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.

Passions & Visions

Four years ago, I was sitting at home patiently waiting to go into labor with my first child. I was very young and naive, but extremely excited for the future. I had it in my mind that I would be the perfect mom. I planned to have a natural unmedicated childbirth, I would cloth diaper, exclusively breastfeed, make babyfood, and never turn on the TV.

And so it all began. With little knowledge but the love and support of my entire birthing team (including...gasp...my OB) I was able to check the first off my list, I had a natural childbirth. Once home from hospital I was welcomed with a big stack of diapers from (gasp again) our local diaper service. Check two. Breastfeeding came easy and since I stayed at home, I had no real obstacles. Check three. Baby food made. Check four. TV was never on while baby was awake. Check five.

When Bubba Love was 9 months old we found out we were pregnant again. I was ecstatic! I was doing such a "great" job as a mom and couldn't wait for double duty. Welcome morning sickness... TV came on. Oops, that wasn't in my plan! Oh well:) For the most part, TV was the only thing I gave into.

With the foundation I had from my first experience (which worked out more from luck then knowledge) I was able to nurture my goals into passions. I began to read ALOT, mainly on childbirth. I realized how fortunate I was to have a supportive OB, who in the end wanted to see me succeed. I knew that my chances of having another birth like my first was unlikely at a hospital, so we went with a birth center this time. Check Plus. I also began reading about cloth diapering and was opened into a wonderful world of "real" cloth diapering. I couldn't believe that I was so out of the loop. I felt guilty for using a diaper service that I thought was doing better for the environment then disposables, but come to find out... not so much! So I bought my first set of prefolds and began. Once I was comfortable, I bought my first set of AIO and have been with those ever since. Check Plus.

Since the birth of Buddy Boy, natural childbirth has become more of my lifestyle then goal to check off my list. I have since had another baby at home, which is what I should have done in the first place:) And I have become a doula, with the ultimate goal becoming a midwife.

I haven't decided quite yet, but I think my vision for this blog is childbirth related. Maybe not 100%, but mostly. With cloth diapering, green living, healthy eating and peaceful parenting thrown in.

Yummy & Easy Yellow Curry Chicken

I had this at my midwives annual potluck and LOVED it:) It is so yummy, super easy and the whole family loves it!

2 boneless skinless chicken breast
3 large russet potatoes ~ peeled and chopped into 1/2inch squares
4 large carrots ~ peeled and chopped into half circles
2 jars of Trader Joe's Yellow Curry Sauce
1 cup of frozen peas

Put everything except the peas into the crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours. Pull out and shred the chicken, then add it and the peas back and let it cook for another 15minutes. Serve with white or brown rice.

This recipe is too good not to share... hope you all enjoy ;)