Ruby Roth Interview!

This weekend Annie (my younger sister who has been vegetarian since birth!), my mom, Jack, my Aunt Chris, her partner Carrie and I all went to VegFest in Novi.  This was my second time going and I really enjoyed it.  Each year it keeps getting better and better.  My Aunt Chris and Carrie are interested in eating vegan and have been for a couple of weeks (Carrie's mom went vegan for health reasons recently).  My mom came along to help with Jack but I think she was really impressed with what she saw, tasted and learned!  For $7 we were able to sample amazing food by cooks made in their own homes, by local restaurants and by national brands as well.  A lot of coupons were given out, animal rights activist swag to pick up (tons of stickers for my classroom) and speakers to learn from. 

However, the highlight of our time at VegFest was being able to interview Ruby Roth.  Ruby is a vegan artist, who when teaching art to students and talking to them about her vegan lifestyle, saw that there were not any children's books that discussed the vegan lifestyle.  She has illustrated and wrote both That's Why We Don't Eat Animals and Vegan is Love (and I was sure to get a signed copy of both for Jack!).  My friend Renee does marketing for VegMichigan and presented Annie and I with the opportunity to interview her.  It was a pleasure to do so; Ruby was so kind and well spoken and even took the time to give my sister Annie some advice on art (as she hopes to do something similar to Ruby in her future, combining veganism/vegetariansim with art).  I'm thankful that she wrote these books so vegan kids like Jack have the opportunity to read and learn about being a compassionate consumer and eater.  I highly recommend these books to vegan and vegetarian families, those interested in the lifestyle or maybe that are not vegan/vegetarian but have children who are.

How did you become vegan?
It started as a health experiment for me.  I used to get sick all of the time, I thought it was a normal part of the seasonal cycle and I tried it and stopped getting sick.  I never went back and after that, I started researching the animal agriculture industry and that solidified my decision.

I've read that you were inspired to write this book from your intereaction with the students you taught art to, do you think that kids naturally understand the choice of being a vegan as opposed to adults?
Absolutely.  They respond with a great sense of diplomacy.  They think about it, they question and reflect on how our behaviors affect others versus adults who often become defensive or offended.  Adults normally feel criticized or judged.  Kids don't feel that way.

When you were thinking of writing That's Why We Don't Eat Animals what was your purpose in writing this book?
I wrote it primarily to fill a niche that I felt was empty.  When I went to explain to my students why I was vegan and I searched for a book, everything I found was about a talking animal or a talking vegetable.  These kids were street smart from LA city and they wouldn't relate to that and it wasn't going to keep their attention.  I was motivated by the conversations I had with kids which were very direct. 

Do you think that the issue with the controversy you've encountered has more to do with adults being uncomfortable with eating meat and dairy rather than kids' ability to handle the information?
I think the controversy is 100 percent an adult issue.  I have never once ran into a children who is overwhelmed, only adults.  So I think that only proves that what we do to animals is scary and people know that inside of themselves.  They may not know the whole scope of it but they're saying it is too scary and it is too scary to talk about to children, then I think it is too scary to eat it.

Was it hard to find a publisher?  What was that process like?
I always say that I could replant a whole forest with rejection letters that I got.  I found a company that was interested but I still had to push it.  But between the first book and my second book, the word vegan has become way more mainstream.  It is now a selling point rather than something to hide.

Was it more challenging to illustrate or write the message?
I am an artist primarily so that comes more naturally to me, but the first drafts that I wrote for the first book were about 4,000 pages.  So, it was hard for me to pick the most essential and relatable for kids and the information that they would not feel frightened by but inspired by.

I love that with your new book Vegan is Love you share with children that they don't have to wait for presidents to be elected or laws to change to make a big difference every day with the foods they chose to eat or the products that they buy.  However, these changes aren't always the mainstream ones that their peers will make.  I know that you are step-mother, how do you deal with that with your step-daughter?
I think it is mostly about building confidence in the children.  Once you give children the information they need to make educated choices, they choose wisely.  If a kid understands why, then they can't be shaken by what other kids don't know.  And I think it is really important to emphasize, "Look, you are reading these books, now you know more information than most adults do about animal agriculture.  This is why it is so important to be a hero for animals".  And ultimately it isn't about forcing kids.  You can't force them.

Do you have any advice for parents raising children?
Don't make it a forced issue.  Stick to education and actual experiences that kids can have with animals like at a farm sanctuary or a rescue shelter so that kids learn about the real lives of animals, not the imaginary ones that we see in the zoo. 
 

Liebster Award

So, in an effort to be more active on my blog, I am going to take part in an "award" that my friend Ali gave me.  Ali says that Liebster is "a German word meaning sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome ".  The premise is that I must state 11 facts about me, answer 11 questions that Ali wants to know, then ask 11 new questions and send those to 11 new blogs.  This award is for those who have a new blog with a small audience in hopes that they will continue to blog.  Like Ali, I do this for personal reasons: to share what is happening with family and friends.  I really only follow one other "amature" blog outside of Ali's, so Heather, since I am lazy...go ahead and answer the same questions I am going to! :)

11 Facts About Me:

• Like Ali, I have a tattoo that I forget about.  It is the Japanese character for "dream".  I got it the summer after my freshman year of college before going to Spain.  I forget about it often because it is on my right shoulder and I rarely see it.  I chose that tattoo because 1) I wanted to minor in Japanese but my school didn't have enough 300 and 400 level Japanese courses for me to get a teaching minor in Japanese and 2) I have always been a dreamer.  I have vivid dreams every night and I am always day dreaming and thinking of new ideas. 
• I did studio dance for 18 years and I will still randomly relevé or rond de jambe when out shopping or standing.  I loved it and would like to do it again but I feel like I am in a weird age group of being too old for studio yet too young for the "mom" groups there.
• I have a photographic memory.  Honestly.  My mind takes pictures of EVERYTHING and I can never forget them.  It is awesome and annoying at the same time.  It really helped out with school.  Trevor and I always make a fake camera taking a picture motion with our hands when I remember something so random.  He is always shocked at random names and places I remember.
• I can't even tell you if I have ever ate hamburger or ground meats.  Even before being vegan or vegetarian I couldn't get over how the texture must be (boogery) and it repulses me too much.
• I have been to Spain three times and it is my second home.  I love it there and everything about the laid back culture.  When I studied abroad, I had more culture shock coming back and adjusting to the US lifestyle than going there.  When Trevor and I are tired of the tough life here he will say "Let's just sell the house and move to Spain."  He loves it there, too!  Boy do I wish we could do that sometimes.
• This probably isn't a surprise:  I'm an info junkie.  I love NPR, reading books, etc.  I think being informed and continuing to learn is really important.
• Although I really do love my job, I wish at the same time there was enough time in the day to do something with yoga, veganism, breastfeeding, babywearing and the "earthy/crunchy" things I love as well.  I'd like to do both.
• Speaking of yoga, I did it every day for an entire year about a year and a half ago.  Then it got too be too expensive when Trevor went to paramedic school and now I want to spend my time with Jack when I come home (and Trev is at work).  I miss it terribly and it was SO good for me emotionally, physically and psychologically.  I hope to get back to it soon.
• I think most of you know that I have 2 Persian cats and 1 border collie/black lab.  Here are some neat things about the cats.  I have had Gato since I was 8...she will be 19 this July!  Her name was originally Bailey but when I started taking Spanish in 6th grade I changed it to Gato (even though she is female, lol) and it stuck.  No one in my family even says Bailey anymore.  Leo was originally Lola until we went to get her/him neutered/spayed and the doctor found testicles!  He called me and left a voicemail singing some song about a cross dressing Lola.  He even offered to show them to me as proof!  OMG.  So we changed Lola to Leonardo.  All of our pets have Spanish names.  Eventually I would like a white cat named Nube (cloud).  :)
• I'm currently trying to not eat processed sugar (it is really my only guilty thing since I eat plant based and no caffeine) but it is SO hard.  I'm doing it because the little I do eat makes me crash and tired. 
• Um, I'm running out of things here...I guess lastly, I really want to travel in the US more.  It'll be easier to do now that we have a family but I always do so much international travel (and I am certainly not done) that I want to see more places like Boston, NYC, Cali, Oregon, etc.

Ali's Questions for Me:

If you could spend a day with one person (living or dead), who would that be?  My late little brother Jack because it would bring a lot of joy to my family.

How much time do you spend on Facebook, really?  Maybe an hour total.  It's just a lot of quick skimming.

If you have a pet and animals could talk, what do you think yours would say about you?  Feed me, throw my Kong, let me lay on you, stop talking to that baby and play with me more.  Unfortunately it would probably be negative.  I feel bad about not being as good of a mama to my furbabies as I used to now that Jack is here.

What did you want to be when you were in fifth grade?  A lawyer and the local newspaper said marine biologist when they came to interview my class when we graduated.  It really annoyed me.  (Clearly, since I still remember it.)

If you could vacation anywhere (cost is not an issue), where would it be?  I really don't like laying by the beach vacations, I am too much of a busy body.  But I would say one of those little huts in Fiji or Tahiti on the water.  Just because life is so hectic and I would love to just relax and spend some quite time with my little family.

What is your favorite meal to prepare? (Please include a recipe... Clearly I will want it to add to my meal planning.)  Since Trev works many nights, I am just cooking for myself.  I do manage to make a homemade meal every night but they are simple.  I like whole wheat penne tossed with roasted tomatoes, spinach and garlic with crushed red pepper flakes or baked marinated tofu and potstickers and rice or quinoa, steamed spinach and vegan gravy with chickpeas.
What is your favorite Internet pastime?  Reading blogs

Ok, assuming you get off the computer ever once in a while, what's your favorite pastime in general?  Outside of being with my family?  Cooking, reading and yoga.  They are all equals.

What age do you view yourself - you know, you stop and think you are still that chubby fifth grader and haven't changed much since then (my own example)?  Middle schooler.  I'm still goofy and silly but I am also sassy.

Does your life feel complete?  I don't know that life can ever feel that way but I love my life and am very content with it.

Ending on a simple note, what's your favorite color?  Orange!

Did you know...?

So did you know you aren't supposed to use Q-tips to clean your ears? I'm finding out that pretty much every one knew that but me! Guess how I found out? A trip to the urgent care facility yesterday! The story:

During third tri I started getting lots of drainage in my ears. It was so bad. I would be sleeping and could hear and feel water-like stuff go from one canal to the next. It kept me up at night and drove me nuts during the day. I would get these random moments of clear hearing and it was great. Like all weird things pregnancy wise, I figured once I delivered, it'd go away. And for the most part it did. Except some days, I would get these weird moments of clear hearing that would tell me I wasn't hearing well; but I wasn't uncomfortable, so I let it be. Well this past week my hearing got worse. And I had a lot of pressure on my ears, especially my right ear. All this time over the months I've been trying to keep them super clean by "clearing out the drainage" with Q-tips. So stupid.

Well Friday I was teaching and I could not hear my students talk. Like at all. They'd ask what a word meant, I gave ridiculous and weird translations. They thought I was crazier than ever. I googled like crazy for natural remedies and it said I could drop hydrogen peroxide in to clear them. So I stopped at Target on the way home and bought that and droppers. When I got home I did it and I was deaf. Instantly I couldn't hear a thing. Trevor would talk to me and I would say "What?!?". We were like a couple of 90 year olds. Trevor yelling, me not hearing, Jack being creeped out. I proceeded to freak the f out. I was panicking hard core. Trev called into work because without my hearing, I was dizzy and in no shape to drive and I called my doctor's. They were closed. Awesome. So, off to the urgent care room. There was no way I was waiting until Monday afternoon. We get there and the doctor confirms my ears are plugged up and need to be irrigated.

I'll save the nasty details in case you're eating while reading this but they took a huge syringe with warm water and hydrogen peroxide and shot it into my ears over and over and over and let them drain into a container. So so so so so gross. I had pretty much compacted a years worth of wax with the Q-tips. When they were almost done I got seriously dizzy and had to lay down. I felt drunk or like when you're little and spin a bunch and stop and the ground moves. I pulled out some of my college hangover tricks and put one foot off the bed and on the floor flat. It was rough. But! The plus is now I am hearing in HD clarity. Like I can hear an ant walking on a piece of grass! It's a little creepy after not hearing well for so many months.

So the moral of the story is to not use Qtips. The staff there said this happens all of the time and they don't use them and said no one should either! Well it was a nasty enough experience to make it so Trev and I will never use them again. It felt really weird getting out of the shower and just cleaning with the towel but I will never go through that again.

Afterwards we went to HFWB to meet our friends', Heather and Seth, new baby girl, Avery Rozz Stern. I can't link on mobile, but she has an awesome blog called Confessions of a Wannabe. She (Avery) is such a peanut and looks just like her mama. I wish I would have remembered to take a picture! Jack loved her and was a trooper through such an eventful evening (after he had been out to lunch with Daddy and Grandma and visited Grandma's work). We are certainly blessed with an easy going and happy baby.

Today we scrubbed the house (spring calls for baseboards, doors and all those nooks and crannies being cleaned). Thank goodness we have a Dyson since we have a zoo (read: two adults, a baby led weaning baby, two puffy Persians and a black lab/border collie).

So was that nasty enough for you? Earwax impaction, labor, and a dirty list of chores? Sorry I'm blogging more ;)

Jack is 7 Months Old! (and an update on our family)

What is it about each passing month that time picks up greater speed and he grows, changes and learns faster than I can jot things down?  My baby is growing up so fast!  It was so great that I was on spring break last week and able to just slow down and enjoy more of the simple moments with him.  We woke up later, cuddled in bed, took our time doing things and just all around relaxed, played and enjoyed our time together.  Trevor and I both commented on how low key life was while I was on break.  Needless to say, we are both looking forward to the summer when I am off! 

Over break we did do some things, though!  We were hoping to start the moving process.  Waterford Schools are no longer what they were when we were there and although I can send him to the school district I teach in for free and not pay tuition (it is not a school-of-choice district), I am not sure I want to do that for several reasons.  We also would like him to live where he goes to school.  Well those plans are going to be on hold for a bit.  We looked at some houses in neighborhoods/districts we liked but we felt that they were all downgrades and they could potentially suck us into bidding wars.  We were fortunate to buy our house in 2009 when the housing market was so low that we walked away with a pretty much brand new house on the lake for a steal.  Now, with the market on the rise, we really can't get an equivalent house for a decent price.  I'm happy the market is making a comeback and that our house could have made us a significant profit in 3 years, but we were really bummed about the prospects.  In addition, because our house is so awesome, we know it would have sold almost immediately and then we would have been crunched to find something quickly and we were worried about settling when the house we have right now is perfect.  We didn't want bigger or better, we just wanted our house but in a different location.  So, instead of moving, we are going to refinance to take advantage of the great interest rates and to get rid of our PMI now that we have plenty of equity in the house.  We are lucky enough to be able to refinance to a 15 year loan and only pay $100 more a month.  If we stay in our house, how awesome will it be to be mortgage-less at 42?!  And that will be right when Jack starts driving and before he goes to college.  We will see, though!  We also took our savings and paid off my car 3 years early and are just a few months away from paying off Trevor's 2.5 years early.  Then we really hope to start saving lots of money and redo our floors and get new appliances (and maybe take a family vacation or two, and start planning for that eventual #2). 

Also, over break we did our spring cleaning.  Any one who comes to our house knows we are very neat, tidy, clean and minimalist people so they probably don't know what we cleaned but our computer desk, spare room and garage were looking a little crammed for our standards so we spent a day sorting through that stuff.  It was such a nice to-do to check off.

I did purchase a few things over spring break but with our minimalist viewpoint I was really mindful of my choices.  I bought a few clothing items for summer that would be easy to wear to work, mix and match and nurse in since I have a funky new body shape (thanks excess skin, gross!).  I didn't spend much money at all and was able to get several outfits from a few things.  I also bought a glass LifeFactory water bottle because of how nasty my plastic ones were looking.  The environmental impact of that bottle is much lower than other options out there.  Trevor and I have been really committed to making eco-friendly, vegan, minimalist choices and I think that is an awesome example we are setting for Jack on how to be happy without doing harm.  (Trev has been pop free and eating plan based and looks awesome if I do say so myself!)  If you get a chance, check out the short videos by The Story of Stuff on youtube.  I can't say I see things the same afterwards! 

Lastly, Easter was actually during spring break this year.  We took Jack with us to Inn Season where we always have a yummy vegan Easter brunch.  The Easter bunny brought Jack the book The Giving Tree to leave in his re-usable wooden Easter basket from his late Uncle Jack.  He also received another book from his Grandma and Grandpa Sheldon (which he loves) and some soft blocks from Nana and Papa that he loves to throw.  We also celebrated the short life of his late Uncle Jack, met Avery and Jianna at the park, hung out with Nana lots, and FaceTimed with Brittany.  It was the perfect spring break!

Now onto Jack!  He amazes me more and more every day.  I can't believe how much he changes.  Here is what he is up to this month (no weight/height stats because we don't have to go to the doctor's again until 9 months-woo!)

Eating:
Most importantly, we are still nursing and we are not having any troubles.  Over break it was so nice to not have to pump and worry about drinking my tea and how many ounces and cleaning bottles, blah, blah, blah.  Nursing is infinitely quicker and easier than pumping and bottle feeding so yet another reason I can't wait for the summer.  He has tried mashed potatoes (with breastmilk), mashed sweet potatoes with nutmeg and cinnamon, roasted potatoes, mashed peas, asparagus, hummus, mango, and cauliflower (in addition to things he already tried last month and is still loving).  Any time we eat he will get angry if we don't offer him anything so we have been eating super healthy so that we can always have some of what we are eating (Trevor has had some amazing weight loss and I am below my pre-pregnancy weight by 5 pounds!).  It is really cute when he eats, he chews so well and goes "mmmmmmmmm" the whole time.  We know he is done because he starts feeding Sofía (and laughing when we say no) and ripping his bib off and sending food off everywhere.  I did get my second plugged duct, though, this month and boy, are those painful!  Again, pumping I am sure is to blame.  Bonus to nursing is now that he is more active, he bumps his head often but a quick nursing session has him tear free and happy almost immediately!

Sleeping:
He is doing better!  We now have his crib side-carred to our bed (the front rail off and the bed pushed up against ours, level with our mattress).  We bit the bullet and are letting him sleep on his belly and he is doing so much better (he sleeps just like his mommy and even snuggles like me, with one leg on the other person, lol).  I was wearing him in the Boba to get him sleepy and then transferring him to the crib, but now that we made his bedtime around 9/10 instead of 8, he falls asleep on his own much easier.  He still nurses throughout the night and then wakes around 7/7:30.  Even though it is a small improvement, it is better than regression and it feels great.  I'm pretty much used to this now and if he sleeps for long periods, I actually wake up to check up on himWe notice that when he gets tired now he pulls at his right ear, it is pretty cute!

Development, learning, play, preferences and everything else!:
Jack is a very vocal and social little boy.  He loves to scream and talk LOUDLY and make a noise that sounds like an owl going "hoo, hoo".  We think he has waved hi a few times but it is hit and miss at this point.  Speaking of hitting, he loves to slap the skin of anyone around him and hear that noise, so watch out!  He is also in love with touching books that have fur, scales, etc.  He loves to learn and experience new things!  Thanks to object permanence he is understanding things leave and come back so Peekaboo is a huge hit, as is throwing things off the high chair and looking for them.  In addition, when we each come home after being at work, he is not only thrilled but when you say "Mommy/Daddy is home!" and he hears the garage door, he starts looking around.  If you hide during peekaboo he will start pushing off, moving and looking for you.  This pushing off is becoming more common as he wants to investigate and even be mobile!  He rocks in the crawling position, can stand holding on to things (though not pull up), doesn't like laying down, can sit on his own and even reach all around pretty well (just the occasional fall), can scoot backwards and sideways a little and wants to be active.  I am starting to think he will love his swim lessons that start in about two weeks.  I've been taking baths with him in our tub to get him ready for being in deeper water with me and getting his face wet.  He loves it! 

His blonde hair is really filling in.  He is still in 6-9 and 9 month clothing.  I am glad I bought 12 month clothing last summer for him for this summer.  He loves his teddy bear that Aunt Annie and Uncle Max got him when he was born, will only take Dr. Brown's pacis and can hold them, twirl them, put them in his mouth and fling them everywhere!  When he sees himself in the mirror or a picture of him on our desktop monitor, he is besides himself with joy.  He enjoys sitting down and flapping his arms non stop like a duck and is being a little bit of a Mommy's boy right now and reaching for me when Daddy holds him (I'm sure we will trade off being favorites throughout his life, though!).  He did great on our weekend trip to Traverse City for cousin Matthew's baptism and he was able to meet Great Grandma and Grandpa Moore for the first time.  We used disposables during the day (not night) while gone and we HATED them.  What a disaster.  I will be traveling with cloth from here on out!

Well that is what is happening in the Sheldon household! :) Right now we are anxiously awaiting spring and considering growing veggies but I have no idea what to do!  Any advice would be great :)

Jack is 6 Months Old!

How is he a half year old?!  How have I been a mother for half of a year?!  It is no joke when people say time flies when you have children.  I feel like it passing month picks up even more speed because he is knocking out the milestones left and right.  I am barely able to write them down before he moves on to the next one.  He is such a little person and less and less baby like.  Here is the run down on Jack this month:

Sleeping:
Still not amazing but definitely not terrible.  We tried sidecarring his crib to our bed but Jack really just wants to snuggle us so if he isn't in the Rock 'n Play next to my bed, then he is snuggling us in bed.  It makes it so much easier for sidelying to nurse.  I can just sleep while he nurses then he dozes back to sleep.  He is nursing about every two hours for a quick meal.  He goes to bed between 8 and 9 and is up around 5:30-6, occasionally wanting to party between 3 and 4.  Occasionally we use the Woombie but his startle reflex is starting to go away and that helps lessen that need.  Great napper, though!

Eating:
Using Baby Led Weaning, as I discussed in a previous post (can't link on mobile, but check it out), Jack had his first solid on 2/20-avocado.  He has since ate/painted avocado often since then but also tried banana, frozen banana, cantaloupe, broccoli, tofu, oatmeal, baked apples with nutmeg and cinnamon, stir fry veggies, sweet potatoes, cucumber, red and yellow bell peppers, toast, carrots and pita bread.  He acts like food is tart and shivers and makes a bitter face each time but then he loves it once he gets a few bites in.  He is also enjoying feeding Sofía.  I was doing dishes at the end of a meal the other night and I heard giggles and I look over and he was feeding her some food he stashed in his high chair and she was licking it up.  What a crazy duo those two will be.  I absolutely the no fuss, no worry, laid back approach of baby led weaning.  We all have so much fun at meal time.  We are still breastfeeding and I am very much looking forward to only having to pump at work for three more months (until we are out for the summer).  Nursing is enjoyable, pumping is not.  My tea has helped me to replenish my freezer stash a little and I am so thankful for that, even if it makes me smell like Aunt Jemima.  Either way I am so in love with nursing now that it is no longer painful, is quick and he is happy.  I am so thankful to be at this place now.  On a side note, we think solids are helping Jack's reflux and plan to try to wean him off his Zantac.

Activities/Favorites:
Some of Jack's favorite things: patting his diaper, "punching" us when we say "pow, pow, pow", loves Sofia, Leo and Gato so much (petting, talking to, playing with), enjoys the car and carseat so much and I never thought I would say that-he actually sleeps often (unless we are out in public-then Boba or Girasol babywearing wrap for sure!) (the minute we put him in the carseat he will poop!), he is ticklish, likes if we growl at him or fake bite his hands, enjoys eskimo kisses, his favorite toy is his raspberry teether or sitting up at his activity mat that has crinkly toys, and likes when Daddy reads "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom".  Daboinging and bouncing are favorite activities, too.  When he is sleepy, he now hums himself to sleep.

Development:
He is super loud and loves, loves, loves to talk, bounces 24/7 in every position you put him in (in your arms, on your hip, laying down, etc.), dramatic fake coughs to get us to laugh, says "Mom mom mom mom" like an old man wearing dentures (and sometimes "bababababa" and a few "dadadada"), can sit up unassisted but needs us to be near in case he reaches too far forward or his big cloth diaper butt causes him to tip backwards, reaches for us (my favorite time of the day when I come home and he reaches for me with a big gummy smile-still no teeth!), throws temper tantrums when he wants something (like his own wet wash cloth during bath time to suck on), is wearing 6 to 9 and 9 month clothes and weighs 16 pounds 1 oz and measures 26.5inches long (25th and 50th percentiles respectively).  We are also going to start baby sign language with him over the next few weeks.


I look back at his older posts and I can not believe that 6 months ago he was just a little baby blob and now he is a fully interactive little boy with thoughts, feelings, desires and lots of personality and things to say.  I have to say we are so lucky to have an easy going and happy baby.  Anyone that is around him or meets him for the first time is in aw of how chill he is.  He just lights up my life and I am so thankful to be his mommy.  I am now back to my pre-pregnancy weight (and dare I say, a few pounds lighter) but my clothes do not and probably will not fit the same ever again (damn mom pouch).  Ah well, he is definitely worth it :) 

food before one is just for fun

So this past Wednesday we did it! We offered Jack his first solid at about 5.5 months. I planned to wait until he was 6 months but he was showing readiness signs as outlined by the Baby Led Weaning (BLW) philosophy.

OK, side track. Everyone knows I am really into nutrition and healthful/conscious food choices so it should come as no surprise that I (over?) research Jack's eating. As he started approaching 4 months I began reading about the lack of nutrients and benefits of rice cereal. It is thought that most babies start out with rice cereal because it is low allergen risk, however, if parents wait until a baby is fully ready for solids, allergic reactions are cut back greatly. Rice cereal is at best really filling carbohydrates. The issue with that is that a baby will get full then with carbs and then still want to nurse frequently to make up for lack of fat, vitamins, minerals, etc. It isn't a really balanced product.

So, we skipped rice cereal at 4 months. I ordered the Baby Led Weaning cookbook off from Amazon and took a long leisurely bath one night with a glass of wine and read up. I really liked the ideas outlined. It said to not start solids until showing signs of readiness (sitting up unassisted, loss of tongue thrust reflex, chewing while parents chew, etc) because at this point their gut is closed at less risk of allergies or issues. Remarkably, reaching out for food is not a readiness sign as babies literally reach out and put everything in their mouth at this age (very true for Jack). Cutting a tooth is a "bonus" readiness sign but not necessary (if he's anything like his mama, which he is, he won't get teeth for a while!).

Oh, and real quickly, weaning in this sense is just going from all breastmilk to some breastmilk and some food, I am not quitting breastfeeding. It is a British term.

OK, back on track! BLW also says that babies should feed themselves in manageable portions of whole foods so that they regulate their hunger. This really spoke to me. Instead of me sitting there force feeding organic purées I spent time cooking (because if I did purées, that's how I would be doing it), I can put manageable portions of fruits and veggies (and eventually grains and proteins) on his tray and let him self feed and be adventurous. I love this no pressure approach. I don't need to be worried about how much he is getting in since he is still nursing and can let him learn and eat as his development, tastes and hunger dictate. Plus, bonus points for laziness. As a working mom I love the idea of not having extra dishes/silverware to wash, making his special food, having to cart around special food for him, etc. The cookbook recipes are all enough for two adults and one baby so we will all get to eat the same meal at the same time. And they are awesome recipes with flavor, texture and variety. I'm so excited to watch him try different ethnic flavors and a variety of fruits, veggies, grains, etc. Salt and sugar are really taken out so it will help Trevor and I to eat even healthier. I also love the eating out convenience. When we go out he can just have some things off our plates and eat with us instead of having to spoon feed him food and then we eat something different afterwards.

So since Jack was showing readiness signs, the other night when we were having veggie burgers and I had some avocado on mine (the first food I wanted to introduce to him), I put some on his plate in small chunks, some mushed with a fork and some in a big chunk and he had a blast. I'm positive nothing made it in his mouth but he painted his highchair a lovely shade of green and helped fatten Sofía up (who is so happy to have another person to take food from). Maybe next week we'll try again but we are just taking this day by day and not concerning ourselves with how much he gets in since food before one is just for fun. He still has the perfect blend of fat, water, vitamins and nutrients in breastmilk.

Lastly, how are we going to raise Jack eating wise? The short answer is mostly plant based, some vegan. I feel pretty strongly that while he is younger, to not feed him meat or diary because of the research I have done. I cook plant baased vegan at home, eat plant based and some vegan outside of home and plan to follow that with Jack. Once he is old enough to make his own informed choices and if he wants meat, he can choose to eat it without judgement. I don't think anyone in my friends and family circle would make fun of either of us or go against my wishes. They know how important this is to me. Some people have asked if its fair to put my beliefs on him. I don't see how this is any different than raising a child with a certain religious or cultural viewpoint. Parents share their viewpoints with their children on everything, that is what parenting is really, no? I also think it will be awesome that he can look up to his Aunt Annie who has been a vegetarian all her life. Just last night we had an awesome discussion about animal cruelty together. She is such my mini-me! I think education here is key.

Anyway, that's Jack's eating as of now! I want to attach some videos of his first food (not eating-haha!) experience but mobile blogger won't let me!

Randomness

I've been wanting to update this blog more often and make it more of a family blog but as I'm sure it's easy to imagine, doing so with a newborn (wait infant, he's no longer a nb) is somewhat difficult. I have these grand plans of making posts with links and pictures but I rarely get a chance to get to a desktop these days. Anyway! Here's some things I wanted to document:

I love baths! Prior to Jack I never, ever took baths. We lived in this house for 3 years before I ever took a bath. He kind of inspired me to take them when I saw how much he enjoys them. I usually take one on Sunday afternoon. I love using LUSH bath bombs with them-an addiction started by my sister and continued by my sweet husband. The company only sells vegan homemade products and is anti-animal cruelty. Ever since having Jack, I have been increasingly more hippy (if you can believe it) and I like the idea of pampering myself while supporting an ethical company.

On that same note, I am really glad I had Jack at the point in my life I did. Any younger and I wasn't really educated about things I am today. I truly enjoy making informed choices on the things I buy for him and what I buy for him. I try to do the most natural possible because I see so many positives to it. For example, we use coconut oil for his diaper rash cream, bumgenius and pooters cloth diapers, earth mama angel baby shampoo and lotion (vegan and makes him smell like a creamsicle!), rock n green unscented detergent, and an amber teething necklace for teething pain. Younger me would have thought these things were silly and I certainly wouldn't have tried breastfeeding.

In addition, we've been really conscious about what he really needs. With an outlook on simplicity and minimalism, it's seems so silly to us to spend frivolously on Jack when really his needs and wants are so few. We've been conscious to buy clothes that can mix and match, well made imaginative toys (wooden, creative toys like Haba and Melissa and Doug). It's definitely more important to Trevor and I to provide him with more experiences than things. For that reason, he might not have every latest and greatest toy but he will do mommy and me swim lessons, have a parent home with him during the day, take family vacations together and do things that create lifelong memories. Every family is different but this works for ours. I hope to teach Jack on the importance of respecting resources (money, earth, time) and how to lead a purposeful, fun and meaningful life.

To prove how random this post is, tomorrow I am taking Jack to our first La Leche League International (breastfeeding group) meeting. I'm pretty excited! I don't know what really to expect but it will be nice to get together with (hopefully) like minded mamas. It's interesting now that I am a mom, I feel really confident in myself like I never have before. I used to be concerned what people thought of my crunchy tendencies, liberal thoughts and views but now I really don't care if someone disagrees or offers me contradicting advice I don't care for. For the first time in my life I am able to just smile and nod and move along without a care because I know we are the only advocates for our child and I'm so fortunate to have a partner that agrees with our parenting style. I'm sure it would be so difficult otherwise.

Thanks to our refund check Trevor and I want to take a small vacation this summer just the three of us but we can't decide where. It's hard because all of the awesome ones we think of we want to wait until we have both kids and they are old enough to remember them. Decisions decisions!

As the ever type A planner I am, I've been looking towards Jack's future schooling and our housing needs. We absolutely do not want Jack going to Waterford Schools and while Bloomfield Hills is an option since I work there, we want to live in the district he goes to school in for community and social reasons. Lets face it, Bloomfield is way out of our price range. So, we've had our realtor send us updates of houses for sale now that we are past the three year time frame of the Obama housing credit. There have been a few nice houses but as we are seeing, it is hard to find a nice house in a nice neighborhood for the price were paying now. Location really is number one in real estate. I would like to live in a community that has things going on: Rochester, Royal Oak, Troy, Clarkston. Trevor like more suburbia of: West Bloomfield, White Lake, Walled Lake, Holly. All of those places have great schools so were just watching the market now and waiting until the time is right for us. I definitely want to move before baby #2 and do it during the summer when I am off so we will see how that works!

I feel like now Trevor and I are really in a groove with our new life and routine and things are going well. I'm so lucky to have such a caring and compassionate husband. He really looks out for us and loves us. We might not have much but we have exactly what we need!