Adventures with Miles and Ivy

A Quick Update

2011-12-19T21:19:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post a quick update of my life and times. I finished my Arkansas adventure on a different blog. Wordpress has an easier mobile ap format so I used it instead. If you are interested you can read that side project here.

I've been blogging for a Children's book publisher called Red Piggy Press. I'm doing a post and illustration about once a week. You can check that out by visiting and following Red Piggy Press

Christmas is coming fast and things here are in a blur of activities. In the past week we've been to the snow at Sea World, the snow at Lego Land (twice), night zoo, several parties, lots of shopping, baking and visiting with friends.

Miles is so excited for Christmas, but that excitement is already being overshadowed by the excitement of his upcoming birthday in mid January. There's a lot of excitement around here. Ivy is just along for the ride happy to be happy and running all over the place into everything. Basically being one.

I'm sad this blog has been left to dwindle, but with all my side projects and running the show with 2 children under 5, I've got my work cut out for me. It's easier to post all the little insights on Facebook- and I do. But I'll continue to update here when I can- even if to point you in another direction.

Adventures in Arkansas day #1

2011-09-30T12:55:00.001-07:00

We finally made it to Arkansas after a long and stressful, but uneventful day of travel. Miles did awesome all day, as I expected. He was great on the plane, in the airport and fell asleep immediately in the rental SUV, sleeping almost until we arrived. Ivy was a bit more challenging on the plane, but nursed and slept more than I expected, making for a pretty easy flight.

The landscape here is beautiful, even in Fayetteville. They have had their share of rain the past few months so things are lush and green, even in the beginning of Fall. The land is thick with trees. When Miles first awoke in the car on the way here, every time we passed trees he would holler, "Look! Forest!". But quickly realize it's all forest here, at least compared to San Diego.

Doris has turned her home into a Bed and Breakfast for us. She has provided us with the master bedroom, even emptying out some drawers and making room in her closet. Miles has his own room, complete with toys.

When we arrived last night Doris has made an amazing crockpot roast with carrots and potatoes. It was so good, and we ate and ate, even Ivy ate the carrots and potatoes. It was the first real meal we'd had all day, and with the food choices on the way here, seemingly all fast, drive thru choices, the meal was much appreciated.

Keith had one of Keeley's home brews that she left here for him. The drinking water is literally from a stream in the Ozarks that Keeley provides for her Mom. You can taste the minerals. It's wonderful. All the eggs are fresh from Keeley's flock. It's just like home! Well, at least the eggs will be.

After dinner we took a quick walk down the neatly manicured streets, lined with conservative brick houses. We discovered a gorgeous park just a block or two down the street with a walking trail. This morning we'd like to see where that walking trail leads.

Last night we went outside to get something from the car and I was dumbstruck by the stars! Even here in "town" (I say it in quote, because I haven't really seen any town as I know it yet) the stars are so bright! Miles came out and we just stood there, in our pajamas, mouths hanging open and discussed whether we needed apps to tell us what stars were what, or if we just wanted to soak it all in. In the end we just soaked it in. I can't wait to see the Ozark sky, if that's the normal night sky.

It seems we'll have beautiful weather here in which to explore Arkansas. Mid-70's and sunny during the day and 40's at night. This morning I sat by the bed keeping watch on sleeping Ivy, so she wouldn't fall out of the bed. Now I'm enjoying Doris' famous coffee. She remembered I drink decaf and had a little coffee pot of decaf just for me. I think it's going to be a great day!

I finally found a wifi coffee shop, an awesome place called Mama Carmen's where you coffee helps orphans somehow... You can read the whole backstory online. So I'm going to call this first blog away from home success and go enjoy my coffee and chocolate coconut bar. Cheers!

Julian Grape Stomp at the Menghini Winery

2011-09-03T21:41:00.000-07:00

9/3/11: I really needed a day where everything was good. Today was that day, given the circumstances. First, let me say, that Keith is sick. Flu-like. I wanted to keep the kids far away from him, for one, so he could rest, and for two- so he wouldn’t spread the illness.

This morning I checked online to see what fun was happening around here and I saw the Menghini Winery was having a grape stomp in Julian. Miles loves the mountains. Partially because he always believes it will be snowing and partially (I think) because he loves nature and to be outdoors. I complained to Keith this morning that no one would go with me to the grape stomp and Miles shouted, “I’ll go with you!” and so it was.

I packed a bag like we might not come home. Extra clothes, food, blankets, tons of water and sunblock, even a bathing suit- just in case.

By the time we got up there the sun was shining a hot 93 degrees. I had packed the BOB, two beach chairs and a blanket. I loaded up the stroller with all our gear and wore Ivy in the Ergo. We maneuvered through the crowd and I managed to grab a tri-tip sandwich and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. We set up near the bounce house in the shade and Miles ran off to go wild with the children. The band was in full swing, and just behind me, one of the traffic directors was joining in on his harmonica, collaborating with the band.

It was lovely. Ivy played on the blanket, I ate with both hands (you Moms of babies know what I’m talking about) and sipped my wine from a lovely souvenir glass. Finally with much fan fair, the grapes arrived via tractor to fill the giant stomp barrels. Miles saw the grapes being delivered and immediately ran to be first in line for the stomp. Buckets and tubs of grapes were dumped in by men in bright yellow security jackets and farmer hats. Miles stood at the edge of the barrel, toes gripping the sides in extreme excitement and anticipation. Finally, the grapes were blessed and the stomping commenced.

There were squeals of delight, and disgust from both the adult barrel and the children’s barrel. Just as the juice was flying the band started in with, “That’s Amore” and the crowed spontaneously erupted in song. It was magical. I even dipped Ivy’s toes in the grapes so she could join in the fun.

After Miles and Ivy were literally hosed off we went next door to the Apple orchard for some U-Pick apples. We filled a bag and then headed into historic Julian for some shopping and pie.

Once walking down the street I saw the horse and carriage and asked the driver, “How much?” I’ve always wanted to do that and always assumed it was too much. Well, this time it just seemed appropriate, so we arranged to ride into the country in horse and buggy for a half hour. Listening to the clop clop clop of the horse’s hooves hit the pavement and searching for the deer in the foliage that the driver pointed out made the ride seem that much more worth it. Miles snuggled into me and Ivy laughed at nothing for awhile before settling into nurse for a nap.

Once back in town, we hit up some art galleries and antique stores. Of course we did some damage at the Cider Mill and then The Julian Pie Company for some famous natural apple pie.

It was just about 4pm and I didn’t want Miles to fall asleep in the car just yet. We entertained each other with a game of “I Spy” until we came up to Lake Cuyamaca. I parked and once again loaded up the stroller with all our gear. We found a shady spot by the lakes edge in which to lounge. Miles sprinkled duck food into the lake and Ivy played on the blanket while I gazed at the lake, satisfied in the effort of being there. Miles befriended the family next to us in hopes that Dad would let him fish some- but it didn’t happen.

We played until the sun was falling behind the trees and finally packed it up to go home. Both kids fell asleep in the car listening to Andrew Bird, without a peep. (Amazing for Ivy- she has trouble sleeping in the car).

I would say, it’s been a fantastic day. I really hope Miles will be able to remember some of the amazing experiences he’s having on our little spontaneous adventures.

Less TV is More

2011-08-31T09:32:00.000-07:00

8/31/11: We are now in full swing of our new life with Ivy. She is a full participant and we are all so happy she’s here. She’s crawling fast and pulling herself up on everything- trying to walk at 9.5 months. She’s still a happy girl and has managed to smile through getting her first 3 teeth.

Miles and I are adjusting to sharing our time together with a new person. I used the TV as a crutch through the latter half of my pregnancy and through her first months, but now there are some big and exciting changes happening. This is my last year with Miles at home and I really want it to be fantastic. Our first major change is to reduce that TV crutch. It’s a good time to do it. Ivy’s older and can participate more and play more and Keith isn’t traveling out of town quite so much, at least for now.

I am starting a Home Ec. and Art class in the morning at home. He is full of creative energy and is ready to be directed and encouraged. Today we made Raisin Bran muffins. He did all the measuring, pouring and mixing. He helped chop the raisins, and put the batter in the cups. He basically did it all, just with a little help from me with reading, etc. The muffins were great and we brought them to his teachers with a little jar of the strawberry preserves that we made earlier this week. I think he was really proud.

While the muffins were in the oven, he asked to play a game on the iPad. I said let’s play legos or draw- he went to his room and found an old am/fm radio and put on some piano music (turned out to be gospel) and came into the kitchen, took my hand and asked me to dance. We used to dance all the time when he was a baby/toddler. Before TV. I want that back! I’m getting it back!

There have been some things that I’ve been whining about for a while now and it’s time I took some control, made things a little harder but more beautiful and went for it. I’m so glad I am- I’m seeing more of my little boy and less TV zombie. I had no idea it would make such a huge difference. I really didn’t! But now I’m hooked on no TV.

Relax

2011-06-15T09:28:00.000-07:00

6/15/2011
Sometimes I think it’s easier to just relax. Let go. Have the tide of life come up and sweep you away. Don’t struggle against it, you’ll only sink deeper- just enjoy the ride.

In the end, do I want my kids to remember what a clean house I kept, what elaborate meals? Or do I want them to remember that time I crawled around on the floor shot tiny cannons and talked like a pirate for hours.

This is not to say that I don’t want a clean floor space to do that, but that idea, of a clean floor space is a little bit like chasing rainbows when you have two small children, a rabbit and 3 chickens.

So I’m going to sigh, and give in, when Ivy wants only to nap pressed close to me with my boob pressed up against her cheek. And I’m going to remember these days, through pictures and blog posts when she’s running out the door to meet friends at a movie...or moving into her dorm *gulp* in what feels like only a few short years.

Up Too Early To Think Clearly

2011-01-08T06:07:00.000-08:00

1/8/2011: Funny things are happening in 2011. Like, time is shifting. My usual daylight hours days are gone. Now I sleep when I can, sometimes going to bed after 11pm, staying up late to do the things that take two hands. Then, I’m up before dawn, compelled to get up and do things like fold laundry, sip coffee, tidy up the living room.

I say “tidy up” the living room because it feels so housewife. Being a Mom of two is interesting. When you first become a Mom, it’s not the day you give birth necessarily. It takes time to sink in. It takes months of adjustment and struggle. It’s difficult to give up your old ways and routines. It’s painful even.

When the second baby comes along it’s different. You’re already used to doing less for you and more for others. But now there’s even less time for you. It’s hard to carve out time and space to be yourself. And knowing who you really are- well, that’s hard to say.

I feel like I’m being negative. But really I like to think I’m a glass half full kind of gal. It’s not bad. Just different. I love being a Mom of 2. It’s also fun to see how it’s shaping and changing Miles. See?! I did it again- I was talking about me, but then I went to Miles...Oh, Ivy just woke up so I guess my too early morning musings and ramblings are done for now. Maybe I can go back to sleep before everyone wakes up.

Birth Story

2010-12-14T15:50:00.000-08:00

12/14/10: Well, Ivy will be 4 weeks tomorrow if you can believe it! I want to write my birth story before it’s a distant memory.

We were induced at UCSD starting on the 16th (Ivy’s due date). I was on the Labor and Delivery floor instead of in the birth center but I still had natural friendly nurses and was with the Midwives.

They started the pitocin around 5pm. Keith and I kicked back, listened to some jazz, and played Yahtzee until the surges became more noticeable. I called in our doula, Care Messer at about 6pm because I really expected things to go quickly. They didn’t. At least not as quick as I expected when I expected. We all just sat around talking until about 10pm when Keith decided to take a nap. Care and I talked and I listened to my hypnobirthing scripts off and on. Care massaged my feet and walked me through the surges as they got stronger. I was mostly on the birthing ball through the whole labor. I would walk a little just to mix it up. Whenever I decided to get into bed the surges were way more intense so I decided early on to stay off my back. This went on until about 4am when I decided it was time to wake up Keith. I was afraid he would miss the whole thing. I was having more intense surges and Care was talking me through them, helping me to stay as relaxed as possible and she told me to try “shhhhing” through the hard parts. I kept sobbing and shhhing through the surges. Around this time I was kind of moaning/screaming and Care was trying to keep my pitch low and relaxed.

The midwife finally came in at about 5am and checked me. I was really disappointed to learn I was only 7 cm dilated but 100% effaced. They asked if I wanted them to break my water and I said yes, given I was still worried the water would break and the cord would slip out. So, they broke my water.

Afterward, I got up and went to the bathroom, the surges were right on top on on another and I was having trouble standing and walking. I was almost back to the birthing ball when I had a surge and tried to lean on Care. I was afraid I was leaning too hard on her and she asked Keith if he wanted to step in. I was leaning on Keith, dance partner style and I started to feel Ivy’s head. I was screaming that she was coming and screaming for help. Care and Keith were trying to get me to the ball but I yelled I couldn’t sit down. Care reached down and felt Ivy’s head and yelled, “She’s crowing!” the nurse ran out of the room to bring the midwife back. I heard later the midwife didn’t believe Ivy was ready and said she was going to make a note in the chart and be right there- but then she heard me screaming and decided to come and check. I think they basically dragged me to the bed where I collapsed sideways. Half on, half off the bed the midwives and nurses held my legs and told me to push. I pushed once and Ivy’s head popped out. One more push and she was all the way out and immediately on my chest. It was 5:14am. She was 9 pounds 10 ounces and 22 inches long.

We waited for the cord to stop pulsing and Keith cut it. Ivy immediately latched on and nursed for about 45 minutes. Her blood sugar was low so they wanted to supplement with formula but I convinced them to wait and check it again after she nursed. She was fine. I was able to hold her for a couple hours before they took her to weigh her and poke her some more. She had a few tests and we were at the hospital for 3 days waiting on test results and waiting for her weight to come back up. We had to jump through a lot of hoops to prove I could feed her. They would weigh her naked, have me nurse and then weigh her immediately after. They had me pump and then nurse her while syringing the expressed milk into her mouth so they could see she was getting it. She was gaining slowly so after we made a next day Doctor appointment to check her weight and they finally agreed to let us take her home.

She’s been awesome ever since. Growing fast. Nursing constantly. Sleeping well. She’s a pretty mellow baby, I think. Not that it’s not a ton more work. Having two is crazy harder than one. There’s rarely a moment that I’m not needed, that no one is on me or needed me for something. But there’s so much joy that it’s all worth it.

We’ve been out and about pretty much immediately, but it’s getting even easier to get around. Today we took our first hike with Ivy and Miles in Mission Trails. it was a beautiful December day in the 70s and clear. Miles did great and it was wonderful to see him back in nature and so in his element. Ivy did great in the Ergo baby carrier/front pack. She basically slept and/or nursed through the whole hike. I’m so looking forward to more adventures with the both of them as Ivy becomes more aware of her surroundings and her awesome little personality begins to really shine.

Best Start Birth Center vs. UCSD Medical Center- My Experience

2010-11-12T16:36:00.000-08:00

11/12/10: Although Ivy has yet to be born, I want to write a little about my experience with Best Start Birth Center in San Diego verses UCSD Birth Center and Medical Center.

I switched from UCSD Midwives to Best Start because I was woo’d by the Bed and Breakfast, boutique feel of Best Start. Also, I really wanted the opportunity to labor and deliver in water and Best Start has beautiful tubs for water birth.

When I first visited Best Start I was told not to worry about money or insurance. That turned out to not be true- kind of. My 3rd visit there I was handed a bill for “pre-payment” of the birth. They had called my insurance and discovered we have a deductible and wanted me to pay it up front to the sum of approximately $2400.00. I had to make many stressful phone calls to my insurance, to Bonnie in billing at Best Start, and to my husband’s work to get it all straightened out. I was really uncomfortable with paying for services not yet rendered. In the end I didn’t make any payments. Thankfully.

I had a couple visits with Midwife Ruth, who is all business. She comes in, seems nervous, measures you and listens to the heartbeat without any conversation and fuss and is out of the room before you can think of your questions. Visits with Ruth were under 15 minutes from the time you walked in the front door.

Then I saw Susan, the head Midwife. She is very motherly and always has a big smile on her face. She seemed to be the most relaxed and confident midwife I met with. Unfortunately, she was the one monitoring my blood glucose levels and she knows next to nothing about diet and carbs. At one visit she saw an elevated value on my sheet and saw I had a cup of chili with cheese and sour cream. She commented that cheese and sour cream would elevate my blood sugar when actually, those things are virtually carb free and I’m sure it was the beans in the chili that elevated my blood sugar. I also had been faxing my blood values to her once a week for several weeks and never heard a word about them until I was about 37 weeks. Then suddenly, I was scrutinized and calculated every time I walked in the door. They were suddenly very concerned about my values being abnormal, although I was completely in their own range of normal. They had a very punitive and negative attitude about it. Very black and white. I would explain why a fasting value was inaccurate and they would count it anyway. It made no sense. They also suddenly changed the values by which I should be testing against from 130 an hour after a meal to 120. They enlisted a new dietitian midwife who seemed to understand things, but I only had a phone interview with her- and she apparently didn’t note our conversation because when I went back in for my appointment I would get the same scrutiny with the calculator from a midwife who wasn’t trained in this area…It was the classic case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing and it put me on the defensive at each stressful appointment.

Then I met midwife Brook. She was very conservative and negative. She would make comments about how “this is exactly what we don’t want to see” when reviewing my ultrasound- before she knew that it was all within normal. It was as if they were searching for a reason to risk me out. She told me the head to tummy ratio was borderline and my amniotic fluid levels were too high. She said my baby was 8 pounds and she thought a “big baby was better born early” and offered to “stimulate my cervix” which I had to ask, actually meant she wanted to strip my membranes at the beginning of 38 weeks. I almost let her but we managed to walk out of there intact. Scared, but intact.

My next appointment was with midwife Ashley. She is really sweet and informative but unfortunately just as scared and uncomfortable with Gestational Diabetes as the rest of the midwives were. She told me that my amniotic fluid was potentially at dangerous levels and if my water broke that the cord could slip out with the fluid resulting in a prolapsed cord. She told me this and then sent me home telling me she was going to do a phone consult with an OB at UCSD to see what the protocol was for something like that. She said the earliest she would call me was the next afternoon. Needless to say, I went home thinking that at any minute my baby was going to die because of too much fluid. I was paranoid that my water would break and I would have to call 911.

After a long and very sleepless night my husband and I decided to go pull our records from Best Start and go back to UCSD where I wouldn’t be such an anomaly. When I called Ashley the next day to give her a heads up we were coming, she was very concerned and sweet and felt bad that I had worried, etc. She told me the Doctors at UCSD would want to induce me at 39 weeks because of the gestational diabetes. So, I worried about that needlessly until I finally met with the OBs at UCSD.

The staff at UCSD are experts in all births and pregnancy not just the “perfect” ones. It turns out that my amniotic fluid is on the high end of normal, and not a concern at all to UCSD. According to UCSD I am controlling my glucose levels well, with diet alone. According to UCSD, no one really looks at the ratio of head to shoulder anymore as it proves not to make a difference in studies. All my abnormalities at Best Start were perfectly normal at UCSD. In fact, the OB told me as of that visit there was no reason I shouldn’t be seeing the midwives at UCSD if I wanted to. AND they wouldn’t induce me until 41 weeks (not 39) because everything was going well. Wow. What a difference.

I finally didn’t feel like I needed to prove myself or be risked out last minute. We had another ultrasound today to see Ivy’s size and she is big. Somewhere around 9 pounds is their guess. So ultimately I may be with an OB and not a midwife. But as long as I’m in the capable hands of UCSD staff, I know I’ll be fine. They are confident, secure, relaxed, medical professionals and I know they will also honor my wishes for a natural birth as much as is safe and possible. I haven’t met anyone at UCSD that I was uncomfortable with yet.

So, I’m glad I switched to Best Start and back, because had I not, I would have always wondered if I was just too chicken to have a “home birth” experience. But I am so relieved and happy to be birthing at UCSD.

I’m now 39.5 weeks. I’ll be 40 weeks on Tuesday November 16th. I have another midwife appointment on Tuesday, so we’ll see what the verdict is on induction vs. waiting and birth center vs. labor and delivery. At this point I am totally open to whatever comes. I know I can make any environment a safe and comfortable one since I am armed with Hypnobirthing skills and knowledge of what I want and don’t want. If things become medically necessary, then I can re-evaluate my situation as it occurs.

It’s all been a big lesson in living in the moment and not wasting my worry on things that have not yet happened.

I’m super excited to finally have Ivy in my arms and I know it’s going to be soon- maybe tonight? But definitely before Thanksgiving. I’ll be thankful to not be pregnant any more! I can’t wait until all this seems like a meaningless blip in a long journey to a healthy baby and welcome addition to our family.

I included a sweet picture from last night of Miles roasting marshmallows in our backyard. We are so lucky to have such a sweet and loving boy.

Remembering to Breathe

2010-11-01T17:20:00.000-07:00

11/1/10: I haven’t been getting very good quality sleep- and not much of it- so I may be a little more short tempered than normal. Today Miles wasn’t listening to me (probably from his own lack of sleep due to Halloween festivities) and I raised my voice and acted frustrated with him. He responded by saying, “Why are you so mad today? You need to take a deep breath like this…” he breathes deep. “Like the “Angry Octopus.””

I stopped and looked at him and said you’re right, and took a deep breath. He seemed so proud of himself. I told him I was sorry for being short tempered but that I wasn’t sleeping well (being 38 weeks pregnant and all). I also told him he could help me by listening the first time I asked him to do something. So we made a deal.

I was so proud of him for reminding me to breathe. I can't believe that came from a 3 year old. I’m so glad the “Angry Octopus” story has helped him recognize and deal with anger in such a positive way too. Although, I like to think I have something to do with his thoughtful attitude. It was seriously a day changer for me.

35 Weeks and counting

2010-10-09T14:59:00.000-07:00

10/9/10: We are getting closer to the big day when we invite Ivy into the family and introduce her to the world. Miles is so ready for a little sister, even pointing out cute babies when we are out and about.

When we go to sleep at night Miles will snuggle with my tummy saying, “I need Ivy.” He makes her a part of just about everything. He announces to cashiers, people at the park and just about anyone that he “Has an Ivy.” Or That “Mommy has an Ivy in her tummy.” I always have to come in and explain what he’s talking about.

We are not quite as ready as Miles is. We still need to pack a bag, (I’m about 35 weeks now) put the car seat in the car, get all her gear set up and gather all our loaned out carriers, etc. Keith’s travel schedule has been tougher than we expected for this late in the pregnancy, and I’m just getting over a cold. So hopefully after next week things will be a bit smoother and I’ll have a little more help getting ready

The baby shower is tomorrow and I’m so excited to see everyone. Some people attending I will have barely seen through this pregnancy. My friend Jenny is hosting at my Mom’s house with a lot of help from all my other good friends and family. I’m sure it’s going to be gorgeous.

Life These Days

2010-07-29T19:09:00.000-07:00

I wish I updated more these days but life is hectic with a 3.5 year old. Seems much of the downtime I do I either spend resting or crocheting- which is really just productive resting.

I did find time to complete a new painting of Miles this week. I was really getting the itch so I chunked out some time for me. I was inspired to try something more whimsical- which I have a little trouble with, but thought I'd give it a try. Here's what I came up with.

Miles is an amazing story teller. He has a very vivid imagination and often incorporates outer space in his stories. He loves rockets, robots and fire balls. He knows the names of the planets and even some of the colors of the plants. He has an uncanny sense of direction and will tell me where to turn even when 5 miles or more from our home. There's no tricking him anymore and driving until he falls asleep because he'll keep telling me I'm lost.

He's very excited to be a big brother. He tells everyone he meets that his Mommy has an "Ivy" in her tummy. He greets her the morning and several times throughout the day, kisses my stomach as if she is already here. He talks to her and sometimes even talks for her. Which is to-die-for cute. He's also very tolerant of me these days with my slow movement, low energy and back pain complaints. He amazes me with his adaptability.

Keith and I are taking Hypnobirthing classes with Care Messer in preparation for Ivy's arrival. To learn more about it you can go here: http://sandiegohypnobirth.com/hypnobirth.html The classes just started but so far I am excited by the prospect of a "Pure Birth". I am very optimistic that this pregnancy, labor and delivery will be very different than the last. Although I suppose that's pretty much guaranteed whether I want it or not. I'm preparing this time. Pretty exciting.

Ivy makes an appearance

2010-06-23T19:17:00.000-07:00

6/23/10: It’s time I write a little bit bout this pregnancy-#2! I re-read some of this blog- the early days of pregnancy with Miles and I was so glad I documented it since I remember zilch.

I’m about 19-20 weeks already! Half way to the finish line! We had out big ultrasound today and discovered we are having a little girl. She was very active and quite cooperative today so we got a ton of great pictures of her and we just watched in awe as our ultrasound tech tried to capture each heart valve and measured each long femur. She doesn’t look like Miles did at his ultrasound- as much as you can say that with a fuzzy, blurry black and white photo that looks slightly skeletal.

So a quick catch up of this pregnancy so far. I had some morning sickness this go around that I didn’t have with Miles. I was dead tired for about a month and a half, but now I’m mostly back to my old self- energy wise. I have the usual complaints of interrupted sleep and achy hips and back but I really can’t complain. I’m hopeful that I can avoid some of the medical intervention that was required with Miles. Like, no hospitalization, medication or bed-rest please! I’ve been trying to keep up an exercise routine, well, at least a little, and I’m trying to keep my weight gain under control with mixed success. It could be worse.

I have started to feel Ivy move around, but only sometimes. Not consistently. Oh, yeah, we like “Ivy” for a first name so now we can try it out. Not set on a middle name yet, but leaning toward Caleah.

Miles is very excited about being a big brother and talks about it all the time. He kisses my tummy often during the day and before night and talks about the baby putting things she shouldn’t in her mouth. He’s already tattle telling! The other day he told me the baby would travel down my leg and come out my foot. Although, if you ask him seriously where the baby will come out he points to my crotch- so he has enough of an idea. We have many books that explain the whole pregnancy/birth process in detail that he can understand.

So I’m looking forward to moving smoothly along with this pregnancy and trying to keep a calm uterus, as opposed to an irritable one (like last time)!

Chicken Crazy

2010-06-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

For Mother's day Miles and Keith got me 3 chicks. We have been having a lot of fun with them, but they are getting big fast and need a coop! So we have been spending all our free time and more money than we have trying to get a gorgeous coop together in the backyard. We moved our gazebo to the deck (where it's getting much more use) and we have started construction.

While we were painting Miles kept saying, "Everyone is going to love this! Daddy will be so happy!" His enthusiasm is infectious.

Miles has been involved from day one. He helped me pick the chicks, he has been helping with the construction. He is getting to be such a very grown up boy!
The coop is still unfinished of course, but we are making progress however slowly.

San Diego Wild Animal Park

2010-04-24T17:44:00.001-07:00

4/24/10: We went to the Wild Animal Park today. The butterfly exhibit is still on and was more amazing than I anticipated. It felt a little magical. Miles loved it. My sister took this amazing picture.

Miles is talking up a storm. He loves to tell stories about the adventures of Miles and Scooby Doo. Miles loves Scooby. He’ll start by asking me to “read” him a Scooby story but after a few sentences he takes over, talking fast and very animated, usually ending with Scooby and Miles in a Rocketship going through a meteor shower. It’s wonderful. He also draws rockets over and over. He’s still rocket/space obsessed.

Spring Planting and Weaning

2010-03-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

3/22/10: We are getting ready for Spring!

We have completed our paper pots, planted seeds and watered every day. Now we are finally seeing some results! Most of the seeds have sprouted so it’s time to get their permanent home ready. I bought some worm castings and some organic planting mix to till into the planter box. I also admired my friend’s amazing results after she put in a soaker hose last year, so this year I am copying her. I just planted the soaker hose today. The seeds aren’t quite ready to go in the ground yet, but soon. The artichoke in this picture is from one of the four artichoke plants in my front yard.

This year we have basil, red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce (I know it’s late for lettuce in SD, but I had to try), big and little tomatoes, garden beans, carrots, pumpkins and decorative birdhouse gourds. I think that’s it. Hopefully we’ll at least get some tomatoes! We did pumpkins 2 years ago and it was awesome. I really regretted not doing it last year.

I didn’t post the following post because I didn’t feel like it. But I will now. I think it’s important to do what’s right for your child and your family, without regard to what other people think. It’s not their child, right? Miles nursed for a few minutes this morning although I’m pretty sure I don’t have any milk anymore. He nurses about once every couple weeks for a few minutes. Sometimes I tell him no and sometimes I let him. When people ask, I say I just weaned him. Which to me, is true, considering every time he nurses I’m pretty sure it’s the last time. Ah well, he won't be my baby for much longer and I’m sucking every last minute out of it. Excuse the pun. Here’s the post…

2/24/10:
So- I let him nurse this morning. Not that I plan on going back to an every day thing, and I did restrict him- once he started to play he was done. I do get tremendous pressure to wean from family, etc...But I also feel so torn, cause it's 3 weeks later and he STILL asks for it every day. I feel so bad that I didn't let him wean himself. So now- on occasion, if I want to, I'm going to let him nurse. I guess it's a step back, but I feel like it's the right thing to do. And I'm hoping maybe he just never asks for it again. I must say- we've had the most pleasant morning ever this morning. He helped me make breakfast, keeps telling me how much he loves me, helped me with dishes, got dressed without a fight, let me brush his hair and cut his bangs, and brush his teeth for a long time. It's been awesome. Now he's letting me write you all this crap! I just feel like it was a right decision. Maybe things just aren't as black and white as I thought with weaning. I guess it's a longer process. Which really makes sense considering he's nursed his whole life. It's a huge transition.

The other thing I'm dong is being more restrictive of sweets and TV time. Which is necessary and good, and has positive results.

Miles goes to Pre-School

2010-02-19T17:19:00.000-08:00

2/19/10: Miles started a pre-school class the second week of February. It’s more of a play school. It’s a kind of a Reggio Emilia approach to pre-school that is play/creative based learning. And best of all, we can almost afford it!

So he goes to school now 5 hours a week. Whoo hoo! I get to go to the gym and run all the errands that Miles doesn’t exactly enjoy. He gets to socialize and figure out who he is without his mommy right there! He likes it, I like it. We’ve never had any real tears although he does ask me to stay with him. And after the first class he asked if I was mad at him. Yikes! He didn’t quite get why I was leaving him there. But already he is interested in what time it is, how to spell his name and he has muttered some interesting phrases that Keith and I don’t know where he picked them up, if not pre-school.

Today, for example; Me: “Miles you need to wear a jacket.” Miles, “Jacket?! Count me out!” Whaaaa?!! I don’t know where he got that. Then today, I’m reading a book called “Stuff White People Like”, by Christian Lander and Miles says, “Mommy, Don’t call me Whitey…” Again. Whaaa?! I even asked him to say it again. And I have no idea where he would get that…Unless he’s been talking to my neighbor Alfredo. ;)

Well, I’ve always said at this age pre-school is more for socialization than academics. I guess he’s getting an education one way or another!

A Snowy Stay in Idyllwild With A Crazy Three Year Old

2010-01-31T20:48:00.000-08:00

It's funny, everyone told me that 3 years old is more difficult than 2 years old. And I thought, that can't possibly be. Two was hard. But Three is turning out to have it's own special challenges.

Miles is really asserting his independence and his desire to make his own decisions about what to wear, where to go or not go, when and what to eat, etc. We try to give him choice but usually he wants something outside of what is reasonable and healthy. We're really having to choose our battles.

Like with the snow suit today. I wanted to go for another hike in Humber Park and when we had gone the day before, Miles was is more casual play clothes and froze his butt off. So I decided to assert that he would wear the snow suit we borrowed for him so he would be comfortable in the snow. He was not having it. We're back to feeling like he needs to do what we say because we said so- and trying to decide if it's worth it. In the end we did give in and he wore his regular snow clothes, but we didn't go on our hike. In fact, after a short time of playing outside we put him in the car to go on our hike and he peed his pants. Which almost never happens anymore. So we had to bring him out to change him and he completely refused to put his pants on at all. Seriously, unable to force the pants on him without hurting him or ourselves.

So, we went home instead of our hike, pants-less. It's just insane. The intense emotions and tantrums that overshadow his normal personality. I think he's going through a growing spurt or something though. He naps about every other day. Completely unpredictable. I'm trying to encourage him to wean. There's a lot of change going on for him right now.

Toddler Led Weaning

2010-01-05T07:18:00.000-08:00

1/5/09: Today Miles woke up asking if it was okay to have numnums. I said sure. He nursed for a second and then wanted to switch sides. (we aren’t nursing much at all these days). He stopped nursing on the other side and I asked if there was any milk in there. He said no. He said he was going to go “to outer space in a rocket ship and fill his big boy boobies with milk and my big girl boobies with milk.” I’m sorry, but how cute is that!? This toddler led weaning has some benefits. I love knowing what he is thinking!

The picture is from our recent trip to my Dad's in Lodi.

Money, Smarts, and Mission Trails

2009-11-19T17:34:00.000-08:00

11/19/09: We opened Miles' first savings account today. He had saved $47 and change in his piggy banks over the last (almost) 3 years. He brought his huge bag of money and coins to the teller and said, “ Savings account please!” He’s getting pretty smart, and crafty.

For example yesterday, Miles was playing with a balloon in the living room. It was just a regular blow up balloon. There was a lot of static electricity in the air and the balloon stuck to the ceiling. Miles called that he needed help and I was busy in the kitchen so he announced that he had an idea and left for a minute. He came back with a broom and held up the handle tall enough to knock the balloon off the ceiling. I thought that was pretty clever for a 2.5 year old.

We went to Mission Trails yesterday with some friends. One of the other Moms thought to bring all the kids magnifying glasses to look for bugs and tracks. Miles thought that was the best idea ever and used it to look for shoe prints, ants and leaves. It was a wonderful hike, despite Miles taking his shoes off every few minutes and insisting I carry him the last half of the way back...

Lake Cuyamaca and Other Adventures

2009-11-08T20:00:00.000-08:00

11/8/09: I started reading The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com) to Miles tonight. I was thinking we could do a chapter a night- if he was up to it. I wasn’t sure if he was way too young to sit through a chapter book. Well, he’s not! In fact, after the first chapter he wanted another, so we read 2 chapters and plan on the 3rd tomorrow. I’m so excited to be able to read a real book to him- something interesting and beautiful. When we get to large words like, “illumination” and “agitated” we briefly discuss them- or I give him examples of the meaning. Anyway, it was nice, and an added benefit, it seemed to make him really sleepy. Some of the books we usually read seem to actually wind him up, so this was a nice transition.

We had a busy weekend. We went to Lake Cuyamaca and rented a boat, paddled to the little island, and went on an easy hike. So beautiful. When we returned to the “mainland” Miles fed the ducks right out of his hand. He was thrilled. Then we made our way to Julian and walked for a while and had pie.

Today we went to Legoland for the first time. There are a lot of things to do for the little ones. Most of the rides had height requirements but there was so much else to do, like playgrounds, musical water fountains, trains, water games, etc…It was more fun than I had imagined it to be. I’m glad we finally went. Tomorrow we’ll be headed to the zoo again to catch up with a friend. I love the zoo walk. I’m trying to squeeze in as much walking as I can since that seems to be my only form of exercise right now.

Crocheting for a Craft Fair

2009-10-15T10:41:00.000-07:00

I've been invited to join a fine art and craft show. I'm planning on bringing some paintings to sell, as well as take orders for commissions, or at least give quotes. But I'd love to also sell some of my Amigurumi toys. So I've been crocheting like a mad woman trying to pull something together when the date is fast approaching- October 25th! Here's the flier and one of the dolls I will be selling.

Imagination Play

2009-10-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

10/7/09: Miles has a new friend named “Witch”. Miles says when she "comes home" Miles and she will "play blocks" and she will "eat his oatmeal". Miles also has a “big, BIG, BIG! tattoo of a monster” on his back, he says. Funny, I never noticed it.

Imagination play is coming on strong over the past week. I think that Halloween is pushing him, considering how much imagination is needed to make the leap into the season. This year has been a blast decorating the house and putting on wigs, wings, and hats from years past. We have spiders, real, imagined and rubber all over the house. Yesterday, I went to Target for pumpkin LED lights, more spiders and webs.

If all goes as planned, we’ll be robots from space this year. I’m still putting the costumes together in my mind. I’m not sure if spray paint and cardboard boxes will be used or if we will be more organic robots from space. Since I’ve never really seen one, the sky’s the limit. I prefer homemade costumes to the store bought ones. I think half the fun is making the costume. I’ll be sure to post pictures when it finally comes together.

Miles really does put the magic and fun into everything.

Danger at the YMCA

2009-09-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

Miles was jumping into the foam pit at the Santee Y in Tumbling class- all very normal- There was a new thing in the pit this big circular bolster thing and Miles was trying to jump on it. It was about as tall as he was so I was helping him jump on it. What I didn't see was there was a carabiner (a metal loop with a sprung or screwed gate- or closed hook) hanging from the side of the bolster. (I guess they hang the bolster from something?) So he jumped in, hit the side of the bolster and his nostril somehow got caught on the clip and he was hanging suspended from the hook by his nostril.

I saw his nose stretched so far that I thought it was his lip (cartoonishly far) and I jumped in the pit trying to hoist him up and take his nose off the hook/clamp. I couldn't see his face though and I was in a panic screaming, "Someone HELP me!" over and over. All these moms jumped in but were just getting in the way, meanwhile I'm sinking in the pit and trying to hold him up so he's not hanging from the nose. Finally a Dad (just home from Iraq- Yay!) jumped in calmed me and Miles down and magically unhooked Miles. (Thank you mystery hero!)

Blood rushed from his face and the instructor got him ice and advised me to take him to Urgent Care. I took him to Urgent Care who said he needed a specialist and possibly surgery to repair the inside of his nose and referred him to an ENT. The ENT (Dr. Keefe) said it was a miracle he wasn't more tore up and we were sent home to watch for infection. That's the short end of my day. I'm glad it's over. By the way Miles was a trooper through the whole thing. I'm pretty sure I cried more than he did. :) I can't wait to see if his nose is black and blue in the morning...

O'Dell's Organic Pear Farm

2009-09-27T13:02:00.000-07:00

9/26/09: One day recently, I was feeling like I needed to go on a drive and get out of SD. O’Dells Organic Farm in Julian was a wonderful place for Miles and I to escape to. The owners Camille & Carl gave us a very warm welcome and Camille took Miles around to see the goats, chickens and her Donkey, Dolly. Miles was able to pet the goats and pluck the farm fresh eggs right from their nests! He was in heaven. The reason we went was for some self picked organic pears, which were also wonderful, but turned out to be hardly the reason to visit. We left with bags of fresh fruit and a camera full of memories. We can’t wait to go back!

S. Carlsbad State Beach Camping

2009-09-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

9/26/09: Wow, I guess it’s been about a month since I updated. We have had a very busy summer- always on the go it seems. Miles is growing fast and talking more and more.

We went beach camping again at S. Carlsbad State Beach last week. That is the perfect little mini vacation for us and it was wonderful to spend some time together alone as a family. Keith has been working in LA and staying overnight quite a bit lately so we needed some bonding time. Miles is so at home in the dirt and muck. He loved playing in the ocean and staying up late with us by the fire. Sleep was a little difficult, but that was more because of Keith snoring than us all being so close in one full size air mattress. I love sleeping to the sound of the ocean, and snuggling with my family.

Are you still painting?

2009-08-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

I get that question a lot from people that haven't seen me in a while or since I had Miles. And YES! I am still painting. It's part of me, and luckily, I have been able to squeeze in even more painting since Miles' arrival.

I am a part of The San Diego Art Institute in Balboa Park, in San Diego, CA. They have juried shows every 6 weeks. You can submit a painting and if the juror approves it, then you're in the next show. They accept about 20% or what is submitted. So it's a real honor to get in.

I haven't submitted in a couple months since, honestly, the last few paintings I submitted were of Miles and were turned down. This time though, "Midnight Train" was accepted for exhibit. The show runs August 28th, thru October 4th 2009. The Opening night is Friday, September 4th 2009 from 6-8pm. They have food and wine and a lot of mingling- and people watching is great! I hope to see you all there, it's a fun night out. For more info on this even see my other web site www.bendystar.com

Love the love

2009-08-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

8/16/09: Getting Miles dressed, I’m on my knees on the floor of his room and he’s sitting on the edge of his bed- he gave me a kiss and a hug, then said “One More!” another kiss and a hug- I laughed. Then he grabbed my face kissed me on both cheeks (something I’m sure he learned from Aunt Pat) said “Welcome!” and walked off. Ahhh, feel the love.

Space Monkey

2009-07-30T21:46:00.000-07:00

7/30/2009: Miles is talking up a storm. He won’t stop talking. He tells me all about everything he observes, from the "big hills" and trees to the moon in the sky.

His favorite subjects right now are, “honey bees” and how they take the pollen from flowers to make honey, and anything to do with space rockets, the moon, earth and all related subjects.

Tonight we ate dinner in the gazebo at his request (he calls it “the big house outdoors”) and Miles looked up to see the moon. It was about 5pm and still very light outside, so Miles wanted to know what happened to space? And he wanted to “check it” (the sky) over and over to look for the earth in relation to the moon. I had to explain the earth, moon, and space over and over to him but he never tired of it. Now he wants a “space room” with “space monkeys”. I’ll have to start painting over his old mural and prepping his room asap. He’s very insistent.

Lifestyle Changes...

2009-07-10T12:19:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight knows that it's a living thing. It fluctuates, ebbs and flows, some days are good some days are not. I'd like to lose weight before attempting another pregnancy, so I'm training for pregnancy.

I am at a good place right now. Doing my best to live my life and eat well. Eat when I'm hungry, try to eat less meat in general and eat more plants. I have been working out. I think that's essential. Not just in the weight loss itself, but in keeping my mind in the right place. I am the kind of person who needs somewhere to go -to work out. I have a hard time just doing lunges or crunches in my living room. I like a designated time and space. I prefer a predictable schedule. Something I can rely on and get in the habit of. But I don't really have that luxury right now. With a very spirited and wonderful little boy who has strong opinions about when he'll wear clothes and whether he can share his toys at the gym babysitter. So- I have to catch a class here and there and hope it all adds up.

I went to a yoga studio in La Mesa this morning called "A Gentle Way". I love yoga studios. They are calm and relaxing safe havens of exercise. You can do yoga as hard or as gentle as you want. The class this morning was taught by Helen and was a more beginner class, but she gave me the freedom to do a more advanced level of yoga- which I loved. I got to do Bird Of Paradise for my balance pose and the Wheel to wrap things up at the end. It was nice to be free to be me.

I got a tattoo on my ankle yesterday- it wraps down my foot and up the back of my leg. I have a single green star on my toe. I've decided that star represents my growing boy. That's my Miles Star.

Anyway I've lost 4 pounds this week. I am sure that will level off and I will be doing a good 1-2 pounds from here on out- but I do love that jump start at the beginning. Here we go!

I'm taking a poll.

2009-07-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of my latest painting. You can see more at www.bendystar.com

Been going to the gym everyday again- I took Miles for the first time today and was only gone about 40 minutes, when I came back the woman said Miles "went crazy" on a baby and pushed a little boy. They didn't call me out of the gym to get him though and he seemed really happy there and wants to go back. Not sure if it will work out.

My big question is, do I keep the membership if I can't take Miles? (I have 'til Friday to cancel with a full refund) My whole reason for switching is so I can take Miles. I'm not a huge fan of the yoga that they have at LA Fitness. Or should I go back to the Y? But I can't go to the Y yoga because I can't take Miles. There's a place downtown that's a donation based yoga studio and I could get my yoga fix there once a week...I just don't know what to do. Miles should grow out of this phase soon- I'm hoping by 3, so it seems worth keeping the membership even if I only take him in half hour spurts so I can get a quick elliptical and some stretching in. It feels really good to be back at a real gym and actually working out. What do you think?

Potty Learning

2009-07-04T06:33:00.000-07:00

This is an email to a friend about how Miles is potty learning and how we are helping:

Miles basically did this on his own because I would have assumed he's too young.

He is naked most of the time at home and eventually he just learned not to go on the floor. We bought him a potty seat at 18 months which he used on and off. But he hates, HATES his cloth diapers and I think that's a big motivation for him. I don't want to buy disposable pull ups and I have a couple cloth pull ups, but I just moved him to big boy underwear- Hanes, and keep a change of clothes with me at all times. He will grab himself and say "pee pee!" and we are getting to know all the bathrooms in public. We also carry a potty seat in the trunk of our car for emergencies and parks.

So that's it! he wears a diaper at night still, but not at nap time. He is just a really strong willed kid who really knows what he wants. It's such a battle to put clothes on him and a nightmare getting a diaper on him. So we basically had no other choice but to potty learn. There you have it!

Busy with Life

2009-06-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

We've been super busy lately. Our schedule was turned upside-down when we stopped going to the YMCA (after the hitting incident). So now we are back to our activity filled mornings. We have been doing a lot of zoo, trains, camping, library and generally hanging out with friends.

We just returned from camping the other day. We went to South Carlsbad State beach in North San Diego. It was a little colder than I would have hoped but we got in some ocean swimming and campfire s'mores so all is well.

Miles is still working on keeping his hands to himself. He strikes out especially when he's tired. I'm still hopeful he'll outgrow it and I have a no tolerance policy. So if he hits, we leave.

I'm exhausted, I think you can tell by my writing. I think I'll go lay down...

Weaning my Baby

2009-05-31T21:14:00.000-07:00

5/31/09: I can’t believe it’s happening. Miles is weaning himself. His whole attitude about nursing has changed in the past few days. He used to say, “Num Nums please”, and crawl into my lap. Now he doesn’t, he kind of plays with the idea, but doesn’t ask, and I don’t offer. It’s like he doesn’t want to ask, like he’s being shy about it suddenly. I ask him if he wants snuggle time and he’ll crawl up in my lap and I rub his back and sing him a song. It’s actually a really loving and sweet time. I am hoping that we can transition to this loving “snuggle time” instead of nursing and he’ll still get all that he needs from me- just in a different way.

I’m really sad about it and I cry a little here and there. I just can’t believe my baby is growing up and making this decision all on his own. It’s such a big boy thing to do. I am also really happy about it. This is a huge milestone for him. And I'm proud of him.

He’s also potty training at the same time. Taking off his diaper to go on the toilet- even in public bathrooms. I feel like I just turned around and he was 2 and a half! I know I’m not unique. I’m sure all Moms feel this way to a certain degree. I just can’t get over it. Sigh I guess they all grow up, don’t they?

My new Etsy Shop!

2009-05-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

I have finally started my etsy shop online where people can easily purchase my paintings. Visit www.bendystar.etsy.com to check it out. I am very excited by the possibilities at etsy. We'll see how it goes. Wish me luck!

I love you Mommy

2009-04-26T20:07:00.001-07:00

4/26/09: Miles said, “I love you Mommy” today. Talk about making your heart sing! it just doesn't get any better.

Springtime Fava Bean Harvest

2009-04-13T12:41:00.001-07:00

4/12/09: Sometimes when you are up against something so huge and immovable as a toddler with his mind set, it’s best to go with the flow. Miles has trouble adjusting every Monday. I’m not sure if he senses it’s back to the grind- since Dad goes to work, or what. But I have a bear of a time getting him dressed and out the door. Since I know it’ll be a zoo at the gym today and I anticipate him having trouble at the YMCA childwatch, I decided to let him have his way. He wanted to stay home and stay naked.

As soon as the thermometer hit 60 degrees we were outside in the yard. What better day to harvest some of those fava beans from our raised garden box? We got a basket, close at hand from Easter, and headed out there to find the biggest fava beans. Miles held the basket to his chest and I filled it up. We had a small first harvest, but a good one. Then we headed to the hammock swing to shuck the pods. I felt a little like Miles should be calling me “Meemaw” and I should be wearing an apron and drinking sweet tea while swatting at flies with a swatter. But instead, we listened to the fountain bubbling up, competing with the traffic noise from the overpass and quietly broke open each fat pod. Plump and furry, a little rough and about as long as my hand, the pods popped open and with a little squeeze, the beans sprung out. Miles really got into it. Furrowed brow, lips puckered out, little fingers prying and digging into the pods cushiony insides, searching for the hidden bean.

Once all the beans were out, we dumped the pods into the compost bin and headed into the kitchen to rinse and sort. Miles helped place the beans in a colander and ready them for boiling. Once the beans were boiling I wrestled a diaper and pjs onto Miles and nursed him down for a nap.

After the beans boiled for a half hour the waxy coating of the bean got loose and white. I plunged them into an icy water bath and quickly learned the best way to peal the covers off. I made a little hole on one end with a fingernail and squeezed. The beans slid out into the bowl. Then they were ready for eating or cooking.

I didn’t realize favas were so labor intensive when I bought them. Well, labor intensive to prepare to eat- super easy to grow. I bought the bean seeds for a winter crop. Since favas are so simple to grow, I figured they would have a chance in our garden. It was fun to watch the stalks grow, much taller than expected. I decided to let them grow in an organic way, instead of pinning them up, and they did fine. I could see doing these again next year and reading Miles the Jack and the Beanstalk story. I can’t wait for him to wake up so we can eat them! I was going to do a fancy bean puree, but since we only got a cup or so, I think I’ll sauté them with a little butter and salt. From our Earth to the table. Yum.

Easter Preparation!

2009-04-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

Miles and I colored eggs yesterday, which was way more fun and less stress than I thought it would be. He did great and loved all the colors. The only thing I'll do differently next time is make more eggs.

I also finished Miles little bunny for his basket. It was supposed to be an Amigurumi Bunny Egg Cozy from Ravelry but I altered the pattern quite a bit, adding cheeks, eyes, and embroidered nose and mouth. I also made him about a size bigger, stuffed and closed him so he would be more like a ball/toy. I think Miles will like him. I was thinking about making another one and using a drawstring to close him so I can stuff him with candy for Easter. We'll see how ambitious I get in the next few days.

Yoga Mama

2009-04-05T07:47:00.000-07:00

4/5/09: Miles has been amazing lately- a real language explosion has occurred. And he understands everything you say- I mean EVERYTHING- so watch what you say! It’s so fun to be with him because he can tell you exactly what he’s thinking. Or at least the general idea.

We still struggle with him getting up at 4:45am- but Keith and I rotate who gets up with him. He shows up by our bedside and I let him nurse for a while the one of us will get up and start our early day watching the sky grow light. (Keith goes to work) Then we clean up the house and do some chores and it’s off to the gym. He’s doing great at the YMCA child care center while I’m in yoga class. My yoga practice has really blossomed and I feel a little strange if I don’t do at least a little yoga everyday. I have some wonderful and diverse teachers that are opening up the world for me. I love it and it helps me stay centered throughout my day and week. I am better able to stay patient and kind to my growing little toddler.

The weather is slowly warming up and we are spending more and more of our time outside – we’ve already spent an afternoon at the beach- one of many to come. Miles runs up to and then away from the waves laughing the whole time. He didn’t like to be wet or dirty this last time, a huge switch from the months prior. But he still had a blast. He is the most affectionate and smiley kid. Everywhere we go people know him and talk to him. It’s so much fun. I'm posting some pictures from a trip last week to the Carlsbad Flower Fields. He's signing "monkey" in the one of him alone.

Email Venting

2009-03-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

3/16/09: Email to Erica:

Hi,

We are having one of those really tough mornings, where everything is a fit, whining for this and then not wanting it, crying for that, wanting to watch movies, not wanting to change his diaper that he's been in for 12 hours and reeks of urine. (Worse in cloth diapers I think) Kicking me and screaming when he doesn't get his way. I'm walking on egg shells trying to walk the line between gaining cooperation and not giving him what he wants when he acts that way. After him screaming, thrashing and kicking me when I was trying to change his diaper, ( I could barely get the zipper down on his pjs) I got one leg and the opposite arm out of his pjs, enough to get the diaper off. Then I gave up trying to get the pjs off and put him in his bed and walked out of the room. I went to go breathe in the kitchen and get a cup of decaf, when he shows up naked and says and signs "done." I say, "good!" Then he wants a bath- so since I was just trying to leave early to get Target in before the gym, I figure I can do that tomorrow or even better, tonight, without him. He can get his bath, and hopefully I can still make my pilates class.

I hope your morning is going smoothly...

Diapering a Spirited Toddler

2009-03-05T08:13:00.000-08:00

I am working feverishly on improving things with Miles. I am reading "Raising Your Spirited Child" by Kurcinka and although a lot of it is geared toward the 3 and up crowd I an gaining some insight and it feels good to know it's not my fault and I'm not alone. I'm thinking of trying to find a spirited toddler group online or something for extra support. According to the test it seems I'm a spirited adult too. Not too surprising.

So slowly and by trial and error and with a LOT of PATIENCE I am making small baby steps of progress. It seems every once and a while I feel like I need to do this mainstream tactic or do that to make sure he's going to be a well adjusted and normal adult. Like do time-outs or whatever. And it goes against my instincts. So I need to find a better way and not worry about power over him. It works much more smoothly when I throw convention out the window and realize that from day one I've had a very special little spirited boy and he needs a different and more creative approach than what is the norm.

For example today when I went to change his diaper he started to scream and flip out. So I held him tight and whispered in his ear why we need to change his stinky. Then he let me lay him down but after unzipping his pjs he starts to flip out again and I put my hands up in a surrender position and told him I was going to take his feet out of his pjs but that he could put them back on if he wanted when we were done. Then I asked him if he wanted to unsnap his diaper. He let me do it for him. He starts to freak. Again. So I put my hands up again. He relaxes and tries to get his diaper off so I help him. Then comes the wipes and he freaks again. And I put my hands up. then I hand him a wipe and tell him I'm going to wipe here, and point to his leg. He lets me. Then here. If I didn't tell him each area that I was going to wipe, he's freak and start kicking me. So, that's a simple diaper change right now in the house of Kwasny. Ha!

I used to try to hold him down and go as fast as I could when he would start to flip- but now I'm doing the opposite and it's working WAY better. He's a very complicated little boy. I'm trying to give him words for how he's feeling without putting feelings on him. He's pretty good at expressing himself through action. His language is still pretty slow although he does repeat after me a lot now.

Anyway, these are some tricks I am trying and so far it's better. Not 100%. but a little better.

He is the most loving boy though, I had a little spot on my face burned off at the doctor and he keeps pointing to it saying "Ow" and giving me kisses. I love him more and more everyday.

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

2/14/09: It’s Valentine’s day! We woke up at the reasonable time of 6:20am and baked Keith a coffeecake (his fav). I wanted to use the heart shaped pan since it’s Valentines Day and all- But there was too much cake for my pan. Luckily I cooked the whole thing on the pizza stone, so the overflow was not on the oven floor. I kept an eye on it in the oven, since I knew it would likely overflow. I thought of funny analogies the entire baking time, “My love for you is overflowing. Sometimes Love is messy. The best things in life happen accidentally.” I could bore you with more but I wont. Anyway the cake was delicious after we cut off the crunchy parts (yummy!) And turned it upside-down, one would never know that it was somewhat of a disaster.

I wanted to document a few of the things Miles says/does all the time right now. Since he was an infant I decided to call nursing “num nums” so he wouldn’t refer to nursing as “boobs” or whatever. Well, he’s never called it num nums. He signs “milk please” but says “dice” which I believe stands for “the other side” because I always say, “Do you want the other side” so now when he’s finished on one side, he’ll point to the other and say “diiice?!”

The other thing he says is “DONE, DOWN” Which doesn’t mean what you think. He’ll come up to you if you aren’t doing what he wants you to (say–crocheting, eating, talking on the phone or otherwise not paying him any attention) and he’ll say “Done”, while signing “finished” and then say “Down” pointing down in front of him, which means, “Come with me and do what I’m doing now”. If you ignore him or ask him to wait he just gets more frantic repeating the same thing over and over again.

We’re still easing into the 2nd year- every single diaper change or clothing change is a huge challenge/wrestling/screaming match (him screaming, not me) Sometimes it can take 20 minutes or so just to change a diaper because of all the fighting. It’s a real pain. I’m hoping that part of this growth spurt will be short lived.

The Terrible Twos

2009-01-28T14:36:00.000-08:00

So Miles is being challenging. It's like living with an insane person. I swear the day he turned 2 it's like a switch flipped and now he wants what he wants And he wants it NOW and he wants weird stuff (like to carry around a slice of bread- not half DAMNIT but the WHOLE THING!- and not to eat- ew!) And I am struggling with how much I should give in and how much I need to draw the line. Mostly so far I've been case by case basis, considering what we have going on (time schedules and stuff) and how much damage he may potentially do.

And then there are priceless moments like today, I made him a smoothie and we were sitting together while he ate it with a spoon. Then started flinging it on the table- a little art on the side- so I got him a straw and he started to slurp it down, Then he burped and I said, "You should say Excuse me!" and covered my mouth to indicate that's what he should do when he burps. He thought this was hilarious and made me do it over and over again. All the while, he's freezing because he refused to put any clothes on (it took me 1/2 hour to get him to agree to put on some training underwear). He kept shrugging his shoulders up to his ears and going "brrrrr" in a high pitched voice while clenching his fists at his side making the universal sign for cold. Then laughing and laughing his head off at the "excuse me" joke. Whatever. It was funny. One of those regular moments that makes the rest of the madness worthwhile. And yes, that is a picture of Miles running around the back yard with a bucket on his head.

Miles' first trip to Disneyland

2009-01-19T19:49:00.000-08:00

1/19/08: We took Miles to Disneyland on his 2nd birthday. We all had a blast. He loved all the rollercoaster- type rides he could get on (not quiet 35 inches) but we snuck him on one and he loved it. He didn’t enjoy the theme rides as much- calling them scary- too many witches and evil characters for his blood. Those old Disney movies are dark!

We spent the next night in Laguna beach, just for fun. We spent the day lounging by the pool and exploring low tide at the beach. Miles loved being on the beach and it was surprisingly easy to keep him out of the water, maybe because it was freezing? We saw dolphins playing in the waves and a ton of sea creatures hiding in the pockets of water left by the tide.

Our hotel was walking distance from a bunch of great galleries, a wonderful café and pizza place. What else could we ask for. I think Miles had a great 2nd birthday.

Toddler Talk, and Favorites

2009-01-08T11:45:00.000-08:00

1/9/08: We officially have to watch what we say. Miles is repeating the last word we utter no matter what that might be. Only he tends to add a “D” in front of words or say them back words. Like “Bee” is “Dee” Only with buzzing sound effects and hand motions so we know he’s talking about a bee. And “spoon” is something like “pooosh” but he points to the drawer or to my spoon so I know what he wants. His favorite sentence is “doggy poo poo” I’m not sure if the poo poo he is referring to is a noun or a verb- but I always check to see if Andy had an accident…usually he has not- so not sure what all the poo talk is about.

Miles is super sweet and affectionate and loves to give big, wet, puckered kisses. He greets the people he knows and loves with big hugs -to their legs, usually. His favorite things are balls, bubbles, balloons, and cars. He starting to play pretend, baking and cooking mostly. He makes the most delish’ pretend cookies, which fit right into my new years diet! Perfect for any diabetic too! We should market them. Hmmm….

His favorite things to do are explore, hike, try to jump (his feet don’t leave the ground yet), clap hands, high five, dance, paint and draw, and play with anything even remotely resembling a ball (bells, rocks, apples, whatever)- oh, how could I forget, he loves to nurse.

He is the most amazing little boy and he will be two years old a week from today. I can’t believe it. What an incredible journey. What a lucky mom I am to have him in my life.

New painting of Miles

2009-01-01T12:05:00.000-08:00

I just finished my latest painting, and yes, of course, it's of Miles. This is from that picture I took when we went to see Santa. When Miles saw the painting for the first time he got excited and said "Choo Coo! Ho Ho Ho!" Smart boy and what a good memory too! I think he really likes it. What do you think?

Pacific Southwest Railway Museum

2008-12-24T14:52:00.000-08:00

12/24/08: The other night we took Miles on the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum’s trip to “The North Pole”. It was a blast. First of all it was COLD, like in the 30’s, which added to the Christmas-y spirit. We packed a picnic and some wine and shared it before the trip on the picnic tables provided at the station. Then we piled on the train and waited for the High School elves to serve us our hot cocoa and cookies. We sang Christmas carols off key with the rest of the jolly carolers and anxiously awaited Santa’s arrival on the train. When Santa arrived he spent a little time with each child as he made his way to the front of the train where he waited for the end of the trip. After we made it back to the station we made our way back to the special train car where Santa waited for us and had a semi-private picture opportunity with him and Mrs. Claus. Miles was very excited to see Santa and would say Hoo hoo hoo! When he saw him. He wasn’t as excited about sitting in his lap, but the picture we got of him waiting his turn is priceless. I would recommend the trip to anyone with young children. We brought my Mom and even she had a great time.

We just finished decorating Christmas cookies and we are getting ready to visit with the family for Christmas Eve dinner as is tradition. Miles helped me with the cookies. He is so helpful and eager to try new things. Happy Christmas to you all!

Thanksgiving Thoughts.

2008-11-26T11:00:00.000-08:00

11/26/08: Getting ready for Thanksgiving. Reviewing recipes, grocery shopping, cleaning house and crocheting like a fiend. I’ve been trying to get Christmas presents together. Yes, the home made, oh so crafty kind. I’m trying not to spend more money on yarn than I would on actual gifts. Christmas is going to be big on spirit and light on funds this year. We are so lucky though. Blessed really. And I am so thankful for that. I listen to NPR a lot, too much probably, and as I’m trying to make room for leftovers in a packed fridge I hear about little old people and children standing in line for hours to get a free sack of potatoes and some onions. And this is somewhere in my neck of the woods. It makes me pause and realize that although we may have some unexpected bills and things are tight, that we are soooo very lucky that we have each other. We have heat, food, a warm place to sleep. I get to stay home with my amazing little man and practice words and signs with him everyday (today we learned dragonfly- thank goodness for the internet and http://www.aslpro.com/) Anyway, I guess I’m blubbering and going on. But I am so thankful this Thanksgiving. Now I need to go look up that recipe I heard on NPR for putting vodka in your pie crust. That’s my kind of Pie! Happy Thanksgiving.

Visiting a Horse.

2008-11-17T11:13:00.001-08:00

I took Miles to meet my friend Wendy's horse, Concerto today. Miles loved him. Wanted to feed him treats and follow him around. He wasn't afraid of him at all. Not sure if that's good or bad sometimes! I'll be doing a portrait of Concerto for my friend. I'm looking forward to it. He's such a sweet, gentle horse. I'm having some trouble uploading a picture, so I'll try later.

Haircuts, Halloween, and Mission Trails Hike

2008-11-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

11/1/08: I can’t believe it’s already November! But don’t I say that ever month? A couple of days ago Miles got his first professional haircut so he finally looks a little less wild. I’m a little sad about it, but his hair really was getting unruly. He did great. Sat on Daddy’s lap and watched me get my hair cut at the same time. They gave him a lollypop so I think that’s the trick to getting him to hold still.

Yesterday was Halloween and Miles went trick or treating for the first time. He loved it. It took him a few houses to get the hang of it, but after a while he was running up to each door to show his pumpkin to our neighbors. He is still too little to say "trick or treat" so we said it for him. We just went up our block and back and that was enough. Halloween is a little bit of a reunion tradition for us with some of our old friends, so I made a big pot of stew and we had guests in and out all evening. It’s amazing that Miles slept through the noise.

This morning we went on a hike at Mission Trails. Miles is asserting his independence and strong will full force these days. It can be difficult to go to a store or run errands with him because he has his own ideas about what we should do and where we should go. So that’s why I took him hiking today. I wanted to let him lead the trail and show me every branch, rock and twig along the way. We ended up going about 2.5 miles, Miles was great for about the first half then he got tired and would pause for long periods, picking at nearby plants. Finally I would carry him a while and then he would want down, would walk then stop, the crouch and poke at the dirt looking for good rocks to show me. I carried him the last mile or so, up the detour that turned out to be very steep. I was worried about not getting enough exercise going so slow, as it turned out, I got my fair share. Whew!

Gardening and bread making

2008-09-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

9/30/08: We are having a great day so far today- so much so that I felt compelled to sit down and make a note of it.

I tore out my tomato plants this morning before the sun peeked out over the roof of our house. I was able to shove most of them in the composter. After tearing out the tomato plants I found my forgotten bell pepper plant, which is finally beginning to produce. I’m hoping it will thrive now without having to compete for sun and water and we’ll have a late bell pepper harvest. For our winter garden we are going to plant beans, spinach and onions. I bought organic seeds from Henry’s yesterday. I’m going to start them in a biodegradable egg carton so I wont have to transplant them. I kinda feel like I need another raised bed, but where would I put it? Ah well, one season at a time. Miles helped mix the worm castings and bloodmeal into the soil and got good and filthy. I had to squirt him down with the hose. Despite the chilly morning air, he loved it and we ran around the yard screeching and laughing.

Then we went inside and began the bread making. I have a recipe for Tassajara Yeasted Bread from last months Yoga Journal Magazine. Miles stood on his kitchen stool and helped spoon flour into the measuring cups and would sprinkle the flour in the bowl as I stirred. He slept through the initial kneading but when he wakes it’ll be time to knead and separate and get ready to bake. I’m bringing this bread along with a carrot butternut squash soup over to a friend’s house for an early supper. I hope it all turns out since I’ve never made either before!

I’m still crocheting my “Punk Bunny” for Miles, It’s a pretty slow going thing. I think he’ll love it when it’s done though. And I managed to get a painting finished for my friends birthday. So all in all things are good on the creative front.

More Baby Sign

2008-09-25T19:25:00.001-07:00

Signing with Miles has helped us tremendously. He can only speak a few words, but can sign a great many! He started by signing “more” as “I want that” and “milk” meaning nursing then we were stuck- until we took Sign 4 Baby class. Then we had a sign explosion! It really helped me get in tune to what interested him. His first signs were helicopter, airplane and motorcycle. Then he moved on to some more useful signs like cookie, cracker, cheese, down, eat, finished, pear, mom, dad, butterfly, spider, dog, duck, hug, please, and thank you. I’m sure there’s a bunch I’m forgetting. Before we took the class he clapped by hitting his arm instead of hand to hand. Then with the added hand eye coordination that I believe he received from this class, he finally got it and learned to clap like his peers. All these signs help us get some insight into what he is thinking as at 20 months old he only says a few words clearly. We’re at the point now where he can focus on me when I show him a sign and try to copy it. Now we can avoid tantrums by asking him to use his hands to tell us what he wants/needs. Also he understands much more signs than he can actually do so I can talk to him without voicing- like if we are in the library I can tell him we’re going to change his diaper soon without letting the whole place know about it and he shows he understands by running away!

We mostly use sign for mealtimes where he can tell me if he’s finished or if he wants more and what he wants more of. That’s super helpful and avoids a lot of food tossing. We also use sign to help him express his interests in locomotives and animals/insects. He loves telling me when he spots a spider web by signing spider and pointing. Or can tell me when he hears a helicopter flying by. You can see the excitement on his face that he can say words he would have difficulty pronouncing at this age- and I love knowing what he’s thinking. I also love knowing that he’s learning another language that we can expand upon as he grows and he can be bilingual to a certain degree. And of course it’s super cute to watch him sign thank you to his grandma when she’s offered him something! Now that is priceless!

Pumpkin Decorating

2008-09-23T12:11:00.001-07:00

9/23/08: We had a busy week full of fun stuff. We finally cut some of the pumpkins off the vine and had a decorating party with a couple friends, Lauren and Dylan. It was a ton of fun. I think the kids really had a good time getting all messy.
Then we hosed them down and went out for Pizza at San Fillipos in La Mesa. That place is cool ‘cause they give the kids pizza dough to play with- and the food is consistently great!

Keith, Miles and I went wandering OB over the weekend. We packed a lunch to eat on the pier and then went for ice cream after hitting up all the shops.

We stopped in at the Children’s museum too. Can’t go wrong there. Miles favorite is the bubble installation. Always a hit!

Co-sleeping Changes

2008-09-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

9/12/08: I put Miles crib back together in our room and we are helping him learn to sleep in there. He is taking to it well- the hard part is getting him to go back down in the middle of the night. That's been a bit of a battle. But I think with some persistence and consistency he will start to like it more. I think he's sleeping better since not being next to the boob all night. He's almost 20 months! I think it's time to start to wean at night at least. It's a hard sell to him, but he'll get used to it. Can't wait to sleep all night! The other night he did sleep for a full 10 hours! Last night for 9 hours! But he goes to sleep so early that it doesn't help me much. If I put him to bed later he still gets up early so he just gets less sleep. I tried that.

Last night he woke at 2am and I nursed him in the rocking chair for 15 minutes and put him back in the crib. He was okay for a minute or two and then started to cry and stood up. So I woke up Keith and when he saw his Daddy coming for him he started to screech and wail. Keith took him in the other room and changed his diaper and got him some water at my request. The whole time I could hear the screaming (the neighbors probably could too) Finally after hearing a few loud bangs and more screeching I went out to the kitchen to see the problem. Miles would throw any cup Keith gave him so the floor was all wet and Miles was on the ground crying while Keith was mopping up the floor. He took it like a pro and was very calm. I picked up Miles and he went quiet except for little gasps and choking sobs. Keith looked at him and was astonished how calm he was. I took him into the bedroom and gave him a fresh sippy cup and put him in his crib. He started to cry and thrash so I leaned over the crib rail and sang our song really loud so he could hear it over the crying and rubbed his back. He clutched his sippy and his elephant and calmed down. He turned on his back so he could see me and I sang more softly and stroked his hair and forehead. He calmed after just a few minutes of this and I was able to go to bed (next to him). I could hear him kicking the mattress for a while but he was able to know he was safe, mommy is always there and put himself back to sleep. I don’t think he would have been ready for this at any younger of an age. But I do think he’s ready now and I think it’s important. If he wakes at 5am or later I bring him in to bed with me for some cuddle/nursing time.

So that’s a little peek into our new co-sleeping arrangement. I think it’s worth the work. It’s always hard to make a change. But without change it’s hard to grow. Miles is learning that I’m always nearby and even if he’s feels like he’s alone, he’s with me. I am still meeting his needs- especially the need for a good night’s sleep. He’s old enough to understand when I say “Mommy goes night night, Daddy goes night night, Andy goes night night, Num Nums go night night and Miles goes Night Night.” I’m happy with the change. And I’m happy Keith is willing to try to help, even with disastrous results. Last night he asked why he even tries and I told him he does it because I appreciate his effort. How would we know that it wouldn’t work if he didn’t try? I can’t be a sleep time martyr. I’m no hero! Just a Mom. The picture you see in this post is a totally random but oh so cute picture of Miles with a swim diaper on his head, we needed a good use for them, right?

One more thing, Miles signs "ball", and "ceiling fan" too- He can say ball. But when he says ceiling fan it sounds like "Kung Pow!" So a sign is helpful! ha! He's learning a new sign every day or so- hard to keep up! Oh and he said "cheese" today- the actual word. Yay!

Pumpkin update and spider friends

2008-09-10T13:52:00.000-07:00

Here are a few new pictures of our amazing pumpkins- and our friend that lives with the tomato plants.

Baby sign language explosion.

2008-09-10T07:25:00.001-07:00

9/10/08: The other day Miles "said" his first sign sentence, “Eat food please, yum.” I was pretty excited because he’d never done the sign for eat before. Today at breakfast he would copy just about any sign I would give him, He signed cracker, more (properly), cheese, and fish, all in one setting. Wow! That’s quite a language explosion for breakfast! He would point to something and look at me and I would give him the sign and he would copy most of them. That’s pretty cool!
By the way- we take Baby Sign classes at Java Mama with Signs 4 Baby. Joann Wooley is great! http://www.sign4baby.com

New Co-sleeping Arrangements

2008-09-06T11:35:00.000-07:00

9/6/08: Ack what happened to summer! I can’t even believe it’s already September.

Miles is 19 months and 4 weeks. He is talking up a storm! Most of it is fairly unintelligible, but he’ll have a whole conversation with you if you can decipher the general topic by his signing and gesturing. He still can sign much more than he is vocalizing. All this makes him really fun to have around. He’s also a little bit better at independent play.

We had to put the crib back together, but we are compromising and we put it in our room next to our bed. We did this because Miles was waking at 3:30am every morning and wanting to get out of bed. I think I was waking him with my movement and then nursing him doesn’t really get him back to sleep. So after many sleep disrupted nights and sore boobs from nursing for hours, we decided this was best for our family. Miles has taken to it very well. But I think he’ll probably be able to crawl out of it soon. I already have a plan for that. I’m going to take of the front rail and put a bed rail on the crib so he can get in and out by himself. Hopefully this won't lead to more midnight roaming. But so far I don’t ever leave him in there awake anyway- it’s really just so my movement won’t wake him. So, Yay! He slept all the way trough ‘til 5am this morning, then was in our bed until 6 when we finally got up. I think this will be a good transition into his own room eventually. Just a little independence.

19 months old tomorrow!

2008-08-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

8/14/08: Disclaimer: I should be folding laundry, but I don’t feel like it.

So my new thing is jogging. Keith and I have been jogging when he gets home after work. We put Miles in the jogging stroller and go around the hood for about 30-40 minutes. Not all of it is jogging, because after about 3 minutes I feel like my lungs will explode, but we alternate jogging and walking. I am pleasantly sore and feel so fit! Yay!

Miles is 19 months old tomorrow. He talks some, but signs more reliably. He can sign, helicopter, plane, more, milk, cookie, sorry, please, motorcycle, truck, down, and thank you. I’m sure I’m forgetting some words. He can say: banana, down, more, vroom, duck, uh oh, Dad, Mama, and I’m sure there’s more. It’s the kind of talking though that only mama can understand for the most part.

Miles is no longer using the potty- taking a little break, I guess. No pressure, we’ll see how he does in the future.

Pumpkins are coming along nicely, They are getting big but are still green. i wonder what we'll be this Halloween!?

Okay- the laundry isn’t going to fold itself- onward weary laundress!

Potty and Pumpkins

2008-08-06T08:28:00.001-07:00

8/6/08: My pumpkins are really growing! Along with tomatoes, jalapenos, tons of herbs, strawberries and bell peppers. It’s harvest season for the tomatoes. Some of them have blossom end rot so I added some calcium to the soil and I’m watering a little deeper and less often, that seems to be helping. But I am SO EXCITED that the pumpkins are growing! I hope to have a little kid party in October where they can all go pick a pumpkin from the yard and maybe we can have a carving party with lots of help from Mom and Dad. I love it.

Miles is on a slight potty strike. He will sit there for a minute but then hops down to play. Half the time peeing (or worse) on the bathroom floor. So no progress these past few days. We are not in a hurry, I just offer it to him every now and again and follow his lead. Hopefully he’ll be back on the wagon (or potty seat) again.

I finished a little amigurumi for my girlfriend who is about to give birth any day now- here he is- it’s a mouse.

Potty Update

2008-07-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

7/30/08: We’re learning to use the toilet! Miles has decided he wants to put the potty chair seat on the toilet and actually use the toilet like a big boy! This is the third day in a row that he has “gone” in the toilet. I made a little chart, not that he needs it- it’s more for me, but he gets a sticker when he goes in the potty. He’s still going plenty in his diaper too, don’t get me wrong. But it’s a great start!

I-you-la

2008-07-09T06:18:00.000-07:00

7/9/08. Miles said "Iyoula" yesterday- which I’m pretty sure meant "I love you". We were playing in bed in the morning and I said "I love you" and he looked at me and said "Iyoula" and gave me a kiss. So cute!

My Mom bought Miles a potty seat that doubles as a step stool. So far Miles loves it. He has been standing on it to wash his hands and sitting on it with his clothes on. Today he asked to take his diaper off and sat on it for a while commando. I think he likes the idea of being diaper free. Me too! Maybe it’s not too early- but then I don’t want to get my hopes too high. We’ll see.

Otay Ranch Fountain

2008-06-19T21:59:00.000-07:00

6/19/08: We are having a busy week! Today we went to the Otay Ranch Shopping Village. I love that mall. We hung out with my Mom all day and night- which was a lot of fun and a huge help and distraction for me after being on my own all week. Miles had a lot of freedom at the book store to play and rearrange their shelves. Then we headed over to the children’s play area. They have a wonderful fountain where the kids can play (under age 7). I was actually prepared this time with a suit and change of clothes for Miles! He LOVED it. It’s so amazing and fun to watch him interact with other children and explore a new experience. He’s not shy at all. He loves to talk to and watch other kids. You can just see him soaking everything in. He talks a ton lately although not much that’s understandable in English, a lot is understandable in tone. Here’s a picture of the set up. We’ll be back for sure, but next time I’ll bring a towel! (almost perfect!) For more pictures of this week, email me...

The Misadventure of a Novice Mom or Morning at the Beach

2008-06-18T11:02:00.001-07:00

Upon hearing that it would be in the nineties today, I decided last minute to go to the beach this morning. I had a vision- We would sit on a blanket under the umbrella and I could read my book while he played in the sand. So with this in mind I put the wagon, the umbrella, a blanket and a lunch in the car and we headed off to Coronado at 8:30 in the morning. This is what really happened. We parked right next to the wheel chair ramp that leads out to the sand. I put him in the Ergo, loaded the wagon and off we went to find a good spot not too close to the water, so he wouldn’t be tempted to run off into the ocean. I laid out the blanket and put up the umbrella and put Miles down and he took off, made a straight line for the ocean. So I hopped up and ran after him, taking his sandals off and running back to throw them in the wagon.

He ran screaming like a wild boar straight into the water and promptly fell on his butt. Okay so his shorts and cloth diaper are wet, no big deal, I thought. I tried from then on to keep him in the shallow water, but selfishly, I wanted to get video of all the cute noises he was making, so I made a decision. I let him go. He ran into the waves and got knocked down and roll in the water, get up shake it off and do it again. So I took off his shorts. All the while I was very aware his sun block only went to his knees. His cloth diaper was soaked and hanging heavily between his legs- probably what kept knocking him down. He had sand all over his body, caked on like sandpaper. After a little while of trying to get video and pictures without letting the ocean take him or getting my camera wet I decided that enough was enough and I would try to salvage my original vision. Having forgotten towels, swim diapers, or a change of clothing and being unable to put sunblock on him as he was covered in sand, I thought I would strip him down and let him dry off in the shade of the umbrella. That was a joke. He ran all over the beach picking up sand and throwing it, mostly on himself, while totally naked. Meanwhile it was nearing 10 am so the beach was starting to become more crowded with other Moms and older kids. Boy did they all get a kick out of seeing me in my wet clothes and floppy hat running after the wild and naked boy.

Cursing myself for being so totally unprepared I made an executive decision to cut my losses and pack up. I decided to try to hose him off at the bathroom shower. So again, naked (him, not me!) I tried to put him under the shower. He was very interested in pushing the button although he was shaking like he had Parkinson’s from the cold. We managed to get most of the sand off him and a relatively clean and dry cloth diaper on him. I let him play in the car while I loaded it up. Finally, donning a cloth diaper only, I buckled him in to his seat and defeated, headed for home.

On the way home I was trying to feed him little pieces of the sandwich I had hoped to eat on the beach. I was driving and reaching back to hand him pieces. He grabbed my hand and steered it to his mouth and then held my hand, patting it and laughing. I felt like he was thanking me for the short time at the beach. And that made it all worth while. But next time I’m bring bathing suits and towels. Duh.

Purple Corduroy Pants.

2008-06-17T20:32:00.000-07:00

6/17/08: I went to the San Diego Fair today with my friend Lauren. After the long drive to Del Mar and the hot wait in line to get in, we decided the kids needed to run around and be free from their strollers. So we headed over to the garden exhibit to tear things up a bit. Miles would run up to people- everyone and anyone- stop right in front of them and wave at them with this big, goofy, expectant smile on his face, wait for them to acknowledge him (or trip over him), then run to the next stranger to personally greet them. Most people were older, and kinda hippy-ish and were very responsive to his salutations. Some of the younger crowd just pretended not to see him. But he waves with his whole arm and hand, so it’s hard not to see him.

There was one special couple, who were standing close to each other, the man’s round belly almost toughing the lady. Miles ran up and dashed in between them, under the belly. I think he thought their bodies made a tunnel. The woman had long, grey hair, thick glasses and a fanny pack over her bright purple, tapered leg corduroy pants. When he made his mad dash between them, they kind of jumped back saying “Oh!” Miles thought it was the most fun thing to do, but when he circled back to give it another go they were walking away, so he ran up behind the lady and head butted her in the posterior and she spread her legs so he could run through them! And then back again, and again. Keep in mind he’s a tall boy and wasn’t really ducking so she was kind of trying to hop up to avoid being pegged in the crotch. Miles was laughing so hard the entire time. Finally the couple said good-bye and tried to make an escape from this crazy boy but he followed them until I finally grabbed him, kicking and screaming and went to go find Lauren.

His other favorite part of the fair was the trip to the infield where we had to go through a real tunnel. Miles hollered and yelped and bellowed the entire length of the tunnel so he could hear his echo. We also stopped in an old timey photo booth- which he was amazed with- and we watched a band play some old surf rock for a while.

I managed to be swindled and conned by a carnie at the balloon/dart booth. It was $2 for one dart or $5 for 3. I gave the tall, smiley, man my $5 and popped 2 out of 3 balloons with the darts. The last one I missed. The man said, “Say “Pop!”” So I said, "Pop!" and he said, “You won!” But it was one of those crappy little toys that I won so I decided to go for the big stuffed dragon. When I asked him how much I would need to spend to get the dragon he told me he would make me a deal, and for each dart that hit a balloon it would count for 3 points and I needed 12 more points. So I needed to hit 4 balloons. I agreed and tried to pay him but he graciously told me to pay him AFTER I took the shots. I knew then that he was somehow going to take me for my $20.00 and I even said so. Again, I hit 4 balloons and was so impressed with my dart skills. He gave me a high five and got me the desired Dragon and then told me I owed him $20.00. What?! $20- It should have been $7.00- But each dart counted for 3- he explained. Oh- He got me. Such a con. But I had agreed to that, so how could I argue? Besides I had so much fun winning the dragon, and I knew he was conning me and I thought it was such a funny cliché- that I just handed him my twenty and laughed as I walked away. How he sleeps at night though, I’ll never know.

After that we walked through the farm and headed back to the car, stopping along the way to indulge in a chocolate dipped banana. Miles now thinks that chocolate dipped bananas are the next best thing to num nums (nursing). He clutched it and gnawed on it with his eyes closed all the way back to the car. Not bad for a one dollar ticket to the Fair!

Skin Deep, Green Bag Lady, and More!

2008-06-11T18:05:00.000-07:00

6/11/08: You can always tell when my life is crazy by how long I wait to update this blog. Things are challenging here while Miles learns to talk… and listen! And we are always in flux with sleeping arrangements and schedules. Very loosey goosy. As long as he’s getting enough sleep, that’s good enough for me. I do okay with half a brain. Ha.

Here’s a few sites that have been sent to me recently. Sites that will open your eyes to the scary world of chemicals that we live in. My friend just mentioned that the FDA has really let us down, and I couldn’t agree more. http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/ This is the site to check out the products you use on your skin. It’s awesome because once you discover how toxic your products are, you can find ones that are less so. And this one http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/organic-parenting/sunblock-sunscreen-55040201 has some great information in general, but this link will take you to an article on sunblock.

On a happy note, I received my “Green Bag Lady” Bag that I requested through http://www.greenbaglady.blogspot.com/ Not long ago I heard about this artist who sews reusable market bags for people and gives them away for free. In fact she mailed my bag to me for free, costing her $1.95. I noticed that her envelope had a stamp that asked me to reuse the envelope. So I did. I promptly picked out some extra fabric that I had laying around and took it to the post office today. She gets fabric donations from around the US (at least). I’m glad I can add to it. What she’s doing kinda renews my believe in humankind’s goodness. Rock on Green Bag Lady! And thanks for my beautiful bag!

Cartoon

2008-05-31T21:46:00.000-07:00

I had mentioned a couple posts back that I am helping a friend with her scrapbooking company as an artist. So I am dabbling in illustration- referencing a lot from the fifties and well really before and after. Not to precise. This drawing I just finished is an adaptation of a Dick and Jane Illustration. I dig it. It's basically a copy- so please don't sue me. I don't take credit. Although the style is quite different from the original. The outfit and theme is the same. What do you think of it?

Growing Nicely

2008-05-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

5/20/08: My garden is coming along quite nicely. I am pretty excited that the pumpkin seeds I planted last week have already sprouted. I’ve heard they’re hard to maintain, but so far so good. The tomato plants are loving this heat and seem to grow 6 inches every day. No flowers yet- but I can’t wait to taste that fruit! I need to find out what organic fertilizer people use on their gardens. I’m trying to stay away from the steroids I’ve given my plants in the past. Both lemon and lime trees are doing way better this year just being left alone. I do put down fresh mulch and compost each year. Maybe that’s enough. I’m enclosing some pictures for your viewing pleasure. Any comments or advise is welcome.

Miles had his Well visit yesterday and all is well. He is healthy and happy- but then I already knew that. We are doing a less aggressive vaccine schedule and are doing individual vaccines (instead of the bundled vaccines) one at a time. So he finally received a measles shot- but that’s it. We will go back in a month for the DTap. I feel better about letting his body process them one at a time. Even though it’s slightly more inconvenient for us. I'm afraid to vaccinate him and afraid not to- so this is my compromise. I feel pretty good about it so far. He didn't have any noticeable reaction to the shot yesterday.

We went for a walk in Mission Trails this morning. It was nice, and difficult. Miles really fights being confined in a stroller, but wont walk with me either. He wants to collect rocks to throw at people passing by. *sigh* We're working on that.

Coronado

2008-05-15T13:39:00.000-07:00

5/15/08: Happy 16 month birthday to Miles! We went to Coronado this morning to bike ride and picnic. It was beautiful out there. He screams when I put him in the seat, but then he has a great time. No pain no gain, I guess.

gardens a growin'

2008-05-14T10:35:00.000-07:00

I adjusted the sprinklers and watered my veggie garden this morning. I planted pumpkin seeds in the yard to ramble among the other plants and I planted carrots in the with the peppers, tomatoes and herbs. It is so satisfying to grow your own veggies. Not that I have harvested anything but herbs and strawberries yet. But things are looking good. And I'm all organic- even the seeds. I've been really good about resisting the temptation to throw weed killer on my front yard. Every time I see a beneficial worm or butterfly- I'm so happy that I pull weeds instead. I do poor boiling water on the hard spots though which kills them safely, without polluting our environment.

Head butt Me With Your Love

2008-05-12T10:37:00.001-07:00

5/11/08: Happy Mother’s Day! We had a great weekend, full of friends and family over at out place. It was fun to host and easy to put Miles to sleep in the other room and then continue our party. My Mother’s Day started at 1:30 am as Miles was having a very rough night he kept us up until about 5am. Keith and I alternated trying to settle him back down. Not sure if it was teething or what. But then I got the best mother’s day present ever! Miles said Mama! He is talking a ton right now- in a repeat after me kind of way. He is trying to talk like crazy- today he said, “mama, cheese, ouch, vroom, banana” and some other words I can’t think of at the moment. Of course I probably wouldn’t recognize what he is saying if he wasn’t repeating me right after I say something. But it’s like a language explosion! He wasn’t saying much of anything and then all the sudden! It’s really fun for me.

Miles is also very expressive with his body. He has started to dance! So cute! And he shows his love and affection by head butting. I am trying to break him of that. I sign (and say)“ouch! Hurt mama!” I’m doing my best to sign all the sign I know throughout the day. He is trying to sign more, I can tell. He tried “cheese” today, but it doesn’t come out quite right. He gets real thoughtful and studies his hands and makes a clapping motion. Which is very close!

These days Miles and I have a rough idea of how we want things to go, -what needs to be accomplished that day, and then we fly by the seat of our pants from one thing to the next. I certainly didn't get one of those routine craving babies. He is sooooo unpredictable in his patterns. Just when I think he's settling into something, the next day it will be completely different. It makes it very difficult to plan anything. Oh well. I couldn't ask for anything more!

Rainy Day

2008-05-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

It's raining here. Miles slept really well last night and is in a good mood today (yay!). We made banana bread this morning (rainy days are baking days) and I did some crafting too (top secret mom day stuff) I'm also getting a lot of laundry done! I love productive days. I took a shower this morning and put on "house clothes" no makeup- haven't left the house. Miles and I had a short crazy dance party to Daft Punk. We're having some fun. Tonight I'm having a girls night at the movies. Yay!

World of Color Sticks

2008-05-01T17:57:00.001-07:00

5/1/08: Miles has started to color with Crayons! He like to take them out of the box more than anything, But he is quite the little artist. He’ll go into his room get crayons, and bring them to me so I will get him some paper. It’s super cute.

Life outside

2008-04-30T07:47:00.000-07:00

4/30/08: We have a multitude of bugs this year. Grasshoppers are huge in our yard. I’m hoping they’ll attract more birds. A tasty treat! This guy was sunning himself on the cloth diapers that were drying in the sun.

Leap and the net will appeaar.

2008-04-26T09:56:00.001-07:00

4-26-08: I met with a friend yesterday to discuss a possible business opportunity that would enable me to be a professional artist from home and hopefully make some kind of a living from it in the long run. Along with being a wonderful opportunity for me, I would be able to support her in her endeavor and we, along with the rest of the team she is assembling, would be able to follow our bliss. It’s a wonderful idea and the possibilities are endless. I felt like the universe was opening up. Showing me there is always something brilliant and unforeseen around the corner if you are just open to it. Then is a seemingly innocuous twist of fate I was able to achieve something in yoga this morning that I have never been able to do. In the past I have been unable to execute Camel pose mostly because of fear. It’s a backbend where you are on your knees and you bend back to grab your ankles, opening your chest and spine in the process. I have always been so good at forward bends. Calming, and introspective. But back bends?! I have a fear of hurting my lower back, and a fear of not being strong enough to support myself-falling basically. Do to a wonderful instructor, Mary Jo, at the La Mesa Y this morning we did a ton of preparation for the pose, opening the front of the thighs and the chest. Twisting the spine, breathing. And then we just did it! I felt like it was an amazing metaphor for the business idea and venture, and for life in general. I feel my heart and my chest opening up to the future and to love and life and friends. I am learning to trust that life has a plan and the universe can support you if you are open and positive to it. Okay, so some of you must be thinking that I am crazy, or worse, irresponsible. I’m not saying that you have to sit around and wait for things to happen to you. I am saying that with openness in your life and mind you can see opportunities that may not otherwise be seen. And you can seize them! I want to teach my son that anything is possible. That he can dream it, he can do it. I want to live by example. I think this will be my year.

Craft Crazy

2008-04-24T09:40:00.001-07:00

4/24/08: Life is swinging along at the Kwasny house. Miles is walking exclusively now- and I think having a major growth spurt. He is eating like crazy. Seems to be starving after a couple hours. And sleeping a lot- or not sleeping. I guess it’s all normal. We are waiting for the talking to start. Right now he has sounds that he makes, and I know what they mean, but they aren’t real words. He seems to say “Duck” pretty reliably. But I think that’s just the easiest sound for him to make. We have been bike riding quite a bit lately. And I have been a crochet maniac.
I even finished a painting recently!

I wish I could take some good pictures but I broke my camera. So I’ll post what I have.

We went to Manhattan Beach for a night with some friends. That was fun…Let’s see- what else. Oh! Miles choked today for the first time. Scared me to death. He finally cleared a monster piece of cheese. Take bites Miles! Bites! He likes to shove the whole thing in his mouth. Maybe this will teach him.

We get together with friends a couple times a week. Not really organized playgroups so much any more as splinter groups. It’s so nice to be making some really good friends at this stage of the game. I hope Miles can hang on to some of these friendships too. It’s a rare treat to grow up with someone. I will always have Aimee- I wonder who his “Aimee” will be. People move so much these days, and in this sad state of economy, who knows where we will all end up. Hopefully here- (but as long as I’m with my man and child- I’m home)

Walking, signing, and crochet

2008-04-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

4/3/08: Miles is really walking well now. He free stands and walks catches his balance and keeps on going. We went to the Quail botanical gardens the other day and he loved the bamboo forest. He could swing from post to post and not fall. He had the time of his life.

He is better and better at expressing himself now too. He hasn’t picked up any more sign. I should do a “sign of the day” and sign it all day long and see if that would help. He gets frustrated and signs “more” for everything. It’s his way of saying, ”Hey, I have something to communicate!” The rest is up to me to decipher. So he needs some more sign for sure.

I finished my crochet pig. I’m very proud of him too. Miles isn’t really into playing with stuffed animals right now, but I think he’ll like him in the future. Otherwise, he’ll become room decoration. I started a lion for my next project. I am definitely a hooker now! Ha!

Mindy's last day

2008-04-01T08:09:00.001-07:00

3/31/08: Our Mindy dog passed away on Saturday. She had been doing poorly since we started treatment for Cushing’s Disease. I had felt it coming. The vet couldn’t figure out what was wrong, but she stopped eating. I think she decided it was her time and just refused to let us save her.

We brought her home just before Christmas over 2 years ago to be a friend to our older dog Andy. She was so sweet and smart and full of energy and loving. She taught me a lot about dogs, since she was so opposite of Andy. She was a thinker and was eager to please. When we got her from the Human Society they told us she needed to lose at least 5 pounds. But when she was sick she lost that and it was clear that she was really a big boned Min Pin. She was 20 pounds when she was healthy- which is large for her breed. She loved to go on walks and go in the car, she was so excited by car rides that she would be destructive and had to be contained. Best of all she was really patient and loving with Miles. He would pat her a little too hard and she would just lay there and let him- or when she had enough she would move out of his reach. She used to sneak into our bed and burrow all the way under the covers so we wouldn’t know she was there. Sneaky.

Anyway- she was so sweet and she will be missed. We took her to dog beach on her last day with us. She fell asleep when we got home and didn’t wake up again. I think she was so tired. I’m glad she had a peaceful and restful last day with us (not at the hospital). Here’s a picture of her snuggling with me on the beach on her last day. Andydog seems to be taking it well. But he’s never been the brightest crayon in the box, so he might just think she’s at the groomer or something. Ignorance is bliss. Miles turned the garden gnome on its side and put dirt on it while we were burying her. That’s interesting.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

3/25/08:
Happy Easter! Although it’s already over- I’ll always remember this Easter since it’s when Miles really started walking. He’s suddenly standing up from a squat and taking 6-7 steps at a time. Of course he falls a lot- glad those cloth diapers cushion his fall so well.

We’ve been working hard on the front yard just about every day- trying to get it ready for planting. This has been a huge undertaking for us as the weeds were knee high after all the rain we had this year. My girlfriends have been offering their time and pulling weeds with their babies too. It looks like babies are growing from the garden when they are over. Of course I pay them with margarita time in our already finished backyard.

Mindy dog is doing better, I think. She is eating some- although with some nasty results at times. I think she’s going to pull through- although I often wish she would just get better or worse so we could make some informed decisions about her future. I guess that’s horrible to say, but I am REALLY tired of cleaning up after her. No one can blame me for that.

Well, we're off to finish pulling weeds so we can start planting! Hurray!

Walking and Cleaning

2008-03-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

Miles has started walking a little and I'm trying to get the house ready for the appraisal- cleaning like mad and finishing details like touching up the interior paint etc to try to spiff up the place.

We took Miles to a St Patty's day parade and festival in Balboa Park- we had a blast and Miles was in awe looking at everyone and everything. You know how people wear crazy green hats and stuff, so it was entertaining.

Other than that, just stressing about the loan and trying to keep Miles busy. He's moving to one nap a day so we are messing with his schedule and still messing with the sleeping arrangement. I'm not getting much sleep so I have a headache and have been feeling kinda sick and grumpy. We need to do something else- I think he'll be coming back into our room with us- We're going to take our bed off the frame and put the mattress on the floor with a baby gate around it. If you can believe it. I know it seems stupid- but I think it makes more sense. Right now I'm getting up at 12 am after sleeping for only 2 hours and spending the rest of the night cramped in the twin. He is waking a lot right now and in the twin I can't put any distance between us- so we wake each other up. I'm even thinking of putting the crib mattress on the floor next to our bed and having him sleep there- then he can come find us in the night if he wakes up. I don't know- this is just hard.

Also Mindy is sick- the medication made her stop eating and we've spent about 500$ of money we don't have so far just on tests and meds. The Vet told me to bring her in yesterday to get IV fluids and I told him I can't afford it so they did it free of charge. But I can't keep expecting that. I fed her a potato this morning which she ate- she's not even eating her food if I put chicken broth on it. She shakes all the time and has been throwing up bile. Poor baby. He talked about putting her in the pet hospital on an IV. I think we will have to have her put down. I am waiting for as long as I can though. Yesterday when I was painting a wall that she had badly damaged, I was wondering if she would have the opportunity to scratch it up again or not. So sad.

This was kinda complain-y- Oh well.

A revealing little game.

2008-03-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

3/11/08: So I’m not sure how this works, but I was tagged- So Erika at http://senwlong.blogspot.com/ Married with Children Tagged me. I’m coping this from her post, “I'm going to play the game! Here are the rules, per luci, who got them via veganmomma:Rules:Link to your tagger and post these rules.Share 5 facts about yourself.Tag 5 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.” I’m not sure I know 5 people with blogs that will want to play, but I’ll do it and hope they think it’s fun too. Here are my 5 things.

1. Although I seem somewhat outgoing, I’m actually pretty shy and have some difficulty joining new groups- although I seem to do it all the time.
2. I think being a Mom is the bees knees and being a stay home mom is even better. I love my life with Miles and Keith and wouldn’t change it, or go back to a paying job for the world. (at this time, and unless I have to).
3. I am trying my hardest to be creative even though actually painting right now is really difficult with a short napping toddler. That’s why I’ve picked up crochet. It’s something I can do to feel creative and productive, without leaving the family to lock myself in my studio. Although, that said I have a couple paintings in mind and I’m itching to do them! Anyone want to babysit?
4. I used to battle with my weight constantly. Dieting and yo yoing. Now I feel pretty good about my amazing milk making, baby producing body and I overlook the things that I used to think needed work. My whole focus is on being healthy, listening to my body and trying to eat foods that I feel good sharing with Miles.
5. Keith and I will have been together for 9 years this St. Patrick’s Day. The best 9 years of my life for sure.

Okay so that’s it. Not sure who I’ll tag. But I’ll see if maybe I can come up with some blogs that I’ve visited. I'll have to do this more- later- Miles needs some attention!
http://vikingjenn.blogspot.com/

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign

2008-03-03T07:34:00.000-08:00

3/2/08: Big day for us! Miles signed a few words to me today. He said “more, eat” and “finished” I think he has been saying these things for a week or so but I was misinterpreting them. This time it was clear because I signed it right before him and he copied me. So I’m going to try signing more and more with him now. I knew once he could clap that he might have the dexterity to sign more. Now I know for sure. He is also taking a few steps to me. He did it again this morning. It’s kinda a step, step, lunge. So far he hasn’t done it on his own, just in between furniture or if he is at the couch and I’m nearby.

We are going up to see my Dad this Friday. It’ll be our first family plane trip. Miles is so easy going and easily distracted that I am hopeful it will go well. I can always nurse him too- which is his favorite thing to do in unsure situations. It’ll be nice to get away as a family since Keith has been working so much. Hopefully Dad wont put us to work when we get there!

I also finally finished Miles' new crochet mouse. I think he's super crochet cute!

The sleep saga continues

2008-02-20T15:42:00.001-08:00

2/20/08: So the crib thing didn’t work. We tried it on for a week, but Miles never took for it. I know some of you are thinking that I may not have tried hard enough. But I know my baby, and he was having none of it After too many missed afternoon naps, and after sleeping in the nursery with him for a week, I’m trying plan B. I took apart the crib and put it in the garage for now. I took the legs off the twin and put it on the floor. I removed the curtains (which hung over the bed) I removed all electronics except the fan and the monitor and put plugs in all the sockets. And I put a bed rail on the twin and pillows all over the floor around the bed. He’s sleeping in there by himself for the first time right now. Before, I couldn’t get him to sleep in the afternoon because he would wake when I put him down. So this way I can lay with him and nurse him and then sneak out when he falls asleep. I don’t have to worry about him falling of the bed if I don’t get to him fast enough when he wakes. And maybe I can still reclaim my bedroom. We’ll see how this goes. I have high hopes.

Other than that not much is new. Miles is still very close to taking those elusive first steps. Today he sucked water through a straw for the first time. And that’s about all the news I have.

I finished my first crochet project. It’s a simple pirate monster. Miles seems to like it. It’s far from perfect, but not bad for my first project.

Playing Catch Up

2008-02-15T10:04:00.000-08:00

2/15/08: There has been a ton going on lately and Miles is a handful these days so it’s hard for me to write as much as I wish. I can hardly keep up with my email (or the laundry, toy mess, cleaning, etc).

We have a measles “outbreak” in San Diego. I don’t know if I would call 6 or so children an outbreak… Miles has not yet been vaccinated with the MMR vaccine. I lean toward the side that says vaccines do more harm than good in some cases. I am waiting on the MMR until our doctor can order them separate. I want to separate them and then space them them out and start them when he's a little older, like two years old. Then I think his body might be able to better handle the vaccines. He was fully vaccinated up to a year, then I started saying no. Our doctor is pretty cool about it- she will order the MMR separate as soon as the vaccine manufacturer is caught up (I guess they are behind, since so many moms are now demanding them separate). These are the toughest issues I think we are faced with. All a mom wants to do is protect their kid. But with big pharmaceutical money behind everything, it's hard to get accurate information with which to make these decisions. It's hard to be balanced, and not paranoid.

Another issue we are living with is co-sleeping transition. I have been napping Miles in his crib with mixed success, and he's starting his evenings in there too! We are doing a very gentle approach of nursing, bouncing and rocking to sleep then putting him down. He wakes up sad- which breaks my heart, (I run in as soon as he wakes)but I think there's an adaptation period. I think this is safer for the time being. Otherwise we've had too many middle of the night exploration sessions on our bed, which are too hard for me to stay wake for to keep him safe. Right now I'm sleeping on the twin in the nursery and when he wakes up at night I bring him into bed with me. This is one of the transitions that Dr Sears recommends. I'm hopeful that as time goes by he'll sleep longer and longer in there so I can make a switch back to my own room. Wish me luck- this is a HUGE step for us. I really do think it’s time. I love sleeping and snuggling with him- but it gets tough when you wake up with his feet in your face or him crawling toward the end of the bed, where there’s drop that he doesn’t understand yet.

Other than that Miles is growing so fast! Every day he does something new. Yesterday it was clap, the day before- wave. He feeds himself, brushes his teeth (although we help him with that after he’s had a try) Brushes his hair, and mine. He’s the funniest, sweetest, most social boy ever. He loves to explore and is very independent. He loves the outdoors, and water- the beach especially, even when it’s as cold as it has been. We are starting a veggie garden in paper sacks in the house. I put them out in the sun during the day and bring them in at night so the frost won’t kill them. I think Miles will have so much fun with the picking of the fruit and veggies this spring and summer.

The other day at one of our playgroups a Mom said Miles’ always looks like he has a funny joke to tell you. It does look sometimes like he is suppressing a smile. That boy is always smiling.

Random Stuff

2008-01-06T16:21:00.001-08:00

1/06/08: Miles has figured out how to turn the pages of a board book- and open cabinets and drawers! His whole world just got more dangerous and messy. We have some baby proofing to do. I bet he’ll be walking or at least standing on his own, right around his birthday. Keith bets later, but he’s already standing on his own for seconds at a time and pushing his toys and the ottoman around the living room to get around. It’s fast approaching! He’s also talking more. We think he says, “up, mama, dada, and ball” with some regularity. I know he understands numnums, milk, water, and diaper change. I’m sure he understands much more than that even.

He had his first bloody fall on the playground the other day. Too sad! I guess it’s the first of many to come.

I’m sick, but we went to La Jolla this morning anyway for breakfast burritos on the beach. It was so fun to go out in the cold and rain and see the huge surf. Then we went over to the museum of Contemporary Art to see the sound waves exhibit. After that I was pooped and came home to nap and cough in private. Miles is still sleeping and it’s getting late, but I’m letting him sleep just in case he’s fighting off this cold that I have.

The Day After Christmas

2007-12-26T14:28:00.000-08:00

12/26/07: It’s the day after Miles’ first Christmas. I think he had a blast. It was presents and more presents and eating and fun and parties and he just loved it. In fact last night was the first night (that I can remember) that he (and I!) actually slept all the way through the night! He fell asleep in the car on the way home from Ganny’s house and then stayed asleep when we arrived home. The first time he woke after I went to sleep was at about 5:30 am. When I rolled over to look at the clock I was amazed and so relieved! He nursed and we both fell immediately back to sleep until 7am. I don’t think I’ve slept more than 3 hours in a row in months. Try 11 months. So hopefully this will be a new thing. I love sleeping. I really do.

Today on the day after Christmas, we went to the beach in Coronado. It was beautiful, sunny and cool. Miles and I walked for a while (he was in the Ergo) and he slept. When he woke up we made our way back to plop in the sand and get good and dirty. Miles cawed at the Seagulls and gawked at the young surfers. Mostly he played in the sand, amazed that he couldn’t keep it in his grasp. If you’ve read this blog, then you know at times I get totally blissed out on this life and how amazing our world is. Today was one of those days. Miles and I are so lucky to have each other to explore the beach, the park, or the living room. I’m just so glad it gets to be me raising him and not a stranger.

After the beach we met Daddy for lunch and ordered Miles’ his very own meal. Grilled cheese Sandwich. He ate an entire half. Now we just need to work on getting those veggies and fruits on his menu. Right now he’s all about the bread and cheese.

I took a bazillion pictures of him on the beach so I’ll post a favorite or two.

Miles said "Ma ma"!

2007-12-18T09:40:00.000-08:00

12/18/07:
Miles is 11 months old now. He is doing really well with eating “real” food now, crawling and babbling. In fact today he said “Mama” to me when I came to pick him up from the gym day care! I was so excited! It’s the first time he seemed to say it to me, instead of just babble. He never babbles mama unless it’s sad talk. This time he looked up at me and said “Ma ma!” We’ve been practicing it with him the last few days, really encouraging him to say words, so I’m not toooo surprised. But the thrill is the same nonetheless. Christmas is fast approaching. Miles got to open some presents the other night that some friends gave him. He had fun ripping the paper and playing with the boxes, just as we suspected. I can’t wait to see him on Christmas morning though! Family is supposed to come here at around 9am so we’ll have to finagle a nap in there some how. We are having a lean Christmas, meaning light on the presents, this year, but it was fun shopping, knowing whatever gift I got, needed to be good, since it’s all they’re getting.
Miles met Santa- He did very well considering he does have some stranger danger. You can see it on his face. He’s a little uncertain, but was somewhat reassured by all our antics trying to get him to smile. I’ll post the picture.

New beginings and new Challenges

2007-11-28T09:59:00.000-08:00

Miles is giving me a run for my money with his new found abilities. I find I am really having to step up my game. He needs constant attention now in a completely different way. He wants me to play with him and help him stand and walk all the time. He is crawling and getting into everything he shouldn't (drawers, wires, etc) We need to be better babyproofers. But right now, I just redirect and redirect and distract and redirect. It's a little exhausting. Combined with the not sleeping thing. Miles is teething again and is having trouble sleeping. He wants to nurse ALL NIGHT long, which leaves me tired and sore. He was up from 11:30pm to 1am this morning before I got up and gave him some Motrin and turned on the humidifier. Poor guy, he is a trooper though. We spend the days playing and going through the routine, Up, change, eat, play, nap, up, change, eat, play (or go out) nap, Up, eat, bath, play, night time. Sound exciting to you? It's fun actually and we go out a lot, to play groups and shopping, errands, whatever. Today we are meeting a friend for lunch and then going to a sign language class. We need to go to the store too, and he's napping right now. He's been napping well, at least! We have yoga on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the gym at 8- so that fits in nicely. We have a playgroup on Mondays and Tuesdays, there's a walking group, but it conflicts with my other activities. When he naps I do email, clean, craft, paint, or whatever.

It's the best life. It can be a little isolating, if you don't make an effort to get out. And I really wish I had some real friends that have babies or kids. I am working on it though. I just joined a new group that will hopefully have some more like minded mamas out there. Not that I need someone just like me, but the older Miles gets the more I feel like a black sheep in my group and I think it's important to find some people who support, co-sleeping, extended breastfeeding, cloth diapering, green cleaning, organic, etc...

Cute ticker

2007-11-15T11:13:00.001-08:00

10 Months old and on the go!

2007-11-15T10:30:00.000-08:00

11/15/07

Miles is 10 months old today! He has been eating- He will really only eat sweet potato and chicken jar baby food. Not my homemade stuff. So he's been not eating as much since I ran out- Need to go get more. He also had a very severe diaper rash (triple paste works the best- by the way) That was bloody and raw- so we held off on anything too flavorful for a few days.

AND he is starting to FINALLY crawl! He really gets around. It's a combo of shuffling on his butt- then dropping and rolling and dragging himself. Every once and a while he will get on all fours and rock- which is how he is "supposed to" learn. But mostly he is paving his own road to freedom. So he is officially into everything he can get his hands on. He’ll find the smallest piece of whatever on the floor and pick it up and inspect it. I have my work cut out for me. In a way it's easier because he's more independent, and in a way it's harder, because he's more independent.

But now that he’s getting around. Since his sudden new freedom, it’s like he can’t stop. He has had trouble napping/sleeping. It’s like he’s a wind up toy that won’t wind down. He lays facing me and latches on then twists his bottom half so his knees are down on the bed and hoists his booty into the air and tries to nurse and crawl at the same time. I’m like, “Hey there buddy, can’t take it with you.” It takes him twice as long to fall asleep, even when he’s sooooo tired, than it did a week ago. While he gets all this exercise, I am getting exercise in patience. Here's a picture of my new painting of him.

Where did October go?

2007-11-05T09:06:00.000-08:00

11/5/07:
October was a whirlwind of craziness. Between having mastitis, Keith being sick and then our world catching on fire-then party, party, party for Halloween…Whew! I’m glad that month is over. Miles had a great time at the pumpkin patch, riding the huge pumpkins. He had the opportunity to wear his dragon costume several times to various parties and activities. He always steals the show with his good nature and laughing smile.

On a personal note, some friends found a huge, beautiful, old, painting easel in an alley by some dumpsters and nabbed it for me! We are busy making a place for this gorgeous piece of furniture. I can’t wait to initiate it into my studio. Oh, I have that painting itch for sure now! What a sign!

New Discoveries

2007-09-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

9/26/07:
Keith came home last weekend and we tried to cram as much fun in as we possibly could. We hit up a cloth diaper garage sale- and I got the fuzzy bunz of my dreams for cheap! Now cloth diapering is finally (almost) easy! We also hit up the Stone brewery for a little lunch and a tour…and then over to the Carousel at Sea Port Village. Miles shook with excitement for the entire ride. I started him on a horse that didn’t move, but then upgraded him to a horse that moved up and down. It’s hard to express his reaction- he wasn’t laughing or smiling really, he seemed more amazed. His entire body would shake and he would exclaim, “Booh! Baah!” periodically. These were noises I hadn’t heard before- so clearly he was reaching deep to express himself.

It’s so fun to watch him have a new experience. Whether it’s the merry go round, or the Koi fish pond- we always have a great time exploring this new world.

Bliss

2007-09-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

9/18/07:
There are some amazing days where I get caught up in the moment, forget about all time and just relish in my life. I feel my soul swell and overflow with such pure happiness it overwhelms me. Sitting in the grass in front of the La Jolla Community center- on a whim- no-where to be. We plop down and feel the grass against our skin. Miles pushes his feet into the grass, wiggling toes searching for the underlying dirt. There’s a voyeur seagull at a safe distance- waiting for us to break out something edible. And we do, but it’s for Miles only. I pull him close to me, his hand floats up and gently touches my nose and mouth, before clawing open my lips to play with my teeth. He sucks hungrily and happily, talking with his mouth full and smiling a drippy milk smile. We linger in the shade for a while until, full of milk, Miles eyes get heavy and he rubs his face with the back of his hand, yearning for a little mid-day nap.

Zerberts and kisses

2007-09-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

We had a good weekend, went to the park, etc...had picnics by the bay, the usual. We had a great day yesterday. I put him in the gym daycare for an hour for the first time while I went and did yoga. From what I can tell he barely noticed I was gone and was very entertained by the other kids. So I bought a daycare pass and will try to make yoga 2 times a week during the day and then once on Saturday when his dad can watch him. I think this will make a huge difference in my practice and life, so I'm thrilled.
Then we went to the playgroup in the park, and then the zoo. We had a busy, tiring day. Miles had some trouble in the afternoon because we missed a nap then he went to bed at 5:30 and then woke up at 6:30 so I had to walk him around the block at about 7:30 just to make myself sane. He was making this low groaning/whining noise consistently. After awhile that really is grating.

But just the same, we had a good day. I just had to put aside myself last night and think, there's nothing more important than this. Then this morning I sat him up in bed while I lied there on my back and he would bend over and kiss (big wet open mouthed kisses with both hands on either side of his face) my stomach. So cute! I think he may have been trying to give me zerberts, like I do to him. Love it!

Pimp My Car Seat

2007-09-08T22:03:00.001-07:00

9-8-07:
Miles has graduated to the next level of car seat. He is still rear facing but he’s getting too tall for his little infant carrier. It was quite a task to decide on what kind of new car seat to buy. Of course we did the obligatory Consumer’s Report search and then the online price check- but in the end it was off to Babies R Us with Grandma to really kick the tires of these restraining devices. They range vastly- from the basic model, to bling cup holders and toy pockets, with extra stuffing and armrests. I’m really surprised there wasn’t one with a built in satellite and DVD player. So surprisingly, the least expensive and most -say- streamlined one, is the best reviewed on Consumer Reports. But of course I got all caught up in the cushy…”But Mom, this one has memory foam! How comfy!” In the end I went with the one we knew was the safest (and least expensive). Let’s just hope that it wasn’t painted with lead in China or something.

Mr Wild

2007-08-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

8/29/07:
I met a good friend, Stacy, for lunch today. It’s little things like meeting friends for lunch or wandering around Borders mid day that really make me relish this life.

Miles is way more interactive than he used to be and is becoming quite the talker. While in Borders I am trying to browse the Yoga and Eastern Religion books and Miles has decided this would be a great time to have a very loud conversation with his stuffed Mr. Wild. He was very intent, focused and consistent in his discussion. Of course Miles is usually my silent partner, so it’s amusing that he has chosen this location to express himself. As I looked at books on how to “live in the moment”, I find myself trying to decide if this self-expression is appropriate or if I should encourage him to use his “inside voice”. How young is too young for that? In the end I took him out of his stroller and put him in his front carrier and wore him around. He likes to suck on the shoulder strap and it’s hard to talk with your mouth full.

Almost 7 months old.

2007-08-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

8/09/07: Miles and I have a good Rhythm (as Erin would say) We don’t follow any strict schedules, but there is a predictability to the beginning and end of our days at this point. We are always on the go during the middle of the day. I am becoming more active in a Attachment Parenting supportive community- which is doing wonders for my moral. I love the fact there are other mamas like me out there, co-sleeping, breast feeding, and baby wearing. I’ve even switched over to cloth diapers and you can catch me on any given day wearing Miles on my back and hanging cloth diapers out to dry on the clothes line. It’s kinda weird and amazingly wonderful. Miles is the happiest of babies. He is sitting up now and is delighted by his new ability. He loves to grab, bang, tear up, and toss all things within reach. We still practice eating during the day, but most his nutrition still comes from mama’s milk. He is very happy with that.

I have been showing paintings at The Art Institute regularly and am enjoying this new found artist career. I have also recently joined the Foothills Art Assoc. and will be sharing some gallery space there as well. Now, if I could only find time to paint! I have been spending too much time on the mom forums online, I can tell because my butt hurts from sitting in this chair! Oh well- at least I’m not so isolated. I will include some cutie pie pictures so you can see how amazing my son is (if I do say so myself).

Breastfeeding week

2007-08-09T12:22:00.000-07:00

Miles and I attended an International Simultaneous Breast Feeding event at a local park recently. It was pretty amazing being with all these other moms and their children just sitting in the grass waiting to hear someone call out, “Latch on!” This event was in support of National Breastfeeding week, and will hopefully help create an atmosphere of acceptance of breastfeeding Moms and their children. Miles wore the “Mother Sucker’ shirt that Shelly and Gary made for him and was a HUGE hit. I’m telling you, they could make some money off those onsies.

Feel free to click on this link to find out more information on the new breastfeeding symbol.

Insecurities of a new Mommy

2007-05-31T09:22:00.000-07:00

Miles is 4 1/2 months old. I am good-well, kinda- I am going thru something where I need to constantly remind myself to calm down and change my thinking. I've been a little self critical. If I read the baby books I start to question my parenting style. Do I have a good enough routine? is he napping enough and well enough? Am I consistant enough. And then there's the whole time for me thing. There is no time for me. If I do have a moment, I need to put laundry away or load/unload the dishwasher, straighten the house. I have all these half finished projects (which goes against my nature and makes me crazy). I'm not sure what I can do to help myself. I have been practicing yoga almost every day- which I love. Miles will lay on the floor and do his tummy time with me. We hang out and go to mommy and me yoga, the library and the mall just to wander around. I guess I wish I could just get the house in some kind of order that made sense- it's never ending.

Miles is constantly changing- growing and learning. He is a true joy. I just need to remember to follow my instincts and let go of the unimportant, and all will be well.

Keith is working on the deck every day after work too- so we both don't get a brake from work until after dark-and in my brakes I tend to work. anyway- Such is life.

Miles is wonderful though, so much fun and a joy to be around. He smiles all the time and laughs out loud. He can roll from his tummy to his back. but not the other way around. And he has his two bottom teeth!- oh- he's awake from his nap- gotta run.

Almost 3 months old

2007-04-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

4/6/07: Life with Miles is beginning to really jive. We are getting to know each other more and more. I take him along everywhere we or I go. We have been to Cedros, La Jolla, The zoo (twice!), Palm Springs, The Museum, Gallery Openings, cocktail parties and many restaurants. He is a trooper, very mellow, loves to be in his Baby Bjorn, worn be me or Daddy.

We are co-sleeping in the master bedroom. Which works well when the dogs don’t bark, and Keith doesn’t snore, and Miles doesn’t start his nightly running man routine. I guess what I’m trying to say is, we still don’t sleep well. But I love co-sleeping. It makes nursing so much easier, and snuggling with the family is priceless.

Miles will be 12 weeks on Easter Sunday. 3 months on the 15th of April. He is already wearing 6 month baby clothes. He is starting to like his bath time, especially if we do it in the sink. He says “ahgoo, ahgaah” and is focusing hard on starting other noises too. Miles loves the morning time and grins for no reason. He is starting to love his toys and now when he is upset we can distract him with a toy for a while (instead of walking r bouncing him) which is really helpful, especially for Keith. He is finding his fists in his mouth and is just starting to learn to self sooth. He is also sleeping more in his swing for nap time, so I can get stuff like this done.

Anyway, we are loving life with Miles! Everyday he shows more of his little personality and is even starting to laugh now and again. I think the best is yet to come, and every day I wake up (for the 18th time) and think, “What new adventure are we going to have today?”

Time? Sleep? What's that?!

2007-03-15T09:10:00.000-07:00

3/16/07: I have a really hard time trying to find time to write. Miles is a little high needs still. I can’t put him down for more than a few minutes at a time, and that’s in the morning. In the afternoon, he demands full contact all the time. My life is so completely different now. It’s truly amazing how much I love him and am willing to do for him. Nature is fascinating that way.

Miles had his 2 month doctor’s visit yesterday and is now 10 pounds 11 ounces. And 23 1/4 inches tall. He is growing so fast! I wish I had more time to write. Maybe in the future. I am including a entry I wrote but never posted. See below. (I tried to upload photos, but the site won't let me for some reason.)

2/19/07; Miles and I pal around pretty well now. He dictates what we can do and for how long, but I instigate the activities. Like right now, I have him in the baby bjorn front pack, but he is getting kinda grunty, so I may have to cut this short. It’s raining outside, so, to me that means, time to bake! Miles and I made some blueberry muffins from scratch with some blueberries that were dying to be eaten. Hopefully the antioxidants will make up for the sugar and butter. Right.

We are still cosleeping in the nursery- but yesterday we went up to USA baby and bought a “co-sleeper”. It is like a bassinet that is missing one side and attaches to the parents bed. I am hoping that I can transition him into the master bedroom and move him from my bed into the co-sleeper…I have to go feed Miles, will write more later.

Life with Miles

2007-02-06T16:44:00.000-08:00

2/6/07- Tuesday
Miles was born on 1/15/07. He was 7 pounds 11 ounces and 21 inches long. He has already grown so much. Currently, he is 3 weeks and one day old. It’s taken me some time to be able to sit down and write anything-let alone shower do laundry, make dinner or call friends. I have been totally devoted to Miles care. For the most part it looks like this, picture a loop: Breast feed from one boob for about a half an hour. Then burp for a few minutes and maybe a diaper change is needed. Switch to the other side for more nursing. Burp some more. Settle any crying or play with Miles if he is “quiet alert” (meaning very alert but still, absorbing all around him) We play for about a half hour. Then I carry him around, either in my arms or in a sling or front pack while I clean up, throw some laundry in, make coffee- eat a yogurt, email friends, whatever. He usually falls asleep for a little while and if I’m lucky I can put him down in one of his many baby seats and hop in the shower and change into clothes that aren’t all stained with breast milk. After that it’s time to feed him again- after the second feeding of the day it’s prime time to leave the house if I need to. Take a walk or run to the store. He’s usually in a good mood in mid mornings. Once we get home, it’s back to the same pattern. At night, Keith usually takes him for a little while for some Daddy time while I finish up any projects I may have started during the day and make some dinner.

So- not real exciting. Very rewarding though. It’ll be more so when Miles is more interactive. Right now he only cries and grunts. He is making eye or at least face contact more and more- and some little “ah” sounds are starting to surface. Which is wonderful and fun. I feel like everyday he has grown up more and can do a little something new. Currently it seems he wants to eat every hour. I think he is going through a growth spurt. I have been feeding him on demand- but do try to make sure he is really hungry before I just whip it out.

I wanted to write about the birth and the past few weeks but there hasn’t been time. Hopefully future entries will be more entertaining and less factoid.