Jiggety Jog

Home again.

Our trip was absolutely fantastic. Otto was a DOLL on the plane (i.e., he slept the whole way there, slept/chattered/played on the way back. ) He totally entertained all the passengers in our near vicinity and had people laughing and cooing at him. It was borderline ridiculous, really, but kind of fun. Navigating the airports was also just fine. The Ergo was a LIFESAVER. I was so glad I opted for that instead of a stroller.

Once we arrived, we found that Missouri was warm (but not too warm), humid (but not too humid) and lovely with the lush foliage and beautiful blooms. The forest surrounding my folk's house up in the Ozarks was positively teeming with wildlife; humming birds, turtles, wild turkeys, songbirds...Otto was totally fascinated every time we stepped out onto the porch. (The only downside: I got a tick on me but eh, you know, it wasn't so bad.)

My grandad (my 83 YEAR OLD grandad) drove 10 hours EACH WAY to see us. My dad played the piano for Otto just like he did for me when I was little. My mom snuggled and nuzzled him and read him stories.

Perfect.

Now we're back to reality and its really not so bad. My "Monday" was really Wednesday and a short week is always nice.

Our bags are packed, we're ready to go...

...and I have to admit I'm just a leeeetle bit nervous. We are leaving tomorrow to spend the long weekend at my parent's house in Missouri. The Husband is staying here because he has band obligations (they are playing a biker rally, of all things). So its just me, the boy, and the good folks at United Airlines.

True, its only a 2 hour flight from Denver to St. Louis BUT. There's the 2 hour car trip to Denver. (And the getting through security, blah blah blah...) Then the 2 hour car trip from St. Louis to my parents house. So it will be a looooong day of travel.

I do, however, think I'm as ready as I'm gonna be. The game plan is this: I will wear Otto on my front in the Ergo, have a backpack serving as diaper bag/purse, have our rolling duffle in one hand and the car seat in the other. Oila! A one-woman traveling circus.

Wish us luck and bon voyage!

Review: Melaleuca

**This is first and foremost a product review, but also a little bit of a commercial. So be forewarned.

In my efforts to detoxify and make my home more environmentally friendly and healthier for us, I recently became a customer of Melaleuca Wellness Company.

Now that I've had a chance to try their stuff, I have to say...Wow. All the products I've tried have been fabulous. Above and beyond. The items that really stand out are:

The EcoSense laundry detergent. Totally great. You only use an ounce for a normal sized load and I've been washing both our clothes and Otto's clothes in it with great results. And, it might be my imagination, but I could swear that his eczema is better. We got the "Scent Free" version so I don't know if the scented stuff smells good or anything.

EcoSense Tub and tile cleaner. This stuff is super concentrated- one bottle makes 4 spray bottles which in turn makes this stuff a super deal, money-wise. It worked great on our tub and vanity and smells faintly of lemons- not like bleach or ammonia. (Because there is none of that crap in there! Ha!) A+

Body Satin Deodorant. Love this stuff. It smells really good- subtle and fresh and decidedly NOT like a baby's butt. (Have you ever noticed that? Most women's deodorant smells like some sort of baby powder. Gross.) They have deodorant and antiperspirant but I opt for the former. I've never been a big sweater and I don't like keeping my body from doing its natural thing to keep me cool. But that's just me.

I've tried several other things: Multi-purpose cleaning wipes, botanical disinfectant (smells so yummy! And its healthy to breathe, unlike Ly$ol) , laundry stain remover, hand lotion, toothpaste, and soap. The only thing I've been less than impressed with is the "Gold Bar soap"- it does leave my skin soft but it's citrus smell reminds me too much of a citronella candle.

So here's the commercial part of the post. I'm so impressed with this company, I've signed up for the home-business side of things. Basically, that means that I can refer others as customers and then make a small commission every time they order something. And the customer reorder rate is 94%! So clearly I'm not the only one impressed with their products and service. Who knows where this will lead...whether I make any money or not, it makes me feel good that I'm doing something good for the environment and good for my family and I'm excited to help other people do the same!

Mother's Day

My first Mother's Day was a nice one. We got up early and drove to Colorado for some shopping and lunch out. The weather was nice and everyone was well and in a good mood. I know! Shocker! We took care of our Moms by having flowers sent on Friday so we were free to just do whatever we wanted.

Shopping-wise, I got some new chucks (i.e. Converse Sneakers- yay!) , some tops for work and I also got to go to a Target (which is kind of a big deal since we don't have one in our town). In addition to all that, the Husband gave me a wonderful card telling me that I'm an awesome Mama and an Ergo Baby Carrier is on its way. Yippee!! (For what its worth, this is what I'd asked for for...I love it when he listens :)

I finished the day with a hot bath after Otto went to bed. Perfect.

How was yours?

Yummy

Giveaway!

I'm starting to suspect that Megan at SortaCrunchy is pretty much the queen of giveaways- She has a great one up right now for Warm Biscuit Bedding so click on over and enter! Woot!

7 Months

Dear Otto,
This month has been one of CHALLENGES. Between the 3 of us, someone has been constantly sick since what feels like FOREVER. And you HATE taking medicine but really, who can blame you? Through it all,however, you have been a little trooper. Your light is really starting to shine and I love the child you are becoming.

Physically you have really grown this month. You outgrew your infant car seat and are now in your fancy-pants Britax convertible. You weigh over 20lbs. and are a tall baby- wearing 12 month sizes in just about everything.

You love to sit up and play but can't quite sit up from laying down yet. Don't worry- you'll get there. You also love just rolling and scooting around on the floor. Very independent. I know its only a matter of time before you are crawling all over the place. You have also perfected the lunge- reaching with lightening speed for anything and everything we have when you are in one of our laps. We are quickly learning, however, to keep things out of reach! (Although, sometimes we slip up like last week when you nearly ingested half of my grocery list. Oops.)

You are also starting to really get into food. Your favorite so far, hands down, is pears. You are mostly self feeding at home but eating homemade purees at daycare. I've really enjoyed making baby food for you and between the frozen breastmilk and babyfood cubes, you are kind of taking over our freezer. You have one tooth now, and I think you're working on your second. Sometimes we call you "Toofus."

You love music, that much is clear. Your favorite song for me to sing is "Itsy Bitsy Spider." And playing piano is a favorite activity. Well, its more like banging piano at this point, but its fun nonetheless. You also LOVE reading stories. Our favorite at the moment is Big Red Barn. We read at least 3 books everynight and you just snuggle up to me and hold your blanket. Its awesome.

Also, you are developing a real sense of humor and love it when we suprise you- with funny faces or by throwing you up in the air or turning you upside down. You love it all. And we love your belly laughs.

You are still sleeping with us and I love it for the most part except for when you are awake and kicking me at 5am on a Saturday. Let's see what we can do about that, kthanks.

Love you to pieces,

Mama

Contest

Win an Ergo!

I have been lusting after one of these and might just have to get one this month. I did, however, enter the drawing so you never know...!

Click on the above link to enter!!

This contest is at Along for the Ride.

Same Story, Different Day

As if this news weren't shocking enough (brace yourselves), Otto has pink eye. Again. And an ear infection. Again. YAY! At the Dr's office today, I sort of got all crazy-eyed for a minute and wondered aloud what the HELL am I doing wrong that my kid is sick ALL. THE. TIME.?? I mean, I go to great lengths to make sure he is has plenty of breast milk, not formula. I watch my diet, take vitamins, wash my hands so often that they crack and bleed regularly. I make my own homemade, organic baby food for chrissakes. I keep my house clean, make sure he is warm, dry, clean, safe... So what am I doing wrong???

Nothing, she says. Its germy ol' daycare. This is just what happens. It would be happening now or when he went to kindergarten. And its better to be exposed to all this stuff now while he has the protections of breastfeeding because he could be sicker. After all, pink eye and ear infections are pretty easy in the grand scheme of things. And it will be better in the summertime.

Nice, huh? I guess this makes me feel better in some sense, but even more helpless and frustrated in another. If it was under my control, at least I could DO SOMETHING. Blah. I guess I'll keep doing what I'm doing and hope that as the weather warms up, the situation will improve some.

I am, however, making strides in my goal to de-tox our home. After a great deal of research, I've decided to patronize a wellness company that sells all natural cleaning supplies, soaps, cosmetics, vitamins, etc. I get my first shipment this week and in it will be laundry detergent, tub and tile cleaner, all purpose cleaning wipes, toothpaste, deodorant, disinfectant, lotion, soap, and some other items- all free of toxins, nasty chemicals, phosphates, formaldehyde, etc. I'm excited. I just hope I like them.

*************

In other news, spring has sprung here (finally) and the weather is truly beautiful today. We go to summer hours at my work next week which means that my day is 7:30am-4:30pm instead of 8-5. And while it may not seem like 1/2 hour makes that much difference, it really does. Getting off at 4:30 is way better than getting off at 5. Don't ask me why.