that since new ones run about $14.

The keyboard behind him was also a thrift store buy- $1 and we cut off the cord. He likes to walk on it- apparently it's a nice foot massage.

Dave had Thursday off so while Gideon napped, I went thrift shopping without a baby! It was heavenly! No fussing in the stroller, no trying to run out the door or pull things off the shelves.

I went to the local Hospice thrift store that is always so well organized. and their prices on toys are AWESOME.

We have been looking for a doll stroller or grocery cart for months. He loves to push things around and we knew he would love to have one at home. It was $1.50! And pretty sturdy. Most of them that I've seen new at stores look like they would break if a kid sat in them and are usually more than $15. Gideon already tested his weight in this and it passed.

Food, glorious food (for baby!)

2011-10-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

Gideon is still nursing quite a bit. He loves his nursing time and I think if I let him, he would nurse all day sometimes.

But, he's also eating solids now! He was such a slow starter. I wanted to do baby led weaning, but he didn't take to it. So, we tried purees and he thought we were trying to poison him. So, we waited a few months and he started letting us feed him applesauce and Greek yogurt. He would also eat animal crackers and Ritz crackers.

After months of surviving off breast milk, crackers, and applesauce, he's FINALLY eating other foods!

From the top: Yesterday morning I'd made a puff pancake with apple slices in it. When I gave him a piece, he ran into the kitchen, put it in one of the pots and grabbed the popsicle stick. He loved stabbing it and taking a bite. Next is him with his favorite drink- very watered down, not very sweetened green tea. Then a pear slice that he's trying to stab with the fork. And the last picture was from yesterday when he ate rice and teriyaki chicken.

Today he ate a taquito sample at Costco! And, then, when we got home I was putting away our purchases and refilling some of our noodles and oatmeal containers. Gideon climbed up onto a chair next to the counter and when I spilled some of the raw oatmeal, he started snacking on it. He probably ate a tablespoon or two of raw oatmeal! So funny.

We found that giving him a plate with his own fork makes him eat more. He LOVES to stab things with the fork and eat it. That's the only way I got him to even try the chicken. He wouldn't touch it with his fingers.

The simplest recipes I have! (And they are good too!)

2011-10-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

I cook a lot. I enjoy cooking and I enjoy eating! I do a lot of intuitive cooking, so recipes of things I've created are hard to come by. But, these recipes are SO EASY that the recipes are easy to remember! If your ingredients are prepped in advance, dinner takes 15 minutes to get on the table!

Baked chicken taquitoes

1 cooked, shredded chicken breast (in advance)
1 can refried beans
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (in advance)
Flour or corn tortillas (I prefer flour)
Cooking spray

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Mix the shredded chicken, beans, salsa and cheese. Put a spoonful onto one side of the tortilla and roll up. Place seam side down on the tray. Spray with cooking spray. Bake at 400 (the oven doesn't even need to be preheated!) for about 15 minutes or until nicely browned. We eat them with salsa and sour cream. You could easily replace the shredded chicken with shredded beef or pork or leave it out for meatless ones!

Baked potato soup

3 baked potatoes, shredded (let them cool and then use a grater or food processor in advance)
1 cup shredded cheddar (in advance)
Cooked bacon pieces (in advance, grease saved)
4 green onions, chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Spices
1 Tbs flour
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, hot
2 cups milk

Cook green onions and garlic in about a tablespoon of the bacon grease. Add salt and pepper and any other spices you want (I added garlic and cumin) Cook about 2 minutes, stirring so the garlic doesn't burn. Sprinkle in the flour. Stir and let cook for 1 minute. Pour in broth and stir. Microwave milk until warm. Add to pot and bring to boil. Dump in potatoes, cheese and bacon pieces. Stir and serve! This makes about 8-10 cups of soup depending on how big your potatoes were.

I wish I had beautifully yummy pictures of these dishes, but, alas, I'm not a great photographer so I'm sure they wouldn't look as yummy as these dishes really are!

I've been sewing for Gideon!

2011-10-18T17:06:00.000-07:00

I've made him a sweatshirt, two shirts, two pairs of pants and a pair of sweatpants in the past three days.

I used the MADE 90 minute shirt tutorial and her pants tutorial as well.

I also finished a beanie for him this week. It's getting colder here and he will need a hat for sure. It's not the best picture of the hat but I love the little curl escaping from the side!

I did find some great deals on shirts and a couple pants for him at the thrift store. He really was in need of some warmer clothes! I will probably make him one or two more pairs of pants just because they are so easy!

The dreaded early childhood caries or baby cavities

2011-10-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

Gideon went in for his first dentist appointment when he was 14 months. He had a very badly chipped tooth and a few yellow spots on his teeth. The dentist looked in his mouth and immediately said, "He'll need all four front teeth capped."

So, we talked to the business guy and he explained the costs if we did at the hospital (he had to be put under) or in the office. We decided on the hospital because the insurance fully covers that- except for the white porcelain caps. There was no way we were going to put silver on his front teeth, so we asked for those.

I was very upset. I felt like it was my fault- not brushing his teeth often enough, letting him nurse through the night (which, by the way, turns out to not be the cause). After researching though, it looks like genetics is the biggest factor in ECCs. And, they haven't figured out a sure fire way to prevent them- just like adult cavities. We debated on getting a second opinion. I didn't really like the dentist much and wanted to know if there were other options.

They are kind of hard to see, but the tooth all the way on the left is very chipped.

After much research, I saw that caps were the most common option. There are some other alternative treatments but with his chipped tooth, I was afraid of him losing it altogether if it wasn't capped soon. It continued to chip even more between the original appointment and the surgery.

Well, a month ago, they called to give us our appointment day. He had a pre dental work appointment with the pediatrician to make sure he was healthy enough for the anesthesia. Also, Gideon believes that all nurses and doctors are there to torture him- appointments are really fun and loud.

His dental work was done a week ago. The scheduled him for early morning so he couldn't nurse after 1 am. It was a LONG night with little sleep for me or Dave. We finally had to put Gideon in his car seat and drive. Once Gideon was asleep, we parked and Dave slept. I think I only had two hours total sleep that night.

Waiting for the anesthesia was the hardest part. Once they gave him some oral meds that made him loopy, we had to hold him- all while he fought us to get down. I went back with him while they put him under. By that time the drugs weren't making him loopy, he was grumpy and he SCREAMED until he was out. It was the hardest thing ever to walk away from him. He looked so tiny on the hospital table.

The actual procedure was very fast. The dentist met with us and suggested we stop giving him soda (I wish there was an eye rolling smiley I could put in here. WHY would he assume that? Also, we told him that we have never given Gideon soda at the first appointment.) Once we told him that again, he said, "Hmm, guess the cavities were genetic." (And, the great part, the bill we received for the dental work included a $35 charge for oral hygiene instruction- insert eye roll- was that what that was?) If we were paying out of pocket, I would be disputing that!

His new teeth. It's the best picture we've been able to get of them!

Anyway, Gideon is doing fine. He had a rough couple of days and we kept him on baby motrin. His teeth look good and we are being VERY diligent about brushing. Hopefully we can keep the other cavities away.

A little disclaimer and update

2011-10-04T20:19:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize it'd been so long since I wrote! I can't really claim to have been too busy... just not feeling inspired.

I know I've recommended the Mothering.com boards a lot on this blog. I still think there is some good information to be found, but these past few months I've seen too much crazy. If you go there for information on attachment parenting, breastfeeding or natural living, please, be careful to not believe everything you read. There is CRAZY stuff on there. Read everything with a handful of salt and remember that not everything works for every family. I don't want to get into the weird and awful things I've read there, I just wanted to make sure that if anyone finds them from this blog (not likely since I never update) that there is a disclaimer.

Otherwise, life is good. Gideon is growing like a weed. He's having some caps put on next week and I'm kind of freaking about the anesthesia. I'll be glad when it's over.

Too much crafting or sleep deprived?

2011-02-19T19:32:00.000-08:00

I've been craft inspired lately so I've been trying to fit some crafting in whenever I get a spare moment. I'm working on a quilt/ blanket made from old sweaters so my serger has been getting a lot of use while I cut out and serge the squares.

But this week, Gideon has been sick and therefore not sleeping well. I think most parents can understand that when baby isn't sleeping well, then Mommy doesn't sleep well! After a rough night on Wednesday and a very rough night Thursday, Dave took Gideon to our room Friday night and rocked him while I worked on a small project.

When Gideon fell asleep, I went to bed with him and fell asleep as well. Sometime after midnight, he woke up crying and crying. Half asleep and dreaming still, I didn't know what to do in my dream to make him stop crying. I picked him up and couldn't figure out what to do next. I thought there was part of him missing and I was trying to find it. I just kept saying, "Gideon, Gideon, Gideon." Then I thought, "If I get him out to living room, I could use the serger to put him back together!"

About then, Dave woke up and took Gideon so I could wake up completely. I told Dave today what I was dreaming and now he thinks I'm crazy and thinks I shouldn't do craft projects right before bed!

So, too much crafting or sleep deprived?

I'm just going to pretend the past 4 months never happened...

2011-02-15T16:59:00.000-08:00

It hasn't been that long since I blogged, right? Ha ha. It's not like I have a ton of people reading this anyway.

To update really quick: Gideon is thriving. Nursing all the time still though he's finally eating some solids. Still sleeping with us. No vaccinations. No problems with his perfectly intact penis. He's cruising every where and has taken a few steps on his own. He loves to play and snuggle and smile and talk and laugh. He is seriously the best thing that has ever happened to us.

Yes, my house is messy but Gideon is so cute!

On me: I still love nursing Gideon whenever he wants. We've moved to a new city and are loving it. I love being home with Gideon every day. And I can't believe it's been almost a year since I went into labor and gave birth. I keep wondering how I'll feel about that milestone.

I've accepted what happened but I can't seem to stop the "what if" thoughts from creeping into my mind.

I won't promise that I'll be back soon to post more, but I will try! With an aspiring toddler in the house, it's not easy to have two hands to type a post!

Shared sleep

2010-10-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

One of the things I researched before Gideon arrived was cosleeping or bedsharing. Most people use the terms interchangeably but cosleeping is having your baby or child in the same room but in a different bed. We bedshare, which means exactly what it says. Gideon sleeps right next to me all night.

The benefits are many if it's done correctly.

Encourages breastfeeding because nighttime breastfeeding is more convenient.
The nursing mother gets more sleep since it's easy to sleep while breastfeeding.
Helps baby fall asleep more easily and stay asleep.
If you are separated from your baby during the day, it helps you regain closeness.

Dave and I aren't big people so our queen size has always provided ample room for us to stretch out. However, our tiny baby seems to take up way more space than he should. When he was a few months old, we moved our spare bed (twin size) in next to our bed. This way, if Gideon rolled, he'd roll onto that. I actually end up sleeping half on it and half on our bed when Gideon was in the middle (I switch sides several times during the night for breastfeeding.)

But, grandma is coming to visit so she needs the spare bed. We had a crib given to us (a recalled drop side crib) so we just took off the drop side and put it between our bed and the wall. It was a tiny bit higher than our bed so we had to get some 2x4's to raise our bed slightly.

I hope to soon be able to put him in the crib for the first part of the night and pull him next to me when he needs to nurse.

Personally, having Gideon sleep right next to me is one of my favorite things. He nurses easily during the night, he and I both get more sleep and just this morning I was thinking about how wonderful it is to wake up with him snuggled against me.

And, Gideon never has to cry when he wakes up. He stirs and I wake to latch him on. He nurses and we both doze for a few more minutes. When he wakes for the morning, he just opens his eyes and starts cooing or playing with my face. There's never any need for him to cry because Mommy is right there.

The Dr. Sears website has a page on ways to have baby in your bed safely. If these rules are followed, there is no reason baby shouldn't sleep with his or her parents.

I made some diapers!

2010-10-05T10:44:00.001-07:00

I used old t-shirts and towels that I washed in RLR to remove soap residue so they are absorbent.

The orange diaper is very absorbent and will be better for nighttime. I put three layers of towels in the center (sandwiched between four layers of soft old t-shirts.)

The gray and blue diaper was made from an old polo of Dave's that was starting to fall apart. I made a separate insert for that so it's less bulky and perfect for daytime use.

The diapers are fastened with a Snappi. I debated putting velcro on them but I think I'll wait for that until I can order the kind specifically made for diapers.

Gideon spends most of the day without a cover- I've discovered that he doesn't pee while he's asleep which makes me feel better while he naps on me. Keeping him coverless means he never sits in a pee soaked diaper and he gets plenty of air so he never gets diaper rash.

I will be making more diapers out of old clothes- hopefully they will last him through potty training!

My version of fried rice

2010-10-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this blog isn't all about baby... Thought I'd post a recipe that I came up with to use up all sorts of leftovers and things about to go bad in the fridge. Now, I've never loved fried rice- it's too dry I think. So, I blended risotto and fried rice recipes and came up with something yummy!

The recipe isn't exact because I tend to just throw things in the pot. Use up the leftovers you have- you don't have to add the same things that I did.

I started out crisping about three pieces of bacon in my wok. Remove the bacon to a paper towel when crisp and then add in half a chopped onion (the other half from an earlier meal), a few chopped up stalks of celery and diced carrot (both were in the bottom of the fridge and on the floppy side) and cook for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper and whatever else you want.

Add a couple cups of cooked rice (I mixed leftover brown and white rice that I had) and about half a cup of chicken broth or water. Stir and when the rice has absorbed the liquid, add more. Continue doing this until the consistency is what you like. Then, add in chopped meat (I used leftover chopped turkey) and any quick cooking vegetables like corn or peas. Add the bacon back in and scrambled egg if you want.

I topped mine with crunchy chow mein noodles. I much prefer this to dry fried rice and by adding all the veggies and meat, this is a meal in itself.

Enjoy!

How to carry your baby.

2010-09-29T17:51:00.000-07:00

So, wearing Gideon has been great when we are out and about. I don't wear him much at home though I'm thinking about getting a woven wrap and trying out back carries when he's being super clingy. Which seems like every day recently...

This was his first time in the stretchy wrap I made. It was nice when he was tiny because it held him very close, kept him warm and I was able to breastfeed without taking him out. I've used it a few times recently and it's still comfortable but makes me a little too warm.

We got a great deal on an Ergo carrier. It's nice because we can carry him on the front, back or hip. We haven't done a back carry in it yet. We should try that soon! I have not tried to breastfeed while using it though I've read that others have great success in it. Dave is usually the one that uses the Ergo while I opt for my favorite.

This is my favorite carrier for short trips. The ring sling is easily adjustable and comfy for both of us. I ordered it from a shop on Etsy. I chose linen fabric because it's very breathable and strong. Gideon can sleep easily in it because it positions him exactly like I hold him. It's easy to breastfeed while using this carrier as well.

This is our stroller obviously. We got it from a local consignment shop when we sold some stuff there. We use it for walks around the block or along the river. We always bring a carrier as well in case he wants to be held. He doesn't mind the stroller but I feel weird with it sometimes because I can't always see his face and he feels so far away from me! It is nice for walks since it's harder to walk really fast for exercise while wearing a carrier.

There are many more options for baby carriers. Check out Granola Babies for lots of options for ordering online and how to find the carrier for you. There are stretchy wraps, woven wraps, soft structured carriers like the Ergo that buckle or that tie, ring slings or pouches. If you are interested in baby wearing, a quick Internet search will yield hundreds of results!

Look for carriers that position the baby facing in, close to the parents body and in a position that you would naturally carry a baby. Tiny babies should be held upright, against your chest with legs tucked into a frog like position. Always make sure you can see baby's face and that baby's head is supported. Older babies should be in a seated position with their knees above their hips. Allowing their legs to dangle can cause hip problems and it can't be comfortable!

If you go with wrap carriers, there are hundreds of sites about different ways to wrap and carry your baby. YouTube also has lots of videos on how to do it if there are carries that you are unsure of trying. Try it, I know you and your baby will love it!

Cloth diaper pictures!

2010-09-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

We've been using cloth exclusively at home for almost 6 months. We love it and I thought I'd post some pictures of our little man wearing the different types.

Prefolds without a cover. Fastened with a Snappi.

Top: A Bummis cover over a prefold. Bottom: Thirsties fab fitted.

Top: Fitted snap diaper. Bottom: Flat, folded and fastened with a Snappi.

Huate Pockets diaper.

There are so many options out there for cloth diapers- this is a very small sample of what's available.

Research based parenting

2010-08-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

I'm a researcher. When I'm interested in something, I research it. So, when Dave and I started talking about having a baby, I researched. I discovered charting and bought Taking Charge of Your Fertility. I was able to stop taking hormonal birth control and charted my cycle for 9 months before we got pregnant. I knew when I ovulated, when I was fertile and when my period would begin or when a pregnancy test would be accurate.

About a year before we got pregnant, I stumbled across The Business of Being Born. That opened my eyes to the possibility of having a choice in how I gave birth. I researched slowly then amped up the research when we got the positive test. As you may have seen through this blog, I did A LOT of research about birth. I just did a post about the research I did on circumcision and vaccines. I also have researched attachment parenting, baby carriers, breastfeeding, cloth diapers and newborn care in the hospital.

I did this research by reading and reading and reading and then reading some more. I followed links on blogs and websites. I got a subscription to Mothering magazine. I bought books and checked others out of the library. I lurked on parenting boards of all kinds (and definitely found my favorites.) Beware a lot of parenting boards- the ignorance that permeates them is scary. Now, lots of parents-to-be research but they focus on baby gear. Very few research birth choices, newborn care decisions, vaccines and parenting styles.

The funny thing is, I didn't research cribs because I'd already researched attachment parenting and knew that Gideon would be sleeping with us. I didn't research bottles because I knew that I would be breastfeeding. I didn't research strollers because I knew I would be wearing him most of the time (we did recently buy a stroller secondhand and use it infrequently on walks).

I researched car seats and bought one that would last from newborn to toddler. I'd already researched and knew that using the infant seats as a carrier and baby seat was bad for baby's development (also, recent studies show that it can constrict the airway and experts now recommend babies spend no longer than two hour intervals in the seats- even in the car.)

The best advice I can give to anyone considering or expecting a baby is to research. DO NOT just trust what your doctor, sister, mother or friend says. Even if that friend has 8 kids, it doesn't mean the choices she made will be right for you and your baby. Even if you and your siblings turned out okay doesn't mean your mom made informed choices about how she raised you. And, never forget that you are not the only patient your doctor has. Sadly, you and your baby's health may not be what's driving their advice. Don't forget that a Cesarean birth puts more money in their pockets. Don't forget that circumcision adds money to their pockets.

Any decision you have to make about your baby deserves to be researched. You and your baby deserve to have all the information.

I'll leave you with a picture of Gideon. This kid seriously gets cuter every day! He loves water bottles and is instantly drawn to them so we let him chew on ours every once in awhile.

Vaccines...

2010-07-21T17:50:00.000-07:00

I started researching vaccines just a month or so ago. Since I had appointments with my midwife several times in the 6 weeks after the birth, Gideon was weighed and checked at those. He still hasn't been to see a pediatrician because the first appointment available when I called last month was in August! Must be a lot of kids in this town.

I sometimes feel like a bad mom because he hasn't been to a doctor. But, we can tell that he's growing. We measured him about two weeks ago and he's grown 5 inches since he was born! He sleeps well (right next to his mommy so we both sleep well.) He breastfeeds well (except when we are in public and then he likes to pop off to look around. I have to be watchful so I can cover up whenever he does that!) He laughs, "talks," makes eye contact, wiggles, naps well and generally is adorable. So, I remind myself that I'm not a bad mom for not taking him in before now.

Now, for our decision about vaccines. The reason I started researching vaccines so late is that it is such a HUGE topic. There are countless viewpoints, books, blogs and opinions about vaccines. There are conflicting studies, shady research and clinical trials... it's seriously overwhelming. We refused the Hepatitis B shot in the hospital. My reasoning at the time for declining was that we'd planned a homebirth anyway and I didn't think my baby would be using intravenous drugs anytime soon. It actually worked out well that I waited for doctor's visits. It gave me plenty of time to decide to skip all vaccinations.

I read so many different things to come to this decision. At first I thought we would just delay and selectively vaccinate. So, I got a list of all the vaccines given and started researching them. I researched the disease it protects against first. When was the last case, what the symptoms are, complications, prevention (besides that vaccine) and treatments. The most helpful resource for that was the Mayo Clinic website. It has all that information in an easy to read format.

For instance, I looked up rotavirus. It is spread hand to mouth and causes diarrhea. So, if Gideon has diarrhea, I will nurse him more often, watch him closely for signs of dehydration and take him to the hospital if he shows any signs. I crossed that one off the list of vaccines.

But, as I researched more, I realized that I don't feel comfortable allowing foreign substances to be injected into my baby. Vaccines don't only contain the virus- most also contain aluminum, preservatives, fetal human and bovine cells. And, I don't want to mess with his immune system at such a young age.

We have not ruled out vaccines completely. We plan on traveling to the Philippines, Asia, Mexico and Europe with Gideon so we will revisit vaccines as those trips are planned. But, as long as we are in the U.S., with access to clean water, soap and medical care, I feel comfortable waiting on or declining vaccines.

It's a huge topic and impossible to cover in one blog post. If you want more information, I'd suggest the Mothering.com forum regarding vaccines. It's a great jumping off point for learning more.

Recent pictures

2010-07-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

Here are a few recent photos of our chubby little man. He's seriously the cutest thing ever. And he's such a happy baby. Right now he's on the floor kicking, waving his arms and screeching happily as Dave plays the guitar and sings. He loves music and has started "singing" along with us when he sing him to sleep. If we stop singing, he'll stop, lift his head off our chest start squirming. As soon as we start singing again, he'll relax and sing along! It's the most adorable thing I think I've ever seen or heard in my life.

Now, I know Dave and I are biased, but I don't think there is anything cuter! He's 3 and a half months old now and growing like crazy!

Why we chose to keep Gideon intact

2010-06-29T18:00:00.000-07:00

Before we found out that we were having a boy, I hoped we wouldn't. At that time, I assumed that everyone circumcised their sons- that it was somehow mandatory.

After the ultrasound, when we knew we were going to be parents of a boy, I worried about circumcision. The thought of handing my baby over to someone and allowing them to cut off a part of him seemed SO WRONG. My momma bear instincts were kicking in already.

So, I started doing some research. Since becoming pregnant, it seems all I've done is research. I'm so thankful for the Internet and all the information it has lead me to.

Information wasn't hard to find. Planning a home birth and planning to cloth diaper led me to lots of natural parenting web sites. Mothering.com forums were my biggest help. The Case Against Circumcision forum has intelligent and well informed women (and a few men) who are committed to educating interested parents who come to the forum. There are hundreds of helpful threads with links to blogs, research and websites. This thread in particular that helped me make my decision.

It all came down to keeping our baby the way God made him. This picture is from the day after he was born. Every time I look at these early photos, I'm thankful again that we decided to keep him intact. He was perfect when he was born and he is still perfect.

I've included some other helpful websites in case anyone wants to do more research.

intactamerica.org
nocirc.org
circumcisiondecisionmaker.com
drmomma.org (just search for posts about circumcision)

How I feel about the birth

2010-06-25T16:04:00.000-07:00

So, writing my birth story didn't take me so long because I've been busy with Gideon. Dave is such an amazing dad that I have plenty of time in the evenings and weekends when he's home. Really, the only thing Gideon needs me for in the evenings is for breastmilk because Dave does just as well calming him, changing his diapers, dressing him and playing with him.

The real reason is that it was hard. My labor and delivery were not the peaceful event that I hoped, planned and prayed to have. I barely told anyone the story for weeks because it was too emotional. As strange as it sounds to men and some women, it really does matter how a woman gives birth.

If it wasn't there wouldn't be groups like the International Cesarean Awareness Network or forums on Mothering.com about birth and how to get past it. I didn't need counseling to get over the birth- just time. I can finally think about it and even type up thoughts without crying.

Because my birth didn't go as planned, the doubts arose almost instantly. The what ifs started even before I pushed Gideon out. I wondered if the choices I'd made during pregnancy affected the birth. What if I'd made myself exercise more? What if I'd eaten better? What if I'd visualized more? And the choices I'd made during labor... what if instead of trying to rest, I had walked? What if I hadn't gotten in the pool so early? What if I'd spent more time on my feet? What if, what if, what if?

Every choice was questioned. I felt like I had failed. My body had not done what it needed to do. I felt guilty that I hadn't been able to provide a calm birth for my baby. I felt like a failure.

And then the worry began. What about when I have another baby? Will the same thing happen? Should I even try for a home or natural birth? What if I can't handle the real pain of labor? What if all the contractions I went through would simply be uncomfortable to someone else but to me they were painful?

I am so thankful that I have a healthy, beautiful, smart boy. I'm thankful recovery from labor and delivery was not difficult or excessively long. I'm okay with what happened for now. Nothing can change what has already happened. But, I am scared that all those feelings of doubt and worry will rise right back up when I get a positive pregnancy test (years from now).

And maybe I can't think too hard about it without getting emotional.

My Birth Story, Part 2

2010-06-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

When we arrived at the hospital, we were shown to the tiniest room ever. Thankfully, when our nurse came in, she moved us to a room about three times the size with a large recliner, a couch and much more space to walk around. I changed into a hospital gown and sat on a labor ball. Dave and I had decided that I would get the epidural. I could not go on any longer without sleep.
Our nurse tried to move things along as quickly as possible. People came and went- they monitored Gideon while someone came in to take my blood, the doctor checked my progress and someone else hooked me up to IV fluids. I had to have an entire bag of fluids before I could get the epidural.

After almost two hours, the anesthesiologist arrived. He asked everyone to leave so there were no distractions. He explained everything he was doing and my nurse helped hold me steady (I was still shaking) while he inserted the catheter into my back. It was quick and mostly painless. He told me that they give a narcotic with the first dose of epidural so I'd feel very relaxed soon. He was right. It was almost immediate. Also, my water broke for real while I was getting the epidural.

After a few minutes, while I got situated in bed and they added antibiotics to my IV, I was finally able to sleep. I don't know how long I slept but it was SO wonderful. I woke up feeling normal- except I couldn't feel my legs. Nancy had to leave (she'd told me from the beginning that this was the only day she wouldn't be able to work) but Noel, the other midwife in the area, came soon after. Dave was very relieved to see me so much more relaxed. He told me later that he couldn't remember the last time I'd joked. It seemed like labor was going on forever.

I was checked again and I was only dilated to 4. They added pitocin to the mix in my IV and contractions picked up again. It was weird to not be able to walk around with them. I was able to drink clear fluids- juice, water and chicken broth and eat jello.

They upped the pitocin throughout the day and we all just kind of hung out. Gideon's heart rate was still good.

About 11 p.m., I started to feel like I needed to push. More nurses came in to set up the doctor's table. The epidural dosage was turned down and the pitocin turned up. Noel and Dave helped the nurses get me into comfortable positions for pushing. We tried several different things before settling with one that seemed to be doing the most. I pushed for 2 and 1/2 hours before Gideon finally arrived.

My nurses were wonderful but I really did not like my doctor. She was the one I saw once during my pregnancy and didn't like then. She was very rough, did not pay attention to our wishes and just didn't seem to care. Thankfully she wasn't there for long. I wish my birth had happened really fast so Noel could have caught Gideon.

Despite the doctor, it was so amazing to finally hold my baby. He was screaming and waving his arms as the doctor wiped him down a little. When he was put on my chest it seemed so unreal. The nurses covered us with towels and Gideon pooped almost right away. I just talked to him and he calmed down after a little bit and snuggled. After about an hour, the nurses took him to get him cleaned up. Dave went with him to make sure there were no shots or eye goop given. I was cleaned up as well. Even though the epidural had worn off by then, I was extremely shaky and it was hard to stand.

Here's one of our first photos together. Gideon's lungs were and are still very strong!

My birth story, part 1

2010-04-02T19:26:00.000-07:00

I woke at 1 a.m. Saturday morning and lost my mucous plug. I went back to bed with a towel just in case my water broke. About 30 minutes later, I felt a gush and the towel was wet. I'd been having contractions for weeks now and they had been stronger the night before.

Since I was Group B Strep positive, I did the Hibiclens wash and then called my midwife. She asked if I'd felt baby move at all since my water broke. Since I hadn't, she decided to drive down and listen for him. So, I woke Dave up to let him know. He was super excited and jumped out of bed. When Nancy arrived, she had no problem finding baby's heartbeat, it was good and strong. So, we went back to bed to try to get some more sleep.

Contractions were much harder than before and soon I realized I was not going to be able to sleep at all. Dave and I got up. I made some pancakes but didn't feel like eating them. It was about 5 a.m. when Dave thought it'd be best to call Nancy back. My contractions were still about 5 to 7 minutes apart but much stronger. He started filling up the tub and Nancy said she was on her way.

Nancy arrived, set things up for the birth and then we labored. I rocked on the yoga ball, walked around, drank lots of fluids and just waited. We were on a time limit since being GBS + meant I had to have antibiotics after 18 hours of ruptured membranes. About an hour before we'd have to transfer Nancy asked if she could check me to see how far we'd gotten. It was SO disappointing to hear I was only 3 centimeters dilated. We knew we would have to transfer then. Nancy gave me some herbs so I could sleep for a short time before heading in. Dave and I prayed together. We both felt such immense disappointment. We'd prayed so long for a gentle home birth and now we were headed to the hospital. I was so afraid of what would happen at the hospital. I knew I would have to be on my back with monitors and IVs and the thought of going med free while not being able to move was scary to me.

We got a room at the hospital, they monitored baby for about half an hour and then wanted to check to make sure my water had really broken. The nurse said she didn't see any fluid leaking but took a sample. Come to find out- my water bag was still intact! And, I was still only 3 centimeters. So, we left. There was no way I was staying in the hospital when I didn't have to be there. By the time we got home it was midnight. I took some Benadryl (on the nurse's recommendation) to help me sleep. I was able to get about 6 or 7 hours between the strong contractions that woke me up.

Sunday morning I was still contracting and hard. Dave emptied the birth pool so it could be refilled with fresh water later. We labored all day and all night. The whole labor seems so blurry- I know we took a walk, I hung out in the birth pool, I labored on the birth ball and the birth stool. The contractions were hard and coming faster and I remember I thought I felt like I needed to push. But, I was getting SO exhausted. I hadn't had good sleep in almost three days, it'd been over 50 hours since we thought my water had broken. Nancy asked if she could check me again. I was hesitant since it was SO uncomfortable to get on my back and the exam itself is no walk in the park. But, we needed to know.

I have never felt such disappointment as when Nancy told me I was still only 3 centimeters dilated. All those hours, all that pain, all those contractions and they had done NOTHING. This was when we had to make our decision. Did we want to transfer? Gideon was still doing fine- his heart rate hadn't changed at all and my water bag was still intact. But I was exhausted. I was shaking uncontrollably. I couldn't think. I could barely talk. Nancy left us alone for awhile and Dave and I talked. We decided to try to rest and then see if I'd progressed any further. Nancy gave me a herbal tincture and I was able to sleep for a short time. There was no change so we decided we'd have to transfer. I got dressed and sat on the yoga ball while Dave and Nancy gathered things up. I tried to eat but could barely get anything down. It was about 10 a.m. Monday when we left for the hospital.

-To be continued-

Baby Gideon has arrived!

2010-03-31T18:02:00.000-07:00

Born March 30, 1:30 a.m. Mom and baby are doing well. I'll write up a birth story later. We just got home from the hospital and are trying to get breastfeeding established.

38 weeks (or so)

2010-03-11T11:46:00.000-08:00

So, technically, I'm 38 weeks and 5 days. We're getting SO close! I've had two appointments since the last time I posted. Both have gone well. My blood pressure has gone down thanks to the herbal teas I've been taking (a mix of red raspberry leaf, roasted dandelion root and nettle leaves). It's not the most tasty but I think it's growing on me. I told baby this morning as I was making it that he had to be out in less than 4 days because I don't want to have to buy a whole package of dandelion root tea and have a bunch leftover when he arrives!

Baby is head down. I've been having lots of contractions but none that are too painful or getting and staying close together. No other signs of labor... I did time contractions for awhile last night and they were between 3 and 7 minutes apart, lasting less than 2 minutes. But, they still weren't too uncomfortable. I decided to just go to bed because if I was going into labor I wanted to get as much sleep as possible first! Today I've had some that are a little more uncomfortable and 4 minutes apart, but then it'll be 15 minutes before another non painful one. I think this kid is messing with us!

Next appointment is sometime next week... Unless I go into labor before then!

37 weeks!

2010-03-03T12:32:00.001-08:00

Our 37 week appointment went great. Dave and I ran around that morning cleaning and getting the last of the things together that we needed.

My blood pressure is still a little higher than Nancy would like, so I'm continuing with the exercise, lots of greens and protein and I've addded several herbal teas that are supposed to help. I sure hope there is a difference at the next appointment tomorrow! Thankfully my blood pressure is fine when taken lying on my left side- it shows that the high blood pressure is not true hyper tension.

Nancy dropped off the birth pool so we have it halfway blown up leaning against our dining room wall. Thankfully we don't plan on having dinner guests before baby arrives! We have the liner for the pool (to keep it sanitary) and all the necessary attachments for filling it up. The hard part will be emptying it after the birth- Dave is a little unsure of how to go about it. But, I figure this isn't the first time the midwives have faced this question, so they'll figure it out!

The rest of the appointment was talking about the birth, when to call, what to expect, etc. It's SO weird to be at that point now! I feel ready for the most part though...

Our freezer is stocked with plenty of healthy, filling food for the week or so after the birth before my mom arrives. A sample of what I've frozen: Three lasagnes (small size, enough for dinner and lunch the next day), enchilada casserole (we'll probably throw this in the oven right after the birth for everyone - depending on the time of day he's born, of course!), taco meat, sausage cabbage soup, vegetable hamburger soup, Swedish meatballs and lots of muffins and banana bread. We're also going to make sure whenever we run out of something important (i.e. milk, cheese, bread, eggs), that we buy it right away. We don't want to go into labor on Friday night and have nothing in the fridge because we were planning on getting everything Saturday morning!

His clothes and diapers have been washed and organized, just waiting for a tiny little body to put them on! The infant car seat is installed in the car and Dave is taking it to be inspected this week. We'll install the convertible in the truck soon and get that inspected as well when we get the chance. We've got a a little cosleeper for our bed for him to sleep in those first few weeks until we get the crib and can sidecar it to our bed.

I've been having contractions all the time now. They aren't painful or even very uncomfortable, but there have been a lot of them. I thought about trying to time them, but then read an article recommending against timing them until they demand your attention. Makes sense, otherwise, I would have been timing four days worth of contractions with nothing to show for it!

Baby is still kicking up a storm in there. Probably trying to find more room. Carpal tunnel is still annoying me. I think the only thing that will help it now is having this baby. My hands are almost constantly numb and if they aren't numb, they are all tingly feeling.

Oh, and my stomach is officially too big for all my maternity shirts! Only the long tank tops barely cover it. So, I went out and bought some of those short dresses women wear over leggings or jeans- making sure to find the high waisted and very stretchy ones. I might shorten a few of them since I'm not a fan of that look but at least my stretch mark covered belly isn't hanging out anymore!

Belly picture! I'm huge, I know!

2010-02-26T15:00:00.001-08:00

36 weeks walking along the Snake River. I just realized that I hadn't posted a picture in awhile. I think I've grown even more in the past week so I'll try to remember to post my 37 week picture after we take it. Also, my stomach was attacked by several angry cats- my stretch marks are super impressive. I'm thinking I might actually post a picture of them.

Some new pregnancy symptoms/ side effects: Braxton Hicks contractions every day and carpal tunnel. I'm pretty sure my right hand middle finger has been numb for more than a week now. I feel like I'm going to drop things and like I have no strength in my hands. Super fun. BH contractions aren't bad so far. A little painful if I'm in the wrong position but otherwise I'm sure they are nothing compared to what the real ones will be like.

Our big appointment is tomorrow! Both midwives will be coming to our house (which we really need to clean, by the way) and going over the birth supplies and answering any questions we have about the labor and delivery.

We are having some issues with our kitchen faucet and we're not sure how we're going to attach the hose to it. The little aerator thing won't unscrew. And, of course, we don't have any pliers so we have to go buy some tonight and hope the thing will come off. Otherwise, we're not really sure how to go about filling up the tub! I suppose we could do without, but I was really looking forward to laboring in the water.

I organized baby clothes the other night. It's nice to finally have that done! Now, I just need to tackle the diapers... I ordered a few more things this week. I just love these diapers with the brightly colored snaps. This is one I bought last night.

Well, that's about it for today. My numb fingers and I are going to find something else to do.

A rant about medicalized birth

2010-02-26T12:02:00.000-08:00

I know people are going to get sick of this type of post, but really, I have to vent about the ridiculous things that women put up with in the field of obstetrics.

I frequent a few discussion boards about pregnancy and parenting- I've gotten lots of good information from some and others just give me a headache and make me mad.

I just read a post by a women who is 37 weeks pregnant. She posted that at her last appointment, her doctor was doing the internal check. The woman wrote, "She was digging around in there and goes, 'I'm stripping your membranes.'" The woman, whose husband is out of town for several days, understandably was upset. The doctor then told her that it wouldn't send her into labor, just "help her dilate more." Umm, hello, dilating is part of labor- not active labor, but it's still labor.

Several women replied with things like, "Oh yeah, my doctor did this too. I wasn't too happy because it hurt but then I went into labor a couple days later so I didn't care." None of them seemed to think it was too much of a problem.

I would be seeing red if my doctor/ midwife did this. I would be reporting them to every agency I could think of and would even consider filing an assault charge- because that's exactly what it is. Yet, most women don't do any of these things. Why? Because apparently it's the norm in the United States to give up all rights to your own body during pregnancy. Plenty of women consent to this procedure- and it is up to them- but to not even have the chance to consent or decline??? It's wrong on so many levels.

I will be declining all internals, though I would trust my midwife to never do something like that without my permission. It's bad enough to get a pap smear once a year, why would I agree to having something similar at every appointment for weeks until I delivered?

Why is my belly considered public property?

2010-02-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

While at my baby shower this past weekend, we talked a little about the joys of pregnancy. One of those was the touching. You know, when someone thinks that because your belly is sticking a foot out in front of you that it isn't actually part of a person so they think they can touch it as they walk past? Thankfully, this hasn't happened to me in the store with complete strangers yet (I think because it's cold so I usually have a coat and scarf on- harder to see the stomach! Or maybe I give off a don't-touch-me-if-you-want-to-keep-your-hand vibe.)

Since I've been pretty vocal about not liking the touchy-feely stuff, most friends and acquaintances have kept their hands to themselves. The few people who have touched my stomach haven't bothered me.

But, when I first announced my pregnancy at work, coworkers started telling me this touching was inevitable. I said I would start slapping hands and that Dave is very protective of me and more than likely, the random person in the store would not get close enough to touch my stomach before he stopped them. Anyway, one of my coworkers said that she was going to touch my stomach one day when I was least expecting it.

Hmm, now think of it this way: If I was not pregnant and simply told a coworker that I was uncomfortable with people touching me, would it be appropriate for them to say they planned on touching me when I least expected it? ABSOLUTELY NOT. It would warrant an HR meeting and very strongly worded warning. And, if they did touch me, I would have every right to charge them with harassment. Yet, because I'm pregnant, it's OK?

She did manage to get in a belly touch one day while I was refilling my water at the cooler. I was not in a good mood that day and gave her a very dirty look. She hasn't attempted another touch since then. I think if she did, I would tell her I was going to file a complaint if she tried again.

I don't understand what makes people think that pregnant bellies are public property? It makes me want to be pregnant during the summer when it would be more obvious and see how many people I would have to slap.

On having a midwife

2010-02-03T12:41:00.000-08:00

I started looking for midwives in the area as soon as we found out we were pregnant. I'd decided I wanted a natural birth and the best way to do that was to have a midwife. I assumed I would hire one who would be with me at the hospital. Well, lo and behold, midwives in Idaho aren't given hospital privileges.

So, I found two midwives who both practiced about 40 minutes away. I looked at their web sites and realized that in order to have a midwife, I was going to have to birth at home. I'd already looked into the possibility so decided to book some appointments with the midwives to decide who I wanted as my primary. They usually assist each other during births as long as one of their own clients doesn't need them.

After I decided on a midwife, we scheduled prenatal appointments. Because Nancy had three clients in Lewiston, she scheduled all of us for the same day, around the same times. So, all my appointments have been done at my house on Tuesdays during my lunch hour. Which means I've missed very little work because of the pregnancy and I don't have to travel very far!

The appointments last about an hour and include blood pressure and pulse checks, urinalysis, listening to the baby, feeling baby's position, measuring my uterus, checking for swelling, going over dietary needs and then talking about any concerns or questions I have.

I had one obstetrician appointment this pregnancy. Nancy requires that her clients meet with an OB in their area in case they have to transfer care. That one appointment was THE MOST stressful doctor's appointment I think I've ever had. Even Dave felt stressed and pressured and she wasn't even talking to him! The doctor pushed the HIV test even after I had told her twice that we didn't need one. She told me that there were some people in Texas who had contracted HIV from their dentist... (if I could do an eye roll emoticon right here, I would.) Her eyes practically shot out of her head when I said I didn't want an internal exam.

I know there are people who have natural hospital births with an OB. But they are never guaranteed. And I didn't want to have to fight at every.single.appointment for a natural experience. Doctors don't like it when you decline internal checks (internals increase the risk of infection and can cause premature rupture of the water bag, also, they don't actually tell you anything about the progress since things can change SO quickly in real labor), decline the gestational diabetes test (that sugary drink cannot be good for mom or baby, there are other signs that can warn of GD), decline using a doppler at every appointment or getting more than one ultrasound (ultrasound waves have NOT been proven safe for use during pregnancy), etc. Decling all these things has to make the doctor feel like they aren't "managing" the pregnancy. Which is exactly what I didn't want a doctor doing!

I didn't want to have to fight over every aspect of my birth plan- no constant fetal monitoring, the ability to walk and move during labor, no pain medications offered, being able to eat and drink as I wanted, having the lights dimmed, having as few people as possible come into my room, not having internal checks, etc. And, then, after fighting over all that in the office before birth, having to fight with every single nurse who came in thinking she/ he could examine me whenever they wanted and fight with whatever on call doctor I end up with about not breaking my water, not doing internals, not having monitoring, being able to birth standing up, etc.

It was wonderful when I asked Nancy, "How often do you do internal checks?" and she responded, "I prefer not to do them and won't during labor unless you request one." When I decline a procedure or test, she says okay and moves on. It's wonderful when I can tell her that I looked into the eye ointment or Vitamin K or circumcision and decided against it. She doesn't try to scare me into having these things done. She doesn't try to push anything.

She's only been adamant about one thing. She said she will not waiver on this one point except in the case of an emergency. She requires that the mom hold the baby skin to skin for the first two hours after birth. :) Which I am completely okay with! This is wonderful bonding time and encourages breastfeeding, it also ensures that baby's body temperature regulates (did you know that a mother's body temperature changes to accomodate her baby's? i.e. if baby has a fever, mom's body temperature will cool down and if baby is cold, mom's body temperature will go up). Those hospital incubators can't do that!

Midwives give the birth experience back to the mother and families. Nancy will be there to assist and help in case she is needed. More than likely, Dave will be the one to pull our little boy out of the water and hand him to me. More than likely, he'll be the one cutting the umbilical cord (after the cord has stopped pulsing- another decision we would have to fight for in the hospital.) I will be able to give birth where I feel most comfortable- no one will be telling me that I need to lie down and put my legs in stirrups (which, according to studies, -and common sense- is the WORST way to give birth.)

During the birth Nancy will check my blood pressure, pulse and listen for baby's heartbeat intermittently. She'll make sure I get plenty of fluids and food to keep my strength up. She'll do a newborn exam and make sure I don't bleed too much. She'll make sure the placenta comes out in one piece and is healthy. She'll stay for at least three hours after the birth to make sure breastfeeding is established, things are cleaned up and that mom and baby are still doing well. In the six weeks following the birth, she'll come for at least four checkups to make sure things are still going well. She's a lactation consultant so she'll be able to help with any breastfeeding issues we have.

Needless to say after this massively long post, Dave and I are very happy we've chosen a midwife.

What do you need for a homebirth??

2010-01-28T10:16:00.000-08:00

A lot of the things are on a list my midwife gave me but some of them are from the Mothering.com homebirth board. There is an amazing list of things that people had wished they'd known before they had their homebirth. Some of the things are like, "I wish I would have known that I wouldn't want so many people around during labor," "I wish I would have known I would want to drink lots of juice- all we had in the fridge was water!" and things like that.

So, a few things on the list from the midwife:

New water potable hose with correct fittings (for filling up the birth tub)
Tarp/ plastic to go under the birth pool
Old bathroom mats/ towels to go around the pool and soak up the water that splashes out
Plastic sheet/ cover for bed mattress (in case water breaks in bed or I end up wanting to labor/ give birth there)
Several sets of cheap sheets for our bed (so we don't care if they get ruined)
Turn the water heater up as soon as labor starts so there is plenty of hot water for the tub.
Emergency numbers, fastest route to the hospital and a full tank of gas in case of a transfer.
Extra towels and a robe or two
10-12 washcloths for cold/ hot compresses
Ginger- peeled, sliced and kept in freezer until the birth (for hot compresses)
A crockpot (to keep the compress mixture warm)
Cold pressed oil for massage
Lots of ice and frozen juice chips in the freezer
Witch hazel
Hydrogen peroxide (gets out blood)
Bendy straws to make drinking water/ juice/ whatever easier
Easily digestible snacks for me; healthy, quick snacks for the midwives/ Dave
Flashlight with extra batteries

Supplies from the thread on Mothering.com:

A hospital bag packed in case we need to transfer with everything for me, Dave and baby for a hospital stay
Coconut water- works better than Gatorade as an electrolyte replacer and is natural (no added sugars), it can be ordered online but a local grocery store here has it in the natural foods section.
A yoga ball (already have one!)
Plastic covers for pillows (some people said they just used garbage bags under their pillow cases.
Soup or casserole that can go in the oven or on the stove just after the birth for something healthy and filling for everyone to eat.
Orange juice for after the birth (everyone agreed that it was just what they wanted to drink)
Goldenseal powder for the umbilical cord stump
Small waterproof mattress pad to protect mattress after the birth is over

Advice from the thread on Mothering.com:

Separate birth supplies into two tubs: One for during bith and one for after.
Cover the clocks so you don't know how long you've been laboring
If you start labor at night, try to sleep as long as you can so you are rested when labor really kicks in.
Turn your cell phones on silent but make sure they are charged and close by in case of emergency.
Put a note on the door that you are not to be disturbed for any reason!
Warn the neighbors (we live in a duplex so we really need to do this) that there may be lots of noise but that we are all okay!
Write out a list of things to do if labor isn't progressing well: Massage, different positions to try, etc.
Make sure that your husband knows that he MUST enforce anything you say in labor- apparently, it's hard to say things while in the throes of labor so anything that is said must be taken seriously the first time!
Put an air mattress in the area you plan on birthing (this for us is upstairs in our living/ dining area). They are a soft place to labor, easier to clean up than a mattress, and can be tossed out if gets too messy.
Lots of extra batteries for your camera and an extra memory card (ours will hold over 2000 pictures so I'm not too worried about having an extra one)
Set visiting hours for after the birth so you don't get worn out and don't be afraid to kick people out if they stay too long!
Require that visitors help out by doing dishes, laundry or folding clothes.
Keep the fridge stocked since you never know when you will go into labor!
Energy bars and snacks with protein and fats- helps with milk production.
Remember to turn the hot water heater back down before doing laundry on hot or running the dishwasher as the super hot water can ruin the machines!

So, we have all the supplies now. The pool is partially blown up and leaning against our dining room wall. We have the correct attachment for our kitchen sink attached (which was a pain to find, by the way!) Everything we'll need right away- the tarp for the floor, the hose, liner for the pool and some towels are in a container. The rest of the birth supplies are in another tote underneath that one.

We've been trying to stay stocked with food. We need to run to the store tonight because we're getting close to running out of some things. We are SO looking forward to this little guy deciding it's time to come! He and I are both still doing well. I think he just likes it in there!

Some musings on being pregnant...

2010-01-27T19:39:00.000-08:00

So many people ask me how I am doing these days. If I say, "Good" or "Fine," they give me this sympathetic look and then ask if I'm ready to done being pregnant. I just say, "No, I want him to be in there for as long as he needs to be."

Really, I have liked being pregnant. There are things that are no picnic: Heartburn, stretch marks, constant hunger, food aversions/ cravings, etc. I've had a super easy pregnancy compared to some people. I'm extremely grateful that I haven't been sick, haven't had any miscarriage scares, haven't had to have all sorts of tests done or anything like that.

I love knowing that my son is safe, warm and as close to me as he'll ever be. I love feeling him move around and trying to guess if it's a foot, knee, elbow or hand that's trying to escape.

I've loved planning my birth: All the research and gathering of supplies and tips on how to make it the best birth possible. I love knowing that the decisions I have made are based on research and common sense rather than fear and things I've seen on TV. I've loved collecting a stash of cloth diapers to use, I've loved knitting him wool pants to go over the diapers, I've loved crocheting him sweaters and hats. I've loved going through tiny clothes and imagining how cute they will be on his tiny little body.

My goal is to be content the entire time I'm pregnant. I don't want to get to one day after my "due date" and suddenly start wishing he'd hurry up and get here. I know I won't be pregnant forever. I know he will be arrive and be the sweetest little boy in the world, there is no reason for me to stress about when he arrives.

I wish that people didn't put so much emphasis on baby's arrival. I know it's going to be a HUGE event, an amazing day and we are going to remember it forever. But, pregnancy is a very short period of time, compared to how long you'll be a parent, so why does everyone rush it? And, it's not even the pregnant people themselves who rush it, it's everyone around them. The constant questions about when baby will arrive/ when's the due date. I tell most people the end of March. The actual date doesn't matter because it's an estimate! He may need another week or even two in there for his lungs to be fully developed. And that is fine with me. I'm not going to start trying "natural" induction methods at 39 weeks. And yes, it may mean that I have to be super uncomfortable for two weeks. Oh well! I believe that what is best for my baby is him choosing his own birth date.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on that!

32 week picture and appointment update

2010-01-26T15:30:00.001-08:00

This is me in Boise with some funny looking boots. The white part of them is all fur.

Anyway, my 32 week appoitnment was awesome. My blood pressure was a little high the past few appointments and it's gone back down. We're attributing it to extra water, exercise and prayer! Also, I'm well hydrated as well. We've had some issues with that in the past. Apparently I'm one of those I'm-too-cool-for-64-ounces-of-water-to-keep-me-hydrated types... so, I aim for just over 70 ounces a day. I think it's probably because my work keeps the office at 74 degrees- WHO NEEDS TO BE THAT HOT??? We keep our house just above 60 when we are home, 55 at night and when we are out.

Baby boy was being difficult again so she couldn't get his heart rate. He is head down though. He was hiding behind the placenta and kept moving away from the fetascope. But, with all the moving he's been doing, I'm not too worried about not having a heart rate at this point. He's obvisouly healthy since he spends so much time exploring my ribs with his toes.

I ordered my birth kit this morning! Woo hoo! It was just under $70 and includes all sorts of little things that I could get locally, but would probably take me forever to track down. So, it's way easier to just order it all at once. We, of course, need to make sure we have lots of towels and wash cloths on hand (bought a bunch on clearance already) along with a few other things like snacks for me and for the midwives.

So, I only have one more appointment until the big 36 week one! After 36 weeks I'll be able to deliver at home if I go into labor. Also, at this appointment, both my primary midwife (who I've been meeting with at my house since the beginning) and her backup will come. We'll have all the birth supplies ready to go and we'll show them where they will be kept. Also, we will show them where the bathroom is, where things are in the kitchen, etc. Not that our house is very big... Dave will be at that appointment- the first one he'll have been at since the very first! Well, and the doctor's appointment/ ultrasound- but I don't really count that as a real prenatal appointment.

Yikes... the more I think about what we have to do before then, the more I realize there is to do! We'll also be installing the carseats at 36 weeks. The convertible one will go in the truck and the infant seat will go in the car. That way, if we do need to transfer to the hospital, we can take either vehicle.

OK, I'm going to stop thinking about all the things we have to do before then since I'm at work (working hard obviously) and can't do anything to prepare at the moment!

Awesome information about baby wearing

2010-01-20T10:32:00.000-08:00

I came across a very interesting article on baby wearing. I can't believe that most newborns are only held an average of 2 and a half hours a day! Dave and I plan to carry baby boy all the time.

You very rarely see infants outside of carseats these days it seems. Dave and I have developed some sort of radar for babies these days. We see them everywhere, but very rarely are they being held.

"Research by the International Chirorpractic Pediatric Association shows that car seats are not the ideal transport for your infant due to restricted postural options which can impact your baby's developing cranium and spine," the article says.

This is the reason we skipped getting the infant car seat (though we will have one that my sister gave us from her baby, it will go in the car so we don't have to move the seat back and forth from the truck all the time.) I know people say they don't want to wake a sleeping baby, but if baby boy is sleeping, I'll take him out, snuggle him into his carrier and hopefully he'll fall back asleep. This is also the reason we are not getting a stroller that can be used for infants. While he's small enough to be easily carried, he will be. Whether we are walking along the river, running errands or even out of town at a mall, he'll be in a carrier or directly in our arms.

Now, not all baby wearing carriers are created equal. The most common carrier I've seen is the Baby Bjorn, which is NOT a good carrier for long term. It causes baby to hang by their pelvis and does not support the baby in a sitting position. There are several structured carriers that do this: Ergo, Scootababy, Boba, Pikkolo, Patatum. We would like to get an Ergo, though I'd prefer to find it used since they are kind of spendy. Otherwise, I will be using wrap-style carriers: Like the Sleepy Wrap, Moby and woven wraps. More than likely, I'll just make the ones I use and vary the fabrics depending on season.

There is a lot of good information in that article. And yes, it's on a baby wearing web site so I'm sure there is a bias, but really, where else would you expect to find information like that? On the let's-all-carry-our-baby-without-ever-touching-them web site?

The portion of the article that talks about why pediatricians don't recommend baby wearing it references a Dr. Watson who, in 1928, said babies would be spoiled if you held them, responded to their crying, kissed, cuddled or rocked them. BABIES CAN'T BE SPOILED! Toddlers can and children can, but they can never be spoiled from too much cuddling or from providing for their needs. He recommended that babies be left alone so they would become independent.

Seriously... what idiot believes that a baby, after being rocked, warm, fed and safe inside the womb for nine months should be able to lay on its back without any human touch and be happy? I would say that witholding affection from a child is emotional abuse and willl not create an independent child.

Apparently this is another hot button issue for me. :)

Declaring over our pregnancy and birth

2010-01-17T20:14:00.000-08:00

Dave and I have been declaring positive things and blessings over this pregnancy and birth since we found out we were pregnant. We've prayed for our safety and health as well as this child's safety and health from the beginning. When fears or worries would creep into my mind, we would pray against those thoughts.

A friend of mine recently loaned me a book called Supernatural Childbirth. Lo and behold, we were doing many of the things suggested in the book already. But, it was a reminder that we should declare those things every day, rather than just when I am stressed about them.

So, I wrote out a few things that are very important to me for the rest of this pregnancy, the labor and our baby. Here are a few of the main things:

I declare a complication free pregnancy for the next two months- normal blood pressure levels, no infections and no more heartburn.
I declare a complication free labor and delivery- baby in the correct position, that my water won't break until the end, that I would not lose an excessive amount of blood.
I declare that we will have a healthy baby- he will breathe with no problems, he will latch on and breastfeed within the first few hours and will be healthy and happy.

Yes, it may sound strange and I know that you can't plan a birth. But, being positive about the future has never hurt anyone. And I believe that God can and will bless my family.

Also, here's my most recent belly shot. 31 weeks!

Right now he's kind of sideways and facing my spine. So, if you could see inside my uterus, you would be looking directly at his butt, which he likes to stick out as far as he can. He's been moving during the day lately, which was unusual before. Today he kicked a lot during church while daddy was preaching.

My blood pressure problems...

2010-01-15T12:09:00.000-08:00

So, I don't really have high blood pressure problems. It was a little higher during a couple appointments but that was because I was dehydrated. Now that I've been drinking enough water, my blood pressure is fine.

But, my blood pressure tends to rise when I talk about maternity care in the U.S. and birth and parenting decisions based on misinformation. I've learned during this pregnancy that people seem to think that a pregnant belly (or a babe in arms, I've heard) is an open invitation to tell you what you should or should not be doing/ saying/ feeling/ thinking.

This is the reason that Dave and I have kept a lot of our decisions to ourselves. Most of my friends and family don't know that we are planning a natural birth at home in a birth pool, we will not have the Vitamin K or Hep. B shots at birth, and we won't put the eye ointment on our son. He also will not be circumcised. We plan to have baby sleep in our room, I will breastfeed exclusively for the first 6 months, we will cloth diaper from the beginning, we will have vaccinations given on a delayed schedule, we will carry our baby in carriers or our arms rather than carry him in the carseat and we will do baby led weaning. Every single one of these decisions is based on research. None of these are based solely on what a doctor or midwife has told me we should do.

The funny thing is, I would never walk up to a pregnant woman who plans on a hospital birth with an epidural and tell her that she is making the wrong choice for her and her baby. I would never tell her horror stories about hospital births (even though I know of MANY), I would never say she was endangering her child's life by choosing a hospital birth. And yet, if I tell someone that I am planning a home birth with a midwife, they feel like it's their place to tell me that it's unsafe, that they knew of a friend of a friend of a friend whose baby died because they were at home, that I am some sort of whackadoo hippy who isn't getting proper prenatal care, etc.

I also wouldn't tell someone that putting their baby in a different room to sleep is cruel. I don't think it's right that parents allow their babies to cry themselves to sleep, but I'm not walking around telling anyone who reads the book Babywise that they are teaching their children to not trust them. But, if I tell someone we plan on cosleeping, I get told my child is going to be spoiled, he'll sleep with us forever, he won't learn to self soothe...

See the problems here? Other expectant moms are able to talk excitedly to anyone and everyone about their birth plans- how they will be getting their membranes stripped a week early, how they'll have a Pitocin drip and then they'll get an epidural when the contractions become too difficult (which, with an induction, can happen very quickly). Or a woman can say that her doctor told her the baby is going to be too big to fit through her pelvis based on an ultrasound, so they scheduled a c-section two weeks early. I can't give my opinion on any of those things because the person would be extremely offended that I would dare question the choices they've made for their birth.

Yet I feel that I can't talk about home birth, natural labor and delivery, delayed cord cutting and spending the first two hours after birth holding my son skin to skin.

Because my choices are not mainstream, I'm apparently fair game for all judgment, ridicule and doubt. This causes my blood pressure to go up!

But you know what? I'm not going to hide my choices anymore. I KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that what Dave and I have decided to do is best for us and is best for our son. Everyone is allowed to make their own choices based on their research. So, if anyone has problems with my decisions, they are welcome to do the same research I've been doing. If they come up with a different decision - fine, they can go have a baby however they want.

Woo! See, I tend to go off on these topics. It's a good thing I didn't have an appointment today, otherwise my blood pressure would have been up again! But, really, I feel like most women don't even realize they have a choice in their births. They don't know that there are options out there for them. And, if I keep what I have discovered to myself, then it's possible they'll never hear about it. So, maybe, if I share my choices and deal with the doubt and ridicule from most people, maybe one woman will realize that she does have a say over what happens to her body and her baby during birth.

30 weeks and some days survey

2010-01-12T09:47:00.000-08:00

How far along: 30 weeks, 3 days

Total weight gain: Still an unknown. I prefer not knowing anyway though I've grown out of a pair of maternity pants, so I know I'm getting bigger!

Maternity clothes: Almost everything.

Sleep: Not too bad. I wake up several times a night to roll over or go to the bathroom. Thankfully I haven't had too many problems getting back to sleep.

Best moment this week: I actually felt his little foot. He was pushing against my side and I could tell where his heel and toes were! So tiny!

Movement: Lots of it! He really rocks around in there.

Food cravings: None really, though I have been eating more lately. Pretty much everything sounds good these days.

Gender: Boy

Labor signs: Definitely none.

Belly button in or out: Still in though much shallower still.

What I miss: Being able to get up quickly.

What I'm looking forward to: Having appointments every two weeks, beginning to really plan for the birth.

Weekly wisdom: Pregnancy makes everyone else super weird. I've had people make the dumbest comments to me. Just because my belly sticks out does not mean you have the right to know what is going on with my body!

Milestones: Baby's lungs are developing more and more and he's getting fatter!

What I've been reading...

2010-01-08T10:29:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd post a few of the web sites and books I've been reading to prepare for having this baby.

Our favorite site has been ehd.org. It has short videos (actual videos inside the womb) of baby's development. It was so amazing to watch those early ones and see what had formed that week. Now that baby is bigger, we check it every once in awhile to see when baby is supposed to be able to see light (which he can now!) and when his lungs are getting more mature. They have a lot of 4D ultrasounds of babies. It's amazing how much they move around in there!

My personal favorite site has been mothering.com. I did subscribe recently because I was able to get a free book out of it. I love the articles because they actually encourage parents to follow their instincts rather than just listen to a doctor. I lurk on the boards there as well- so much wonderful, personal experience on those!

I also like naturalbirthandbabycare.com. Though I checked it out again recently and it's changed a lot. I don't visit it much any more, but there is lots of good information on it.

Another great one is theecofriendlyfamily.blogspot.com. Tons of information about cloth diapers and how to care for them!

On to the books I've been reading. Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin is a wonderful book that I am SO glad I bought. It's so empowering to be reminded that women's bodies are supposed to be able to do this! There are some great birth stories in there (also some that are a little weird.) Gaskin has been a midwife for years at The Farm. She is a nationally recognized midwife (was interviewed for The Business of Being Born) and is very experienced with natural, out of hospital births.

I am also reading Active Birth by Janet Balaskas. She encourages exercise and yoga during pregnancy to prepare for birth. I haven't been too great at doing the exercise and yoga though... I really need to step that up!

I received Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding when I subscribed to Mothering Magazine. I've been reading that slowly. It seems a little early to be reading about how to breastfeed but I figure it will help to read it now and then I'll remember what it said when I need it! Or at least remember that it was in there and be able to find it again! It is also a great book that explains the common issues women have while breastfeeding and how to combat them early.

I wrote a little in a past post about Pushed by Jennifer Block. It's not a guide to birth but it is an eye opener about maternity care in the United States. I would get SO angry, frustrated, upset and annoyed while reading stories of women who wanted natural births and were forced into inductions, episiotomies, forceps and/ or c-sections. Stories of doctors and nurses who used scare tactics to get women to submit to continuous fetal monitoring (which has been shown in several studies to increase the risk of c-section but not increase the likelihood of a healthy baby). There were women who would say they were refusing a c-section and doctors that ignored them and gave them one anyway. Women who said they did not want an episiotomy (if you don't know what this is, I wouldn't recommend searching through Google images for the answer) and were given one anyway, without their consent.

Dave finally told me I wasn't allowed to read the book before bed because I would get so angry that I'd be up for another hour just venting about it. Also, at one midwife appointment, we were talking about what I'd been reading. I started telling her about the book and how horrible all those stories were. When she took my blood pressure it was WAY higher than normal. She took it again later and it was normal. So, that book definitely raised my blood pressure!

I highly recommend that every woman read that book. It made me simultaneously want to scream at every obstetrician I ever met, picket hospitals and cry for all those women who were violated. It made me think of the women's rights movement and how maternity care has made women no better than cattle in a slaughter house line. Maternity care these days is a GIANT step backwards in women's rights. It made me SO glad that I will be having a home birth with a midwife.

I did get a few other books from the library about natural birth but none of them stick out to me as being wonderful.

Oh, another great resource is The Business of Being Born video. It is available to watch instantly through Netflix if you have that. I believe there are also places online where you can watch it for free. I actually watched it about a year and a half ago because I was home from work and bored. It really opened my eyes to other options about birth. I had Dave watch it when he got home and that was a big reason that he's so open to and looking forward to our natural birth.

So, those are a few things I've been reading/ watching. There is SO much information out there about birth and choices that a couple needs to make about their baby. The saddest thing for me is knowing that so many women never look into the options they have. They simply listen to their doctors and never make an informed decision about tests or procedures done to them or their baby.

Hmm, and now that I look back through this post, I probably should have written a whole separate one for the review on Pushed! That got long.

My baby has a quilt

2010-01-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

From his great grandma. My grandma made amazing quilts and she made them for everyone! All her great grandkids got them when they were born. Most of her grandkids had them. She was waiting to start this little one's quilt until after we found out if it was a boy or a girl. Sadly, my grandma passed away two weeks before we knew.

So, while we were cleaning up and going through her things, we found a box of quilt tops she had started and never finished. I claimed one for my baby and just finished it. I am not a quilter though, so I had to be a little creative.

I decided to use a fleece backing so I wouldn't have to put batting in between the layers. So, we chose a green that matched some of the blocks in the quilt. Then it sat in my craft room for a few months before I decided I needed to tackle it.

So, the other night, I brought it out and started pinning. Then, I took all the pins out and repinned. Then I took the pins out again and stared at it. I could not get the edges to look right. The blocks went all the way to the edge, so if I folded the fleece over, it covered some of the blocks. It looked funny if I had only part of the corner block covered so I would need to bring it over at least an inch. But, I didn't like how that looked. I thought of getting a silky binding for it, but that would have the same problem covering the corner block.

Then, I decided that I would just serge the thing together! I had some blue thread in the machine from another project I had just finished and blue would match really well. I went for it, even though I was a little scared about the outcome...

Thankfully, I love it!

Here it is with the fleece backing.

Here are close up shots of the serging at the edges. I think it's a great baby quilt and I'm very glad my baby boy will have a little something from his great grandma.

Unpaper towels!

2010-01-06T18:59:00.000-08:00

I finally made unpaper towels! I inherited a serger from my grandma at the end of October. Along with lots of different types of material. I found a large piece of white cotton and a very old flour sack that I cut up for the unpaper towels.

I have made a lot of cloth wipes for baby with the serger already but was just using the white thread that was already on the machine. If you've ever seen the threading of a serger, it is pretty intimidating! I finally got up the courage to do so, with a tip from an expert sergist (not really a word, I'm sure) to tie the new thread onto the old thread and run the machine until it gets to the needle and then finish threading by hand. It only took me about 20 minutes to finally get it all rethreaded that way. I'm sure it would have taken three times as long had I tried to do it all from the beginning!

Anyway, these are my towels, all stacked neatly next to my toaster and cookbooks. The sink is to the left. As you can see, the paper towel holder hangs above them. It is now empty because we just ran out of paper towels. I made these things just in time! They kind of double as napkins too since we usually ended up using paper towels for napkins. I plan on making some nicer napkins for us at some point but for now, these things work really well!

I ended up with about 20 I think. They are probably 10" by 10" and so very absorbent! I was pretty surprised at how well they work at picking up little spills and things. Now, my next task is to get a little basket to throw the dirty ones in.

28 weeks! (well more now...)

2009-12-31T12:24:00.001-08:00

Here is me in La Push, Washington, at 28 weeks pregnant. It was the day after Christmas and so beautiful, sunny and warm! We got in some exercise and Dave and I were able to get our ocean fix. It's hard moving from someplace right next to the ocean to a city where the biggest body of water is the river.

See, I told you it was warm! No coat!

Anyway, after we got back from our Christmas vacation, I had my 28 week midwife appointment. Baby was difficult again and wouldn't let Nancy get his heartbeat on the fetascope or the doppler! She did get a heart rate from his umbilical cord (which sounds very whooshy on the doppler). She said she likes to establish a baseline for his heart rate so that during labor, she'll know what is normal for him.

I had to get my finger pricked to check my hemoglobin and even though my blood pressure was a little high, she said she can tell that my blood volume has increased from the hemoglobin drop.

From here until 36 weeks, I will be meeting with Nancy every two weeks! I can't even believe we are going to be 30 weeks pregnant at the next appointment!

Well, there is more to write but that will have to wait. We got TONS of stuff for baby recently and I'd like to get some pictures of some of it to go along with the next post. We'll see how I do considering our home computer it being difficult.

26 weeks!

2009-12-15T09:17:00.000-08:00

I'm 26 weeks and 3 days pregnant! Less than 100 days until my due date. I keep telling myself to not get too stuck on that date... I want this baby to bake as long as he needs to so a specific date will not help me relax if I go past that. But, it's hard when I have a little ticker on my Facebook page telling me how many days I have left!

So, as you can see, the belly is getting bigger! Little boy moves around like crazy- usually when I'm laying down. When I lay down for the night, he starts kicking and poking. If I get up during the night, he'll kick a little bit when I lay back down. And then, in the morning, after Dave wakes me up, he'll start kicking until I get up.

He'll sometimes kick during the day while I'm at my desk. Yesterday, I'd been typing in ads and hadn't been talking much. When I answered the phone, he started kicking. I'm telling myself it's because he liked hearing my voice. :)

It's only 10 days until Christmas! Dave and I will be bringing back tons of baby stuff from my sisters' houses. Tubs of clothes, a swing and a dresser for baby. As well as anything else they decide they want to get rid of!

While finishing up our Christmas shopping this weekend we browsed the baby sections. There were SO many cute outfits that I was tempted to buy. But, I'm telling myself that once we get all the hand me down clothes here, we'll go through them and then figure out what things we are missing- if he needs a coat/ body suit for the first few cold months, socks, long sleeved shirts, pants, etc. And I need to get myself in the mind set of buying second hand. I should go to Goodwill/ Salvation Army/ St. Vincent's first and then the baby consignment stores in town before going to real stores. It will be cheaper and it is eco friendly to reuse instead of buy new!

And, I've decided to get a crib. We are going to copy my younger sister and take one side off and put it at the same level and right up against our bed. We tend to use up all our bed space, so this way he'll have his own space but he'll be right there for breastfeeding, soothing, diaper changes, etc. So, we are going to check out a baby resale store in town that I know has cribs and then just buy a new mattress. If he was going to be in a separate room while sleeping, I would prefer a new crib, but since he'll only be in it while we are in the room, a second hand one doesn't worry me.

I think that's everything for now... I'm reading the book Active Birth right now. Trying to make sure to get yoga and stretching in every day. I would walk as well, but it's hard when it's icy and snowy outside.

25 weeks!

2009-12-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

Well, I am 25 weeks and 2 days! Only 103 days until my due date... So crazy!

Dave and I are SO excited about this baby. It seriously is amazing to be experiencing this pregnancy and expecting this little boy. It sometimes feels like that's all we can talk about- our future with this little one, how much he's going to change our lives and how much we are looking forward to it.

He was really quiet in there last week, well, except for at my midwife appointment. He kicked something fierce while she was trying to listen to his heartbeat.

So, here's my most recent belly picture. We were driving back from Spokane and decided to stop and take an outside picture while we still had some light. It was FREEZING and very windy.

This week baby is already kicking more than last week. I feel little pokes all the time it seems. I love it... I sometimes get worried when I don't feel him for a while. Thankfully if I bother him enough, he usually responds with a kick. I just tell him that I'm worrying about him and he should get used to it. I'm sure I'll worry about him for the rest of my life!

Oh, and I guess I'll do that little pregnancy survey that I keep forgetting:

How far along: 25 weeks, 2 days

Total weight gain: Unknown, though when I was weighed before my ultrasound, I weighed less than I thought I would so I guess it's not too bad!

Maternity clothes?: Every day! At least for pants. I can still wear some of my longer shirts over the maternity tank tops I got at Target- which I LOVE and will probably still wear when I'm no longer pregnant. It's so hard to find long tank tops and these are perfect! I have actually outgrown one pair of maternity pants... so, I need to go shopping and get a bigger size apparently.

Sleep: It's not bad. I wake up at least once to pee and a few other times to change positions. Also, I've had some VERY weird dreams- the other night's were the worst horror/ monster filled ones. I would dream about it a little, wake up and think how gross it was, fall back asleep and dream the next scene! SO annoying!

Best moment this week: Hmm... Feeling him move is still the best thing!

Movement: Lots of it the past two days! I was leaning against the counter yesterday and he kicked good and hard. He does not like things pushing into his space apparently!

Food cravings: Sugar, sugar, sugar and doughnuts... but I haven't been eating them because I'm not supposed to. The midwife has me on a modified diet- cutting out refined sugar and white flour is supposed to help prevent yeast infections. So, I've been suffering without... I'm trying to find good substitutes for sweet things, it's not working out too well.

Gender: Boy!

Labor signs: None, though I think I may have experienced Braxton Hicks contractions already.

Belly button in or out: Still in but MUCH shallower now. I also discovered that I have a birth mark inside my belly button that I've never been able to see before now. Weird, huh?

What I miss: Sugar!

What I'm looking forward to: Him being here! I know it's still a long ways away and I know it's best for him to be in there the full 40 weeks, but man, it's hard to wait to meet him!

Weekly wisdom: When you talk about how much you want something you can't have, it makes you want it more!

Milestones: No new ones really. Well, except that we are passed the viability point in pregnancy. That's when, theoretically, with the right medical care, baby could survive outside the womb.

Finally! Another post... It's Christmas time!

2009-12-07T10:02:00.000-08:00

So, my husband and I went looking at Christmas trees yesterday. It was about 10 degrees outside and blowing like crazy. SO COLD! The cheapest tree we could find was $35 and still too big for our living room. We decided to wait on it and ran to the store to grab a few things before heading home.

Well, I saw this tiny Italian pine tree there for $4. So, I decided to go with a living Christmas tree this year. Granted, we won't be able to fit many ornaments on it, but then, we don't have many! I'll just hang a string of lights around the sliding glass door behind it and we'll be all set with Christmas decorations. After Christmas I'll plant it in a bigger pot and keep it with the rest of my plants. Hopefully it will survive the year and we'll have a little bit bigger tree for next Christmas!

A few things I've made for baby

2009-12-06T12:30:00.000-08:00

The dragon is something I've been working on for a while and finally finished. He's adorable and now I just need to make a little knight that can fight with him. I ran out of the light colored green yarn so I used a darker color and just did spots of the light green on them. I actually prefer it that way to one color.

The vest I knitted in about three days- over a weekend though, so I had lots of time to work on it. It's adorable and I can't wait to put it on him. I found some white yarn that is SO soft in my stash while I was organizing and I'm making another one for him. I figure he can wear it over his colored long sleeve shirts! I skipped the buttons on the gray one but I think I'll put buttons on the white one.

Belly shot, 23 weeks!

2009-11-19T09:08:00.000-08:00

I realized I hadn't posted a belly shot recently so here's the most recent one. About 23 weeks, which is really hard to believe!

I'm feeling good. Baby boy is moving around and kicking me a lot. It feels weird sometimes but I still enjoy it.

Protein, protein, protein

2009-11-19T08:44:00.000-08:00

A few studies have shown that adequate protein while pregnant can prevent pre-e. So, I'm under strict instructions to get 80 to 100 grams of protein a day. Yeah, that's a lot of protein. I tried protein shakes and there is no way I'm getting that or keeping that down.

Well, I discovered an awesome recipe for Cottage Cheese Pancakes that has an obscene amount of protein. The batch makes about 6 pancakes and has 50 grams of protein in it. I was able to add an extra 1o grams to the batch with ground flax seed and toasted wheat germ. And, while the name may be a turn off, give them a try. They are very moist and even fluffy.

1 cup cottage cheese
3 eggs
1 cup flour
2 Tbs. ground flax seed
2 Tbs. toasted wheat germ
Pinch of salt (I usually leave this out)
3 Tbs. melted butter

Directions: Mix all ingredients except butter in bowl. Pour melted butter over and mix in. Cook on preheated skillet until dark golden brown, turning only once.

Simple as that! 10 grams of protein per pancake. I usually eat three for breakfast along with an 8 ounce glass of milk. So, I start my day with 38 grams of protein. I think the only other way you can get that is by drinking one of those disgusting protein shakes.

I have topped mine with honey, syrup, apple pie filling or blackberry syrup. The apples help get in a daily fruit but I think the blackberry syrup is my favorite. It was home canned by my grandma and has the perfect blend of sweet and tart. It's almost like eating a blackberry pie for breakfast!

Ultrasound pictures!

2009-11-13T08:51:00.001-08:00

Here's our little boy! It was just so cool to see him moving around in there. I still can't believe that there's actually something alive inside me... little weird and creepy and awesome all at the same time.

So, we've chosen a name but have decided not to share it. I did not realize how upset people get when you won't tell them the name you've chosen for your unborn child. Then they start giving you names you might like... I finally told one friend that we were not open to suggestions.

Of course, since Dave and I are referring to baby by name while alone, we may accidentally give it away before March!

It's a...

2009-11-12T08:34:00.000-08:00

BOY!
We were very surprised when we opened that envelope after the ultrasound! For some reason, we both were convinced it was going to be a girl. We are very excited to be expecting our little man though. Dave is SO excited. He wants to show the picture of little man's stuff off to everyone but I told him he wasn't allowed to post it anywhere. Just seems a little weird to me.

It was so cool to see him on the screen though. It's weird that he's actually in there, swimming around. He moves a lot more than I can actually feel.

So, since I had been thinking girl all this time, I had all these ideas for little dresses and outfits I could sew for her. Little play food sets I would make, little dolls and stuffed animals. Well, now I have to come up with ideas for what to make for my boy! I compiled a little list of things I want to make. I'll post them here in case any other parent of a boy needs some ideas. Let me tell you, there are a lot more tutorials and ideas out there for little girl stuff!

Fabric barn (also includes dollhouse tutorial)
Felt ball (I have a ton of felt that I'll be able to use for these!)
Rocket ship (I love this one)
Crocheted dragon (I've wanted to make this for awhile now... just to have made it. But, it will make a great toy for a little boy! I'm thinking I'll need to modify a crocheted doll pattern to make a little knight so the boy can have battles.)
Felt castle (for the dragon to attack!)

I also found a few patterns for crocheted cars on Ravelry that I might try. And lionbrand.com has tons of little animal patterns.

So, my son will not be without homemade toys. I hope to add Lincoln Logs, some wooden blocks and other wood toys. I want to keep my house as plastics free as possible... also as few battery operated toys as possible!

Gender ultrasound scheduled for...

2009-10-21T14:57:00.000-07:00

November 9th! Almost a month earlier than originally scheduled- the doctor's office had a cancellation. And it's only a month away! I'm very excited to find out...

Also, here's a belly shot- 18 and 1/2 weeks.

18 week pregnancy survey

2009-10-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

How far along? 18 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: Unknown... and I will never know!

Maternity clothes? Most definitely. I love that I have sisters that just had babies and are about the same size. We went to visit to pick up clothes and see the little babies.

Sleep: Waking up a lot but thankfully able to fall back to sleep pretty quickly.

Best moment this week: Hmm, I can't think of one. Since I did the last survey though, it's been visiting the family.

Movement: I think I've been imagining some. I'm SO looking forward to it!

Food cravings: Fruit and fruit flavored things for a while.

Gender: Unknown though the husband thinks it's a girl.

Labor signs: Nope.

Belly button in or out? In. I'm pretty sure it's never coming out.

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach.

What I am looking forward to: Movement!

Weekly wisdom: Don't try to rush things... people keep saying they can't believe we won't be able to find out what we are having until December (long story about doctor's office issues.) But, I'm trying not to be impatient about anything. I know pregnancy takes awhile and I know things aren't going to happen quickly. And they are already saying how miserable I'll be at the end of pregnancy and how I'll just want it to be over. Another pearl of wisdom: don't listen to them!

Milestones: I'm showing... We need to start taking belly pictures to post on Facebook and the blog.

It's been awhile!

2009-10-15T13:59:00.000-07:00

But, I'm 18 weeks pregnant today! It seems like it's going so fast... I've been feeling great. A little heartburn but nothing that sitting up straight doesn't help. I'm showing and Dave and I have decided that we'll start taking weekly belly pictures so we can watch the change. I might try to post some, but it also may never get done!

I've been reading the book "Pushed" by Jennifer Block. It gets me so riled up and frustrated that Dave told me I'm not allowed to read it before bed anymore! I just can't understand how maternity care in the United States got to this point. I'm so glad that we've decided to have a natural birth, free of interventions as long as there are no problems.

I don't think women- or anyone really- in the US understands how far birth has gone from what is normal. Dave has a few coworkers who have been giving him "advice" about birth. When he told them which doctor we were seeing, they said they didn't like her. The reason? She's not quick enough to do c-sections, apparently. Well, that's good to know and I'm glad. I would very much like to avoid major abdominal surgery.

There's so much I've been learning since I got pregnant. I've subscribed to Mothering magazine and I love it. So much wonderful information about natural birth, breastfeeding and raising healthy kids. I like to lurk on the natural birth boards over there as well and read birth stories that are inspiring rather than scary (the ones that everyone seems to think are appropriate to tell pregnant women.) I'll try to remember to post links to the sites I've been reading and talk more about the natural birth that I want.

Cloth diapers

2009-09-27T17:43:00.000-07:00

The bane of a mother's existence, right? Wrong! I'm very excited about cloth diapering. It's better for the planet, better for my baby and it's SO cute! Here are a few purchases I've made for cloth diapering.

These are basic infant sized prefolds. You can use them with pins or with a thing called a Snappi (the blue thing in the picture below) that won't poke you or your baby!

The picture below is a wet bag you toss the dirty diapers into (no soaking in bleach anymore) that keeps in wetness. The bag can be tossed in the wash with the diapers. Also in the picture is a Thirsties fitted diaper. Super soft and cute!

In the bottom picture are two Muttaqin diapers. They are fitted and include inserts which can be customized for absorbency. The prefolds can be used later for large diapers to add more absorbency as well.

All these diapers need a cover so the pee doesn't get all over you or baby's clothes. We will have some plastic type (NOT like the Gerber kind you are thinking of) and wool. I'll do a whole other post on wool later when I can upload all the pictures of the adorable softness I've knitted for our baby.

There are LOTS of options out there for cloth diapering. For more detailed information, and lots of pictures, check out this blog. Ooh, and there was just a post about wool, so you don't have to wait for mine!

10 weeks and midwife appointment!

2009-08-21T15:59:00.000-07:00

How far along? 10 weeks, 1 day... I'm a little late.

Total weight gain/loss: Same... I'm starting to wonder if we should get a scale or if I should even care...

Maternity clothes? Just the one pair of shorts.

Sleep: Okay still. Going to bed between 9 and 9:30 at night.

Best moment this week: Telling friends. It was tons of fun to hear their reactions!

Movement: None

Food cravings: None really. I'll suddenly want something but if I don't have it the craving goes away.

Gender: unknown

Labor signs: Nope.

Belly button in or out? In.

What I miss: Being able to suck in my stomach.

What I am looking forward to: Telling my mother in law tonight and then the rest of the world!

Weekly wisdom: Keep eating!

Milestones: Met with another midwife yesterday. I'm thinking she's the one I'll choose.

Also, about the appointment, we tried to listen for a heartbeat on the doppler but couldn't hear it. I didn't really expect that we would since it's so early and I have a retroverted uterus. And I didn't pass out when I had blood taken, so that's always a plus as well!

Already thinking about labor

2009-08-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

I'm already preparing for labor! I know, seems a little early, but there's so much to look into. I'm reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth right now. I'm really enjoying it and I'm pretty sure I'll be reading it again before this baby's born!

Also, I've been searching for natural birth videos and information. I just found this link of the 100 best natural birth blogs! I'm very excited to start looking through them to see if I can find a few helpful ones.

Well, that's all for now. This weekend we'll be telling my husband's mom and then the rest of the world! I'm really looking forward to everyone knowing so we don't have to watch what we say when out in public!

Nine week post...

2009-08-13T17:58:00.000-07:00

How far along? 9 weeks.

Total weight gain/loss: Same as last week.

Maternity clothes? I bought a pair of maternity shorts... they are comfy except for the elastic keeps folding down. Very annoying.

Sleep: Still good. Just waking up to pee several times a night.

Best moment this week: Can't think of anything...

Movement: None that I can feel! But according to ehd.com the baby is moving a lot right now!

Food cravings: I craved pineapple glazed ham for a week before breaking down and cooking one last night. Now we have lots of ham leftovers to use. I think homemade mac and cheese is on the menu tonight.

Gender: unknown

Labor signs: Nope.

Belly button in or out? In. I have an extremely deep belly button. I wonder if it will ever pop out.

What I miss: Being able to suck in my stomach.

What I am looking forward to: Telling everyone. I'm sick of people complaining about not being able to tell other people.

Weekly wisdom: Don't share the news until you are ready for EVERYONE to know.

Milestones: None really. Though apparently our baby grew ears this week!

Sorry, no belly pictures yet!

Something new

2009-08-06T14:56:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try to do this every week (or every two) along with a belly picture. I don't have one for this post since I have yet to take one! We need to get on that. I just hate to get a picture of bloat since baby is still well hidden.

How far along? 8 weeks.

Total weight gain/loss: I have not weighed myself... I don't even know what I started out weighing 8 weeks ago. Our scale has been broken for more than 6 months.

Maternity clothes? Nope, though trying to stay in the looser stuff.

Sleep: Like a log for eight hours except when getting up to pee.

Best moment this week: Telling the family the news.

Movement: None except for little cramps that I assume is my uterus stretching to make room for the kid.

Food cravings: If it's not making me feel like throwing up, I'll eat it! It's so weird being starving and sick at the same time.

Gender: unknown

Labor signs: Nope.

Belly button in or out? In.

What I miss: Energy.

What I am looking forward to: Telling more people... really just having it out in the open.

Weekly wisdom: Lemon heads will do wonders with morning sickness.

Milestones: None that I can think of... I guess telling my family. I felt a little like I was lying to them because half the time I don't believe I'm actually pregnant!

We are having a baby!

2009-07-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

We found out July 12, 2009, that we are expecting a little one on March 22, 2010!

We are SO excited about it. I've met with some midwives in the area but haven't chosen one yet. More later, I suppose!

Yay for saving things from a landfill!

2009-07-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

My grandma is moving soon and destashing some of her craft stuff. So, when I visited recently, she gave me a box of fabric. She had marked how many yards each piece was (will be helpful when deciding on a pattern!) All total, it's about 27 yards of fabric!

I should have taken up close pictures of it. There are some really fun patterns.

She also was getting rid of yarn, so I took a box of that. Some of the labels on the yarn are gone so I'm not sure what it is. And some of the labels are very vintage looking. Who knows how old it is! This will be added to my stash of yarn that doesn't have set projects... Someday!

She also had about 400 grams of wonderful 100% wool yarn that her daughter bought her years ago in New Zealand. She had a project half started but I frogged that so I can make wool diaper covers! The project started will be shorties (if the pattern changing I'm doing works out anyway!)

Such fun new additions to my craft stash!

I made some cloth napkins

2009-07-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

I made four cloth napkins the other day out of some fabric I got from Goodwill. So, now we just need to remember to use these napkins instead of paper towels and it's another "green" move!

A little something about myself- I hate buying fabric new... it's so expensive. So, I got about three yards of this fabric along with about ten yards of other random fabrics for less than $6. Granted, you can't choose your patterns or amounts, but it's sure nice for little projects like this!

I also made an apron out of this material but was never able to get a good picture of it. And I made a shirt for a friend's little girl. I was doing some minor alterations to a shirt I'd made for myself when she was over and she asked if I could make her one. It was very simple to make. Just a rectangle of fabric hemmed and sewn into a tube. Then I put a piece of elastic around the top and put in sleeves.

It was difficult to get a good picture of her in it because she likes to run and hide from the camera. She really liked it and wanted to wear it right away. She also insisted to her mom that she be able to wear to church the next day.

Okay, so there's your second crafty post I promised!

Some felt food

2009-07-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

It's pasta! I bought a pile of felt from a garage sale and wanted to experiment with some felt food. So, I had seen some farfalle pasta on another site and decided to try it. It's super easy as long as you have pinking shears. Then I made some meatballs (which are not perfectly round- but then what meatballs are?) and cut out some red pasta sauce.

I think it's pretty cute. I have tons more of the felt. I need more inspiration! Also, more time. But then, don't we all?

More crafting posts to come soon!

More reusing!

2009-06-23T13:44:00.000-07:00

So, I posted about how I make lemonade for my husband from jugs of it I get at Costco. But, all those jugs are collecting in my cupboard, so I've tried to find ways to reuse them.

So, I cut the top of one and used it to sprout some pepper plants. It was almost impossible to poke holes in the bottom for drainage though so it wouldn't work for a real planter.

Also, I switched to an eco friendly dishwasher soap. The only problem is that the soap tended to solidify. So, after crumbling it back apart I poured it into an old lemon juice container. This keeps the moisture out and makes it much easier to pour.

So, now I just need to find more uses for the rest of them! Suggestions are welcome! :)

The best carrot muffins ever!

2009-06-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

Carrot Muffins

2 apples, peeled and grated
2-3 peeled and grated carrots (about two cups)
2 cups flour
1 ¼ cups sugar
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 cup toasted wheat germ
1/8 cup ground flax seed
3 large eggs
¾ cup oil (You can replace some of this with applesauce but the muffins won't be as tender)
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven.

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and vanilla. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, along with the carrot and apple. Stir until ingredients are just moistened. Do not over mix. Divide batter into greased or papered muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack. After 10 minutes, remove from muffin tins. Cool completely before frosting.

More reusable bags

2009-06-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

The other day, I ran to the grocery store with my resuable bag stuffed in my purses. I needed a few things for dinner- all of them from the produce department. So, I grabbed some green onions, cabbage, sweet onions and bell peppers. But, what was I going to put them in? I had no choice, just the plastic produce bags were there. I didn't put the onions in the plastic, but felt like the cabbage should go in one since it was so tender and I didn't want any dirt from the cart or bag getting on it. So, I ended up taking about three plastic bags home from the store, even though I had my reusable ones!

I had seen some reusable produce bags made out of mesh material with a drawstring online. I knew I could easily make them myself but I would just need to get material. But I would have to buy new material. I would rather reuse than buy new, so I slept on it. And, seriously, as weird as it sounds, in the middle of the night, I thought of some old mesh material that I had.

Two years ago, just before my wedding, I was shopping for veils. And I could not bring myself to pay hundreds of dollars for a piece of netting and a barrette. So, I made my own. I bought a yard of tulle and sewed it onto a barrette I already had. It was perfect and no one could tell I had only spent $2 on it!

Well, that veil has been hanging in my closet with my wedding dress. So, I fished it out, ripped out the stitches holding it onto the barrette (this also means I get that old barrette back) and cut it up!

Here are the finished projects. I used up some neon green thread I bought for a different project and some leftover bright orange cotton yarn from another project. The neon colors really catch the eye, don't they? I think that yard or so of material gave me four large bags and three skinnier, taller ones (the one the celery is in.)

Let's talk about reusing...

2009-06-16T13:38:00.000-07:00

Reusable bags were something I put off for awhile. When I did finally get some, I loved them! I just bought the 99 cent ones at Safeway and they worked fine for awhile.

Then, this happened to one of them:

I wasn't very happy about it! But the bags are pretty thin and probably won't stand up for much longer.

So, I made one of my own from some heavy duty fabric I found at Goodwill.

It's a little bigger than the Safeway ones and the straps are thicker. I like it, I just need to get some more material to make more. It works way better than the other bags! I'm pretty proud of it since I made it without a pattern!

Let's talk honey

2009-05-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

Recently, I stumbled across some information about honey being good for allergies. It was intriguing so I decided to read more. My husband has been suffering from allergies since we moved here and has just been using claritin and benadryl when it gets really bad. I've looked at some natural remedies but nothing seemed like it would actually work.

Raw local honey (made by bees where you live) contains pollen from the plants that cause your allergies. When you eat this honey, it builds up an immunity to those pollens. There are all sorts of studies and Web sites out there about it. It is important that the honey you get has not been pastuerized because that process kills and gets rid of all the good stuff in it like pollen and dust (appetizing huh?)

I found an ad in the paper by a guy that sells local honey and he's just a few blocks from our house, so I don't think it could get any more local unless we owned the hives! He does strain the honey but it is raw and does still contain pollen. I'd read a few things about unstrained honey but this stuff should work for the allergies. I might continue to look for unstrained honey locally. Maybe my supplier would bottle me up some special ones that haven't been strained.

Anyway, it was $6 for a quart, which I think is pretty good. So, the husband and I will be eating 2 to 3 teaspoons a day in the morning on toast or muffins. We hope that will help with our allergies this season!

Following up on a few things...

2009-05-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

I was looking back through old posts and realized I haven't updated on several things!

So, on the creamer. Turns out that getting so many cans of condensed milk and all that is not really that eco friendly. And, the husband didn't love it. So, I realized that Darigold makes flavored half and half. We've started buying that instead. It's in a carton so not as bad as the plastic, it tastes good and it's made with real milk!

On the lemonade. Months later and still going strong. It's easy peasy to make and adding the strawberries is amazing! I bought a big bag at Costco. Whenever I decide to make strawberry lemonade, I take a few out and let them sit in a dish for about 15 minutes. They are then very easy to smash with a fork. I throw them in a glass and pour in lemonade! I used the blender for awhile but it doesn't work so well and then I have to wash it.
I also got some popsicle forms and made some strawberry lemonade popsicles. They were pretty good though I thought they needed more sugar.

Crafting is going well. I've started making shirts for myself! I've made three in the past week from a pattern on www.sewmamasew.com/blog. It's so nice to be able to customize the fit, choose the material and it's very neat to know that you made what you are wearing, even if no one else does. I'll post pictures soon.

I think that's about it. My house is a disaster since I've been sewing so much and putting off cleaning. I've really got to tackle that this weekend.

Spinning update!

2009-05-08T10:24:00.000-07:00

I love it! Here's my first project with the alpaca sample that came with the spindle.

Yarn that I spun.

I took more pictures of the process but they are on my camera which is at home. This was taken awhile back with my phone (that's why it's not the greatest picture.)

Well, I spun up the yarn, set the twist (soaked in hot water) and let it hang dry. Once it was dry, it sat around for awhile until I decided to crochet it into a small bowl.

It is very small and I felted it a little bit to make it really fluffy. Just to let you know that alpaca fiber, when wet, smells like dirty wet dog. Now that the bowl is dry you can't smell it unless you put it rightupto your nose.

But the bowl is cute and fuzzy. I have it sitting on my sewing table with scraps of wool yarn and fuzz in it.

So, my first project, from fiber to finished object is done! So exciting. And, I ordered some more fiber from Paradise Fibers in Spokane and started more yarn! It's merino top, undyed and SO soft and fluffy! And, my yarn is getting more even. We'll see what I can make with this!

I did some greening this last weekend!

2009-04-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

First of all, I bought enough reusable bags to take on a normal grocery shopping trip. Can I just say that I LOVE them? So much easier to carry than plastic ones.

And I also bought Dr. Bronner's and mixed up some all purpose cleaning solution. No more soft scrub in my house! Now I think I will need to start buying the giant bags of baking soda at Costco since my little box in the cupboard won't last long!

I'm also contemplating buying flour and sugar in bulk like that. Less packaging, less waste. And it stores for awhile. I just don't know where in my house I would store it. I don't have any pantry space...

In other news, I bought a spindle. Actually, I bought this:

On Etsy. I don't know why, but I have this fascination with homespun yarn and decided I might as well try to make it myself. Strangely enough, I feel like I've spun before... I wonder if my mom did it as a craft project for us children before. I'll have to ask her.

Well, it came in the mail this morning, dropped off at my work. Thankfully, I went home for lunch so I started spinning... and it's yarn! It doesn't look perfect, but that's the beauty of handspun yarn, isn't it? I'm just working with the alpaca fibers that came with the spindle for now. But, I've been researching places online to get wool fibers. I found a real store in Spokane that sells spindles and supplies so the next time the husband and I get up there I'm going to track it down.

Even though I only spun for 30 minutes or so, I'm itching to get it in my hands again! I think I'm addicted. I just really want to spin up the rest of the fiber so I can finish it and make something with it! What to make? I might dye it first (it will be my first time dyeing yarn too!) I don't have any idea of how much yarn the fiber will make. I'll post a picture of the process once I get something finished. Maybe a cup cozy or a scarf. Or some baby booties... who knows?

More crafting...

2009-04-14T08:22:00.000-07:00

So, the pi symbol and the little funny shaped toy are for a friend of mine who is having a little boy. She's a math nerd and I thought she'd enjoy the pi. And, it makes a perfect baby toy because it's easy to grab onto. The funny shaped toy is actually a rattle, it has a bell inside so it makes a little bit of noise.

These shoes were made to try out a pattern. I used some scrap fabric I had and the bottom of the shoes are cut from off-white stiff placemats that were stained during the first use. I think they turned out pretty good. For the next pair, I need to work on the elastic. The shoe on the right isn't as tight as the other one.

So, those are my latest crafting projects. The pi took me awhile because I set it down for a month or so. The rattle took me about an hour and the shoes about that too! Pretty quick little projects!

Another step: Cut out the fake creamer!

2009-04-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

So, I cut out our Coffee Mate creamer, effective this morning. I found the recipe by googling creamer recipes. There were lots of options but I chose one using sweetened condensed milk, regular milk and flavoring.

Here's the recipe:
One can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups regular milk
Any flavoring you want!

I added a capful of vanilla and a capful of almond (which, by the way, goes a LONG way... there was a lot of almond flavor from that small capful.)

I mixed it together in an old Ragu jar (16 ounces)- see I knew those saved jars would come in handy! We just have to remember to shake it well before pouring it into the coffee.

I have to say that it was good. I did add a little more sweetened vanilla syrup to my cup, but it was really good. And it was nice to know that my coffee actually had milk in it and not some milk derivative. Have you ever read the label on a Coffee Mate bottle? Yeah, not so much cream in there!

Next step- actually getting reusable grocery bags and remembering to use them!

Some sewing projects!

2009-04-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

I made a newborn gown and then a newborn sweatshirt!

I used the same pattern, just shortened it for the sweatshirt. I used some fabric I bought at Goodwill... it was about five yards for $2.50. So, these things cost almost nothing to make!

I think the newborn gown turned out really cute. So, I'm going to make a few more for some friends of mine who are pregnant.

More eco change

2009-04-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

I know, these eco changes are tiny... and done mostly out of a desire to save us money! But, a change is a change, right?

Anyway, when I was a kid my mom always bought blocks of cheese and grated it as needed. There were five of us so she would grate mounds of it for macaroni and cheese (we never had the boxed kind), tacos or pizza. I remember trying to sneak a handful because it was so good.

When I was on my own, I just bought the bags of preshedded cheese. It was just me and it was so much easier. I'm pretty sure I didn't even own a grater. This habit of buying bagged cheese continued after I got married. I bought two or three bags of it every week for tacos, lasagna, or toppings for pasta.

Well, then I started comparing prices. Good grief! I couldn't believe how much I was spending on grated cheese compared to buying it in a block. So, I switched to block cheese recently. Of course, the grater I had broke the first day I used it. So I sent the husband to Ross and he bought me a heavy duty stainless steel box grater with the no slip rubber on the bottom. I had put that thing to good use since I got it.

When I have some spare time in the kitchen now, I just grate half a block of cheese and we keep it in a plastic container. This way, it's readily available when I just need a little bit as a garnish or if I'm trying to make a quick dinner of tacos and the grater is dirty in the sink.

I didn't really think of this as being eco friendly- more saving us money. But, really, all those plastic bags the cheese came in with the ziploc top were being thrown away! And, I'm sure that there were extra preservatives and chemicals to keep the cheese from getting clumpy. I've even noticed that I've gone back to snitching some grated cheese. I never just snacked on the grated cheese out of the bag because it looked so dry and unappetizing.

So, even if it wasn't a concious eco change, I figure I'll rack it up as one anyway.

Next up, getting rid of our Coffee Mate creamer. I found several recipes using evaporated milk and flavor. That'll save us a ton too!

We have a coat rack!

2009-03-28T18:22:00.000-07:00

I just made a coat rack and love it.

So, I got some frames at Goodwill for 99 cents. I painted them in Winter Spinach (yes, that's a color). We paid about $10 for the three hooks at Home Depot. And we hung them up! The smaller frame below needs a hook that sticks out farther from the wall since it's a thicker one. That will be reserved for my purse so it won't be sitting on the floor. We'll head to Home Depot after dinner.

Yep, I really like how it turns out! My husband was the one who suggested the color. I wasn't quite sure about it, but I really like it. We have a ton leftover though... maybe I'll get a little table and paint it the same color for the entryway.

Do you see it!!!

2009-03-28T12:26:00.000-07:00

My basil is sprouting! I'm so excited. I knew it would probably happen but part of me couldn't believe that such tiny seeds could grow!

These are the first sprouts of the things I planted. I'm so looking forward to fresh basil on pizzas, pasta and salads in a few months!

Look what I made!

2009-03-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

It's a tag blanket for my new nephew. It's from ribbon I had on hand, the white fabric is the back of some that I found at a thrift store and the front is a fat square I found on clearance. After I started sewing I realized that I forgot to prewash the football fabric. I hope it doesn't shrink a bunch! I'll try washing it today and see what happens. I sure hope I don't have to rip it all out... Oh well, I'll remember next time. I really like how it turned out. I sure hope he likes it!

Spring... please hurry!

2009-03-12T11:34:00.000-07:00

You know the old saying, "March comes in like a lion"?

Well, that's very true for here this year. We've had snow and freezing temperatures since the beginning of the month. I really hope the month goes out like a lamb and it's planting season soon!

Since the end of February, I have been scouring gardening Web sites and blogs for information about planting vegetables in containers. We have a nice big deck behind our duplex that I want to fill with veggies. It gets morning sun and will be PERFECT for it!

So, I'm thinking of starting seeds soon. I bought some seeds, just from the grocery store. I decided for this first year, I'll just do regular seeds. Maybe after I am schooled in the art of growing things, I'll branch out into heirloom seeds.

Well, here's the line up for this year!

* Peppers (we eat A LOT of green and red peppers, so I thought these would give me the best return on my money). I plan to plant these in a large tub so there's plenty of room for the roots to stretch out.

* Carrots. I need to find a container about 1o inches deep and very wide so I can have lots of rows.

* Strawberries. I actually could not find ANY seed packets for strawberries. Do they not sell those? Anyway, I'll buy starts from a garden center later on. I'll plant those in smaller containers around the large ones.

* Tomato. I think I'll plant one or two of these. I would love to get enough to make and can my own tomato sauce. I'll use some big tubs for these as well since they need a lot of root space.

* Basil. I use a lot of this in my cooking. I will be planting this around the tomato plants. It'll use up the extra space and I hear they grow well together!

OK, I think that's all that I'll be planting. More than likely, while I'm getting my strawberry plants, I'll see a few more things that I'll decide we can't live without! I'm also considering planting spinach, but I haven't seen seeds for that either. I know they have to be somewhere... Who knows, I may go back to the store and get seeds for pumpkins and zucchini, just for fun!

I hope my dear husband doesn't have any plans to actually USE the deck for sitting on or barbecuing... cuz I don't think we are going to have room!

The problem with juice

2009-03-06T16:42:00.000-08:00

I've never liked juice. I was the strange kid who would ask for water or milk instead of sugary Kool-aid, juice or sodas. I VERY rarely drink anything other that water, tea, milk and coffee.

My husband is a different story. He drinks juice by the gallon- like a gallon every two days! He doesn't really care what kind of juice. The real 100% fruit juices from the refrigerated section can get spendy and the ones you buy in big jugs that don't need to be refrigerated before being opened are pretty much high fructose corn syrup with some fruit juice added.

(On a side note, our children will not drink juice because they will not be offered juice as an option. That may sound mean but it's empty calories and so much sugar!)

So, I mulled over this dilemma for a little while. I thought about getting a juicer but I think the cost of that along with the cost of all the fresh fruits and vegetables would be just as spendy and I doubt I could juice enough to keep up with my husband's drinking!

After we moved, I noticed that I had two LARGE bottles of lemon juice. I used to buy the cute little lemon shaped ones from the grocery store since I use it in cooking but realized that with how often I was buying it and the cost, it didn't make sense. So, I bought it from Costco for about the price of four little lemons and got about a gallon of it! Lo and behold, there was a recipe on the back for lemonade. Now, there was a workable idea.

When the juice fiend finished off a gallon plastic jug of his high fructose corn syrup, I rinsed out the container, added lemon juice, sugar and water, mixed well and tested. It was good! The husband likes it- it costs us nothing since it's all stuff I have in the pantry. When I need to replenish those supplies... OK, I just figured out, with overestimating the cost of the lemon juice and sugar, it is LESS THAN $1 for a gallon of lemonade! I figured out a formula so I only have to measure lemon juice and sugar into the container, then I just add the water to fill.

So, this is my new strategy for saving some money and for keeping the husband in his juice addiction. I'm going to experiment with some additions to it as well. I think if I get some frozen strawberries, I can blend them in the blender and add it in for some variation.

Knitting some dish clothes...

2009-02-25T14:28:00.000-08:00

So, in the interest of "going green" I decided to make some dishclothes so I would have something for dishes when I run out of sponges (I used to buy in large packages so I have a few left).

I got some 100% cotton yarn and started knitting. I chose two different colors- one for kitchen clothes and one for washclothes to replace my loofah in the bathroom. I just knitted a large square for the bathroom ones.

But then decided to try something a little different for one of the kitchen ones. OK, to be honest, I didn't keep track of how many I cast on in the first place so it ended up too long. I realized it was going to be giant if I made it square, so I folded it in half and crocheted the edges together to create a square with a pocket for my hand. I also crocheted a little loop to hang it on a hook or over the faucet. I really like how they turned out!

I'm such a bad blogger

2009-02-20T12:07:00.000-08:00

I haven't written anything this month!

My hubby and I will be in the throes of packing this weekend. We gave our notice to the apartment manager after a late night of murderous thoughts against the teenagers outside our window. We've complained before and been told to call the police. Well, that doesn't work since the kids run away when the cops pull up.

We were told this time that if we can get pictures of the kids causing the problems the manager can do something about it. Um, I don't want to be up at midnight trying to take pictures of kids I would rather drop large buckets of ice water on. So, we gave up the fight and are moving out. We're not sure where yet. We looked a duplex that would be PERFECT and will find out this weekend if we get it. Otherwise, we have a few more we will be calling about today.

I've been making lots of crafty things recently. I really need to get my butt in gear and post pictures. See, I really am a bad blogger!

To save or not to save? Eco friendly #2

2009-01-30T10:04:00.000-08:00

I remember my great-grandma having drawers full of plastic containers- empty yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream and butter tubs. She had so many glass canning jars that she used to keep her beads, polished rocks, oddly shaped sticks and other odds and ends for her craft projects in. She kept everything!

My grandma holds on to old tubs to store leftovers, sewing supplies and small things around her house.

My mom and my aunt both keep plastic containers and those plastic gallon tubs from ice cream (we ate a lot of ice cream as children). When we were little there were always plenty of plastic tubs to use while playing in the dirt, mud puddles, picking berries, gathering plants or for holding the random insect that we found outside. There were boxes of canning jars saved for the next season's canning, for drinking out of, for catching minnows in the creek, and they worked really well as bug holders too!

When I got my own place, I told myself that I did NOT want a drawer full of plastic tubs and lids that didn't have matches. I didn't want to search through it to store leftovers and go through the trouble of labeling them. So, I tossed all the plastic and glass containers for years.

But now, with the eco friendly ideas seeping into my brain, I've started saving. Slowly and carefully though, so as not to overwhelm my cupboards (or my husband with leftovers stored in sour cream, yogurt and cottage cheese tubs).

I've started saving glass. My husband loves Ragu spaghetti sauce (eventually I'll make my own, I just need to transition him into it). So, all those glass jars were being thrown away. In the past two weeks I've saved three of them! (We don't really eat that much spaghetti- I made two lasagnas last week, one to eat and one to freeze.)

Since they are glass, they work really well for leftovers- they freeze and they are dishwasher and microwave safe. And the label comes off so I can relabel it easily.

So, there's another step that saves some garbage and gives me more options for storing leftovers!

Eco change numero uno!

2009-01-27T10:35:00.000-08:00

Okay, my first post about a change I've made that reduces my impact on the environment. And probably something that will make me healthier!

I don't have time for breakfast at home in the mornings. But, it's important that I eat it otherwise I will snack all day at my desk. So, I was buying those Quaker oatmeal packs and eating them soon after I came to work in the morning.

It's about $4 for each box of 10-12 packets I think. That's not too much money. And sometimes when Grocery Outlet had them, I'd buy several boxes and save a few dollars. I never did check the nutritional value on them. I mean, oatmeal is good for you, but I can't imagine how much sugar was in each of those packets! Plus, there was the box that went in the trash and each little packet that was thrown away, so definitely not eco friendly.

So, when my most recent box ran out, I decided to try to mix my own. Here's my recipe that I've hashed out so far. It might change a little as I continue to eat it. But, this morning's oatmeal tasted great!

Emilie's instant oatmeal
1/4 cup instant oats
1 Tbs each, milled flax seed, toasted wheat germ and brown sugar
Handful of raisins or chopped dried fruit (I'm going to try mangos next!)
Spices to taste (I add a sprinkle of cinnamon)

Mix thoroughly and seal in small container until you need it (for now I'm using a ziploc baggie that I will reuse until I can find a glass container it fits well in.) To make, heat about 1/2 cup water in microwave about 1 minute. Mix in oatmeal and stir. Let sit about 2 minutes until it's thickened. Enjoy!

It does taste different from the Quaker oatmeal, obviously. But, I kind of prefer less sweetness and I really like the raisins in it. Fruit and whole grains!

I'm going to go to Goodwill and see if I can find small glass containers to keep it in Five would be good because then I could make five portions for the week each weekend and just keep them in my desk. Then take home the containers as I use them, wash and reuse!

Some eco friendly thoughts

2009-01-27T09:52:00.000-08:00

So, I've never been too bothered by the ecological impact I have on the world. It just wasn't something I thought about. And with the "green movement" that is in vogue now, the media had me believing that going green meant lots of money- you had to buy new and more expensive products.

Well, I've been lurking on an eco friendly Web site. I have learned SO MUCH! Apparently, going eco friendly is not expensive. In fact, if it's done right, it usually saves you money!

So, I've been thinking about ways I can reduce my impact on the environment and save money in the process!

We'll see where this leads me... and we'll see if I can get the husband to follow along!

A craft picture!

2009-01-26T12:25:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm finally posting a picture of a craft I did! I made this little guy out of old yarn I had. No pattern, just made it up as I went along. I think he turned out adorable.

I took the picture with my phone so it's a little blurry. But, still cute! He's pretty small, that's my coffee cup handle to the left.

Today I'm also

2009-01-23T11:24:00.000-08:00

Feeling very crafty.

I want to go home and make something. I've been browsing craft blogs lately and have so many great ideas that I'd like to make my own.

I recently started making amigurumi animals. I know, I'm a bad blogger that hasn't posted any pictures of them. So far I've made an elephant, turtle, frog, snake, octopus, bear and a bird. I think my favorite is the elephant. I have plans to add a pink flower to his trunk and I will call him Horton. I searched blog after Web site after blog for ideas and patterns. I'll post pictures later, promise!

But, today I've been looking at blogs that have quilts, purses, toys and so many sewn things. It makes me want to get out yards of pretty fabric, thread my sewing machine and just sew all day long.

And all those projects gave me an idea. I want to try new things this year in the crafting arena, so, I made a crafting resolutions list.

This year I want to (in no certain order):

Make a quilt
Sew baby/ children's toys out of fabric
Sew t-shirt designs (actually my husband's idea.)
Knit or crochet a sweater (maybe just a baby one)

And make many other little things. These are things I haven't tried before. I also plan to continue the crocheted animals because I think they are great little gifts. And I'll make the odd scarf or afghan as the desire strikes me.

With all these plans, I might have to open an Etsy shop to unload the extra craft projects.

Today I am...

2009-01-23T10:29:00.000-08:00

A doorman apparently.

Or door woman.

Either way, everyone at work was born in a barn. At work I sit with my back is to the door that leads into the employee break room/ bathroom. They tell me there used to be a sign asking that the door be kept shut, but it was never put back up after they painted (years ago). The open door wouldn't be a problem if the soda machine didn't sound like it was a plane taking off. But, instead, when the door is open, I hear a constant roaring behind me.

So, I've been at work for two hours and have gotten up to shut the door six times. This is definitely cutting into my internet surfing time.