Evelyn: 31 Weeks

New this week:

First Festival

I'm a Hippy Dippy, Cloth Diapering, Baby Wearing, Co-Sleeping, Breast Feeding, Mama

Evey's first cloth diaper. She's about a week old.

I don't even know how it happened, I'm not overly earthy crunchy myself. 

Each decision I have made in parenting has been for my own benefit. I breast feed, because it's free, also because I think it's good for her, It's always ready, and I have no shortage of milk. I still feed on demand (no schedule) because it works best for us, I don't work so I don't need to plan feedings, I sometimes try to time them if we have plans, but really she eats what she wants, when she wants. 

It also conveniently soothes her, if she gets upset I can nurse her and she calms down and either naps or eats till she is so full and happy she doesn't remember why she was mad. 

I cloth diaper because I was cloth diapered, and because they are so cute nowadays. And washing poop in my washer doesn't gross me out. Also we have had 2 small diaper rashes in Evey's 7 months, I think this is due to cloth diapering. I still use paper diapers when I leave the house sometimes, and when we travel, because I don't want to be driving around with a bunch of pissy diapers in my purse/diaper bag.

I baby wear because I can burn extra calories walking while wearing her. Also she really likes it, I can nurse in it by throwing a blanket over the carrier and no one knows, I fed her numerous times at the folk festival last weekend and I really think no one had any idea. 

The co sleeping started as a solution to a sleep strike when Evey was about 4 months old, and it just stuck. I still try to put her to bed in her own bed most nights, but she is almost always in my bed by midnight. 

We also practice Baby Led Weaning, a little. We are currently living by the motto 

"Food before one is just for fun"

mostly because I think baby food is gross, I don't want to feed her something I wouldn't even touch. But I know she's not ready for mac and cheese and hot dogs, so when we have baby friendly veggies she gets some, I don't think she has had a real solid food in over a week. So she is still primarily breast fed. 

I'm just doing what feels right for me. I don't plan on breastfeeding forever, I do vaccinate, She will not sleep with me forever. 

I also don't judge, I think if you formula feed that's fine, if you don't vaccinate or you delay I don't judge, sleep training is fine if it works for you. I think as a mom as long as you are doing what you feel right in your heart, and you are doing your best, you are being a great mom. 

Go link up to the Mommy Mondays, I gotta run, my baby is crying and it's her bed time. 

Evelyn: 30 Weeks

New this week:

Swinging on the swings with mommy

Peaches!

My Town Monday Link Up

My Town Monday Link-up,
Nothing Fancy, just share a post about where you live.
I started this because I am not too fond of where we are living in Montana, it's a very nice place to visit, I just don't want to live here.
In effort to find more cool things about Montana I am going to periodically do this when I have something cool to share about the place I am currently calling Home.
Link up and grab the button at the bottom!

My Town Monday: Montana Folk Festival 

The Montana Folk Felstival was once part of the National Folk festival, which was hosted by Butte in 2008-10, it was so much fun and did so well that when the National festival moved on Montana decided to make their own!

We came down for the festival our first year in Montana, so 2010, it was really hot so we had some snacks and then went back to Helena.
This year the weather was amazing, Saturday we spent most of the day walking around and having festival food, exploring the tents, and eating the food.
There is a lot more going on than just music, there are lots of tents where people are selling things, and lots of tents set up to educate people about things in Montana. They have special area for kids, that had a small 4H petting zoo, and different booths teaching about wildlife and Native Americans.

To be completely honest, I was there for the fair food and beer.
There is something I just love about sitting outside, drinking a cold draft beer, and eating a bratwurst and fresh cut curly fries. 

walking up to the main stage

They close off several city blocks for the party. 

looking down into town, from the main stage area

"The Original" the main stage is under the headframe

"The Original"

snacks... 

jammin to the beats

stopped by the distillery for some cold beverages out of the sun and in the AC

having a seat on the sidewalk in the shade while baby naps

festival food!! 

We didn't ride the special bus

More Food! 

Beer! 

(sorry for the poor quality of some of the pictures, I was using my phone and my coolpix because I was babywearing and didn't want to wear the camera too.)

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Bad dog

I am so mad at this little guy right now. 

See he has a tendency to get into shit. But I'm used to it. And to an extent my house is already baby proofed because we Renji proofed a long time ago. Every now and then he finds something. A few weeks ago I broke an ice tray, I was my usual lazy self and wasn't prompt at cleaning it all up. Renji came trotting up with broken plastic in his mouth. I fished it all out, and after several hours (or maybe one hour) of finding all the pieces to make sure the jigsaw puzzle of broken plastic fit and I had all the pieces. I quit panicking. I know dogs ingesting foreign objects is a big cause of doggie ER visits, I know because Renji has caused us a couple. He also once got a bottle of Benadryl, he only at the bottle though not the pills, this dog has caused me many gray hairs. 

So today. 

I am very protective of my dogs, you could call me a helicopter mom, so I don't let them outside alone, I let them on the porch, which is contained and about 8-12 feet off the ground. Aint no one stealing my dogs off the porch. Well earlier this week I put my seed starters outside so they could acclimate so I could put them in the ground (and they all died, but whatever). I should mention another thing Renji likes to eat is dirt, and seed starters especially. Well I found that little shit eating seed starters then I found toothpicks. Oh no! I used toothpicks with the names of plants taped to them, Renji has been chewing on toothpicks. Again with the panic. I instantly imagine that I will be dropping at least $300 to x-ray and likely remove toothpicks from his tummy... 

All is well though, I found all the pieces and there are no toothpicks missing. So my little guy is spared again from me dipping into his college fund. 

Please tell me I'm not the only one with a dog that gets into EVERYTHING! 

Blog Redux

As you can see I have made some changes around here. I am so excited. I have wanted to do a revamp for a while but my two biggest issues were price and I had no idea what I really wanted. I saw that Mrs. K over at Mrs. K and Captain J had just her redesign done by Angi Clark designs and its super cute. All I knew was that I wanted something that was simple and would look more like I was a serious blogger.

I contacted Angi, and she made it so easy on me. She was finishing up one blog so she could start on mine right away. All I had to do as answer a few questions and get her a picture and she had a sample inspiration board put together right away. I was surprised how great it was, considering I don't think I was very good at articulating what I wanted, because I didn't even know. I pretty much described my personal style, listed some things I liked (Elephants, cherry blossoms, hello kitty) and I gave her some color swatches.  

Angi made the whole process easy and very quick, and at a very reasonable price. The whole process from start to finish was about 15 emails and 5 days. I like to think I am pretty easy to please and that's why it didn't take too long, but Anji was just awesome. Really the hardest part? Picking a new profile picture.

With my new look I am going to try to blog more, and about more than just baby. I'll have a My Town Monday Link up monday if anyone wants to join, just write about where you are living, I'm trying to learn more about Butte and learn to love Montana more, despite the terrible long winters. 

Thank you again Angi, for doing such a great job!

This is not a sponsored post. I chose to write it after my blog was completed because I was so very pleased with my experience working with Angi Clark Designs. 

Evelyn: 29 Weeks

Supposed to be napping, I found her removing her diaper instead. 

Yummy! 

Daves Sushi in Bozeman, Yummo!

First Fourth of July! 

New this week: 

First 4th of July

First Sushi Joint 

(all she had was a couple grains of rice)

View prior weeks here