mandi mapesMonday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
music at the meelheim
jamie and i are in the middle of baking about 100 cookies for the music at the meelheim show, and i just realized that i completely forgot to promote it here on the inkling network. so here goes:
music at the meelheim
saturday, august 29
8:00 pm
tea & coffee: free
homemade goodies like brownies and cookies: free
handwritten letters
mandi mapes
josh wilson
david crawford
wilder adkins
the meelheim building is 2013 2nd ave n, birmingham, 35203 -- a few blocks down from urban standard. branch life church meets at the meelheim, if that helps.
hope to see you there!
music at the meelheimsaturday, august 29
8:00 pm
tea & coffee: free
homemade goodies like brownies and cookies: free
handwritten letters
mandi mapes
josh wilson
david crawford
wilder adkins
the meelheim building is 2013 2nd ave n, birmingham, 35203 -- a few blocks down from urban standard. branch life church meets at the meelheim, if that helps.
hope to see you there!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
7 months old
isaiah turned 7 months old this week...
his 5th tooth came in...
enjoying dvd cases right now...
we thought it was impossible, but he's looking even more like daddy...
and he's still flashing the turtle tongue and dimples...
his 5th tooth came in...
enjoying dvd cases right now...
we thought it was impossible, but he's looking even more like daddy...
and he's still flashing the turtle tongue and dimples...Monday, August 24, 2009
rock the city block
if you're in the downtown birmingham area this wednesday, stop by and hang out at "rock the city block"!
we'll be on 5th ave N and 20th street, calling our representatives, urging them to support health care reform. we will have some calling tips and phone numbers ready for you -- so all you have to do is make the call. it should be a lot of fun with nice people and great weather.
if you're not able to come, you can still contact your representative!
alabama senators:
Jeff Sessions -- 205-731-1500
Richard Shelby -- 205-731-1384
look up your local congressman by zip code and/or street address HERE -- http://advocacy.barackobama.com/healthcare/campaigns/6/call_scripts/22/call_sessions/new?source=actioncenter
hope to see you there!
we'll be on 5th ave N and 20th street, calling our representatives, urging them to support health care reform. we will have some calling tips and phone numbers ready for you -- so all you have to do is make the call. it should be a lot of fun with nice people and great weather.
if you're not able to come, you can still contact your representative!
alabama senators:
Jeff Sessions -- 205-731-1500
Richard Shelby -- 205-731-1384
look up your local congressman by zip code and/or street address HERE -- http://advocacy.barackobama.com/healthcare/campaigns/6/call_scripts/22/call_sessions/new?source=actioncenter
hope to see you there!
weekend report
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
first time mamas -- making baby food
i'd like to preface this and all other "first time mama" entries that will be appearing here on the inkling network by saying that i plan on addressing topics like pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and baby poo poo. so if these types of things generally weird you out, or if you'd just rather not hear about that stuff, then go ahead and skip over these "mama" entries. i don't mind!
sometimes people are really easily impressed.
"oh wow, you make you're own baby food? that's great!"
basically, i have found out that i'm pretty amazing at boiling water and mashing things. so i thought i'd share my great skill with other first time mamas in showing how simple it is to make your own baby food...
banana is about as easy as it gets, so we always have some on hand. cut off a section at a time, and mash with a fork.
for the foods that need to be cooked first, here's what i do...
this week, i did sweet potatoes...
...and carrots.
wash, peel, core, chop, de-pit, etc. etc. etc.
boil until you can easily get a fork through the pieces.
then, put on a kettle for tea and take a break!
when you strain the food, save the water. you'll want to add some of it to get a nice and soft/soupy texture. for 5 sweet potatoes, we added about 1/2 cup of its stock.
whenever you want to use some of the frozen food, run some warm water over the back of however many sections you want to use (hold the tray upside down and let the food fall into your hand -- instead of trying to pop them out like ice cubes). you could also take out all the sections at once and store them in a freezer bag so it's easier to get to them. whenever possible, heat on the stovetop (instead of nuking out the nutrients in the microwave). we have a tiny little saucepan that we use especially for baby food, so it's kind of fun that way.
when fruits and veggies are frozen, they will keep for several months. when your baby is ready for meats, these will keep for one to two months.
yield one very happy baby!
sometimes people are really easily impressed.
"oh wow, you make you're own baby food? that's great!"
basically, i have found out that i'm pretty amazing at boiling water and mashing things. so i thought i'd share my great skill with other first time mamas in showing how simple it is to make your own baby food...
banana is about as easy as it gets, so we always have some on hand. cut off a section at a time, and mash with a fork.for the foods that need to be cooked first, here's what i do...
every few weeks, i spend part of an afternoon preparing a couple of different foods at once.
this week, i did sweet potatoes...
...and carrots.it's best to use fresh or frozen fruits and veggies (try to avoid cans because there will be preservatives and/or sodium).
wash, peel, core, chop, de-pit, etc. etc. etc.
boil until you can easily get a fork through the pieces.then, put on a kettle for tea and take a break!
when you strain the food, save the water. you'll want to add some of it to get a nice and soft/soupy texture. for 5 sweet potatoes, we added about 1/2 cup of its stock.
whenever you want to use some of the frozen food, run some warm water over the back of however many sections you want to use (hold the tray upside down and let the food fall into your hand -- instead of trying to pop them out like ice cubes). you could also take out all the sections at once and store them in a freezer bag so it's easier to get to them. whenever possible, heat on the stovetop (instead of nuking out the nutrients in the microwave). we have a tiny little saucepan that we use especially for baby food, so it's kind of fun that way.
it's true that making your own baby food is really cost-effective. this week, i spent $2.97 for 5 sweet potatoes and $0.87 for a 1 lb bag of carrots. 1 lb of food will fill about 1 ice cube tray (which is about 12 servings). isaiah eats one or two servings of food at each meal.
when fruits and veggies are frozen, they will keep for several months. when your baby is ready for meats, these will keep for one to two months.
yield one very happy baby!Monday, August 17, 2009
weekend report
showing off his gap...
using a spoon...
playing football...
gettin' ready for bathtime...i couldn't resist.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
smallwoods healthcare
although the healthcare debate is making me a little sick, i collected my thoughts and stopped by senator richard shelby's office this afternoon to talk about my concerns.
instead of staging a riot, i decided to fill out this form and talk with the secretary for a minute or two. it was a pleasant enough experience. if you're an alabamian and would like to see some reform in healthcare, i recommend going by sen shelby's office this week and politely making your concerns known. the form i used makes it really simple, and the office is easy to find (1800 5th ave N suite 321, birmingham, al 35203).
as this op ed article suggests, i don't think i'm alone in feeling sad/frustrated/disgusted that the discussion regarding health care has turned into a debate only about health insurance. but i suppose we have to start somewhere, and insurance reform is a small step in the right direction.
instead of staging a riot, i decided to fill out this form and talk with the secretary for a minute or two. it was a pleasant enough experience. if you're an alabamian and would like to see some reform in healthcare, i recommend going by sen shelby's office this week and politely making your concerns known. the form i used makes it really simple, and the office is easy to find (1800 5th ave N suite 321, birmingham, al 35203).
as this op ed article suggests, i don't think i'm alone in feeling sad/frustrated/disgusted that the discussion regarding health care has turned into a debate only about health insurance. but i suppose we have to start somewhere, and insurance reform is a small step in the right direction.
Monday, August 10, 2009
weekend report
a laid-back weekend -- slowly but surely making progress on a sewing project, watching conan and jimmy fallon on hulu, being at my sister's baptism... also:
family and friends at dinner...
a toothy grin... the top two just came in, too...
"turtle tongue"Thursday, August 6, 2009
smallwoods cinema: torn curtain
there was psycho, the birds, then marnie -- and for his 50th thriller, hitchcock brought us torn curtain (1966).
all the smallwoods critters & blair love paul newman. julie andrews (an odd choice) also stars in this one.
paul newman as michael armstrong and julie andrews as sarah sherman.
the movie's ending commentary reveals that hitchcock felt pressured to cast andrews. her popularity was soaring from her lead roles in mary poppins (1964) and the sound of music (1965). "everyone kept waiting around for her to start singing," hitchcock said. despite her distracting hairstyle, i felt like she played the part well. but i didn't feel like she had great chemistry with newman. definitely an awkward pick.
a german chick with a knife.
speaking of awkward, you'll notice a nod to psycho in the murder scene. the whole sequence is uncomfortable, as hitchcock successfully dramatizes the difficulty in committing murder.
the script, written by brian moore, is a slightly awkward, too. apparently, it served as an obstacle between hitchcock and newman's working relationship.
upon watching this flick for the first time, i didn't pay much attention to the score. but after listening to the commentary, we learn that hitchcock had fired his original pick, bernard hermann, who famously scored previous hitchcock films. hermann had written an entire score for torn curtain. but instead of hermann, we hear john addison's work, which, on a second viewing of the film, seems repetitive and not very effective.
at the time of this film's release, people were spoiled on hitchcock and expected "another north by northwest." thanks to the awkward elements magnified in reviews like this one, this flick carries a reputation of not measuring up.
but in the end, i recommend it anyway. despite its awkwardness, you'll still enjoy hitchcock's great cinematography, edith head's costume & design -- and don't forget, paul newman! it deserves no less than three stars in my book.
this concludes my long-winded and convoluted review that mentioned nothing about the actual plot.
cheers!
all the smallwoods critters & blair love paul newman. julie andrews (an odd choice) also stars in this one.
paul newman as michael armstrong and julie andrews as sarah sherman.source: movies.sky.com/torn-curtain
the movie's ending commentary reveals that hitchcock felt pressured to cast andrews. her popularity was soaring from her lead roles in mary poppins (1964) and the sound of music (1965). "everyone kept waiting around for her to start singing," hitchcock said. despite her distracting hairstyle, i felt like she played the part well. but i didn't feel like she had great chemistry with newman. definitely an awkward pick.
a german chick with a knife.source: movies.sky.com/torn-curtain
speaking of awkward, you'll notice a nod to psycho in the murder scene. the whole sequence is uncomfortable, as hitchcock successfully dramatizes the difficulty in committing murder.
the script, written by brian moore, is a slightly awkward, too. apparently, it served as an obstacle between hitchcock and newman's working relationship.
upon watching this flick for the first time, i didn't pay much attention to the score. but after listening to the commentary, we learn that hitchcock had fired his original pick, bernard hermann, who famously scored previous hitchcock films. hermann had written an entire score for torn curtain. but instead of hermann, we hear john addison's work, which, on a second viewing of the film, seems repetitive and not very effective.
at the time of this film's release, people were spoiled on hitchcock and expected "another north by northwest." thanks to the awkward elements magnified in reviews like this one, this flick carries a reputation of not measuring up.
but in the end, i recommend it anyway. despite its awkwardness, you'll still enjoy hitchcock's great cinematography, edith head's costume & design -- and don't forget, paul newman! it deserves no less than three stars in my book.
this concludes my long-winded and convoluted review that mentioned nothing about the actual plot.
cheers!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
first time mamas -- sleep
i'd like to preface this and all other "first time mama" entries that will be appearing here on the inkling network by saying that i plan on addressing topics like pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and baby poo poo. so if these types of things generally weird you out, or if you'd just rather not hear about that stuff, then go ahead and skip over these "mama" entries. i don't mind!
now that isaiah is 6 months old, i feel like i can finally write about sleep. we learned the hard way, but i feel like we've got the hang of it now. so without further ado, here's what i recommend to first time mamas for advice on sleep.
1. get your baby into a routine of EAT, PLAY, SLEEP.
this is the mantra from the book, on becoming babywise. the idea is that a routine of eating, playing, and then sleeping will help your baby get into a healthy rhythm of activities, so that she learns how to sleep well independently.
i've found babywise sometimes carries a bad stigma -- some people are under the impression that the book says that you should let your baby scream and cry herself to sleep. after reading the book -- and while i don't agree with every single thing it has to say -- i didn't get that impression at all. in fact, the book devotes an entire chapter on "when your baby cries" and offers advice on what to consider during those inevitable situations.
the eat-play-sleep routine is flexible and changes according to your baby's needs. for example, a newborn should eat 6-8 times a day, so she will go through this routine about that many times in 24 hours, with less "play" and 2-3 hour stretches of sleep. on the other hand, a six-month-old needs 3-4 meals a day and 2-3 naps, with a snack before bed. so, even when your older baby doesn't need to nap as much, you can have a little "down-time" or "quiet time" before you gear back up for the next meal.
2. avoid sleep "crutches".
it's wonderful to rock your baby, read stories to her, carry her, hold her, nurse her and give her a bottle -- however, don't use these activities as a crutch to cause your baby fall asleep -- followed by walking on eggshells to put her down in her crib so as not to wake her up. instead, use these activities to get your baby soothed and ready to go to sleep -- then put your baby in her crib while she is still awake. this will help her learn how to fall asleep on her own.
le leche league, on the other hand, encourages nursing your baby to sleep (using breastfeeding as a crutch) and to nurse her whenever she's fussy (forming habits of snacking instead of taking full meals).
we practiced this le leche league advice for five months. isaiah constantly snacked and rarely slept well. when we started the eat-play-sleep routine, we dropped the snacking and crutch habits cold turkey. because he began eating full meals instead of snacking throughout the day, he immediately started napping better and sleeping longer hours at night.
3. don't be discouraged when your baby cries.
all babies cry and fuss. it doesn't take long to find a healthy balance between soothing her and allowing her to work it out on her own -- the eat-play-sleep routine and consistently putting her down once she's ready to fall alseep will help your baby to sleep better and cry less.
typically, when you intervene as your baby is crying, she will do one of two things: immediately calm down, or escalate her crying. if she calms down, then you know that she's ready to put herself down. if she escalates, then she'll need more help -- but eventually she will calm down, and it will be one step closer to helping her be an independent sleeper.
4. take it from me.
me, as in, the mama who blogs about slings and altered vaccine schedules and natural labor and breastfeeding and infant potty training and all the other "natural" parenting techniques. take the babywise advice on sleep. eat, play, sleep. if you read the entire babywise book, you may be intimidated about forming a "schedule," but the routine itself seems very natural to me.
like i say: originally, i had turned to le leche league's womanly art of breastfeeding for sleep advice. although i do think that book is a great resource for learning how to breastfeed and offers great advice in addressing breastfeeding problems, i didn't find much help on the topic of sleep -- except some encouragement not to be afraid to "sleep share" and to expect your baby (or toddler!) not to sleep through the night consistently. (ouch.)
jamie & i had coupled LLL's advice with a little bedtime routine of bathtime, mealtime, and storytime in the rocking chair (and during the night, nursing him back to sleep) -- and it was pretty much a disaster. when isaiah was four and five months old, we went through a couple of two-week stretches where we slept for only about two hours at a time: getting up -- to nurse -- at 9 pm, 11 pm, 1 am, 3 am, and 5 am... isaiah was getting worse, not better, at sleeping -- and i was stressed and fatigued. something had to give!
babywise recommends that if you're a "late starter," to try the eat-play-sleep routine during the daytime only for a few days, and not to worry about the nighttime until afterwards.
after three days of practicing the eat-play-sleep routine during the daytime, isaiah was already sleeping 6-7 hours stretches at night (instead of only 2-4 hours at a time!). i don't think such a big change could be coinicidental. everyone in the family is benefiting from our new routine -- i, for one, am much happier when i've gotten a good night's sleep! :)
any other sleep advice out there from other first time mamas? i'd love to hear since i'm still learning!
now that isaiah is 6 months old, i feel like i can finally write about sleep. we learned the hard way, but i feel like we've got the hang of it now. so without further ado, here's what i recommend to first time mamas for advice on sleep.
1. get your baby into a routine of EAT, PLAY, SLEEP.
this is the mantra from the book, on becoming babywise. the idea is that a routine of eating, playing, and then sleeping will help your baby get into a healthy rhythm of activities, so that she learns how to sleep well independently.
i've found babywise sometimes carries a bad stigma -- some people are under the impression that the book says that you should let your baby scream and cry herself to sleep. after reading the book -- and while i don't agree with every single thing it has to say -- i didn't get that impression at all. in fact, the book devotes an entire chapter on "when your baby cries" and offers advice on what to consider during those inevitable situations.
the eat-play-sleep routine is flexible and changes according to your baby's needs. for example, a newborn should eat 6-8 times a day, so she will go through this routine about that many times in 24 hours, with less "play" and 2-3 hour stretches of sleep. on the other hand, a six-month-old needs 3-4 meals a day and 2-3 naps, with a snack before bed. so, even when your older baby doesn't need to nap as much, you can have a little "down-time" or "quiet time" before you gear back up for the next meal.
2. avoid sleep "crutches".
it's wonderful to rock your baby, read stories to her, carry her, hold her, nurse her and give her a bottle -- however, don't use these activities as a crutch to cause your baby fall asleep -- followed by walking on eggshells to put her down in her crib so as not to wake her up. instead, use these activities to get your baby soothed and ready to go to sleep -- then put your baby in her crib while she is still awake. this will help her learn how to fall asleep on her own.
le leche league, on the other hand, encourages nursing your baby to sleep (using breastfeeding as a crutch) and to nurse her whenever she's fussy (forming habits of snacking instead of taking full meals).
we practiced this le leche league advice for five months. isaiah constantly snacked and rarely slept well. when we started the eat-play-sleep routine, we dropped the snacking and crutch habits cold turkey. because he began eating full meals instead of snacking throughout the day, he immediately started napping better and sleeping longer hours at night.
3. don't be discouraged when your baby cries.
all babies cry and fuss. it doesn't take long to find a healthy balance between soothing her and allowing her to work it out on her own -- the eat-play-sleep routine and consistently putting her down once she's ready to fall alseep will help your baby to sleep better and cry less.
typically, when you intervene as your baby is crying, she will do one of two things: immediately calm down, or escalate her crying. if she calms down, then you know that she's ready to put herself down. if she escalates, then she'll need more help -- but eventually she will calm down, and it will be one step closer to helping her be an independent sleeper.
4. take it from me.
me, as in, the mama who blogs about slings and altered vaccine schedules and natural labor and breastfeeding and infant potty training and all the other "natural" parenting techniques. take the babywise advice on sleep. eat, play, sleep. if you read the entire babywise book, you may be intimidated about forming a "schedule," but the routine itself seems very natural to me.
like i say: originally, i had turned to le leche league's womanly art of breastfeeding for sleep advice. although i do think that book is a great resource for learning how to breastfeed and offers great advice in addressing breastfeeding problems, i didn't find much help on the topic of sleep -- except some encouragement not to be afraid to "sleep share" and to expect your baby (or toddler!) not to sleep through the night consistently. (ouch.)
jamie & i had coupled LLL's advice with a little bedtime routine of bathtime, mealtime, and storytime in the rocking chair (and during the night, nursing him back to sleep) -- and it was pretty much a disaster. when isaiah was four and five months old, we went through a couple of two-week stretches where we slept for only about two hours at a time: getting up -- to nurse -- at 9 pm, 11 pm, 1 am, 3 am, and 5 am... isaiah was getting worse, not better, at sleeping -- and i was stressed and fatigued. something had to give!
babywise recommends that if you're a "late starter," to try the eat-play-sleep routine during the daytime only for a few days, and not to worry about the nighttime until afterwards.
after three days of practicing the eat-play-sleep routine during the daytime, isaiah was already sleeping 6-7 hours stretches at night (instead of only 2-4 hours at a time!). i don't think such a big change could be coinicidental. everyone in the family is benefiting from our new routine -- i, for one, am much happier when i've gotten a good night's sleep! :)
any other sleep advice out there from other first time mamas? i'd love to hear since i'm still learning!
Monday, August 3, 2009
weekend report
this weekend involved a little work, and lots of play -- played mario kart, watched torn curtain, twice! (smallwoods review to follow)... isaiah is trying more solids... dinner at nanny & g'daddy's...
boo, getting ready for his banana dinner... under a seriously dramatic light.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
