Nourish your life!

Everyone should read Nourishing Traditions. The End.

Ok so, maybe it's only the beginning. Seriously folks, This book has the potential to revolutionize your life and if you follow what it says you could potentially be healthier than ever. I'm just getting started in this crazy food journey but, I will say that so far in my life this style of eating has always made me the leanest, most energized and mentally happy of any type of diet. (Diet, in the truest sense of the word as in... what you eat, not a crazy fad that comes and goes.)

Think about it! The USDA food pyramid is so messed up! Since the USDA guidelines came out in 1980 the obesity rate has more than doubled and the rate of diabetes had tripled! That should tip us off for sure... even the committee assigned to reevaluate the guidelines admits that they "misrepresented" information and didn't even consider a low-carb (low-processed foods) diet... what?! Hmm... talk about tipping the glass in their favor. At lease there are some people starting to call them out on it. Check out: For a Healthy Nation

Anyway, let's start the conversation people. Let's stand-up for our health and for our children's right to be free of diabetes and other health issues!

Old Friends, Good times!

We could not have had a more beautiful day yesterday! Amy [Boggs] Folks, a friend of mine from college, came to visit with her 1 1/2 year old daughter, Alex. They live in King George, VA and made the 4 1/2 hour trek to my house for a few days of reconnecting. I'm SO glad they came. It was wonderful to meet Alex and she was so attentive to "baby" (William), always bringing him his cup and paci. Sweet girly.
We went to Pandapas Pond Thursday morning and it was just perfect. The sun was shining, the ducks were playing, people fishing, and I got some sun on my arms!

Aren't we funny?! Matchy-matchy! Haha.
After the pond, both of our our kids (Ahh! we have kids!) fell asleep in the car and we were like, "Well, we don't want to wake them up... so, let's drive to Roanoke!" And we did. We parked and went to Mill Mountain Coffee, got iced lattes and fed Will his lunch. The Market area was open and we walked around checking out the vendors and poking our heads into some of the shops.
Knowing we had a 45min trip home we went to an open space and let Alex run around in hopes that they would both chill on the way home.

All-in-all a very fun day and a great time with Amy and Alex. Thanks for coming guys! I know, I know, now it's my turn to come see you. :-P

Our NC Trip.

I wish I was better at taking more pictures! I always forget to whip out the trusty cannon and snap fun moments... boo. We did, however, have a great time in Brevard and Asheville despite the lack of photo memories.
The first two nights we were there we stayed with the wonderful, good-food-makin', fun-conversation-havin', pickled-chicken-feet-eatin' (ok, maybe that's just George, haha!), kombucha-fermenting Irwin family. The Irwins have been a part of my life for a long time... and I always love getting to spend time in their company. The second night we were there we had our friends, Brandon and Martha and their 3 month old baby, Phoebe, over for dinner. It was great to see them and catch-up over good food and laughs. Thanks guys for coming! And Thanks to the Irwins for hosting!

And I just have to throw-in a cuteness photo of my William.

We drove up to Asheville the third day and stayed with Tim, Lori and Titus Tyson. We hadn't seen them since we graduated from college! 6 years ago! It was good to see them and to meet their sweet son. Here are some shots of the boys playing.

All-in-all a great time and I was so thankful to get some away time with my loves. :-)

Rekindling Love.

Man, I love design.

Home decor. The perfect couch, print, lamp, chair.

I haven't done much with it lately but, tonight I've been soaking in some good eye-candy and articles about style and other fun things. So refreshing.

I really need to find a job so I can indulge my senses with new and exciting changes to our house!

Take a quiz or two with me to "find your style" and let me know the results!! Here are mine.

First I took the IKEA quiz (here). My results said I was "Scandinavian Original".

Then I took this quiz, at Sproost.com. I actually took it twice and got very similar results: Cottage Chic and Nantucket. I think this is pretty right on. Here are the brief descriptions of those two -

Cottage Chic

Who says that cottages can't be modern and chic? Who says that they have to be floral and cheesy? Not you! You love the carefree spirit that the cottage interior inspires, but you are also serious about your appreciation for modern art and hip treasures. You love old and new alike, and love to highlight them all to expose the uniqueness of each. What better way to show off these treasures than with a light background?

More >

Nantucket Style

Oh how you love the beach! Who doesn't, right? And so your dream home is either perched in your favorite beach town, or you've brought that favorite beach town into your house. 

Guess I really should move to the beach for a while!!
(Actually, that may be in the plan!)

Anyway, just thought I'd share. :-)

More >

Preparing for Spring!

Well, my house is quiet again. Scooter is sleeping. William is sleeping. Rob is at work and his parents have gone home to PA.

We enjoyed Rob's family, as always, and Rob and his dad tackled the backyard garden plot. His dad never comes without doing some major project... for which we are always thankful! This time he and Robbie built 3 new garden beds for us to grow veggies in. So exciting! We still have to get dirt to fill them but, at least we are one step closer. "Grandmom" and William supervised. :-)

We can't wait to get our hands dirty and plant our seeds!
It will have to wait until April 4th or 5th though, since we are busy until then... Asheville and Brevard, here we come!!

Tonight, as proof that he is worn out from all of the excitement, William fell asleep during dinner! I couldn't believe it! I had to laugh. He is so tired. Poor guy is also getting his teeth in and not sleeping as well as he had been. Grandmas and Grandpas as fun but, man! They wear you out! Haha. Isn't he cute?!

Sleepy Baby

Because, who wouldn't want this?

Yay Spring!

Today I spent an hour and a half sitting in the sun with William and my friend Ashley and her baby, Higgins. The sun felt so good and so hot! I couldn't believe it. It was Will's first time to just hang out outside on a blanket and I was enjoying every moment! I only wish I had brought my camera... but Ashley took a few shots so I'm hoping she'll send them to me.

We just chatted as our boys "played" with toys, which really just equals chewing on anything and everything. Will is teething so he's always got to have something in his mouth. Unfortunately, he wasn't his normal happy self with Higgins and kept randomly crying, especially when Higgins would vocalize. I think he was a little hot and so maybe a little uncomfortable? Oh well. When they weren't being weird that way (which really wasn't that much), I think they had a good time. Will mainly wanted to see their dog, Max. Max was a very well-behaved, 2 year-old black lab. Yes, I said well-behaved and only 2 years old! For a lab, that is awesome! He was the shiniest dog I've ever seen. Looked like a show dog. He was "helping" John (Ashley's hubby) pull down old branches by dragging them to a shady spot and chewing them up. So funny.

Anyway... hopefully I'll have some pictures soon!
Until then, enjoy this wonderful weather!!

Update! Pictures!

He gave it all.

Sometimes I wonder, how could I ever have the right to be upset when I have it so good. I have a truly wonderful husband who cares about me and who works very hard to provide for Will and I. I have a sweet little boy who brings me many smiles. I have a nice (tiny) house, a good dog and I really can't complain.

And yet, sometimes, I do. Sometimes I look at the trivial things, the things that frustrate and upset, and I let those cloud my vision. Even now, as I sit here at midnight when I should be sleeping I am still aggravated by some unknown offender. It stole a large part of my day today and I do feel robbed. This cannot be God's plan, so who then?  I want to choose life. I want to be free of whatever binds me. The Overcomer comes. He who is Light, calls. The question is, will I answer?

Will any of us answer? Will we let him make us into overcomers too? Will we let the One who illuminates our lives shine light into the still dark places so that they can become light? I hope so. If not, well... I just hope so. Trust. I've got to learn to trust the One who waits for me. I'm glad He waits for me and doesn't run away or turn His back, like I sometimes do. May He teach me patience like that, love like that, so that I can be like that to my son. Even mommies need a good Dad to show them the way.

Why am I blogging about this? Good question. Probably because if I didn't I'd never go to bed. Sometimes you have to talk it out... and I hope that by talking it out maybe someone will realize that you don't have to have it all together to have it all. And I do have it all, because He gave it all.

Romans 8:32
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Goodnight everyone.

On being a Doula

Before I had William I never understood moms. I think this is probably normal. As a matter of fact, I don't believe you can understand being a parent at all really until you are one. It really is an exclusive club. Nothing against non-parents, it's just that you really can't know what it's like without the actual experience. Anyway... what I'm trying to say is, before I was a mom I didn't really care that I wasn't one. I didn't really like kids and I never really knew what to do with them. Babies were cool but, I was uncomfortable around them and felt awkward around new moms.

And then my day came.

I can not tell you how different I feel now. My heart goes out to new moms in a way that I never could have expected. So much so that I am considering being a postpartum doula so I can help them ease the transition from non-mom to awesome mom. I love birth and I would possibly someday consider being a labor and delivery doula, but for now I want to be the one to be there to encourage the new mom when she is unsure, when she is tired, when she is learning to trust herself.

As you can read in my "Surrendering" tab, I believe that the natural, God-given maternal instincts are being undermined by "experts", by friends and family, by society... and I think we need to do what we can to liberate moms to nurture and care for their babies with no reservations, no guilt. A mom should never feel like it's the wrong thing to love on her baby. She should never feel like she's spoiling him/her. That's ridiculous! A mother should be free to always comfort her crying baby. She should feel comfortable nursing at the child's whim. I know just that statement, being "on-call" to a baby, may make some cringe... but it's the fault of our society! In other societies it is completely normal and expected that the new mom is only focused on her baby for at least a year. She has helper who do all the housework so she can be with her baby, nurse and rock, walk and play. Doesn't that sound nice?

As a postpartum doula I would come alongside a mother and enable her to do as much of that as possible. I would do my best to empower them to focus on their baby and to feel good about it. It is not as it once was years ago where birth and caring for a new life was a normal part of family life. You might be surprised how much new moms don't know about their newborn and the adjustment that must be made. A postpartum doula helps educate moms and families about the needs of the newborn and the changes that will take place.

It would be a joy to me to watch a family grow and evolve into something harmonious and beautiful. I know that if I pursue this it will take a few years to complete the training, so I want to make sure that I'm really called to it. I've already started reading some of the required books to get a feel for what it will be like. Guess we'll see what happens!

Babywearing

I love strapping Will on. Whether I use the Moby or my Mei Tai it's so nice to be "hands free"! What carriers do you all like? Any good babywearing stories? Babywearing is a great way to keep baby close and let him/her watch and learn as you do things around the house, go shopping or go for a walk!

I don't use my Bjorn anymore because it is not good ergonomically for your child. Look at it, it just holds them in the crotch and provides no support for the legs, hence forcing the spine into an unnatural shape. Facing outward, though the baby may enjoy the view, is especially awkward for their bodies. I mean, imagine yourself strapped with your back to a wall... that doesn't sound very comfy.

So, my next venture in the carrier world will either be an Ergo Performance or a Boba. I've heard good and bad things about the Beco so I'm not really decided about that one. Any thoughts on any of these?


I'm also thinking that the first person who wants to pay for the fabric will get a Mei Tai at cost. I want the practice. I make no promises about pretty seams... but it will be functional. :-P

Mommy Time

Can I just say that I LOVE spending time with other moms??! Well, I do.

Today I had coffee with a friend and her 6mo. It was refreshing to talk about our babies, doula-ing, natural foods and remedies, naps, etc... it makes me feel more sane, more normal and more blessed. Sometimes in the midst of the diapers and the naps and the messy bibs and food faces I can get lost in my own world, isolated from adults and the rest of "civilization". It's true that my life is not even remotely the same as it was B.C. (before children)... but that's not a bad thing. In fact, it's a really good thing! I love my little man's laugh and his smile and the way he loves me no matter what. I love that he doesn't care if I don't do my hair or if we don't clean the house, as a matter of fact, I think he'd rather I didn't do any of those things because that means I'm not playing with him!

Anyway, it's nice to be reminded that being a mom isn't such a bad gig. It's nice to "show off" my handsome Will-baby around town and to enjoy him and not just "manage" him. I feel so blessed to have been given my boy and I don't want to take that for granted. Isn't he the cutest?!!? :-)

So, to all of my friends that are baby-mommas... let's hang out! Let's celebrate and enjoy our children.

A first

So, this whole blogging thing is such a trend. Everybody has a blog. New moms are especially inclined to write a blog because somehow they feel that they need an "outlet" to speak to adults and they don't really care if anyone reads it, it's therapeutic anyway. They (and by "they" I mean "we" as I, too, am a new mom) want to chronicle their new life with baby so they have something to look back on, to remember. What ever happened to keeping a journal? Scrapbooking? Anyone?

The digital age is taking over and look at me! Even I am blogging right now. I almost feel silly. What if my computer crashes? What if all of my pictures are lost and the government regulates the internet and I can't access my "memories"?! And yet, here I am, blogging away like I've not got a care in the world.

Goal: Put all of my pictures on CDs so I can't lose them... wait, even CDs can mess up! So can hard drives! What happened to film?! >sigh<

*correction
Goal: PRINT all of my pictures so I have them on hand and put them in albums like the "old days".

See? The "old days" weren't so bad. Albums are great.

Anyway... I probably will still "blog", as it were, just for fun... sometimes.