NaBloPoMo time!

It's that time of year again, when bloggers make the promise to blog everyday. I will be blogging everyday, and already have several ideas ready to go! It should be fun. Come join us!

Weaning party ideas

I was looking up some Hupa traditions/rituals last night and got some ideas.

*shell/acorn necklace that we make together or I make for her.
*spend the day as a family out in nature.

Other ideas:

*write her a special letter
*fun milks-shaped cupcakes
*special gift
*would love to have her ears pierced (she talks about it a lot.)

I looked for Assyrian traditions, but they didn't really honor girls. And everything is heavily Christian. But they were into gold, so maybe her gift could be gold?

I honestly think I would bawl at an actual farewell to milks party. Maybe my hormones will level out by then.

More than words

I think after 41 months of nursing my sweet girl, we are done. Since she was 2 years old, it has decreased slowly. A few months ago, I night weaned her and we started doing cuddles instead. She cried a bit the first 2 nights (which was heartbreaking), and then she started asking for cuddles. I would nurse her for a few minutes at night, and then I would lay with her until she fell asleep. Same with her nap. Well, a week ago I found out I was pregnant and my breasts were so sore. I told her my milks were hurting and we could just cuddle. Then I miscarried, and was too sad to nurse. In the past 4-5 days, she has only nursed once. I realized what was happening....and I felt a little sad and a little proud.

I was not surrounded by nursing women growing up. When I was pregnant with Eleanor, people would tell me that I would eventually bottle feed. I said I would nurse her for at least a year. Then that turned into 2 years. Then I just couldn't imagine stopping. Well, I could but not anytime soon. Through all of the frustration at my body, I was grateful that I could nourish her in this way.

I didn't feel the emotion behind her stopping until I just started typing. It seems like it happened so quickly. I almost wish I could crawl in bed with her and nurse her again. But I know that she is ready to stop.

So, I am thinking of having a little party for her. I will be up in Portland in 2 weeks and was thinking of doing something then. I need to think of some ideas of special things to do with her to celebrate her growing up. Any ideas??

I could go on and on, but I'll leave you with some pictures of my sweet girl drinking her milks. I wish I had more pictures! I sure have lots of memories. :)

Her first day of life!

11 days old.

8 weeks old.

14 months old.

Boo!

I think I scared everyone away. :) I'm just going through all of my emotions, and last night I was a little angry. Not saying it won't happen again either. Don't be afraid people!

A vent about the "spiritual" excuses

Disclaimer: I am going to curse and vent and talk some shit in this post. If you don't want to read something like that, then don't. read. this. It's my blog, and I can bitch about whatever I want.



If you are into the Jesus, that's great. I am not. Which means I don't want to even know that you have your own spiritual reasons/ideas about my repeat miscarriages. Let me just take a moment to say.....


Give me a fucking break.


I have been pregnant 6 times and have one living child. Personally, I think it's really fucking wacked that one would find some almighty reason for everything. Shit happens people. And it doesn't have to be for some clandestine reason. Now, no one actually had the balls to come out and give me their spiritual reasons. But it was alluded to. And as you can tell, it has rubbed me the wrong way.

I've already gone through the fun emotions of feeling like my tubal pregnancy was a karmic result of my abortion 10 years prior. Then I had my pregnancy with Eleanor. Great! Then we were on to the next 3 pregnancies that all ended in miscarriage. Let's see why God was cursing me....

*I think women are attractive. I think gay people should have the same rights as everyone else. That must be reason enough for a few losses, right?

*I am voting for Obama, who is clearly a terrorist-loving member of a radical Muslim group.

*I've done plenty of drugs in my time. I've also had lots of fun sex with different people.

As if I don't feel broken enough, I really don't want to hear your spiritual reasons for my body to fail my children, okay? Suck it.

A distracting dinner post

I have had some concerns in the pregnancy already, so to divert my attention.....a dinner post. :)

We all took a late nap today so I started dinner around 7. I made Honey Soy Glazed Chicken, Basmati Rice, and Roasted Carrots and Onions. It was good. :) And super easy, which is also good.



Honey Soy Glazed Chicken

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 8 skinless chicken drumsticks (about 3 pounds total)
• coarse salt and ground pepper
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line a shallow roasting pan or 9-by-13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil. In a large bowl, mix together honey, soy sauce, and 1/3 cup water. Add chicken, and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken and honey mixture to prepared roasting pan.
2. Bake chicken, basting with juices from edges of pan every 10 minutes, until well browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of drumstick (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve chicken drizzled with pan juices.

This is a Martha Stewart recipe. I did read in the comments (afterwards) to add 1/2 teaspoon crushed ginger and two cloves of crushed garlic to the mixture. And to marinate it. So, I'll try that next time.

Basmati Rice

This is how I normally make it, tonight I didn't soak it.

Put 2 cups of dry basmati rice into a large bowl. Rinse with cold water until water runs clear. Drain water out. Soak in warm water ( a few inches above rice). Sprinkle with salt. You can soak the rice from 3-24 hours. I usually soak it all day. Drain water out. Get a large pot and add 3 cups of water, 3 tablespoons of butter, and another sprinkling of salt. Bring to a boil. Add rice. Cover and turn down heat to low. I fluff the rice midway, but you don't have to. Steam/simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to sit, covered, with heat turned off for a bit. It will help with any sticking on the bottom of the pot.

You can always use more butter, my grandmother uses.....a lot. The Assyrian way is to bake it after boiling it. You boil it for a bit, and then bake it in a 350 oven for an hour or so. This is how my grandmother does it. But I can never get it right. So I just cook it on the stove.

Roasted Carrots

7-8 carrots
Half of an onion
Olive oil
Salt

I just popped these in the 475 oven with the chicken, but you could roast them at a lower heat too. I just roast them until the are brown enough.

Peel carrots. Cut them in thirds and quarter them. Cut onion into slices. Put them in a 13x9 baking dish or baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the top and salt it. Mix with your hands, and add oil if needed. Pop them in the oven. I check them every so often to mix everything up. They took maybe 25 minutes tonight.

Let's see if anyone reads their updates...

Sex for 100 days straight??

Jimi is watching Ironman in the living room, and Eleanor is watching some Wonder Pets/Backyardigans DVD in the craft room. And here I am, eating some non-fair trade "snack size" candy bar. This is the life! lol

I started reading this book, Just Do It: How One Couple Turned Off the TV and Turned On Their Sex Lives for 101 Days. It isn't the most awesome read ever, but it is amusing and nice to read the insights into their marriage. When I think of 100 days of having sex everyday, one thing comes to mind. Pain. Maybe every other day, but everyday??? Come on now. Apparently the key is lube. I'll have to make a note of that.

Anyways, I got this book to see if we could rekindle some of the passion in our marriage. We had a great courtship. Then life kicked in. Miscarriages, emergency surgeries, a death of a parent, parents in 2 motorcycle accidents, the arrival of Eleanor.....you get the picture. "Life" hasn't stopped. Our #1 focus has been Eleanor since she arrived. Which is good and not so good. We have been married 5 years and together for 7. We have a long way to go. :)

We are thinking of joining a gym to get in shape and to decompress after a long day. Jimi complains that after his day at work, he comes home and ends up hanging with E while I catch up on the computer or sew. He doesn't get any "time off". He doesn't drink or have any friends here. So, I thought the gym might be nice and maybe he could meet people there. Of course my first reaction is to get defensive. Umm...when is my time off?? When I drive down the hill to the grocery store alone? Oddly, it feels like a spa appointment. I get to walk up and down the aisles all by myself. I love it.

So, I'm going to finish this book and think of some new ways for us to find our way to a common happiness. I think increasing sex is a good one, as is getting some individual time to ourselves. And lastly, we need some time just the 2 of us. J's parents are moving to Oregon next week, and we will be in Portland in February. There is Jimi and Danielle time on the horizon. Hallelujah!

You know what they say about idle hands....

I was going through my bookmarks and noticed I bookmark a ton of craft tutorials. I love them. I lay in bed thinking of the next crafty thing I can do. It is partly why I am up until all hours of the night crafting away. I figured I would post some of the ones I am hoping to do at some point in my life. lol Because I'm not busy or anything.

Belt tutorial

Fabric wall art (I have the frames and the fabric. What is stopping me??)

Furoshiki bag (Okay, this isn't a tutorial. But I really want to make this! I think I could figure it out. ;))

Foldschool- Cardboard furniture (How cool are these??)

Bookhoucraftprojects (Cool artsy stuff to make with your kids.)

Old tee to cute lil' dress

Paper magnet dolls

Fabric dollhouse (I am totally making this for Eleanor...for me...for Eleanor.)

resurrection fern tutorials (This is such a great site for natural crafts.)

Wet felted eggs

Felt Gnome/Peg People