June 8, 2012

Details	100% Organic
BC and I spent almost an hour on I-465 today after running up to the north side to pick up my husband's Father's Day gift. BC screamed most of the time. I try to avoid I-465 as often as possible because I always seem to get stuck in traffic on it. I especially want to avoid traffic jams now that I have an infant who protests (i.e. screams) when the car isn't moving. But I risked a traffic jam today. I risked a traffic jam because my husband is a hard guy to shop for and the gift I had picked out for him is only sold at one store in Indianapolis. And it had to be this gift because I felt like I had finally found something he would really appreciate and love. After that car ride... He better love it. ~M	I love this hat!  For so many reasons.  It’s a hat that one of my best friends picked up for SJ and it says 100% Organic.  Yes, it is functional and keeps the sun off of SJ quite nicely.  Yes it’s made from all natural fibers, which makes the hippie in me happy.  Yes he looks ADORABLE in it! But mostly it represents a season of life right now that I love.  Being real and authentic in life and in all my relationships.  No added ingredients needed!  I’m thankful that living an “organic” life has allowed me the opportunity to have deep meaningful relationships with my family and my friends. Today I got to spend a couple hours with my friend.  And I’m thankful.  Thankful for a friend that says, “Yes I will get off work on a Friday night, come to your house and drive with you 40 minutes away to hold your baby while you conduct a wedding rehearsal.  Then drive back and eat cruddy take out food while SJ yells on the drive home longing to be in his mommy’s arms.”  I cherish those 100% Organic moments! ~A

June 7, 2012

Driving With An Influence	Bunnies, Bees and Babies
As I was driving home this evening I was stopped at a stop light and a car with 5 teenage girls pulled up behind me. They were talking and laughing and emoting, as teenage girls are wont to do, and then it happened. It inevitably does; someone spots my bumper sticker. I like to imagine what people think when they first see the bumper sticker proudly stating "I *heart* HOMEBIRTH" along with my midwife's website. Perhaps they think I'm crazy. Perhaps they think I'm a bit of a martyr. Perhaps they think I'm the ultimate crunchy hippie mama. I'm none of those things, truth be told. I'm just someone who wanted the best possible birth experience and who, after much research, decided the way to get that was by having a homebirth. I have no idea what the carload of teenage girls thought when they spotted the sticker. They all looked, the ones in the backseat craning forward, to read it. Then the driver pointed, barked at her pals, and the front passenger quickly picked up her phone and started typing furiously, probably navigating to the website on my bumper sticker. It was then that the light turned green. About a hundred yards up the street the girls turned off and that was that. I wondered later what kind of influence that bumper sticker might have had on those 5 girls. I'm not sure if I sparked a flame inside any of them. I'm not sure if they would now go and seek out resources and information about birth statistics and choices; about their labor and birth rights, risks of interventions, best practices, and drugless birth. I'm not sure if they would begin to question what "normal" birth means. But I'd be willing to put money on the fact that my bumper sticker was the first time the thought of modern homebirth had crossed their minds. Here's hoping that thought lingers and becomes a spark. ~M	We all watched with excitement as this baby bunny made its way through our yard.  When we first saw it many weeks prior it was so tiny.  “Look how big it’s getting Mommy!”, our 9 year old exclaimed.  We aren’t exactly sure where it lives but it is somewhere around our house.   And why not?  Much to our neighbor’s dismay our yard is full of lots of goodies for bunnies, bees and babies all who love dandelions and clover (our 11yr old is the master of finding four leaf clovers).  Truth is, I refuse to put chemicals on our lawn, yes for environmental reasons. So it will remain a playground while we are here. Today this bunny seemed to know we were watching and it was happy to perform for us.  SJ knows when we are watching him now too and he loves it.  As we are gazing at him in all his cuteness he will turn his head and catch our eye then give us the most adorable bashful smile.   Then we all giggle and continue watching his every move. ~A

June 6, 2012

Tip #1	Baby Blues
Yogurt bath. Doesn't that sound luxurious? It's not just a baby spa treatment for moisturizing that baby soft skin. It's also a good way to combat a yeast diaper rash (make sure the yogurt has all those good live active cultures. I like the Greek yogurt). Cleared BC's rash right up. He loves his yogurt baths. Well, as long as the yogurt isn't taken straight from the fridge... We learned to apply room temperature yogurt the hard way.  ~M	There is nothing like looking into those baby blues. I always wonder what he’s thinking as he studies this world of ours.  When he looks at me and smiles with a look of deep love, I melt.   He looks to me for everything and trusts me to take care of everything.  Of course I realize how fleeting it can be when one of my teenagers comes into the room asking for something then turns around with a roll of the eyes at my answer.  Today when SJ and I picked up his older brother from the airport after spending a week away with my mom.  Both SJ and I received the biggest most loving hugs (it seems he missed us all).  When my 6’ son put his arms around me, hugged me with a look of deep love in his eyes,  and said, “hi momma!” I melted! ~A

June 5, 2012

Gulp	Two Months
Today I held my breath and swallowed hard; I was walking out the door without my son. I went to work for 3 hours today. Left BC with my mom. This was the first time we'd been apart for more than 20 minutes since he was born.  It was a difficult first step in what will eventually be my full-time return to the workforce. 3 hours today, 4 hours tomorrow... Baby steps. Baby steps for me and for my baby because, you see, this was also the first time he'd been apart from me for more than 20 minutes since he was born. It probably was harder on me than on him. He was asleep when I left and seemed happy when I returned. He even drank from a bottle the 2 ounces of Mama Milk I left for him. I was hoping my mom wouldn't need it, although I should have known better. BC is quite the eater.  Seeing that empty bottle broke my heart a little. Of course, he latched right onto me when I got home and nursed there happily for an hour. That's one way to fix heartbreak.  ~M	Today SJ is officially two months old.  He is starting to look more like a baby and not so much a newborn.  Sigh… It seems to be going so fast.  I am aware that the world is expecting me to get stuff done, but I really just want to continue nesting for as long as I can. I started this day rushing around to get to various places, boys to a play date, daughter off to babysitting, haircut, grocery store and an important meeting for a friend… all in all I’m fighting to hang on to this “babymoon” as long as I possibly can while outside forces are tugging on me. On our way home from a very eventful day, over the stressed out dialogue in my head, I heard my nine year old say, “Mom, the baby needs deslobbered! Can I do it?” Yeah, I needed that laugh. ~A

June 4th, 2012

6 Weeks Later	One of Those Days…
BC had his six week appointment today with our midiwfe, Penny. He's gained 6 lbs and grown 3 in. since birth. So it may take me a while to loose all my pregnancy weight. Meh. Give me another month and I'll have biceps of steel! ~M	I should have known this day wasn’t starting out the way I had hoped.  Lots of chaos in the world trying to interrupt my babymoon.  Here are two good reasons I would have rather stayed in bed today!
	~A

First Meeting

Born just nineteen days apart and sure to be best buds. Well, at least their mothers are sure that they will... Here they are at their first meeting: SJ is 5 weeks, BC is 2 weeks. 

Picture Day!

BC's Picture Day	SJ’s Picture Day
When BC was one week to the day my husband and I took him across town to have his newborn pictures taken - Baby Glamor Shots. One nursing, two diapers, several rockings, three backgrounds, one hat, one tie, one bow tie, and 3 1/2 hours later we called it a wrap. I mean, I know he's my kid and all but, my goodness, he is precious.  ~M P.S. The photographer was absolutely amazing! Check her out at http://www.lillybugphotography.com.	Four days after SJ was born I ventured out to meet up with my favorite photographer and friend.  The fact that I probably shouldn’t have been driving didn’t matter as I couldn’t wait for Rachel to meet SJ. I loved watching Rachel work. I left my time with her inspired.  Not only had she captured amazing photos of our little man but in the process she made me feel really good about myself as a woman who, in my forties, just birthed my fifth child.   What a gift! Check out Rachel’s work at http://rachelvanoven.com/ ~A