Ahhh man....

 

Elaina playing in the sun. The Mr. Happy shirt making the rounds again.

3 months old

Baby Etta getting bigger....

Check out my YouTube channel for a video. You can get there from the sidebar.

In the classroom

I have been out of the classroom for a while. It is nice to be able to lead a group of children in learning again.  As we were waiting to go outside I sat down with a book and props (a ball and a bunny puppet). The kids came running and they were each offered a ball each to participate in the story about a bunny who learns to share his ball.

My new planner

It is Purple!!!! Of course I had to get it. It is Christian based and has a verse on each day but that is OK. I enjoy the Bible. I just don't use it as a spiritual or religious guide. I see it more as a piece of Western culture. Even I you don't worship the God of the Hebrews you sort of need to know about him to get most of the jokes Christians tell themselves..... :).

Besides, it is a good planner with a dandelion on ot!!

Of course I am pumping in the background in case anyone noticed......

Pay it forward. ...

Many times I have sold items online in my Etsy shop or on Ebay and paid more for shipping than it cost to ship. Since I advertise a certain shipping cost I stand by it. Well, a customer noticed. A lovely woman in Canada noticed her husband underpaid shipping of an item.  She had a few US dollars laying around so she sent them to me with a wonderful thank you card. She hopes to sell online herself one day so she felt this was a welcome gesture. I think it was totally AWESOME. I need to contact her to see what she plans on selling so I can promote an honest sweet person.....

Sweet Dreams.....

 
And the baby is out like a light after a lavender oil massage. Now I am in a state of calm. I diffused tarragon all the time while I was pregnant. Wonder if there is a connection with my feelings and the baby's mood. I love learning more about the frequencies of some oils and how they effect people differently.

Etta and Mama!!

To the library we went yesterday

We needed to get out of the house so we headed to the library. We even drug Lyn's boyfriend. ..

Eliot and Ben

Ben and Eliot are getting spoiled by the new teacher working at church with me. She is a storyteller by trade and a really cool woman all the time. They are getting into her flannel board pieces.....

Happy Etta

A bit of snow

The only snow Helena got today landed on my car. No school today or tomorrow. ..... not a good thing. I need to work.

Working on matching colors in the classroom

You start playing with pop together toys but the toddlers don't have the strength to connect them on their own so what do you do? You turn the toys into items that can be matched by color. The kids were so excited and even the ones who could not verbally identify colors could match them physically. Way to go toddlers....

Etta, 11 and a half weeks old

Little girl is growing slowly and is a big spitter upper but she is getting bigger.  She weighs over 9 pounds now. That only makes a little over 3 ounces a week which is a bit under the average 5 to 7 ounce weight gain for a breastfed girl. She has had what was probably croup so she had to use some growing energy to get better. Now that she seems better we may see a gain in weight.  She eats all the time. Now she will empty her stomach like Eliot did sometimes once a day sometimes more than once. I am pretty confident after she reaches 4 months old it will stop. Definitely at 6 months I think it will be under control. It is cold tonight so she is ready for bed in a sleep sack swaddle blanket. She sleeps cozy in it. I don't swaddle much. This one keeps the arms snug but the legs are fairly free in just a sack. No tight swaddling on my baby's hips and legs....

Over 9 pounds

Tiny Baby Etta weighs in at 9 pounds 7 ounces......

Slow and steady growth for a breastfed baby. She started out at 7 pounds one ounce. I am glad my mother gave us a baby scale. Since we have opted out of well baby visits it is nice to see how she is growing. I have a mother's instinct that because she has been batteling croup for so long it is compromising her growth. So much of her energy is being used to get well. Just my theory.....

Breastfeeding is going well physically.  I have plenty of milk as usual and after one quick round of mastitis all is well. Emotionally I really want to wean. I am so stressed out and touched out. I am having a love hate relationship with nursing. Dealing with pumping before work and not getting a break to pump at work is stressful.  I am having guilt that I just want to make it to 6 months. I am donating milk to an adopted baby too so there is guilt on weaning there too.

Gentle Babies

As I work more and more with therapeutic essential oils I want to know more. This book is a great start.

Blessed Imbolc

Simple welcome to Spring and farewell to Winter.....

Today, Imbolc, is the halfway point between the seasons.  With the freezing and then very warm weather all in one week it is very fitting to celebrate this seasonal milestone.