Goal - Baby food

One of my goals for the new year was to begin to make my own baby food. I had intended to make my own food from the start but was quickly drawn in to the world of easily bought pre packaged baby food. I justified it by buying the organic kind, I was spending a small fortune. So for the welfare of my son and our bank account, I decided to make my own.

Making your own baby food is a lot easier then I thought it would be. If I had realized how cheap and easy it was I would have started doing it as soon as Jude began eating solids. One thing that makes it so easy is this awesome Christmas gift from my parents

Source: shoppingnexus.com via Krista on Pinterest

I simply make up a batch of whatever organic fruit i could find for a good price and freeze it in those cute little trays or keep in the fridge. a few hours before mealtime i pull out whatever I want to use and it is fresh and ready. I feel so much better feeding my child food that has nothing other fruit/veggies with a little bit of water and for a fraction of the price. I realize that you could probably use any blender and ice cube trays but i am the kind of person who is deeply motivated by how cute the things I am using are. Doesn't that smiling face make the process seem happy? I think so.

10 months

I was a little late in taking my sons 10 month photos and even later in posting them. 10 months! Now its almost 11.

10 months:

• He dances when he hears music of any kind
• he loves pointing at things
• he creates all kinds of games to play
• he still fights sleeping
• he is eating a ton of solids
• his favorite food is yogurt

Here are a few pictures of him at 10 months

long long weekend

It is rare that my husband gets any extra time off work so when we get a long weekend we try and savour every moment of it. This particular weekend was filled with ups and downs.

The down, my family dog of 13 years passed away on Sat. night. She was old and not doing well, she went in her sleep, so it was a good thing when you look at the big picture, but still hard. She was the dog that stood by me through those tough and awkward adolescent years. Since I went to college I would come home each christmas or summer and see her slowly change from the energetic and wild dog to a calm and slow moving dog. I know its just a dog, but she will be very missed.

The ups, we were able to spend time as a family up in the mountains. I nearly teared up when we first began walking on the trail as I walked behind my husband carrying our son and though of how long it had been since we had been out in the mountians. Living near the beach and the city for so long was wonderful, but there is something about the quiet of the mountains that just cant be beat.

On top of that we were able to spend the day at the zoo with some very dear friends of ours. It is always so refreshing to have friends with whom you can feel relaxed enough to be yourself while also being challenged just by being around them to be a better person.

We ended the weekend with at an old family friends house for a bbq. I was able to see some friends who I have known since I was 5 years old, many of which had not yet met my son.

As if that wasnt enough, I have my page up and running on Embracing Labor doula site! You can check out my page here. I am over the top excited about getting started in this new venture. Embracing Labor has also agreed to put some of our Hope And Heritage items in the shop section of their website! After meeting my sister Emracing Labor doulas last night I feel pumped up and ready to start doula-ing!

do you doula?

This last weekend has felt like a Marathon to me. I attended a DONA doula training, spent much time away from the baby, and worked on getting him to sleep through the night. I entered this week with one thing on my mind.

Source: hiyapapaya.com via Cristi on Pinterest

Throughout the weekend I experienced many emotions. Watching birth videos I laughed and even cried. I was overwhelmed remembering the feelings of giving birth, mourned the things that did not go as planned, and remembered the joy of meeting my son.

With a doula, statistics shows that labouring women have : 25% shorter labors, 60% reduction in epidural use, 50% reduction in cesareans and 40% reduction in pitocin.

Source: google.ca via Michaela on Pinterest

I can not wait to be a doula! I can not wait to support women in what might be one of the most memorable and significant moments in their life.

I have to admit

Lately there is something that has been keeping me from being the best mom I could be. With much embarrassment i have to admit that this thing, is angry birds. Now I am not the type of person that would usually enjoy playing any type of video game. I have had angry birds on my ipod for over a year and never played more then the first few levels.

It all started last week when my 3 1/2 year old cousin entertained the family with his obsession with angry birds. Every time someone in the group took out their cell phone he would ask in the cutest possible way 'you got angry birds in that phone?'. A quote my husband and I have been repeating all week. His mom let him play a few levels with me on her ipad. Not only did he know how to navigate his way around an ipad with amazing ease, but he was using birds and beating levels I had never seen. I had to beat him.

Source: cutefoodforkids.com via Cynthia on Pinterest

Its funny how sometimes things just fall together to create the perfect situation to develop a new bad habit. I don't believe I would usually think twice about my cousin beating me at angry birds, but this week was different. Jude has been screaming all week. I don't just mean crying, I mean inconsolable outright screaming. Nothing will soothe him. Someone told me these phases are called 'the purple cloud'. After days and days of trying everything I can think of, being awake for hours each night and sleeping in terribly uncomfortable positions as Jude has decided that he will absolutely not sleep in his own bed, I needed an escape. I found it in angry birds.

Source: flickr.com via Becca on Pinterest

Do I feel like a terrible mom when my son lays next to me fussing while I am launching electronic birds and digital pigs in helmets? Absolutely. Did I need some something to help me get through the day without having a major melt down myself? It would appear so. Don't get me wrong, I am not leaving Jude alone for hours on end. I am just taking a little 'me time' when nothing else seems to be helping anyway. Now i really must go. The baby is sleeping and I just achieved 'light feather'.

Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com via Mary on Pinterest

full time mother

Its official. I am now a full time mother, wife, knitter, blog reader (mostly mother). I have been playing with the idea of returning to work part time when my maternity leave is up in the middle of July. I now know that it is not an option for me. Prior to Jude being born I was a full time Substance abuse counselor at a women's homeless shelter and I LOVED it. Even before Jude was born, back when I felt those sweet little kicks and rolls in my stomach, I knew that it would be a while before I could return to work full time.

After many hours of stress and prayer I found out today that due to low numbers at my former work they could not offer me a part time position, it had to be full time. Since that is out of the question, I am now officially a full time mom. I knew it was the right thing for me when i felt giddy with excitement rather then disappointed when i found out.

The facility is keeping me on call so I will occasionally fill in for counselors who are out sick which i think will be a nice way to keep my foot in the career door while I'm working on my family. So for now I guess my days well be filled with more of this:

Mothering my beautiful baby boy

Source: flickr.com via bocozoo - Rita on Pinterest

Getting my knit on

Having fun with my husband

Source: beautyineverything.com via Dagný on Pinterest

Drinking absurd amounts of tea

Working on the Hope And Heritage shop

And if I'm lucky, laughing with my sister and friends until our sides hurt