Forever......

About a month ago, I was rocking my sweet little Asher during the time he usually takes a nap. He was restless and having a hard time falling asleep.  My lullaby station was on Pandora softly in the room.  Nursing, rocking, massaging, singing, breathing....nothing was working that day to get this little one to rest.  I thought to myself..."he must just not need a nap today"...and I was just going to give up on nap time.  Then, on Pandora, came a song that I never really have listened to or at least paid attention to in the past....Lullaby by Dixie Chicks.  I looked down and those sweet little eyes looked up at me so heavy and moments later they were closed.  And off Asher went into dream land.  This song has now become part of our nap time rhythm.  Every time it comes on, seconds later he is fast asleep.

So I have come to love this song and the beautiful words that are sung.  I could have written them myself!  From the deepest part of me I know that my life began the moment I became a mother.  Life didn't even make sense to me until I took that first glance at my boys.  Every single thing I do....every breathe I take is for them!  Some people say not to lose yourself as a mother.....but I found myself as a mother.  I don't care if my clothes are out dated....my hair is a mess...my home is disordered....my makeup hasn't reached my face in days.....I am with my babies.  My babies need me now...in a few years they will start to become more independent.  They will start to go out into the world and explore it as their own.  I want to cherish and embrace this part of motherhood now!  

Their dada and I love them more than we can even grasp....more than words that can even be typed.  So all we can do today is promise that we are here for them NOW and tomorrow.  And that my husband and I will continue to fall deeply in love with each other and our children every single day and into forever!  Because deeply, truly, and honestly I believe that all we need is love!  

Peacefully,

Alyson

“When you moved, I felt squeezed with a wild infatuation and protectiveness. We are one. Nothing, not even death, can change that.” -Suzanne Finnamore

January 9th, 2012- 365 Photo Project

Early morning....matching pajamas....brothers....books.....love.....

January 6th, 2012- 365 Photo Project

Today's photos are very random!  We went on a drive to visit a dear friend for her birthday.  So I have lots of random shots from our day.  I will let the photos tell the story of today with a few shorts words.

Birthday Fun!

I spend a lot of time in my car nursing in a variety of parking lots especially on long car rides!  I really wanted to document this since it is a pretty big part of my life as a mama.  It was tricky....self-timer, on the dash board, low light, slow shutter speed!  I had to do about 15 pictures to get one I liked.  It isn't perfect but it perfectly captures my life as a mama!  

At home for some cuddle time with dada!

Slowing Down and Menus

Before I had kids I was always on the go, working two jobs, rushing to get here and there, and wanting more all the time.  The minute I found out I was pregnant with my first son, I forced myself to slow down.  Knowing there was a lot for me to learn and a lot of changing about to happen...I slowed down to embrace it all.  I wanted to embrace every second of my pregnancies....the amazing times and the uncomfortable times!  So that is what I did!  I knew my little ones would enter this world when he or she was ready so I did not feel rushed to go into labor.  Plus I wanted all the time in the world to prepare my body and mind for childbirth and motherhood.

Everyone I know who had kids before me, warned me of this time warp that was about to occur.  Everything happens at lightening speed!  I kept thinking to myself that everyone was just exaggerating.  Man.....they were SO right!  It's like the minute you bring your precious little one into this world a button gets pushed and everything starts happening fast.  This tiny little one that once was small enough to by in my belly will start growing and it happens in the blink of an eye.  So I kept it slow and I continue to keep it slow with my new little one.   Especially in these first few months of life.  We can never relive these first few moments with our children, so I have to let everything else go and just be a mom.  Being in the moment and soaking in these amazing souls that so blissfully call me their mother is exactly where I want to be.  The fast paced world can wait, I am raising my children here!  I am embracing every stage my new little baby boy is in and not rushing to get to the next stage.  He will get there when he is ready for now we are enjoying the rolie polie, raspberry sounds, grabbing on to toys, and laughing stage.

My first!  Look at how big he is now at 3 1/2 years!

My newest little!  Almost 5 months!  

And all this growing calls for some good healthy whole foods!  On to our menu of the week!

This week's MENU:

MONDAY:  Sauteed Cod with Garlic-Shallot Butter, Colcannon Potatoes, and steamed broccoli

TUESDAY-  Out to sushi

WEDNESDAY-  Veggie stir fry over brown rice

THURSDAY-  Fish tacos and black beans

FRIDAY-  Simple Vegetable Soup and a green salad

SATURDAY-  Memorial for my amazing great aunt who I miss dearly!

SUNDAY-  Healthy Tuna Melt, Spinach & Apple Salad, and Kale Chips (recipe coming soon)

What are you making this week?

Peacefully,
Alyson

Always kiss your children goodnight - even if they're already asleep.  -H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Cooking With My Littles and Menus

One of my many passions is being in the kitchen cooking or baking for my family!  I love creating something that is delicious and is good fuel for my family's bodies.  Ohhh...but it wasn't always like that for me in the past.  I hated cooking when I was in my early twenties.  I would have rather gone out to eat.  Plus, I never felt like I was a good cook.  I mean I could barely cook grilled cheese!  It wasn't until I met my husband and we started cooking together that it sparked a passion inside of me.  But I still wasn't that great at cooking!  It was when I got pregnant with my first son four years ago when I realized how important it was to know what I was putting in my body.  Then I knew that cooking my own food was the best way to be healthy.  So it began, my mission to cook and to cook good food for my body, my husband's body, and my sweet children's body.

I think being a good cook was always inside of me since I come from a family of amazing cooks.  My mom has always been such a health conscious, wonderful cook and same with most of the woman AND men in my family.  It just took me starting my own little family to really bring that out in me.  And my husband couldn't be happier.

With my passion of cooking comes my passion of teaching my little ones how important it is to grow our own food and to cook it.  So since day one, my children have always been in the kitchen with me....wearing them, sitting on the counters, or standing on stools!.  They are right by my side learning the ways of the kitchen and how to fuel the body that houses our soul.  I hope one day to pass on my love for food and cooking to my amazing children!

 
THIS WEEK'S MENU:

MONDAY:  Thai Green Curry Coconut Shrimp with Basil  (We added broccoli and cut the curry by half to make it less spice for our son).

TUESDAY:  Eggplant-Zucchini Lasagna

WEDNESDAY:  Homemade minestrone soup and a green salad

THURSDAY:  Veggie stir-fry over brown rice

FRIDAY-  Baked Salmon,  Zucchini & Yellow Squash Gratin (I will use half the butter and use milk instead of cream),  Fried Green Tomatoes with a Remoulade Sauce (Just using the sauce in this recipe).

SATURDAY-  Leftovers and a green salad

SUNDAY-  Green Pizza and Apple, Walnut, & Endive Salad

Since it is the holiday season is starting I am going to add to my menus the extra baking and cooking I will be doing for the season!

EXTRAS:
Zucchini bread (some for now, some for freezing)
Canning homemade tomato sauce
Canning homemade applesauce for my baby boo
Homemade pesto for freezing
Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

What are you cooking this week?

Peacefully,
Alyson

"Mother's love grows by giving." - Charles Lamb

And then there were four......

 Where have I been for the past month, you ask?!  What have I been doing?  Well....this precious beautiful little human has taken us on a new journey.   We have been soaking up some newborn love!

After a long and warm summer solstice evening, on the morning of June 22nd my husband, my son, and I welcomed our new beautiful baby boy into this world and into our growing family with so much love. He entered this world in a complete natural state with a mighty 9 lbs and 4 oz. We have been spending these days snuggling him, taking in all that he is, cherishing every moment, and adjusting to our new roles. I am in love!!!! Welcome to this world, my new love, Asher.

As some of you know, my dream was to have a home birth but because of circumstances out of my control, I had to have a hospital birth. But that didn't stop me from having an incredible birth team....my husband, my mother, my doula, and my incredible amazing midwife. I was able to have an intervention-free and drug-free birth in a very peaceful, spiritual, and respectful environment. After delivering a 9 pound baby completely natural I feel like a warrior!

I feel so blessed to be the mother of two boys.  I am so ready for the fun adventure that lies in front of me.  The world of boys is quite an exciting world.  My husband and I don't find out the sex of our babies before they are born.  We love the surprise and being able to find out the sex together as we hold our little one is a very magical experience.  I wouldn't want it any other way.  Also, for myself and my husband, we feel that it is more natural for us to get to know our children this way then the typical "girl" "boy" image you get from an ultrasound.  This is strictly only our opinion and how we like to do things.  Of course every family is different and you must do what is right for your family.  Nevertheless, we are overjoyed to have two boys and to watch them grow together!

Parenthood has been the most amazing, incredible journey we have embarked on.  Being a mother has been more rewarding and more beautiful than I ever could imagine.  Life just makes so much sense after I have held both of my sons for the first time.  The instant feeling of unconditional love is beautifully overwhelming.  I feel blessed to have experienced this love yet again with my new beautiful babe.  Oh, its incredible!

I am working on Asher's birth story now, as well as my first son's birth story!  I want to be able to share my birth stories to you all in effort to help normalize birth in our society!  Stay tuned to these stories and to my weekly menus that will be coming back!  

I am ending this blog with a blessing that I read to my sons.  I actually read four total but I am going to share the other three in later posts.  

Apache Blessing

May the sun bring you new energy by day,

May the moon softly restore you by night, 

May the rain wash away your worries

And the breeze blow new strength into your being,

And all of the days of your life may you walk

Gently through the world and know its beauty.

Peacefully,

Alyson

Birth Goddess

"Creating life is goddess work. You are stronger, more powerful, and more focused than you’ve ever been. Life force is coursing through your body and you are living life in a heightened state of awareness…What might make you feel vulnerable also makes you fierce. In this state, you are amazing. You are going to access parts of yourself that you didn’t know existed. You are going to face your fears…You are a birth goddess and you will do what needs to be done."

-Quote from the book, Your Best Birth by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein 

This quote is true in every sense.  I felt very empowered after having my first baby!  I honestly felt like I could climb mountains afterwards!  Truly pregnancy and birth prepares you for motherhood....those mountains I felt like I could climb are mountains I climb every day as a mother and a parent.  If you are expecting or will be expecting in your future...take this quote and read it every day.  Empower yourself to be a birth goddess and a mama goddess! 

Peacefully,

Alyson

Preparing and Menus

As I sit here and drink my warm cup of pregnancy tea, I feel over joyed and excited to be meeting our new bundle of joy in the next few weeks.  The excitement can sometimes lead to nervousness but that is a part of pregnancy and welcoming newness into our lives.  As I am feeling all this excitement, nervousness, and joyfulness...I know there is a lot to be done around here.  My before-baby list fills up a huge piece of paper right now but at the same time I don't feel rushed.  I know that no matter what I will be ready for this sweet little baby, when this sweet little baby is ready to come.  Inside of my belly is a sweet tiny life patiently waiting for their arrival and my little family and I are waiting patiently as well with love.  So everyday I am doing small things here and there to prepare for this sweet little one.  From washing those precious little clothes & hats, getting all the cloth diapers together, yoga, walking, reading, cleaning the Moses basket, freezing meals, and just cuddling with my little boy!  There is actually a lot more on my list to do but I'm just taking it slow and easy! 

Friday was my cloth diaper day with lots of organizing and cleaning!  I got them all cleaned and organized by size.  The little newborn cloth diapers are by far the cutest things in the world.  They are so incredibly small!  It was so fun to pull out all the cute little prefold, covers, and wipes, to clean them, and put them all away.  It brought back some amazing memories of when my little boy was a little baby!  Geez...it goes so quickly!

So here is my green mama advice for all you mamas out there who want a green, eco-friendly, toxic-free detergent for cleaning your sweet little baby's diapers, clothes, and blankets.  Baby's skin is very sensitive and I believe that the typical store bought detergent can be unhealthy for a new baby and the environment.  So here are my top 3 detergents you can use to save your baby's skin and planet.

• Charlies Soap-  We started using this soap when my son was first born.  I love it.  It is safe, non toxic, and biodegradable!  It seems kind of expensive at first but it lasts a lot longer than most detergents.  There is free shipping online through their website or you can find it at some local Whole Foods stores and baby stores.  Their website also shows different retail stores that sell their products in your area. 
• J.R. Watkins Natural Home Care Laundry Soap-  We just started using this soap in the past month or so.  It is very similar to Charlies Soap.....all natural, eco-friendly, and toxic-free.  I have only seen this at one local store here in Portland.  But you can find it online.  
• Make your own detergent!  I have yet to do this but have wanted to!  I hope soon I can give it a try!  If anyone has any great recipes for laundry detergent, send them my way! 

 Enjoy some pictures of part of my cloth diaper stash!

And now on to my menu for this week!  I am doubling a couple of my meals this week to freeze for when the baby is here.  As usual we are using food that is either grown sustainably, organically, or locally!  It is important for our bodies, our planet, and our souls to eat as healthy and sustainably as possible! 

MENU:

MONDAY:  Tortellini Salad with tuna (sustainably caught tuna) and sauteed swiss chard

TUESDAY:  Spinach and Mushroom Quiche (recipe posted soon) and a big green salad.

WEDNESDAY-  Homemade minestrone soup (recipe posted soon) and a big green salad

THURSDAY-  Veggie tofu stir fry over brown rice

FRIDAY-  BBQ Black bean burgers, grilled pineapple, and Strawberry Spinach Salad

SATURDAY-  Leftovers and a big green salad

SUNDAY-  Mustard-Crusted Salmon, kale chips (recipe posted soon), and whole wheat couscous

For more meal planning inspirations, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie every Monday.

What are you cooking this week?

Peacefully,
Alyson

"Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you." - Lao Tzu

 

Menus, Babies, and Bellies!

As most of you know my husband is a professional photographer (and my personal photog tutor) and we have decided to throw a really fun mini-session portrait party!  SO...for all you Portland mamas out there check this out!



This is a great opportunity to save over 50% off regular session fees!  I will be there assisting any moms or kiddos that need it!  I will also be providing light snacks as well as discount coupons and information on local companies who support local mommas!  There is limited space available, so please book your session time NOW!!  I hope to see all you glowing mamas there!


On to some pregnancy musings.  I have been researching a lot about cloth diapers the past few days.  We did cloth diapers with my son and loved it.  When we first started, so many people said it was too hard and we wouldn't be able to do it.  HOGWASH, I tell you!  It was much easier than anticipated!   We had a cloth diaper service for the first couple months that my son was born, which made it SO incredibly easy.  But even when we no longer had the service it was just as easy.  With the easy factor comes the green and toxin-free factor.  Happy babies, happy planet, happy mamas!  Cloth diapers have little to NO toxins, which protects our precious little one's bottoms!  Keeping disposable diapers OUT of the landfills, helps our beautiful planet....our home!  The average child goes through 6,000-10,000 diapers from birth to potty learning and these diapers sit in landfills for over 300 years!   GROSS!

So, why am I researching cloth diapers if I already know about them?  I want to learn about all the different cloth diaper products that are out there.  Let me tell you....there are LOTS!!!!  We used Bummis and BumGenius diaper covers with organic cotton diaper prefolds!  We really loved both products and kept them all.  We plan to use the ones we kept but I want to add to my cloth diaper stash.  I want to try a different brand!  So my research continues.  If any of your mamas out there recommend a different cloth diaper brand, send it my way.  I plan to put together a whole blog about cloth diapers, how to use them, and tips for all you mamas out there!  Keep an eye out for that! 

And for our menu this week!  I hope everyone is taking steps towards a healthy organic way of eating for your body and our planet!

MENU:

MONDAY:  Vegetable Polenta Bake (moved from last week) with a green salad

TUESDAY:  Egg Salad Sandwiches with a green salad

WEDNESDAY:  Shrimp Tacos with black beans

THURSDAY:  Spaghetti with homemade veggie/tomato sauce and steamed kale

FRIDAY:  Veggie & Tofu Stir fry with brown rice

SATURDAY-  Vegetarian Cobb Salad and leftovers

SUNDAY-  Potato Casserole (*recipe to come) and Mustard Crusted Salmon

For more meal planning inspirations, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie every Monday.

Peace, love, and understanding,
Alyson

"The best medicine in the world is a mother's kiss." - Anonymous

Saving the Planet through Play

One of my One Small Change Plans for this month is being outside more and enjoying what we work so hard at home to save...our environment.  I think I have done a pretty good job with this.  While my boys sleep, I go for early morning walks almost every morning either with girlfriends or with my mama.  My family and I have been going on lots of mini adventures outside to our backyard, on walks, or the park.

When we go on these fun adventures outside, it usually become a small little learning experience for my son.  We have been talking a lot about Planet Earth and what our planet gives us.  I have been sharing photos with him of the planet, animals, trees, different beautiful sites from around our world and I am amazed on how much he is loving it.  My son is the future and if we want this world to be a better place,  we need to start with our children.  They hold our future and what happens to it.  So the first step, is showing our children how beautiful and amazing this world is and in return they will naturally want to protect what they love.

When we go outside on an adventure, everything we talk about at home starts applying itself.  My son will see the trees and say.."Those big trees help us breath."  Or he will find a earth worm and state..."He is BIG.  He is crawling around all this dirt and helping it."  I get a great big grin on my face and then it opens up to a wonderful conversation about trees or worms or whatever subject he picked all by himself.  This becomes not only a learning experience for my son but also for myself.  I am learning so much about myself and this world just by being a mother.  It is truly amazing.

Here is an organization called, Cool Moms Care,  that helps mothers encourage their kids to change the world around them by helping the environment, other people, and themselves.  They provide tips and ideas for "5 minutes of caring."  Since being a parent is full time, this site gives moms (and dads) tips that are quick and easy to apply to any busy schedule.  I just found this site and can't wait to read more.  It is also a sister site to Cool People Care, that provides more quick tips for everyone (not just parents) on how to make a positive impact in this world.  All you cool people out there, check out these sites!

Here are a few pictures from our park adventure on Tuesday.  They are all taken by my husband, who is the master mind behind the camera and who teaches me everyday on how to be a better photographer.

Happy playing,
Alyson

"All the woulda-coulda-shouldas layin' in the sun, talkin' 'bout the things they woulda-coulda-shoulda done... But all those woulda-coulda-shouldas all ran away and hid from one little did." -- Shel Silverstein, Author

3 + 1 = 4

This new year is bringing us a new beginning and a new adventure.  In the beginning of the summer we will be welcoming our new lil bundle of joy to our family.  I am due June 29th and we couldn't be more excited to be expanding our little family.  I am now 15 weeks pregnant and growing my baby bump every day.  In fact, when I first found out I was pregnant at 4.5 weeks, I swear my baby bump showed up right away.  My body new exactly what was happening....like it was saying "Oh yah...I have done this before!"

Being a mother and having a growing, loving, amazing family has always been my dream.  I am happy!!!!  Happier than I have ever been with myself and my life!  I absolutely love everything about being pregnant.....the excitement yet nervousness when finding out, being tired, my lovely lady bump, having this amazing little person growing inside of me, helping to create life, bringing a little one into this beautiful yet scary world, striving to be the healthiest I ever have been in my life, meditating with my mind and my little baby inside, having my husband and son rub my belly and give kisses to the baby, and all the extra love I already feel.  It is an amazing feeling!  I could be pregnant 20 times over again.  NOT joking!  :)  Though I am beyond ecstatic about being pregnant  again, it also brings me nostalgia and sentimental feelings. This will probably be my last pregnancy.  Though Drew and I want to continue to grow our little family, we have decided that there are a lot of babies and children out in this world that don't have families.  Someday, way far into the future, we want to adopt another child.  This will be in years to come.....like 5 or 6 years maybe more but it is something we have always talked about. 

So I am cherishing and soaking in EVERY single feeling and moment in this pregnancy.  I am going to embrace it all, even the days when I am feeling like poop.  So I may write and talk about this pregnancy a lot.....bare with me here.  We are hoping to have the baby in a birth home or at our own home.....that is if our insurance comes through for us (which is a whole other topic).  I am yearning to have an out of hospital birth and hope that it can happen.  We have started a relationship with a wonderful midwife at Alma Midwifery and hope that we can continue that relationship.  We will be doing lots of hoping and wishing that the insurance company does the right thing.  Happy thoughts only!

We want to continue with the "A" names just like the rest of our little family!  So we are in search of more "A" names.  Do you have any suggestions?  Feel free to leave a comment with any "A" names you may think of!

The last time I will probably see my feet for few months!

Be well friends,

Alyson

"I loved you before I knew you." ~ Unknown

Menus and Storytime

I love to read!  I love to pick up a good novel or a book about something that I am passionate about.  Right now it is mostly Dr.Seuss and The Very Hungry Caterpillar that I read, but that is okay with me.  Later on, I will be able to sit an enjoy one of my books that is waiting for me to open.  As for now, I am enjoying sharing the love for reading with my son.  I am so excited to see him already picking up on how wonderful books are.  We read tons of books together daily.  He loves it, he literally sits and reads books for over an hour sometimes.  I love my lil reader!

I decided that it is about time we start attending our local library's story time weekly.  Our first time going was two weeks ago and I was SO impressed with all games, songs, and stories.  The lady who runs the program is awesome and very energetic!  Watching Ayden dance, sing, and intently listening to the stories is amazing to watch.  Ayden loved it and I am pretty sure I loved it just as much as he did.  We are now going every week!  Being a mom is kind of like being a kid all over again.

For all you parents out there...if you don't already go to your local library's story time, I highly recommend it.

On to my weekly menu.  I am posting this really late week but sometimes that is how it goes.  As I am reading my new book on blogging, I am learning on how to write more with less computer time.  I will get there soon!  I have some fun, new things happening soon that I want to blog about, so I need to make sure I am consistent with this blog.  I am enjoying the seasonal cooking this month and the baking bug has gotten me!  A lot of my holiday gifts to others this year will be food items, baked treats, and canned goodies.  I am having a lot of fun being creative with it.  Don't you worry....I have some posts coming all about it.

MENU:

MON: Bronzed Sea Bass w/ Lemon Shallot Butter, Garlicky Green Beans, and seasoned brown rice.  (This was supposed to be our Sunday dinner but we went out to dinner with some friends instead.  And I replaced the Sea Bass with lean cod to save money.)

TUES:  Mushroom Stroganoff

WED:  Vegetarian Taco Salad.  (We subsitute the meat for Yves Meatless Taco Meat.)

THURS:  Spaghetti with homemade tomato and veggie sauce and a fresh garden salad.

FRI:  Fish Veronique with Garlic Broccoli & Mushrooms w/ Rosemary

SAT:  Mushroom Swiss Quiche and a fresh garden salad.  (Quiche recipe will be posted tomorrow!)

SUN:  Broccoli-Cheddar Chowder with leftover quiche.

Extras cooking and baking:
Thumbprint Cookies
Apple Muffins

Happy cooking and baking,

Alyson

"So please, oh PLEASE, we beg, we pray, Go throw your TV set away, And in its place you can install, A lovely bookshelf on the wall." - Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Menu Plan Monday (one day late)

As I am typing my blog today, my son is sitting next to me reading his books out loud.  As most of you know, my son is 2 years old, so he isn't reading the actual words from his books but instead he is using his amazing imagination.  He is reading his own version and I kind of like his version better.  One thing I have really enjoyed the past few months is watching Ayden use his imagination and his creative mind.  He can take any one of his toys and turn it into whatever his little mind creates.  It is so fascinating to watch and I, of course, join in on the fun!  Being a mother has proved to be more amazing then I could have ever imagined. 

Last week was full of amazing food!  The Salmon Salad with Crispy Potatoes was so delightful.  It is a perfect light dinner for warm days.  I will make this a lot during the summer months.  The souffle turned out amazing and was easier than I had expected.  I just had to make sure that I took it out of the oven and served it immediately to avoid any deflation.  Everyone enjoyed it.  I will definitely be making that again and will try adding some different ingredients as well. 

Cheers to another great week of delicious organic, sustainable foods!

MONDAY:  Vegetable Pizza @ a friend's house

TUESDAY-  Egg Salad Sandwiches and whole wheat couscous (Drew's night to cook, while I work)

WEDNESDAY-  Kelsey's Birthday Dinner Celebration.  I will be making her Shrimp Scampi.  I will post the recipe later this week.

THURSDAY-  Homemade Minestrone Soup

FRIDAY- In Bend for the weekend

SATURDAY-  In Bend for the weekend

SUNDAY-  Honey-Soy Broiled Salmon, steamed asparagus, and brown rice

For more meal planning inspirations, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie every Monday. 
Happy Cooking & Eating,
Alyson

"Imagination is more important than knowledge"- Albert Einstein