date night

Brian and I took some much needed time for each other last night and it was wonderful. Back in March I bought 2 tickets for us to see Ray Lamontagne live, and the day finally came that he was in town. What a night!

Much of our time, ok all of our time, is spent wrangling our two babies. I wouldn't change that for anything. Brian and I have become a great parenting team. We tag team diaper changes, feeding bed time...all of it is done in tandem. Let's just say I have no idea how anyone can parent children alone and stay sane. Raising kids ain't no joke and I am forever grateful to have such a wonderful and supportive partner. I am first in line to admit that I hate leaving the kids unless I have to.(That's called "Mom guilt" for all of my friends that aren't moms yet. ) I don't leave them for haircuts or spa days. I don't leave them for doctors appointments or grocery trips. Every errand that I run, every meal that I make and every "date-night" involves our two precious babies. And really, I enjoy this life. I love doing life with our kids and teaching them about this crazy place that we call home.

But wow, something about a few baby-less hours is just priceless. We held hands and walked through the concert venue, we people-watched like nobody's business, we cheered, we sat in silence as Ray astounded us with his raw voice. And last night I remembered all over again why I fell in love with Brian. Life isn't about the 9-5, the meal plans and the daily grind. It's those little moments, the look of pure joy on your husbands face, the uninterrupted conversation, the simple pleasures of just being together. That, to me, is living.

John Hardy: My green school dream | Video on TED.com

Please take the time to watch this, so inspiring!

John Hardy: My green school dream | Video on TED.com

2011 Goals

I will start off by saying one thing, we will not be having a baby in 2011. It seems a bit strange, as Julia was born on June 9, 2009 and then David came on June 29, 2010. Brian and I really feel like our family is complete. We have two happy and healthy babies and we are so excited to see how they grow and change in this new year.

But would you believe as the ball dropped signaling the start of 2011, I sat on my couch and cried. Watching the ball drop on our computer (no TVs in this house-more on that later) and all of the people celebrating brought on a rush of emotions. I am not pregnant this year and there will be no new baby to welcome this summer. I got it all out of my system on January 1, 2011. And then that was it. Bring on 2011!

Getting back to the point of this post...Goals for 2011. With no sleepy newborns to watch and keep me inside all day I am hoping that this summer will bring new adventures for our family. Here are some of my 2011 goals.

1. Read 25 books.

2. Make more of our food from scratch and ditch as many processed snack foods as possible.

3. Decorate our bedroom, new furniture and all!

4. Learn how to preserve food.

5. Be more active in the planning, planting and harvesting of our garden.

6. Plan and go on a date with my husband at least 6 times this year. (sans kids!)

7. Learn how to use our camera and take photos.

8. Line dry our clothes whenever weather permits. ( I didn't do too well with this last year)

9. Come up with a solution for organizing our recyclables.

10. Take a girlfriends trip. (Lauren, are you reading this?!)

So, there it is. What are your goals for 2011?

Tot School

Julia Claire will be turning two this year! How on earth my 4 pound newborn transformed into a talking little person over night I do not know. I have wanted to start something called Tot School with her for a while now. I have been slightly busy with her brother (2 under 2 is not for those who like sleep!) but now that he is playing with toys and generally happy to be watching whatever is going on around him, I am ready to start some planned activities with Julia.

From the Tot School website: "Tot School isn't really school at all! Don't let the name confuse you! Tot School is basically a focused time each day on the tot in your family." "Tot School is the time each day I spend with my tot, exposing early learning skills through FUN play."

I am not much of a "planner" I would much rather just jump into something new and figure it out as I go. Brian and I believe that learning is something that happens all of the time. Through play, observation,reading and talking...learning is living. We strive to create an environment that promotes learning for all four of us, and as the babies grow older this will evolve into something more specific. (I would love to have a designated "space" for planned activities to take place.)

Yesterday morning, while Brian was slaving his life away at his desk at work, the kids and I began our Tot school. With Julia still being on the young side I decided to start small. I created a small sensory bin for her to explore. I just used an old Tupperware container and filled it with small objects from the house. Macaroni noodles, rice, heart shaped sprinkles and some gauze for added texture. I threw in a little container for her to fill and dump. (working on those pouring skills!) To say that she loved it would be an understatement. I parked her on a blanket, gave her the box and opened it up. She laughed. I showed her how to fill up the little plastic container and then how to pour all of its contents out. She giggled. I let her play with it for a good 15 minutes. Exploring the new textures, pouring, scooping, using fine motor skills to pick up the small pieces. And then she started to put the rice in her mouth...and we were done. She screamed, she kicked, she threw an all out hissy fit. Tot School was over for the day, and she was not happy about it!

Parenting is fun! I am so very excited to see where these little ones take us as they grow older and learn more and more about this crazy world and their surroundings.

Homemade baby food

Our little man is growing up, and with that comes the introduction to something besides breast milk and formula...real food! Introducing your baby to food can be exciting and scary. There are so many different brands and types of baby foods out there. Jarred meats and stage numbers are confusing-and gross looking!

If you haven't shopped for baby food then you don't know how costly it can be. Simple purees can cost .75 for a mere 2.5 ounces! Baby food is such a simple thing to make. I am the first to admit that I am not a cook, but knowing what is going into my precious babies' mouths is important to me. So, I put on my apron and channel my inner Diane Keaton ala "Baby Boom." (Am I the only twenty something that is obsessed with this movie?)

We choose to feed our children organic fruits and vegetables. Brian and I feel like limiting the exposure to chemicals and pesticides is the best choice for our family. If you haven't switched to organic fruits and vegetables, you can start by switching out conventional produce in the "Dirty Dozen".

Step One: Get your helpers ready. AKA- Strap your toddler into her high chair and fill her plate with lots of yummy foods to keep her busy.

Step Two: Bake or steam your fruits and veggies. Today I baked sweet potatoes and put apples and pears into the crock pot. I find the crock pot method to be very easy. I simply cut up the fruit, cover with water and turn on high for around 3 hours or until it is soft.

Step Three: Puree! I use a small Cuisinart food processor. There are all sorts of appliances that you can use to puree your fruits and veggies. I like the mini processor because it will see me past baby food making and be a useful kitchen appliance for many years.

Step Four: Pour pureed baby food into tray for freezing. I have a lidded tray made by OXO that I bought of of amazon. Once the cubes have frozen I pop them out into freezer bags and label them with the contents and date. FYI-Sweet potatoes and squash look very similar, so unless you like feeding your baby mystery vegetables I suggest labeling everything.

And there you have it...easy peasy! Happy baby food making.

Resources that I use. www.wholesomebabyfood.com and the book titled, " Cooking For Baby" by Lisa Barnes

Homemade Bread

I've been wanting to bake bread for my family for a long time. We buy our bread at a local grocery store, Dorothy Lane Market. Fresh bread can cost $4.50 a loaf from there. I'm ok with that though, the quality and taste are top notch. It is our goal, as parents, to teach our kids to love real foods. Not squishy wonder bread and super processed candies. We try our best to introduce Julia, and eventually David, to fresh and local real food.

Enter Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day. If you haven't heard of this, google it! If I can do this anyone can.

I had been longing to learn this method of baking fresh bread for months. I watched YouTube videos, read blogs and googled my little heart out. Santa must have been watching. The wonderful book showed up under my parents Christmas tree (Thanks Mom!) The week after Christmas, I began baking.

Without further ado, these pictures are worth a thousand words.

Step One: Mix dough, let it rise then put it in fridge for easier handling. This is what it looks like after being in the fridge overnight. It is all yeasty and bubbly.

Step Two: Dig into the bowl with floured hands and shape the dough. This takes 1 minute tops. Drop it into an oiled pan, let rise for an hour, then cut vents on top.

Step Three: Bake the bread for 35 minutes, then cool on rack. We have yet to let the bread cool before tearing into it.

This fresh bread costs around .60 a loaf using all organic ingredients. YUM!

The Story of Bottled Water (2010)

If you haven't seen this yet, please watch it. I have to admit, this is one of my biggest nasty eco-habits. I love me some bottled water! Making a commitment to ditch the fancy water is on my list of things to do to live a more simple and healthy lifestyle. Are you addicted to the bottle?

Cloth Wipes

Many of you know that Brian and I have been using cloth diapers on Julia since we brought her home from the hospital. We both feel that we are doing what is best for her, by keeping yucky chemicals away from her body and out of the landfill. In addition to using cloth diapers, we use cloth wipes. It just made sense to us to use re-usable wipes. They go in the same dirty pail as the diapers and get washed with those every few days. I use flannel wipes that I bought from a work at home mama here. They are incredibly soft, and I only need 1 or 2 for extra messy diapers. It is really nice to not have to buy packages upon packages of disposable wipes and diapers every week. If you don't do it for health reasons or the Planet, do it for your wallet! You won't be disappointed.

If you'd like a chance to win a set of your own re-usable wipes check out this awesome giveaway. My friend and fellow eco friendly mom has an awesome blog with lots of product reviews and chances to win cool prizes-check it out!

Once upon a Baby-wipes giveaway

awesome giveaway!

Check out this great giveaway from one of my mama friends! I would love to have one of these carriers for Julia and baby number two. If you know anyone with small children, tell them to enter! :)

http://onceuponbaby.blogspot.com/

autumn is here

Time sure does fly with a little one around! October is always a fun month for Brian and I, we both love the season change. I wonder what's in store for us this year? September '06-we fell in love, October '07-We got married, November '08-We found out we were pregnant....That means December of this year should hold something good!

Here are some pictures of our Autumn adventures with Julia. Having fun at the pumpkin patch.

Brian and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary at The White House Inn. We had fun reminiscing about our wedding day. We even got to spy on a wedding taking place while we ate our dinner. It was so nice to have an evening with my handsome hubby.

Julia celebrated her 4 month birthday-she is 12 pounds 12 ounces and 24 1/4 inches long!

3 Months!

Julia Claire is 3 months old! Time is flying by with our little girl, she is getting so big. According to our bathroom scale she weighs 12 pounds.

Over the holiday weekend we went out to Cox Arboreteum to get some pictures of Julia to celebrate her 3 month birthday. Brian did an awesome job!

Nature Baby

Julia's favorites/new things:

-Loves listening to Daddy play guitar

-Loves looking at herself in the mirror

-Laughs at Mommy dancing around the kitchen

-She is eating 5 ounces every 3-4 hours and sleeping 12 hours each night.

Playing catch up!

Ok, it is been way too long since I've written. I guess I've been sort of busy...

Julia is now 2.5 months old! We cannot believe how fast she is growing. Fun new things include: big smiles in the morning, laughing at Daddy when he does goofy things, sleeping longer periods of time at night (yay!) recognizing the faces on her animals and smiling at them, grabbing and reaching for her binky, toys, or animals and lots of awake time during the daytime. We are having so much fun playing with Julia and watching her develop new skills everyday.

Here she is at 2 months, weighing 10 pounds 2 ounces.

Brian started taking some classes at Miami. We realized that he was able to take some classes for free since having Julia. He is now a "non-traditional" student due to his age and having a child. Unfortunatley, the government will only give him money for school for one semester, so he is just taking a few classes for fun. Then he will graduate with his history degree and be done with college. He is taking digital photography, an appalachian music course, a course about national parks and a history course. I think that he will have a lot of fun in his classes. I'll admit that I'm kind of jealous of him. (not the studying and homework part though!)

I'm starting to work more in the next few weeks. I've only worked two days since Julia was born. In September I think I am working about 6 days. I have 3 days lined up for October so far. I'm so glad that I don't have to leave Julia every day! I missed her terribly the last time that I worked. While it is fun to be around adults and do something that I love, it is still so hard to be away from Julia. I don't know how full time working moms do it-I guess they do it because they have to. I'm so very thankful for my wonderfully flexible job!

Well, hopefully I'll be able to keep up with my blog a little bit better in the next few weeks.

One Month

Dear Julia,

Mommy and Daddy cannot believe that you have been on the outside for one month already! We are so thankful for you and want you to know that we love you everyday. Watching you grow and change has been so amazing. You are getting so strong and developing such a sweet personality. You love to cuddle with Mommy and sleep on Daddy's chest. We often find you sleeping on your left side-just like Mommy sleeps! You like to hear Daddy sing and play guitar and you love the music from your mobile.

You are sleeping 3 hours at a time during the night. You eat 3 ounces of formula every two to three hours. You are sure to let us know when you are hungry by forcefully ejecting your binky from your mouth and letting out a wail! Thankfully Mommy is always ready with a bottle close by. We wouldn't want you to cry more than necessary. We are looking forward to watching you grow and know that you have a lot in store for us.

We are so glad that God gave us you. We love you everyday Little Panda Bear.

-Mommy and Daddy

You weigh 7 pounds today

Tried It!

Brian and I have been using these reusable produce bags for about a year now, they are great! I saw these bags in Yellow Springs during their semi-annual street fair last June and I had to have some. I was able to bargain with the seller and score two big bags for 5 bucks, go me!

The large net bags hold all of our fruits and veggies during a grocery trip, making it unnecessary to use several of those obnoxious plastic baggies available at the store. (Seriously what can you reuse these for, they are pretty useless!) Of course the check out people always look at me like a crazy lady when I pile my mixed bag of fruit on the conveyor belt, but I don't mind. I actually kind of like being different, maybe the baggers and clerks talk about me when I leave, "Crazy, organic-buying, bag lady freak!" ha!

Anyways, I highly recommend the Eco-Bags. They are easy to use, hold a ton of fruits/veggies, easy to carry, and of course they help keep those darn plastic baggies out of the landfills. You can order from the Eco bags website or even try your hand at making your own.

http://www.ecobags.com

Wordless Wednesday

Birth Story

Baby Julia is here! Here are the details on the birth of our precious baby girl:

I went into the hospital on Monday, June 8th to start the induction process. We arrived at 7 and it took about an hour to get fully checked in. We got to our room and got all cozy thinking that we would be there for the night before getting the pitocin drip in the morning. After getting my cervix checked (0 dialation) and getting my IV started I got the cervadil placed inside of me. This was about 9:30 pm.

Brian pulled out his little couch bed and set it all up beside the hospital bed. We turned the tv on and starting watching a home show on PBS. At about midnight I starting having really painful contractions. My entire body was shaking with each one, I thought for sure that I was going to vomit and that all the bones in my pelvis were breaking. We started to get kind of worried since we had 12 hours of this. My nurse came in to give me some medication for the nausea and decided that she should check my cervix. At this point I 5 cm dialated. I had gone from 0-5 in about 2 hours. The nurses started to freak out a little bit and decided to take the cervidil out and let us wait it out.

They went to call my midwife to let her know that it was about time and that I was progressing quickly. By that time I had another horrendous contraction, they checked me again-I was at 7 cm. dialation. Then the next contraction came-9cm dialated!

The room filled with residents, the nurses were all scrambling around. I could hear them on the phone with my midwife-she was on her way, she was rushing. I had to push-I told the nurse I couldn't stop it. The resident scrubbed down and set everything up at the foot of my bed. My body starting to push on it's on. Brian and the nurses started coaching me through the pushes. The nurse from family beginnings came in and she was right up in my face telling me what to do.

After I did one set of pushes my Midwife Margie showed up. I was relieved to see her, but at that point it didn't matter-the room was filled with nurses and residents, the NICU team and students. I didn't care who was in that room by this time, I was going to have my baby!

Brian held my leg and gave me the play by play, he kept telling me that I was doing it and that Julia would be here soon. At 3:05 am the nurse looked at the clock and asked me what time we thought our baby would arrive. She guessed 3:12, I thought she was joking. I said, "You are just saying that to make me feel better!"

Well after another sets of pushes her head was out, one more push and her body was out-She was here! Brian cut the cord and Margie put her up on my chest, she was beautiful. Her eyes were open and she was looking all around at everything. Brian and I were still in shock that we actually had our baby in our arms.

They quickly took her over to the side to do all of her tests. The NICU team wanted to take her away but Brian protested telling them that they could do all of her testing in our room with us. Of course they were able to do that, we had been told that we would never have to be separated from our baby. The tests seemed to take forever, she was screaming the entire time!

During all of this Brian was standing over by Julia while Margie and I were waiting for my placenta. I felt like I was gushing a ton of liquid all over the place. I'm sure that I was. Margie pressed on my abdomen and with a tiny push the placenta came out. It was as big as Julia! She put it in a pan and we looked at it. Pretty gross but still pretty cool.

The nurse got me up and we went to the bathroom. I was surprised that I was able to urinate right away-so happy that I didn't have to get a catheter. I got all cleaned up, we got back into bed and held our little girl. They brought me a boxed lunch and I was able to eat and enjoy Julia. After a few hours they moved us to a much smaller room where we stayed until Thursday.

Julia is just perfect. The nurses were all amazed that I was able to deliver her without any medications, I don't think anybody thought that I had it in me. But we did it, and now we have this precious baby girl.

Brian and I thank the Lord for blessing us with this little miracle. There is nothing like sharing her with the man that I love so much-she is ours and she is perfect.

First family picture, minutes after birth

Julia Claire Eversole June 9th, 2009

3:22 am 4 pounds 14 ounces 18.5 inches long

39 weeks

More 39 week photo's here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2309916&id=7721117&ref=mf

The love of strangers...

For the past year or so I have been involved in an online community sponsored by the same folks who hosted my wedding web page. (Remember that on theknot.com?) This online community has several message boards available to connect with other women going through the same things that you might be going through at a specific time in your life.  

I belong to the one called  "The Eco-friendly Family" I chat with women about all sorts of topics; from raising a family with eco-friendly values to cleaning your home with natural products. They have always been such a wealth of knowledge and supportive group for me, and I hope that I contribute my best to all of them as well. 

After Bella's accident these women joined together and devised a plan to sell some handmade items in Bella's honor. The items are being auctioned off on Hyenacart  and the money earned will go towards our emergency vet bills. 

I cannot even begin to express how thankful I am for this group of women. Just thinking about it makes me tear up! The support and love is abounding...I just hope that some day soon I am in a position to give back to them. 

Visit the website and read the action information. It ends on June 5th and there are some pretty awesome things for sale! http://hyenacart.com/EcoNest/index.php?vid=3046&category=1

Tried it!

I have decided that I will start adding reviews of different eco-friendly products that I have tried. Not only will this help me think of something to write on here, but it might actually help a reader. (If anyone actually reads this thing besides my husband and mom!) 

I thought that I would start with something that I use everyday-the Klean Kanteen. 

I have the 18 oz. size in green. Brian has a huge 40 oz. one that is stainless steel.  Awesome features include: -BPA free, including the cap -Doesn't retain flavors or odors -slim design -Made from high quality food grade stainless steel (#304 if you are into specifics) -Dishwasher safe

 -Durable -Easy to carry loop on cap 

The slim design of my 18 ouncer makes it easy for me to carry with me everyday. I simply toss it in my purse and go. I also discovered that it fits nicely on the side of my new baby bag.  The one downside to the klean kanteen is that it collects some condensation on the outside when you put cold liquids in it, this isn't too big of  a deal to me but to some it might be. I love that I don't have to buy tons of bottles of water anymore, I just fill it up with filtered water and I'm all set. 

You can purchase klean kanteens online and now at several retail stores. Brian bought mine for me as a Christmas present at Dick's sporting goods. I have also noticed that two local stores; Great Miami Outfitters in Miamisburg and Green Living in Yellow Springs are now carrying the Klean kanteens.  

The price for the 18 ounce bottle is around $16 and well worth it. So, if anyone out there is looking for a new reuable bottle I highly recommend the Klean Kanteen. Chose your favorite color and the perfect size for your needs and I'm certain that you will be one pleased customer!

Oh, I forgot to mention-they also make a tiny 12 ounce "Kid Kanteen." Complete with a sippy spout made by Avent. I can't wait to get a pink one for Julia! 

Question time!

How far along?  37.5 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: 18 pounds

How much does baby weigh? 4 pounds last time they measured, we should get an updated weight this Friday.

Stretch Marks? None really

Sleep?  Much better since we moved the dogs to the guest room, still waking to pee several times during the night.

Best moment this week: Ok, I have two. #1: Going to an Aveda salon and getting my hair cut, complete with head massage and a mini-facial. #2: Going to Taylorsville Metropark with Brian, seeing a huge woodpecker and relaxing in the park, finishing the day off with a nice meal at Brio.

Movement:  All the time. She likes to dance when music is playing and she really likes it when I eat!

Food Cravings? Nothing really

Labor signs? Some random contractions here and there, can also feel that she is getting much lower.

Belly button in or out?   My turkey timer has popped!

What I miss? Clothing that doesn't involve a huge piece of stretchy fabric over my stomach.

What I'm looking forward to? Holding my baby girl!

Milestone: We are so lucky that we get to go to the midwives office 2 times a week now! I'm really getting to know those folks!