Tree Swings

My sister and I had 2 tree swings when we were growing up. Right when you stepped off the deck was a sturdy, old tree with 2 strong limbs coming out of either side. We has a circular swing on one side and a regular swing on the other. I remember going out and spinning the swings as fast as we could until we were so dizzy we couldnt walk...
I want Nolan to have tree swing memories like I do. They are some of the fondest memories of my childhood.

So this year, the Easter Bunny brought him a tree swing.

At first he was hesitant... But once we started swinging him he just cracked up!

Many summer evenings will be spent in this swing... and I wouldnt want to spend them anywhere else!

Sleepy boy...

I dont ever want to forget the face of my sleeping baby...
He once slept in his bundle of newborn scent and sweet coos for hours in my arms but now in his place lies a sweet, rambling, 9 month old, dreaming of all that he'll explore when he wakes up...
luckily for me, it's all wrapped up in the same heart melting facial expression.

9 days old:
Special thanks to Sarah Joy Photography for his newborn pictures :)

And 9 months old:

Croup... :-(

Saturday was my birthday but I spent the evening of it, and all of Sunday, at the hospital with Nolan.
Saturday night he went to bed at his normal bedtime, 8, and then woke up around 11 not really able to breathe. He was gasping for air and trying to cry/cough. I figured it was croup (thanks, nursing school!) but we took him to the hospital to make sure it wasn't anything more dangerous.
Sooo glad we took him because he ended up having severe croup and not responding to the breathing treatments. They decided to admit him to childrens hospital and try a steroid treatment. Once the steroid was given, they needed to watch him for 6 hours. Next thing we knew, 6 hours became 14 and it was 8 pm Sunday. We were running on very little sleep and food. Nolan's schedule was all off so he just wanted to sleep in our arms the whole time.
I have to say it made me miss when he was a newborn and he used to fall asleep in our arms...
But he is now home and is acting like he feels well. He still coughs from time to time, but having the windows open has helped him a lot!

They had to put a mask on him when we got to the ER:


And he was put in a purple hospital gown (they were all out of boy gowns!)...


Poor little guy, let's hope we never have to go back there again!

99 Balloons

The love a parent has for their child is so moving. It runs so deep within their veins that nothing can sway it.
I am not going to try and retell this story because I couldn't give it justice. But just watch as a parents love for their child unfolds in this short life documentary:

Nolan & 'Blankie'

My baby boy has a recieving blanket (more like 80 of them...) that he loves to drag around the houes and cuddle with at night.
After a long day of helping mommy pack for the new house, he cuddled up in his boppy, with his paci and blankie in hand and fell asleep.

Laying down to relax...


Sound asleep :-)


My Baby
Ten little fingers, ten little toes -
Rosy little lips, and a button nose.
So soft and cuddly with a baby sweet smell.
Eyes so full of trust that I just can't fail.

I know a gift of God you had to be -
How else could something so perfect come to me?
You wiggle and snuggle, gurgle and coo -
Do you know of all the love in my heart for you?

Your eyes are getting heavy,
as off to Dreamland you go -
To dream of teddy bears, kittens,
and your Mother's love, I know.

I hold you close, and look at you with awe-
as a little silent prayer I say --
"Thank you God, and please help me mold
this little life the right way."

I put you in your crib so gently, and
turn to blink away the tears.
You're my baby now, but I know it's
just for a few short years.

Martha Benton

'Poo Free'??

There is this trend I've been reading about that encourages people to wean themselves off shampoo/conditioner and to use a natural solution. Our hair becomes chemically dependent on shampoo/conditioner and our natural oils stop producing the way they were intended to.
Plus it is harmful to the environment. Check out this medical news article that links these cosmetic products possibly to breast cancer!
http://www.news-medical.net/news/2007/12/10/33274.aspx

People SWEAR by this... curly haired people, thin haired people, long haired people, bald people (haha got ya) and so.............

Austin and I have decided to go 'poo free' for 30 days to see what a difference it makes.

Normally I wash my hair everyday, not that it really NEEDS washed everyday, but when I shower each morning, it just seems like something to do. I havent used conditioner for 4 years now, but for those that want a natural conditioner, wash your hair with 1/2 c apple cider vinegar and you'll get similar results.

Here's our shampoo recipe:

1 cup h2o and 1 tbsp baking soda
mix together and pour on your hair
massage thoroughly
rinse out your hair and proceed to "conditioner" (ACV) if desired

If this 30 day trial is successful, we will save about $10 each month and not be wasting plastic bottles!

Here is my before pic:

Homemade Wipes & Baby Powder!!

Here is the recipe that I use for my homemade wipes! I bought a pack of adult size washcloths (18 pack) for just $4 and put them in an old tupperware container!

4 cups of water (boiled and then cooled)
5 drops of Tea Tree Oil
4 cap-fulls of Witch Hazel
3/4 tsp Olive Oil

I layer all the washcloths into the container one by one and then pour the solution over them. If you pick up a wipe and it's dripping with solution, then i lift them out of the container and add more washcloths to the bottom!

Here's is an easier recipe I know of that probably wont require you to buy anything!

4 cups of water (boiled and then cooled)
A few drops of baby wash
A few drops of baby oil

I prefer the recipe with Tea Tree Oil because it is a natural disinfectant!
For more information about the benefits of Tea Tree Oil visit this site: http://www.homeremediesweb.com/tea_tree_oil_health_benefits.php


Okay! Now for the baby powder recipe!! This is SOOOO easy! And it'll definately save you money!

All you need is:

16 oz box of cornstarch ($1.05 at Giant Eagle!!)
1/2 tspn lavender oil (about $10 for 1/2 an ounce- remains should last you WELL over a year)

Pour the cornstarch in a self sealing bag or tupperware container (I prefer the tupperware) and add the essential oil drop by drop. Tightly close the container & shake it to distribute the oil. If clumps appear, break with fork as best as possible! Let sit for 4 days to distribute the essential oil throughout the cornstarch.
Once it's done, I fill a glass salt shaker and store the rest.

The powder will last a very long time and ends up being much cheaper than buying a $4 bottle every month from the store!

We've had great success with these and I hope you do too! If you have any questions let me know :-)

We've made the switch!

Cloth diapers (made from organic indian cotton) here we come!!!

Not only are they more environmentally friendly (did you know MY baby diapers are still sitting in a landfill somewhere?? EW!!) but they are also much cheaper!
We ordered ours from greenmountaindiapers.com and spent about $130 ish including the shipping! Not too shabby if you ask me... we were spending about $80 a month before on disposable diapers! Plus we wont have to buy any for our future kids!!! TRIPLE BONUS!!

We ended up buying 3 diaper covers (thirsties brand), 24 pre folds, 3 snappi's (to hold the pre fold in place instead of diaper pins), and a "wet bag" to put the dirty diapers in before we wash them.

And I've begun to make our own wipes! It's reallllly easy! And saves us about $15 a month! I'll post the how-to soon :)

Welcome!

I'm so glad you found your way here :)
First and foremost I want to thank the Lord for smiling down on me and blessing me with an amazing husband and adorable son! He has been so good to me :-)
Secondly, I want to thank my husband, Austin, for coming alongside me in research and decision making when it comes to these subjects. I truly appreciate it!

Austin and I came to the decision to become more natural when we first learned I was pregnant in September of 2008. Being as healthy as possible is soooo important to us! And now that Nolan is here, we can see the amazing effect it has on him as well :)

I plan to use this blog as a way to share my ideas and what we're doing organically! Please feel free to comment or ask any questions.