Underwear.

My 15-month-old loves to play with several items.

Keys.

Shoes.

And, her Sissher's underwear.

Anala Bears has spent AN HOUR straight quietly going though Nye-Nye's clean underwear basket. Patiently trying to put the undies on OVER her diaper. Once she has accomplished that task, then she likes to wear the rest as bracelets.

Sometimes she likes to wear them on her head.

I love this girl.

Yogurt Cake. Gluten-Free.

In an attempt to help my daughter develop a bit more patience, we've been baking a lot.

The book, Bring Up Bebe, inspired this burst of baking.

It took a few goes, but now I think I've figured out a recipe that works for us (I combined several recipes I found).

We've been making variations of this Yogurt Cake for about 10 months now. 

Blueberry. Cinnamon. Cardamom and Ginger. Apple. Mango. Rosemary and Parmesan. Peanut Butter and Chocolate. Cinnamon and Maple Syrup. Green Tea.

Yummy. 

And so easy for this Non-Baker. 

Fool-proof, unless you are completely distracted like I was and forgot the Yogurt!

Yogurt Cake

• 2 six-ounce containers of plain Greek Yogurt (use empty Yogurt containers to measure other ingredients)
• 3 Eggs
• 1 container of Sugar or Brown Sugar or Maple Syrup
• 1 teaspoon of Vanilla
• just under 1 container of Olive Oil or Coconut Oil or Vegetable Oil
• 2 1/2 containers of Brown Rice Flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of Baking Powder

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F

2. Use Oil to grease a 9-inch round cake pan or loaf pan

3. Mix the Flour and Baking Powder

4. Add Yogurt, Eggs, Sugar, Vanilla, and Oil

5. Add extras (Berries, etc..).

6. Bake for 35 minutes, then five minutes more if the cake doesn't pass the fork test. Almost crispy on the outside, but springy on the inside.

7. Cool and enjoy!!!

Born Out of What You Don't Like Much at All.

"You could probably say much the same for other marriages, because marriage seems to give us far more of what we dislike in one another than what we like. We might quickly conclude that we chose poorly: erring by type, looks, interests, values, background, or beliefs. This may be the case, but it's still irrelevant. It's what we do with our mismatch that matters. Deep, transformational love is born out of what you don't much like at all."


-Karen Maezen Miller from "hand wash cold: care instructions for an ordinary life"



I am so thrilled. She is coming to D.C. to Lil Omm Yoga Studio. Saturday, June 21st and Sunday June 22nd. You can register here.

My Favorite Birthing Books.

Preparing for Child-birth and Motherhood is over-whelming (in many, many different ways). People prepare differently. I like classes. So, I took several classes during my first Pregnancy.

I am a Reader. So, I read. Lots and lots of books.

These are the books that were the most helpful for me, during both my Pregnancies. I re-read some of them (it's amazing how much you forget, especially about newborn care and the specifics of Breastfeeding), before my 2nd daughter was born. 

Hope this is helpful!

Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year

by Susun S. Weed

(The book is clunky and obviously self-published many moons ago. But, if you can get past the formatting issues, etc.., this is THE BOOK on herbs and women during Pre-conception, Pregnancy and Post-partum. Susun Weed is kinda out-there, but she knows her stuff).

Heading Home with Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality

by Laura A. Jana and Jennifer Shu

(A terrific resource. I will definitely be re-reading this book. It's so easy to focus on getting STUFF ready for the baby and preparing for Child-birth that sometimes you forget that you will be developing a new skill set...changing diapers, burping. putting to sleep, etc...).

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth: Updated With New Material

by Ina May Gaskin

(A classic. Ina May is THE most famous Midwife in the country. She and The Farm Midwives are amazing inspirations, from the mid-70s until the early 2000's...when the book was updated...their practice had a 2-3% C-Section).

Spiritual Midwifery

by Ina May Gaskin

(Another classic. This book was originally written in the 1970's and you can definitely tell. The words "heavy" and "psychedelic" are thrown around a lot. It's a collection of Birth Stories told by women who had their babies at the Farm. The last section has some interesting information for Midwives and folks interested in learning more about Child-birth. The photos and drawing are a hoot).

Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers

by Nancy Mohrbacher and Kathleen Kendall-Tackett

(This book was highly recommended to me by one of the Lactation Consultants at the phenomenal Breastfeeding Center of Greater Washington. It's my favorite book on breastfeeding.

Birthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation

by Pam England and Rob Horowitz

(I don't think I understood how much I had absorbed of this book until I began re-reading it. Pam England is a Certified Nurse Midwife and began a teaching a series of classes with her husband back in the 1990's. The book is a little on the hippy side but I think it does a fantastic job of helping mentally prepare for Childbirth. I also adore the Art Therapy element of Birthing From Within, which I think it's particularly helpful for second-time Mamas).

Journey into Motherhood: Writing Your Way into Self-Discovery

by Leslie Kirk Campbell

(This book is a wonderful resource for women who love to write and are about to become Mothers for the first-time. There are tons of writing prompts in the book for every stage of your pregnancy and the first few months after. It is a terrific book for helping a woman deal with the emotional and mental shift that occurs when you have a baby.)




***Disclaimer: Amazon Affiliate Links are included in this post. Thank you!

Don't Forget Your Doula.

If there was only piece of advice I could give Pregnant Mamas about Childbirth, it would be hire a Doula.

It doesn't matter what kind of Birth you are planning, every woman should have a Doula.

You may have the most supportive partner in the World, but they can only do so much. A Doula has been there and done that and seen so much (my Doula had attended over 400 births by the time she had attended my first Birth). A Doula's only job is to support you!

A Doula is particularly important in the hospital because they can be your advocate when you are at your most vulnerable. A Doula is worth their weight in gold!

Here is an interesting piece on understanding statistically how having a Doula at your birth can positively affect your out-come.

During my first pregnancy, I interviewed several Doulas/Birth Assistants; it was one of our Midwives' requirements for a Home Birth.

It's essential that you meet with several and find someone whose personality fits your own. Listen to your Gut...is it a good fit? If not, keep interviewing...

I ended up going with a Doula I thought I felt comfortable with but then I started have a little doubt at the very end. The Universe works in mysterious ways because she ended up having to call in her substitute.

I met Gwen for the first time when I was completely naked and had been in active labor for 8 hours. She had a motherly presence, an awesome white streak in your black hair and didn't mind when I kept calling her "Glen" instead of "Gwen."

For the next 12 hours, she was my Rock, my Anchor, my Savior. I don't think I could have spent 2 1/2 hours pushing out a malpositioned 9 lb baby with no drugs, if she hadn't been by my side.

My husband was great.

My Midwife was great.

But, Gwen was my Life-line.

She showed my husband how to do a hip-press and took over when he needed a break. She was with me through every contraction, every breath...using a myriad of visualizations and mantras. She made sure I was constantly sipping enough water. She held my hand and got me through the most intense pain I have ever felt. She was just what I needed.

And, I was absolutely thrilled she was at my side for my second Birth.

I was only at the Birth Center for two hours before the baby was born, but Gwen was still a huge help. Even though my Labor was much faster and I had already had an un-medicated Birth...it didn't make any of the contractions easier. It was still really, really HARD WORK. Having her hold my hand and work through each contraction was AMAZING.

It was also wonderful having Gwen there the 4 hours afterwards, while I recovered.

Having her attend both my two very different Births was very special and very healing.

Doulas rock!

Buy your Maternity clothes second-hand, don't go on that expensive Baby-moon, scrimp on other things...but do yourself a huge favor and hire a Doula.

Student Doulas are ALWAYS  looking for more experience, so you may be able to hire one for free or for a reduced rate.

For tons more information and names of Doulas in your area, check out DONA International.

Learning How to Use a Spoon Video.

This one is for the Grandparents.

Yesterday, was the first day Anala Bears used a spoon.

Papa Bears HATES when the girls get messy. But, I think it's such an integral part of
Learning.

Having plenty of Sensory Experiences and the space to just practice new skills. I think it's so very important.

Plus, I'm the one cleaning up the kid.

I didn't get a good shot of her actually using the spoon properly. But, she did for a minute or two.

Did I mention this kid HATES bibs?

Pregnant Mamas. On Eating and Making Your Own Greek Yogurt.

I ate A LOT of Greek Yogurt, during both my pregnancies.

If you eat dairy products, it's a terrific way to add more protein to your diet. I would have a cup with my Breakfast, one with Lunch and sometimes as a Snack. That's over 30 grams of protein right there.

I wish I had know how easy it is to "make your own Greek Yogurt."

Seriously, all you do is dump Plain Yogurt into the Greek Yogurt Maker and let it sit over-night.

It's so much better than the commercial kind, especially if you make your own Plain Yogurt first. I really can't believe it took me so long to figure out how incredibly easy it is to make Greek Yogurt.

Head Smack.

I used this tutorial on how to make Yogurt.

I bought this Greek Yogurt Maker. Totally worth the 30 bucks I spent (considering how much Greek Yogurt we still eat around here).

Pure Yumminess.

I promise.

How Clary Sage Helped Me During Labor

During my second Un-medicated Birth, I used "Clary Sage Essential Oil." 

I wasn't very familiar with Essential Oils, before my Midwife had mentioned it at my 40 week appointment. Some of the other Midwives at the practice had just come back from a workshop where "using Clary Sage Essential Oil for pain management" had been discussed.

I found a Study of over 8,000 women in the U.K conducted over 8 years that showed that Clary Sage can be useful during Labor, so I decided to give it a try.


"The evidence from this study suggests that aromatherapy can be effective in reducing maternal anxiety, fear and/or pain during labour. The use of aromatherapy appeared to facilitate a further reduction in the use of systemic opioids in the study centre, from 6% in 1990 to 0.4% in 1997 (per woman). "


My first Labor lasted 20 hours and my second was 5 hours. My Midwife said she had expected it to last about 10 hours, since often Labor times are halved at second Births.

I think eating Dates and drinking Red Raspberry Leaf Tea had an impact. Letting go of my Fear definitely played a part.

Who knows, how much the Clary Sage helped ease any anxiety or fear I felt. But, it smelled good. It helped cover up certain other smells.

Afterwards, I used it to help with my Afterbirth Pains. For the first three days, they were as intense as my Labor contractions.

Every time, I would steel myself for the pain, by dabbing some of the Clary Sage mixed with Olive Oil under my nose.

Here is a post that explains various methods of application. Luckily, I enjoy the smell of Clary Sage - I know it can be pretty strong for some folks. Remember Essential Oils should be put in some type of Carrier Oil before putting it directly on your skin.

Have you used Clary Sage before? I'd love to hear about your experience.

The Birthing Month. Motherwort.

I love this stuff.

Motherwort?

It truly can be a Mama's Helper.

I took Motherwort 5 times a day, during my first 2 weeks Post-Partum. It helped my hormones tremendously. Every time I started feeling weepy and a little out-of-control, I would look at the time and realize I had missed a dose.

I seriously had NO Baby Blues. Unlike after my first Birth. It was amazing.

Saturday, I was feeling frazzled and anxious and so I reached for Motherwort. The new tincture of Motherwort I had made was finally ready.

I took 20 drops and felt calmer within the hour.

Motherwort (part of the Mint Family) is also great for PMS symptoms and Menstrual Cramps. I think I need to start taking it, along with drinking Red Raspberry Leaf Tea during my Period.

Gotta love the Mints!

Susun B. Weed talks about how helpful Motherwort can be in all the stages of a woman's life right here.

Kiva Rose wrote an excellent post on 10 Reasons to Love Motherwort.

Here is some information from WebMD about possible side-effects.



***Remember to always check with your Health-care Provider first when taking any Herbs. Thank you!

Happy International Women's Day. Free Streaming of "Lost in Living"

Mamas (and Mamas who make Art) this one is for you.

My favorite writer, Karen Maezen Miller, alerted her readers about this wonderful opportunity that is available just for today.

"About a year ago, I recommended a documentary called Lost in Living that follows the lives of four artists in different stages of work and motherhood. You might have caught a screening of the film in your community, purchased a DVD or attended a house party viewing. Now, Lost in Living will be available for free streaming for 24 hours beginning Saturday, March 8 to coincide with International Women’s Day. This global Web screening event is an opportunity to share Lost in Living with women around the world."

"I hope you can find a quiet corner sometime Saturday to watch the film, not least because you’ll spending a few hours with yourself. That opportunity alone is worth cherishing. As you watch the film you’ll see beyond yourself into the connection women have with one another in every phase of life, and how motherhood transforms our aspirations. It’s poignant, funny, powerful and oh so good."

The trailers look great and I've been meaning to see this movie for awhile.

Free streaming right here.

The Birthing Month. 2014.

This Month's Theme?

Birthing.

I won't be as literal this year, I promise.

Last year, I was revving up for the Birth of my 2nd Child, so there were a ton of Pregnant Mama posts. (You can see last year's Birthing Month's Round-up right here).

I plan on sharing some oldies but goodies. Plus, I have a few more posts I never got around to posting (Dealing with Afterbirth Pains, Post-partum Care: Reality Check).

My Nye-Nye will be turning 3 at the end of March, so I'm be sharing a few Birthday Party Ideas.

And, yes, I will FINALLY get around to sharing more details about my Belly-Binding Herbal Paste.

Spring-time is coming. I can't wait!

A Big Day for Our Family.

Yesterday, was a Big Day for our Family.

Papa Bear got to watch the Super Bowl.

Nye pooped twice in the Potty.

And, Bears took a few steps.



What a day!


*** No shots of Nye's Naked Weekend. Just a photo of her tromping through some water with Aunt Mimi, on Saturday, when a water main broke near our house. Fun times!

Naked Weekend.

This Weekend, we are attempting to Potty Train Nye-Nye. She is going to spend the next few days at home being naked.

Well, at least without any diapers, pull-ups or underwear on.

She had shown interest at 15 months but completely lost it after a month or so. I didn't push. Especially when I got pregnant and knew a new baby would probably cause a regression.

Now at 34 months, she has declared she wants to use The Potty.

She read several Potty Books at Ra-Ra's house last week and that seemed to spark her interest. We also explained that if she wanted to go to school, she would have to use the toilet.

Last night, she went to the store and picked out some Chi-Chi Presents (chi-chi is what an Indian nickname for poop). We know peeing in the Potty won't be the issue, so Daddy bought some small presents (a journal, head-bands, those expanding sponges, etc...) to help encourage her.

We removed the large rug in our Living Room. Put out the Potties. And, have our wet Swiffer primed and ready to go.

Wish us Luck!

Onward.

****I was inspired by How I Potty Trained My Daughter in 3 Days.

Calendar Project. 2013 Photos in Review.

Not sure if this is a Tradition I can sustain, but I am hoping! For the second year in a row, I made Calendars of photos of the previous year. We gifted them to Grand-parents and ourselves. 

I've been pretty happy with the quality of Shutterfly's Calendars (although, because I also use it as my Planner and was in CONSTANT use, the photos became a little scratched).

The first year I made them, I consistently uploaded and added the photos every Month. It made it crazy easy in December to place my order. 

Last year, January through March got uploaded and arranged. And, then you know...My heavily pregnant Self got too busy with the Sassy Toddler. So, the Calendar Project got shelved.

December rolled around. I was determined to finish the Calendar. I stuck the Eldest in front of the T.V. and put the Baby to bed early and then I stayed up very, very late to finish the Project. I think it took about 5 hours. 

The hardest part was narrowing it down to my favorite 5-6 photos from each Month. It was a challenge to make sure both Kiddos got equal-ish face-time. I also have a tendency to take mostly vertical photos. Not a big deal until you have a horizontal slot to fill.

Anyway, I HIGHLY recommend a Calendar Project (even if you don't have Kiddos). So many of us take tons of photos and never print them. This is a way of having some of your photos printed and displayed. It makes a sweet Gift that's both practical and frugal. The best kind, right?

Farewell 2013. You were very good to our Family. Thank-you.

***A big Thanks to my friend Erin for taking the gorgeous, amazing Birth Photos that I will treasure until my last Breath.  She had never been present at a Birth before and was totally game on a days notice to come shoot an "Un-medicated Birth Center Birth."

And, also a big Shout-out to another extremely talented friend, Hilary Flynn, who shot the Baby's lovely Newborn Photos and some excellent photos of my Big Girl.

How lucky am I to have such talented friends? Very lucky.

Our Homemade Christmas Calendar

 

December, already?

How did that happen?

This year I figured the Kiddo was old enough to understand an Advent Calendar. Of course, I remember that I wanted to do one the last night of November. Three or so hours later, this is what I had...

Not sure if it's going to survive all that daily handling required. But, it didn't cost any money, so I am pleased. Plus, I really like it's Handmade quality.

I was inspired by the blog Morning Creativity. Happy December! Can't wait to share my ideas for this Month's Theme.

Baby Socks. The Gratitude Month.

One great think about De-cluttering your house?

Finding your favorite pair of Rainbow Baby Socks. My First Born wore them frequently for the first few months of her life. They were knee-socks on her and I melted each time we wore them. I was so sad when she finally over-grew them.

Not surprisingly, I put them in a special place and promptly forgot where I put them. I had given up hope of finding them in time for my Second Born to wear them.

I found them after My Freak-Out about organizing our Home. Amazing how that happens.

Luckily, Anala-Bears has dainty feet for her size. The socks may not be knee-highs on her but they still fit! I smile each time I have put them on her. And my heart is full of Gratitude for my Sweet Peas and their beautiful Baby feet that grow way too fast!

Pulling Up.

 

 

 

 

This Week. There have been some ADJUSTMENTS.

Colds. Car-breaking down. No Mama at the Gym because of Colds and Out-of-Commission Car.

One-sided Bickering about toys.

Dreariness.

Re-committing to playing Outside every Morning.

Fazing out a Lovey.

Using a timer for Transitions.

Baby Bears discovering a new Love of computer cords, dust bunnies and trash cans.

And, now....Pulling up.

 

 

I Feel Sorry for Her.

Poor Bears. She's got a Boss Lady for a Big Sissy. Last Week marked the beginning of my girls squabbling.

The Honeymoon Period is over.

The Baby's favorite thing to do now is spy one of her Sissy's toys on the floor and crawl as fast as she can over to the toy and gleefully grab it. Nye immediately snatches the toy from out of Bears' hand and says, "my toy." This happens even if it actually is the Baby's toy.

Nye has started giving the Baby lectures on "danger." Nye's forehead becomes furrowed, she shakes her finger and her tone of voice turns very fierce. Do I look that mean when I redirect? Yikes, I hope not.

Last Thursday, Bears crawled into the Kitchen and started opening one of the cabinet drawers. Boss Lady was there in a flash and proceeded to ream her out for 2 straight minutes. Bears just laughed.

Here is a little video clip taken when Nye was telling Bears about the danger of cords. "The cords are not for YOU." I wasn't able to get a video of the actual two minute reprimand but in this video you can see the finger shake and watch Bears laugh.

I guess I should be Grateful to have a second pair of eyes watching our Little Explorer!

501 Posts. Gratitude Month.

This is my 501st Post here on Catoctin Mountain Mama. Two years have come and gone. Lots of Changes, lots of Struggling, lots of Growth. I am so glad to still be here.

This space has been my Creative Outlet, my Release. It has given me a little bit of structure as I wade through the Chaos of Mothering two small children.

I am so full of Gratitude for this little Blog and for my small (but dedicated) group of Readers. Thank you!

I have decided to listen to my dear friend, Ed, and finally join Facebook as Catoctin Mountain Mama. Please head over there now and find me! Much Love...

One of My Biggest Challenges.

 

My absolutely least favorite thing about being a Stay-at-Home Mama is being in charge of everybody's stuff. I can barely keep myself organized and now I am responsible for staying on top of other tiny folk's things?

Holy Moly.

I never used to put things back where they belonged. My poor Mama tried drilling it in me. But, it didn't stick until I started having kids of my own.

Now, I totally get it.

Now, Karma is totally biting me in the ass.

I have a partner who is even more organizationally challenged than I am.

I get so mad at him because, if I can put my dirty clothes in the hamper, anyone can. (One of my Mama's favorite stories is when she threw all my dirty clothes out of my 2nd floor Bedroom, when I was a Teenager, because I hadn't cleaned up my room when she asked).

It's fine to be messy when you are single. Or when there are just two adults in a family. Or your kids have stopped putting random things in their mouths. But, when you have crawling babies, keeping crap off the floor is a Life or Death Matter.

It takes some serious effort EVERY SINGLE DAY to put stuff back and beat back the clutter. I have found that I feel much calmer and happier when things are organized.

I had a minor Break-down yesterday. Like with tons of tears and a poor Kiddo crying, "Stop crying Mommy, stop crying." I was flooded with some intense feelings of being completely over-whelmed.

Our Landlord is on the finicky side. He just notified us that he wants to come for a "walk through" to see how the house looks, a year after we moved in.

On one hand, I am Grateful. That means I have the kick-in-the-ass I need to go through the Basement, organize the Laundry Room, finish up the Playroom, clean up the Screened-in-Porch, get the Living Room under control and finally go through all those boxes in our closets left-over from our Move.

On the other-hand, I have THREE WEEK-ENDS before he comes.

Plus, I need to finish switching out our Summer Clothes for Winter Clothes. I still have not been able to located the box of my Non-Maternity Winter Clothes.

I'm trying to take each project and break it down into little pieces. Tiny bit by tiny bit. It's not the End-of-the-World, if I don't get everything done, but I know I'll feel a lot better.

I am thinking about doing Slow Your Home's 2014 in 2014 Declutter Challenge this January. I think that would help provide the structure I need to develop good habits and tame that damn Clutter Beast (at least until our next Move).