After the holidays, before the new baby: scattered thoughts during nap time

The holidays were a whirlwind this year. Beginning with Thanksgiving, my 25th birthday, through the Christmas season, the Bear's first birthday, and ending with  a road trip to New Orleans for New Years and a wedding. We are now inundated with various coughs and colds from said season and road trip combined. The tree and stockings are down, the house is clean, and Miami has started to warm up again. Despite the body aches and sniffles, I have enjoyed this last week home and all the comfort a routine can provide. Of course my nesting process is somewhat hindered, I am finally getting around to all those projects that have sat around waiting this year.  If I don't finish before the next bebe comes, it will never get done! I remember finishing the nursery three months before the Bear arrived. This new little one will be with us in a matter of weeks and we don't even have a diaper in the house. 

Four Recent Happenings/Decisions in the Household

We recently joined a raw dairy co-operative and the sudden presence in our fridge of items such as raw buttermilk and cream has spurred on my creative juices with my bread baking. Today's loaf is a Buttermilk Wheat Germ that has turned out fantastically. It will definitely be slotted for the weekly bread schedule. 

As previously mentioned, the Bear hit his first birthday landmark on the 26th of December. We enjoyed a beautiful low key afternoon with a few members of our family and close friends. Paddington Bear provided the theme from the cake on down to the snacks which all came from the original story. It was beautiful! (All though I don't necessarily recommend women in their late third trimester to spend an entire day laboring over miniature fruit and jam tarts in order to put pizzaz into a 1 year old birthday party). In the preceding months I would day dream about the day and I am thankful for the way things turned out. Bear loved his cake! It was the first time he had ever tasted any kind of sugar and did he ever take off around the house like a rocket afterwards! We were able to put together a time capsule that will be opened on his 18th birthday. It is filled with cards, letter, pictures, newspaper clippings, etc from his first year of life. Most especially, letters and notes from his great-grandmother who passed away this summer. We hope he can treasure these things one day.

We decided to have our home water birth at my parent's home where I grew up. Sadly, the Bear's birth can only be described as an absolute assault on my body by a very irresponsible medical practice which neglected to give me appropriate prenatal care. This led directly to a breakdown of my body and necessitated various harmful interventions. The fact that Bear is here and safe is a miracle from the Lord. After such a violent experience we are eagerly looking forward to this next birth. All ready my pregnancy has been so different, my body and mind feel completely healthy.  I don't feel threatened or unsafe around my medical advisor. There is an enveloping sense of peace wrapped around us when we envision the labor and birth process. My parent's home has always been a haven for me, and I am grateful that I can step through the doors of my childhood home and bring my own child into the world. Debates continue as to the Bear's involvement in the birth. More updates later.

Lastly, Bear started walking on his own. No more cautious waddling while holding onto my finger. He has taken flight. Break out the aviation goggles and tell the sound barrier to brace itself... my son is a tiny jet plane of empowered curiosity.  He is also now fully awake which brings this post to an end.