Last week

Jackson got to hang with his big cousins Owen and Graham this past weekend and he was in heaven.  The first picture is Graham playing the drums and Jackson was thrilled at how much noise it was making. He kept grinning like he was doing something wrong.  Too funny!
I feel so blessed everyday to be his Momma!  Motherhood is truly one of life's greatest gifts...next to marriage : )  #Lovemyfamily

This week

My little man is growing up so fast!  20 months old this week.  My Aunt calls him "Peat," cuz he repeats everything you say.  He narrates through your day as your doing things, it's pretty funny.  He tells the lady at Target the other day, "I wash dishes" (No, I've never made my 20 month old wash dishes).  He's mastered his ABC's and counting to 10 in English and almost Mandarin and says, "I count to ten".  Instead of saying, "Ni Hao Ma" (How are you? in Mandarin) he says, "Ni hao Mama".  He says, "C'mon" as we're walking out the door as if he's in a hurry! And is constantly chatting... mostly about the dog.  The things that come out of his mouth crack me up.  And as always, this kid loves to dance.  He lifts his elbows and sways his head and says, "I dancing!"  I can't even handle it!  This is a very fun age.  Challenging but fun!!

Easter 2012

A pic of the little man on Easter and a pic of the cousins swinging on Grandma's swing set. Guess which one's mine!
The one in the middle with his mouth wide open probably yelling...yup, that one's mine...the loud one!! I don't know where he gets it?! ; )

Swim Lessons

This little pumpkin started swim lessons! He's such a water baby...he loves it. And... it's an arm workout for Mom and Dad too as we're lifting 2olbs in and out of the water!

It's been way too long!

I know I haven't posted in awhile. Been busy running after my 18 month old. This age has been absolutely exhausting but, it is by far the most fun stage yet!!
My son is repeating everything we say. It's adorable and scary at the same time. We have to watch what we say and how we say it. Jackson observes everything. He's smart too! He can count to 10 and can identify most of the alphabet. He amazes me. He eats very well (still gluten & dairy free). I have lots of new tips and products to post. Will post soon!

How many paper products does your household consume?

Feeling good about making my household paper towel free (for the last 3 months!) after reading an article with these statistics:


-700 pounds of paper are consumer by the average American each year.
-Paper manufacturing is the 3rd largest user of fossil fuels worldwide.
-The U.S. used approximately 68 million trees each year to produce 17 billion catalogues and 65 billion pieces of direct mail.
-The U.S. uses 25% of the world's paper products.
-Approximately 324 Liters of water is used to produce 1kg of paper.
-40% of the U.S. landfill trash is paper products.

Even reading through that article made me realize, it's not just paper towels. It's every paper product we consume. It's magazines, dinner napkins, junk mail to product packaging. I never gave much thought to how much one person consumes. Knowing the effect it's having on our planet will definitely make me think twice about each paper product I use.

My goal this week: Use hand dryers in public restrooms, cloth napkins at dinner & read gossip magazines/news/books...online! Hope these facts make you more consious of your own paper use.

Eat right for your baby

If you've ever read, Eat right for your blood type books, this one is specifically geared to eating right while pregnant, nursing and feeding your baby for the first year. You do need to know your blood type. It gives you information on where to buy an at home blood testing kit, if you're interested.
This book tells you all the foods that help you feel your best during pregnancy and gives you lists of the best foods to eat while nursing as well. Yea doctors tell you generally that babies don't do well with certain foods, but all people/babies are different. This book directly targets your blood type and I have to say, it's been right on so far. I came across this book while starting my son on solid foods (and still nursing). I had already fed my son some foods that it had said not to start until he was older. Those were the exact foods that bothered him and made him fussy! At the very least, it takes some of the guesswork out of feeding your child. And since your child's not able to tell you what hurts his tummy, it's best to follow it and feed your child the foods that bring him the most nutrients. When you're feeling depleted from nursing, there are also fun recipes and super foods to get you back on track! It's a wonderful quick reference to keep by your side at all times.