Doing my best (to start living more naturally)

Oprah often quoted Maya Angelou's saying 'Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you KNOW better, DO better.'  While this could be applied to many areas of life--marriage, parenting, obeying God's word, and so on--it has turned into my mantra as I am becoming more aware of the many ways I can choose a healthier way of living for Cameron, Dave, and myself.  Especially since Cameron's birth, and even more so now that I'm delving in deeper into the blogosphere, I've discovered--through some intentional research, but mostly by stumbling across--tidbits of information about how many others are choosing to cook, clean, and live differently since their eyes were opened to the benefits of natural alternatives to those aforementioned things.  

FOR ME, THIS MEANS:

1) Getting rid of harsh cleaning chemicals and learning to clean with things like baking soda, club soda, white vinegar, etc. 

FROM THIS

TO THIS 

AND EVENTUALLY TO....

AND THIS

2) Replacing products in our home that may appear harmless because we are just so used to them being around with homemade or less artificial options (i.e. toothpaste, soaps, lotions, shampoo, dishwashing and laundry detergent, deodorant--I've heard there are ways to make all these things--and maybe, possibly, eventually even disposable diapers--eeek!)  This is going to be a toughy though!  I want me some shampoo that volumizes!  I want to use hairspray to keep my fine locks in place!  I want my clothes (and body) to smell clean!  I love my Dove soap and vitamin E lotion!  I don't want to worry about cleaning up baby poop any more than I already do!  I'm not planning to sacrifice all those things, but I will have some trial and error as I try to replace the old habits with the new.  It's going to be a slooooooooowwwwwwwww process.  I cannot emphasize that enough! Basically I want to start evaluating a lot of the things that have ingredients on the label that I have no clue what they are.  Or things that may not be the best for the beautiful earth upon which we live and further, I am convinced that God expects us to be stewards of. (HERE is another article I found interesting, albeit lengthy, that points out many Scriptures which give good support to the notion that we are to be responsible and thoughtful about our care for the earth--although that could be an entire separate post that I don't want to get into now)...so, back to my list!

3) Shopping for food that is less processed and more in its natural state (anyone know where to get some good healthy eggs around here??)

Whose eggs would you rather eat??

CHANGE IS 'A COMIN'

Here are just a few of the changes that I either made prior to my recent enlightenment or that I'm going to implement SOON!  (It's kind of a pathetic short list, but I've been working on this post for way too long as if it was a research paper for college, and the list that I first wrote out was longer but accidentally got deleted.) Anyway, here it is: 

• getting off of the birth control pill (What is in there anyway?!  It's scary to me that I so thoughtlessly put something into my body that was suppressing ovulation and the normal workings of my fertile body!) Side note: Medicine is another area that I'll be delving into as this process goes along.  But I have to try and focus on a few of these ares at a time.  I'm already beginning to feel overwhelmed, and although I don't expect perfection from myself, just realizing how much there is I could change makes me wonder how we, as a culture, have gotten so far away from a SIMPLER life.  Am I sounding crazy to anyone yet?  I'm definitely having trouble staying on track!

• switching to whole wheat bread and whole grain products

• using less paper towels and more rags (or something like Handi-wipes) 

This is going to be a long, ongoing change for years to come.  I'm not going to throw everything out and start from scratch because that would be entirely too overwhelming and discouraging (not to mention Dave, among others, would think I was nuts!).  I'm going to start small by trying, like this woman, to replace one or a few things at a time.  I'm bound to make mistakes, but my hope is to continually learn how to do better AND feel good about each little step I take along the way, knowing that my efforts are going to benefit my family and me. 

I think the thing that will take the longest (and be most difficult) to change is the way that we eat.  (I am NOT ready to give up burgers from Cookout and so many other tasty foods! So, those of you who know me well, expect my life to look very much the same--I am talking about small steps, people!) Since becoming Dave's wife just over two and a half years ago, I've struggled to make many meals that are both satisfying and healthy.  And I'm sure the ones that I thought were healthy are probably a long way away from truly being the best thing we could be eating.  I just finished reading a ton of new information about our westernized diet in contrast to *"the diets of healthy, nonindustrialized peoples"* and am amazed and overwhelmed at the negative effects that a poor diet and way of living can have on our health and well being.  The old saying "You are what you eat" has taken on a whole new meaning.  All I can do it take it one thing at a time as I continue to learn and strive to buy and prepare better food.  If you're interested, you can click *HERE* to check out some of what I read.

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MOOOONEEEYY

Financially speaking, I know this may mean spending more money in some areas like groceries, but I'm already spending more money than I'd like on foods that aren't the best for me, so it is more than worth the extra bucks it might take to buy or make things that are better.  I'm looking forward to acquainting myself with the Farmer's Market and learning how to use fruits and veggies during each season to maximize our moolah and to receive the health benefits that go along with eating things at their peak in nutritional value!  Plus, I figure if I spend more money now on better food, I'll hopefully be *saving on medical bills* later in life as a result of overall better physical heath :)

*Got that perspective from one of the blogs I stumbled across, but can't find the link to it.  I'm not plagiarizing, professor!

  

FINALLY, WRAPPING UP

I'll keep you posted on my progress, but again, don't be expecting anything radical.  Expect it to be gradual.  I would LOVE for YOUR input on ways that you've chosen to live a cleaner, simpler, more natural life.  

P.S. Check out this blog and others on my ever-growing blogroll (aka 'Blogville') list on the right side of the page to see where some of my inspiration has come from.  

"And whatever you do, in WORD or DEED, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:17

"Knowledge is power." Sir Francis Bacon 

Five favorite things about our five month old

1.  The way he can instantly banish my morning grogginess

2.  How his big brown saucer eyes light up when daddy or I smile and lock eyes with him...oh, and his chubby cheeks!  

(That's a bit of banana on his lip; I was curious to see if he'd take it one morning when I was eating it...he took it with interest but was overall neutral.  We will wait just a little longer to introduce solids for real!)

3.  Watching him play with toys and seeing the wheels turning in his brain as he learns how to interact with the world around him

Action shot!

4.  Getting to put him in new clothes as he outgrows the smaller outfits

...Although seeing him bare bottomed 

(or, diaper-bottomed) is another favorite!

5.  His adorable two bottom teeth (still haven't been able to get a good close-up of those chompers!)

REFUSING to show his cute teeth on camera:

Happy five months, precious son!

P.S.  The events of this morning that occurred after I began writing this lovely post have caused me to feel the need to add one of my least favorite things--just so you all know (and so I will remember) that it's not always a picture-perfect wonderland around here...but you already knew that ;)  Ok, so my least favorite thing would have to be blowout "poopsplosion" diapers...and within the last three weeks there have been an unusually large amount of those not-so-sweet-surprises coming from my sweet son. 

At the risk of over-sharing, this is a video of an average blowout that happened a week or so ago.  It's rare that I capture these moments on camera because 1) I'm usually too overwhelmed by getting Cameron and the dirty clothes cleaned up, and 2) Who really wants to see this??  

***Viewers beware.***   

Four months

of smiles

and laughs

and tickles 

and coos

of snuggles

and kisses

and peek-a-boos

HAD to do it!

Every day with our precious son brings moments of wonderful joy along with new challenges that keep me on my toes and ever-dependant on God for the daily patience and wisdom I need to love this little guy well.  I have learned so much already in the first four months since Cameron was born and he has learned a lot too!  I am amazed at how he's taking in the world around him and am constantly entertained by the simplest things that he does--from his toothless gummy grins when he sees me after a nap or daddy coming home from work--to his big brown eyes lighting up when he laughs at me doing something silly (every mom sings and dances like that in front of their kids, right?)--or the adorable way he talks to himself in the crib or when he's starting to get tired--and the fact that he will still occasionally fall asleep on me like he did so often in the first weeks after he was born--and the list could go on...I am head over heals for him!  

We went for his four month checkup this morning and here at the latest stats:

Weight...12 pounds, 12 ounces (10%)

Length...24.5 inches (33%)

Head...16 inches (10%)

This was after I had to wake him up and undress him for the weigh in.  I imagine he's thinking something along the lines of "What just happened??  I was snoozing so nicely..."

So although he's on the small side for now, he is still very well proportioned and the doctor is happy with his growth.  I'm thankful for that!  As far as meeting milestones typical for his age, he can bear weight on his legs (has been able to for a long time now and prefers standing to sitting in your lap), he holds his head steadily, has rolled over from belly to back a half-dozen times or so, can sit alone in his "Mamas & Papas" chair, likes to blow bubbles with the extra spit he is producing from teething (hasn't done it recently, though he did have a phase where it was his thing!), can track objects and people from across the room--he will try to turn and watch the TV anytime it's on, so Dave and I usually wait until after he's in bed to catch up on our shows.  He'll also turn his head to follow our voices and/or watch what we're doing, so I spend a lot of time narrating my mundane chores: "Mommy is unloading the dishwasher.  This is a spoon.  You see the spoon?" or "Mommy WILL get this laundry put away now!"  He has also begun to notice Chewy's presence and will watch her rolling around on the floor or sitting begging for food :)  He has started to chew on his hands and is grabbing at toys (and daddy's beard), so I'm trying to be more mindful of the jewelry I wear because I know one day he could reach for an earring and do some damage!  One other thing he always enjoys is looking in the mirror.  Daddy regularly carries Cameron in his favorite "crotch hold" position and stands him up on the bathroom countertop to check himself out :)  He has also gotten lost in his reflection in the mirrored mobile on his swing.  See video below!

Here's one of him "talking" in the crib...it was the best I could get:

One of his favorite toys we like to call "Mr. Crinkles" 

because his belly sounds like it has crinkly plastic in in.  

Cam + Chewy = nonstop entertainment

One of the biggest milestones I'm celebrating is his ability to sleep up to 10 or 11 hours at night!  Most of the time, I'm getting up briefly after he's slept for around 6-8 hours, but the pediatrician said he can go without that middle of the night feeding.  Either way, I don't mind for now.  Some nights he needs that 3am snack, other nights he's fine without.

He is nursing 6-8 times a day, and I'm thinking we'll hold off on starting solids until closer to the five or six month mark--but I could change my mind on that!  I want him to get the hang of daytime napping before we add another element into the mix of things that I constantly question and theorize.  

I think that's all the updates for now, plus I've got to get this posted before he wakes up from his marathon nap...thanks for that, bud!  

Holiday Happenings

Since it's been a month and a half since the last post (par for the course), let me fill you in on all the happenings from Thanksgiving to New Year's!

Cameron is blossoming more every day into a fun little guy and we have thoroughly enjoyed watching him grow and reach some exciting milestones, most recent of which are rolling over (Jan. 2) and sleeping almost ten hours straight (the past two nights)!!  OH, how wonderful it is to be getting some quality stretches of sleep once again!  Becoming a mom has no doubt taught me what a precious and essential gift rest is.  Speaking of rest, here are a few of my fav most recent shots of the little man snoozing...

We spent Thanksgiving this year at Grandma Debbie & Darrell's.  The feast was scrumptious, as expected, and Cameron spent most of the day sleeping or being content if I remember correctly.  We topped off the big feed with by sharing a chocolate pecan pie with Grandpa Joe before the turkey tryptophan took over and we fell asleep :)  I'm thankful we have Dave's parents in town to spend such special times with and am sure it will only get more fun as Cameron becomes even more interactive.  

For Christmas we decided it would be best to just visit with one of our out-of-town extended families.  Since Dave's grandparents and aunt from PA were able to make the trip to meet Cameron after he was born, we opted to take our first flight with Cameron to Illinois to meet both sides of my family....consisting of 30 great-grandparents/aunts & uncles/cousins + their spouses/and of course my parents & brother + Katy.  I will spare you the explanation of how Dave and I managed to get all of our luggage in and around the airport, but let me just say that we looked like quite a circus act!  I'll also spare you the story of how I got a full pat-down by airport security while Cam was asleep in his carrier on me, but if you ever need a good chuckle, I'll share.  Honestly though, the trip as a whole went as well as I ever could have hoped for!  On the morning flight there, Cameron ate, slept a little, and when he was awake he was content just sitting/bouncing on my lap or playing airplane (on the airplane) with daddy (ha--we thought that was funny :))  On the way home, our flight left just before 9pm so we were hoping he would sleep through most of it, but knew that anything could happen.  He ended up falling asleep shortly before we boarded only to be rudely awakened by the darn loud, albeit entertainingly funny, flight crew over the loudspeaker.  He had a tough time settling back down to sleep but wasn't ever unmanageably fussy.  Needless to say, it felt good to breathe a sigh of relief once we were finally back home and in our beds around 1a.m.   

As we toured around the different parts of the city where my family lives (Naperville, Arlington Heights, and Carol Stream), it was precious getting to watch different family members meet Cameron and interact with him.  One of my favorite memories that I'll hold dear for a long time is when Oma and Opa first locked eyes with him.  They were beaming with pure joy and as soon as Oma got to hold him, he smiled and laughed repeatedly for her like he has never done before!

SO precious!

Such proud Ur-Oma & Ur-Opa 

(Great Grandma & Grandpa)

Here's some other fine moments capturing Cameron being loved on and adored by other family members:

cousin Elizabeth

Pop-E

(aka my dad...the jury is still out on what he wants to be called)

Shaggie Taggie

(adorable new toy from Uncle Jeff & Aunt Katy)

cousin Nicole

Great-grandpa Johnson

And here we are, lucky to have Cameron looking at the camera, although it is evident that my sweet boy is pretty much donzo at this point...worn out from being passed all around and opening so many great gifts!

Since we got back home, I've been wanting to get more of a routine set with Cameron's eating and sleeping schedule, but have discovered that he already has pretty consistent patterns and I'm ok with him doing his thing for now.  (I thought I would be so much more of a "stick to the schedule" mommy!  Maybe when he gets a little older...)  Anyway, right now he typically gets up somewhere around 7a.m., naps about four or five times a day (for 45 mins, sometimes more), and is still eating about every three hours, although lately he has been more sporadic in how often & how much he wants to eat...and whether or not he wants it from me or the bottle--oh fickle boy!  He likes to play with and chew his hands sometimes, and his favorite activities right now are playing on his mat with lights/motion/music and sitting up like a BIG BOY in his Mamas & Papas seat for a few minutes at a time.  

This video is a little long...I kept waiting for him to "talk" which he has been doing more of lately too!  I can't get enough of his sweet coos & gurgles & giggles & razzes and we spend a good portion of the day talking in our own little mommy/Cameron language to one another.  Last night I swear he was singing along with me before bed!  Dave always makes fun of the videos where I am talking to him all high pitched and am looking all googly eyed, but hey, I can't help it!  The kid is too darn cute and I know we are blessed beyond what we deserve with our darling dude.   I am so looking forward to watching him learn and grow in 2012!  

  

Impromptu photo op

I thought Cameron looked especially adorable today and decided on a whim to shoot some quick pics of our little two-month-old in the backyard.  It was a gorgeous afternoon and he was really happy!  I love that this was unplanned because I am sure there will be many times in the future when Dave and I go out of our way to plan something special or fun and inevitably it will not turn out as we had hoped.  

Love the turkey butt! 

TWO MONTHS TOO LATE

Finally, after TWO months of mommyhood, I'm finally finding the time to sit down and share the story of my labor and delivery experience...for my own sake and for your reading pleasure!  Despite my best intentions, blogging has taken a back seat as I've been devoting nearly all my time to loving, feeding, caring for, and obsessing over this amazing little boy, Cameron!  In between doing that, I've managed to get a few hours of sleep, a handful of showers, and even made a dinner or two for my patient and helpful hubby!  We were joking with some friends this past weekend that if I didn't update the blog soon, people were going to start thinking some crazy things...like that I was still pregnant ;) So, I am beyond thrilled to report that not only am I no longer pregnant, but I LOVE being this little boy's mommy and am eager to share some of the excitement and challenges that the first couple months have brought.  But FIRST, I'll let some of the many pictures of us & this sweet boy do the talking...

Waiting, waiting, waiting

Proud Daddy

Relieved (and proud!) Momma

Cameron David

Born September 17

at 10:03 a.m.

20.5 inches

Dave's mom & Darrell were among the first to hold him...

...along with Dave's dad and many of our closest friends...

Gerry & Shaina

Marie

Brad & Jen

Jennifer and...

John

Cristin

Brian

Seth

Cameron was also warmly welcomed by my parents who were able to help us for about a week and a half after his birth 

"Nana" (in case you didn't notice the pin on her shirt!)

"Pop-E"

And now...for any and all who care...the long awaited story of how this little guy made his way into the world...

Contractions began at 4:45 a.m. on Friday the 16th when I suddenly awoke thinking my water broke.  I very matter-of-factly informed Dave, called my OB's office, and then we both quickly got ourselves ready and waited to hear back from the on-call midwife.  She FINALLY called an hour later and, because I was GBS positive, we were told to head to the hospital.  We jumped in the car and checked in around 6 a.m., filled with a mixture of excitement and nervousness at the thought that it was the day were we going to meet our son!  At this point contractions had been on and off, but I was not leaking any more fluid and when the nurse checked me, she wasn't able to verify whether or not my water had broken...so, she sent us walking around the hospital for an hour to see if I would continue losing fluid, which I did not.  I was surprised, confused, and disappointed after I showed no progress and we were discharged at 10 a.m.  In the ten minutes before we left the hospital, I had 3 "strong" contractions (I really had no idea how much stronger they were going to get!) in a row and wondered aloud to Dave "Why are we LEAVING when my contractions are getting STRONGER??!"  In hindsight, I am so glad that we were sent home so I could labor in the comfort of familiar surroundings without being hooked up and constantly monitored. 

On the way home, Dave and I stopped at Bruegger's to get our favorite breakfast bagel sandwiches (another reason I was glad not to be in the hospital--I could EAT!).  My contractions were becoming more regular and we began to keep track of them diligently on my phone.  I still have the list of just about every single contraction I had over the course of that day and have seriously wondered how I could memorialize it...that was a lot of hard work!!  I bore through the discomfort and pain for several hours by walking around until 3:30 in the afternoon before we decided it would be worthwhile to see the OB again.  I was sure that I had progressed after so many hours of contractions being 5-10 mins apart and I wanted to know where we were at before facing the night (or weekend) ahead.  The midwife told us I was 4cm dilated (HOORAYYYY!) and was sure that the baby would be coming soon-ish, but of course, no one could tell us exactly when that would be, sooooooo we were again told to go home and wait it out until contractions were 5-1-1 (Five minutes apart, lasting one minute, for at least one hour) before we could go to the hospital.  

I was encouraged by the progress I had made over the course of the day but didn't feel prepared for what the night ahead would hold.  I figured I wouldn't be getting much sleep (if any), so my plan was to relax as much as possible and take it one contraction at a time.  I did just that by alternating spending time on the birthing ball and briskly pacing around the house while sniffing dryer sheets (strange, I know, but the fresh scent helped me take slower, deeper breaths since my natural response was to want to hold my breath)...Needless to say, I'm pretty sure I looked like a crazy person and I didn't care one bit!  I was beginning to get "in the zone" I guess.  The rest of the world was kind of fading away and all I could concentrate on was getting through the pain and trying to focus on the fact that I was making progress (the power of positive thinking!)  I tried to distract myself and pass the time by doing some normal activities like watching TV, talking on the phone (which didn't last long once I realized I couldn't talk through the contractions), and eating small bits of bland food, until at last I realized the only thing I wanted to do was be by myself in the bathtub making as much progress as I could, as quickly as possible.  Dave was so kind and encouraging and calm throughout the whole day and drew me a bath two or three times that night until finally sometime between 7 and 9 p.m. I reached 5-1-1!!!  If you're still with me at this point, I had been awake and laboring since 4:45 a.m. so it was already a looong day and I was hoping that we would get to the hospital and get this little guy out by 2 or 3 a.m. which was "overly optimistic" to Dave and just laughable to the nurses and probably every other rational person who wasn't feeling the pain and weariness I was.  

What happened in the hospital is more of a blur to me...what I do remember is that the contractions came stronger, lasted longer, and despite making good progress, there was no end in sight when 2 and 3 a.m. rolled around as I had hoped.  After 8 hours had passed and I had received the necessary 2 doses of antibiotics (needed for the strep to not pose a threat to Cameron), we were able to have them break my water to make things speed up a little more.  And they did.  The pain was intense at this point and I considered an epidural MANY times throughout the process, but with encouragement from Dave and his mom, I opted to continue on naturally as best as I could.  The most relief came when I was soaking in the tub with the jets giving my back a chance to relax, even for a minute or two.  I felt like the Lord was giving me just enough relief and was amazed at the power of my own adrenaline, endorphins, and whatever other natural pain blockers my body was producing.  It was an amazing, almost indescribable experience to go through labor this way and I discovered strength in myself that I didn't know I had.  

I kept thinking positively ("This HAS to be over soon!!") and honestly felt strength in knowing how many people were praying for me.  Scripture was coming to mind at the moments when I needed it most, with this one being especially comforting (and how timely that it was on the day I went into labor!):

My main request at this point was "Lord, let it end!!!" but at 7 a.m. when the nurses changed shifts, my plea became more desperate AND more specific--we found out that the reason I was enduring such excruciating lingering pain after each contraction was because little Cameron's head was putting pressure on my back.  The nurse determined that his face was sideways and he needed to turn it 90 degrees so that he would be in a more favorable position for delivering.  When I found this out is when I really wanted to give up.  It seemed too late for an epidural and I had already made it that far without one, and the nurse was confident that if he turned, things would get easier and I'd be ready to push soon after.  HALLELUJAH!  I surrendered total control and actually said aloud "God, it's up to you to turn this baby...I've done all I can!"  The nurse had me move into a few different positions and after some time (minutes seemed like hours) I eventually felt relief and knew that he had turned.  YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!  When they checked me and found that I was fully dilated, I got an enormous burst of energy, sat up straight, opened my eyes wide, and gave every last ounce of energy for the next hour to bring the most precious little boy into my arms...

So, there you have it.  I wish it hadn't taken me so long to type it out and I wish I had the time & energy to share many more stories and pictures from the past two months, but they will come--eventually!  For now, I'll leave you with a few more shots of our sweet son...

Meeting sister Chewy

Super cute sad pouty face

Even more super cute happy face...LOVE that smile