{Tuesday Truths} Real Life with Baby

Hey everyone!!

I know its been a while since I last popped in, because real life with a baby is dang busy! I had no idea that just keeping myself, hubby and our little human fed, clean, and well rested would be so time consuming! But here we are, just a few days into Henryk's second month of life and we are all doing great.

 A little selfie comparison for you... 8 weeks on the left, and newborn on the right...

 

 We are preparing to take our first road trip to Portland and Hood River for a couple days, so that will be an adventure to say the least. If you have any sage travel advice, please leave it in the comments.

When Henryk was almost 2 weeks old, we had some newborn photos taken. Of course, he displayed his stubborn side and didn't cooperate as we planned. Luckily, the photographer is a friend of mine, Elena at Golden Trail Photography here in Bend, so we had a beer and caught up while waiting for Henryk to play along. As expected, I got peed on #lifeofaboymom, but I love the photos Elena captured and her style of editing. I can't believe this was already almost two months ago and he is 9 weeks old today.

 

This is my favorite photo Elena captured. My baby looks so tiny, especially compared to the giant baby he is now! 

So, you maybe be wondering... how is it all going? Really?

The truth is... Being a new momma is not easy. It is frustrating, messy, tiring, and often a bit lonely. But its also unbelievably fulfilling, joyous, and revealing. I say revealing in that you uncover a new side of yourself that you had no idea existed. I spend my days desparately trying to meet the needs of a human who can't communicate, and to see him thriving fills me with a joy and love that cannot be expressed in words. I would die for him. Sometimes, when he is in his car seat sleeping and we are out, my body literally aches to be cuddling him. Its borderline scary, but now I understand  my own mother so much better, and I appreciate every little thing she ever did for my brother and I, and continues to do for our little sister.

Another question we get asked a lot, is how the dogs are handling the new being in the house.
The truth is... they are doing much better than we expected, and our expectations were high to begin with. We have a lot of friends with kids, so they have been around children of all ages and are generally comfortable with them. If they could talk, they would say the hardest change has been not getting as many walks or adventures. But I have to commend hubs and myself, as we have been doing pretty well about getting them out a few times a week, and not totally neglecting them. They still get lots of cuddles and treats too.
They are good about giving Henryk his space, and I don't worry about them stepping on him or nipping at him. I wouldn't say they are overly protective of him, but I do feel comfortable leaving him napping in his crib to take a shower while we are home alone. They would definitely protect him if necessary.

Breastfeeding is a huge part of our lives, and I feel blessed to be able to provide the healthy nourishment our baby needs. But...
The truth is, breast feeding is a journey, and not an easy or natural one. The first week or so was ROUGH. Between nipple chapping and then engorgment once my milk came in, I was in some pain! But, with advice from a lactation consultant, a bag of frozen peas, and lots of lanolin, we pulled through and have found our stride in breast feeding. I produce LOTS of milk, which is great, since I will be going back to work in three weeks (sob). I generally wake up before the baby to pump one side each morning, then we are usually caught up for the day. Since the beginning, he has had a great latch and can nurse anywhere, even with a cover over his head. He has nursed in numerous restaurants, at friends houses, in the back of our car, in the Ergo while I wear him, and of course at  home. We are still working on a bottle with him, he likes a wide nipple with a slow flow, so we have tried a few different brands, looking for the magic bottle. But hubs has fed him successfully a few times, so I'm not too concerned about that when I go to work.

Having a new baby throws a major wrench into hobbies and adult time...
And the truth is... I am going on my first mountain bike ride in 9 months TODAY! Hubs has gotten a couple rides in since baby arrived, but I have stuck to walks and some short jogs. Its going to be tiring and probably a little frustrating, but I'm looking forward to spending some adult time with hubs, and the mind release that biking is for me. We are leaving Henryk with our good friend Ash, who has a 10  month old and will be watching Henryk a few hours a week when I return to work. I'm so thankful to have friends with babies who can trade childcare!

Ashleys son Anders, and Henryk

 Which leads me to... The truth about friends and babies! I feel so blessed to have a group of friends here that I've known for years who have happened to have babes around the same time we did. We spend a ton of time with them, and its so nice to be able to not worry about the kiddo making a fuss, because your friends understand.
I've also been blessed to become a part of an awesome mommy group (What up BAM's!). What started as a small group of mommies getting together weekly has grown into a larger group of mommies who go on walks, swap childcare and clothes, and support each other through this crazy journey of motherhood! We all connect through a private group Facebook page, and each mommy can add other moms they know, so the web is ever expanding! Its been an awesome support system, and I look forward to watching all of our kids grow up together.

This photo was from our Valentine's Day mommy group... and this was only half the babies there that day!! It was our biggest group yet!

I will finish off with the most FAQ about new mommy life, are you getting any sleep?
The truth is... yes. Henryk is an awesome sleeper and has been pretty much since the beginning. I don't want to sound like I'm gloating, so I will stop there.

The truth is, Hubs and I won the baby lottery and we are head over heels in love with our son. No, we aren't even considering #2, so please remove the thought from your head. : )

Any other real life questions you have? Leave em in the comments! And if you need more cuteness in the form of my son, follow us on Instagram (@lololalala)

{Tuesday Truths} The Truth about being a Pitbull Owner

Hey hey everyone!

So in a small effort to get myself posting a bit more, I've decided to start a little weekly series called Tuesday Truths. Eventually, I'd like to open up a linky for these, but for now while I have minimal followers, if you'd like to join in, please link to your post in the comments!

Please note, these are truths from my experiences and perspectives. Due to the innate differences of every human on this planet, what I take as truth  may not be what you do! The point of this is not to judge others or criticize what they believe to be true, but to see something through another's eyes.

On that note, I will kick things off with probably one of the most controversial topics in my life, being a Pitbull owner.

This breed, or shall I say mix of breeds, is one of the most sensationalized around. Its seems as though every week there is a new article about the dangers of Pitbulls and Breed Specific Legislation that is being put in place to help 'protect' people from these misunderstood animals.

The truth about 'Pitbulls', is that most of them aren't actually a true pitbull at all! Many dogs are lumped into this category due to physical features, such as a blocky head or a strong, full chest. Many different breeds also possess these characteristics, thus the term, 'Pitbull Type Dog' or PTD for future reference in this post.  Our dog, Cash is a PTD. We rescued him at 8 weeks old from a local group called Saving Grace, in Roseburg, Oregon. Rescues make an attempt to label breeds, for adoption purposes, but often the dogs are an oops litter from mixed breed parents, so its a roll of the dice. Cash was labeled a Rottweiler/Pitbull mix, which was fine with us. Now that a couple years have passed, we are pretty convinced that he is Boxer/Pitbull/Heeler of some sort. In all honesty, who cares?

The truth is, a breed is a label, just like race. He is a dog, and he is loved, that's what matters to us.Sure, some people will cross to the other side of the street when they see us out walking, due to the fact that he has a blocky head. That's fine.

But the truth is, Cash loves people, especially children, and I trust him almost limitlessly with them. Nothing makes my heart smile more than looking outside and seeing Cash following my sister Sophia (age 7) around the yard, her little companion and protector.

The group of dogs commonly referred to as Pitbull, actually encompasses more than one AKC recognized breed, the Staffordshire terrier, and the American Staffordshire terrier. The American Pitbull terrier is recognized by the UKC, but the breed traits are mostly the same.

The truth about PTD's is they are excellent family dogs WHEN THEY ARE RAISED CORRECTLY, which means with love, discipline, exercise, patience and routine. Cash is at his best when he is walked daily, preferably for at least an hour. It puts his mind at peace, and allows him to socialize in a controlled environment. This temperment description is from the UKC, and I believe it to be nearly correct from my experiences:
             'The essential characteristics of the American Pit Bull Terrier are strength, confidence, and zest for life. This breed is eager to please and brimming over with enthusiasm. APBTs make excellent family companions and have always been noted for their love of children. Because most APBTs exhibit some level of dog aggression and because of its powerful physique, the APBT requires an owner who will carefully socialize and obedience train the dog. The breed’s natural agility makes it one of the most capable canine climbers so good fencing is a must for this breed. The APBT is not the best choice for a guard dog since they are extremely friendly, even with strangers. Aggressive behavior toward humans is uncharacteristic of the breed and highly undesirable. This breed does very well in performance events because of its high level of intelligence and its willingness to work.'

The truth about PTD's is that some, like any other breed of dog, may have some level of dog aggression. It is up to the owner to be responsible about managing this. Cash is not a dominant dog in general, but when he first meets another dog, he has a tendency towards dominance. It generally comes out initially as an attempt to hump, followed by some growls and hackle raising. However, James and I know this about him, and have learned the correct way for him to meet other dogs, which results in better peace of mind for all of us.

Instead of face to face meetings, we prefer to walk with the new dogs and their people, on leash in a human controlled environment. This puts us as owners in the dominant position, and allows the dogs to get to know one another through smell, while exercising and moving as a pack, which is natural to them. I have no problem asking people I meet during our walks to just walk with us for a block or two instead of standing around awkwardly while our dogs attempt to meet in an unnatural way. I have never had a dog owner say no to this situation, and it allows for a moment of conversation between us as owners as well.

The truth about PTD's, is that they are the worlds best snugglers, and most believe they are lap dogs and will do their best to convince you as well.

 

To my dismay, Cash sleeps most nights in bed with us, under the covers. As much as I try to resist, he is so warm and cuddly that its hard to send him to his bed on the floor. He is usually the first to crash at night and the last to crawl out from under the covers. He also runs the couch, but is happy to share. 

The truth about PTD's is they love to work, play, exercise, whatever the activity maybe be, they are happiest when pleasing their master. 

Cash loves this green toy, which has no squeaker, but still works well. He loves to fetch, play hide and seek, or just carry it around on our walks. We enrolled him in a 4 week agility course when he was 5 months old, and he came out on top as champion of his class, which included a goldendoodle, golden retriever, german shorthair, and blue heeler. He loves to run behind the bike on trail rides, and will hike for miles with no complaints. He is truely an ideal companion.

The truth is, we are lucky to live in a beautiful city where PTD's are accepted as part of the community of dogs with no questions asked. They are all over town, in all shapes and sizes and nearly all are a perfect representation of what the breed has to offer. Just yesterday, after I had initially written this post, I was enjoying lunch at one of our many local brew pubs. On the patio, there was a couple with two beautiful PTD's who were quietly lying under the table, just enjoying a day out with their people. 

The truth is, now that I've owned a pitbull type dog, I don't think I will ever have another breed. Cash, and all the other pit-mixes I know, have opened my eyes to the bigger picture of being a dog owner, which is to enrich their lives and your own.

The truth is, PTD's are the most euthanized breed in the country, according to Don'tBullyMyBreed.org, due to being misunderstood and grossly overbred, whether on purpose or oops litters. Next time you're looking for a new family dog, I highly encourage you to check out your local shelter, and just take a PTD for a walk. You may find your new best friend in the most unlikely form.

Please link your Tuesday Truth in the comments, and let me know how you feel about Pitties! Please be constructive in your comments, disrespectful ones will be deleted. Thank you!

Urban Farm {August}

Holla friends! Baby and I are back at you with another urban farm update!!! Our gardens are in flourish mode right now! We have been getting a decent regular harvest out of them, which is awesome! Tonight I am making chicken with risotto,  using chard and kale from the garden! It saves so much at the grocery store on vegetables and they taste SO much better! On with the photos and updates!

First up, we have... something that's not in the raised beds?! That's right, these are FREE pumpkin plants that I rescued from our compost bin! A couple months ago when I was struggling with my tomatoes (more on that in a minute), I decided to add some of our homemade compost around the tomatoes for a nutrient boost. When I opened the bin, I found two pumpkin plant sprouts! Last year I just tossed our whole pumpkins into the bin and thought nothing of it! Well circle of life friends, here are the next generation of pumpkins, growing among the rocks in our backyard. They are thriving, and I hope we get a couple pumpkins off them by the time Halloween rolls around!

On to the Tomatoes!!! 

After my woes of last month, tons of flowers and no fruit, the tides have turned on tomatoes at our house! As mentioned above, I supplemented my soil with our compost, and hand pollinated my flowers. Say what?! Thats right, I went from flower to flower on my tomato plants with a teeny tiny paint brush and distributed the pollen myself, since our bee population is down this year. And it worked! And I keep getting more and more fruit! I am amazed, I think my hand pollination jump started the process, but I also helped Mother Nature out by planting some bee/butterfly (aka pollinators, my BFF's) attracting plants around my yard. Anything to get those bugs out and about! So far so good!

This is the raised bed on the right. Everything is in giant mode, and I am so happy I could burst! I have two baby zucchinis on the plant in the left there, and my giant tomatoes are happy in the back row!

This is the left of the two raised beds, which was planted a bit earlier so things are huge! That brussel sprout in the front right dominates this box visually, but everything is doing splendidly!
Here is an above view of the same bed.

In the front left there we have a single cucumber plant which is producing heavily after a very slow and rocky start to life! We are cutting the cukes early to pickle for cornichons (tarragon pickles), which are the hubs favorite!

And in closing, I will leave you with an adorable photo of my dogs of course, my four legged children. For those who are new in following, Cash is the boxer/pitbull mix, he will be two at the end of the month. Sammy is the chow/newfoundland mix and he turned 8 in June.

These boys have my heart!

Hope everyone is enjoying these last few weeks of summer and the bounties that come along with it!

My Passion & A Call to Action

Good morning friends!! Just popping in to share something that came up in the media this morning. As you all know, I am an advocate for rescue animals and have a deep love for the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. Cash, our puppy is a rescue, and Sammy and our past dog Cruz were as well.
This morning, it was brought to my attention that McDonald's has launched a radio ad campaign basically stating that eating Chicken McNuggets is safer than petting a pitbull. Please a take a moment and let that set in.

 

I am absolutely outraged by this, and have already contacted McDonalds via email, as their phone number says they are experiencing 'technical difficulties'. I'm hoping that is stemming from a massive influx of responses regarding this ad. Please please please, take a moment to reach out to McDonalds and express your opinion on this matter. 

I can personally attest to the absolute love and loyalty of this breed, and everyday I fight a battle for their equality and rights in the world. I take my pitbull everywhere and expose him to all sorts of situations, and answer any questions positively and honestly. I attend weekly obedience classes with my dog, so that he may be an ambassador for his breed and other rescue animals. He is not perfect, but neither am I, and neither of us will ever be. But negative images painted by ignorant and uninformed corporations will continue to make our lives more difficult. However, we will never rest, and we will never lie down. It will only make us stronger, our voices louder and our mission clearer.

Here is my sweet pitbull and chow-mix, just a few days ago, after a fun bike ride in the woods.

 

Safer than a chicken nugget? I think so!! 

Here a some rescue organizations with more information and fabulous resources. 

BAD RAP: My heros. They are based out of the bay area and are an absolutely amazing group of people. 

VillaLobos: Based out of New Orleans, this group specializes in rehabilitating both dogs and people. An amazing cause and group of people. 

Born Again Pitbull rescue:  Based out of Portland, Oregon (local!!), and have lots of great information and resources on their website. 

Thanks for listening.

From our family to yours...

Wishing you the merriest of Christmas Days! Laugh too much, eat too much, drink too much, and enjoy yourselves!!

Family Self-Portrait... slightly dysfuntional, just like us! 

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend, and are looking ahead to 2012!

{Day Off} Toketee Falls

Alternate post title: The day I went crazy and drove for 9 hours to get a puppy with a mouth full of dagger teeth.

I have been meaning to write this up for a couple months now, since I took this trip back in October but... life gets in the way sometimes you know?? The route that Sammy and I took to get to Roseburg from Bend took us past Crater Lake, Oregon's only National Park, and along the North Umpqua River. I've only been to the North Umpqua once before, to ride bikes with James on the North Umpqua Trail, more specifically the section known as Dread and Terror. Yep. You can imagine what it was like.


View Larger Map

As you can see, the route took us straight through the Umpqua National Forest. The scenery of the area is absolutely spectacular, and in my humble opinion, is the most beautiful and scenic river in Oregon.

So on this day, on our way to Roseburg, Sammy and I decided to stop at the legendary Toketee Falls. Since getting engaged, I've been trying to get my fitness on regularly, so I figured we could run the trail.

It was a spectacular Fall day, we enjoyed the scenery immensely. Double bonus, only one other car was there, so Sammy got to  be off leash. He loves that.

 

The trail is probably 2/3rds of a mile, so it was pretty short and sweet, but the falls at the end is so rewarding!! 

The river plunges over a sheer basalt cliff (those rock columns are a distinctive feature of basalt), before continuing on merrily downstream. If you look closely, in the bottom left of the photo you will see a sweet riverside dwelling...

Here is a closer look.

 

I don't know how someone got down there to build the hut from driftwood, but its sweet for sure!! The river is in a basin surrounded by sheer cliffs here, the viewing platform is actually suspended from trees!! That's a real piece of work. 

The light was spectacular filtering through the trees on this afternoon, and the moss covered trees and rocks reminded me of why I love Oregon so much. The natural wonders in this state and the opportunities to get outside are endless. It is truly magical.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled Christmas Mania!!

Want to see what else I've done on my days off? Explore Tumalo Falls and Mt. Hood with us!

Peeks of Christmas Cheer

Holla holla my fine friends!
Man, I am such a bad blogger. Either that, or I am just super busy, and it seems like every day I have more and more to do! Yikes! Between work and our crazy expansion that is happening in like 5 weeks,  taking care of a sweet baby puppy who is growing like a dandelion (crazy fast), trying to squeeze in wedding planning, holiday preparations, AND, my best friend just got engaged too!!! Seriously now!
I feel thankful when I can get 8 hours of sleep.

Anyhoo... last night I decided to pull out our box of Christmas decor and start fancying up the place for the holiday. First things first, I swapped out our Bath and Body Works wallflower for my favorite, 'Cranberry Woods', to get the house all stinkified and put me in the mood for decorating. Do smells do that to you as well? I need to smell the seasonality.

I swapped out the front door wreath for my DIY ornament wreath I made last year.

I also added some ornaments to the trunk of my tricycle planter, which I found at TJ Maxx last summer.

It is the cutest little planter, but don't be fooled, its a killer! I have tried several different plants in this bad boy, and none have survived. I am blaming the bike, since I'd give myself an A- on keeping plants alive. I'm pretty good...

I also decided to revamp my NOEL sign I created last year. It began as an attempt to knock off Pottery Barn's hella spendy but hella cute version. Here is how it looked last year:

Pretty basic, got the job done. Also pretty flimsy, as I had the whole thing precariously held together with just hot glue.

Here is the 2011 shiny new version:

 

I simply painted a canvas bright white, and lightly brushed silver paint over it, then attached the letters (which are MDF and from Michaels), with epoxy. Man that stuff is schtinky. Phew. But now its much more durable, and the canvas gives it more substance on my 'mantle'. (We don't have one, boohoo) 

I plan on adding much more seasonal decor to this shelf my mantle, when I have time of course. The one thing I don't seem to have enough of. But I love the sign, it makes me feel in the spirit, and I love how its neutral color, makes Cruzie's Memory Ball on its DIY candle stand pop!
Its so bizarre to me that the wall is now a different color, but it looks orangey still to me. Ugh. That paint color will never stop haunting me.

So that's the Christmas that has shown up at our casa these days. Hopefully this weekend we will get our tree, and then the madness can really start!
In conclusion, here are some adorable pics of my babies. Cash will be 14 weeks old tomorrow, is excelling in puppy kindergarten, and still doesn't sleep past 7:30am. Sigh. Happy holidays friends!

 

I was holding a treat, which is why they are so focused and serious. I love doggie focused faces. Isn't Cash huge?!! And Sammy, handsome and dapper as always. I love his silver whiskers that are appearing. He's aging well. 

I'll  be linking up to Hi Sugarplum's Christmas Cheer party!