Gardening and bread making

9/30/08: We are having a great day so far today- so much so that I felt compelled to sit down and make a note of it.

I tore out my tomato plants this morning before the sun peeked out over the roof of our house. I was able to shove most of them in the composter. After tearing out the tomato plants I found my forgotten bell pepper plant, which is finally beginning to produce. I’m hoping it will thrive now without having to compete for sun and water and we’ll have a late bell pepper harvest. For our winter garden we are going to plant beans, spinach and onions. I bought organic seeds from Henry’s yesterday. I’m going to start them in a biodegradable egg carton so I wont have to transplant them. I kinda feel like I need another raised bed, but where would I put it? Ah well, one season at a time. Miles helped mix the worm castings and bloodmeal into the soil and got good and filthy. I had to squirt him down with the hose. Despite the chilly morning air, he loved it and we ran around the yard screeching and laughing.

Then we went inside and began the bread making. I have a recipe for Tassajara Yeasted Bread from last months Yoga Journal Magazine. Miles stood on his kitchen stool and helped spoon flour into the measuring cups and would sprinkle the flour in the bowl as I stirred. He slept through the initial kneading but when he wakes it’ll be time to knead and separate and get ready to bake. I’m bringing this bread along with a carrot butternut squash soup over to a friend’s house for an early supper. I hope it all turns out since I’ve never made either before!

I’m still crocheting my “Punk Bunny” for Miles, It’s a pretty slow going thing. I think he’ll love it when it’s done though. And I managed to get a painting finished for my friends birthday. So all in all things are good on the creative front.

More Baby Sign

Signing with Miles has helped us tremendously. He can only speak a few words, but can sign a great many! He started by signing “more” as “I want that” and “milk” meaning nursing then we were stuck- until we took Sign 4 Baby class. Then we had a sign explosion! It really helped me get in tune to what interested him. His first signs were helicopter, airplane and motorcycle. Then he moved on to some more useful signs like cookie, cracker, cheese, down, eat, finished, pear, mom, dad, butterfly, spider, dog, duck, hug, please, and thank you. I’m sure there’s a bunch I’m forgetting. Before we took the class he clapped by hitting his arm instead of hand to hand. Then with the added hand eye coordination that I believe he received from this class, he finally got it and learned to clap like his peers. All these signs help us get some insight into what he is thinking as at 20 months old he only says a few words clearly. We’re at the point now where he can focus on me when I show him a sign and try to copy it. Now we can avoid tantrums by asking him to use his hands to tell us what he wants/needs. Also he understands much more signs than he can actually do so I can talk to him without voicing- like if we are in the library I can tell him we’re going to change his diaper soon without letting the whole place know about it and he shows he understands by running away!

We mostly use sign for mealtimes where he can tell me if he’s finished or if he wants more and what he wants more of. That’s super helpful and avoids a lot of food tossing. We also use sign to help him express his interests in locomotives and animals/insects. He loves telling me when he spots a spider web by signing spider and pointing. Or can tell me when he hears a helicopter flying by. You can see the excitement on his face that he can say words he would have difficulty pronouncing at this age- and I love knowing what he’s thinking. I also love knowing that he’s learning another language that we can expand upon as he grows and he can be bilingual to a certain degree. And of course it’s super cute to watch him sign thank you to his grandma when she’s offered him something! Now that is priceless!

Pumpkin Decorating

9/23/08: We had a busy week full of fun stuff. We finally cut some of the pumpkins off the vine and had a decorating party with a couple friends, Lauren and Dylan. It was a ton of fun. I think the kids really had a good time getting all messy.
Then we hosed them down and went out for Pizza at San Fillipos in La Mesa. That place is cool ‘cause they give the kids pizza dough to play with- and the food is consistently great!


Keith, Miles and I went wandering OB over the weekend. We packed a lunch to eat on the pier and then went for ice cream after hitting up all the shops.

We stopped in at the Children’s museum too. Can’t go wrong there. Miles favorite is the bubble installation. Always a hit!

Co-sleeping Changes

9/12/08: I put Miles crib back together in our room and we are helping him learn to sleep in there. He is taking to it well- the hard part is getting him to go back down in the middle of the night. That's been a bit of a battle. But I think with some persistence and consistency he will start to like it more. I think he's sleeping better since not being next to the boob all night. He's almost 20 months! I think it's time to start to wean at night at least. It's a hard sell to him, but he'll get used to it. Can't wait to sleep all night! The other night he did sleep for a full 10 hours! Last night for 9 hours! But he goes to sleep so early that it doesn't help me much. If I put him to bed later he still gets up early so he just gets less sleep. I tried that.

Last night he woke at 2am and I nursed him in the rocking chair for 15 minutes and put him back in the crib. He was okay for a minute or two and then started to cry and stood up. So I woke up Keith and when he saw his Daddy coming for him he started to screech and wail. Keith took him in the other room and changed his diaper and got him some water at my request. The whole time I could hear the screaming (the neighbors probably could too) Finally after hearing a few loud bangs and more screeching I went out to the kitchen to see the problem. Miles would throw any cup Keith gave him so the floor was all wet and Miles was on the ground crying while Keith was mopping up the floor. He took it like a pro and was very calm. I picked up Miles and he went quiet except for little gasps and choking sobs. Keith looked at him and was astonished how calm he was. I took him into the bedroom and gave him a fresh sippy cup and put him in his crib. He started to cry and thrash so I leaned over the crib rail and sang our song really loud so he could hear it over the crying and rubbed his back. He clutched his sippy and his elephant and calmed down. He turned on his back so he could see me and I sang more softly and stroked his hair and forehead. He calmed after just a few minutes of this and I was able to go to bed (next to him). I could hear him kicking the mattress for a while but he was able to know he was safe, mommy is always there and put himself back to sleep. I don’t think he would have been ready for this at any younger of an age. But I do think he’s ready now and I think it’s important. If he wakes at 5am or later I bring him in to bed with me for some cuddle/nursing time.

So that’s a little peek into our new co-sleeping arrangement. I think it’s worth the work. It’s always hard to make a change. But without change it’s hard to grow. Miles is learning that I’m always nearby and even if he’s feels like he’s alone, he’s with me. I am still meeting his needs- especially the need for a good night’s sleep. He’s old enough to understand when I say “Mommy goes night night, Daddy goes night night, Andy goes night night, Num Nums go night night and Miles goes Night Night.” I’m happy with the change. And I’m happy Keith is willing to try to help, even with disastrous results. Last night he asked why he even tries and I told him he does it because I appreciate his effort. How would we know that it wouldn’t work if he didn’t try? I can’t be a sleep time martyr. I’m no hero! Just a Mom. The picture you see in this post is a totally random but oh so cute picture of Miles with a swim diaper on his head, we needed a good use for them, right?

One more thing, Miles signs "ball", and "ceiling fan" too- He can say ball. But when he says ceiling fan it sounds like "Kung Pow!" So a sign is helpful! ha! He's learning a new sign every day or so- hard to keep up! Oh and he said "cheese" today- the actual word. Yay!

Pumpkin update and spider friends

Here are a few new pictures of our amazing pumpkins- and our friend that lives with the tomato plants.

Baby sign language explosion.

9/10/08: The other day Miles "said" his first sign sentence, “Eat food please, yum.” I was pretty excited because he’d never done the sign for eat before. Today at breakfast he would copy just about any sign I would give him, He signed cracker, more (properly), cheese, and fish, all in one setting. Wow! That’s quite a language explosion for breakfast! He would point to something and look at me and I would give him the sign and he would copy most of them. That’s pretty cool!
By the way- we take Baby Sign classes at Java Mama with Signs 4 Baby. Joann Wooley is great! http://www.sign4baby.com

New Co-sleeping Arrangements

9/6/08: Ack what happened to summer! I can’t even believe it’s already September.

Miles is 19 months and 4 weeks. He is talking up a storm! Most of it is fairly unintelligible, but he’ll have a whole conversation with you if you can decipher the general topic by his signing and gesturing. He still can sign much more than he is vocalizing. All this makes him really fun to have around. He’s also a little bit better at independent play.

We had to put the crib back together, but we are compromising and we put it in our room next to our bed. We did this because Miles was waking at 3:30am every morning and wanting to get out of bed. I think I was waking him with my movement and then nursing him doesn’t really get him back to sleep. So after many sleep disrupted nights and sore boobs from nursing for hours, we decided this was best for our family. Miles has taken to it very well. But I think he’ll probably be able to crawl out of it soon. I already have a plan for that. I’m going to take of the front rail and put a bed rail on the crib so he can get in and out by himself. Hopefully this won't lead to more midnight roaming. But so far I don’t ever leave him in there awake anyway- it’s really just so my movement won’t wake him. So, Yay! He slept all the way trough ‘til 5am this morning, then was in our bed until 6 when we finally got up. I think this will be a good transition into his own room eventually. Just a little independence.

19 months old tomorrow!

8/14/08: Disclaimer: I should be folding laundry, but I don’t feel like it.

So my new thing is jogging. Keith and I have been jogging when he gets home after work. We put Miles in the jogging stroller and go around the hood for about 30-40 minutes. Not all of it is jogging, because after about 3 minutes I feel like my lungs will explode, but we alternate jogging and walking. I am pleasantly sore and feel so fit! Yay!

Miles is 19 months old tomorrow. He talks some, but signs more reliably. He can sign, helicopter, plane, more, milk, cookie, sorry, please, motorcycle, truck, down, and thank you. I’m sure I’m forgetting some words. He can say: banana, down, more, vroom, duck, uh oh, Dad, Mama, and I’m sure there’s more. It’s the kind of talking though that only mama can understand for the most part.

Miles is no longer using the potty- taking a little break, I guess. No pressure, we’ll see how he does in the future.

Pumpkins are coming along nicely, They are getting big but are still green. i wonder what we'll be this Halloween!?

Okay- the laundry isn’t going to fold itself- onward weary laundress!

Potty and Pumpkins

8/6/08: My pumpkins are really growing! Along with tomatoes, jalapenos, tons of herbs, strawberries and bell peppers. It’s harvest season for the tomatoes. Some of them have blossom end rot so I added some calcium to the soil and I’m watering a little deeper and less often, that seems to be helping. But I am SO EXCITED that the pumpkins are growing! I hope to have a little kid party in October where they can all go pick a pumpkin from the yard and maybe we can have a carving party with lots of help from Mom and Dad. I love it.


Miles is on a slight potty strike. He will sit there for a minute but then hops down to play. Half the time peeing (or worse) on the bathroom floor. So no progress these past few days. We are not in a hurry, I just offer it to him every now and again and follow his lead. Hopefully he’ll be back on the wagon (or potty seat) again.

I finished a little amigurumi for my girlfriend who is about to give birth any day now- here he is- it’s a mouse.

Potty Update

7/30/08: We’re learning to use the toilet! Miles has decided he wants to put the potty chair seat on the toilet and actually use the toilet like a big boy! This is the third day in a row that he has “gone” in the toilet. I made a little chart, not that he needs it- it’s more for me, but he gets a sticker when he goes in the potty. He’s still going plenty in his diaper too, don’t get me wrong. But it’s a great start!

I-you-la

7/9/08. Miles said "Iyoula" yesterday- which I’m pretty sure meant "I love you". We were playing in bed in the morning and I said "I love you" and he looked at me and said "Iyoula" and gave me a kiss. So cute!

My Mom bought Miles a potty seat that doubles as a step stool. So far Miles loves it. He has been standing on it to wash his hands and sitting on it with his clothes on. Today he asked to take his diaper off and sat on it for a while commando. I think he likes the idea of being diaper free. Me too! Maybe it’s not too early- but then I don’t want to get my hopes too high. We’ll see.

Otay Ranch Fountain

6/19/08: We are having a busy week! Today we went to the Otay Ranch Shopping Village. I love that mall. We hung out with my Mom all day and night- which was a lot of fun and a huge help and distraction for me after being on my own all week. Miles had a lot of freedom at the book store to play and rearrange their shelves. Then we headed over to the children’s play area. They have a wonderful fountain where the kids can play (under age 7). I was actually prepared this time with a suit and change of clothes for Miles! He LOVED it. It’s so amazing and fun to watch him interact with other children and explore a new experience. He’s not shy at all. He loves to talk to and watch other kids. You can just see him soaking everything in. He talks a ton lately although not much that’s understandable in English, a lot is understandable in tone. Here’s a picture of the set up. We’ll be back for sure, but next time I’ll bring a towel! (almost perfect!) For more pictures of this week, email me...

The Misadventure of a Novice Mom or Morning at the Beach

Upon hearing that it would be in the nineties today, I decided last minute to go to the beach this morning. I had a vision- We would sit on a blanket under the umbrella and I could read my book while he played in the sand. So with this in mind I put the wagon, the umbrella, a blanket and a lunch in the car and we headed off to Coronado at 8:30 in the morning. This is what really happened. We parked right next to the wheel chair ramp that leads out to the sand. I put him in the Ergo, loaded the wagon and off we went to find a good spot not too close to the water, so he wouldn’t be tempted to run off into the ocean. I laid out the blanket and put up the umbrella and put Miles down and he took off, made a straight line for the ocean. So I hopped up and ran after him, taking his sandals off and running back to throw them in the wagon.

He ran screaming like a wild boar straight into the water and promptly fell on his butt. Okay so his shorts and cloth diaper are wet, no big deal, I thought. I tried from then on to keep him in the shallow water, but selfishly, I wanted to get video of all the cute noises he was making, so I made a decision. I let him go. He ran into the waves and got knocked down and roll in the water, get up shake it off and do it again. So I took off his shorts. All the while I was very aware his sun block only went to his knees. His cloth diaper was soaked and hanging heavily between his legs- probably what kept knocking him down. He had sand all over his body, caked on like sandpaper. After a little while of trying to get video and pictures without letting the ocean take him or getting my camera wet I decided that enough was enough and I would try to salvage my original vision. Having forgotten towels, swim diapers, or a change of clothing and being unable to put sunblock on him as he was covered in sand, I thought I would strip him down and let him dry off in the shade of the umbrella. That was a joke. He ran all over the beach picking up sand and throwing it, mostly on himself, while totally naked. Meanwhile it was nearing 10 am so the beach was starting to become more crowded with other Moms and older kids. Boy did they all get a kick out of seeing me in my wet clothes and floppy hat running after the wild and naked boy.


Cursing myself for being so totally unprepared I made an executive decision to cut my losses and pack up. I decided to try to hose him off at the bathroom shower. So again, naked (him, not me!) I tried to put him under the shower. He was very interested in pushing the button although he was shaking like he had Parkinson’s from the cold. We managed to get most of the sand off him and a relatively clean and dry cloth diaper on him. I let him play in the car while I loaded it up. Finally, donning a cloth diaper only, I buckled him in to his seat and defeated, headed for home.

On the way home I was trying to feed him little pieces of the sandwich I had hoped to eat on the beach. I was driving and reaching back to hand him pieces. He grabbed my hand and steered it to his mouth and then held my hand, patting it and laughing. I felt like he was thanking me for the short time at the beach. And that made it all worth while. But next time I’m bring bathing suits and towels. Duh.

Purple Corduroy Pants.

6/17/08: I went to the San Diego Fair today with my friend Lauren. After the long drive to Del Mar and the hot wait in line to get in, we decided the kids needed to run around and be free from their strollers. So we headed over to the garden exhibit to tear things up a bit. Miles would run up to people- everyone and anyone- stop right in front of them and wave at them with this big, goofy, expectant smile on his face, wait for them to acknowledge him (or trip over him), then run to the next stranger to personally greet them. Most people were older, and kinda hippy-ish and were very responsive to his salutations. Some of the younger crowd just pretended not to see him. But he waves with his whole arm and hand, so it’s hard not to see him.

There was one special couple, who were standing close to each other, the man’s round belly almost toughing the lady. Miles ran up and dashed in between them, under the belly. I think he thought their bodies made a tunnel. The woman had long, grey hair, thick glasses and a fanny pack over her bright purple, tapered leg corduroy pants. When he made his mad dash between them, they kind of jumped back saying “Oh!” Miles thought it was the most fun thing to do, but when he circled back to give it another go they were walking away, so he ran up behind the lady and head butted her in the posterior and she spread her legs so he could run through them! And then back again, and again. Keep in mind he’s a tall boy and wasn’t really ducking so she was kind of trying to hop up to avoid being pegged in the crotch. Miles was laughing so hard the entire time. Finally the couple said good-bye and tried to make an escape from this crazy boy but he followed them until I finally grabbed him, kicking and screaming and went to go find Lauren.

His other favorite part of the fair was the trip to the infield where we had to go through a real tunnel. Miles hollered and yelped and bellowed the entire length of the tunnel so he could hear his echo. We also stopped in an old timey photo booth- which he was amazed with- and we watched a band play some old surf rock for a while.


I managed to be swindled and conned by a carnie at the balloon/dart booth. It was $2 for one dart or $5 for 3. I gave the tall, smiley, man my $5 and popped 2 out of 3 balloons with the darts. The last one I missed. The man said, “Say “Pop!”” So I said, "Pop!" and he said, “You won!” But it was one of those crappy little toys that I won so I decided to go for the big stuffed dragon. When I asked him how much I would need to spend to get the dragon he told me he would make me a deal, and for each dart that hit a balloon it would count for 3 points and I needed 12 more points. So I needed to hit 4 balloons. I agreed and tried to pay him but he graciously told me to pay him AFTER I took the shots. I knew then that he was somehow going to take me for my $20.00 and I even said so. Again, I hit 4 balloons and was so impressed with my dart skills. He gave me a high five and got me the desired Dragon and then told me I owed him $20.00. What?! $20- It should have been $7.00- But each dart counted for 3- he explained. Oh- He got me. Such a con. But I had agreed to that, so how could I argue? Besides I had so much fun winning the dragon, and I knew he was conning me and I thought it was such a funny cliché- that I just handed him my twenty and laughed as I walked away. How he sleeps at night though, I’ll never know.

After that we walked through the farm and headed back to the car, stopping along the way to indulge in a chocolate dipped banana. Miles now thinks that chocolate dipped bananas are the next best thing to num nums (nursing). He clutched it and gnawed on it with his eyes closed all the way back to the car. Not bad for a one dollar ticket to the Fair!

Skin Deep, Green Bag Lady, and More!

6/11/08: You can always tell when my life is crazy by how long I wait to update this blog. Things are challenging here while Miles learns to talk… and listen! And we are always in flux with sleeping arrangements and schedules. Very loosey goosy. As long as he’s getting enough sleep, that’s good enough for me. I do okay with half a brain. Ha.

Here’s a few sites that have been sent to me recently. Sites that will open your eyes to the scary world of chemicals that we live in. My friend just mentioned that the FDA has really let us down, and I couldn’t agree more. http://www.cosmeticdatabase.com/ This is the site to check out the products you use on your skin. It’s awesome because once you discover how toxic your products are, you can find ones that are less so. And this one http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/organic-parenting/sunblock-sunscreen-55040201 has some great information in general, but this link will take you to an article on sunblock.

On a happy note, I received my “Green Bag Lady” Bag that I requested through http://www.greenbaglady.blogspot.com/ Not long ago I heard about this artist who sews reusable market bags for people and gives them away for free. In fact she mailed my bag to me for free, costing her $1.95. I noticed that her envelope had a stamp that asked me to reuse the envelope. So I did. I promptly picked out some extra fabric that I had laying around and took it to the post office today. She gets fabric donations from around the US (at least). I’m glad I can add to it. What she’s doing kinda renews my believe in humankind’s goodness. Rock on Green Bag Lady! And thanks for my beautiful bag!

Cartoon

I had mentioned a couple posts back that I am helping a friend with her scrapbooking company as an artist. So I am dabbling in illustration- referencing a lot from the fifties and well really before and after. Not to precise. This drawing I just finished is an adaptation of a Dick and Jane Illustration. I dig it. It's basically a copy- so please don't sue me. I don't take credit. Although the style is quite different from the original. The outfit and theme is the same. What do you think of it?

Growing Nicely

5/20/08: My garden is coming along quite nicely. I am pretty excited that the pumpkin seeds I planted last week have already sprouted. I’ve heard they’re hard to maintain, but so far so good. The tomato plants are loving this heat and seem to grow 6 inches every day. No flowers yet- but I can’t wait to taste that fruit! I need to find out what organic fertilizer people use on their gardens. I’m trying to stay away from the steroids I’ve given my plants in the past. Both lemon and lime trees are doing way better this year just being left alone. I do put down fresh mulch and compost each year. Maybe that’s enough. I’m enclosing some pictures for your viewing pleasure. Any comments or advise is welcome.


Miles had his Well visit yesterday and all is well. He is healthy and happy- but then I already knew that. We are doing a less aggressive vaccine schedule and are doing individual vaccines (instead of the bundled vaccines) one at a time. So he finally received a measles shot- but that’s it. We will go back in a month for the DTap. I feel better about letting his body process them one at a time. Even though it’s slightly more inconvenient for us. I'm afraid to vaccinate him and afraid not to- so this is my compromise. I feel pretty good about it so far. He didn't have any noticeable reaction to the shot yesterday.

We went for a walk in Mission Trails this morning. It was nice, and difficult. Miles really fights being confined in a stroller, but wont walk with me either. He wants to collect rocks to throw at people passing by. *sigh* We're working on that.

Coronado

5/15/08: Happy 16 month birthday to Miles! We went to Coronado this morning to bike ride and picnic. It was beautiful out there. He screams when I put him in the seat, but then he has a great time. No pain no gain, I guess.

gardens a growin'

I adjusted the sprinklers and watered my veggie garden this morning. I planted pumpkin seeds in the yard to ramble among the other plants and I planted carrots in the with the peppers, tomatoes and herbs. It is so satisfying to grow your own veggies. Not that I have harvested anything but herbs and strawberries yet. But things are looking good. And I'm all organic- even the seeds. I've been really good about resisting the temptation to throw weed killer on my front yard. Every time I see a beneficial worm or butterfly- I'm so happy that I pull weeds instead. I do poor boiling water on the hard spots though which kills them safely, without polluting our environment.

Head butt Me With Your Love

5/11/08: Happy Mother’s Day! We had a great weekend, full of friends and family over at out place. It was fun to host and easy to put Miles to sleep in the other room and then continue our party. My Mother’s Day started at 1:30 am as Miles was having a very rough night he kept us up until about 5am. Keith and I alternated trying to settle him back down. Not sure if it was teething or what. But then I got the best mother’s day present ever! Miles said Mama! He is talking a ton right now- in a repeat after me kind of way. He is trying to talk like crazy- today he said, “mama, cheese, ouch, vroom, banana” and some other words I can’t think of at the moment. Of course I probably wouldn’t recognize what he is saying if he wasn’t repeating me right after I say something. But it’s like a language explosion! He wasn’t saying much of anything and then all the sudden! It’s really fun for me.

Miles is also very expressive with his body. He has started to dance! So cute! And he shows his love and affection by head butting. I am trying to break him of that. I sign (and say)“ouch! Hurt mama!” I’m doing my best to sign all the sign I know throughout the day. He is trying to sign more, I can tell. He tried “cheese” today, but it doesn’t come out quite right. He gets real thoughtful and studies his hands and makes a clapping motion. Which is very close!

These days Miles and I have a rough idea of how we want things to go, -what needs to be accomplished that day, and then we fly by the seat of our pants from one thing to the next. I certainly didn't get one of those routine craving babies. He is sooooo unpredictable in his patterns. Just when I think he's settling into something, the next day it will be completely different. It makes it very difficult to plan anything. Oh well. I couldn't ask for anything more!