Pages

8.29.2011

weathered the storm.

Hi everyone & apologies from the quiet.
We ran to the mountains to ride out Hurricane Irene.
It was a nice little vacation and we have come back well-rested & happy to be home safe and sound. Thankfully the only damage to our place was just a bit of water inside Huxley's window (which baffles us considering he has a brand new window in his room).

Huxley had a blast being in a room with a giant bed, all of his toys, and Mama & Daddy within arms reach for 48 hours straight.

He also got a harmonica & discovered that he likes lemons...a lot.

We hope any of you on the east coast are safe as well.
We send nothing but love & all good things.

Here are a few shots from our Great Escape:





xo

8.21.2011

what a weekend!

It was quite the weekend!
A visit with the Great-Grandparents, a wedding, and oh, hey, Huxley took TWO STEPS!

He accidentally took a few last week but I chalked it up as a complete fluke--yesterday he was very intentional about his actions.

7 months & close to being fully mobile!

We also attended Matt's cousin's wedding. Classy. Gorgeous. Perfect.

Here are some photos from our weekend---we hope you had a beautiful one too!



[milk drunk.]

[Hux loves drinking from big people cups.]

[our beautiful 7 month old boy.]

[my handsome men.]

[our little ham.]

x0

8.16.2011

Outdoor Gear with Mother Earth in mind..

Have you heard of Planet Gear??

Last week someone told me about this great site---similar idea to that of Zulily or Gilt, but it is all outdoor & travel centered.

Awesome, much?

& check out some of the cute things they have on sale right now--- such dreamy things for little ladies & Mamas!!





(I totally got myself a pair of those yoga pants. YUM.)

Go & sign up today and shop knowing you are getting 70% some of the leading outdoor brands.

('cause everyone likes a good sale.)

Click Here to Shop!


8.15.2011

in the works...

In case you've been watching our blog with an ever close eye you may have noticed the changes located on the left hand side.

Well, these companies are 1) fabulous & 2) our favorites and 3) most of them will be in some upcoming giveaways!

My birthday is on Labor Day this year (September 5th!) and I couldn't think of any other way to celebrate than to give you all, our dear readers & friends, PRESENTS!!!

Who doesn't like presents!?

I love them!

& this year I made it super easy for Matt and my family to spoil me rotten.
(kidding! they already do...beyond belief!)

Let's call this my dream list...
xo

ps: someone pleeeease tell Matt that Whole Foods will build a Vegan Carrot Cake & decorate it all pretty like for me!!

8.14.2011

Drumroll please...


The winner of the up all night studios Giveaway is Tales of a Young Mama!

Congratulations & check your Inbox, Mama!

Thanks to all who participated in this Giveaway, especially Brianna over at up all night studios !
Hux will be rocking his Camping Tent Tee all fall!

xo

8.11.2011

Huxley, lover of all Woodland creatures.


Huxley will know how to set up his own campsite by the time he is ten,
& forage for his own dinner.

Oh, and maybe even talk to all of the forest animals since he is already pretty good friends with a bunch of them---they have play dates & such.




xo

8.07.2011

the tale of the Milk Trucks.

Today marks the end of National Breastfeeding Week & although we didn't officially participate in any of the events that were going on we were cheering for all of you ladies & babes and in honor of this week I've decided to finally write about our experience with breastfeeding.

There was never any question as to whether or not I'd be breastfeeding Huxley.
To me, it was a beautiful gift that God gave women, and I had been blessed with that ability.

When Hux was born he was big.
So big that they had to keep checking his blood-sugar levels, & monitoring him every hour.
I didn't have the birthing experience I'd wanted so badly--to have him placed on my naked chest directly after he was born, still slimy, cord attached & letting him find his way to breakfast.

No, unfortunately he was only on my hospital gowned tummy briefly before they hurried Matt to cut the cord & then whisked him away to check him over. I kept pleading the nurses to give me my baby. They ignored me as he laid in the warming station all alone, but surprisingly happy.

It felt like hours before I was actually able to attempt the first feeding. It was just the three of us in our quiet hospital room, and despite my having an epidural, Hux latched perfectly, the way God intended & he was nourished.

Best feeling in the whole crazy big but small at the same time world.

He nursed great the entire time in the hospital, and when we got home nothing really changed. My milk came in on time & I thought we were golden. At our first check-up though, our Pediatrician (at the time) told us otherwise & pressured us to supplement with formula.

I declined & said we'd work harder at it, etc etc anything to keep him away from "Devil Milk" as I called it.

We had to keep bringing Huxley back in for weight-checks. He wasn't gaining. He was down from 9lbs 8oz to 8lbs 14oz & the Doctor insisted we use formula.

I was destroyed, but we chosee to do what was best for Huxley & that is all a parent can do. Shortly after supplementing with formula (still beating myself up over supply, pumping constantly, drinking Mother's Milk tea, taking Fenugreek, Brewer's Yeast, Blessed Thistle, eating oatmeal like crazy, drinking half of a dark beer every night, everything under the sun to increase what I thought was a low supply) Hux broke out with terrible looking eczema. The Pediatrician blamed it on the winter elements & made light of it saying it was completely 'normal'.

I knew Huxley was having a reaction to the formula & felt even worse about our situation. We tried making him a Goat's Milk Formula, which lessened it, but I was still determined to have him back on boob 100%.

In short, we left that Pediatrician, I cut Hux completely off 'Devil Milk' & within a DAY his skin was cleared up.

Take THAT modern medicine.

Turns out I had oversupply.
We just were reading all the signs wrong. It took a good 4 months (and me cutting dairy from my diet) to really work out all of the kinks, the pains of nursing (yes, ladies, it hurts, and I still get sore if Hux is latched all night, but that's a whole different story called being a "Glorified Pacifier").

Today we are 99% Milk Trucks & the other percent Hux get's a hypoallergenic, Dairy-Protein free formula we call "Kitty Milk" because it smells like cat food.
(he only gets this when I go to work)

Hux may not be a rolly-polly chunker baby but he is a HULK.

Now that he's on solids I do not stress anymore about him getting enough foods & nourishment. Nursing is now one of my favorite times with him. I nurse him in public, on airplanes, at restaurants, at the DMV while being waited on, anywhere. Most of the time people don't even notice. I've had family members try to take him from me in which I politely explain "he's currently attached".

To all the Mama's out there struggling with boobie-feeding, know it will get better! I share your frustration & pain and send you nothing but good things.

To all the Mama's that couldn't or chose not to breast-feed, you are still wonderful beautiful Mothers and don't let anything or anyone make you feel less than.

To all the Mama's who have felt awkward pulling a boob out in public. Don't think twice about it. Your gorgeous. It's natural & just focus on your baby and let everything else slide away.

Breastfeeding is just one of the many silent communications of love we have for our child.

So speak freely & know you have worlds of support behind you.





x0

8.03.2011

food art.

Hux loves food.
He especially likes blended frozen bananas & blueberries.
It's his baby icecream.

Hux also really enjoys playing with food that has accidentally fallen onto his tray.
We have a budding artist on our hands & couldn't be more proud!




xo

in the meantime...

Not much to report aside from Huxley's never ending cuteness & the fact that he is now a full-fledged CRAWLER!

Yep. Kid can move.
I'll get a movie of it up on here soon, until then here's a little video of Hux just being his usually silly self--



xo

PS: Don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY going on now & cast your VOTE!