tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51014042024-03-23T11:27:55.062-07:00Olive SproutsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger590125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101404.post-35371378205517020212019-01-31T13:26:00.000-08:002019-01-31T13:26:39.345-08:00Mama’s Dream Vehicle(Nissan, if you’re reading this, please DO send me a complimentary Nissan NV - I promise to love and cherish it and talk incessantly about it’s awesomeness.)<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101404.post-63316782315676753262018-01-05T12:31:00.001-08:002018-01-05T12:31:22.044-08:0010 Ways to Happy Up a Houseful of LittlesSometimes you just are all having a rough day. Maybe people aren't feeling well, maybe mama has a headache, maybe it's just a grey drizzly day and little bodies can't go work off energy outside.<br />
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Generally I can't think of anything when we're all in the middle of the crankies, so here is a list for me (and you, if it's helpful!) of things to try to shake the sads and bring back the smiles for mama and her small fry.<br />
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1. Bubble bath! Break out the rubber duckies and enoy the soothing warm water. Take some plastic containers for pouring and floating. (Bonus: if your kids really enjoy the water, you can recharge it several times to keep it warm and supervise with a cup of tea and a book!)<br />
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2. Snacktime! A little something for the tummy usually cheers everyone up. It's even better if it's something special - not that special has to be hard! My kids were delighted when I pulled out a can of mixed fruit leftover from a trip and announced we were having "special fruit!" with lunch for Valentine's Day.<br />
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3. Music! Preferably silly and a little bit loud. If you're totally lost, start <a href="https://open.spotify.com/user/gnatgirl/playlist/1rQHqxggfV3Lrm2MKCrqOl" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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4. Art! It can feel very overwhelming to prep and supervise and clean up a big project...but some plain white paper and watercolors are fairly low mess and low prep. And sometimes setting that up at the kitchen table means you can prep veggies, wash a few dishes, or sit and sip some tea while the artists work. Add some music and pat yourself on the back for creating such an enriching environment.<br />
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5. If you're not sick and are up to a drive, head out and take advantage of your library children's area.<br />
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6. Or read a book together at home, snuggled up with a quilt if possible. Our current favorites are Fritz and the Beautiful Horses, Julia's Home for Lost Creatures, and any and all Jan Brett books from the library.<br />
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7. Engage them in a task you normally do alone. For example, I usually whipped laundry through by myself when all my kids were small (now my 9yo starts the washer half the time!), but they LOVED being asked to push the laundry basket from the washer to the dryer and put the laundry in the dryer. They especially loved being lifted up to turn it on! :) They also enjoyed helping out with dishes, while standing in our helping tower, although to be honest that was not always a smooth process. On the plus side, the floor probably needed mopped anyway, right?<br />
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8. Make a blanket fort! A flat sheet, a few pillows and stuffed animals inside, and a book make for a cozy reading or playing nook. (Expect to have to put it back up multiple times, though!)<br />
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9. Go outside! Even if it's chilly, if you can handle bundling up and running outside for a few minutes, the fresh air can really boost everyone's moods. Maybe send everyone in the backyard to find a leaf, a rock, or a flower, depending on the season.<br />
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10. When all else fails? Turn on a calming, cozy show and curl up together. "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" on Amazon Prime or "The Gruffalo" on Netflix are both lovely winter choices! Popcorn and hot tea for mama is an extra fun way to jazz up an afternoon movie time too.<br />
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Enjoy! And have a great day today!<br />
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What are your go to ways to brighten up a blah day?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101404.post-46417525470711251652016-09-09T18:58:00.001-07:002016-09-09T18:58:30.514-07:00Soaked Granola<p dir="ltr">This is my simplified version of a recipe from my friend Mary. She had posted it on Facebook and I wanted to have it somewhere I could bookmark it more easily. Plus, I thought some of y'all might be interested as well! </p>
<p dir="ltr">12 cups old fashioned rolled oats (organic, certified gluten-free oats if you have sensitivities) (Or, all of one of the large canisters!)<br>
3/4 cup butter (all coconut oil if dairy sensitive)<br>
1 1/4 cup coconut oil<br>
1 cup maple syrup<br>
3/4 cup raw honey<br>
1 1/2 cups water<br>
1/3 cup Braggs apple cider vinegar<br>
1/3 cup plain unsweetened yogurt (omit if dairy sensitive and use more lemon juice)<br>
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice </p>
<p dir="ltr">Place oats in a large stainless steel or glass mixing bowl. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Melt the butter and coconut oil and stir in all of the other wet ingredients. Whisk together well and dump over the oats. Stir until the oats are completely coated and "soggy". Cover and leave at room temperature for 24 hours. </p>
<p dir="ltr">What works best for me is to start it one night before bedtime, then put it in the oven the next night. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The next day your soggy oat mixture will smell and taste slightly sour. This is normal and part of the fermentation process that breaks the grain down, allowing it to be more easily digested. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Spread on baking sheets or in glass pans and bake at 170 degrees for 3 or 4 hours. Mix once or twice during that time. Turn it up to 350 for 30 minutes, then stir, turn the oven off, and leave it in the oven overnight. It is perfect and ready to eat the next morning!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Optionally, add raisins or other dried fruit after it cools. </p>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101404.post-8097688701056853352015-11-11T12:59:00.001-08:002015-11-11T12:59:02.859-08:00Enormous "Feed an Army" Pot of Cream of Veggie SoupDue to some mold issues in our rental home, causing a move, I'm having to toss a number of personal items. One of them is a handwritten recipe book I've had for a number of years. I've decided to take the opportunity to post the recipes for my own use and to share. :)<br />
<br />Excellent for large quantities of garden veggies!<br /><br />20c cream<br />
10c veggie puree<br />
2 1/2 sticks butter<br />
1 1/8 C flour<br />
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Fry onions in butter, don't brown. Add celery (optional). Add water (not much!), cook veggies. Put through blender or food processor. Add flour to veggies in food processor or blender. Put in pan, gradually add cream, salt, pepper, cayenne, etc to taste. Warm very slowly.<br />
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1/4 batch:<br />
5 c cream<br />
3 1/3 c veg puree<br />
5 T butter<br />
4 1/2 T flour<br />
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<a href="http://s1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/?action=view&current=nataliessignature.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/nataliessignature.jpg" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101404.post-54274618084317565342015-11-11T12:52:00.003-08:002015-11-11T12:52:50.664-08:00The Best Buttercream Frosting in the Whole WorldDue to some mold issues in our rental home, causing a move, I'm having to toss a number of personal items. One of them is a handwritten recipe book I've had for a number of years. I've decided to take the opportunity to post the recipes for my own use and to share. :)<br /><br />The Best Buttercream Frosting in the Whole World1 lb powdered sugar<br />
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1/2 lb butter<br />
2 T milk<br />
1 T vanilla<br />
1/8 tsp salt<br />
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This must go on every birthday cake ever! It's THE BEST. :)<br />
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<a href="http://s1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/?action=view&current=nataliessignature.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/nataliessignature.jpg" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101404.post-56336269608539465672015-11-11T12:50:00.003-08:002015-11-11T12:50:44.352-08:00Great Grandmother May's Date BarsDue to some mold issues in our rental home, causing a move, I'm having to toss a number of personal items. One of them is a handwritten recipe book I've had for a number of years. I've decided to take the opportunity to post the recipes for my own use and to share. :)<br /><br />I have never made this one, but it's family history! I'd love to try it with some Date Lady date sugar to make it all the way healthy!<br /><br />Great Grandmother May's Date Bars<br />
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Sift 1 cup sugar<br />
Beat 3 eggs until light<br />
Add sugar gradually, blend till very light. Add about 2 cups chopped dates, 1 cup broken nut meats.<br />Sift 1 scant cup bread flour<br />
resift with 1 tsp baking powder 1/8tsp salt<br />
Add sifted ingredients to egg/sugar mix with 1 tsp vanilla. Beat butter till well blended. Pour into 9x13 pan lined with buttered paper or grease and flour.<br />
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Bake at 325' for about 25 minutes. When cool, cut and roll them in powdered sugar.<br />
<a href="http://s1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/?action=view&current=nataliessignature.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/nataliessignature.jpg" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101404.post-75789591578787029672015-11-11T12:42:00.002-08:002015-11-11T12:42:48.307-08:00Mom's Oatmeal Breakfast BarsDue to some mold issues in our rental home, causing a move, I'm having to toss a number of personal items. One of them is a handwritten recipe book I've had for a number of years. I've decided to take the opportunity to post the recipes for my own use and to share. :)<br /><br />Mom's Oatmeal Breakfast Bars<br />
350'<br />
30min<br />
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2 eggs<br />
1 1/2 c milk<br />
1 c honey<br />
1 stick butter<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp soda<br />
2tsp cinnamon<br />
2 c oats<br />
2 c flour<br />
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Nuts, raisins, etc can be added in or sprinkled on top before baking. This is a wonderful moist and crumbly breakfast bread.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://s1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/?action=view&current=nataliessignature.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/nataliessignature.jpg" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101404.post-10072973298958799432015-03-27T07:38:00.004-07:002018-04-05T16:14:09.811-07:00Bob Books Review<br />
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/j2BBkwyOQc/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">Nathan only has one more book in Collection 1! :) We told him when he read them all we'd take him to the bookstore and let him pick a book out! But I think he'd still be excited anyway. :) The books are short enough that he can easily read one at a sitting and get that feeling of accomplishment, which I love! And, I'm looking forward to trying out the Kindle version and Set 4 mini books that the good folks at Bob Books were nice enough to give us! :)</a></div>
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(@olivesprouts) on <time datetime="2014-01-31T18:53:45+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jan 31, 2014</time></div>
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The sweet folks at Bob Books sent us both a Kindle set and a box of readers to try out after I mentioned how much we loved the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439845009/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=olivesprouts-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0439845009&linkId=0334e5334e55a29e54f2888d5731fa54" target="_blank">Bob Books Set 1</a> that Nathan's Aunt Abi gave him Christmas before last! We have dabbled in a variety of phonics programs with Nathan since he was about 3, and Bob Books have definitely worked the best for him!<br />
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I loved having the Kindle set on the tablet, but I will say that we often accidentally turned pages pointing to the words. On the other hand, none of the little readers went missing from that set. ;) If you're frequently on the go that may be a great option for you, otherwise I think I prefer having the hard copies.<br />
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He already knew his letter sounds, so when we tried <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0671631985/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=olivesprouts-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0671631985&linkId=45621a6b72c2f8fb7a95e74a4a96a624" target="_blank">Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons</a> with him, it only lead to frustration since he had learned different vowel sounds than the ones they started with. Blending has always come very easily to him, so simple two and three letter words were not a problem, but he needed practice. I had the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FKWM32A/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=olivesprouts-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01FKWM32A&linkId=032841cf7a006f6ebb645a3ffb486223" target="_blank">Veritas Press readers</a> on hand, but the length and complexity of the story meant that he had to read it in pieces, and have it all explained to him. The length of the Bob Books were better suited to a wiggly boy just beginning! We still started out doing half a book at a time, or less if he was getting burned out for the day, but were able to make it through whole books after a few sets.<br />
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We chose to incentivize his reading - one sticker per book, and every time he read a set? A bookstore trip where he chose a new book for himself! This definitely sweetened the deal for him. And made for some fun family outings!<br />
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Nathan is now 6 1/2, and we're done with set 5 (long vowels). He's been able to do some of the Veritas readers easily and now that he's faster, <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">the stor</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">y makes more sense to him. He has also read several beginning readers we picked up on our last bookstore trip - this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Reptiles-Crocodiles-Lizards-Turtles/dp/0553507753/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1427465511&sr=1-2" target="_blank">Wild Kratt's book on reptiles</a> was a big hit especially!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I really wanted Nathan's beginning reading experience to be enjoyable. Granted, not every time we sit down to practice is it going to be met with squeals of glee, but if we're both pulling our hair out, what is really getting taught? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I want my kids to LOVE reading and books!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 15.3599996566772px;">I figure if I'm dragging unhappy children through schoolwork then all we're really learning is that learning isn't enjoyable. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2f8dZvScHGcnc7xEbpdB4eXnfdLAN0saOlM_RjH5XMJkOlgfVYDvj0wmZGcaL2-YlEucmmTUnsi7EcoRtDsu07gkIl29WmRHgT4hjuxNAytR7-eUcoyOCFTH4XIp0UkSSkre/s1600/I+figure+if+I%2527m+dragging+everyone+through+things+then+all+we%2527re+really+learning+is+that+learning+isn%2527t+enjoyable..png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw2f8dZvScHGcnc7xEbpdB4eXnfdLAN0saOlM_RjH5XMJkOlgfVYDvj0wmZGcaL2-YlEucmmTUnsi7EcoRtDsu07gkIl29WmRHgT4hjuxNAytR7-eUcoyOCFTH4XIp0UkSSkre/s320/I+figure+if+I%2527m+dragging+everyone+through+things+then+all+we%2527re+really+learning+is+that+learning+isn%2527t+enjoyable..png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 15.3599996566772px;">Not that there aren't times when we need to buckle down, but </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 15.3599996566772px;">especially in the early grades I want them to love learning and I want to enjoy it with them!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now that Nathan is reading pretty well, and just needs to keep practicing, I am going to start working with Miriam more. She has a completely different learning style that I haven't figured out yet, so our path to reading will probably look completely different! I may try 100 Easy Lessons, and then Bob Books with her. We'll see! :)</span><br />
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@olivesprouts on <time datetime="2015-03-18T23:03:53+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Mar 18, 2015 at 4:03pm</time></div>
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We're going to keep doing readers and rewarding "sets" with bookstore trips for a while, until it becomes too expensive due to the pace picking up because it's so much easier for him. Reading is it's own reward...but one good book deserves another, right? ;)<br />
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/jMmYPrSOYa/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">Reading Bob book 10!</a></div>
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A video posted by Natalie (@olivesprouts) on <time datetime="2014-01-15T16:52:04+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jan 15, 2014 at 8:52am PST</time></div>
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This warm tea I'm sipping is good and comforting, like a solid hug from an aunt or Oma. It would be a good day to brew up a big pot of the lovely Teavana Earl Grey loose leaf tea I have on hand, but I'm cutting my caffeine intake down or completely out at the moment, so I'm trying to resist. I've switched to herbal teas, like chamomile and peppermint. They go well with the honey I changed to last January. I prefer maple syrup in the black teas, it really adds something wonderful to a cup of Lady Grey tea with some milk.<br />
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Getting rid of caffeine and sugar wasn't motivated by any lofty desire to be a better person, at least not in the sense that I'm depriving myself to improve my character. I will be seeing a wonderful local doctor tomorrow to hear what the results were from a saliva test that measured hormone levels throughout my day, and I'm expecting to hear that she thinks I have adrenal fatigue. If I do, sugar and caffeine will be <i>verboten</i>, so I'm trying to get a head start figuring it can't hurt. While I'm not thrilled about the hard work it will likely take to try to get everything back to where it should be, I am weirdly excited to hopefully have an actual reason for why I wake up like a zombie and am yawning by noon. (A reason besides having four children six and under, which has been what I have been blaming.)<br />
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Speaking of the kids, they're doing great. I'll end with some photo spam...<br />
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/u5roWeSOd4/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">This hand me down trike is filling Levi with joy. But it's freezing outside, so we brought it inside for the morning.</a></div>
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A photo posted by Natalie (@olivesprouts) on <time datetime="2014-11-02T14:49:07+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 11, 2014 at 6:49am PST</time></div>
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/u4Uf80yOV3/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">Balloon train.</a></div>
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A photo posted by Natalie (@olivesprouts) on <time datetime="2014-11-02T02:07:45+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Nov 11, 2014 at 7:07pm PDT</time></div>
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/u2DDBOSOV1/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">Crazy crew.</a></div>
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A photo posted by Natalie (@olivesprouts) on <time datetime="2014-11-01T04:56:46+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Oct 10, 2014 at 9:56pm PDT</time></div>
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/t8p8iLyOQq/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">Ready for an "I Spy" nature walk!</a></div>
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A photo posted by Natalie (@olivesprouts) on <time datetime="2014-10-09T22:00:43+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Oct 10, 2014 at 3:00pm PDT</time></div>
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/tBWJXiyOXT/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">Art class - outside because the weather was so beautiful!</a></div>
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A photo posted by Natalie (@olivesprouts) on <time datetime="2014-09-16T21:12:31+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Sep 9, 2014 at 2:12pm PDT</time></div>
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Gonna go have a second cup of tea and unload the dishwasher now. Maybe I'll blog again before months have passed, maybe not. Nice to pop in though. <br />
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<a href="http://s1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/?action=view&current=nataliessignature.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/nataliessignature.jpg" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101404.post-92104243709473310322014-09-05T07:57:00.000-07:002014-09-05T07:57:00.134-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://canva.com/">Canva.com</a> is such a fun resource for creating graphics! :) Here is some recent work...<br />
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<a href="http://s1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/?action=view&current=nataliessignature.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/nataliessignature.jpg" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101404.post-6778752671374142222014-09-02T21:24:00.000-07:002014-09-12T14:55:52.688-07:00Tongue TieI realize I've been a terrible blogger lately. The thing is, it isn't from lack of writing. It is just emails, and facebook comments instead. I've been thinking lately that especially on things that I repeat myself on often, it might be nice to store things that I can grab easily and edit, so I'm not having to come up with them from scratch every time. So here's a recent email reply I sent, to a mom with a small baby having a lot of issues who found my email address on a comment somewhere and sent me some questions. Maybe it will be helpful to someone else. :)<br />
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Hi L----!
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I'm glad that you found my email address! :) This is something I'm super passionate about and I'm happy to help you in any way I can.
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A laser revision only takes a few minutes for the actual procedure, but you do have to do mild stretch/massage on the site for a few weeks which can be painful. Different providers have differing protocol, our provider wanted stretching every 4 hours for two weeks. It was definitely the hardest part of the whole thing. We did give her two doses of pain meds, but I was reluctant to give her more when she was seeming to be fine except for stretching. She seemed very uncomfortable for a few days, then it decreased. Probably after the first week, she was only in pain seemingly during the stretches. I would say, don't plan on doing much besides baby holding, nursing, etc for at least the first week if possible. Frozen pizzas and a sling are your friends!
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Our provider had us push firmly up on the tongue for a count of three, and the same on the lip. We did it pretty faithfully, not wanting reattachment, but it's my understanding (and you should know this, before you decide how to approach it) that this is such a new thing that we don't really have a lot of information about how effective stretching is in preventing reattachment. The theory seems sound - break up beginning attachment by reopening the area - but we cannot say definitively that it is effective, especially since many people DO struggle with reattachment issues who have tried to do the stretches.
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I do not have any regrets except not doing it sooner, and not pursuing bodywork, like cranial sacral therapy, before and after revision. It can really, really help release tension and help the revision be the most effective. As it was, she had slow but steady improvement, and now is a happy 15mo who is very good at nursing! :) But honestly, the more I read about long term health impact of tongue tie, the more I feel like if it's causing ANY issues in infancy, it's really going to be better to try to head off any other issues it may cause down the road. The tie impacts so much more than just breastfeeding! <br />
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<a href="http://www.drghaheri.com/blog/2014/3/22/rethinking-tongue-tie-anatomy-anterior-vs-posterior-is-irrelevant" target="_blank">This post</a> by Dr. Ghaheri, one of the leading tongue tie specialists, is very helpful, I think, in understanding function.<br />
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If you join the "<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/tonguetiebabies" target="_blank">Tongue Tie Babies Support Group</a>" on Facebook, they have a list of providers that people have had good experiences with, as well as helpful files, and you can post there to get more experiences and support. You can also see <a href="http://ttbsg.weebly.com/provider-list.html" target="_blank">the files here</a>. There are also a lot of smaller local groups that may be helpful to you as well in finding local options for chiropractic or cranial sacral therapies. I also have <a href="http://www.olivesprouts.com/2014/07/tongue-tie-links-and-miscellaneous.html" target="_blank">this blogpost </a>you might find helpful.<br />
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Please let me know if I can help you any further - best wishes!<br />
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<i>And my reply to her second email, with more questions...</i><br /><br />
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Hi L-----!</div>
Well, it's been a year [since revision], so my memory is a bit foggy, but here are my best guesses. <br /><br />Yes,
we started stretches 6 hours after the revision, I believe. We lifted
and held for a few (3?) seconds, then released. I rubbed a few times,
since I had read some people recommend that. My provider did not tell me
to, that I can remember. <br /></div>
I gave pain meds that first night, and I think the next afternoon. I didn't use any type of topical gels.<br /></div>
I
can understand that! But honestly, if you're having issues, I really
feel like the sooner the better. It will be a rough few weeks, possibly,
but getting it over with will likely be worth it. I would just say,
make a plan and <a href="http://drghaheri.squarespace.com/blog/2014/3/13/it-takes-a-team-to-improve-breastfeeding-after-a-tongue-tie-procedure">have a team</a>.
Figure out where you can get cranial sacral or cranial facial therapy -
the ideal is within 72 hours pre and post revision. (We didn't have an
IBCLC who knew about ties, or any bodywork...I'm just talking about the
ideal now!)<br /></div>
</div>
My daughter Ruby could not latch
initially - despite being my fourth baby, so I had plenty of experience!
And when she did figure it out and latch, it was a very shallow, weak
latch, where she basically was just drinking my let down, not able to
create good suction. Due to not having that suction, her seal was really
poor, and she was swallowing a lot of air. That led of course to
painful gas, needing burped often during feedings, very very long
feedings, etc. Her weight gain was fantastic, but I was pumping
initially, in the NICU, and then I was also tandem nursing once we got
home. At about three months, we figured out the issue. I think it was
right at four months that we had the revision.<br /></div>
After
revision, we saw slow but steady improvement. She was able to hold a
pacifier in a few weeks later. She was able to take a bottle a few
months later. I could breastfeed her while walking around without having
her loose her latch! It was amazing. <br /></div>
I hope some of this is helpful to you. <br /></div>
Best wishes, and I'd love to keep in touch and find out how things go for you either way.</div>
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<a href="http://s1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/?action=view&current=nataliessignature.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/nataliessignature.jpg" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101404.post-19430158090508837072014-07-16T08:43:00.000-07:002014-07-16T12:37:08.155-07:00Tongue Tie Links and MiscellaneousThe best way to remember everything you wanted to include in your printed hand out...is to look over one of the 20 that you've already picked up from FedEx. Oops! I'm going to be briefly discussing tongue tie at a support group tonight, and I have some great info to hand out, but here is what I wanted to add... <br />
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First though, if you weren't there, check out these <a href="http://www.tongue-tie-education.com/fast-facts.html" target="_blank">Fast Facts</a> for some starter info.<br />
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I mentioned Dr. Kotlow, a leading expert in the tongue tie field, and there are several articles from him mentioned in the hand out, his <a href="http://kiddsteeth.com/" target="_blank">website</a> has a lot of good information as well.<br />
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Another tongue tie specialist, Dr. Bobby Ghaheri, has a lot of very helpful posts on his <a href="http://www.drghaheri.com/blog/" target="_blank">blog</a>, including <a href="http://www.drghaheri.com/blog/2014/5/11/the-evidence-supports-treating-tongue-tie-for-breastfeeding-problems" target="_blank">The Evidence Supports Treating Tongue Tie for Breastfeeding Problems</a>, <a href="http://www.drghaheri.com/blog/2014/3/22/rethinking-tongue-tie-anatomy-anterior-vs-posterior-is-irrelevant" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1405537364208_722">Rethinking Tongue Tie Anatomy: Anterior vs Posterior Is Irrelevant</a> and <a href="http://www.drghaheri.com/blog/2014/3/1/how-tongue-tie-affects-breastfeeding-mechanics" id="yui_3_17_2_1_1405537510790_521">How Tongue-Tie Affects Breastfeeding Mechanics.</a><br />
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You can connect with Advocates for Tongue Tie Education in a few different places: our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/advocatesfortonguetieeducation" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>, our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/advocates.for.tongue.tie.education" target="_blank">Facebook group</a>, our <a href="https://twitter.com/AdvocatesforTTE" target="_blank">Twitter</a> account, and on <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/tonguelip" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>. <br />
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I also have a tongue and lip tie related Pinterest board.
<a a="" data-pin-board-width="400" data-pin-do="embedBoard" data-pin-scale-height="320" data-pin-scale-width="80" href="http://www.pinterest.com/olivesprouts/tongue-lip-tie-resources/"></a>
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And this YouTube playlist:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLO9CxUd1PCh9YTNoOcPMS-qmxIPuMZiKa" width="560"></iframe>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyZFPIoS4hIfnMNhFqG-FuU79CMjwATu8DlWqXn0iLXE2mYpZOoAj7mfqhztZWJhoSGjWeMmKJcSlU6uNldw_fDgaCuJ6WB7QXB_dnEDluULSnuaSXHKHSp77MXre2h4tgA-X/s1600/don'tleavemetonguetied.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeyZFPIoS4hIfnMNhFqG-FuU79CMjwATu8DlWqXn0iLXE2mYpZOoAj7mfqhztZWJhoSGjWeMmKJcSlU6uNldw_fDgaCuJ6WB7QXB_dnEDluULSnuaSXHKHSp77MXre2h4tgA-X/s1600/don'tleavemetonguetied.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>Also, on a lighter note, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TongueAndLipTieMemes?ref=br_tf" target="_blank">Tongue and Lip Tie Memes</a> is another place that moms are working to spread awareness. <br />
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I've been meaning to blog for months about our tongue tie experience with Ruby's posterior tongue tie and upper lip tie, and what a huge difference it made to have her ties revised, but I just haven't gotten to it yet so this will have to do for now.<br />
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But I will say it was 125% worth the eight hour round trip with a 3 month old, and the 5 minute procedure, and the aftercare. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_C64EwqC-pWMf3wz4ZdOd5iYvRKGEI3frp3yeyrv3VkaGpG7hgfyoPbNjgKcqrD8g6eFSBEBEqbYtH_zRiHFtkp9K03kkJL_Pl26UGTORk4HJZuI5EySYIq9AkiPJ-SWxORE/s1600/momhesaidimtonguetied.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_C64EwqC-pWMf3wz4ZdOd5iYvRKGEI3frp3yeyrv3VkaGpG7hgfyoPbNjgKcqrD8g6eFSBEBEqbYtH_zRiHFtkp9K03kkJL_Pl26UGTORk4HJZuI5EySYIq9AkiPJ-SWxORE/s1600/momhesaidimtonguetied.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a>Feel free to comment with any questions...<br />
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I'm not a professional and I'm not an expert, but doing my own mom research and managing the social media for ATTE has gotten me to the point where I'm confident that if I don't know the answer, I know people who likely do! ;)<br />
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<a href="http://s1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/?action=view&current=nataliessignature.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/nataliessignature.jpg" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101404.post-16871731464070275652014-02-07T14:03:00.000-08:002014-02-07T14:03:02.301-08:00Happy Frog Day!Happy Frog Day!<br />
by Nathan, age 5 2/7/2014<br />
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"Happy Frog Day, Frog!" Ant said. <br />
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"Hop up." Frog said.<br />
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Frog was going to a fair.<br />
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After the fair, when they were coming from the fair, they saw someone with arrows and on those arrows it said "snowstorm alert." And those arrows were pointed right at the direction they were going. And the other arrows said "Stay at the fair if you're leaving from the fair."<br />
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And then the Frog family said, looks like we're going to have to stay here a long time and watch everything the circus does. Then they all agreed. And then they figured out there was no more room at the circus for them to stay. So the people who owned the circus said they must sleep on top of the circus house because that is where the other rooms were, and that guy also said they must wear their jackets while they were sleeping on the top of the fair house. <br />
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THE END<br />
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The first bit was created using index cards with simple words written on them for him to arrange however he wanted...but then he ran out of index cards and I suggested he dictate the end of the story. He wants to sell his story to earn money to buy more LEGO, so if you know anybody looking for a story about a frog family, pass it on! ;) <br />
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<img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/nataliessignature.jpg" height="61" width="200" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101404.post-53458368838579582532013-12-25T19:08:00.001-08:002013-12-25T19:09:17.346-08:00Merry Christmas!<p dir=ltr>"War is proclaimed between the Seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. It is the fruit of this enmity, that there is a continual warfare between grace and corruption, in the hearts of God's people. Satan, by their corruptions, buffets them, sifts them, and seeks to devour them. Heaven and hell can never be reconciled, nor light and darkness; no more can Satan and a sanctified soul. Also, there is a continual struggle between the wicked and the godly in this world. A gracious promise is here made of Christ, as the Deliverer of fallen man from the power of Satan. Here was the drawn of the gospel day: no sooner was the wound given, than the remedy was provided and revealed. This gracious revelation of a Saviour came unasked, and unlooked for. Without a revelation of mercy, giving some hope of forgiveness, the convinced sinner would sink into despair, and be hardened. By faith in this promise, our first parents, and the patriarchs before the flood, were justified and saved. Notice is given concerning Christ. 1. His incarnation, or coming in the flesh. It speaks great encouragement to sinners, that their Saviour is the Seed of the woman, bone of our bone..." - Matthew Henry</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYibmCGWPpFgGqzn7uUl2PRZGOEw2nmBW98x9lHvO-BM1ffKfDK7ok-gYNQLEV0vYGcr7wVsCIGcGOq43pPfJwlVAiz5MdGzd8Ws8JNDsN1rBEGCZW8MF9DuaJB2EeH7dvtPur/s1600/IMG_20131225_113030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYibmCGWPpFgGqzn7uUl2PRZGOEw2nmBW98x9lHvO-BM1ffKfDK7ok-gYNQLEV0vYGcr7wVsCIGcGOq43pPfJwlVAiz5MdGzd8Ws8JNDsN1rBEGCZW8MF9DuaJB2EeH7dvtPur/s640/IMG_20131225_113030.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQTIbgnIVwnflaiXS9266KiVp8jm8VROn1CPxymTB78WtKFHK49OBMVIbFTmZDxZOaOnCjJFUFnPnuAdRikhTDJdMd2CtmhCCWayvBBny9UuCQxWrFPh6Ccfg2P_spIsttFhe/s1600/IMG_20131225_103328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeQTIbgnIVwnflaiXS9266KiVp8jm8VROn1CPxymTB78WtKFHK49OBMVIbFTmZDxZOaOnCjJFUFnPnuAdRikhTDJdMd2CtmhCCWayvBBny9UuCQxWrFPh6Ccfg2P_spIsttFhe/s640/IMG_20131225_103328.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2S5OeETJkkTgjDVGKaeOeNna8d88t-5OHrUL2QaJcs-pzOuR6tJx59C2yvtEKLLfmlvaWGiymidCLnbsSXB6E-7K772eXkJtt5QBDb2qJo2Ilqg_TDRn4BOoHH32S285ejsf_/s1600/IMG_20131012_160228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2S5OeETJkkTgjDVGKaeOeNna8d88t-5OHrUL2QaJcs-pzOuR6tJx59C2yvtEKLLfmlvaWGiymidCLnbsSXB6E-7K772eXkJtt5QBDb2qJo2Ilqg_TDRn4BOoHH32S285ejsf_/s640/IMG_20131012_160228.jpg"> </a> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101404.post-89192288334980651822013-09-17T05:56:00.000-07:002013-10-22T16:50:03.994-07:00Ruby Jubilee<p dir="ltr">Ruby Jubilee was born via c-section at the end of May! After a week long NICU stay, we happily came home and have been making up for lost snuggles ever since. </p>
<p dir="ltr">She was a roly-poly 9lbs at birth, and has gained very well! After three long days of IV nutrition, she was able to start colostrum in bottles, then nursing. Thankfully after a few days and some tips from the awesome lactation <u>consultant</u>, she figured out nursing and we haven't had any more issues. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Now we are enjoying figuring out four under six! So far, frozen meals, Netflix, and help with the housework as I recover from surgery have been lifesavers. I knew a c-section recovery would be harder, but didn't realize just how much longer and more painful it would be. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I may share more of a birth story at some point, but the short version is that at 42 weeks I finally went into labor, the midwife was almost here and the birth pool was filling when I had alarming bleeding. We transferred and found that she was a face presentation, so I was quickly prepped for a c-section, which went pretty well. Afterwards things did not go as planned- Ruby was transferred to a larger hospital for fluid in her lungs, elevated white blood cell count, elevated heart and respiratory rate. She had some breathing issues, as well as some stomach dystension, that concerned the doctors in addition to their concerns that she might have an infection. By the time I was able to join her two days after birth, she looked much <u>better</u>, and we were able to hold her for the first time. :)</p>
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We're so enjoying setting into our new home! The piles of boxes are slowly shrinking, the missing items are surfacing one by one (still AWOL: sewing machine foot and preschool workbook!) and we're loving having more space and more time together as a family! <br />
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Nathan and Miriam have their own rooms for the first time, which they are really enjoying. It gives them more room to spread out and play, and also means fewer of the toys end up in other parts of the house, which is nice for cleanup. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyjAvKVuASpbDuyfIBuRRxulK7Ugo1fbifeRwYSRXSeQTUN9IumjnuEAEtXXk0zAHC_0P1tHVFNOLqAvdgHLocx6uKpOLIQJtauv9H3Ogb-J7eKZjkZqpmrhxwU2pJZqR1HWoe/s1600/e8560394eb1e11e1b8f122000a1e8855_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyjAvKVuASpbDuyfIBuRRxulK7Ugo1fbifeRwYSRXSeQTUN9IumjnuEAEtXXk0zAHC_0P1tHVFNOLqAvdgHLocx6uKpOLIQJtauv9H3Ogb-J7eKZjkZqpmrhxwU2pJZqR1HWoe/s320/e8560394eb1e11e1b8f122000a1e8855_7.jpg" width="200" /></a>We've made a couple of Lowes trips, for a mailbox and other necessities, (and more are in our future!) but it's mostly just cosmetic things that need repaired, which is nice after dealing with more major renovations. :) <br />
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We still need to replace a shower, paint a few rooms, <strike>install a ceiling fan and ceiling light in the living room and office </strike>(done!), and finish the rest of the porch (Micah already did the railings, the fresh white is so crisp and looks great!) among other things, but we're taking one thing at a time and enjoying the smaller, bite sized projects.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodJ9NiSWgQvXnKIWOdMd3E2cbR6eS3dQmZmwPKU2APQrUJm4-RrAj2v5wYcGAW6hk_ZovaArX3RnqWBHcoxNgnh6CJGrbN3gRHDDrLIVRluic3ZPn9kPqzHW4Ro-cbhe3PyUL/s1600/67e1b49e098f11e294d322000a1cbaf4_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgodJ9NiSWgQvXnKIWOdMd3E2cbR6eS3dQmZmwPKU2APQrUJm4-RrAj2v5wYcGAW6hk_ZovaArX3RnqWBHcoxNgnh6CJGrbN3gRHDDrLIVRluic3ZPn9kPqzHW4Ro-cbhe3PyUL/s200/67e1b49e098f11e294d322000a1cbaf4_7.jpg" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; clear: left; color: black; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Being closer to town has been great too. The kids and I have had some fun visits with other moms and kids, and we've gotten a wonderful routine of going to the weekly library storytime. We've been able to get together for dinner during the week several times for dinner with other families, and we even went out on a date and spent more time shopping and enjoying dinner than driving! Grocery shopping is more manageable with the 20 minute round trip instead of an hour and a half. And if I drive just a little farther, I can go to Aldi instead, which I love. Seems like usually my grocery money goes quite a bit further there. :)</span></div>
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Having Micah home an hour earlier most nights is especially good right now...since I came down with my fourth case of the Egyptian flu* and spending time in the kitchen cooking...intensified my symptoms. <br />
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Let's just say that a small child eating their breakfast and watching me trying to get myself a bowl of cereal six weeks ago asked, rather logically, if the baby was going to come out my mouth when it was done growing! ;) </div>
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I am 18 weeks now, still having a little morning sickness but its definitely improved! So far, this has been the pregnancy of midnight salads, green apples & green apple gummy candy, sprite, and cereal. Oh, and lots of ice cream. And this is the first pregnancy that pickles have sounded good! (But no...not with the ice cream!) ;)</div>
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<a href="http://s1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/?action=view&current=nataliessignature.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/nataliessignature.jpg" /></a><br />
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* (you're sick for nine months and then you become a Mummy. I <i>know! </i>So cheesy. Can I plead pregnancy brain making me find that funny...?)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101404.post-52245519291857310802012-08-15T15:46:00.001-07:002012-08-15T16:05:32.204-07:00moving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGun5Fc5a98e4REVzi0kIBNHRZOERix7VCeZfN9Nc6l4NcmFBNOE-SsJsiUwWhJ8Vt5l9gA5XPYwH8FLs9zQCBB2ijj8K4OlSgnzeHPIqh-NcEyPII1WiaNRrlrKC-ixyjMo5h/s1600/09+094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGun5Fc5a98e4REVzi0kIBNHRZOERix7VCeZfN9Nc6l4NcmFBNOE-SsJsiUwWhJ8Vt5l9gA5XPYwH8FLs9zQCBB2ijj8K4OlSgnzeHPIqh-NcEyPII1WiaNRrlrKC-ixyjMo5h/s400/09+094.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfKmhZxLKgpXz1gT9NzNHsz52EQLEYk2OqBxe7sWydLWtUDCp7Hbj5YJyHInTmPxbxgh2fbsEcWDBWGKgRMpqrAfrhUPvBbOAeWm2ZxzN96q0gPR43R0GWzXKyNqBfSEV3DIZc/s1600/Nathan%2527s+Birthday+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfKmhZxLKgpXz1gT9NzNHsz52EQLEYk2OqBxe7sWydLWtUDCp7Hbj5YJyHInTmPxbxgh2fbsEcWDBWGKgRMpqrAfrhUPvBbOAeWm2ZxzN96q0gPR43R0GWzXKyNqBfSEV3DIZc/s200/Nathan%2527s+Birthday+004.JPG" width="157" /></a><br />
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I haven't posted about it here until now because I didn't want to say anything until it was officially happening, but we've been hoping to move for several months now and is actually, finally, really happening!</div>
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We are so excited and can't wait to move.</div>
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We love this house so much.</div>
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We've been here since the day we got married and had five very happy years and three babies here.</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYQVKLFymF4w25VrjNs4nbRMY4tCumqLqp0pGt43U_GjN6-vEzeQ8-DE-WaV9srTksHgsG01fXGyrnA1xT-_e_i75PsQRCF2V8JYsfvMZ5d2t9Wcmaz2x8AXiqSmBfltSGwvR/s1600/6.08.+101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYQVKLFymF4w25VrjNs4nbRMY4tCumqLqp0pGt43U_GjN6-vEzeQ8-DE-WaV9srTksHgsG01fXGyrnA1xT-_e_i75PsQRCF2V8JYsfvMZ5d2t9Wcmaz2x8AXiqSmBfltSGwvR/s1600/6.08.+101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYQVKLFymF4w25VrjNs4nbRMY4tCumqLqp0pGt43U_GjN6-vEzeQ8-DE-WaV9srTksHgsG01fXGyrnA1xT-_e_i75PsQRCF2V8JYsfvMZ5d2t9Wcmaz2x8AXiqSmBfltSGwvR/s200/6.08.+101.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRd7StZFM2evmF_3NQo88DhlaeP83-NT0555k7wDh1ijeNrquPsojgagTxy5S2eef921gq80NjcGCY8KtupoclfNb-AwcrKdKXp8nWmcLiz4rOf8ZkjAoqqwgT2AilUsaXsYGt/s1600/december+10+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRd7StZFM2evmF_3NQo88DhlaeP83-NT0555k7wDh1ijeNrquPsojgagTxy5S2eef921gq80NjcGCY8KtupoclfNb-AwcrKdKXp8nWmcLiz4rOf8ZkjAoqqwgT2AilUsaXsYGt/s200/december+10+057.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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Three baptismal feasts. </div>
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One hospital stay. </div>
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Three babies learning how to walk. </div>
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Car accidents and mistakes and frustrations and joys and laughter and Christmas and birthdays. </div>
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LIFE.</div>
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It's been good.</div>
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But.</div>
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Micah's daily commute and the price of gas and the higher price of him spending hours daily on the road just don't make this spot add up for us any more.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_AM2EutAeaC6Daetd0dgNN3zdpo46kQDXCeO4gD-d2BzI01bumH6jiuH3_68z3yQ2DMnoaq2gdUXA-i24x9dsM_6H_9CfjdjQAdv8bn0HIc9jWbiWls5q_mS1WpFp-WGNXdkE/s1600/051411130335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_AM2EutAeaC6Daetd0dgNN3zdpo46kQDXCeO4gD-d2BzI01bumH6jiuH3_68z3yQ2DMnoaq2gdUXA-i24x9dsM_6H_9CfjdjQAdv8bn0HIc9jWbiWls5q_mS1WpFp-WGNXdkE/s200/051411130335.jpg" width="197" /></a><br />
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Also, we have been feeling more and more that especially in this season of our life with small children that rural life just isn't the best fit for us.</div>
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None of them can milk a cow or round up loose chickens yet, or anytime soon, and gas is so expensive that it is a little lonely during the week as well for me and the kids. </div>
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We're looking forward to being closer to our church family as well as other friends, and having Micah home more!</div>
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I have to keep reminding myself <i>moving doesn't mean leaving the memories</i>.</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFJx03W2dsb5oDx9CWqi7fcGGd7dCjsKVp1KwFpumLrMxMFMraAr8KhDPyHqrwKtBUOrJdeu14SOqf6zr7hUDxSnYPt6bOMtX86zrKl77kbgohmb5AnfrE8B7rH8CZCEdkXgp/s1600/threechildren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJFJx03W2dsb5oDx9CWqi7fcGGd7dCjsKVp1KwFpumLrMxMFMraAr8KhDPyHqrwKtBUOrJdeu14SOqf6zr7hUDxSnYPt6bOMtX86zrKl77kbgohmb5AnfrE8B7rH8CZCEdkXgp/s200/threechildren.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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We have a lot of wonderful memories here and we'll take those with us. </div>
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We'll always have those, and we'll make new ones in a different space and that's ok.</div>
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I have been very calm and rational and excited about the move and all the benefits...</div>
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(<i>larger house! more space! more than one closet in the house! Micah home so much more!</i>)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nVEQAog2l3_xzOE7UPFfpsJ_er6brGztOc9MJDw_JTkrskHdCO9A7LUJauoNpjsoaVE8MTRk1S6t6L_Wxuoqat_6h68pJSuLZglRSz-LRG6WC62d2jqHBgHxgzLxB25PK_iH/s1600/834fe3bccc8211e18e3c22000a1e8b97_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nVEQAog2l3_xzOE7UPFfpsJ_er6brGztOc9MJDw_JTkrskHdCO9A7LUJauoNpjsoaVE8MTRk1S6t6L_Wxuoqat_6h68pJSuLZglRSz-LRG6WC62d2jqHBgHxgzLxB25PK_iH/s200/834fe3bccc8211e18e3c22000a1e8b97_7.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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...until last weekend, when I broke down and sobbed all over Micah's shoulder about how we <i>had our babies here! our picket fence! </i>etc. etc.</div>
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Having grieved a bit, I'm feeling much cheerier about everything and have been packing like mad, especially since our moving date moved up two weeks. Cue panic! </div>
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Micah's been taking a load every day on his way to work, so that has really helped, but there is still a lot of packing and cleaning and organizing and <i>'Oh my goodness we are never having a junk drawer again this is ridiculous!' </i>in addition to all the normal crazy. </div>
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I keep reminding myself <i>this too shall pass! </i>and eating chocolate chips out of the bag conveniently hidden in the door of the freezer. Hopefully lugging boxes everywhere evens out the chocolate consumption...! ;)</div>
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<a href="http://s1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/?action=view&current=nataliessignature.jpg" style="color: #2288bb; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/nataliessignature.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976563) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: solid; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976563) 1px 1px 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101404.post-4337391782171691572012-08-06T09:00:00.000-07:002012-08-15T16:03:09.582-07:00Cloth Diaper Update<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Quite awhile ago <a href="http://www.olivesprouts.com/2010/02/lets-talk-about-cloth-diapers.html">I posted about cloth diapering</a> and what was working for us then. I've changed our wash routine, got Nathan and Miriam out of diapers, and cloth diapered Levi since birth...so I think its time for an update!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I do cloth diaper at night and out and about now. The occasional box of diapers comes in, like on a recent week long trip, but now that I'm down to diapering one again, it isn't too hard in comparison to stick to almost exclusive cloth. And I found that I don't have the self control to use them only for outings/weekends/overnight so it's best for me just to use cloth almost always.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">A very sweet friend passed on her cloth diaper stash to me, which included some super cute WAHM diapers...those are some of my favorites right now! Most of those I can't identify, so no links, sorry. I also love the medium Fuzzi Bunz I have.</span><br />
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<a href="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B001II1ZBG&tag=naddysblog-20" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Thirsties Diaper Cover- Sky Blue, Medium" border="0" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B001II1ZBG&tag=naddysblog-20" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0898438) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0898438) 1px 1px 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px; position: relative;" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thirsties-Diaper-Sky-Blue-Medium/dp/B001II1ZBG?ie=UTF8&tag=naddysblog-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #2288bb; float: right; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Snappi-Cloth-Diaper-Fasteners-white/dp/B001EH4W6G?ie=UTF8&tag=naddysblog-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #2288bb; float: left; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B001II1ZBG&tag=naddysblog-20" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0898438) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-color: initial; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0898438) 1px 1px 5px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">I also use fitted diapers, or prefolds with a</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Snappi-Cloth-Diaper-Fasteners-white/dp/B001EH4W6G?ie=UTF8&tag=naddysblog-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="color: #2288bb;" target="_blank">Snappi</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">. I started my cloth diapering journey using pins and plastic pants, and honestly I don't like either. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thirsties-Diaper-Sky-Blue-Medium/dp/B001II1ZBG?ie=UTF8&tag=naddysblog-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="color: #2288bb;" target="_blank">Thirsties</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=naddysblog-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001II1ZBG" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: none !important; border-bottom-width: medium !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: medium !important; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: medium !important; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: medium !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">are much easier for a dirty diapers, since</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-Plastic-Pants-Months-pairs/dp/B000KQ5MCU?ie=UTF8&tag=naddysblog-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="color: #2288bb;" target="_blank"> plastic pants</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=naddysblog-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000KQ5MCU" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: none !important; border-bottom-width: medium !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: medium !important; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: medium !important; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: medium !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">have to be pulled off over the legs, also, plastic pants</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">are not adjustable. As well, Thirsties covers have leg gussets, which REALLY cut down on leaks! I have the</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thirsties-Diaper-Sky-Blue-Medium/dp/B001II1ZBG?ie=UTF8&tag=naddysblog-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="color: #2288bb;" target="_blank">medium size</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=naddysblog-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001II1ZBG" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: none !important; border-bottom-width: medium !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: medium !important; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: medium !important; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: medium !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">. They are a lot cheaper than </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fuzzi-Bunz-Cloth-Pocket-Diaper/dp/B001KYA032?ie=UTF8&tag=naddysblog-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="color: #2288bb;" target="_blank">Fuzzi Bunz</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=naddysblog-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001KYA032" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: none !important; border-bottom-width: medium !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: medium !important; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: medium !important; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: medium !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">, for sure, and if I had known how easy to use they were, especially with the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Snappi-Cloth-Diaper-Fasteners-green/dp/B001GLKF0C?ie=UTF8&tag=naddysblog-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="color: #2288bb;" target="_blank">Snappi</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=naddysblog-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001GLKF0C" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: none !important; border-bottom-width: medium !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: medium !important; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: medium !important; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: medium !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /> or with fitted diapers</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">, I might have just purchased them instead right from the start.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">As far as washing, it is really simple. I'll shake dirty toddler diapers out into the toilet, but baby diapers and wet diapers go straight into a dry pail. When I'm ready to wash, I shake the liners out of the diapers, and fold the velcro over on the</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thirsties-Diaper-Sky-Blue-Medium/dp/B001II1ZBG?ie=UTF8&tag=naddysblog-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Thirsties</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=naddysblog-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001II1ZBG" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: none !important; border-bottom-width: medium !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: medium !important; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: medium !important; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: medium !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">. Then I run a cold rinse and a warm or hot wash, then another cold rinse. When I wrote my last post, I was using </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Maggies-Soap-Nuts-load-Preservatives/dp/B000OJX6YY?ie=UTF8&tag=naddysblog-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">soap nuts</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=naddysblog-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000OJX6YY" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: none !important; border-bottom-width: medium !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: none !important; border-left-width: medium !important; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-style: none !important; border-right-width: medium !important; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: none !important; border-top-width: medium !important; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0976562) 1px 1px 5px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px !important; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" />, however I realized that with our extremely hard water, they were causing buildup on the PUL fabric on some of my diapers. I bought a box of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00119VPCQ?ie=UTF8&tag=naddysblog-20&linkCode=shr&camp=213733&creative=393177&creativeASIN=B00119VPCQ" target="_blank">Ecos</a> from Amazon and have been very happy with it both for diapers and for the rest of our laundry.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">So... that's my update! Any questions? If you cloth diaper, what are your favorite diapers? </span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101404.post-72757277069029269142012-07-30T09:00:00.000-07:002012-07-30T09:00:02.112-07:00Reader<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We kind of had a big event happen last week. Nathan read his first book!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpE-ec44vUxGJ6J8-BmLGPSE2sK6cZafbrWooRe05N0vXRCrAaX-9ZUtXzNY87dl5ZpU9UorbCdmrYB5Vbufi2MIy7prZVI90dQuHJmpsdJoPltnX423-ggqzKY2FyfnQKRA9/s1600/780cdc74d73d11e19ed51231381000d3_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIpE-ec44vUxGJ6J8-BmLGPSE2sK6cZafbrWooRe05N0vXRCrAaX-9ZUtXzNY87dl5ZpU9UorbCdmrYB5Vbufi2MIy7prZVI90dQuHJmpsdJoPltnX423-ggqzKY2FyfnQKRA9/s320/780cdc74d73d11e19ed51231381000d3_7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We've been having a lot of fun doing more preschool stuff lately. The back to school sale aisle is always so tempting to me, and finally I felt justified in purchasing some school supplies! I also picked up a few workbooks that have really been a big hit (like, "can we do another page?!"type success), and have been doing some of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0671631985?ie=UTF8&tag=naddysblog-20&linkCode=shr&camp=213733&creative=393185&creativeASIN=0671631985&ref_=cm_cr_pr_product" target="_blank">Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons</a>. We've made it to lesson 6, so far. Initially, I was very enthusiastic about it, just because it was so simple and he enjoyed it so much. The "say it fast" game really was fun for him, and I could see how it really helped him gear up for sounding out and then saying words. </div>
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But as we progressed past the first few lessons, I was troubled by a few things. The approach of having lines over vowels to indicate the long vowel sound confused him right off the bat - he knows all his letter sounds already from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000INU6S?ie=UTF8&tag=naddysblog-20&linkCode=shr&camp=213733&creative=393177&creativeASIN=B0000INU6S&ref_=sr_1_2&s=movies-tv&keywords=the%20letter%20factory&qid=1343331983&sr=1-2" target="_blank">The Letter Factory</a>, and so telling him that <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 23px;">ē</span> says 'eeee' when he gleefully shouted 'eh!' felt a little advanced for beginning reading. I talked to another mom who said that her daughter was frustrated in later lessons as those symbols began to be phased out. I really want to avoid frustration and confusion, so I started skipping the long vowel sections in each lesson. That seemed a little ridiculous, so we ended up skipping it more and more days and playing with letter puzzle pieces and sounding out words I wrote out on paper instead. I will say that the "say it fast" practice did seem to be helpful as he transitioned from making each sound individually to saying the word. I'm not sure if I'll end up doing more with it or not, at this point. I may do more of it with my next kiddo, but for now we may not need to keep on with it especially with my doubts about some of the approach.</div>
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I made some cards (I love index cards so much!) with simple words that stuck to basic vowel sounds. He loved arranging them in sentences and this week made the leap into sounding it out and then saying it independently, not just being led through it. I had SO much fun watching him gleefully master word after word, and not want to stop. </div>
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Since he was doing so well with those, I dug out Pan and the Mad Man, one of the readers from the <a href="http://www.veritaspress.com/products.asp?dept=1008" target="_blank">boxed kindergarten set from Veritas Press</a>. It's a great set but seems really involved to me, better suited for a classroom, or maybe just not suited well to me with having three little ones right now. It seems like it takes a lot of planning and prep work, which is a drawback for me right now. My mom used it for three of my brothers and handed it down, so I have the luxury of picking and choosing from it without feeling like I invested in it and have to use it all.</div>
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The other drawback is that I don't like the script it teaches, which is italicized and intended to transition better to cursive. I would prefer to have them master a solid, neat printing hand before cursive and not start out with the curved tails and slanted letters. But there are things I love about it - the readers are nicely illustrated and imaginative, the puzzle pieces with letters on them (that can be combined into words) are genius, and the CD with catchy songs about phonics rules is great. I think that I'll be dipping into the Veritas Press Phonics Museum box more and more as we get into more complicated words, since I love their emphasis on the "rules" of why words sound the way they do. </div>
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However we end up proceeding, I'm just so excited that Nathan read his very first book. It feels like a huge milestone to this bookworm mama, and I'm so thankful to be able to help him learn and watch his face light up with that feeling of accomplishment.</div>
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What methods have you tried, if you've taught your kids to read? And...any beginning reader recommendations? :) </div>
<a href="http://s1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/?action=view&current=nataliessignature.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/nataliessignature.jpg" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101404.post-14406924359919521282012-07-26T12:11:00.000-07:002012-07-26T12:11:21.407-07:00July<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
How is July almost over?! Summer always seems to go so quickly, no matter how much we try to just slow it down and savor every moment; it's like running a tongue over an empty popsicle stick.</div>
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It's been pretty hot this month, so the grass is crunchy and dry and the fields aren't as green as we'd like. Any whiff of smoke from a neighbor's bonfire that comes in our bedroom window has me paranoid we're all going up in flames. Of course, that always seems to happen on the nights Micah isn't home. Bad timing! </div>
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Guitars and ukeleles are summer staples. </div>
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Pico de Gallo is a non- negotiable for summer. I would eat it all day long for months if I could. I took the liberty of adding beans to it last night and calling it dinner. I think it needed avocado too, but the local discount grocery had them priced at 2/$3, which did not strike me as a good deal, so no avocado this week. They did have some amazing sweet local cantaloupe, though! So good!</div>
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I'm sitting here writing this at naptime...and it just started raining! So glad! Hope it keeps up for awhile. Guess I'll celebrate with some sweet tea. :) </div>
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Hope your July has been wonderful, friends!</div>
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<a href="http://s1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/?action=view&current=nataliessignature.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/nataliessignature.jpg" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101404.post-87912101663079592652012-07-17T09:00:00.000-07:002012-07-17T09:00:08.873-07:00The prize for silliest child is awarded to...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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... nah, too close to call! ;)<br />
<a href="http://s1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/?action=view&current=nataliessignature.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/nataliessignature.jpg" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5101404.post-14308134309197629722012-07-10T10:30:00.000-07:002012-07-10T10:30:01.744-07:00snapshotslittle moments to treasure...<br />
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<a href="http://s1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/?action=view&current=nataliessignature.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa377/worksofanselm/Natalies%20Blog/nataliessignature.jpg" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0