Staples for last minute meals

Although I am loving this way of eating, it is tiring.
And there are some days when I simply don't feel like cooking...
I have even eaten Subway a handful of times (gasp!)

But I have come to find out there are a few things I can whip up in no time, even when I don't feel like it.
So these are the staples I have been keeping in my fridge(or freezer):

Frozen fruit
Fresh Squeezed orange juice
Ice trays
These make a fast lovely smoothie for a morning breakfast on the run. And buy your frozen fruit at Costco. So much cheaper!

Sprouted grain tortillas
Goat Cheese
Avocados
Tomatoes
These make a wonderful Quesadilla for lunch

Avacado
Red Onion
Lime
Tomato
Cilantro
Garlic Salt
Throw these together for a last minute Guac

Fresh Atlantic Salmon
Asparagus
Other root veggies such as carrots and potatoes
I simply stick the salmon in the oven with a little butter, soy sauce and lemon juice for about 20 minutes along with the cut up veggies tossed with olive oil, garlic salt and pepper and you have a delicious dinner for two.

That is how you eat healthy even when you are too tired to eat healthy!

Great Combinations

I have learned that there is really nothing better than the beautiful colors of fresh fruits and vegetables.
I am very excited to eat cherries, plums and apricots for breakfast tomorrow...

and let us not forget the fresh guacamole for lunch...

Who wouldn't love this every day of the year? Please tell me.

Why we love Whiskers

My little sister Ariana has a cat names Whiskers, aka Whisky as Chad so lovingly nicknamed her. Chad has a thing for nick names...
This is why we love Whiskers...

Yeah that's definitely her swatting a few diapers from underneath our door.
(By the way I promise we don't leave used diapers around all the time.)

This video is the second reason we love Whiskers.

Watch and enjoy.

Baby talk and funny faces

I think... I think... she has her parents wrapped around her little finger.

What other reason could there be for the baby talk and funny faces?

Spending the day with dad

A day with dad consists of...
A little Wii.
Dad plays while Afton chews on the controller wristband.
Naturally.

They're both having fun...that's what matters right?And did you know even dad's like to play dress up?
A little walk in dad's boots and they called it a day. As you can see, Afton was starting to do what I like to call "the puppy-dog-lip-curl" which means she's tired.
(Oh and her shirt says "I Moose have a hug!" A gift from Grandpa Terry. How cute is that?)

And that concludes a fun day with dad!

Melons and such

When it comes to melons I usually stay in my comfort zone of watermelon.
Let me give you some background on my love of watermelon:
After a long day of construction my dad would come home, kick off his boots, cut himself off a thick slice of watermelon, plop it on a plate, grab a fork and relax in his recliner.
I would then snuggle up close and ask for a bite.
He gave in and boy was that a big mistake.
My mom tells me that from there on out we SHARED the slice of watermelon.
And that is how the lovely relationship started.

So I figured I should really be fair and give the other melons a chance right?
I'm sure nothing will ever be better than watermelon, but who knows?

Maybe the Galia, Honeydew or Cantelope will give the Watermelon a run for it's money as my all time favorite...
But I doubt it.
(Ignore the grapefruit...it snuck in my melon picture. Apparently it has hopes and dreams of making it into the melon family someday...)

A toe-sucking good time

(First of all, get your mind out of the gutter. Seriously guys, this is a family blog.)

I am constantly amazed by how babies can suck their toe, finger, toy, etc for like half an hour and not get tired of it. Does that amaze anyone else? No? Just me... Well it does.

Afton does like to be held don't get me wrong, but sometimes she is perfectly content just to lay and suck her toe. And it's dang cute if I do say so myself.
My baby constantly amazes me and makes me laugh.
Even if she is just sucking on her toe...

Herbs Galore

If you hadn't noticed all the good recipes have fresh herbs in them.
And another thing to note: Fresh herbs are EXPENSIVE in the grocery store...
So when I found a produce stand that lets you cut your own herbs straight from their herb garden AND you only have to pay a dollar for a huge bag I was ecstatic!

Lavender

Cilantro (Which has been a staple in my fridge lately)

Rosemary

Oregano(Top left) and Thyme

The Loot (all for a $1)- In addition to the herbs pictured above I also got two different kinds of Sage (who knew there was purple sage?) and two different kinds of mint (Spearmint and peppermint). Oh and same Basil too...

Now I just need to find the perfect recipe for each herb and I will fee like an accomplished woman!

Inside my fridge lately

Once I started this new way of living I needed a place to get all the food I was going to eat...
Hmm... let's see...
The Farmers Market seemed appropriate.
So after 30-40 dollars spent and less than an hour this is what I came home with:

Cherries, Peaches, Strawberries and lemons

Red cabbage, asparagus, green onions, yellow onions, ginger, celery, tomatoes, squash and zucchini.

Leeks, carrots and cherry tomatoes.

Radishes and red onions

So this was a few weeks ago and believe it or not I consumed almost all this food, threw only a few items away because they went bad before I could eat them and actually still have a few things in the fridge.
Turns out I don't really like red cabbage and celery lasts a long time in the fridge.

Head out to your nearest farmers market and try some new fruits and veggies!

But Why?

There's this thing that I do that may or may not annoy everyone around me. I don't know.
I like to question everything.
My husband knows better than anyone else I often have the question, "But why?" on my lips?
Maybe that's why I got my degree in journalism or why I was so attracted to writing controversial articles for my high school newspaper.
Maybe that's also why I like to double check things such as a mechanics quote or a price at the grocery store I just don't think looks right.
It's also why I have become one of those parents that reads as much as I can about how to be a good parent.
I decided early on I wasn't just going to take my pediatricians word for it.
I was upset about the way the hospital treated Afton's birth.
I went into having Afton definitely not wanting to get induced and not wanting an epidural and ended up with both because my mid-wife told me I was in labor when I really wasn't. So I ended up being at the hospital in what I like to call a fake-Pitocin-induced labor for a long long time. Thus the epidural.
For some reason I picked this time to NOT question everything like I usually do. I'm thinking maybe it was because I was majorly stressed due to having a baby and dealing with contractions but who knows?
I didn't ask why they insisted I start a line of Pitocin even though I was barely dilated to a 3-4 and was NOT having regular contraction.
I didn't ask why they kept running the Pitocin after 12+ hours of barely-there contractions instead of just sending me home until I was actually in labor.
And by the time they decided to break my water, I definitely didn't think to ask why.
Then when I was actually in labor and having actual contractions I DID ask for an epidural because I was too tired to raise my hand let alone push a baby out (sorry for being blunt).

Obviously I knew everything wouldn't go exactly the way I wanted to and I am not ashamed in any way for having an epidural or for being induced. It happened the way it happened and I was given a beautiful baby girl.
I guess what I am trying to say is I will know next time to question EVERYTHING.
I will not be induced.
No Pitocin.
I will go to the hospital because I am having contractions and my BODY is telling me it is time, not my doctor.
And hopefully, I will be strong enough to do it without an epidural next time.
I know it sounds crazy but I want to be as clear as I can (in the head that is) to greet my next baby.

But why the rant you ask?

I guess I am just getting a little tired of everyone telling me HOW to raise MY child.
It seems like there is "The Way" to do everything from putting them to sleep to feeding them.
I went into parenting thinking:
1. Co-Sleeping was horribly wrong
2. Do NOT rock your baby to sleep. That is just a bad idea. They NEED to fall asleep on their own.
3. Try to breast feed but it's ok if it's too hard- there is always formula.
4. Rice Cereal is a must for the first solid food.

Let me address each one of these ideas and why I have a problem with them.

1. I never thought I would want to co-sleep. I value my sleep more than anything else and was scared to death of rolling over on Afton because I am such a heavy sleeper. But my views have changed A LOT. While I didn't co-sleep with Afton and don't plan on starting now I don't see it as such a bad idea with a newborn.
Think about it... instead of rousing myself from sleep 4-5 times a night to feed simply feed her in bed as often as she needs and nod back to sleep when she is done.
More sleep for me, less trauma and stress for her.
And turns out I am a lighter sleeper than I thought. In the last few weeks Afton has been waking up in the night occasionally and I bring her back to bed with me to nurse her laying down. I often fall back asleep before she is done and wake up hours later to return her to her crib. My body was aware of her every second and would never have let me roll on her.
2. I cannot tell you how many people I have had tell me that I should not rock Afton to sleep.
We tried letting her cry it out even at 8 weeks old like babywise tells you to. It didn't work. She would cry so hard and long until I was nearly in tears and Chad was so worried. We gave up on that. Then we figured we would try it as she got older. Nope. Still cries for an hour and a half if we let her. I will check on her every 10-15 minutes and comfort her and then she will scream her head off as soon as it hits the blanket. So we gave up again.
I just can't see her upset like that.
And I enjoy rocking her. It's the one time in my day when I get to look at her and listen to hear breathe. Even now when she won't let anyone but me put her to sleep I still enjoy it. So why does my pediatrician look at me like I'm a monster and tell me I MUST let her fall asleep on her own when he finds out she won't go to sleep unless I rock her. WHY? Why is this such a bad thing? Please someone give me some concrete facts and then. maybe just then will i believe it.
3. The first few months of Afton's life were hard. Really really hard. The hardest months I've ever been to. Obviously breast-feeding hurt. I envy the women that it doesn't hurt for. They are really lucky. To be honest I almost gave up after the first week. I was terrified Afton wasn't getting enough to eat and was fed up with having to pump in the hospital when Afton had jaundice. That was a MAJOR setback for me and Afton.
And it seems like I was getting more nurses telling me just to try than actual advice.
I finally had a lactation specialist that actually helped me get over the major hurdle that is breast feeding and that made all the difference.
I am so glad that I stuck to it because it has been one of the best experiences of my life so far.
4. This last one was the tip of the iceberg for me. I bought a box of processed rice cereal for Afton's first solid food. She HATED it. She refused to eat it. Plus it made her constipated for a week or more. So I stopped giving it to her and tried light easily digested melons after some research on what the best first food was. I dug a little deeper than what the mainstream doctors and sources would have us believe.
Withing a week of stopping Rice Cereal Afton wasn't constipated, in fact she was having healthy bowl movements and was much happier.
I still can't quite figure out why rice cereal seems to be the first choice baby food but it definitely didn't work for Afton.

So... now that I have ranted and raved for paragraphs and paragraphs it all comes down to this: I DO NOT believe there is a certain way to be a good parent. I DO believe that we have parent's intuition and we should rely on that and on prayer.
We should do what feels right for us and our baby.
And Please don't let anyone tell you you are doing something wrong when you don't believe you are.
I know that I am raising Afton the best way that I know possible.
I know that I love her and want whats best for her, even if that includes rocking her to sleep until she's 20 years old and never giving her another bowl of rice cereal in her life!

Watermelon Juice

I started Afton on rice cereal like you would usually do. But after a week or so of that her poor stomach just wasn't agreeing. She was having a hard time going to the bathroom and that's just sad. So I did a little research and got some tips from the same woman, Natalia Rose, that I am getting my diet from. She has some tips about how to feed your babies from 6-18 months and also a free e-book called Life Force Energy Children that gives great recipe ideas once your children start eating table food. I LOVED it. The ideas fit me and Afton perfectly. I'm sure it isn't for everyone and every baby but it is really working for us.
She suggested that if rice cereal is constipating your baby, stick with the easiest foods to digest first, melons and fruit.
So I pureed a little watermelon and put it in a bottle and let her go to town. She loved it to say the least. I had let her suck on a big piece of watermelon before but this was great because she could do it herself more or less. After a few days of this her constipation was gone and she was going to the bathroom again regularly. Relief.

I have moved through most of the fruits now as Natalia also suggests. I plan on moving on to veggies in the next few weeks.
I also let her try an avocado tonight. She liked the first few bites and then decided she didn't want anymore. So maybe in a few more weeks I'll try that again.
What I love most about Natalia's views on starting babies on solid foods is that she doesn't stress me out.
It's all about seeing what your baby likes. Letting your baby decide how much to eat. Etc.
So far I love feeding Afton healthy fruits I make on my own.
I'm pretty proud that I haven't had to buy a single jar of baby food yet. I am sure once we move up to feeding her three times a day with solid food that might change but I am still going to try to do most of it on my own.
But for now Afton is enjoying:
Watermelon juice
Pureed Cantelope
Pureed Peaches
Pureed Pears
Applesauce

She has also tried Carrots and loves those.
I am really enjoying this non-stress way of feeding Afton. I feel like parenting should really be as little stress as possible and more trial and error and fun.
If it doesn't work try something different but don't stress!
I also love the baby-shake idea and will try that out soon...

Sitting up... or trying at least

Most of the time this is Afton's favorite position...sprawled.

Sometimes she will sit between my legs while I take a picture and try to steal the camera.

And sometimes she gets it right...and manages to sit by herself...

At least for a few seconds anyway.

Life in the fast lane

Afton's newest adventure has been the "walker." She LOVES it. We were able to borrow one from my aunt. I always hate to buy expensive baby items especially if Afton is going to use them once and decide she isn't a fan, like with the swing we borrow from my sister-in-law. But this item will definitely be one to invest in.
Of course Oliver is never far away when I get the camera out.

Afton loves to have her toys in front of her. Oh wait nevermind. I love to put them in front of her and she loves to throw them and then get mad when she runs out of toys to throw. Repeat that 10 times and that's my day. (Kidding. This only happens about 50% of the time she is in her walker.)

Her little feet just barely reach the ground. But she can walk herself around a little bit... on accident of course.

This is Love.

And this is a double chin my friends.

That's all.

I don't like it Mom...

So I started feeding Afton solids this week. She didn't mind the rice cereal on the first try. I don't think you can say she really really enjoyed it, but she at least had fun playing with the spoon after she was done.

The second time however was a totally different story. She HATED it. I couldn't help but laugh at all of her faces though.

And here is a video of her jabbering. She loves to talk. I always know she is happy when she is talking. Sadly I did not catch her growling on video but she also does a lot of that.

So I was supposed to post this a WHILE ago and it didn't get posted for some reason. Woops.

Birthday Weekend

I spent my birthday at the cabin, one of my favorite places to be. It ended up snowing, at the end of May. Yep. But it was wonderful. I loved having the cold a little longer this year... a little less of 100 degree weather is fine by me.
We did our usual snuggling on the couch and watching movies.

Especially Oliver. That dog KNOWS how to snuggle. Even more so when his paws are cold from the snow.

Ariana came with us too which ended up being great because she was able to entertain these two rascals...Brennan- who insisted on wearing this mask most of the weekend...

and Brady- who was a little camera shy at first.

But he eventually warmed up to the idea and let me snap a shot. These two are my step-sisters boys. They are both so cute and fit perfect in our family. I didn't get a picture of my step-mom Micki and her daughter Heather. Sadly...

In addition to the movie watching and couch snuggling we also braved the weather and went fishing. I think the fish were getting warm in their fish beds at the bottom of the lake, but Ariana and I learned how to fish from my manly husband, aka the expert fisherman. He should be on a much safer, more tame version of Deadliest Catch! Ha.

Afton and I kept each other warm...

and looked at the beautiful scenery during Ariana's lesson.

Oliver barked at the non-existent fish...

and pawed his way around the dock.

Ariana and I also took the Prowler for a spin but that didn't last due to the snow splattering in our face. Still fun though. Oh and Oliver joined us in the back much to his dismay. In his defense, he would much rather be warm than cold. Who can blame him?

Afton ended out the weekend by watching a Vince Gill concert on TV with my dad. Let's just say she sat mesmerized for half an hour. Not a peep. It was so cute. Apparently she loves Vince Gill, who knew?

All in all, a wonderful Birthday!

Family :-)

Chad's sister Jill and her family recently came to California to visit for a couple weeks. When this happens we usually spend as much time with them as we can because we don't see them too often due to the 700+ miles between us...

Dixie, Emily and Afton playing. The cousins liked each other as much as cousins that small do. They had fun staring at each other and stealing each others toys. Ok, Afton took Dixie's dog and chewed on it... That's my daughter!

They were pretty unsure of each other at first but eventually warmed up by the end of the visit.

We also took a little day trip to San Fran which was fun considering Chad and I hadn't been there in years. We mostly spent the day on the pier.
We ate bread bowls. Always yummy.

Afton was a trooper in her stroller all day. She always is so good on trips. As long as she has her duck and a few good chewing toys, she's

Afton and Daddy
We also watched the Sea Lions for a while. I swear, they are the laziest animals on the planet and somehow they still manage to be entertaining. Between the constant fighting for the best sunny spot and watching the huge ones lift their hundreds of pounds of fat onto the docks, it really turns into an entertaining show.

We also stopped and got an ice cream cone on the way home. McDonald's has pretty good soft serve for a dollar (really the only thing we ever eat there).
Plus I got to hug and kiss my baby girl which always makes my day better!

The main reason for Jill and Phil's visit was to see Katie graduate. We went to her graduation and ate at Sushi Garden after- of course, it's the best. Even if you don't like Sushi it's still has great alternatives. It even followed my diet pretty well! Super bonus.
Afton was passed from hand to hand during the ceremony. The one picture I managed to take at the graduation is Afton pulling someones hair. Typical.

We had a fun visit as usual. It's even more fun now that the cousins can get to know each other.

And here is a picture of my silly girl. She really is her father's child...

That's all I have to say.