I *will* get back into blogging again.

Starting today. And every Wednesday from here on out, just like old times. :P

This is a picture of the boys now :)

I did fix Noah's strap after the picture; it's loose on his shoulder in the picture. He's now 3 years and 4 months old, and still happily rearfacing with his brother. :) And I know I used the wrong watermark, that's my business name. I'm too exhausted to go back and fix it.

We've gotten, somehow, even more into babywearing. We now have our trusty Maya Wrap ring sling and a DIY Osnaburg wrap that the three of us are absolutely in love with! I've learned 3 carries - the FWCC, rucksack carry and the double hammock carry - all have instructions on YouTube. For those of you who prefer pictures, Wrap Your Baby has excellent photo tutorials for these carries and more. The ruck is a favorite here by far - Gage can see over my shoulder, and for Noah it's like a hands free piggy back ride. It's easy to learn, easy to do by myself (after a week or so of practice with a spotter, followed by a few days of practice over a bed, and now I can do it without either!), easy on my back and shoulders and allows me to get so much done. The FWCC is good for snuggles and sleepy babies, though they can sleep comfortably in a ruck as well. 

In the picture, I have Noah in a double hammock. The pass is not over my chest because I was engorged and it hurt! Gage is in a ruck on our Easter hike. :)

Gage is now nearly seven months old. Can you believe that? Goodness. We do Baby Led Weaning but he has only had solids a handful of times. They are absolutely not necessary in the first year, "food before one is just for fun!" - and it is fun! He just usually prefers the boob, and hey, it's easier, so I'm not gonna fight that! His favorite food so far is watermelon. Avocado was NOT a hit, and Noah doesn't like it either. When he has breastmilk not from the tap, he takes a sippy cup. He's not crawling yet but we're in no rush. We're still in cloth and still breastfeeding. 

He's such a cute chunky monkey, ain't he?

Noah is doing really well with school. He knows all of his letters and most of their sounds, and recognizes them all by sight. He can even read a few words at 3 years old! He's doing incredible with his ASL as well. 

Some of my favorite resources if you're interested are Starfall and Baby Sign Language. We also LOVE Signing Time on Netflix! Storybots on YouTube have wonderful letter songs that Noah absolutely adores.

Now that we're past the alphabet, I plan on reviewing our numbers and then moving onto reading. Since I'll be back at least weekly, you'll all be able to follow his progress!

I've booked a few clients so I'm pleasantly occupied aside from the boys.

☮ Peace & love ☮

You Might be a Crunchy Mama if...

• You use cloth diapers
• You have a slight obsession with essential oils
• You know that raw garlic is a potent antibiotic
• You're totally cool with breastfeeding for longer than a year
• You're very proud of your 4 year old who is still rear facing
• You're all for home births
• You prefer midwives to OBs
• You make your own baby food
• (or practice Baby Led Weaning)
• Your baby wears an amber necklace for teething
• You wear an amber necklace/bracelet for various aches and pains
• Instead of tums you successfully use hazelwood necklaces for you &/or your baby
• You know what mama cloth is
• You call yourself a lactivist
• You're against RIC
  
• You know what unassisted childbirth is
• You encapsulated your placenta
• (or made a smoothie or just flat out ate it)
• You've watched The Business Of Being Born repeatedly
• You know who Ina May Gaskin is
• You love your doula
• You love everything organic
• You still buy wooden toys for your kiddos
• You have a nice stash of vitamins
• You love babywearing
• You made your own cloth baby wipes and wipe solution
• You know what Sophie the Giraffe is for
• You made or bought reusable nursing pads
• You put your essential oils in everything
• You know coconut oil is great for literally everything
• You have Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap in your bathroom right now
• You make your own toothpaste
• You regard artificial dyes as the plague
• You have your placenta in the freezer so you can plant it in the spring
• You grow your own veggies and fruits
• You homeschool
• You gave birth in your living room (on purpose)

My boss at CVS actually used to refer to me as his "hippy employee" because I told people about natural alternatives, and because I'm a birth doula, and because I frequently wore my son in a ring sling when I shopped there. Everyone I know sort of views me as the "hippy mom" but, I'm pretty okay with this.

And, a final note, this is not to bash anyone's parenting, and this is not intended to say that crunchy moms do ALL of this. It's a post made in fun and good humor. :)