Intuitive Mothering - My New Business

My new website and blog are finally up! Visit Intuitive Mothering for a little peeksie.

Happy Friday! I think LB and I will get out again and enjoy this incredible weather. But, first a stop off to pick up some sun screen. Poor little red headed boy got a little toasted in the sun on our play date yesterday.

Love!

snow days are for wimps

I guess we are wimps then, because we haven't left the house since Monday. Well, Little Bub and I haven't anyway. Daddy went to work 2 out of 5 days and tried another and couldn't get there.

We have one snotty nosed, hacking child over our way so we aren't leaving the house anyway. And, my husband is so bored that he keeps asking me for things to do.

Husband:
Dishes. check. Vacuuming. check. Hanging walls decor that has been sitting around for months waiting for a snow day. check.

Wife:
Nursing sick baby. check. Getting puked on. check. Nursing sick baby. check. Wiping snotty nose. check. Nursing sick....ok, ok, you get the point.

So what exactly have we been doing to occupy our time during this snow week you might ask? Here is a sneak peek!

Eating steamed carrots and green beans and avocados (his personal fave)! We tried pureed, chunked, mashed, you name it. Finally we figured out that he likes slightly mashed bite sized pieces of food that he can pick up on his own or with a spoon. He is quite the independent little feller.
Looking for the perfect cd to listen to! There is a lot of dancing that goes on around here when we are cooped up in the house for days.
Watching the fire truck and ambulance take away our neighbor yesterday. They just moved in last weekend so we don't even know them yet. Sad.
Watching the snow fall and ice from the window because this little bub is too sickly to go out and play in the snow.
Organizing the pantry! As you can see he is quite helpful at weeding out all the plastic that we no longer use.
Taking naps with Daddy! Now that is always a fun one there.
Making a Daddy R, Mommy R, and Baby R snowman family. Sadly they passed away today. They will truly be missed.
Daddy hand tossed and formed the homemade pizza crust himself. Thanks to his Domino's days it turned out lovely.
Mmmm....toppings! Best pizza I have made to date. And for dessert...SNOW ICE CREAM! I made it with milk, sugar, vanilla, and decaf coffee so it tasted like an iced coffee and it was SO delicious! Although, I have decided to lay off the dairy until LB gets to feeling better. I do believe it made him a quite snotty.
Wall collaging! It was about time we put some decor on the walls two years after living here. I have declared 2011 the year of LOVE. This is just a subtle daily reminder.
And, for a little bit of what we do on sunnier days:

Hard to believe that just one week ago we were out in our short sleeves and short pants strolling by the river at the park for 3 hours. What a glorious day that was. Thank goodness we took full advantage of two gorgeous days of 85 degree weather before it turned 19 degrees on us. We went walking, sliding, swinging, and bouncing. LB was thrilled to be outdoors. He is a nature lover. I taught him how to hug a tree.
It is of utmost importance to learn basic skills and chores like unloading the dishwasher. He was so glad to "help" Mommy.
Pausing for a brief moment to soak in nature from the indoors and watch his squirrel friends run from tree to tree.
If he could talk, I imagine he would say, "It is important to have good oral hygiene. I should know because I have 8 teeth myself. I brush my teeth daily and so should you."
A lovely trip to Costco we have a mountain of groceries to unload. He enjoys Costco because he hears things like "oh, he is so cute!" and "look at that precious boy!" He blushes.
We have started attending a breastfeeding group at the birth center where my midwives work. All the babies his size were in the other room hanging out close to mommy. Most of them aren't on the move yet. LB, however, believes he is "big" and went in the other room to play with all of his "big" friends.

On a last note, I was reading Dr. Sears' Baby Book today and found this a bit fascinating...

"The early walker may be the impulsive, motor-driven baby who has raced through each motor milestone before parents could get their camera ready. While there is no definite profile of early walkers, they tend to be high-need babies who early on left the lap stage and squirmed out of infant seats. Body type may also affect the age of walking. Lean babies tend to walk earlier. Early and impulsive walkers are often more accident-prone than their more cautious walking mates."

Wow, Dr. Sears, I had no idea you knew my Little Bub personally! This fits my child to a T. Although, not walking alone, he has walked along furniture for a month now and occasionally he will let go. This is my 7.5 month old child we are talking about here. Thank goodness for that big ol' cloth diapered booty. He pulls himself up on furniture and grabs for anything in site. If CPS were to show up at my door this afternoon they would likely take my child. He has bruises head to toe from crawling, climbing, and falling on these hard wood and tile floors. His snuggling days are a thing of the past. It is way more fun to get down and crawl, I mean race across the floor to explore the next dangerous thing or activity in site. When it comes to making dinner, however, that is when he wants to be held. I have a variety of slings and carriers that he likes to be in while we carefully prepare meals. And, at times he will sit in the high chair and eat and entertain himself while I cook.

Hoping you are all enjoying your relaxing snow days and getting refreshed for spring. God apparently knew that a few of us *ahem* needed some down time.

Love and happies from us to you!

my baby isn't a baby anymore

It is 10:45pm. Daddy and LB are snuggled in bed. My house look like a storm blew in from the north, but I don't care because this is the only time I have had to myself all day. The dishes from dinner are a foot high in the sink and there are three loads of laundry piled on the couch that can wait until.....well, I really don't know when.

You see, these days I spend most of my time catching my child and protecting him from hitting his head one too many times on the tile floor. We have a nearly seven month old going on three year old. He is a teething, crawling, climbing, talking, crazy little guy and at the end of the day we are both exhausted. Then, we get up and do it all over again. LB has eight teeth and still exclusively breastfeeds. I have tried to feed him bananas, rice cereal, butternut squash, pears, apples, and sweet potatoes. Let's just say he is less than enthused about solids. Every time I warm up a frozen cube of organic, homemade food made with love by my own two hands, he seems to care less. Two bites and he is finished. I have decided not to waste our time with that right now. No need to force feed him at this point. He is perfectly happy with mommy's milk every 2-3 hours.

Last week he learned how to go from army crawling to full on hands and knees racing. Then the next day he dared to try and pull up, then the next day he decided to walk along the couch, and the day after that he thought he could let go of whatever he had pulled himself up on. That is where the crashing comes into play. We had to have a heart to heart that six and a half months old aren't ready for that stuff yet. He wants to walk so badly, but he can't balance and his legs aren't quite that sturdy yet.

I love kisses. Slobbery, wet kisses. Sometimes I think I go a little overboard with kissing LB. What is a mommy to do with such a sweet angel though. Kisses, kisses, kisses. LB has learned to kiss too. He will grab my face and pull it and give me a big, slobbery, messy, wet kiss on my face anywhere he can plant it and I absolutely feel like the best mommy in the world when he does this. Love is in this house no doubt. I am glad my child knows this one thing for sure.

Sometimes I read facebook posts of moms who have more than one kid and think to myself "ya, right, like they really have time to do all that". I mean, really, I maybe and I mean maybe have time to unload the silverware from the dishwasher before he has scurried over to "help" me. I try not to be "that mom" who freaks out about everywhere he goes, everything he is getting into. But, I would be lying if I said that corners of dishwashers and drawers with plastic wrap in them don't worry me a tad bit. Usually I let him roam all over. I have put the poisonous plants and breakable dishes out of reach. But, when he pulls up on things he sometimes loses grip and slams his face into the couch, cabinet, desk...you name it. Most of the time he comes out unscathed. I have perfected the quick mommy reflexes to catch most of his falls.

But, I love motherhood and wouldn't change it for anything. The good things far outweigh the exhaustion and overwhelming days that come with the package. He is ALL boy and I love everything about him!

By now, I was hoping to have my website up. I am selling slings and really wanting to start advertising my services online and get that all going. But, after a conference call with my web guys last weekend, it looks like we are reworking quite a bit of things so it will still be a while before I share my site with the world. It's going to be great when it is all finished though.

Looks like all the time I am going to get for myself today before I head to bed myself *yawn*.

believe

Do you believe? A few days ago we were at my in-laws and they have a decorative sign on the wall that says believe. I looked at it really closely and this is what I saw...bELIeve. Wow. So many emotions come with thinking about this. My little Eli was definitely prayed for a lot and I believed and trusted that God would send us a perfect little angel. I could not have asked for a more precious baby. We are so blessed.

I enjoy motherhood. And that is just what it is. Motherhood. My child is active, curious, and very bright if I may say so myself. He keeps me on my toes. It is a 24/7 commitment and I love every moment. When we go on walks, I load his wagon or stroller with toys, but he would rather people watch and observe what is going on all around us. It never ceases to amaze me how curious he has become.

Here is a brief synopsis of my new every day sayings:
"No."
"Nope, little punkin, that is dangerous."
"No, that is Mommy's."
"Don't get too close to the edge, you will fall."
"If you climb on that, you could get hurt."
"That is going to poke your eye out."
"Oh, yucky, we don't put that in our mouth."
"No, sweetie, that is Daddy's."
"No, those are for Christmas."
"No."
"No."
"No."

In short, we are learning the word "NO". Sometimes "no" is a funny word to him. I try and make it as non-humorous as possible so he understand no is associated with danger. Eye contact is key.

My next post will be a recap of the year. Overall it has been a wonderful and blessed year. But, we have had some sorrow as well. After Eli was born was one of the most difficult times we have experienced. We were dealing with the adjustment of a new baby, my physical, emotional, and hormonal recovery, and the job search for Scott. I can't listen to a particular musical toy of Eli's that we used to play at night when he was first born. It brings me to tears. It is interesting how little things can make bring about such strong emotions. It is hard to have memories like that because it was just a joyous time in our lives as well as such a difficult one too. I am so thankful to be past that difficult season of our lives.

This Christmas is our first as a family of three and the first Christmas that we are not completely stressed about how we will be able to enjoy gift giving without braking the bank. And, we have already started creating Christmas traditions. One of them we stole from an old Holthus family tradition of cruising around in pjs and looking at Christmas lights. One that created two years ago was going to Christmas Eve service and then out to dinner. This year we are adding more traditions now that we have a wee one. We are looking forward to Christmas morning. I am sure that it won't take long for Eli to figure out that ripping paper is AWESOME!

I hear stirring. Back to motherhood.

Love and Christmas Blessing to you and your family!

life lesson on pee

Eli is a big ball of energy these days. If he sees something shiny, fuzzy...you name it, he is after it. The more dangerous the object the more "fun" it must be! He put nail clippers in his mouth today. First of all, gross, second of all where was I when he got a hold of these. Right next to him is my answer. Nothing is safe. He has figured out how to scoot fast. I can barely keep up with him anymore.

His new thing is to roll around naked and free on the 1000 thread count sheets, pick up things with his mouth, and growl. Then he pees. I call him Eli the doggie. At this moment, I wish I was in bed. But the sheets are yet again in the wash. I obviously haven't learned my lesson...until now anyway.

Home "Eco"-nomics

If I remember correctly, my 7th grade class was the last class in middle school to have home ec classes. Those classes taught basic sewing and cooking skills. They were replaced with technology class. Although, obviously much needed in our ever changing techo world, it seems that sewing, some cooking skills, and other aspects of home care have become a lost art. Back in the day, sewing used to be cheaper than buying your own clothes and fast food wasn't conveniently handed to you out of a drive thru in less than 14 seconds. Needless to say we just don't see people knowing how to care for their home and health anymore.

As we move into and era of more earth conscious, eco-friendly awareness, I have decided to restore home ec classes, teaching "Home 'ECO'-nomics" and combining many important life skills with an eco flair.

Click on picture to link to the facebook page.

All through my school years I did 4-H. Around here, I rarely hear of kids in 4-H. I learned many life skills in 4-H. I started sewing at age seven thanks to my mother who sparked my interest. I took cooking and crafting classes too. There were numerous friends of my mother's and women in the community that dedicated their time to teach 4-H classes. I can bake delicious whole wheat bread and other goodies thanks to these women. But, in the end sewing seemed to be my thing. Every summer I would take on a newer, more difficult and daunting project. My mother dedicated a lot of her time and wisdom to helping me learn to sew. The dining room table often became our creative station filled with sewing supplies and tailoring books. By the end of my 4-H career when I graduated high school, I had made several wool tailored outfits including a long double breasted, felted wool coat, a wedding dress and four bridesmaids dresses. Texas is much too warm for a lot of fancy wool outfits so they don't get worn much these days, but some of them still still fit and when I go to Kansas I try them on for grins. I miss my 4-H days.

In high school I worked at a fabric store and taught a children's sewing class. And, one summer as a nanny to another 4-H family, I helped those young girls get their projects ready for the fair. Good times.

Because I am so grateful that someone took the time to teach me these things, I want to pass these skills to others so they can learn at least the simple techniques of how to sew on a button or fix a hem!

Along with the sewing and cooking and in keeping with the eco-friendly theme, I plan to have some classed dedicated to making inexpensive, chemical free home cleaning and self care products that are healthy for your body and your home. I love this. I make my own and feel safe knowing my small baby and my family aren't ingesting harmful toxins that fill the air while cleaning and bathing in harsh chemicals.

Yay for Home "Eco"-nomics!

Christmas cheer and baby clothes for sale

Sometimes I am a bah humbug when it comes to Christmas. I wish I could hire someone to transform my home at Christmas time to a lovely picture from a magazine. I love the holidays. I love Thanksgiving and Christmas and family time. I don't love putting up the decor and taking it down a month later. Thankfully Scott is in full swing to get the decorations out and up this weekend and I am going to happily go along with it for the joy of the season.

I have been toiling over what a 6 month old would enjoy for Christmas. My parents got him a wagon which I am totally stoked about. I cannot wait to take Eli for rides around the neighborhood in a little red wagon. Scott and I have agreed to the gift of house projects as presents to one another this Christmas. Thus, the tree will be a bit bare this year. Eli doesn't need a lot of "stuff". He is truly happy to play with the juicer parts and empty oatmeal cartons. I am hoping to evade the plastic toys for my baby as he grows. It makes the earth happier it is better for all of us. We are loving books too and my sister gave him a cute fair trade froggy hat. LOVE THAT!

And, in business news....

My website is slowly but surely coming along. Should be ready to hit the cyber world on 1/1/11!

Here are a few samples for sale so far:

The photo is taken of the back the the pants in these photos. The back side has a bottom patch as seen in the photos, the front does not.

Handcrafted Reversible Red and Khaki Striped Woven Cotton Pants - 9 months - $15

Handcrafted Reversible Green and Black Woven Corduroy and Canvas Pants - 6 months - $15

Felted Navy Shoes with Green Crosshatching - fits approx. 3-9 months - $20

(sorry for the poor quality photos - I am working on that)

I am currently taking custom orders for Christmas if you need/want any shoes or pants for boys or girls let me know asap.

LOVE to you!