9 and a half months?!?

As I was realizing how fast this pregnancy was going, I realized even more so how fast Jude is growing. I keep thinking that I can't believe he is already 9 months and then I realized he is halfway there to 10 months! He is growing so fast and getting cuter every month. I look back at his newborn pictures and can't believe he was that little. It feels like it was a long time ago. I am so happy though to have such a happy and healthy baby. He is such a blessing to our family and I don't think I could love him anymore than I do. This weekend, Shandan and I got sick (after jude got better) so Jude went to stay with my mom for the day and night. I couldn't believe how much my heart ached to see him. My whole day is filled with smiles because of him. He is seriously the kind of boy that makes everyone happy in a room. He brings so many people together and I wonder how I could have lived without him. Anyway, I just can't believe he will be one year soon. I am so happy and blessed to be his mommy and watch him grow into a young man. I pray the lord blesses me with the knowledge and wisdom to teach this boy the ways of the lord and show him god's love, mercy, and kindness.

Sick Baby :(

Today was not a great day for us. It was a beautiful day out so we decided to go out as a family. We got ready and packed Jude up and drove to Bridgeport. It took us 25 minutes to park and we finally got Jude into the backpack and hoisted him up on daddy. We made it about 10 minutes around the mall and Jude started throwing up all over daddy. He didn't stop so we rushed back to the car (yes, drenched in throw up), and drove to grandma's since she lives across the street from his doctor (just in case). We never had to call the doctor, thankfully but when we got to grandma's, he looked awful and continues puking. She stripped him down and wrapped him up in a cozy blankie that he later on puked all over. She had us run to Old Navy to get him a comfy outfit as she gave him a (not so) soothing bath. He threw up and did not want to be in there. He just wanted to be held and when mommy and daddy got back like ten minutes later, he barely even noticed. It was so sad! He was so out of it. So he fell asleep for a little while until he woke back up to throw up some more. We cleaned him and dressed him and realized this was an end to our day and headed home. When we got home, of course, he threw up some more and wasn't holding any liquids down. It broke my heart cuddling my poor sick baby but it felt nice to hold him tight through his pain. He didn't leave my arms the whole day until later on he decided he wanted some water. After drinking that, he was hungry and I tried some milk, he took that well and then came the worse diaper in the world! After stinking up the whole house, he was feeling much better. He had another bottle and went down for bed in his co-sleeper (I still want to keep an eye on him). It was a rough and sad day but we made it through our first sick day with prayer, cuddling, and just plain and simple mommy-baby love.

Delicious nutritious SALAD

Mmm... Yummy salad and healthy too!
Leafy greens
Pepper
Olive Oil
Cut Apples
Feta cheese
*Would be good with chicken too.

It was so yummy and so nutritious. Then I had a half of a organic peanut butter sandwich on dave's killer 21 grain bread. :)

24 Weeks and Counting...

I really feel I need to just write about how amazing and different this pregnancy with Jade is then it was with Jude. I am 24 weeks now and I have never felt better. I am not 100% why this is but I have a few very good ideas. With my last pregnancy, I grew very fast and with growing fast, I became lazier and less healthy. I was always hungry and gave in to my desires of unhealthy foods. I rarely excersized and oh how it did my body absolutely no good. Well, I then was put on bedrest in my later months and just had an awful experience. I was in the hospital multiple times and they were always telling me that I was dehydrated. Then, I eventually was induced, filled with pitocin, resulting in a very horrific c-section. This pregnancy though, I have learned so much more.
I am pretty sure I research everything these days and after having my son, I have made a lot more healthier choices. Jude is one of the healthiest babies I've seen and he is not vaccinated and is a perfect weight. He has absolutely nothing wrong with him and has only received a tiny cold over the winter/flu season. The doctor has no concerns and simply just loves to see him because Jude is always full of smiles. :)
While pregnant with Jade, I have eaten much healthier. I am on a whole foods, organic diet which includes eating fruits and lots of different colored veggies for my vitamins. I have a list of the vitamins I really need and the best foods that provide them. I drink lots of water, tea, organic milk, and some juice. I excersize at least every other day, taking walks with our adopted dog and Jude on my back (it is very comfortable). I try not eat out unless I know that I am getting the healthy nutritious food that I need. I eat a good amount of wild alaskan salmon for my omega 3s and vitamins. I supplement my food with an organic, whole food prenatal (recommended by my midwife) and lastly, I do not put any unorganic, foreign soap, lotion, or whatever on my body. With doing all these things, I have never felt better. I do not have unhealthy cravings like I did with Jude, I sleep better, feel better, and feel better about knowing what is going to my baby.
The other very different thing with Jade is I am not doing a hospital birth and I do not recommend one to anyone. I had the most awful experience and while some people may love being there, I did not. I felt rushed, uneducated, and pressured into doing many things I would have not chosen for myself. So this time I have a midwife from Andaluz Birthing Center and she is amazing. I love our prenatal visits, they consist of tea, a couch, and basically a chat about how I am feeling, eating, and sleeping while she calmly sits there and breastfeeds her newborn. She is so calm, listens to what I have to say, and gives me options. Wow, Oh how I love that word, options. I can choose how I want this baby to be born, where I want her to be born, and who I want to be there. I am proud to say I have not yet been poked with a needle for some unnessasary test by some doctor. They take my blood pressure, a urine sample, and my weight. Then, they trust me to tell them how the rest is going! I love it, there is trust between us. She gives me suuggestions on the proper way to eat, how many calories I need, and what kind of foods are best. She would never nag, put me down, or judge me in any way. Well, let's just sum this up and say I feel comfortable and calm about the birth and my midwife is definitely one to thank for that.
Lastly, I just want to say that I have really come to embrace being pregnant with positive feelings. At first, I had such negative thoughts about it all but once I got past that and realized how amazing this little blessing wwas, things really changed. I started viewing myself as beautiful, not huge and awkward. I started thinking of myself as a vessel for this precious baby. I imagined myself doing all that I can to be the best mom that I knew how to be and do what I believe is best instead of what everyone says to do. Instead, I have learned to have an opinion of my own through prayer, research, and instinct. I never thought I would ever say this but I truly love being pregnant.

Alvin and the chipmunks

We went and saw Alvin and the Chipmunks (the second one) in theatres tonight. It started at 7:15pm so I thought for sure Jude would fall asleep but he sat in his chair and watched the whole movie. He did get a little restless so I had to hold him for a while but he couldn't close his eyes. He just rested his little head on me and cuddled until the movie was over. It was so precious. It was a very cute movie too. There was lots of singing and dancing of course and Jude loved it. He tried to sing along! :) And then as soon as we were out of the movies and into the car, he passed out before I knew it. He was so tuckered from all the fun.

Wool Mittens!!!

Yes! I finally did it!I made some wool mittens. They look so big and puffy because the wool yarn is so thick but they are so warm and cute. I can use them on my walks to the park and stay warm. I think I am going to make Jude some as well but I don't know how well they will turn out since he has such tiny hands and fingers. I didn't believe I could make mittens and I am so proud of myself for trying and successfully completing it. I don't use a pattern so I just made it up as I went and they are actually very symmetrical. Yay. I am so happy - thank you Jesus for my crocheting skills.

Give me more salmon...

Tonights dinner consisted of wild alaskan salmon, white rice, organic broccoli, corn, and salad. It looked so good so I packed my plate full and could barely eat it all. I am trying to eat more wild salmon and have been doing a pretty good job. I am excited because since I haven't had fast food or any soda for the last couple weeks, my cravings have actually changed so much. These days I crave a fresh salad or some fresh nutty 21 grain bread or fresh organic produce. I don't think I have felt healthier in the last two weeks than I have ever felt in my life. I have been excercising by hauling jude around in a backpack and taking walks to the park. I have been drinking lots of water and I feel so much better. Even Shandan suggested going to Whole Foods today to grab some local raw organic honey, wild salmon, organic meat, and some pita chips. He's really eating a lot better even though he hasn't chosen to completely cut out fast food and processed foods. But I am still so proud of him. Here's how much dinner cost:
-Wild salmon ($13.99/lb)
-Rice ($2/ bag)
-Organic Broccoli ($2.49)
-Corn ($2/ bag of frozen)
-Salad ($3.99/ box)
-Organic Milk ($2.99/ half gallon)

Not too bad. :) Still always looking for better prices.

Raw Honey

So I guess I've never really put too much thought into honey until now when I realized how much we actually use it. Besides sweetening my tea, I never realized how much Shandan and I use it for sandwiches and other foods. Peanut butter and honey sandwiches are our favorite and since we eat organic 21 grain bread and organic peanut butter, shouldn't we wonder what we are putting into our bodies when we pick up honey at the store. Well, I have been doing some research and have found lots of benefits to raw organic honey. So we are switching our honey out the next time we head to trader joe's. Does anyone have any good websites or information that I could read? Do you recommend any brands or know of anyone I could purchase it from locally that's not too expensive, let me know. Thanks!

Family, organic shopping, and babies.

WOW is all I can say after the last two days. We had our family over, the Hamiltons, and it was so much fun but so exhausting. They have two kids, Mila (11 months) and Zander (3 years) and they have a lot of energy. They are such great kids but man can they move. They got in yesterday around 3pm and we hung out and had dinner together and then played some Monopoly. After the game was over and Shandan had won (like always) we watched The Hangover and went to bed around midnight. Then this morning, we woke up to crying babies and the need of coffee in our systems. The men drove to dutch bros and grabbed us some coffee and we sipped it as we clothed and fed the kids. Finally, we made it into the car and to the mall... We spent some time looking around and making a few purchases and then headed home to get some lunch.. *Just wait, it gets better* The highlight of my day was going to Whole Foods and Trader Joe's!!! I was able to pick up some organic milk, butter, eggs, noodles, apples, bananas, wraps, bread, and much much more. It is so fun for me and I now refuse to eat anything but. I am dedicated to make myself eat only the best and give only the best ingredients to my unborn baby. Anyways, back to the story, we went back and Rob made a delicious dinner. My sister came into town from Spokane and we played Monopoly and yes, Shandan won! He always wins everything! And that was about it.. now cleaning, more cleaning, and relaxing until I have to wake up and do nursery with Shandan in the morning. Yayyy. :)

Moms, dads, and yahtzee

Today went by so fast. Before I could even get ready for the day, I was making dinner and preparing for my mom and dad to come for dinner. I made chicken teriyaki, salmon, rice, baby broccoli, salad, and mom brought squash. It was actually a very delicious, healthy dinner and not only did we get to share it with my parents but Shandan's dad and step mom dropped by as well. It was so great to have everyone under one house admiring the precious grandson that brings them all so close together. It still amazes me at how much Shandan and I can go on about our little guy, we are definitely proud of him. Anyway, after dinner, Harold and Cathy left and my mom and dad stayed a while longer to drink some beer and play some yahtzee. Jude went down for bed and we played a couple rounds. Shandan wins, as he always does, and after my parents polish off the last drop of beer, they head home (mom pretty tipsy). Now we are just relaxing and cleaning after a fun time. It is so nice to be able to sit and do nothing after such a busy day of babies, cleaning, cooking, and entertaining. I am happy to say I have made it through half the week and I am looking forward to the weekend.

Bumjoy Diapers

YAYY New diapers! Today we went to NE Portland and got these amazing diapers. I recommend them and I know a couple friends who use them too. They are just like bumgenius and others but I got mine for $10/each. I just couldn't afford to pay bumgenius $17.95 a diaper!!! But we got 6 more today (there are 4 shown because jude has already gone through two) and they are beautiful, I just love the colors. I even got a pink one for Jade! :) If anyone needs more diapers, I really recommend this lady. She makes them all herself and sells them on etsy but if you write her an e-mail and say that your friend uses them, she will give you a discount, that's what I did. She sells them on etsy for $12.95 but you can get her to sell you them for $10 if you at least buy a few. You can look her up as bumjoy on etsy. :) It's funny how excited I get over new cloth diapers.

Hats. Hats. Hats.

I have been crocheting like crazy.. giving hats away, selling them, using them! I make them for mommies, babies, and everybody! It's so much fun. I have just barely even put a dent in all the yarn that I picked up. I am so excited to see what I will make next, maybe a purse or some booties. We will see... Hope you guys enjoy them. If you want to buy one or have one made, let me know. They are $10 each. Thanks!

Chicken burrito dinner

This was my dinner tonight... so yummy and healthy.. Here's what was in it.
I used...

Trader Joe's EVOO wraps ($3.49/6 wraps)
Trader Joe's Already cooked chicken ($5.99)
Whole Foods Organic black beans ($1/can)
Whole Foods Organic frozen corn (around $2/bag)
Shredded Cheese (depends)
Trader Joe's Guacamole ($2.49)
Whole Foods organic roma tomatoes ($1.99/lb)

and that's it... They were so yummy and healthy!!!

Homespun yarns!!!

This is my favorite brand of yarn and I saw them on sale today for only $4. I was so excited that I had to stock up with all these beautiful colors... I can't wait to see what I make with all the vibrant colors. I am thinking some more hats and maybe some scarves.. Purses would be cute too! :) Let me know if you want me to make you anything.

YAY yummy groceries

Today was a great day. I was able to stop at Trader Joe's and pick up some yummy groceries!!! Already cooked chicken ($5.99), chicken sausage ravioli ($2.49), extra virgin olive oil wraps ($3.49), nancy's plain honey yogurt ($2), Kashi cereal ($2.80), baby broccoli ($2.99), organic bananas ($0.29/each), david's good seed bread ($3.50) etc. Such yummy healthy, organic foods for great prices.. Do you know where to get these items cheaper? I never realized how great of prices that Trader Joe's had... I am so excited. Yummy dinners ahead...

The living room

We got some more stuff to decorate out living room today and I am so excited, its starting to look soo good besides the crappy uneven walls and ugly shelving and crap but other than that, it's looking great. Shandan put up a painting and some box shelves and then some lettering that says "family, one of god's masterpieces". Its very cute and I am glad it's done. Hopefully, we can get a nice looking rug in here eventually, but they are kind of a decent investment... Does ikea sell rugs?? Hmmm.. that's a thought. Anyway, I will be posting pictures soon or maybe you could just set up a time to come and see it and hang out with me! It's starting to look like a real home.

Where has the time Gone??

I figured I needed to get on here and ask "where has the time gone?" It feels like just yesterday when I held my brand new baby boy in my arms, rocking and singing him to sleep. Now he is just so independent and full of personality. Don't get me wrong.. there is nothing more I love than to see my child grow into a happy, healthy little guy but sometimes it hits me hard how fast it is going by. Jude is already wanting to be on his feet 24/7. Sitting is not in his vocabulary anymore (not that it was in the beginning) but when I try to sit him down to play, he will stiffen and stand. So.. these days are mostly spent taking small walks around the house and rotating back and forth around the coffee table. He is so curious about balancing and trying to do it all by himself. It's so amazing to watch and everyday is such a gift to be able to watch him grow into an independent baby. One thing I have really noticed about Jude is that he is so secure and confident in himself. It's like he knows that he is loved so much that he has no needs but to learn and grow. I don't know if that sounds crazy but for example, I have nannyed two babies in the last year and both were very insecure. They cried more, wanted to be held more, had a shorter temper, were afraid more, and never seemed excited or happy very often. As I have been with Jude everyday since he was born, I have noticed how happy he is all the time and he just has some kind of security that the people who love him aren't going anywhere. It's so sad to see these other babies when their parents leave, they scream and scream and want nothing more than to be held in the arms of their dearest mum and dad. They truly only see their parents for just a couple of hours a day and have no idea where they will go in the future to come. It breaks my heart but this blog is getting long and it was meant just to be about jude. He is truly turning into a great little guy, as he gives off just so much love and joy to those around him. I am so blessed.

Chili dinner

I made an all organic chili. I was going to follow a recipe but decided not to. It was soo yummy and healthy though and Shandan ate 3 bowls full! Here's the recipe.. It doesn't have a ton of spices and flavor but it still tastes really yummy and fresh. :)
I used...
1lb beef
1 can of organic black beans
1 can of organic pinto beans
1 1/4 cups salsa
1 cup water
1/2 cup frozen organic corn
2 organic roma tomatoes
salt and pepper
1/2 bag of organic mexican style cheese
1 clove of organic garlic

Served with chips.
It was delicious and smells good too. Hmm... now what to make tonight.

Crocheting like crazy!

This is just one of the many things I have been making! I have been crocheting like crazy to see how creative I can get. I REALLY want to learn how to knit and I tried so hard to teach myself but I think I might need someone to help me. My crochet hats have been turning out great and if you would like one or have any requests, let me know. I would be happy to makee you a hat, scarf, pillow, etc. :)

All natural

Here are a few things out of the many that we picked up to change our home. We have replaced our shampoos, conditioners, toothpaste, soaps, lotions, makeup, cleaners, laundry soap, etc. We are learning to be eco friendly and healthy at the same time! It's so much fun. I went to Whole Foods yesterday and couldn't stop looking at stuff. I have loved that store since the day I moved to portland four years ago! I have also found that I am in love with New Seasons and shandan really likes it too. We ate a delicious healthy lunch too and picked up some groceries. We got a lot of organic healthy foods and some ingredients to make healthy household cleaners.. YAY.

Going Green...

Here are some things we have been doing lately in our home to make it healthier, more eco-friendly, and overall more natural.
First off, I am starting to make sure ALL household products are safe enough to not affect Jude or baby in belly. I have bought the ingredients to start making my own all purpose cleaner and have made sure that our laundry soap is completely safe.
Second, we have decided to replace our soaps, shampoo, conditioner, and such with all natural ones. Dr. Oz said that one of the "major agers" in a home is soap with fragrance, dyes, and chemicals. We have always used burts bees on our son and have loved that since the day he was born.
Next, we are trying to be careful about the things we put into our bodies, making sur that we get enough vitamins in our daily meals. I try and shop organic for meats especially, and some fruits and veggies. I wish we could do all organic but it really does get expensive. We are trying to drink more water and less of other drinks.
And lastly, just taking our multivitamin (my prenatal) and fish oils to keep our immune systems healthy and our skin as well. :) If you have any more ideas, we would love to hear them!

New Years 2010!!

Here is us staying up on new years, jude actually woke up right before midnight and I gave him a BIG kiss. We decided to go over to my parent's house around 9pm and since my dad was too tired to play games, he went to bed with Jude and the rest of us stayed up playing monopoly. We watched the New years concerts and stuff in NYC on tv and enjoyed each other's company. We had a great new years and then slept in until 10am the next day. :) We want to wish all of our friends and family a happy new year and we wish we could be with you. Hope to see you this year!