Shameless post in order to win free cookbook

So in the last few months I've become minorly obsessed with what is sometimes called 'real food.' The "Nourishing Traditions" cookbook is my bible. It seriously hasn't left my counter in 3 months. Calvin got cavities, Toby got a blood clot and my mom got cancer. I'm determined to eat well and explore all the ways to do this. For now, it's traditionally prepared foods a la Nourishing Traditions.

I was lucky enough to find this awesome recipe and info-sharing website called Eat Nourishing. So many more ideas and ways to do traditionally-prepared foods than NT. It's a blessing. Check it out!

Love,
Kelly

Here we are at 10 months

Calvin is almost a toddler these days. In this photo shoot (with my henna'ed arm), he barely kept still long enough to get a good shot. I really like this one. What a sweetie, huh?

So being a SAHM (stay at home mom) continues. The last week has felt tough...hubby working very hard and feeling drained. Mama working very hard and feeling drained. Doesn't leave a lot of energy for nurturing ourselves or our relationship. We get little bits here and there. And I think this is normal for the first year or so of a baby's life. I know we'll get through it. It's just kinda hard right now.

That being said, right now my adorable baby boy is playing by himself and happily enjoying scooting around the house finding various items to stick in his mouth.

EC is going okay. I didn't do it for a long time. A mobile baby makes for difficulty catching pees. He's pretty active and it's hard to keep an eye on him enough to catch his cues. But I've realized that there's a good time of day, 11-2, when we're playing on the floor a lot and I can devote my attention to him and notice. He really loves to be read to while he's on the potty. He's mostly been in diapers. I try to do a little bit of naked time every day. I've had some psychic moments and some not-so-psychic moments, too. I'm still glad we're doing it, even if it's very part time at the moment.

Calvin's really growing up so fast...he already has learned how to play peek-a-boo with me instead of me playing it with him...

Here's one I just took a second ago with the web cam.


Me and my baby - what a crazy bond.

The six month click

Calvin is now 6 1/2 months old and a couple of weeks ago it seemed like something clicked for us with EC. It seemed that every time I took him to pee (usually in the back yard), he peed! Either I'm getting to know his cues better or he's understanding and trusting that I'll take him and so he can hold it until we go. ?? Who knows - maybe it's both. Or neither.

So that lasted a couple weeks and then things went off for a bit. Toby and I have both been stressed the last week or so and I think that impacts how we're attending to Calvin and 'listening' to him and how Calvin's feeling, too. There's been more misses lately and more dirty diapers. But this is okay. I'm wanting to allow for the ebb and flow of this process and let it naturally unfold - not fight the times when I'm not feeling tuned in and not get attached to the times when we seem to be communicating well.

This weekend we have our friends Sarah and Jeremy here with their new little bundle of joy, Cy. They are also EC'ing and having great success. Cy is almost 3 months old and is communicating his elimination needs like a champ. Sarah and Jeremy are also really attuned to him and listening to their intuition. Sarah's excitement and positivity around pee and getting peed on have inspired me. She's been keeping Cy naked for the last few days and catching a lot of pees. So I am feeling inspired and have been having Calvin naked more in the last day. No matter what happens - if he pees on the carpet, on me, on his high chair - I think it will help me reconnect and learn more about Calvin's cues.

Here's some recent pics of my sweetie and a couple of him and Cy...

Fun with food


Fun with dad



Fun with Cy!






Big Cy on his little potty

Cycles and gear

I'm starting to notice a cycle in my life with Calvin. A few weeks ago, I was feeling pretty miserable - burned out, tired physically and mentally, feeling stretched thin, irritable and sad. This last for a couple of weeks. Toby and I thought about different ways to help relieve some of this for me. Getting out during the day, Toby taking Calvin for a walk when he gets home from work, starting to feed Calvin solid foods to give me some more time. We even talked about a nanny and if that was financially possible.

In the end, I think it mostly helpful just to talk about how I was feeling and have someone recognize that I was pretty pooped. Eventually, after a couple of weeks of being gentle to myself and following some of the ayurvedic suggestions for my diet and relaxation, the feelings passed and now I'm feeling more energetic and much more able to be present for Calvin and Toby. This cycle happened before a couple of months ago, so I'm thinking it may happen again. I'm glad to have some tools and mindfulness around it now so that perhaps when the feelings come again, I will be more able to take care of myself instead of swim around for so long in the feelings.

Calvin is doing so well. I'm amazed at how happy he is most of the time. I don't know why I should be shocked. But I think we're doing a pretty good job of helping him feel secure and soothed and happy. I think sleeping in the same bed really makes a difference. One of the best parts of my day is waking up and seeing Calvin's smiling face looking up at me. Or, I see him rolling over and grabbing for Toby - hitting him on the back to wake him up. I love it. I also think because we're holding him a lot and I'm nursing him when he 'asks' for it, he's beginning to trust us and trust himself when it comes to getting his needs met.

I also wonder if the elimination communication is helping him feel good and right. We had an exciting week with that...two new pieces of EC 'gear' came in the mail.

A diaper belt:

This is a great way to quickly tell if he's wet. And, it's easy to flip down the front of the diaper and 'pee' him. Lately we've been peeing out in the yard. He really seems to enjoy watching birds and leaves. Maybe it relaxes him so he can pee?

I also splurged and got these fancy EC pants:

So these are really trim - trimmer than dipes, so they're hopefully more comfortable for him - and there's a belt that keeps them on and then the front can be whisked off to pee him and easily velcroed back on. I've only used them once. They hold one pee, and then have to be washed again. But if I get better at catching his pee cues, then hopefully they could last hours!

This is the excitment of my days.

Here's some cute ones of Calvin on his little potty:

Good day for EC

I had some minor successes today with Calvin and our EC. I really want to have him out of diapers as much as I can when we're just around the house. It requires my full attention, so sometimes it just doesn't happen. But today, because I have a bum toe (ingrown toenail surgery) and am trying to take it easy, I kept him diaperless for a looong time today. He played on the floor and if I noticed his cues for pee, which is usually fussing, I put him over the potty. He's been really resisting the potty recently. Not sure why. He arches his back and cries. Sometimes he'll calm down and then pee. Other times I hear that body language as 'I don't have to pee - put me down!'

I also put him in the sling today with a couple of cloth diapers under him and he didn't pee on me! Yes! Then I got brave and tried to put him in the high chair with the diapers under him. He peed and I didn't notice any cue. Ah well. The misses help me learn!

I feel like I'm getting better about noticing his poo cues. Today he pooed a LOT. And I caught almost all of them.

He also did one naked nap today. I missed his waking up pee...I think I took too long getting up to him.

So I'd say a successful day for EC! We'll see how tomorrow goes.

Baby changes everything...even the blog

So if you follow this blog, you'll notice I've got a new look and theme these days. Not surprising, I'm sure. I hope you'll enjoy the new twist and my ramblings and ravings about being a mom. I want to give folks an idea of the realities of motherhood - the intensity of my love for Calvin, the way Toby and I are handling an addition to our family, the tiredness, the laughter, the tears...you get it.

I also want to share my experiences of practicing infant potty training with Calvin. It's something we've been doing since he was 3 months old. To fill those of you in who may not have heard of this, which I assume is many of you, infant potty training, also called "elimination communication (EC)," is a way of tuning in to one's child in order to learn their cues or ways of communicating that they have to pee or poop. Many "experts" say that kids don't do this until age 2. This just isn't true. Kids do give cues and let you know when they need to go. I think we don't give babies enough credit for their ability to communicate and learn. It has been an incredible process for me of really "listening" to Calvin and paying attention to his patterns, his different cries, his body language...all of it. Not just the elimination communication, but also his communication about his other needs. I found that when I tuned in to watch for potty cues, I started to learn more and more about how he tells me what he needs. I have been so amazed at Calvin's ability to let me know what's going on with his body. Toby was mighty impressed with this whole thing. He really wasn't on board at first and thought it would be too hard to "catch" pees and poos. But after a week of trying it and me showing him that I could catch some pees - Toby hasn't looked back.

So it isn't necessarily potty training as you may normally think of it. I first began noticing when Calvin peed or pooped in his diaper and then began to offer him a chance to go in the toilet or sink at those times. For example, I figured out that he would pee and poop every morning upon waking. I had a bowl right beside the bed, and when he woke up, I'd hold him over the bowl and when he peed, I would say 'Peeeee' and when he pooped, I would say 'Poo Poo.' Eventually, he seemed to understand that when I held him over a potty, sink, bowl and said either of the cue words, he could release.

Now, sometimes I think he has to go, and he doesn't. Other times, well, most of the time, I miss his pees and poops. I don't have any goals in mind for getting him "trained" by a certain point. I just really love the idea that I can help Calvin pee and poop away from his body more and more. Many kids whose parents use EC don't become what EC folks call "potty independent" until around the same time that kids who are potty trained in the typical way do, maybe around 2 years old. Some are readier earlier. The one thing I would love is to get Calvin out of diapers sooner rather than later. But I'm trying to hold that loosely and not get obsessed with it as a goal.

So - I'll be talking about that here because I love to share about it and haven't really found anyone in my circle of mommy friends who's into it. I'd love to hear your thoughts as you read about it all. If you want to know more about EC, check out the links on this page.

Well, it's been a long day...hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park with Toby, Calvin and Toby's dad, David. And then to a rodeo. Holy cow. I highly recommend going to one if you can. It was awesome!!

Nighty night

Space

So I'm learning how to work with space lately. Now that the holidays are winding down and the momentum to parenthood is winding up, I'm finding that it's all fodder for working with my mind. I can pretty much go off on any tangent I want and work myself into a frenzy...When will baby be born? How will I deal with the strong sensations that I refuse to call 'pain'? Will I be a good mom? Will the birth go smoothly? Will I be disappointed? Is something wrong with the baby? Should there be more 'stuff' I need to buy? on and on and on and on....

I find these questions pop up and then I do my best to acknowledge them and then let them slide. It's pretty easy for me right now. Something about these pregnancy hormones makes sliding in and out of thoughts and emotions easier for me.

In the lack of clinging and trying to stay free from the bondage of these thoughts, I feel spacey. My plan is to nurture that spaciness...read a novel, paint, take long, slow walks, stop reading parenting books. My rational mind needs to take a back seat for a while. I feel so blessed that I can sort of take myself out of the big world in order to prepare myself for labor. I don't have to work, I don't have to read the news, I can happily loll about and spend my time talking to baby and preparing the house.

This is indeed a magical time. I'm trying to savor every moment of it.

A picture of my painted belly after my last midwife visit...


Many blessings to you all!

34 weeks and Election Day pics

Hello loyal friends who check my blog even when I don't post for a long time. I am grateful. I've been feeling pretty darn good still. This has been a very blessed pregnancy. I've had some issues with bones and ligaments in my pelvis moving around. That ol' tailbone injury from the jumping bridge in Springfield has come back to haunt me in a serious way. But I'm getting treatment for it and it's getting better! I'm learning how to roll over in bed without using my ab muscles. This is quite a feat I must say and is only getting more awkward as the belly grows. We're getting a king-size bed this week! WAHOO!! This should make sleeping a little easier - and will give us plenty o' room to sleep with the babe. So exciting!!! We'll be sleeping with our baby oh-so-soon! I'm so excited to meet this litte one. Lately I think it's a girl. I've had dreams and people have told me it looks like a girl and I keep saying 'she.' We'll see. We don't have a girl name picked out yet. Better get on that.


Here are the latest belly pics...Toby and I were out hiking in Boulder a couple weeks ago.

Me, my belly, my cool new shades and the Front Range

I'm a STAR!

Ooooh...I just love him.

Awwww!!!

I think Toby's the greatest thing since sliced bread. We've been trying to spend as much time together as we can. We now have a month left of it being 'just us' for a very long time. It's sad. :( We're so excited about this baby - and we're also allowing some room to grieve this time in our lives that is ending. We've been together for 7 years (as of last week)! It's been an amazing time that I am so grateful we've had.

Here's some pics of Election Day. We were at our friend, Colleen's house, just in time for the news and then headed downtown for some serious celebration.

Jon Stewart ended up being the one to tell us that Obama had won. This is a pic from soon after that moment. YES! Check!

So the whole thing happening down at Pearl St. was that on the pedestrian mall, where it crosses a main road, people were running into the road when the signal to walk came on. It was madness - dancing and shouting and running around. You can see Toby in a light blue sweatshirt. I even went in myself - it was so amazing to be celebrating with so many people. I feel like I belong in this country again.

Then, when the signal turned back to 'Don't walk', (which you can kinda see in the picture on the left), everyone would walk back to the side of the road and let the cars pass. The cars would honk and roll down their windows and whoop and holler.

WOOOOO!!!!!!!

Some fly Obama apparel.

It was quite a night! We'll be having an Obama baby. Hell yes. Maybe Baby will wait until January 20th to come into the world....maybe not. Maybe it wants to be here to watch the inauguration...

Just about 28 weeks

So it's been a while since I've posted. Hello again world! I'm still pregnant! And loving it.

No one ever told me that pregnancy hormones could be so fun! Yesterday I was stirring some peanut butter and started laughing. That's right. The peanut butter made me laugh. It was just so darn gloopy...hilarious!

I just returned from the Land o' Lincoln to see my family and go to my baby shower! It was wonderful.

I feel so grateful to have so many wonderful women in my life. Especially my Mom and sister who organized the whole thing. Thank you to all of my family and friends who came to shower me with your love and wishes and gifts. Toby and I truly appreciate all of it.

Here's some pics. My sister, Colleen, wielded the camera for me...

These women obviously own the place (my cousin, Linda and my grandma, Bernadine. Linda's daughter, Ellie, is on the left).

One of the murals...what a fun and vibrant atmosphere this was!

The ladies.

The cupcakes...carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, made by Kristen and DELICIOUS!

I have to brag - I drew this picture of a baby on a plate while it was on top of my head. Forget being a therapist...I missed my calling here!

Kristen's cuties - Libby and Sydney.

So many gifts!

The two pregnant ladies say, "It's time to go home!"

A wonderful time had by all, I hope.

I'm back in Boulder, now, and getting back into my routine. Which, thankfully, doesn't include all that much.

I've been marveling at the movements inside my womb. It makes me laugh when I feel a big one. It is really such a strange and delightful feeling to feel your baby move inside you. I'm in love!

I've been playing with the baby more...I push, it kicks. Amazing.

I'm trying to stay as healthy as I can - exercising, eating well and surrounding myself with love and beautiful sights, sounds and smells.

And - don't get me wrong - while I'm laughing at peanut butter and Baby's kicks - I also have moments of fear about birthing and raising this child. I feel supported in many ways around both of these things...and they're still scary to consider at times. I continue to read other women's experiences about childbirth, particularly homebirth - this helps me feel better. And I'm already hooked up with an online mom's group here in Boulder. So I'm gathering goodness around me in hopes that it will help me through the rough times ahead.

Love to you all. And happy autumn! Enjoy the abundance!

Gestation...wait for it, wait for it

I am 20 weeks pregnant! I hope to make this more of a baby blog soon. But for now, I'd like to share some pics from the summer.

Belly pics to come!!

Before we left, we moved into our new house.

And then to Springfield for some good times with the whole family.

Silliness with Zach

The new pool in Mom's backyard is quite a hit

Downtown with Sydney, James, Libby, Kristen and Joel after a visit to the candy shop.

Me, Mom and Colleen getting ice cream

Libby on the boat on Lake Wee-ma-tuk where we visited my Dad's family

Awwww...

A rainy day at Kristen's house

Tornado rainbow!



On our way to Chicago, Toby, Sara and I went to a memorial service for my first stepdad, Larry, who died in May. It was a wonderful time full of old stories and laughter and love for an incredible man. We saw his family and had a proper buffet lunch in the basement of the church.

We took the Dixie Highway from the memorial service in Danville to Chicago. On our way, Sara spotted this gem:



(that's a plastic Santa Claus in the front seat dressed up as a Cubs fan, which of course he is)

We talked with the guy who made this car for quite some time. It sits on his front lawn.
He also sang us some quality Cubs songs. Cheers to that guy!


Breakfast in Chicago with Natalie, Sara, Quinn and Rachel...mmmm...bacon!







That's all from Illinois. I'll post our pictures from Scotland, England and France soon.

Love to you!