birds of a feather

 

yesterday morning i was feeling a bit disheartened at the fact that we were unable to attend a gathering of local dj's at a spectacular outdoor event put on annually. our dear friends, the mother and father of the beloved twin girls, spin this venue each year and had invited us, c in tow, to spend an afternoon of sun and sounds with them. this weekend did not pan out for us and we had to regretfully decline the invitation and agreed to rendezvous for a play date at another time. waking feeling glum, my wee wren and i did our morning ritual of snuggling in bed before getting up to wander downstairs for breakfast. i picked up my phone and saw a message asking us to brunch with our lovely family down the road. i must revisit the topic of sister & brother-in-law & wee niece moving back to our small town and how much we cherish having them return to us! just a hop, skip, and perhaps a hula hoop away, it has been marvelous to be so reunited. so, with the invite in hand, i scampered upstairs to wake e and tell him about our requested attendance at brunch and, with a groggy nod from him, quickly RSVP'd. we had time before brunch to get little c fed and down for a nap, grab showers ourselves, and then rouse the snoozing boy and head out.

the sun was already gloriously hot when we arrived at 10:00 and we entered their cottage-cozy home and were greeted with smiling faces. quick hugs from little bits, the wee niece, we made our way to the backyard to find c's auntie j was preparing to release their newly acquired chickens for the first time. these little fuzzies had already seemed to double in size in perhaps a week and were ready to step out into their new yard. thankfully, j had requested i bring my camera this day, so i was able to capture the delight and wonder of little children and tiny hens! our sweet boy had never experienced chickens and took lead from his big cousin (with help and guidance from momma j), on how to feed them clovers and grass. c stared in amazement at the small birds, while little bits danced around happily at the sight of her newest little friends. i do believe we could have gladly stayed and let the children play with those little hens all day, were it not for hungry bellies. thanks to c's uncle a for whipping us up a delicious brunch, which we enjoyed outside in the shade of the giant willow tree. how good it felt to be there, surrounded by loved ones, enjoying a perfectly happy morning.

*might i add that our wee wren has begun crawling & pulling himself to stand all in the span of a few days!

when baby's away

playing a moment of catch up, finally. i have abandoned my blogging as of late to take advantage of our fleeting sunshine, our growing boy, and our family relocating back to our little coastal town. but now, i think i must revisit my blog and update.

the weekend before the one just passed, my parents requested our little c to come and stay not one but *two!* nights with them. being that teething has had us in a bit of a cranky spell, i gladly accepted such a request and packed (over packed possibly..) him up for his two night/three day getaway. my mother, also the 'always be prepared' type, had not only invested in some cups, bowls, spoons, and bottles to keep at her house, but also added diapers (i don't think she or my father are interested in attempting the new-age of cloth), formula, and other baby foods to their *grandson pantry*. my dad, who is more the 'everything good takes time' type, finally completed renovations on both of their spare rooms, formerly my brother's room and mine, and rearranged a nice spot for my old/c's borrowed crib in the room that once belonged to me. now free of a four poster canopy bed, pepto-bismo pink carpet, gilded hummingbirds, and lilac curtains, this room is a sweet place for his slumber party away from home.

while our wee wren was off having unimaginable fun ad *no!* tantrums, e and i decided to stop our weekend chores and brave the out-of-doors while the rain had let up. packing up the pooches sunday morning, we set off for a hike in the woods. the dogs needed a good workout, and our belt loops were no longer hiding our need for one, either. the woods were so green and deep in the overcast light that i was thankful to have snagged my camera this time. how unfortunate that i forget to bring it so often these days, though i think it's my lamenting the fact that it is on it's last leg and i am trying to preserve it's last days of life. today, after a few misfires and black photos, it perked right up and captured the beauty that encompassed us as we wandered beneath the trees. stumbling along behind, as always, i wished i had emptied my memory card ahead of time as i was nearly out of space and had to be selective of what i wanted to shoot. puffing on a cigar and ambling at a slow pace, i watched as e and our canines moseyed their way along the path, checking out each sight and smell.

by the end of our hike the sun began to sneak out of the cloud cover, so we made our way through the graveyard at the head of the trail so the dogs could get a little running in. isa, the shorter and clumsier of the two, put on a show as she bounced along as if on springs. four years old and still no sign of growing up, yet. uzi, nine years young, had no problem prancing along with the grace and ease of a much younger man. we stopped at the end of the graveyard, the edge of the clearing by the woods, and finished off our cigar before heading back to the jeep. once home, bath time commenced for the dogs to prevent them from itching and breaking out from their skin allergies. not big fans of water or baths, they took it in stride and were happy to be toweled off when we were through.

having a baby, we sometimes have to put the dogs on the back burner and are thankful that they take it in stride and with great patience. it's nice to have days like this when we can treat them to a little adventure all of their own. naturally we would take family trips if we had a gate to secure them in the back of our jeep, but since we don't, and since their riding manners are not up-to-par for riding with a little one in tow, we have to pick and choose our battles. we are just glad they forgive us for not always being able to include them, for we will always make it up to them.

green things we sow, green things we grow

today i did a bit of investigating into the vegetable seeds my little babe and i planted not so long ago, hoping for a sign of progress. i was not disappointed in the sprouts that have exploded through the soil! reaching for the light and lending green to their pots, out seeds are springing forth and promising eatables and edibles for our plates once harvest time is here.

among the green things we are growing, i am doing a small part for the greener good of our lovely planet, too. strange as i sound, nothing makes me happier than a laundry basket topped with cloth diapers and covers. today, with the morning sun, i finally got to hang my cloth to bleach in the bright rays. i often get confused looks or joking comments about our use of cloth diapers at home, but the truth must come out that i find it simpler to do cloth than i do disposable. we still keep our disposable supply for night time dryness and going out of the house, but at home i am happy to fold a prefold, secure it on little c with a snappi, and strap on a kissaluvs marvel or bummis super brite cover. when the day is through, depending on how many soiled diapers i have hanging in my wet bag, i fill the washer with cold water, add some biokleen and borax, shake the poo into the toilet (easier with the consumption of solid foods), toss the diapers, sans covers, in, and soak overnight. in the morning i run a rinse cycle, turn the dial to hot/cold wash with two rinse cycles, add a little more borax and tide free & gentle (same ingredients as our beloved dreft but $5 cheaper!), toss in the covers and wet bags, and off they go. hang them dry, fluff them in the dryer, bleach them in the sun and they are good for use. no need for a wet pail (gross?!), or expensive or fancy cleaners. i plan to invest in a sprayer to attach to the toilet for more efficient cleaning before soaking, but my diapers are clean, fresh, and *mostly* stain free. what stains i have encountered have disappeared in the sunshine. a little vinegar in the rinse cycle has prevented any smells (precautionary measure, but i want to avoid the possibility) and i have also heard lemon juice can do the same but have not tried it. all in all, i love my cloth and my little one in a colorful diaper cover looks cute to boot!

inviting teeth to tea

pictured above, my mom has been loving being 'grammy,' and now requests she have her grandson for a sleepover once a month since the last one went so well. i see no reason to object!

in five days, i am only now realizing, our wee wren turns seven months old. yesterday we saw the signs of his third tooth poking out of his top front gums. though i have known of his teething for a few weeks, i had yet to see any real signs until e pointed out the small white pearl while little c was laughing hysterically at being tickled. there it was, just peeking out at us. being early at everything (save for being born) has been our wee bean's forte, but this does not ease a mother's nerves as she watches her babe grow too-fast before her eyes!

the tooth is only the beginning of new things, the list is growing with each day. not only are teeth on the table, but pushing himself to sitting while on his tummy, as well as 'hopping' along on all fours. not quite up to speed on crawling, he sort of jumps his little legs forward while on hands and knees, but has yet to get his hands to move forward in rhythm. and, at lease for me, the biggest hurtle has been conquered for over a week: sleeping through the night! after many weeks of waking two and three times a night, crying, tantrums, and asking to be fed, my darling e and i were desperate for a solution. unsure of what to do, my exhausted brain was begging for the relief of sleep. finally, one evening, e came home from work and marched straight to me exclaiming 'i know what to do!' his solution? A LATER BEDTIME. why on earth had we not considered this before? we have been putting c to bed at 7:00 p.m. on the dot for months without much thought as to whether he was truly tired enough by that point. his waking again at 11:00 p.m. most nights should have been our first clue. so that night we pushed our little one's bedtime back to 9:00 p.m. and though keeping him awake so late was a bit tough that first time, he slept soundly through the night until 6:30 a.m. the following night we did the same, only lessening the time by half an hour. at 8:30 p.m. we put him to bed and only woke to hear his stirring and fussing at 4:30 a.m. but instead of rising to get him, i waited and listened. after 15 minutes he fell soundly to sleep and did not rise until 8:30 a.m. and so this has continued, allowing me some much deserved rest.

lastly, but not the least of things, is that he now says 'mumma' very clearly and is working on other words and sounds much more lately. the babble is starting to really come out and i find myself amazed and in awe of the things i hear coming from my wee one's lips. will not be long before i hear his first sentences!

green thumbs

as things have progressed with the interior of our house, my goal this year was to make changes on the exterior as well. with sunny days leading the way, i have set out to accomplish some yard work, baby in tow. strapping little c in the moby wrap on my back, i grabbed gloves, shovels, rakes, soil, seeds, plants, and my watering can and got to work.

a few weeks ago i dug flower beds along the entire front of our home. equipped with my spade, i turned over each patch of grass and shook the dirt from the roots before piling the grassy clumps to be transplanted in the backyard. after the beds were turned up and raked out, i planted my various wild flowers, phlox, dianthus, geranium, zinnia, aster, sweet william, marigold, cosmos, and transplanted a section of our peony which has been rooted at the base of our large spruce tree for much longer than i have lived here, for sure.

after the front beds had been completed and successfully growing for a few weeks, i decided i felt confident enough in my green thumb to tackle the backyard. again, strapping my string bean to my back, i dug the large bare patch that never grows grass next to our porch and adorned it with iris and tiger lily and some bluebells from my mother's own gardens. i then dug out the corner by our porch steps, which was full of clay and rock, and lovingly planted a wild rose and a few miscellaneous purple and pink carpet flowers. skirting the edge of the corner bed with small stones i uncovered while digging, i stepped back to admire my work. little c soon grew tired and required a nap, so i put him to bed, snatched up the baby monitor, and headed back outside determined to complete far more.

grabbing up the large pots that have been lying dormant in the garage, and the overlarge bag of potting soil, which required all of my efforts to carry to the back porch, i set to the task of planting a pot with some early girl tomatoes which my mother had an abundance of and passed on to me. never having planted them myself, i took a few tips from her as i put the four tomato plants in the designated pot. covering them with soil and fertilizer, i moved to my next pot. i decided this should be my herb pot as i had a few misfit plants in need of permanent housing. with the large (and rather ragged looking) lemon balm my neighbor sweetly left on my doorstep, some basil i had originally sprouted in a wet paper towel, and some sad little dill which had not fared as well as the basil, along with a mystery herb i suspect to be coriander, i created a clay pot of herbal lovelies and placed in next to our front step in the small white rocking chair that will someday be caleb's to play in. not to stop there, i sowed seeds into my other large pot in which a blend of salad edibles will grow. radish, chive, lettuce, and cucumber will hopefully be peaking out of the soil very soon and growing into tasty treats for our summer salads.

once all were planted, i filled my watering can to the brim and watered all of my fresh plantings well. since my babe was taking an extra long nap, i even made to hose down the driveway of all the debris and fir needles that had never been swept away this spring. with a clean driveway, newly planted flowers and eatables ready for summer weather, i am feeling even more inspired and hope to pick up a few more plants for growing. even better yet are the plans for landscaping our backyard this year. e bought a trimmer and edger to clear cut the weeds and overgrowth that's always been a hassle so that we may take back our yard and sculpt it into something amazing. the potential has always been there, but now we are motivated and able to get to it! i was raised to, and as a result am a firm believer in, appreciate and care for what you have. preservation of beloved things is something i do well (make a note of the 18-year-old four poster bed and dresser set that was a gift for my 8th birthday..) and i so look forward to tending what we have here. it may not be grandiose, but that says nothing for what it is or can be with our TLC.

competing with thunder

 today began with sunshine and birds, but quickly changed it's outfit to sport downpours and thunderstorms. so, while my wee wren tried to figure out what all of the racket was about, i decided to let him make a little of his own. how did we accomplish this? good ol' fashioned pots n' pans drumset! pulling out an assortment of our old pots and pans, strainers, sifters, and wooden utensils (all of which we have many varieties), i placed them on the floor of the living room in a half circle and plunked c down in the middle of it. after handing him the spoons, he was off mastering his drum solo with great flair. now, here we sit an hour later, and my mini-drummer is still banging away happily on his makeshift drumset. what a rocking way to spend our rainy afternoon!

a rash of trouble

with our little string bean eating solid foods now (string beans included), we've found that the transition has been... less than simple. for about four days we found c was quite..backed up. adding a little more to his misery is that the introduction of food also caused him some diaper rash, which we very, very rarely encounter. over the week it continued to get progressively worse until his poor bum was so red and raw that he cried in discomfort. fear not, momma to the rescue! i hopped online and began researching the better acclaimed home remedies for treating diaper rash, and after ruling out many, i narrowed it down to a few things to try:

first i began airing out the area. now, with a six month little boy who no longer lies stationary (two days ago he began rocking up onto his hands and knees in an attempt to crawl!), i at first laid a few cloth diapers on the floor and let him hang out on them, but after getting on his hands and knees and rolling around on his back a few times while playing, i knew this was a recipe for disaster. so, i strapped on a cloth diaper with a snappi and left the cover off so air could continue to flow through it.
later i steeped a bath with a few bags of chamomile tea and a cloth full of oatmeal to create a soothing soak for his poor tush. after letting him play and sit in the warm bath for a while (about twenty minutes), i took him out and let his bottom air dry again and then applied our favorite remedy, passed down from my parents, bag balm. bag balm is a lanolin based ointment and does wonders for chapped, raw, dry skin. i repeated my cloth diaper sans cover routine, snapped the ends of his long sleeve onesie around his middle to keep the ends dry,  put on his legwarmers to keep his wee legs warm, and let him play on the floor some more. when he was wet or soiled, i discarded our usual wipes and patted him down with a warm wet cloth and let air dry each time before reapplying a small amount of the bag balm. at nap times, i simply put on a diaper cover.

the rash seemed a bit better by the day's end, and thanks to e picking us up some sea salt, i made our wee wren a second bath with the salts as praised by our favorite mother of twins. again i let him soak in the bath for as long as he would happily stay in and air dried his bum before bed and applied more ointment before bed. when he awoke in the night, i changed his diaper and noticed an improvement already. so this morning i will repeat yesterday's remedies and hope to see a vast improvement by tomorrow. here's hoping for a rash free buttocks soon!