Ideas

We survived! Jeremy was in San Francisco for work last week and got back Friday evening. It was so nice to have him back home for the weekend.

I was thrilled to have my niece (12) and nephew (15) stay with me the whole time. They helped me more than they realize I'm sure. They played with the boys, kept them company so I could get some housework done, and even helped during the night when the boys woke up. And I got to spend my evenings talking and laughing and spending more quality time with them than I have in a very long time. They are such amazing and caring individuals and I am so very happy that it worked out for them to stay with us. I missed them these past couple of mornings when they weren't here! (pic above taken by Nick while he was here).

I've been wanting to write a follow up post to Plastic World. When I sat down to figure out how to get rid of plastic in our house (and how to avoid buying new plastic), I slowly realized how hard that will be. Plastic is everywhere in nearly everything. But I decided that changing one thing at a time will add up to making a big difference. Once I really looked at things, I realized that plastic is in everything involving kids. Apparently, big companies think 'indestructible' is the only thing suitable for kids. From sippy cups to toys...kids' items are plastic. There has been a lot recently in the news about kids' toys...whether it's lead paint recalls or toxins in plastic. But toys are only part of it. Babies and toddlers are especially vulnerable because they suck and chew on everything which means toxins like BPA's and Phthalates are getting into their bodies at a higher rate. Teethers are even made of plastic.

An alternative to plastic sippy cups I have found is the Klean Kanteen for toddlers. I love this sippy cup! Ian loves it too and it goes everywhere with is. I even bought a couple for Jeremy and me in the bigger size. They do sweat a bit so the insulated sleeves work great. We also have a couple Sigg cups for both boys that are really cute. I like the Klean Kanteen better as a sippy cup but it's nice to have a couple of options.

When Ian was learning to eat I used plastic bibs because I thought they were easier to clean up...just wipe and go! But all they did was end up smelling really bad and I could never get them clean enough after awhile. Then when Sawyer started solids a few months ago I was given several handmade cotton bibs from Anna, a friend of the family. She made me several and I absolutely fell in love with them. First of all...they are so much more comfortable for Sawyer (see how happy he is?). Second...they are so much cuter than the smelly plastic bibs and they wash as simply as a hand towel.

Recently I've been looking for baby and toddler utensils for the boys. All the baby spoons I could find have some sort of plastic on them. Ian has a few stainless steel spoons but the handles are plastic. Then I stumbled on these. And they are just as adorable in person. Ian took right to his which was a great sign since we are constantly reminding him to use his fork or spoon. I'm going to order the cooking set for him since my big spoons are just too much for his little hands.

Have fun browsing! I have more ideas coming but I need to put a little one to bed.

Monday

It's one of those days where I have many things I need to do but none that I want to. We are feeling a little out of sorts in the house today. A cough here, a sore throat there, and another gray sky that only signals the continuing of winter and not the return of spring we are waiting for.

I have lots of thoughts filling my head that I'm hoping to post about soon. More about plastics and health. Maybe this week I can find the time to clear my head. We are gearing up for a busy few days so maybe that's why today we don't feel like doing much at all.

Right now the teapot is full and I'm crocheting a few more rows on my ripple blanket in between nursing Sawyer and finding things for Ian to do. It sounds more and more like the perfect day to rest.

A little cowboy

Finished the smock I've been making for Ian. I wanted something he could wear over his clothes for when he's painting or helping in the kitchen or anything else that could be messy. Complete with pockets where only the important things are carried with him...cars, coins, bits of paper, and various toys. I'm really happy with how it turned out. I drew the pattern by hand so it was a bit of a guess and it ended up being a little too big. But there is room to grow if it lasts that long.

I fell in love with the cowboy print which seems fitting now that he has a cowboy hat to go with it.

I read recently how babies and toddlers have a very strong sense of smell. So Ian and I have been smelling our way through my essential oils talking about each one. He loves opening the bottles and then screwing them back on. Such little tasks that take a bit of concentration for little hands. So far he loves the lavender and orange oils.

Painting Hearts

To embrace a little valentine love around here we made some homemade play-dough and Ian painted the hearts and snowflakes.

Some of the cousins were over at the time and our nephew Nick had his camera with him. He took up photography awhile ago and it's turned into something really really great. The pictures below are all from him. I think he's found his niche.

New

We've been playing around with a new header and making a few little changes here and there. I'm so thankful for a graphic designer in the house even if he does say I'm his worst client. Something about being picky..never satisfied....but we finally agreed on the look of it and I'm happy that the picture of my new (to me) little bowl from the thrift store made it in the final cut.


More posts to come...

A full January

We had a wonderful weekend with my brother Tim. He lives in an adult special-needs home so it was really nice to spend some quality time with him for a couple of days. He doesn't converse very well but for the most part understands what is being said. He's really funny, especially when there is country music being played and at one point I walked into the living room to find him reading to Ian. And I'm so happy that I caught it on video!

Here's a couple pics of Uncle Tim and the boys:

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Sawyer has been a slow solid food eater. Sometimes he wants to eat and sometimes not. What I've noticed with him, almost from a newborn on, is that he is happiest when he's independent. So I gave him part of a banana to play with and he ended up feeding himself and eating the whole thing...and he never stopped smiling. He's just so adorable that I couldn't choose just one picture to post....

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The boys and I went to GoodWill yesterday and bought a bunch of play clothes for Ian. The hats are a hit. He wears them throughout the day pretending to be a cowboy. And yes his newspaper reading is for real...or rather...his newspaper picture reading is for real. He's picked up my habit of reading the paper while we eat breakfast or lunch and so now he climbs up in his chair and goes through it to find all the interesting pictures and reads with me while we eat. It's so fascinating to see this little boy emerge out of babyhood.

Plastic World

Sometime in the last 3 years, in between changing diapers and learning about herbal remedies, I started learning about the toxins that are in our environment and in nearly everything we purchase. The first site that piqued my interest is called Skin Deep by the Environmental Working Group.

This is a site where you can search skin and hair products by name or company to see how the ingredients rate. The first thing I realized was a well known baby lotion I was using was one of the worst offenders. Here is a list of the ingredients and how it scores according to their scale.

That afternoon, I got out all of my skin care and hair care products to see how bad they were. I ended up getting rid of most of them. I searched until I found products I felt were safe for babies and for us and we still use them today, 2-1/2 years later. The skin is our body's biggest organ and though it does a phenomenal job of being waterproof, it soaks in everything that is put on it. It makes me think twice about all those skin care products that say "do not ingest" when it all seeps into our bodies anyway.

For me, becoming a mom made it hard not to see the world differently. Things bothered me where I was never bothered before. I worried way more...about danger and about the kind of world the kids would be raised in. The first things we changed were personal: what we eat (organic 'real' foods) and how we take care of ourselves when we are sick (herbs). Then we started looking more at our environment and the impact we have on it. We made little changes like using reusable bags and stainless steel water bottles and that in turn has led to the way we think as consumers.

Nearly every 'thing' we buy comes in packaging which has to be discarded somewhere. We think that by recycling we are doing the earth a favor but it's not that simple. Only 3% to 5% of the plastic we recycle is actually recycled. The rest is dumped in landfills or wherever there seems to be a spot that no one is looking.

I stumbled on two things recently. Both are equally fascinating and horrifying at at the same time. This first one is the Story of Stuff. A 20 minute video well worth the time spent to watch it. Ian watched the whole thing with me so it moves pretty fast.

The second is an article I found this morning. It's called Plastic Ocean by Best Life Magazine. There is a spot off the Pacific Coast twice the size of Texas that is a stew of plastic and other trash byproducts. The pictures of the animals throughout the article are heartbreaking. They are the ones most obviously affected by our waste. But we are affected too. Slowly studies are coming out about how harmful plastic is to our own bodies and the environment. The article above does a great job of explaining how and why.

"Except for the small amount that's been incinerated-and it's a very small amount-every bit of plastic ever made still exists."*

Even small changes add up. I'm amazed that by taking the time to buy something healthier, for us or the environment, I appreciate it more. Our hope is to teach the boys to live simple and healthy and to be mindful of the things around them. We really do live in a beautiful world and I hate the thought of plastics destroying it one bag or bottle at a time.

*Plastic Ocean by Susan Casey and Best Life Magazine

Friday

Spending time in the kitchen today. Chicken salad sandwiches for lunch and a a few batches of baby food for Sawyer...spinach and peaches. Tonight for dinner we are having potato soup and sweet squash corn muffins. Yum.

My brother Tim will be staying with us this weekend. At 28 he's still a kid himself so I know Ian will have fun playing with him.

Sawyer is all adventure and no caution these days. We had forgotten to close the gate on the stairs and this is where we found him. Reminds me of someone else two years ago. Of course that kid took his skills to the dance floor thanks to Jeremy.

Pretty pleased with himself I think.

And doesn't seem too happy about sharing his new space.

We had a good week and spent all day Wednesday with some friends. One who currently lives in Corsica, France and who I haven't seen in years. Check out a picture of the kids here. Thanks for opening up your home Karli!

8 months and a train

Sawyer is 8 months old today. He's around 18lbs 12oz and is as mobile as ever. A couple of weeks ago he started pulling himself up to a stand and now he does it everywhere and on anything that will hold him up. Although he often gets stuck somewhere and cries to have help sitting back down. But that doesn't stop him...he's even crawling up stairs! He seems to have no fear and will try anything. He's a really happy baby and smiles at anyone who talks to him or just happens to be passing by. He gives the best slobbery kisses too.

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On Christmas Eve we were up at 11pm putting together the one gift we got for the boys this year. A train set and table. Unfortunately we realized when it was almost finished that it was missing a major piece that would hold it all together. We were so disappointed! Thankfully they had presents from everyone else and didn't really miss any from us. We had to order the piece which we just recently got back. So we brought the whole thing out today and put it together. Ian was thrilled and helped us put the track together. Sawyer will have to wait awhile before he gets to enjoy the train but he's already using the table to help him stand so he's happy.

Sewing

I had been wanting a sewing machine for awhile now and talked about maybe getting one after the new year. Then Jeremy surprised me for Christmas with one. Wheeee! Soon after I sat down and started fiddling around with it and I have to say...I. love. it.

This is a little bird that has been fluttering around some blogs lately. I figured why not jump right in and it seemed to turn out. He's currently nesting on our bookshelf.


And then last week I decided I wanted to make a shoulder bag. It was so fun to make and I love how it turned out!

The inside pocket and fabric (which is a vintage 1930's print)
The button and loop

This was so much fun to make and I have loads of other ideas and can't wait to try them out. Ian's birthday is coming up and I'm going to make his present for him which I'm really really excited about.

Oh and I mentioned here about buying tons of yarn for a new ripple blanket I'm making. It's coming along really well so I'll share that soon too.

Eating and sleeping

It's been a tiring start to the new year but we are making our way through it. I read somewhere that around 7 to 8 months old babies typically have some sleep disruptions because of their new developments, like crawling, pulling themselves up on things etc. And Sawyer is definitely doing all those things and more so it's not a surprise that his sleep has been erratic lately.

A little while ago when I was putting him to bed I was also praying for patience for yet another night of constant waking and maybe for an answer about what he was going through. Right away I felt the Lord remind me of what I already knew but just needed to hear again. Love him through it. And to take the opportunity to pray for him in those quiet still moments that are just between Sawyer and I. He started sleeping better after that and so did I.

About a week ago we decided to put him in his crib for the first time. He seemed to really like it and slept really well. His naps have increased and he's not waking as much at night either. It was a little hard for me to let him go because he's not a wee little baby anymore. But I'm finding I'm enjoying it too because the rocking chair is in his room and I can rock and nurse him to sleep better now.

As hard as it is getting up in the middle of the night to take care of him...I really, really love those moments. He will be sleeping through the night one day and I know I will miss those 2am snuggles.

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This is priceless. Ian grabbed Sawyer's giraffe from Christmas and climbed into the chair and announced that the giraffe was drinking! You can even see how he's lifting his shirt up. He was so intent and sat there for a good long time to make sure the giraffe got enough to eat.

I've never used a bottle with either of the boys so it's natural that he would assume this is how all babies are fed. And I have to say that it really makes me proud. I love that they will grow up knowing that breastfeeding is completely healthy and natural.

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More posts to come. I've been having a lot of fun with my new sewing machine and I can't wait to share!

Ian

As a Christmas present to us, Jeremy's mom, Bonnie, sketched this beautiful picture of Ian. When I first opened her gift and saw his little eyes peaking out from behind the cardboard I started crying. Her talent and ability constantly amaze me. She took the picture below of Ian and sketched it by hand in one evening. We are thrilled and blessed to have such a beautiful piece of work and it's something that will be treasured for as long as we live. It captured so much of Ian that I tear up every time I look at it. Thank you Mom!


* edited because we had gotten the 'before' picture wrong!

Christmas Day

Finally (!) I feel up to posting some pictures. With the holiday celebrations and a 7 1/2 month old who refuses to sleep at night we are still tired. Sawyer had several nights where he was up every hour and I spent a few of those early mornings (2am) downstairs reading while he crawled around happy as a clam. And that makes for very, very tired days when there's also a 2-almost-3 year old to take care of as well. But he's back to his usual nighttime routine which is spent in bed with us nursing every couple of hours. It's amazing though how welcome that is after last week! Anyway...here are Christmas pictures for the family back east. They loved everything you got them!

Digging into the stockings

Tired boy (awake at 4 that morning!) unsure of what to do with his stocking.

Football from Uncle Adam and Aunt Shelly!

This was the first year he didn't need any instruction on what to do with an unopened present.

Dinosaur from Grandma and Grandpa. He loves it!

Demonstrating the dinosaur's ability to bite a book.

Sawyer loved the crinkly paper best.

A giraffe taller than him

Jeremy's giddy-face when he realized he had gotten the iPod Touch.

Me reading a letter from Jeremy's mom. And that big gift behind me? A sewing machine from Jeremy!!!!!!!

Sawyer's 'first Christmas' pajamas that Ian got to wear 2 years ago. I was so happy that it fit both boys at the right time.