An oatmeal tip

I eat oatmeal every day, sometimes twice a day. I read that it is good for breastmilk production, so I eat it. I'd be content to eat it with tons of sugar every day, but that just doesn't seem like a good idea! So instead, I put some cinnamon and some nutmeg in my oatmeal. It tastes like a warm little oatmeal cookie! Yum!

I just ordered a bunch of socks!

I've ordered socks from three different companies now. I have a selection of organic cotton, cotton and hemp blend, wool, and bamboo! I'm still waiting for a catalog and some samples from another manufacturer, and I plan to order from them as well. I also ordered sock monkeys from Maggie's organics, and I can't wait to see them in person! Now my job is to figure out how to do the web site thing. When the socks come in I'll take pictures of them and then get rolling. Paula says she'll subscribe to my sock club, she may be my first customer! My mom wants to buy some new socks, too!

I'm pretty excited!!

More thoughts on the nine month mark

I was just thinking about how very different the last nine months have been compared to the previous nine months! I thought that when I became pregnant, my entire world changed. In retrospect, it was just a minor shift compared to having a baby! I am really enjoying my nine month old baby.

A photo from New Year's Day

This is Hannah on New Year's Day. She's wearing a bamboo sweatshirt over her organic cotton t-shirt. She has organic cotton legwarmers, as well, and even a bamboo diaper! Not all of her clothes are made from these materials, but on New Year's Day I felt like dressing her that way! She's cute no matter what, that is for sure!

Christmas photo

A little late, but here's a picture of Hannah Christmas morning. It was fun watching her with the boxes, bows, paper, and new things with tags! Tags are a big favorite of hers. She got some new toys and clothes and books from some family members, not too much, just the right amount! We got to see lots of family members! It was a nice Christmas.

Ecological savings

I just found this link where you can enter a quantity of t-shirts and it will calculate the "ecological savings" of purchasing hemp t-shirts rather than a shirt made from cotton grown with pesticides. For 20 shirts, which most of us will use in the next 10 years, the savings in water is 14,900 gallons. The savings in terms of chemical fertilizer is 3.36 pounds. The savings in terms of pesticides is .02 pounds. That just for 20 shirts!! Here's the link, it's in about the middle of the page: http://www.threehighguys.com/theguys/Ecological.html

Nine in, Nine out

Hannah is nine months old today! When I was pregnant, I remember reading about the concept of "nine in, nine out" meaning that a baby gestates inside the womb for nine months, and should be held or carried for the nine months after birth. (And beyond, of course, but in particular for the first nine months.) I have made it a point to carry her or have her on me in a wrap, sling, or carrier since she was born. In the beginning I struggled with people wanting to hold her, then setting her down when they were done holding her. (Why didn't they just give her back to me??) I remember even at one potluck a friend was holding her, then put her down and said, "So and so told me to put her down." Well, that person is not her mother, I am! So I just held her myself, for the most part. My parents have held her a lot, too, but it's mostly just been me holding her. How lucky am I! The idea behind this, as I understand it, is to hold them close and give them all the security and touch they need, and when they are ready, they will be more independent.

Hannah must have known that the nine month mark was a time to become more independent, because JUST THIS WEEK she has shown many signs of being independent! She even crawls into another room, out of my line of vision! I mean, with me out of her line of vision. Up until this week, when I needed to go to the bathroom, typically I would plop her down on the floor while I went, then scoop her back up when I was done. Sometimes I would even hold her then, but mostly not after the first three months. She would frequently fuss when I set her down, and I would talk to her and pick her back up as soon as I could. Just the other day, she just crawled away! It was so funny to see! Later that day, she was playing not too far from the bathroom, and I just casually went to the bathroom without moving her. It was so nice! Honestly, for the first hour or so, it was so strange to have her be so independent. I didn't even recognize her. But then I embraced the transition and have been enjoying a little bit of time to get some things done. She still needs to be close, and spends a lot of time in the carrier, but she is definitely maturing in the area of being independent.

I feel so good about this! I am happy that her independence is something that she has matured into, and not something that I have forced onto her. I'm happy about how the last nine moths have gone!! And happy 9 month birthday, Hannah!

(photo taken back in August)