Naturally

The title of this blog came to me effortlessly. However, now that it's here and established, I (naturally) find myself questioning it. What does it mean to be a natural mom, and am I really one?

I try to live life as close to the earth as I can. I'm not excellent at it, or even exceptional, probably. I have always made some extra effort, however, to recycle, seek out clean produce, reduce chemical exposure, etc. It's a lifelong effort, is my thinking, and we each do our best as our various resources allow.

In terms of motherhood, I fought to turn a "high-risk" pregnancy into a natural birth 20 months ago. Despite an ob and perinatal staff who were determined to find something wrong with me, a woman of "advanced maternal age" who had tested oh-so-slightly out of range on a couple of things, I felt great. In opposition to their empathic pleas, I switched my care to a midwifery practice at around my 34th week, vaginally delivering a healthy baby girl in 37 hours' time (about 35.5 hours of which was home labor), just two days before her due date.

I breastfed that girl until she was 15 months old. I made all of her baby food purees, most often with organic produce. I cook nearly all of our family meals, and I strive to use as much organic produce as our budget and local offerings allow (I often refer to a little card in my wallet with the cleanest and dirtiest produce types when a decision needs to be made). We eat a minimum of processed food, though I know that could be further reduced. I cloth diaper. I use homemade diaper wipes and wipe solution.

Finally, I have wanted that baby since I was about 20 years old. It took 17 tough years of finding myself and my mate to make it happen. I always felt maternal. I took care of several partners and friends over the years, offering far more assistance than they needed at their age. So, does mothering come naturally to me? I think I will answer that in the same way most of you moms would--some days yes, and some days NO!

There are so many aspects to this vague notion of natural parenting, and I look forward to examining my techniques and exploring new possibilities here.

In...spir...a..t...i...o...n

I feel fizzled. I'm having a difficult time already managing and tackling the possibilities of this blog. Determining exactly what I want it to be and how I want to get there. The lists I should be making and the decisions I should be decisioning (to steal some of my husband's corporate speak).

I will post something of note soon, I promise. My main problem is actually natural mom-related: I am so, so very fatigued from chasing a toddler and carrying a fetus. I wish I could nap like this. I actually remember this nap from my first pregnancy...that's how good it was.

Insomnia hit last weekend and I'm not caught up. I need to make myself nap at Lil's naptime, but there's so much to do around the house. You know...

I'd be interested to know how other moms tolerated pregnancy while caring for toddlers. What tweaks could I make to feel more settled, more present?

green to grow Bottles on Clearance at Giant

The Giant supermarket in Whitehall has a "dented-can" shelf in a great location for me--the frozen food aisle, in front of the ice cream (we never miss that area of the store).

Today I found some bisphenol-A- and phthalate-free baby bottles on said shelf, made by green to grow.  I grabbed a 5 oz. bottle, a 10 oz. bottle and a box of extra nipples for the rock-bottom price of only $5.25 (for everything).

I've never used these bottles.  In fact, with Lil, I just finally got her to take cow's milk from a bottle when she was about 12-14 months old, when we were weaning from the breast, and a couple of months later we ditched them in favor of sippy cups.

I picked these up in case my baby boy, set to arrive in September, might be more cooperative than his big sister was and give Dad a chance to feed him expressed breast milk.  My husband never had the chance to give Lil a bottle when she was an infant...she just wouldn't accept it.

I have a few other types of bottles, but at this price, I thought it was worth having another set to try.  The nipples have a wide base, and the bottles are comfortable to hold.  Each comes with a lid that fits snugly (unlike others I've tried) and is marked with oz. and ml measurements.  There were more on the shelf, so get them while they last!

Inspired

I've been batting the blogging life around in my head for a few years now. I actually started a blog in January 2008, then promptly learned I was pregnant with my first child, and that was that.

That first blog was going to be very different from what you'll find here. I was a 30-something professional, a wife and a stepmom, an avid home cook and a notorious over-thinker. I thought I'd write about my adventures in life, marriage, and the kitchen. I had no idea what was in store for me. My life was about to change dramatically.

Now I'm a stay-at-home mom rounding the corner of her fourth decade and expecting her second child (surprise!). I have managed to continue watching films and reading books despite motherhood, but I lost a great gig doing freelance proofreading last year, and I need something to fill that literary void. I thought I'd get on the other side of the text for a while, and actually write something.

I live in a great region of Pennsylvania called the Lehigh Valley, near where I grew up in Berks County, PA. I've been around the block a bit where parenting blogs are concerned, and I've not found any that are specific to this area. I thought I might be able to fill a gap. (If you're a LV mommy/daddy blogger--of whom I'm clearly not aware--please, introduce yourself!).

Stay tuned. I'll write about experiences I have with my toddler girl, Lil, and little-boy-to-be, our daily adventures, cooking for kids (I've cooked nearly everything my Lil has eaten to date) and family, natural parenting (childbirth, nursing, products), and regional attractions and events.

What made me start this? I was inspired by a one-two punch today: a blogger friend invited me to attend a blogging event with her later this month, and I found a great deal on some baby products you might want to try at the grocery this afternoon. I'll post about the event later this month, and I'll jot a little post about the bargain right now.