Baby + Ball Meme

My little boy got to play with my cousin's baby today. My mom got some funny pictures.... I couldn't resist!

What's for Dinner?-Coconut flour crusted Mahi-mahi with fresh green beans and spaghetti squash mac-n-cheese

I am on the Gaps diet with the exception of allowing myself raw milk from my cow, so this recipe is GAPS friendly for those allowed dairy! And is is YUMMY! And husband approved. (he doesn't even really like fish!)

Put the spaghetti squash, split in half long ways in the oven at 350* F before you start to make sure everything is finished at about the same time.

Ingredients and Directions:

Mahi-Mahi:

• 4-6 Mahi-Mahi Fillets
• 1 Fresh and pastured egg
• Enough coconut flour for dredging (I sprinkle it on top and rub it in to save flour)
• 1 TBS Chili powder
• 1/2 TBS Ginger powder
• 1 1/2 TBS minced garlic
• Enough extra virgin cold pressed coconut oil to cover the bottom of your skillet
• 1 Lemon
• Meat thermometer
  
  First heat your skillet on medium-low and add the coconut oil and garlic. Next, put your egg in a bowl and scramble it with a whisk or fork.   Next Dip each fish fillet egg then in coconut flour, then sprinkle the chili and ginger powder over all of the fillets. Put the fillets in your skillet and let them cook. Slice your lemon thinly so there are enough slices for each fillet. (Also start your green beans at this point) When the fillets reach 80* F carefully flip the fish.  Top with a lemon slice each and let them finish cooking until they reach 145*F. Remove from heat and serve.

Green Beans:

• 1 LB Fresh, de-stemmed green beans
• 1 TSP coconut oil or farm fresh butter
• 1/2 TBS minced garlic
  
  You can either steam or saute your green beans.  If you are steaming start your water to boil when you put your squash in. If you are sauteing preheat your skillet with oil or butter when you start the skillet for the fish.
  
  Add green beans and garlic to your steamer or skillet while you are waiting to flip your fish.  Cook until the reach a nice bright green color and still have some crunch to them.  Over cooking destroys the nutrients.

Spaghetti Squash:

• 1 Medium sized spaghetti squash sliced length wise and placed in oven at 350* until skin is easily punctured by a knife
  
  For Sauce:
• 1 cup extra sharp (mine was aged 3 years) cheddar cheese, cubed or shredded.
• 1 cup raw milk or milk substitute.
  
  Start a double boiler, and put the milk and cheese in.  Cook on low or medium low being careful not to curdle or burn the mixture. When melted together let cool and thicken.  If you want it thicker ad a tablespoon of coconut flour. Add to squash. Top with a sprinkle of chili powder.
  
  Remove your squash from the oven and let cool slightly.  Then, being careful not to burn yourself ( I use a clean rag to grip the squash) remove the seeds and he tough part surrounding the seeds.  Next, pull the husk away from the sides and presto! you have spaghtti. For a video click here :How to Make Spaghetti Squash Strings

The Post-Partum Post

Hello everyone, I (finally) had my baby!  It's been quite some time since I posted but I don't think I have to explain how busy I have been. Between a new baby and the ever busy summer social life I havn't had much computer time.
It has been some of the most challenging but best weeks of my life. It's both better and more sucky than I ever expected. The post partum blues pack a wallop. At the same time when that little guy smiles at me I am on top of the world. Talk about an emotional roller coaster.
If you have read my other posts you know I was planning a birthing center birth.  Well, I got transferred to the hospital because the baby had an arrhythmia, even though it resolved itself before the birth.  Ultimately however it was where I needed to be, I would have been transferred anyway. My water started leaking on Monday morning and I was in labor for more than 48 hours. I narrowly avoided a c-section and had the vaginal birth I wanted and me and baby are great!  He weighed 9lbs and 11 oz and I had a very very small tear. I was healed and stopped bleeding by two weeks. I am so grateful! I will eventually post a birth story but I wanted to share some details about post partum recovery that lots of people don't seem to talk about. So, Dad if you're reading this you may want to log off. You have been warned.

Ode to Coconut Oil
I found this wonderful product was invaluable after I had that baby. I used it for EVERYTHING including:

1. Nipple Cream
2. Cloth diaper safe Diaper Cream
3. Way too much information but: it kept my lady parts from sticking together as they were healing.
4. Padcicles
5. Belly rub

I'm sure there is something I am forgetting. Oh... and it made the worst UTI in history more tolerable.

Breast feeding and doing your own thing.

Having my baby in the hospital I didn't get the best breastfeeding support. My nipples hurt, bled, I couldn't get my baby to latch on and just when I was starting to understand why mom's choose not to breastfeed my nurse-practitioner step-mom came to the rescue. So let me just say: to those moms who were not successful at breastfeeding I totally get it. But it is definitely possible. You just have to stick to it and find all the best information possible.  Don't get discouraged. Also, concerning breastfeeding as birth control, I got my period back at 7 weeks so don't trust it! I am exclusively breastfeeding too.No pumping! After a bumpy start my baby started nursing great and actually did such a good job at it I ended up with an oversupply.  Which brings me to my next topic.

Staying Flexible
Some of you may remember my post about my parenting choices and while I still agree with everything I put on there, I did change some things.  For instance at about 7 weeks I had to give the baby a pacifier. Oh the dreaded paci. I still feel weird about caving on that one but the little guy loves to suck and I had a major oversupply issue that was causing reflux.  So I'm here to admit having the paci can be benificial.

Another thing I have to admit... I got an epidural.  It's a long story but after 3 days of labor there was no way I could push that baby out without some rest.  And that was with my hubby and doula sneaking me food. Ironically I don't thing the epidural worked that well. I could still feel everything, except my right leg.  What the epidural did though was make them cut that awful pitocin down from  "16" (whatever that means) to a "2" so I could sit still long enough for the epidural.  After the epidural I was kept at a 2 on the pitocin so I think that may have been a huge part of the pain relief. I'll never know. Well, maybe until the next baby which will most definitely be at home barring any serious complications.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the cloth diapers are AWESOME!

Visitors
I had the blessing of my mother in law staying with me for a few days shortly after Eli came home from the hospital. I thought I wouldn't want visitors but it was awesome not to be alone like I was in the hospital a lot of the time. I was there for 3 days after the birth and it got lonely sometimes even with a new baby to play with.   If I had had him at home or had come home after 6 hours from the birth center I may have wanted the alone time. But, I kinda wish I still had people here to help! If you can, postpone visitors until the newness has worn off. You'll feel better about having a house full of people after you'e had plenty of your own snuggle time.

Pain
Having a baby hurts. Personally, I thought postpartum sucked way more though. I also got a UTI because my "witch" of a postpartum nurse practically yanked my catheter out.  I bled worse from that than I did childbirth.  It also hurt worse than any part of labor.  The coconut oil helped a lot.  I also had to ake some antibiotics and my baby and I are still recovering from thrush.  So, if you've ever had a mean UTI, rest assured you can probably handle labor pretty well.


My Husband
I seriously don't know how women with husbands who don't help do it.  I'm blessed to have a hubby who works from home so he has done about as much as me excepting nursing the baby.  He also went from a guy who had never held a baby to baby-expert almost instantly.  I am so thankful to have him and I'm pretty sure I would be falling to pieces without all his help.  He also loves the cloth diapers and is usually the one who does the washing. I'm done bragging now, the point is line up a good long term helper.  Hopefully that person can be the baby's father.

This year's All-Natural Flea Treatment

Last summer we had a major bug problem. It was terrible. Thanks to our warm winter our whole yard was infested with fleas. They got in the house, on the dogs, on the cats. We have hardwoods mostly but we really struggled to get the fleas out of the carpet in the bedroom. I actually threw away a couch because it was too "flea friendly". I tried all the vet recommended chemicals. I tried the super scary Walmart chemicals. I tried everything. At one point I actually buzzed my dogs. Once I got pregnant the chemicals were tossed.  It didn't make much sense for me to be using them anyway if I was eating organic food and using natural cleaners. Why go through all that trouble to live a toxic free life when I am just going to put hazardous pesticides on my animals? It can't be that great for them either.

So I started thinking.  And googling, and so did my hubby.  He tried apple cider vinegar which had rave reviews. It helped some, it may have helped more if we were not already so infested. The fleas don't like the smell and it makes the skin too acidic to live on. So I thought back to when I was trying natural lice remedies. THOSE buggers were hard to get rid of (yay for being in childcare) . They nearly drove me mad. The commercial products didn't work. My mom's suggestion of Listerine worked some. I remembered what got rid of them once and for all: coconut oil. It apparently works by smothering them. I practically bathed in it, left it in my hair for several hours and wrapped my hair in saran wrap. I had a particularly difficult time getting rid of the lice because I am blessed with super thick hair that no one is willing to meticulously comb through (hubby tried!).

So I looked up "coconut oil for fleas".  Some people apparently swear by it. It makes sense it work to smother them just like the lice, and apparently they hate the smell so it repels them too.

I am also going to sprinkle food grade diatomaceous earth around my yard and in the cracks of my hardwood floors.  This stuff is a natural powder like substance consisting of microscopic fossilized algae. Farmers use it in flour to keep bugs out.  It's important that one uses food grade because of a reduction in silica content. Silica is harmful to breathe.


So, in summary here is what I am going to try this year:

1. A mixture of apple cider vinigar and coconut oil in the animal's water.
2. A spray bottle with the vinigar and coconut oil to spray thier coats with before romps in the yard.
3. When the dogs are bathed I will give them a rubdown with coconut oil afterwards.
4. Diatomaceous earth around my yard and swept into the hardwood floors.

I will let you know how it works and please feel free to try it along with me!  Those chemicals in flea treatments are starting to work less, and getting stronger.  They are really not safe for your animals or you to be around, especially if you have young children.


Does anyone have any all natural recommendations?  Any recommendation needs to be budget friendly too. I spent too much money on fleas last year! Thanks!



More info/sources:
Diatomaceous Earth for Pest Control Wiki
More DE info
Apple Cider vinigar for Pets
PETA on flea control chemicals and safe solutions

My parenting choices, their definitions and why I am making these choices.

One of the great things about becoming a parent in this age is all of the information available to us. It's instant, there is a ton of it, and it is free.  I firmly believe in self education and that is why I love the internet. It can all seem overwhelming and it can take time to find good, reliable information. If you have internet access, however, there is no real excuse not to be educated about the decisions you make.

Now after saying all that, I do not claim these are the "right" answers. I know there are a million reasons why parents would make their decisions but here is a the great thing: they are your kids so you get to make that choice!  These are just choices I have made based on my research.  It may also help to note I have been a nanny for almost 10 years off and on, and so my choices are not totally based off fluff I found on the internet. I have seen a lot of parent/child interactions that have influenced my opinions over the years. I have also tried a ton of products and while some were fantastic, other I wish I simply hadn't touched.

I am also not saying I will never change my mind. But, without further ado here is my list:

Warning! I am a little crunchy/hippy so prepare yourself!

Exclusive Breastfeeding

Exclusively meaning nothing else, no pumping, no formula, no pacifiers, no bottles of any sort.  From talking to other moms in a similar situation, multiple lactation consultants, and doing plenty of reading, I have decided to go pretty hardcore with the breastfeeding.  It is also what the World Health Organization refers to as the "optimal" way to feed my baby. I have the ability to do so, why wouldn't I?

I do have a pump. I'm glad I have it for emergencies but I plan on keeping it in its box. I will definitely be exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months unless a major problem arises. I have found too many reasons to do it, and not enough (and no proven) reasons to not. Yea, I know you think I'm crazy for not wanting to be away from the kid for more than a couple hours for months on end, and I know you think I will want a break. I might! The thing is, it will still be an option if I decide I need or want a break. Unlike formula feeding, breastfeeding means things can be flexible. If I formula fed for a few weeks and changed my mind, it would be incredibly difficult to switch back.

I've talked to a lactation consultant extensively about the subject and I think it is what is best for me.

Aside from all of the health benefits from breastfeeding I'm aware of (blog post in itself), it's also completely free. For me that's plenty of reason to breastfeed. In addition, I have a personal philosophy extending to all parts of my life that you cannot improve on God's design. I will be thankful for any and all assistance I need but I do trust my body.  

(I feel like I need to make a disclaimer, I know there are plenty of legitimate reasons women choose to bottle/formula feed their kids. Same with working moms who pump. I am not trying to make them feel bad or like inadequate mothers. Like the title of my post implies, this is why I am personally making this decision. I know I already made a disclaimer earlier in my post but I feel like breastfeeding is a sensitive subject.)

Also, as side note on pacifiers, I have always felt they are unnecessary. They also have the potential to interfere with breastfeeding.  I know that a paci can lower SIDS risk but the data shows this is more beneficial for babies in "adverse sleeping environments" meaning on a soft bed or not positioned correctly for sleeping. It is also a strategy for babies who are high risk, those exposed to second hand smoke, poor prenatal care, ect. My lactation consultant also told me this is more true for formula fed infants. None of these factors will be an issue in my house.

I have a couple samples of paci's stashed away if I get desperate. I would also consider using one in the car, after breastfeeding has been well established.  For now though, my position on them is pretty strong. I dislike them and feel like they CAN be a parenting crutch. Part of this comes from my experience as a nanny. Part of this just comes from some instinct in me that just recoils at the thought of a pacifier. I am aware however aware that most parents use them and some couldn't stand the thought of living without them.

Attachment Parenting

I think most people nowadays know that there is really no way to "spoil" a baby.  An infant is simply not capable of manipulation. I believe that if an infant's needs are met they will be a more secure individual as they age while leading to more independence when the time is appropriate.

So, when my baby cries, no matter what time of night or day or how often I will pick him up.  If he is hungry, I will feed him even if he ate an hour ago. If he needs a cuddle, I will cuddle him.  I am under ZERO assumptions that I will be a well rested mama, or that I will never get frustrated. In addition to the kind of "brand" of parenting attachment parenting is, I also believe I have a perfect model of a parent and that is God's love. I intend on doing what is loving for my child and I do not think forcing my child to be scared, alone and learn to "cry it out" is very loving. From the very beginning, I plan to treat my child the way I want him to treat the rest of the world.

I always felt this way about parenting but when taking my child psychology classes while working on a nursing degree, I learned it actually has a name. Attachment parenting is also very strong on the "follow your instincts" mode of thinking.  You can learn more about basic attachment parenting principles here.

No stroller/ Baby wearing

"No stroller? You want to CARRY the baby?" The looks I get when I say I don't want or need a stroller are parallel only to the cloth-diapering looks.  There were several factors that influenced my decisions. I don't think there is the same amount of data to support this decision as my other ones, so this is a very personal decision. I love lists so I'll make one for you!

Why I don't like strollers:

1. I feel like they are inconvenient to lug around.
2. I couldn't find one tall enough at a reasonable price (I am 6ft + and so is my hubby. We were hunched over for all the ones we test drove while registering).
3. I am a reasonably strong person and can easily lift and carry 35+ lbs. (I am a backpacker). 
4. Once the baby is too heavy, they can walk.
5. I have several carriers meant to comfortably and securely hold small to large children. Here is a link to different styles of carriers.
6. I don't walk in stroller friendly places, a lot of my walking is done in the woods, off road.
7. Carrying your baby is great exercise  
8. It's good for baby's development to face me, see my face and be held. (click here for research on why carrying your baby is so awesome)
9. I feel like strollers are so distant and far away. I feel like someone could much more easily mess with or even take my baby in a stroller than if attached to me.
10. Breastfeeding in a carrier is very convenient. It doubles as a cover too.

Co-Sleeping

Personally I will not be sharing a bed with the baby, my husband is a very sound sleeper and tosses and turns a lot. Also, we have a very fluffy bed, a huge suffocating hazard for infants. However, he will be sharing a room with us. He will be in a bassinet up against the bed until he either only gets up once a night or grows out of it. After that he will be sleeping in his play pen in our bedroom until we feel it is time for him to move to his nursery, which will probably be around the time he starts sleeping all night consistently. I think it is important that we have lots of options for sleeping, and I believe this will facilitate independence and foster flexibility more than a strict plan of action would.

Being a Stay at Home Mom
This is as much out of necessity as choice. I simply can't get a job that provides the income I would need in order to justify paying for childcare. I would basically be working for a very small hourly wage to pay for someone to raise my child.  However, what income I can bring in I can do from home (or bring along the child). Whether it is graphic design, my handmade crafts, working festivals, gardening, or even the odd jobs I come across, there is cash to be made. I know a lot of moms who need to work outside the home to support their family and I am very blessed that in my situation I need to be at home because that is really what I wanted to do anyway!

Cloth Diapering
This is another controversial topic. I am fairly passionate about it because I feel like a lot of the people who choose disposables would choose cloth if they realized the advantages!  

The first, obvious advantage is cost.  You can have enough cloth diapers to get through potty training for less than $400. Keep in mind this is a one-time investment that will not only get you to potty training, but can last through more than one child. In many cases the cost is much less (my current stash is still under $200 and I should have plenty of diapers. However, I did several DIY options in addition to a few name brand expensive ones.)  You have to calculate washing costs too, but that still comes out WAY less than the average $800 most people calculate for disposable diapering PER YEAR. Mint.com did the math for us if you follow that link. I got similar numbers.

Another advantage is that cloth diapers are very low in chemicals and come in organic varieties as well. Disposables are well known for exposing your baby's butt to known carcinogens.  

Aside from being adorable, a few other reasons to love cloth would be that it's easier on the environment, no trash to take out, and they really are not that hard to wash. In fact, you don't even have to rinse out exclusively breastfed poop. Just throw it all in the wash. Personally, I feel like running diapers through the wash is more convenient than going out to buy them and asking my husband 200 times to take the stinky trash out. I also have two large dogs that I would constantly have to keep out of the trash. Just my humble opinion! I will definitely have another, more informative post on cloth diapering soon. There is so much information out there, and it truly is almost a culture of its own.

Ah... last but not least.

Natural Birth-in a birth center.
This one is such a hot button topic, I think I will list my reasons and leave you with a list of links!

I think I will start by telling you there is only one reason why I am using a birthing center as my choice for delivery. That reason being, my insurance will not cover a home birth, and I do not have the funds to pay a midwife myself.
I believe birth is a natural, normal thing our bodies do.  Complications DO pop up, and this is the reason we have OBGYN's and hospitals.  This is also the reason we have interventions like inductions and c-sections. I feel great about the fact I live within 4 miles of a great hospital, I can get there so quickly if I have a problem.

However, I do not believe these institutions have anything to do with a normal, natural birth. Did you know, as a nation our hospitals average more than 33% c-sections? There is no way 33% of women's bodies are not capable of birth. Midwifes as a whole have LOWER c-section rates, and LOWER death rates for their patients. I think this points out an imbalance in the hospital standard of care.  More c-sections are done Monday through Friday. I'll let you figure that one out for yourself.

Through your whole pregnancy you are told to avoid medication, alcohol, even coffee. Suddenly you have people (routinely) offering you narcotics? It just doesn't make sense to me.  I believe medication should be used as intended: only when the benefits to involved parties (i.e. mother AND child) outweigh the risks. 

Other than wanting to avoid an unnecessary c-section, I want to avoid pain medication and induction because they statistically tend to start a cycle that often leads to c-section. They also tend to have negative effects on both mother and baby.  We have one of the highest intervention rates in the industrialized world, and we also have one of the highest maternal death rates in the world. In fact we are on par with Saudi Arabia, that means we statistically are as likely to die from childbirth as we would be in a country where cultural norms tend to restrict a woman's basic rights. Currently we are rated at 50th in the world. This means there are 49 other countries doing a better job than us. This is not according to some random source, this is according to the CDC (center for disease control, search "maternal death" in their search box if you want to know more). They're concerned enough about it to be running the statistics and refer to it as a "significant public health issue." What are we doing wrong? It's worth noting that the countries with better outcomes tend to use midwifes for normal, uncomplicated births.

In conclusion, I'm choosing a natural, un-medicated birth out of the hospital for two reasons.

1. Frankly, I am scared of going to the hospital if there is no need.
2. Once again I believe you cannot improve on God's design. I want to feel it, even knowing it will be painful. (And yes, I'm perfectly okay with you thinking I'm messed up in the head for WANTING to feel it!)

Anyone here who knows me personally knows I was in school to be a nurse, then midwife before I got pregnant, and plan on continuing this path later. So, I hope none of the birth stuff comes as a surprise! Most of all, I believe women have the right to make educated, informed decisions about their birth, bodies, and babies.

Here are a few links if you want to know more about natural childbirth and/or the state of the United State's health care system regarding birth:
Mortality Statistics
The Business of Being Born - great if you like documentaries or don't want to read.
CDC.gov
World Health Organization
An article about climbing c-section rates.
A breif summary of c-section risks.
Pitocin risks (the drug they usually do inductions and speed up labor with)
Ina May Gaskin-a midwife who has dedicated her life to changing the way we see birth.

Those should be enough of a start! I will probably so more detailed, informative posts on all of this later. However, I think most of this stuff explains why I am making the choices I am.

 



With all of the parenting advice calling from every corner, how does a parent know what to do though? I feel like the only thing you can do is listen politely because some advice is actually good. But in the end trust your instincts. I encourage parents to know that this is your child, your decision, do some research. We have never lived in a time where so much information is available. Make educated decisions!  These things are important.

Nursery tour!

Welcome to Eli's nursery!  It feels great to have this done already. We did it in just a few days, the hubby painted the green (with assistance from his wonderful Dad) during y shower last weekend. Eli got some awesome things, I'm so thankful.

Without further delay, here it is!

The main wall in his room, a good friend made the circle things and used them to decorate the shower. I took them home because I knew they would be perfect for over the crib.  The Eli letters were also shower decor. I lucked out!  The three prints were gifts from my mother in law. They're so cute!  The rocking chair is my step-mom's heirloom. It's pretty comfy! One of my sisters made me the giraffe print blanket in the rocking chair. I put an organizer next to the rocker so I can have easy access to things I need. I painted the elephant mural today with some leftover paint, and the chalkboard thought-bubble was the hubby's idea. I also got some awesome shades for the window from my mother in law.

I love this closet! The bins are from the dollar store and so is the stripey wrapping paper I used to paper the inside of the closet. I'll probably do a separate blog post about the closet soon. I've got some cool stuff in there.

close-up for the rocker/elephant

I still need to make/find a crib skirt and mobile.

The other side of the room is a bed to relax on, more cute prints, his books and stuffed animals.

Oh and did I mention I found the awesome 100% wool rug (from World Market, still had the tag!) in a thrift store for $3?! Talk about awesome!

Let me know what you guys think! I love it!  

By the way, the changing table will be in the bathroom since we are doing cloth and that will be more convenient. If I need to I can always change him on the bed in here.

I can't wait!!!

Carob Banana Smoothie

Hello all! I had decided to get some coco powder to try and get my chocolate fix via my breakfast smoothies, at the store today carob powder was actually cheaper, and it's also a caffeine free chocolate alternative. I made a smoothie for a post-dinner snack and was delighted by the taste! I wanted it a little colder so I stuck it in the freezer so I could write this recipe for you guys.

So here it is:

• One banana (I would use a frozen one so you don't have to pop it in the freezer like I did.)
• Two tablespoons of nut butter (I used almond butter)
• Two tablespoons of carob powder
• One teaspoon extra virgin coconut oil
• One tablespoon of chia seeds
• Two dried, pitted dates
• One cup of your choice of milk. I used regular milk but I imagine it would be just as good, if not better with almond or another milk. I will also try it with plain greek yogurt in the morning for an extra protein kick. 
• a drop or two of vanilla extract

I crammed all this is my mason jar and blended it up. (Did you know that almost all blenders will fit a regular sized mason jar?! Less clean up!)

As a testament to how yummy it is, I was halfway finished drinking it when I realized I meant to take a picture for you guys. And you can trust a preggo when it comes to chocolate! (Or in this case "chocolate")

It's not the best picture, my computer/camera/phone all decided not to cooperate tonight. But here it is!