Natural Parent Married to a Smoker

Are you a "Natural Parent" married to a smoker? Embarrassing, isn't it? I've been there. Last year I took my husband to meet a bunch of my crunchy friends and had to confess that he was a smoker.

If you're in the same embarrassing situation, I have some pointers for you. First, a smoker can only quit for themselves. Nagging and begging don't help. They have to be convinced and want to do it themselves. My husband was a smoker when I met him, so I didn't feel I had too much room to talk, other than to simply make it known that I would love for him to quit.

Mamatography - Week 35

Day 239

(08/26/12)

Sasha's first trip in her new booster car seat.

Spencer's first time to sit in a restaurant high chair. We dug out the old cover from when Sasha was a baby. I just love this (crappy) touching photo of my 2 guys!

When they gotta go...

Welcome to the second edition of the "I'm a Natural Parent - BUT..." Carnival

This post was written for inclusion in the carnival hosted by The Artful Mama and our feminist {play}school. During this carnival our participants have focused on how mainstream society has affected their natural parenting and how they have come to peace with this.

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Our Elimination Communication journey with Spencer has been amazing! I love it! I do get annoyed for night time EC, though. Once we found our groove during the day, he started insisting on being pottied at night, even when he doesn't actually want to go. He can't settle or stay asleep when he needs to go. He will toss and turn and fidget before eventually peeing in the bed. His wiggling is enough to wake me.

I figured all this out because he would wiggle, I would nurse him "back to sleep" and put him back down. Just as I would doze back off, he would start to wiggle again. It wasn't milk he needed, it was an empty bladder.

Mamatography - Week 34

Day 232

(08/19/12)

We all went to the zoo with some friends to see the new jaguar babies! Here is momma giving baby a bath.

My friend Lisa may prefer the teen years, but she was awesome with Sasha. Here they are, hopping like the kangaroos we had just seen.

Lisa has a "Do it all" kind of Zoo Membership, so we all got to ride the train and we got to go on the carousel, too!

Breastfeeding has been Downhill

Welcome to the August edition of Authentic Parenting Blog Carnival: Breastfeeding.

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Authentic Parenting Blog Carnival hosted by The Positive Parenting Connection and Authentic Parenting. As August is Breastfeeding awareness month, our participants are writing about this exact subject! Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.


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I hadn't announced until the day my first was born that I planned to breastfeed her. My stepmother was a little annoyed that she hadn't been informed. The funny thing was that she and my dad each picked out a t-shirt for me that afternoon... not thinking about the breastfeeding factor. (You just wore button up shirts to breastfeed back then.)

Mamatography - Week 33

Day 225

(08/12/12)

I got these grapes that are so big Sasha takes bites.
For some reason, she doesn't eat the middle.

What makes a favorite?

Welcome to the Taboo Carnival. Our topic this summer is PLAYING FAVORITES! This post was written for inclusion in the quarterly Taboo Carnival hosted by Momma Jorje and Hybrid Rasta Mama. This month our participants reflect on favoritism in relationships with children, parents, siblings, and more. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

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Everybody in our family knew that my grandmother's youngest child (of 2 boys and 2 girls) was her favorite. Her older son died after Vietnam, so that might have had something to do with it. Or maybe it was just because he was her baby. Her girls both had special needs, so that may have made her extra fond of him, too.

I moved in with my dad and his wife when I was about 15 years old. It was Dad, me (his youngest), my step mom (she has been for most of my life), and my little brother (her youngest). I think it was pretty clear that we were each of our parents' favorites. Boy did that cause for some stress!

As the youngest, my brother & I were close in our own ways.