DIY Shampoo and Conditioner (No-Poo)

Would you all be grossed out if I told you I haven't put shampoo in my hair for a few months? Well, I haven't. I have been shampoo free for almost three months now. Along with this method being very beneficial to my health (http://www.naturemoms.com/no-shampoo-alternative.html) it also cuts down on the waste leaving my house. Think of all the plastic I'm helping keep out of land fills. Plus it's super cheap to do. Do you wanna spend all that money on a detergent for your hair? My hair looks in no way like I haven't washed it in three months- because I have. What do I use? Baking soda and apple cider vinegar. For the 'shampoo' I mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 1 cup of water. And for 'conditioner' I use 1 tablespoon ACV with 1 cup of water.

 This is what works for me. If your hair starts to get dry use less baking soda. If it gets too greasy use less ACV. Some people go through a transition period where there hair gets super greasy when starting this- that is completely normal and will pass. DO NOT use commercial shampoo during this period. I store my shampoo and conditioner in old washed out jars but you can do what ever works for you.

Under Weight?

Sorry I haven't made any posts in a while- we have been super busy with a lot of things. I started a job selling cloth diapers and Bryan is finally pulling more shifts at the fire department which he is thrilled about. Anyways, my big boy had his none month doctors appointment yesterday. I was really looking forward to it. I was so excited to tell him all of Jackson new accomplishments. Like waving good-bye, saying mama, and almost being able to walk. Jackson weighted 16 and a half pounds and was 27 and a quarter inches long. I knew he was a tiny little baby but in no way did I think he was too small. The doctor got so upset by Jackson's weight that he 'perscribed' formula. He wants me to stop breastfeeding and give my baby formula. One thing, that as a parent, I feel very strongly about is breastfeeding. He also says that my baby sleeps way too much. I have always read that a baby who sleeps 12 hours at night is completely normal and is not a reason for worry. This incident at the doctors just put me over my breaking point. Not every baby can be in the 50th percentile. Someones gotta be at the bottom and it just happens to be my son. I just wanted to make this post to point out that there are other ways to help a baby gain weight besides formula! You can mix olive oil and coconut oil into their food and you can feed them foods like avocado that have healthy natural fats in them. We have started our search for a doctor that has similier views on nutrition as us that our current doctor doesnt have. There is a perfect doctor out there for everyone and has much as I love this mans personality he just isnt for us.

Does this look like an unhealthy baby to you?

I didn't think so lol

Why We Love Babywearing

We have been doing something called babywearing since Jackson was about a month old. Its the act of 'wearing' your baby in a carrier of some sort. When I was pregnant I had known that this was something I had wanted to do and I honestly didn't think it was going to be that hard. I was wrong. Lol. We had a three carriers given to us by Bryan's aunt and as soon as Jackson was big enough to fit in them we used them.The first time we tried them was at the zoo.

This one here is a type of Infantino carrier. We used it for about half the day. It was uncomfortable for us and it seemed uncomfortable for Jackson. You can see how it looks like Bryan has to have his back arched and you also see how Jackson is way too low in the carrier. (See why this carrier is dangerous here ) We didn't know much about babywearing then. Another one of the carriers was something called a pocket sling. I had tried it but I had a very uneasy feeling the whole time that it was unsafe, and I was right. I looked them up and pocket sling are known to cause suffocation by forcing the baby's chin into the chest. I was so upset because I had been really looking forward to holding and caring for my baby this way. I then came across something called a moby wrap. which is a SAFE way to carry your baby. The moby is a long piece of stretchy fabric that your wrap around you in a specific way. It took a long time of trial and error but we finally mastered wrapping.

 I loved it so much that I wore it everyday for MONTHS. The benefits of babywearing are countless. For us the strengthened bond between my son and I was so amazing. So I was really disappointed when it started getting a tad bit unsupportive. I looked it up and found out that they really should not be used past about 15 pounds because of that very reason. I knew that people babywore into toddler hood so I started my search for a safe toddler carrier, and I found one that was very similar to a moby. It was called a woven wrap. and you could do back carries! this is very much like a moby but instead of being made out of stretching fabric it made of much more sturdy material. Mine is 100% Cotton but there are a lot of different fabric blends. I have a Didymos Blue Indio and it is the BEST thing in the world. There are tons of different ways i can wrap it and now i get to enjoy wearing my son until about 35-40 pounds!

First time Back wrapping

A New Beginning

Here's to new beginnings. As I come to the realization that one large chapter of my life is coming to a close, I am finally able to realize all of God's blessings I have had in front of me for quite some time. I apologize to God and to my family and loved one's for not seeing it all before. I hope this blog will help me find all the answers I have been looking for and will take me to wonderful places as i begin my journey to where the wild things are.