Boobs, Boobs, Magical Boobs

Before I gave birth to my son I knew I was going to breastfeed.  During my pregnancy I read just about every piece of literature about birth and breastfeeding out there. All signs were pointing to yes. Yes, breastfeeding is what I want. Not only for the health benefits or the practicality, but the emotional aspect as well. Here is a list of just a few reasons I chose to nurse my son.

1. It's free! The more you nurse/pump, the more you have 
2. Makes for a calm mama by releasing Oxytocin in the brain
3. Easy pregnancy weight loss
4. Natural contraceptive/no period (yes, there are exceptions)
5. No bottle washing
6. No preparing to walk out the door - Baby, check, diapers, check, boobs, check!
7. Nursing soothes baby instantly
8. Every teaspoon of breast milk has 3,000,000 germ killing cells in it. Hello! click for source
9. Easy for baby to digest
10. Live antibodies line little one's gut to prevent illness
11. As baby gets older, milk adjusts to fit the changing needs
12. More sleep for the whole family
13. Instant availability (at the perfect temperature)
14. Life long connection between mama and baby
15. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of SIDS
16. Gives baby and mama the feeling of security 
17. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer
18. Breast milk is an intestinal soother
19. It's green! No wasted packaging
20. Breast milk has never been recalled
21. Breast milk cures pink eye
22. Human breast milk is made for human babies

Milk vs. formula - check it out under the microscope!

diy decoupage map mirror

Not too long ago while stumbling around on the internet I found this amazing set of drawers. I fell in love. I started thinking how I could create something like this for my own home. My original plan was to transform a thrifted side table I found at Goodwill, but never really got around to it. With Jordan and I working completely different schedules, trying to find time to decoupage is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I had to think small and quick.

*A mirror. Perfect!

S even helped :)

Looking around my house I found all of the supplies needed.

• a map
• a mirror (I found mine for $5 at an estate sale!)
• mod podge
• a foam brush
• scissors

Directions:

simply cut your favorite parts of your map into strips or squares long enough to wrap around to the back of your mirror

brush mod podge onto the back of your map, one piece at a time

apply a piece of the map to the surface of your mirror use your fingernail to press the map into the decorative creases so it lays neat 

and flat against every curve and crevice

wrap the extra length of the map to the back of your mirror and make sure it is secured flat repeat until finished once the mirror frame is covered

apply a thin coat of mod podge to the entire frame and allow to dry

I sill have to find the perfect place to hang it.

Viola! You have a beautiful mirror hand decorated by you.

Leave a comment and let me know how your mirror turns out. I would love to hear your feedback.

coop under construction

The time has come! The chickens have flown the "coop". Their indoor coop that is. We are all so ready for them to move into their permanent outdoor home. The only problem is that it doesn't exist.





Jordan and I have these great master plans to build the entire thing out of materials we already own or can get for free. 100% of the wood is coming from shipping pallets found near my sister in law's church. We scored some huge posts from a few really long heavy duty pallets. We are using an old door that came off our back porch. The nesting boxes came from my grandpa who raises and races pigeons. One of the coolest parts of the coop are the screens we will be using. When we moved into our 74 year old house we discovered tons of old window frames and screens in the basement. I have made so many plans top put these to good use, but this is the most practical use so far. We will be using the wood framed screens for the top half of the coop. I can't wait to share pictures!






S and I sat outside in the alley and offered our support. We cheered him on as he was making progress. So far he has the overall frame and the door frame built.





Hopefully we will get this thing done this weekend!

my old block

Talk about nostalgia. This afternoon S and I went on a walk through the neighborhood I grew up in. The weather was perfect, a warm sunny day with a touch of wind and a few clouds to keep us from breaking a sweat. I pushed the dude in his stroller down the sidewalks that created my childhood memories.

Every shaded strip of side walk brought back another memory. Every large bump created by tree roots growing underneath gave me good feelings. I couldn't help but smile.

Everything looks exactly the same. Mature trees lining the sidewalks, so beautifully shaded and green. Backyards filled with toys and chill dogs that stop what they are doing just to smile. Short fences that allow evening chats with the neighbors while barbecuing.

It's funny how big things seem when you are a kid. So tall and open.

Walking past 4059 I remembered my older, much wiser neighbor friend, Fransis tell me how she could count to 20. She pulled me in the wagon while counting over and over again. It seemed like it took forever to reach 20 when really it only took a few sidewalk squares worth of time.

As we turned the corner I remembered picking up a lost baby squirrel and bringing it home with me to give it a better life. Turned out my dad wasn't to fond of me carrying around a live city squirrel so we had to let the baby go.

On the next block I couldn't help but laugh while looking down the slope of the sidewalk. It made remember the time when my best friend, Christine and I came up with a genius plan of pulling my little sister (at the time about 5 yrs old) down the hill in the wagon. Since we pulled her down it was only fair that she had to pull both of us up the hill. Christine's mom drove by on the trek up and told us to get out and pull her....

I feel so lucky to live within walking distance of my old stomping grounds. Having S here makes it that much better knowing similar memories are being created and stored in his fresh little brain. Knowing that he is listening to the same church bells that I did when I was a kid makes me comfortable. It feels like the color green. It feels soft and free. It feels like the sun setting behind huge motherly trees with the scent of bbq steak floating in the air.

I feel thankful.

6 months

First time eating carrots. 4/4/12

You are six months old now and sweeter than ever. You are so much more than I could ever describe in words, but if I had to I would say you are relaxed, happy, inviting, tender, strong, determined, engaging, handsy and most of all, love. Pure love.

A smile is always on your face stretched from ear to ear. If someone stops to talk to you in the grocery store, you connect with them with such focused eye contact and a gummy grin. You seem to enjoy people, a little social butterfly. You are always at ease in a room full of happy souls.

At the end of my work day, after I walk through the front door, you reach your arms out to me asking to be held and flash a big grin that stops time in an instant. You truly are my joy. I never knew my heart was capable of loving so strongly until I met you.

Your dad never fails at making you happy; you have such a strong connection that was present the moment he held you in his arms. I am very thankful for the time you have together each week. Your bond is getting stronger and stronger. You think he is just hilarious. I can't make you laugh nearly as much as he can no matter how hard I try.

I am loving your time as a baby. I am also finding myself wondering what you are going to be like as a kid. What are you going to draw? What is your voice going to sound like? Are you going to like gardening? What questions are you going to ask? Is your hair going to be curly? Will you want to continue to sleep in our bed or will you want to be on your own? What I do know is that I am going to love every answer to these questions because I love YOU!

new chicks on the block

I have been thinking about owning chicks for awhile now and finally decided to take the plunge. I've been researching and researching trying to learn as much as I possibly can in order to be the best chicken mom I can. Things like, use pine shavings for chick bedding instead of cedar because cedar can cause respiratory problems later in life, never use newspaper for the bedding because it becomes wet and slippery and can cause a permanent deformity called "splayed leg" and check the chick's bottoms for "pasting up".


A couple of weeks ago we got 5 baby chicks - a Red Star, Golden Sex Link, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Barred Plymouth Rock and a Rhode Island Red. Their names are Millie, Yellowman (named by the little neighbor boy), Ophelia, Raven and Peckerson.


The chickies are posted up in our living room for the time being. We chose to keep then in there instead of the basement so we can keep an eye on them and really get to know their personalities. Millie and Ophelia are really quiet and sweet. Peckerson is the feisty one. Yellowman is calm and friendly, always happy to perch on an arm. And then there is Raven. She reminds me of a middle child, a lot like myself. I am going to have to get to know her more before I can accurately describe her.

Ophelia and Millie

Our little neighbors have discovered that these chicks are now residing at our home and stop by daily to hold them. I really love when I hear the knock at the door; it brings me back to when I was a little girl. I just know I would be doing the same thing. The kiddos sit on our front porch holding them and call out their names as they pass the girls back and forth. They always ask if they can have one or at least "chick sit". I tell them they can pretend they own them and to come over anytime to visit. At dusk, they run home and beg their moms and dads to get them chicks of their very own.


We are now in the process of designing and gathering supplies to build the coop, a 2 story gem with a garden on top. Our plan is to build the entire thing out of shipping palettes. Well, most of it anyway. Jordan has been scanning the backs of business buildings that throw them out, daily, trying to collect the perfect pieces. I will share more about that when the time comes.