Categories: Cooking, Snapshots | January 1st, 2009 | by happilybarefoot | no comments
My husband sent D over with his big ol puppy dog eyes to ask for biscuits and gravy for breakfast. How could I say no to that?
N particularly enjoyed them.
As I was uploading these pictures, she also rubbed some into her hair. Fun times.
Categories: Other Stuff | December 29th, 2008 | by happilybarefoot | 2 comments
Whenever I run into someone from high school, this is always one of the first things I am asked. The first few times it really threw me for a loop. Write? Write what? When did I write?
I guess I looked confused too, because I generally got a “Um, you used to write a lot. Like poetry and stuff.”
I did?
Yeah, I guess I did.
And then they chuckle about Felix. Then it all comes flooding back.
You see, I had this folder. It had Felix the cat on it. I called it Felix. Like as in Where’s Felix? or Hang on, let me grab Felix. Everyone knew what I was talking about. Felix had all of my poetry in it and was pretty much a limb of mine for the better part of two years. He might even be around here somewhere.
I wrote. A lot. About anything, everything and nothing at all. Poetry, short stories, long stories - I even penned a novel or two. Nothing spectacular - I assure you. It was my outlet, and my release.
This all popped into my head the other day - heck, I had even planned on majoring in English at one point. (As soon as someone managed to teach me proper grammar and spelling, that is) I am sort of horrified at how quickly something that was such a huge part of my life just sort of vanished. Okay, thinking back, I know exactly how it came to be that I stopped writing. What I don’t understand is how I allowed it to happen.
Maybe it was a phase. I’ve sat down a few times to write. I totally and completely blanked out. Then I feel guilty - that I wasted my “talent”. (I just never saw it as a talent - I don’t think I was particularly good at it - it’s just what I did.)
It’s not like I’m lacking for hobbies these days - I don’t need to take up writing too!
Categories: Other Stuff | December 27th, 2008 | by happilybarefoot | no comments
I’ve never been one to make resolutions, and certaintly not three of them! Maybe I just didn’t have anything important to resolve. 
I think these are reasonable expectations of myself, we’ll see how it goes.
Categories: Other Stuff | December 26th, 2008 | by happilybarefoot | 2 comments
Cynthia does it again!! Isn’t my blog beautiful!?
Thank you, Cynthia! It is PERFECTION!
Categories: Snapshots, The Daily Grind, Visiting | December 13th, 2008 | by happilybarefoot | one comments
I’ve been busy obsessing about our no-spend year, and have totally neglected my regular blog. *hangs head in shame*
My dear girl enjoying her Thanksgiving dinner with her handsome daddy!
N started walking last month and now I officially have two toddlers. Life has become hectic. Fun. But hectic. She’s coming into her own little personality and she is just hilarious. She loves music, loves to dance, and her newest accomplishment is pointing and yelling “What’s THAT?!” at everything she sees.
She had her first head injury earlier this month, two in fact, on the same day. She tripped and went forehead first into a couple of walls. She’s okay, and thanks to D doing the very same thing at the same time last year we didn’t go dashing to the emergency room. She’s totally healed now.
D’s ’silly face’
D’s vocabulary is exploding by leaps and bounds these days. I cannot get over how well he talks (not that anyone else would know - he is still very shy) He dotes on his little sister, he loves to read her books and show her his toys (as long as she doesn’t touch them!)
He LOVES his Hot Wheels cars and plays with them constantly. He is always parking them and driving them around. He is an affectionate and very cuddly boy, and is starting to notice other people’s feelings a lot more.
I have been trying to find the time to sew and craft, but it doesn’t seem to be happening. I have been getting back into crocheting, which is easier to find time to do, I think.
And here’s a “HAPPY HOLIDAYS” to everyone if I don’t manage another blog post 
Categories: Vents & Rants | November 4th, 2008 | by happilybarefoot | no comments
I’m not usually one to blog about politics, lots of people blog about politics and they are much more eloquent than I am. But today, election day, I’ve got to say something about the theories and attacks on Obama supporters or it will eat me alive.
Voting for Barack Obama does not make me uneducated, naive, or mean that I’m going to have a sudden epiphany in the voting booth and change my mind. I do not have the wool pulled over my eyes. I am not blinded by eloquent speeches or good speech writing. I know how to read and I have done so, thankyouverymuch.
I am not voting for Obama because I think a black president would be ‘neat’ or because I feel some sort of white privilege guilt.
I know more about this election and it’s candidates than most people I know. I have been a supporter of Obama since before the primaries started and before I heard his speeches or drank the Obama kool-aid
I have watched this country be dragged down by 8 years of a Republican president who had no fricken clue what he was doing. I’m surprised that man can wipe his own ass.
I have watched as friends, family and perfect strangers have gone from prosperity to destitution in a short eight years. I am TERRIFIED what another eight years of a Republican in the white house would do.
I am tired of watching people keep jobs they hate to keep health care because of preexisting conditions. I am tired of watching people forgo heath care because they just cannot afford it.
I am a Democrat. But that doesn’t mean I do not look at the candidates or the issues.
The war needs to end, like, yesterday. Our soldiers need to come home and bring my tax dollars with them.
Women need a safe and clean way to end an unintended pregnancy. Nobody is pro-abortion.
EVERYONE from Bill Gates to the homeless crack addict deserve heath care, it is NOT a privladge, it is a basic human right.
All consenting adults should have the right to be in a committed relationship that is recognized by the government and access to all of the ‘privileges’ that come with it.
Preexisting conditions for health care SUCK.
Really, I could go on and on. Those are my big issues.
Even though I was not swayed by Obama’s charisma, I do think is an important quality too! Of course our nation should be inspired by our leader! Something that I kind of think McCain is incapable of since he totally creeps me out….. but obviously he has inspired some people.
Now, I certainly don’t think that McCain supporters are uneducated, naive, or anything else that I have heard them calling Obama supporters. I just believe they have different beliefs and opinions than I do. I totally respect that…. I disagree with them 100%, but that’s neither here nor there.
No matter who wins, we have a rough road ahead of us.
Categories: Snapshots, The Daily Grind | October 24th, 2008 | by happilybarefoot | no comments
Yeah, I hear the crickets too. I have not abandoned this blog… it’s just that the no-spend is consuming my life right now.
In other slacker news, I still have not finished editing the photos from Nova’s first birthday party that happened a month ago. I know, I’m horrible. It’s just such a huge undertaking!
In the meantime, how about a sneak peek at the coolest male model out there today - or at least the only one who will work for cheerios…
Can I take your picture?
Sure, Mama
Oh, yes, the trying to look angry face… good try.
I ANGGGGRY, mama
Think you could maybe look like my sweet boy?
Okay, fine, you aren’t listening to me - do your own thing.
What is this? Moody toddler? Are we doing dramatic perfume ads now?
Categories: Other Stuff | October 1st, 2008 | by happilybarefoot | no comments
Check out our new blog! http://www.happilyfrugal.com
Categories: Snapshots | September 24th, 2008 | by happilybarefoot | one comments
Last Belly Pic
Draven and I woke up Monday morning after getting a pretty good night’s sleep for a change. We got up around 10:30am and I made him breakfast. I sat down at the computer to check my email and message boards, and sulked to one of my due date clubs that I was still pregnant. Right after that post I had a contraction. Ten minutes later, another. I really didn’t need anything beyond that to know I was in labor… but it was still too early to call anyone to come over. I posted to my diaper sewing board that I was in labor and called my husband to let him know what was going on.
By noon I called everyone, my midwife was on her way as were my husband and my mom. My mother in law and sister in law were put on standby, but were soon called and told to go ahead and come.
We all assumed this would be a very short labor based on my history, and at one point I called my midwife to make sure she was on her way.
Early Labor
Once people started arriving, my labor seemed to slow. Every time I stopped to talk to everyone or got distracted my contractions would stop until it was quiet again. My midwife suggested a walk to Dairy Queen. I didn’t quite feel up to walking, so my mom drove… I was, afterall, still pregnant and ice cream sounded pretty darn good.
The trip to Dairy Queen seemed to help, and I was having some nice hard contractions on the way back. Unfortunately, they soon started stalling again. I walked around outside and was generally getting frustrated. The baby was moving really violently the whole labor and was just making me uncomfortable and angry.
At one point I decided to get in the shower away from everyone but Jay. In the shower I had a bit of a meltdown and asked Jay to tell everyone to go outside or find something to do. I felt like I had an audience and I didn’t like it. I kneeled on the bathroom floor with my head on the toilet crying until Jay told me everyone had gone outside. They also hung a sheet between the dining room (where the birth tub was) and the rest of the house so I didn’t feel so exposed. My contractions had picked up again, so I went ahead and got into the tub.
First Time In The Tub
The baby was still moving like crazy making the contractions less and less bearable. They spaced WAY out but got much more intense. Around quarter after 5 I decided to get out of the tub, and quickly got back in the second I had a contraction. I got out again… I think I ate some soup on the porch. My midwife asked if anything was bothering me or if I was worried about something that could be stalling my labor. I couldn’t think of anything… and to be perfectly honest I just wanted to cancel the whole thing, get into bed and cry. My body was trying to tell me something, I just didn’t know what.
There was more walking, more being upset… I layed in my bed a few times. I put in a load of laundry.
I got back into the tub at some point. Jay had said previously that he didn’t want to be in the tub this time, but a really nasty contraction hit and I ordered him into the tub. Smart man didn’t argue, just got in.
I started feeling pushy with contractions, and then realized I was going to have to push the baby out. It sounds funny, but that is probably my least favorite part of labor and contrary to what some people say pushing is not a relief and does not feel good.
I couldn’t get into a good position, I pushed a bit with contractions. I whined that I couldn’t do it, that I didn’t want to do it, at some point I think I requested to be knocked out with my cast iron skillet…. if I didn’t request it, I sure was thinking it.
At some point my water broke. Then I flipped on to my back in the water and leaned up against my husband. I pushed a bit with a few contractions, terrified to push hard enough to actually get the head out. I knew it wasn’t going to be over until I did, so finally I just pushed as hard as I could and tried to ignore (yeah, right) the pain as best I could. I got her head out pretty much in one contraction, and her body in another. My midwife tried to encourage me to catch her or feel her head as it was coming out, but I couldn’t do it. I was too focused on pushing and just getting her out so the pain would stop.
At 7:13pm Monday, September 24th, Nova Marie (although she was unnamed at the time) was born. She had a head full of short dark hairs, and looked a lot like her Aunt Lisa and her big brother. I called for everyone to come into the room only to find out that my sister in law had left, and my mother in law and son had gone for a walk (but were back already) apparently they came back while I was pushing and I ordered them out, but I don’t really recall doing it.
Fresh out of the womb
We snuggled with our new baby in the tub for a few, and then got out. I took a quick shower, and we all climbed into bed. Nova latched right on like she’d been doing it forever, and even now at 2.5 days old we still haven’t had any sort of issue getting her to latch unless she’s screaming.
Meeting big brother
While examining the cord and placenta my midwife pinpointed what was likely causing my labor to stall, and Nova’s violent activity during labor. Apparently she had quite a short umbilical cord and was likely trying to get herself into a good, safe position to come out in. My placenta was kind of strangely built and was heart shaped, but neither seemed to cause any problems, or mean anything as far as Nova and her heath goes. We decided to keep the placenta and plan to bury it under a tree in our yard.
Jay, his mom & Nova
After an hour or two, my midwife came into the room to do Nova’s weight and measurements. We all went around the room and guessed. Guesses ranged from 6lbs to 7lbs, and we were all (well, except for the midwife!) shocked to see that she was 8lbs 3oz. That’s almost a pound bigger than my son!
Getting Weighed
Getting on her very first cloth diaper
All in all, it was a great birth, and I would do it all over again in a heart beat. I can’t imagine doing it any other way. It was a much more challenging labor than Draven’s was, but getting her out (once I came to terms that I was going to be pushing her out, that is) was much smoother.
Now, Thursday, we are starting to get into a routine. Nova is much more demanding than her big brother was as a baby. If she wants something she wants it 15 minutes ago, and she lets you hear about it! We are running on little sleep, and I’m not quite sure how I’m going to manage waking with two kids in the middle of the night, but I’m sure everything will fall into place quickly.
Daddy, Nova & Big Brother Draven
Tags: Birth, Nova, Draven, Homebirth, Waterbirth
Categories: Snapshots, The Daily Grind | September 21st, 2008 | by happilybarefoot | one comments
Just a small sampling of the photos that were taken today… lots of editing to do!
Nova’s Cake. Made by mama. It didn’t fall apart. Woohoo for me!
Nova & Her Daddy!
She’s such a big girl! 
I’m not ready for this!
She loooooooooved her cake.
Okay, more like she loved the frosting…. not so sure she even tasted the cake!
