Why We Choose Homebirth

Usually when I tell people I had a home birth, those who don't know me are taken back a bit. After they finally catch their breath again, the first two things I hear are; "wow, you are really brave" and "why did you decide to birth at home?"

My answer is... NO, you are brave for birthing at a hospital! And this is why.

~ Home is the safest place for my babies to be born.

~ At home I am in control of my surroundings, body and birth experience.

~ Birth is a natural process, and I am confident in my ability to bring life into this world.

~ My risk of unnecessary interventions and c-section are dramatically lower.

~ No one touches your baby except you.

~ I was provided better and more personal care with one provider from beginning to end.

~ Home is comfortable and familiar.

~ You can eat and drink as you please.

~ Nurses aren't bothering you all hours of the day and night.

~ There is no pressure to waiver from your beliefs.

~ Siblings are welcome to attend.

~My list could go on and on!!

The last thing I say on my "defense" is...

"Why did you choose to birth in a hospital??"

My wish is that woman put in as much thought about birthing in a hospital as I did about birthing at home. Maybe they would see that home doesn't sound so scary after all.

St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone!

My good friend has school tonight but didn't want to miss out on the fun, so we celebrated St. Patrick's day with her and her family yesterday.

We started off the evening with a little story time, reading and learning about St. Patrick. The kids seemed to enjoy the story, but were ready for the fun stuff!

After story time, we made our own paper bag leprechaun puppets. This is the one that me and Buddy Boy made. It was the best looking one, thanks so Mama:)

After making puppets, we found the first clue that the leprechaun left us for our treasure hunt. The hunt led us all over the house, finally finishing at a pot of "gold" (which were chocolate coins). This was the best part for the kiddos, they loved running around the house looking for the clues. This morning Bubba Love informed me that she knew there was no such thing as leprechauns and that I really hid all that stuff. I laughed and said "really??" which she replied "yeah, right????" Haha! I love it!

Last on our St. Patty's agenda was rainbow making. Being that we are an organics only household, Froot Loops are NEVER allowed. But I made an exception for this really cute project and over all the kids were pretty good at keeping the cereal on their paper and not in their mouths! This was such a fun activity and there was little to explain, the girls knew exactly what to do and got it done.

We ended the evening with some corned beef, potatoes and dill bread (oh, and some beer & whiskey, yummm).

Then let the kids play for a few hours until they could no longer keep their eyes open.

It was hard to get the kids up this morning for preschool, but we did. Bubba Love wore her best green dress and enjoyed a party at school with her friends:)

Homemade Children's Shampoo & Body Wash

I am picky about not only what goes into my kids but also what goes on my kids. I always pay double the price for organic body wash to insure the kids get only natural and safe ingredients on their skin. Unfortunately this is not sustainable for a frugal mommy like myself. So I went on a search to begin making my own bath products for the kids (and one day myself).

Surprisingly, there is a ton of information and recipes online, and all seem really easy. I choose this recipe because it had the least amount of ingredients and I had them on hand.

6 parts water

1 part castile soap (I used Dr. Bronner's Almond Scented)

I had an empty shampoo bottle I planned to use, so I made a 16oz batch. Using 1 3/4cups water to 1/4cup soap.

Bring the water to a boil, remove from heat and let cool for 5min. Grate the soap. Melt the soap into water and transfer into a squirt bottle.

Simple enough!!

I haven't tried it yet, but it smells super yummy and how can you really go wrong with castile soap?? Either way, I will let you know how it goes over tonight at bath time.

Oh, and for you that want to know how much this all works out to be, here is my estimate. I used 1/5th of my castile bar on one batch of shampoo. The bar was $3.49. So this bottle of shampoo cost me roughly $.70. Not bad compared to the $8 I was spending on their shampoo!

That's Important To Me

I have always loved Joey + Rory, but this one takes the cake... I LOVE IT!! I hope you all enjoy it also;)

Tea Party Birthday

Bubba Love turned 4 this week, and in celebration we had a girls only Tea Party. She had 10 little friends over and they spent their time making jewelry and chatting over lunch and tea. It was such a beautiful morning, we were blessed that the sun was out and the rain held off until 30min after the party! It was so much fun to watch these girls dress up and be the girly girls they were born to be.

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!

Wordless Wednesday

Buddy Boy's new haircut!

7 Things I Love...

About being a Northern California Girl (born and raised)


1. 70 degree's and sunny in mid-January & Feburary.


2. One hour drive to the beach (surfing) or the mountians (snowboarding).


3. Amazing wines! I am lucky enough to live right in the middle of 3 huge vineyard destinations.


4. Booming agriculture. California (central and northern) produces most of the countries domestic produce, and is the leader in organics.


5. National Parks. Yosemite, Seqouia, Redwood, and Point Reyes.... just to name a few!


6. Home births are legal. California is one of the few states that has no restictions on home birth, and both CPM and CNM are legal.


7. We say "hella". Haha! Enough said:)

There are a lot of things that suck about Cali also, but I love it here! I am surrounded by beauty. This is a picture taken today in my yard. Yes, it is the beginning of March and my bulbs are already bloomed!!!

Post~Partum

Being only 13 weeks postpartum, I thought it would be appropriate for me to start there.

When I was pregnant with my first, I didn't think about postpartum. I thought the baby came out, there was some bleeding and everything was normal again. Haha!! I soon learned that it took a while for things to get back to "normal" and even then, normal is different then it was.

These are a few things I wish veteran mom's would have told me about...

~Afterpains~

Afterpains hurt!! (especially if you have had children before) They are caused by the process of "involution", which is when your uterus is returning to it's non-pregnancy size. After your birth, your uterus will be about the size of a grapefruit, weighing between 2-3lbs. Over the first two weeks it will shrink down to fit into the pelvis and weight around a 1/2lb, during this time is when you will feel those afterpains the most.

Afterpains are basically mini contractions. And just like contractions, the release of oxytocin is what causes them. How is oxytocin released? Nipple stimulation. So while you are having a sweet nursing session with your new baby, you will be hit with some contractions. Most people use some form or Ibuprofen to help them through this time, so they can just focus on enjoying their time with baby.

~Back Aches~

During your last trimester, the hormone relaxin kicks in and starts softening your joints and losening your ligaments in preperation for labor. It is an amazing hormone that makes it possible for us to open up and make room for our babies to be born.
After the birth, your body has is still loose and soft. This can, just like in the last trimester, cause back aches. It can also cause weakness and leave you vulnerable for injury.

To prevent pain and injury, try not to hunch over while breastfeeding. This will lead to strain on your spine and a longer recovery. Bring the baby up TO your breast and use a pillow or boppy to support you. Try to avoid carrying those heavy car seats. Either have someone else do it, or pick your baby up and wear him/her (they want to be with you anyways). Lastly, make sure you are wearing your baby properly. Not only for the safety of you little one, but for the well being of you and your fragile body.

~Hair loss~

Throughout your pregnancy, the hormone estrigon keeps hair at a continual growing stage. After your baby is born and estrigen levels take a dive, your hair trys to go back to its normal process. Which is have 5-15% of your hair at a resting stage for release, promoting new growth. Before it can get back to its normal process, your body releases a lot of the hair that would have been released the previous 9 months. By your babies first birthday, your hair should be back to it's pre-pregnancy routine.