Last Day of 2008

It's New Year's Eve Day, December 31, 2008. Even though it doesn't make sense, I am sad to see the end of 2008. It was definitely the best year of my life! The year Hannah was born! I have been thinking about "2008" ever since I found out I was pregnant and realized I was having a baby in 2008. So basically since the beginning of August, 2007! So much for living in the present moment! I do always like New Year's, it's a neat time of year. 2008 will always hold a special place in my heart!

We're home!

We're home from our holiday travels. We left the afternoon of Christmas Eve for my mom's. We stayed there through Saturday morning. Saturday we drove (Grandpa Roy drove!) to Ventura to hang out with relatives there. We spent Sunday night back at Mom's, then home yesterday. Hannah still isn't much for traveling, but it was easier once I figured that out. After our two previous trips, she had a couple of rough days, and this time is no exception. It reminds me of when I have a particularly crazy or emotional trip, it takes me a few days to unwind, too! By Sunday she only wanted to hang out with me (more than usual! she usually only wants to hang out with me or on me!) and she woke up crying several times in the night. She rarely cries in the night. Right now she's napping peacefully and I need to unpack from our travels! Most of the time during our travels I was exhausted, but it was nice to see family. Christmas day she went a long time without napping, and I learned that day to make sure she gets a nap! Soon I will upload pictures of her unwrapping presents!

Business License

I just found out today that I my business license application was approved! So I can start selling socks any time! Right now I'm looking into web sites for my store. I like one that Marija from EC Wear uses (http://www.ecwear.com/) and I will probably go with them. The owner of the company is a WAHM and I like the idea of supporting another WAHM. I need to order some socks and start taking pictures of them! I would like to find a few more suppliers, I suppose that will take time and some more phone calls.

How exciting!!!!!

Henna!

Today I hennaed my hair for the third time. I discovered "body art quality" henna when Hannah was about 4 months old. Before that, I hadn't had my hair colored since the week before I got pregnant. I had looked into henna when I was pregnant, actually, but only came across products that included henna and a mix of lots of harmful chemicals. I made a query on MDC and was directed to the henna for hair website: http://www.hennaforhair.com/
What I learned there is that only henna sold as "body art quality" is pure henna and is completely safe and natural. I loved that I mixed it with orange juice! Then I mixed it with some tea the next day, and drank the tea that I didn't need! (You can't do that with the hair dye from a box!) I also love that I can use my regular kitchen utensils to stir it, and I can wash them in the sink and not worry about getting chemicals on my dishes. So from a non-hazardous perspective, it's great! I also love how it conditions my hair! Whatever I don't use, I just put in the freezer and take it out when I'm ready to do it again.

Putting it on is a completely yummy process, too. The first time I put on way too much, and it started to drip. I learn each time! I love the earthy smell of the henna. I love the way it feels. This time it was pretty cold when I put it on, but at least that way I could tell where I'd applied it. I can see why it is considered a luxury treatment. On the website, the woman who put it together says to relax while letting the henna work its magic on your hair. I don't think those directions were directed at moms of babies!

The first two times I hennaed my hair, I timed it around Hannah's naps. Currently, she only naps when she's on me, so that wasn't going to work this time. I started the process right after she woke up from one of her naps. I let her play with my camera and my cell phone and a bunch of other new things while I put it on. She was fine, and I put it on pretty quickly! We hung out for two hours and then I took a shower. Now my hair is drying, and I can tell I not longer have grey roots! Mmmmmm, I do love the smell!

I bought some indigo, which I haven't used yet. I would like to, one of these days. It's so easy for now to pull out the mix that I already made. Maybe next time I start a new mix I'll add the indigo.

I'm a definite henna convert!

Christmas giving

I bought two wooden puzzles today for Hannah for a Christmas present. As I was leaving the store, I was thinking about wrapping them and putting on a tag that says TO: Hannah FROM: Mommy. I got all teared up thinking about that! How lucky I am to have a child this Christmas! It makes me teary even now thinking about it! I just think to-Hannah-from-Mommy and I cry. I started thinking about Christmas gift giving. Sure, it's annoying sometimes to have to shop for people you don't know all that well, or for people who just buy what they want whenever they want it, and any other shopping that is out of a sense of obligation. I don't intend to even talk about out-of-control materialism and consumerism. But, today I thought this: at least once a year we take the opportunity to intentionally give someone a gift. All of a sudden Christmas gift-giving became a beautiful thing to me!

This year I got presents for the little ones in my family- my cousin Ian, my nephew Michael, my niece Bridget, my niece Cassandra's kids, Jennifer and Daniel, and also my parents. And of course my precious daughter Hannah! She's getting the two wooden puzzles and a handmade giraffe I bought from an etsy.com store. I am in the process of making some cards for my mom's favorite game, too. Her cards are all worn out and they don't make replacements anymore. It's taking me a little longer to stencil 0-99 on cards, but I am enjoying each and every one! It's nice to really feel a Christmas spirit!

Picture with Santa

 


Yes, we had our picture taken with Santa! The ones with Hannah and Santa came out the best, of course! As we stood in line, I was thinking about how Christmas is a special time, and I'm looking forward to this Christmas and many future Christmases with my baby girl!

ten fingers, ten toes

When I was pregnant and when Hannah was first born, I got a lot of cards that had pictures of baby feet or baby hands. They are pretty amazing! From the beginning, I noticed that Hannah has beautiful hands! Her feet are pretty neat, she moves them a lot and spreads out her toes. My mom says she has expressive feet.

The other night I had Hannah in the Moby wrap (for the first time in about four months, it felt nice) and her toes were at the perfect level for me to cup them in my fingers. All of a sudden I was completely mesmerized by the feel of those toes! They are amazing! They are exquisite! The next day I felt her fingers, too. All I can say is that they are incredible. Now I understand why people think baby toes and baby fingers are so cool.

Cloth diapering

I just put a diaper cover on Hannah that I bought when she was one week old. She's 8 months old today. I love that! I don't know how cloth vs. disposable in terms of economics is even open for debate! Particularly if buying them used and/or reselling them, and with multiple children. The cover I'm using this morning is over a pair of training pants, not full cloth diaper, which is why it still fits after 8 months. That's because we're doing EC, which I will post about later!

I also love that I'm not buying diapers every week. I invested in some cloth diapers a few months ago (for her current size) and won't need new ones for awhile. I also like that she's not seeing me throw something away after just using it one time.

I decided to use disposable diapers on our trip to Arcata last month, one of the reasons being the weight limits on the airplane. I figured that wet diapers would be heavier coming home than on the way there, and I was already at my limit. I much prefer the cloth, but it worked. I used the diapers given to me at my baby showers up until she was three months old (with a combo of a few cloth dipes and the occasional nakey bum time) and then at three months I just couldn't use them anymore. I still have one package that I never opened. I do use the Nature Baby Care diapers from Target on rare occasion, our rate of use of those is about one pack every three months. That's what works for us.

As for the laundry, I don't mind doing laundry, and since I don't have time to take a bath anymore, I don't think I'm using any more water than I was before! (Especially now that we're going to take out the front lawn and put something else in, yippee!!)

So yes, I'm an eager cloth diaper convert! On the subject of organic cotton, I have an organic cotton diaper made by Under the Nile that I bought from Marija at EC Wear and I use it just about every night! It is so nice! She's about ready to outgrow it, but that under a wool cover has solved our recent leak situation. I only bought one of that particular diaper to try it out, but if I have another baby I will get some more! I also like the bamboo diapers for night time, and the one Thirstie's diaper I have that just BARELY fits! What is it about diapers???

Autumn leaves

I raked leaves this afternoon. I spread out three blankets and Hannah sat and watched me for a little while. It used to be one blanket was enough! I know she only sat and watched because she'd never seen me rake leaves before, next time I'm sure she'll be crawling off the blankets immediately. I filled up a bin, and then sat by her and kept her company while she moved the blankets around and played with the grass. She was laughing almost the whole time! I think she likes being outside. It was a nice day, too. I was thinking about how next year when I rake leaves she'll be 20 months and probably wanting to jump in the leaves. It will be different, for sure. We might make some pretty cards or something with the leaves, or at the very least look at them together and enjoy the pretty colors. I am loving this journey of motherhood, that's for sure.

That was fast!

I applied for a resale number last week. I thought I faxed my application to the board of equalization on Wednesday, but maybe it was Tuesday. Thursday was Thanksgiving and I had a packet with the resale number and some information in my mailbox on Friday! I guess there aren't a lot of new businesses starting up right now!

Why am I starting a new business when everyone is all worried about the economy? There are a couple of reasons. One, I don't read all the news stories, so I don't have the fearful messages coming at me all the time. Two, I'm following my heart, and for that the economy doesn't matter! I'm not trying to "make a buck"- I'm already in business so I wouldn't need to start another one if that were my goal. I'm starting something that is exciting to me!

I registered my domain name, www.thesoxclub.com this evening. I have a "this page is under construction" message at the moment! Tomorrow I'll work on my fictitious business paperwork.

Unconscious Shopping :-(

I was just at the department store looking for toys for Hannah and her cousin for Christmas. While I prefer to buy Hannah's clothes from the consignment store, or Good will, or wear hand-me-downs, I couldn't resist taking a look at the new baby clothes at the department store. They are so darn cute!!! I bought a few things on clearance, including a long-sleeved onesie that says "Baby's First Thanksgiving." When I got home, I noticed that the "Baby's First Thanksgiving" part was sewn on upside down. Then I noticed the onesie was made in Thailand. Then I got really sad. I have no idea if that item was made in a sweat shop or not, but it made me think of people working in sweat shops, and I was no longer happy with my cute little purchase.

I made a renewed commitment to be a conscious and conscientious shopper, no matter how cute the clothes are.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year I am thankful for my baby girl more than anything else! I used to be uncomfortable "going around the table and saying what we're thankful for." I'm not sure why. Maybe because I couldn't think of anything I wanted to share with a group of people, maybe I just didn't have much of an attitude of gratitude. I don't know. But now I know I am thankful for many things, and Hannah tops that list!

You make bath time so much fun!

I just took a bath and got a shower, too! Hannah was playing next to the tub, and she seemed pretty interested in the water and the suds, so I stripped off her clothes and socks and she came in the tub with me! I've had her in with me before, mostly at times when I didn't want to get out but she needed my attention. This time it seemed like she wanted in, and she had a lot of fun! She splashed and splashed! (Hence the shower!) I got some extra soaking time, too, and it was nice for both of us!

She leaned forward a little too far and got some water in her face and mouth. She started crying. My first thought was to get out of the tub immediately, but I was thinking about what I've been reading in "Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves" where she talks about babies and children needing to feel their emotions and reactions. I was thinking if we got out of the tub, it might distract her, and she was probably a little scared from getting her face wet and just needed to cry about that for a bit. So I just held her while she cried and she cried for about 45 seconds, then went back to splashing! That seems better than rushing out of the tub with an upset (and slippery) baby. I'm learning a lot along the way, hopefully the mistakes I make won't be too catastrophic or tramautic for my little love!

Hannah does have quite the rubber duckie collection, but today we bathed duckless. All the duckies were in her bathroom! We still had lots of fun!

Organically grown carrots taste better

They just do!!

Why am I starting a new business? How did I choose this one?

I am about ready to place my first order for sox! Yippeee!!! Why am I starting this business? There are two ways of looking at it, I am moving toward something, and I am moving away from something. I am moving toward something that is becoming increasingly important to me, clothing made from good quality natural fibers, organically grown, and made in the U.S. or as part of a fair trade agreement. Why is this becoming important to me? I think it has to do with becoming a mother, and really thinking about these kinds of things! My perspective on so much changed when I became a mom. I began to understand why a group of women would form to make the group "Mothers Against Drunk Driving" for example. I understand why people would think it's important not to cloud our water sources with pesticides and other nasty chemicals. I also understand why it's important to make conscious choices when making a purchase, and to buy used and recycled as much as possible. I think socks are a good choice for me for a business, because I don't feel like I would be selling someone something they don't need. I am moving towards something that is becoming a passion.

I'm also moving away from a career that I no longer have a passion for. I think audiology is a fine profession, and I am still an audiologist, and still practicing, for that matter. I look at others in my profession, though, and I can honestly say that I do not have the passion I see in them. With Hannah, too, it is so difficult to see people by appointment, and it's frustrating dealing with insurance companies and other contracting groups. Seriously, I just want to sell socks!

I have always struggled with mixing business and health care. It's a tough mix, really. It takes forever to get paid and so many people expect me to take care of them for free. I have always loved volunteer work, I was brought up that way, but the fact is, audiology is what I do for a living, not as a volunteer. Yes, it is wonderful to help people hear better, to help relationships be healed and restored because one aspect of a communication problem is resolved. It's great! Still, at the end of the day, my heart is not in it. It hasn't been for a couple of years, as anyone who's worked with me probably has noticed. Now that Hannah is here, I am inspired to do something I love.

This sock subscription idea has been brewing for awhile. My friend Katie mentioned it to me about 7 or 8 years ago, that she thought it would be a neat idea. Even back then, I started thinking how I could do it. The internet was a totally different story "back in those days." (!!!) Now, it seems like something that will work.

When I first started thinking of how I would put this together, I was just thinking socks. Fun colors, neat patterns, a new pair of nice thick yummy socks each month. Once I started looking at socks, I realized that they were going to have to be organic cotton and other natural fibers, or recycled fibers, for me to put my heart into this business. Finding vendors has not been easy, with the exception of Maggies organics. They are awesome and responsive and I am really looking forward to working with them!

I have a few more details to take care of, and then I am going to make my first order! I'm going to start with the organic cotton and maybe wool, and I would love to add things as we go along.

All of a sudden I have hope and passion and excitement with regards to how I am going to make a living! What a wonderful change for me!

Maggie's Soap Nuts

I can't remember when I started using Maggie's Soap Nuts for my laundry, I think it was a little over a year ago. I was maybe 2 months pregnant with Hannah. I do remember giving Poppy a bath with them when she first came to me, so it was sometime in the Fall of last year. Anyway, they are awesome! They are the berry from a certain tree. They are a little sticky, and that sticky I guess is what turns soapy in water. It's a completely natural cleaning product, yippee!! My clothes look nicer after each wash! I just started using them to wash dishes (a lot of times I just rinse dishes if no soap is needed) and everything, especially glassware, comes out so nice! I love them! For laundry I usually just use 5 of the soap berries in the little bag, and for dishes I use the liquid that I made from boiling the soap berries.

I want to keep learning ways to use them!

I wanted to post a link but I haven't figured that out yet. You can google soap berries for more info!

Book- Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves

I just started reading this book. I love the quote at the beginning! It's what I was thinking when I was writing my previous post. Here it is:

"Nothing you become will disappoint me; I have no preconception that I'd like to see you be or do. I have no desire to forsee you, only to discover you. You cannot disappoint me."
-Mary Haskell

That is beautiful! I like the "only to discover you." Sometimes I think of Hannah as a flower that is blooming and unfolding. It's neat!

Hannah might read this some day

It just occurred to me (well, earlier today it occurred to me) that Hannah might read this blog someday. I'm sure she'll know her way around a computer soon enough! Maybe when she's four I can ask her what tags and labels are all about, if I haven't figured it out by then. (She loves tags, the real kind that stick out of towels and blankets and pillows!)

So, Hannah, when you read this, I hope you know how much your mom loves you! Right now as I type this you are asleep in the carrier, in front of me, and I can kiss the top of your head any time I want. (Which is often!) When you're awake in the carrier I like to kiss the side of your head. Sometimes I wonder what you're going to like- are you going to like dancing, drawing, singing, reading, running, swimming? Maybe cooking? My hope for you is that you just be the person you're supposed to be and that you have the chance to explore the things you want to explore. I will do my best to give you these opportunities!

Lately you've been trying to stand up. You're very strong! I will not be surprised at all to see you walking around! You have some teeth coming in, so you've been a little cranky lately, but I try to help you get comfortable. We do a LOT of walking around the neighborhood with you in the carrier, it helps you get settled and you usally take a little snooze. Sometimes we walk around six times a day!

Will you remember the time you spent close to my chest as I carried you around? Will you remember snuggling in the middle of the night, and waking to nurse? Will you remember me singing you the ch-ch song so you would smile? I guess these are just special memories for me! In Luke I think it is, it says that Mary treasured the early days with the baby Jesus in her heart. Now I know what that means! You are a wonderful, beautiful baby! I have lots to treasure in my heart right now!

My first post

It's late in the evening and Hannah is asleep. I decided to finally start a blog! I have been spending more time online since Hannah was born. I have enjoyed reading others' blogs, getting to know new people, and re-connecting with old friends.

Everything has changed since Hannah was born! Some things are much harder, everything is much more wonderful! Today she spent some time screaming, presumably because she is teething (still) but the second half of the day was pleasant and fun. She's even smiling again!! Her smile melts my heart and makes everything worthwhile. She has inspired me to be the best I can be! I have learned a lot about healthy eating and healthy living since I first became pregnant in the summer of 2007. She turned 7 months old at the beginning of the month.

Right now I'm on a quest to learn all I can about organic cotton socks, hemp socks, bamboo socks, and socks made from recycled materials. Do you notice a theme here?

I need to learn about blogs and the features, for example, labels. What is a label for and how do I decide which labels to associate with a post?