Primal Baby

If you have been following me on facebook recently you might have noticed some recent pictures that might shock and amaze you. Like how I feed Caleb liver. And egg yolk. And bone broth. Call me weird, crazy, or strange if you like, but I believe I am giving Caleb the best possible start for a healthy digestive track and healthy eating habits.

It all started when I read the book Super Nutrition for Babies as per recommendation of my friend and blogger Jamie. This book completely changed my view of how we should feed our infants. The doctor who wrote the book advocates that food is the pathway to health. By supplying our bodies with the right nutrients we can better protect our bodies from contagious diseases, chronic diseases, obesity, and other illnesses related to deficiencies.

I am completely on board with this philosophy and have been for a while since learning more about nutrition through the wonderful Doctors and friends we have met through AdvoCare. AdvoCare advocates for the same holistic approach to health and wellness through proper nutrition, supplementation, and a healthy lifestyle. If I am going to help adults get healthy and give their bodies a fighting chance to stay that way why wouldn't I want to do the same for my own children?

Enter primal eating.

John and I have been about 90% paleo for 4 years now. Gluten and dairy will never enter our house due to our own allergies. So what is our plan for Caleb? Offer him baby super foods.

A few of these include:

Soft-boiled egg yolk
Egg yolks provide the "perfect protein" for babies. Keeping it semi-raw allows the heat-sensitive enzymes to remain in tack. The egg white is usually what people are allergic to, so just feeding the yolk to your baby reduces allergic reaction potential. I got some local organic eggs from a Farmer's Market to feed Caleb. He loved them! I did have to scramble the yolks a few times because the raw yolks gave him bad gas. 

Do I have something on my face?

Caleb loves to rake the scrambled yolks and shove them into his mouth

Liver
liver is the best source of all most all known nutrients. It is a common misconception that animal livers hold toxins. If you get a liver from a healthy animal this shouldn't be a problem. Babies are notorious for loving liver and gobbling it up and Caleb sure does! I cooked organic chicken liver then froze it. I will give him a hunk frozen to gnaw on and he loves it! This is the food item he reaches for the most.

trying to fit the whole liver hunk into his mouth

Gnawing on liver

Taking a bit of liver

Bone Broth
This is excellent for the digestive system because it contains gelatin, which is uniquely able to stimulate and support digestion. My friend MJ makes an organic bone broth that we LOVE. She simmers down the bones to much so that all the nutrients are in a highly absorbable form. I mix bone broth with Caleb's eggs and feed it to him with a spoon. When Caleb was sick with a fever a few weeks ago I fed him 1-2oz of bone broth in a bottle and his fever broke within 2 hours. Coincidence or not I'm not sure, but at least I know its great to feed a sick kid broth!

Little sick Caleb fighting off a fever

This is usually how I feed Caleb bone broth. I put it on a spoon and let him control how much he eats

Cod-liver oil
CLO (for short) contains copious amounts of DHA, which supports nervous system function, cellular communication, and helps probiotics colonize the gut. We have not introduced this one to Caleb yet but I am excited to soon!


STAY TUNED
I will be doing a future post on a few more foods we have fed Caleb as well as on the method of feeding, called Baby-Led Weaning. This method allows him to control what he chooses to eat, how much, and helps develop self-feeding skills. This is why you see pictures of him feeding himself instead of me feeding him pureed versions of foods or baby food.

Self-feeding champion

Ditching the Shampoo

I haven't washed my hair in a month.

Let me rephrase that so you don't plug your nose when you see me next: I haven't washed my hair with shampoo for a month.

It has officially been one whole month since I ditched the shampoo and conditioner to go "poo-free". Yes, I shower and "wash" my hair, just not with stuff that comes out of a bottle! I absolutely love the results I have seen so far and I never imagined how amazing my hair could feel. Want to know more?

What is"no-poo"?
No-poo is going part-time or full-time shampoo-free! People do it for a variety of reasons, the main one being to restore their body's natural oil production so that their hair is less greasy between washings. Others do it to reduce exposure to lurking toxins and chemicals in shampoo. Some extreme people only use water to wash their hair (crazy!). The standard "no-poo" method for washing your hair is to do a "shampoo" scrub of baking soda/water on the scalp to lift grease, remove odors, and exfoliate the scalp followed by a vinegar or apple cider vinegar "conditioner" rinse that clarifies, softens, and gives the hair a lustrous shine. Simple household ingredients that are cheap, gentle on the hair and scalp, environmentally friendly, and all natural!

Why did you do it? 
Firstly I knew that anything hippy-ish, DIY, and natural would be right up my creative alley! I suffered from terrible dandruff before I was pregnant. Pregnancy cleared it up but then it returned with a vengeance around 4 months postpartum. I was looking for a natural way to control it because in the past special shampoos, topical steroids, and even essential oils failed to keep it at bay. In addition, my hair was getting increasingly greasy between washings and I had much less time to wash my hair with a baby to take care of. I was looking for something that would allow me to go longer between hair-washings without the grease build up.

Any drawbacks? 
For some people it might take a month or two to see results. For others, their hair might get really greasy before it starts to get better. This is typically seen with people whose hair has undergone years of "shampoo abuse" or in people who have a high oil production in response to "over-shampooing". Another drawback is traveling with your baking soda and vinegar concoctions can be challenging. And then there is the group of people who might really miss the foamy frothy feeling of scrubbing shampoo into their hair because the no-poo method doesn't get you those soapy suds.

What does your shower routine look like? 
I will wash my hair 2-4 times a week depending on how sweaty I get and if I am swimming. For the "shampoo" I put a 1/4 cup of baking soda in a small cup before I step in the shower. I add water until it is a bit thinner than a paste and can be poured. I pour it over different parts of my scalp and exfoliate for 30 seconds or so, focusing on any spots that were greasy. For the vinegar "conditioner" I have done two methods that I like. I have used a spray bottle and an old honey bear container (one you spray on, one you pour over). Both ways you mix equal parts water and vinegar in your container and apply to your entire head of hair, working from the roots to the tips. I personally leave it in for about 2 minutes but it can also be rinsed out right away. Rinse out then finish with a cold rinse to seal in the shine. Be careful! The vinegar can sting your eyes or any cuts if you aren't paying attention. NOTE: if you do not rinse the vinegar out thoroughly you will smell like a salad.

Any results so far? 
Amazing results people! Better than expected! My dandruff is nearly gone, my hair shines so much more, my hair feels thicker, and most impressively the roots stay clean and less greasy between washings. I have gone up to 5 days between washings and only at the end was it getting a little bad and grease ball. I can really feel the difference and my hair feels so much healthier. The natural, protective oils on my scalp are a whole lot happier and I can tell it is a bit more in balance that before when I was using shampoo regularly.

New healthy hair! 3 days without "washing"

No flakes!

Final Thoughts
I am really glad that I embarked on this hippy hair adventure. I have received so many benefits and am very pleased with my new hair! Early on I made the decision to forgo shampoo for Caleb and instead just use water and maybe twice a month a gentle castile soap on his head and body. All those chemicals I saw as unnecessary and I knew that a baby's oil is super protective for their skin. I wish I had decided to to the same for myself sooner! For anyone who is crunchy curious and is interested in trying it out I would say go for it! You don't really have anything to lose and the worst that could happen is you go back to using regular shampoo. The best that could happen is you pay a fraction of the cost for hair that will make celebrities envious and put Pantene commercials to shame. In the future I can see myself using traditional shampoo occasionally if I am traveling, need to get something yucky (like baby food) out of it, or I am getting my hair cut at a salon.  This adventure has been so fun and I am excited to share it with more people!

Picture Gallery 

Since some of you skip all text in my blog and will only look at pictures of Caleb, here ya go! Eat your hear out on this chubby cuteness!

Not so sure about the sand sample

Gobble up the thighs daily

Teething baby morning cuddles.

Kinsley is teaching the boys how to use a pen correctly

Sand Castle building season with his buddy

Caleb 7 months

Our little man just keeps getting bigger and bigger! I can't believe he is

Age: 7 months
Weight: 24lbs
Size clothes: 12-18 months

Interests: Caleb loves to be on his tummy while reaching for anything he can gets his hands on to explore with his mouth. He particularly enjoys clothespins (which happen to be in every room of our house) and hard objects the teeter on the verge of being unsafe. I learned that Caleb really likes to watch people who talk with their hands; he is fascinated with people who are animated talkers! Caleb continues to enjoy swimming in the pool, our bathtub, and now the ocean! He took his first great open water adventure a few weeks ago with John. Our little babe was naked, loved splashing around, and tried to eat the seaweed. The water was pretty chilly but this little love bug didn't seem to mind one bit! He has a saltwater heart like his mommy and daddy!

Favorite pastime: emptying his treasure box

Friends!

King of cool playing with Jeffery the Giraffe

Challenges: As always, nursing continues to be a struggle. I found myself at the zoo today with a group of ladies from the Badass Breastfeeders of San Diego nursing my child on a towel on the concrete ground in the food court. Yep. That's how we roll. Eat in the Ergo? No way! In the cradle position? Forget it mom! Sitting up? You are crazy woman! Eat on the hard floor, on a towel, lying down in the food court? Ok, sounds great Ma! Well, at least we don't have to worry about a weight gain problem. Sigh. Another challenge we have encountered is how frustrated this little dude gets when he can't reach an object he accidentally batted away in a gleeful exuberance of excitement. Those darn arms just aren't long enough! Soon enough he will be crawling and a whole new world will be opened up to him!

If I can't find anything else to play with, my feel are always there to explore!

Milestones: Caleb now has three little pearly whites! His first one sprouted on Friday July 8th, 2 weeks later other the partner bottom tooth popped up, and a few days ago I noticed a top side tooth was coming in too! The first tooth was the hardest for him to pop, and after that one I didn't notice much of a change in his behavior. Caleb is pushing up onto this hands and knees and rocking around, trying to propel himself forward. Sooner that we know it this little guy is going to be scurrying all over the place! Caleb has started to sign "milk", but I don't think he has any idea what "milk" means because he is definitely not hungry when he is signing it. Caleb started hugging me and John tightly around our necks when we pick him up. It is the most precious thing in the whole wide world! We recently took Caleb to get adjusted by Dr. Tapia and before his adjustment he was only rolling back to tummy to the right side. Within 24-48 hours he started to roll all 4 ways! He had his second adjustment this morning and we will continue to take him in to make sure his body isn't developing a tight side, which can have an impact on how muscles, ligaments, and the nervous system develops.
 

Waiting to be adjusted by Dr. Tapia

First tooth!

"Hugging" daddy (aka chokehold)

Eating/sleeping/pooping: We are still giving Caleb tastes of food here and there, and we are still waiting until he can sit unsupported to begin solid foods. We are not putting him into a sitting position so that his spine and nervous system can develop properly, and as a result he will most likely sit after he can crawl. I am completely fine waiting, less of a mess and less equipment! Caleb is a champion sleeper, taking two 2-3 hours naps a day. He goes to bed around 8pm and I will dream nurse him whenever I go to bed a few hours later. He will usually wake up at 5am to nurse and then falls right back asleep until 7:30 or 8! As far as pooping goes, this little bug loves to make grunts and funny faces when he is having a bowel movement. Since he is picking things up and putting them in his mouth I have found grass, sand, and small pieces of hair in his diaper. I need to watch out when this guy has a pincher grasp!

Mr. Nursing pants

Hey guys! I'm awake!

Funny Memory:   Every morning creates a new opportunity for a funny memory. Caleb can now choose to get out of his floor bed when he is ready to wake up by slithering and rolling off. I have no idea how long he was been playing in the mornings until I hear a squeal of delight or a cry of frustration. The positions we find him in and the places he ends up on his bed are a constant source of enjoyment for the parents. John and I will often peek on his several times at night to see where he has moved on his bed, barely able to keep it together until we close his door and bust up laughing. 

One of the many places he (could) end up in the morning. (He does not sleep in the buff)

Caleb can't decide if he wants to stay in bed or wake up

This picture says it all.

My Brestfeeding Story

World Breastfeeding Week is upon us! I wanted to share my nursing journey with the hopes of normalizing some things that might seem a little, um... strange. Here goes...

Yesterday I had the honor of nourishing three babies all in the same day.

I nursed my son
I donated milk to my friend
I was a wet nurse 

Let me share with you a little bit about the journey to each of these moments in time that all collided into each other yesterday in a beautiful collection of the different parts of my breastfeeding journey.

I nurse my son

Our nursing relationship has never been "easy" but it has been wonderful. From the start I struggled to find a comfortable position for nursing and I just couldn't seem to get the hang of it! I called so many friends in tears because of how hard it all was. Once we were in the grove of things I learned I have a massive over-production problem blessing. Caleb and I are still struggling to find our groove when we are out in public. He is very particular about when, how, and where he eats. He freaks out with any type of covering and pops on and off quite a lot. His preference is to be nursed when we are lying down, he is clutching his blanket, his sound machine is going, and the fan is bowing on us. I have had success nursing him on the beach lying down on a towel and at a few parks, but other than those few times he rarely will eat when we are out and about. With all of those challenges, I have to say that I absolutely love nursing my son and I cherish the beautiful moments of us cuddling together. Those moments are so precious and I want to freeze them in time. I love nursing him and I plan to nurse him for as long as he desires (yes I hope to nurse my toddler).

This is the first picture I have of us nursing!

Milk drunk at 3 months

Mr. Kicky Pants nursing

I am a milk donor

Around 2 months postpartum a friend I had met in a breastfeeding support group inquired about milk sharing (donated milk) in one of our groups because she has a low milk-supply. Our amazing Lactation Consultant went over the benefits of donated milk, the health precautions, and how to have safe milk pumping and storing procedures. Later that week my friend had collected bags upon bags of breast milk that people from the group weren't going to use! I was intrigued but a little hesitant to donate milk because I didn't like pumping. I sucked it up (pun intended) and started out donating about 15oz a week. Since then I have upped my pumping sessions to 1-2x a day and I try to give her about 25 oz/week. I also donated milk to a mom in Ventura when I was visiting my family. Caleb wouldn't nurse so I pumped 9oz of milk and posted it on Eats on Feets (a milk-sharing facebook group) to see if anybody would be able to use it. I got so many responses for such a small amount of milk! So far I have donated almost 2 gallons of milk! I am happy to share the abundance I have been given with other babies.

Freezer stash for donation

I am a wet nurse

I feel honored to have nursed two other babies besides my own. The first time was my best friend's daughter in a spur-of-the moment emergency. The second time was yesterday. A friend I did yoga with a while back had a medical emergency that required her to take a medication that is absolutely not breastfeeding safe. She was told she couldn't nurse for three days and unfortunately her son refuses to take a bottle or drink milk from a sippy cup. Since he won't take milk any other way (and not for lack of trying) she reached out for help. Enter the wet nurse thing. A few other moms helped her out on Day 1. However on Day 2 he was very dehydrated and was struggling to drink liquids so I went over with Caleb in the afternoon to feed her son. I was pretty nervous about it if I am being honest! I was worried he wouldn't want to nurse from me and I was worried if it would feel different with the latch. When it was time for me to take him, her son didn't want me to hold him, play with him, or take him away from his mom. However, as soon as I got him latched on he was content and nursed like a champ. He fell asleep and I passed him off to his mom for his nap. I went back in the evening to feed the other baby before he went to bed. He was starving and emptied me so fast! He ended up falling asleep nursing and his mom finished putting him to bed. This was a wonderful experience for me and it was so natural and beautiful to be able to nourish another baby in a time of great need. This is how the human population has done it for thousands of years and I treasured this gift of life I was able to give my friend's son.

I feel honored and blessed to be able to give this precious gift from my body not only to my own son, but also to my friends' children through milk donation and wet nursing. I hope that my story helps to normalize breastfeeding a little bit more and encourage other moms to consider how they can either get help feeding their child or be of help to someone else!

Feet taste good too

Smiley guy!

I hate cleaning (less)

If you have known me for a while you probably know that I really don't like cleaning. Growing up my room was always a disaster. I would have several pairs of sweatpants and jeans on my floor that looked like someone had just taken them off and could jump into them in an instant to put them right back on. Chores were my least favorite part of my week and unless their was an incentive or a punishment rarely would I decide to tidy on my own.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the benefits of having a clean place. The order, the floors you can see, the lack of worry when a friend says they are stopping by.

The thing with clutter, a messy house, and stacks of dishes is that they make your brain feel that way. I have noticed that the more chaotic I feel reflects the state of our home. SO, I decided things needed to be different.

Well I feel like I have turned a new corner here folks. Things are slowly getting better. I wish we could hire a maid, but alas that isn't in our budget fight now. Here are the small things I am starting to do daily/weekly to keep our place a tad bit more clean, and it's working! I have been reading a little bit from FlyLady to help keep me organized and on top of things (a little) more. These things are super small, simple, and easy.

#1 Swish and swipe (3 minutes a day)
Ever feel that wave of panic when someone is coming over and asks to use your bathroom? Thoughts of "I hope there isn't too much dust on the toilet. Do I have a hand towel in there? Gosh I think I flushed last time, right? Hopefully my underwear isn't on the counter! Is that cute ring around the toilet bowl still, I swear I cleaned it last month" can create internal terror. So, every morning, Swish and Swipe, and your bathroom will always be guest-ready!

-Keep paper towels and window cleaner in the bathroom
-Spray the mirror, counter, faucet, and toilet with the cleaner
-Wipe down the mirror, counter, sink and then use this paper towel to wipe down the top and underside of the toilet.
-Scrub the toilet bowl quickly
-Wipe down the toilet seat and base with a new paper towel

DONE. It's so easy and if you wipe down the counter you need to make sure you put everything away that is living on the counter, so it keeps the clutter of bobby pins, toothpaste, and face lotion down.

#2. Clean Sink (10 minutes ~2x a day)
We don't have a dishwasher so it is really easy for our dishes to make babies and things get our of control in no time. Keeping the sink clean helps me cook better food because I have more space to prep. John is a dear and washes dishes regularly after dinner so I love getting help with this one.

#3 Zone Control
I divided my home into 5 zones. Bedroom, office/Caleb's room, bathroom, kitchen, and living room. Each day I do one thing to beautify the "room of the day", or I pick up a few things in a certain area of that room. For example Monday is "bedroom day" and I washed the sheets. Simple and easy! This is a great way for someone who is a new mom to follow. It is so easy to start to feel bad about not cleaning the whole house from floor to ceiling. One small thing a day can make a huge difference!

#4 Solutions for Storage
Right now I am working on solutions for storing and ordering systems in our home. There are so many places that need help right now I am focusing on the entryway first. It is the gateway to crazy messy if we let things stack up and pile on the floor. I am thinking an easy-to-access storage bench but we shall see.   

Here are some fun pics from the past few weeks!

DIY Tie-Dye Woven Wrap

I got a few requests to do a tutorial on my woven wrap I just made for me and Caleb!

It sure was a process but sooooo worth it to see my little dude melt into the wrap when I wore him. Overall I I enjoyed being creative and I can tell this is just the beginning of a DIY obsession with making baby carriers!

I joined a DIY Babywearing Group and was inspired by all of the amazing projects people were posting. I also joined a Dyed Baby Carrier group and was able to learn so much before attempting my dye job. If you are considering this project you need to join these groups! They are a wealth of knowledge. I did a Low Water Immersion dye with Tulip dye but there are so many more options out there to dye a wrap or a baby carrier if you are interested!

Steps simplified: 
1. Buy supplies
2. Scour and wash fabric
3. Hem wrap
4. Dye wrap
5. Rinse and wash
6. Wrap you baby!

Before you start:

-Decide what size wrap you want and add 1-2 yards for shrinkage. Click here for sizing info. I made a size 6 wrap + a Kanga and I got 8 yards of fabric to account for shrinkage.

-Set aside four days for this project (deep cleaning day, hemming day, dying day, rinsing and washing day)

-Make sure you have all of your supplies

Supply list: 

-3-8 yards Osnaburg fabric (I got mine at walmart)
-1-6 packets of dye (depending on how many colors you want)
-Soda ash
-Large tub/bucket
-Matching thread for hemming (it will not pick up dye)
-Iron and Ironing board
-Working sewing machine 
-Optional: rubber bands

Scour/Deep Clean your fabric:

The purpose of the scouring step is to deep clean your fabric before dyeing. It helps in removing invisible sizing or other finishes that can interfere with dyeing, though there are some finishes that can't be removed so easily. There are a few ways to do this, but here is what I did:

-Place fabric in bath tub
-Boil as much water as possible
-Pour boiling water over fabric and (optional) place a trash bag over it to reduce heat loss
-Stir with a wood spoon (I pounded it!)
-Add 1/2 cup soda ash
-add boiling water to cover fabric
-Let sit, stirring every 10 minutes for 1 hour
-Put your fabric in the washer and do hot cycle followed by a hot dry. Repeat this step (2x wash/dry)

Hem your Wrap 

Watch this video prior to hemming, this will save you tons of time! This lady is an amazing twin baby-wearing mama.
*tip: to cut fabric to size, you can rip!

Most wraps are ~30 in wide, I left 2 in on each side

Iron and roll technique

Test out your wrap!

Kanga (with extra fabric!!)

Dye Your Wrap
-Mix your dye according to the instructions and based on the type of dye job you are doing.
-Apply rubber bands if the technique you are using requires it
-Apply your dye based on how you are dying (some processes require you to soak your fabric in soda ash first)
-At this point your wrap should either be in a plastic bag or in a bucket/tub
-Let it sit for at least 12 hours to let the dye set

Low water immersion, folded into the bin

I added dye first then fixed it with soda ask 1 hour later

Kanga (no folds)

Rinse your wrap
-Put your wrap in the bathtub and RINSE away with cold water! It is helpful to commit 30 minutes to this part because the water must run clear in order to insure all the dye has been rinsed out. Dye can be toxic to babies if it is not rinsed out properly.
-Wash your wrap on cold 1x, then hot 1x.
-Dry on hot

After rinsing and washing. the wrap is done!

Kanga

I did some cloth diaper pre-folds too!

Wrap your baby 
-For wrapping techniques and advice, check out this website!

Super comfy wrap!