Two weeks of Facebook updates

March 15:
* successfully replicated Mimi's corn chowder without a recipe! Peter is so proud, especially since he didn't think he liked corn chowder.

March 16:
* Willem has decided that he wants to let his pink eye "heal on its own and not use medicine" instead of letting me put the antibiotic drops in his eyes. The drawback is that he will not be attending preschool until it resolves. Its a valid choice and one that I believe he is capable of making for himself, but I'm very surprised that he's sticking to it.

* couldn't go back to sleep after the baby woke because my mind is busy brainstorming areas of life that LDS women might be interested in advocating for. I know better than to wait when I have time to write my ideas; I'm writing them now so I don't forget.

* I was hoping to go back to sleep when I got home from yoga, but there's an awake baby...

March 17 (I hope you had a festive St. Patrick's Day!)
* is celebrating St. Patrick's Day with corned beef and cabbage and ceili dancing tonight! But before, I'm speaking live video streaming about The Birth Survey on Bellies To Booties Web TV at 2 pm Pacific.

March 18:
* thinks I had a cool, but not so good idea: use the pattern for my Ren dress to make a temple dress. White brocade skirt and vest over a white chemise, with white braided cording...March 19:

* laughed and laughed when I heard Willem say to Belle, "Leave my train station alone, you naughty kitten!"

March 20:
* won an ERGObaby organic baby carrier today, with backpack and front pack at the Healthy Kids and Green Parenting Fair!! I'm so excited!!!

March 21:
* totally scored a rain water collection barrel today because If there's a Water Shortage, Why Isn't Anybody Collecting Rain? Thanks to my neighbor for enabling me!

March 22:
* 's joy at health care reform is tempered by all the revisions that will be needed over time. Its a start, which is a relief, but there will be much more fighting. I'm kind of exhausted at the prospect.

March 24:
* wants some energy back. How about a nap today children?

* thinks its a travesty to pipe fake buttercream frosting on to a delicious cheesecake.

* if there's such a thing as cabbage chowder, I made it tonight. And then put it in a breadbowl.

March 26:

* is struggling to write my personal experiences into an article on childbirth.

*is listening to Peter tell me about travel warnings throughout the world and I misheard "terrorist concerns in India." I heard "terrorist insurance." Now that would a lucrative business... They would pay your ransom, extricate you from the hostage situation and pay any medical or therapy bills.

March 27:
* has a baby that WILL NOT cuddle to sleep in bed with me. She spent an hour rolling around in the dark and only settled down to sleep when I put her in her bed, covered her with a blanket and walked away. Not cool, little girl.


March 28:
* Belle climbed up on a box and now can't figure out the way down. Good for her that she's still trying.

* and the sickness goes on. Willem has a fever and has spent the day cuddled under blankets sleeping on Peter.

March 29:
* And thus begins Belle's 10th month of life outside the womb. Let the toddling commence.

* Willem just pointed to the plushie for Gonorrhea and just said "I want to see that S T B."

March 30:
* Carla Hartley is tempting me again. Her offers for enrolling in AAMI (Ancient Arts Midwifery Institute) are always so very appealing...

* First half of the day: I was pleased to find that "children are a joy and blessing" applied to the happiness in our home. Second half of the day: I had to remind myself that "children are a joy and a blessing."

March 31:
* was taken on a hike by her 10 month old. Who knew a 10 month would actually hike? The Cascade mountains are beautiful and I'm so glad that Peter was willing to take a day away from studying to spend time with the family in nature.

April 1:
* is CRANKY today. Any ideas to help a mama chill out?

April 2:
* had a reminder that trauma resurfaces unexpedectly and can suck you back into it. Given that its 2 am now, I don't think I'll be waking up in 4 hours to go to my early morning yoga class. When you see my blog post, you'll know what I'm talking about.

* loves seeing the simple joy that comes from playing with a box. Belle's new carseat came yesterday and Willem now gets what boxes are all about. We got a big package when he was Belle's age and he did not understand why we put him in the box at all. Belle gets it though because she sees her brother playing in it. They ...turned it into a slide until it became too squished for that.

April 3 (General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints):

*has been appreciating the words spoken at General Conference this morning. I especially like the promptings I've gotten from what i've heard. What did you think of the quote from Eliza R Snow that Julie Beck used?

* Me to Belle: "You are such a silly child." Willem to me: "You are just a silly mama."

April 4:
* is watching Emma: Her Story on BYU TV (internet streaming) right now. I'm excited to see it. The first few minutes are boding well.

* is making bone broth for the first time tonight. Out of the bones from the lamb rack we had for Easter dinner. We'll see how it turns out.

April 5:
* For some reason I do not understand, Willem is calling all soldiers and knights "Lamanites" today.

* Quote from Willem: "Do not kill me before you ask my permission!"

* And another "Lightning (McQueen) has blue eyes like Belle!"

Quotes from Famous People:

"Her baby constitutes for her a powerful symbol of her motherhood, her individuality, her new family, the beauty and wonder of nature, and the perfection of her own body and her procreative powers." Robbie Davis Floyd

"It is intriguing this [those born between 1935-1975 who were separated from their mothers after birth for several hours or even days] is the age group that has experienced spiralling divorce rates, increased incidence of child abuse, and greater extent of familial alienation than that seen in previous generations, and... the temptation to associate this with US birth practices is hard to resist." Wenda Trevathan

"We do not ask you to give up any good you have, but we invite you to come and get more." Joseph Smith in talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ

Links to Articles:
Obama's Out of Control Health Care Costs (my comment: Peter and I had a good conversation about this article today. "Obama's Out of Control Health Care Costs" because we can all see this happening: The federal gov't promises to pay all health care costs, and doctors then jack up their prices just because they can. Regulating health care costs is essential to health care reform.)
You Probably Are A Feminist
Top 5 Myths About Having a Homebirth
Path to Freedom: the Original Urban Homestead
Family and Home Network (a new volunteer organization I'm excited to work with)
Calling for Integrative Medicine to be Written into Health Care Reform
Women are Saving the World Now: a new advocacy organization that featured Rikki Lake for BOBB
The Onion: Increasing Number of Parents Opting to Have Children School-Homed
Woman Catches Baby During Own Cesarean Section
Fertile Feminism: Mainstream Feminism and Motherhood
Breastfeeding Saves Money and Saves Lives: Analysis Says
Citizen Commentary on Health Care Reform: Written by my husband's mission president

Links to Products (in the crunchy vein):
Selling My Fuzzi Bunz Perfect Size Stash
Baby Steals.com had a shocking deal on Ergo's on the 25th
Chemical of Concerns in Car Seats: Healthy Stuff's Ratings for 2009
Organic Cotton Mattress Toppers
The Femivore's Dilemma (article links to the book Radical Homemakers)

Links to Advocacy Opportunities:
Make Animal Abuse a Felony
Take Action: Tell the EPA to Protect Americans from Dioxin
Requesting Greater Transparency in Health Care: soliticed by Health and Human Services
Play an Online Game and Give Rice
Petition to ACOG: Increase Women's Access to VBAC
Switch to Kijiji to Protest Human Trafficking on Craigslist

If I could do it all over again Part 2: Life With a Baby

In Part 1, I went over all the books I wish I had read when I was preparing for childbirth, yet childbirth is not the only area of mothering that I wish I had known some of the things that I know now. During my pregnancy, I had gotten a sense of the parenting philosophy I was going to subscribe to. Unmedicated childbirth, breastfeeding, babywearing and cosleeping came naturally to me. My background in early childhood education and knowledge of brain development in infants and young children supported those practices. I was able to see through some of the dominant cultural practices of caring for babies while others I was not aware.

Having Faith: An Ecologist's Journey to Motherhood by Sandra Steingraber

As I've developed a mother, my children's environment has become an important consideration for me. Steingraber gave me my education in bioaccumulating toxic chemicals and the importance of keeping our food supply, drinking water, and household items free from toxins. In large part, this is the book that convinced me on organic foods, gardening, environmental activism and limiting the amount of plastics in my home. This books also makes a strong case for breastfeeding. If only I had know about this information before I ever got pregnant, or if only my parents and grandparents had known about it...

Baby Matters: What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Caring for Your Baby by Linda Palmer

This book emphasizes the primary importance of attachment parenting (specifically babywearing, breastfeeding and co-sleeping) and bolsters a parents' confidence in these parenting practices. Palmer addresses the opposition to these practices with convincing evidence to their benefits. She also provides compelling information on the common cultural practices to avoid like crying it out, formula, antibiotics, etc. Since I already had naturally gravitated to attachment parenting, this book gave me some evidence to cite in support of my intuitive beliefs. Its making this list because I wish I had known how to articulate the findings of this book at a time when I could only express an affinity towards the mindset.

Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child by Janet Zand, Robert Rountree, and Rachel Walton

I found this early in Willem's life so it doesn't exactly fall into the category of what I wish I had known, although I wish I had a greater working knowledge of homeopathy and herbalism in my younger years so it wasn't new to me when I became a mother. It has been a very valuable resource in helping to care for him when he's ill. It offers explanations of childhood illnesses and provides sections on conventional medicine, homeopathic medicine, herbal medicine, accupressure and comfort measures/ prevention tips for each illness. I refer it to first when either children are ill and I've really enjoyed learning about alternative medicine and what I can do at home to help my children feel better when they are sick. Evidently Willem has learned from me because he has told me that he really believes in the body's ability to heal itself because he often refuses medicine and instead like to take the wait and see approach.

Then comes the area of motherhood that doesn't involve knowledge, but requires stuff, or better known these days as baby gear. I have a list of "If I could do it all over again" with the baby stuff too.

Cloth diapers

Economical in the long run, worth the upfront cost, especially with the One Size options and bulk packages discounts available, better for babies skin, respiratory systems and the environment. In home washer and dryer recommended, however. I started out knowing I wanted to cloth diaper and bought a cloth diapering system. If only Fuzzi Bunz had been making the adjustable One Size diapers when I first became a mother. I could have saved possibly $800.

T-shirts instead of onesies (long and short sleeved)

I found I really don't like onesies for diaper changes, even though they are good for covering the low back when picking up babies. Especially with Elimination Communication, I find that a shirt that isn't held together at the crotch is quicker and easier for potty times (and diaper changes for that matter.) My babies just do not lie still long enough to snap a onesie bottom. Not only do I wish that non-onesie t-shirts were more commonly made for young babies, I wish I had known to stock up on them when I found them from the beginning.

Pants with feet

I wish I had another 4 or 5 pairs of pants with feet. I only have one pair, it was a gift and I've never seen another pair. They are great, because they keep the bottom half of the baby warm and I don't have to wrestle socks on baby's feet, or keep pulling socks up as they slip off, or keep having to replace socks after they've fallen off and gotten lost.

A hooded bunting

For newborn babies and until crawling, a hooded bunting is a cuddly, cute and easy way to keep a baby warm in cold weather. The hood is easier for me to deal with than a hat because if it falls off, its not going anywhere. I don't even know how many hats we've lost.

Moby Wrap for small babies until toddler

I found that the Moby is most supportive and versatile babywearing device for newborns. The baby can be worn cradled or upright. While many people really like ring slings, I find that the weight on one shoulder is not as comfortable over hours of babywearing as having the baby's weight equally distributed across my back, shoulders and hips. Its also very good for older babies, provides a fun way for them to face out for short periods and can be used through toddlerhood. I did discover this early on but for the sake of having a complete list of baby items, I'm adding this too.

Ergo for babies beyond newborn and for backcarrying

I mainly use this for backcarrying or when my older infant/quasi-toddler is sleeping. Its still great to wear my three year old on my back. Paired with the Moby on the front, double babywearing is possible and very comfortable.

A manual breast pump for engorgement and occasional times when separated from baby

If mom is going to be staying home to care for baby, its still useful to have a manual breast pump to express milk. Having a stockpile of milk in the freezer is comforting, and can be shared or donated to babies who are not exclusively breastfed. If mom is going to be in school, or working part-time/full-time, an electric pump is recommended. I had use of an electric pump when Willem was a baby because I was in school 40 hours a week when classes were going on with my graduate program, yet with Belle, I've only used a manual pump a handful of times. I was given a manual pump as a baby shower gift and it was a good one.

A side car crib

A side car crib is more worthwhile, in my experience, than a co-sleeper, bassinet, cradle, etc. Not only does it ensure a "cage-free baby," it can be set up when the baby is small and used until the child moves out of the family bedroom. I could have saved some money if we had put the side-car crib up instead of buying the co-sleeper.

A boppy (when learning to breastfeed)

Boppies aren't just for helping hold the baby when figuring out a proper latch for breastfeeding, they are great backrests in pregnancy, sitting supports for babies learning to sit up, nap nests for little babies, especially when they are congested. And just a fun toy for older children too. This is something I did have from the beginning and it was really worth it, especially since I got it off craigslist for cheap.

Swaddling blankets

I've learned that receiving blankets do not equal swaddling blankets and that not all babies, at all stages in their infancy like being swaddled. For both of my children, between 6-10 months, swaddling became a very important and useful of helping them get to sleep. I'm glad I figured swaddling out, but I wish I had had some good-sized and light-weight swaddling blankets from the beginning.

Car Seat

For the sake of a complete list of what is needed for a baby, a car seat needs to be on the list; however, this is one area that I haven't explored to a great extent so if I could do it all over again, I'd know more about it already and not be showing off my ignorance here. There's a chance with the next baby, I'll look into a rear-facing convertible car seat from the beginning, just for the convenience and money saving. Most importantly is knowing how to properly install the seat and position the car seat straps. Thanks to my friend Jennifer who taught me the trick of sitting on your knees in the seat to adjust the tightness against the backseat of the car.

Attachment Parenting: A Weight Loss Method?

I have officially lost 55 pounds since being pregnant with Willem. The last time I weighed what I weigh now was when I was 12. I didn't know that I could weigh what I do. One time my grandpa told me that my grandma liked to diet and stay thin, but he often felt like she was too thin. He said that he liked her most when she weighed 146 pounds. I made it a goal to never get below that because I always thought that my grandma looked great and if grandpa said that was the weight she looked best at, I believed him. Well, now I'm below that. I could lose a few more pounds and still be healthy, but I'm not pushing it and I don't want to lose more than another 10. Of course, there are differences between me and my grandma. She was about an inch taller than me, so she would need more weight to porportionally match her frame.

And really what matters most is that I am healthy and not how much I weigh. And to be honest, I am at the healthiest point of my life so far. I am regularly exercising and eating well. If you ask family and friends, I eat ALOT, but I try to have it be a healthful diet of lots of veggies and whole grains.

To be honest, I can contribute my weight loss to my parenting style. I breastfeed Willem so my body is producing the calories he needs and its using my excess fat stores to do it. I also wear him when we take walks so I'm get weight resistance training while getting a cardio workout. Its like I'm wearing 20 pounds of ankle and wrists weights on my torso. I also make a goal to walk to the majority of places that I go and in Seattle its easy to do that with the scarcity of free parking. If I can walk somewhere, I'll do it. If its too far to walk, I can take a bus and that requires walking too as I get to bus stops and my destination. Another thing is bed sharing. Willem sleeps in our bed with us (we've got the crib set up as a sidecar) and he nurses throughout the night. I barely need to wake up and he's helping my body burn through even more calories. And its been working for me. Obviously. I'm now 25 pounds below my prepregnancy weight.

So really, who knew that attachment parenting could be a way to lose weight?