We Got Baby Chicks!

We got baby chicks!

Its been a while since we had baby chicks, and we really had no intention of getting baby chicks this year. Human babies are a lot of work and we thought that'd be too much. However, Penguin decided that we needed chicks and went broody. Really, really broody, so broody I couldn't break her of it, so we found fertile eggs and let her give it a try. I kinda thought she’d give up, which is why Vince was hesitant to give her eggs, since he didn't want her to sit on them for a while and then abandon them and the chicks die. 

On a whim I called a woman about eggs and she gave us six and told us to bring back any chicks we couldn't keep. I was expecting a low hatch rate, so after I dropped and broke an egg I was only expecting two of the five to hatch. Honestly, I told Vince if we got one chick I’d call this a success. It was both Penguin and mine’s first try at hatching eggs (I’ve always bought baby chicks). 

So I gave her the eggs, marked my calendar for three weeks later and left her to do her thing. 

Fast forward to hatch week and I am “preparing” for baby chicks. I got the brooder ready incase she didn't want to care for the chicks and I frantically tried to schedule our Father’s Day Visits around chicks. Based on my math they were due to hatch Thursday or Friday before Father’s day. I invited my grandparents to come visit the Amish with us that Thursday so my Grandfather could be here when they were supposed to hatch. It was like a thousand years ago but his grandfather raised chickens when he was a boy and I thought he’d enjoy it.  

Wednesday evening I go to get eggs and check on Penguin. I decided to candle the eggs and the first two have little wiggling shadows, the next two have tiny holes and cheeping chicks, the last one is half hatched! I was not prepared at all and I didn't sleep at all that night. I was more nervous than I was when I was in labor! I’m not even kidding. I had experienced midwives and doulas around me so I knew I was in the best hands possible, poor Penguin was all alone and it was our first hatching. 

I was so relieved when I saw the first two chicks staring at me the next morning. I had been worried what the other hens would do, but they didn't seem to even mind the chicks. I found Daisy and CoCo in the nesting boxes with Penguin and the chicks like nothing happened. 

All five chicks hatched, but one sadly didn't make it long, and before they were a week old we had lost another. Thankfully the other three seem to be very healthy and happy and Penguin has turned out to be a wonderful mother. She is a natural and she makes it look so easy! I seriously don't know how she does it. 

When I got the eggs the woman had Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, Sex-linked, Leghorn and silver and gold Wyandottes. I really wanted a Wyandotte and I really didn't want a Leghorn (I didn't want white eggs). Well since Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, Sex-linked, and silver and gold Wyandottes all lay similar eggs it was a toss up on which eggs had which chicks, and none of them were pure bred so that made it harder. Let me tell you, Mother Nature and I have an odd relationship. Well its hard to tell but it seems that we got a Barred Rock chick and two LEGHORNS… and the two that passed away were probably Wyandottes. 

My mother laughed and said thats what I get for trying to control Mother Nature. Oh well as long as they are healthy and good layers I can’t complain. 

Now we just have to hope they are girls so we can keep them :) 

Going Plastic Free

I recently finished reading Plastic Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too by Beth Terry. And let me tell you, it was both extremely enlightening and a bit horrifying! 

I had already been trying to lessen the amount of plastic we used simply to reduce waste and we had decided not to allow Isaac to have plastic toys, but plastic sneaks into your life easily and in ways I didn't even think about. 

Baby bottles were the first things to sneak in. I registered for glass baby bottles but we didn't receive any and since I am a stay at home mom and breast feeding we didn't bother buying any. Then I got a free bottle in a sample pack from the maternity store, then one from a sample in the mail, and a third one came with the pump. Three bottles was perfect for the few times I have had to leave Isaac with Daddy or my mom. I didn't think anymore about the bottle besides filling them when we needed them and washing them. 

After finishing the book I went straight to the kitchen to stake stock of what plastic was left in there. At first I was so proud of myself, there wasn't that much and most of what was left was not needed and could go away. Then I opened the freezer and saw the bottles. Plastic! What was I thinking, I had been saying for months no plastic for Isaac but I was allowing him to be fed from plastic. So I sat down at the computer and ordered him glass bottles and packed up all the plastic from the kitchen to be donated. 

Confession: I couldn't bring myself to throw out the three bottles of frozen milk, those were a lot of work for this mama to make. I just finished feeding him the second to last bottle as we drive to visit my parents. 

So since finishing the book I’ve been making a mental note of everything plastic in the house and as they wear out Ill be replacing them with non-plastic options. 

The book opened my eyes to the way landfills and recycling plants work, how plastic is made and the waste associated with it, as well as discussing the toxins in plastics. My favorite part was it idiot proofed the science so I could not only understand but also explain to others when they stare at me like I'm crazy (I get that stare a lot so I'm used to it). 

The other nice thing was Terry gave realistic ways to change and repeatedly told the reader that it took her years to get to the point that she was. And that was very encouraging to read.

 This is a journey where each step matters as much as the final destination. 

Weekly 2016 Goal Update = New Goals

The past couple weeks have been super busy and kinda crazy. Since the middle of March we have only had one weekend when we didn’t have something to do, and we ended up going to see the Amish :)  

We've had doctor visits in Little Rock, Easter, Landscaping the Front Yard, Isaac’s Christening, visiting the amish, my friend’s Gender Reveal, and Mother’s day. If I ever get s chance to sit and type I will update y'all on everything. 

But for now I decided to update my Yearly Goal’s. We have completed some of them and decided others just needed to be updated. 

So far we finished goals 2 and 5 and are part way through goals 3 and 4. 

Goals are that, goals, so if things change we need to reevaluate them.  

Old Goals

1. Complete the 2016 Declutter challenge. - I’m still decluttering but not really focusing on the numbers, its just too much to keep up with. 
2. Have the following things finished when Isaac arrives.
• I still need to finish hanging art on the walls in the Master Bedroom.
• Secure speaker wires, so Roomba stops trying to eat them. 
• Make sure birthing boxes are ready!
•  Rehang laundry room shelves.
3. Finish the following projects by end of year.
•  Clean out the Garage
• Cut down trees in back yard… Finally.
• Re-gravel paths.
4.  Pay off some of our debt by end of year. 
• Pay of Credit Card #1 – 
• Pay off Credit Card #2 - 
• Pay off half of Student loan #1
5.  If God sees fit, have Isaac at home.
6. Survive the first year with Isaac. - This has turned out to be so easy it doesn't need to be a goal. Isaac is the sweetest little guy, it is so much fun to have him around. 
7. Eat more meals from scratch, made with local foods.
8.  Keep making the house less toxic. - We have switched out our cleaning supplies to the least toxic options, so now we are shifting gears and focusing on using less plastic and creating less waste. 
9. Get to and Stay within a healthy weight and get in better shape.
10. Special Secret Goal - Still working on this, but every step forward is met with a step back :(

New Goals 

1. Landscape Back Yard
2. Pay off Student loan #1
3. Reduce Plastic Use/ Created Less Waste 
4. Walk 10,000 steps a day, 3 days a week. 
5. Special Secret Goal

2016 Goal Update, Week 14 of 52

The most important thing about this week is today is my Birthday!! 

Sadly, I kinda forgot about it. I knew it was coming up, but it just snuck up so quickly I was unprepared. 

The other day my mom said that she rescheduled her dental appointment so she and my grandmother could come down Wednesday and take me to lunch for my birthday, my response was "Why?" I think she thought I was wondering why they wanted to take me to lunch because she responded with "because its your birthday!" 

I didn't realize it would be my birthday...oops. 

1. Complete the 2016 Declutter challenge. 

2. Have the following things finished when Isaac arrives.
    I still need to finish hanging art on the walls in the Master Bedroom.
    Secure speaker wires, so Roomba stops trying to eat them. 
    Make sure birthing boxes are ready!
    Rehang laundry room shelves. 

3. Finish the following projects by end of year.
    Clean out the Garage.
    Cut down trees in back yard… Finally.
    Re-gravel paths.

4. Pay off some of our debt by end of year. 
    Pay of Credit Card #1 – 
    Pay off Credit Card #2 - 

Yay! That's the first thing that came to mind when we hit the confirm button. When I first made the goal of paying off two credit cards and half of one student loan I was hesitant on whether we could actually do that. So far we are ahead of schedule paying down the debt, so if we keep at this pace we might not only reach this goal but pay off more than we planned. 

    Pay off half of Student loan #1

5. If God sees fit, have Isaac at home.

6. Survive the first year with Isaac.

We made it two months! So far so good. 

7. Eat more meals from scratch, made with local foods.

8. Keep making the house less toxic. 

9. Get to and Stay within a healthy weight and get in better shape.

I told Vince I wanted a Fitbit for my birthday. Hopefully it will help, whenever we get the chance to go buy me one. 

We did just get Isaac a stroller and I enjoy taking him for walks because he loves them so much. 

I didn't originally get him a stroller because I intended to wear him everywhere, and I do when we are out and about, but after seeing how excited he was to ride in my mom's stroller and look at the sky I decided to get him one. 

10. Special Secret Goal

Two Months!

It is hard to believe how quickly two months has flown by. Isaac has gotten so big, and it is already making me a bit sad to see him grow up so quickly. 

Its so exciting because now he is responding and smiling at us. I am a bit bias, but he has the sweetest smile!

He loves to just watch us and smile at us. He also gives us huge smile when we compliment him. It seems he likes compliments and he loves looking in the mirror... so we might have a few problems when he gets a bit older. Oh well its cute right now.

At the six week check-up with the midwives he weighed 10lbs and measured 24 inches. Two feet long! I told Vince only four more feet and Isaac will be as tall as him. 

The six week check up was the last time we see the midwives until we have another baby, so that was a very sad visit. They told me if I wasn't handling things well then they would have us come back in two weeks, but unfortunately I was handling things well and there was no excuse for another visit. Instead they just told me to have another baby very soon! 

I found a better solution, a friend is seeing them for a few visits and she said I could tag along. 

With how quickly Isaac is growing I kinda want another baby soon, but then I want to wait because he is growing so fast. 

The one good thing is Isaac loves to be held. He loves it so much that somedays he will just cry if I put him down, so I have a very good excuse to just sit there all day and cuddle him. 

The little man has all the women in his life trained. 

We were at my mom's Easter weekend, and the day beforeI was sitting there nursing him and my mom was going on and on about how much she had to do and how much she needed mine and my grandmother's help. The second he was finished nursing, "Is he done? Come to Mamie!" All the sudden she was no longer busy. She and my grandmother then sat there showering him with attention. 

And then on Easter the whole family was there and Isaac had his aunt, both grandmothers, and two great-grandmothers showering him with attention. I don't think he got put down all day. The poor boy is going to grow up thinking every woman just worships him! 

His two grandfathers and one great-grandfather were also there but I don't think any of them got a chance to hold him at all. 

I look back at the photos from when he was born and I can't believe it was only to months ago, it seems like just yesterday. These have been the best two months of my life. 

Big Thoughts and Tiny Heads

Recently I have thoughts that I think I should write down and share, but then I realize two things. One: I’m too tired to find go get my computer. Two: there is another load of laundry to do.  

Not that I’m complaining too much about the laundry. I knew having a baby meant more laundry, but I thought it would be more baby clothes, or even my clothes (spit-up and all), but no Vince beats both us of for going through the most cloths and towels. I understand, he spends all day around middle schoolers so he comes home and changes and washes up so he doesn’t cover Isaac in nasty middle school germs. I’m not really worried about germs in general, but middle schoolers are gross… so I’m glad he does that. 

I kinda wish he had been doing that for a while. I’ve seen that school. Over the summer it was nice and clean, but you stop by after school and before the cleaning staff come through and there are no words to describe the nastiness. 

Like the time I took a few things up to Vince. I was still pregnant so I had to stop by the bathroom. Someone used the restroom and left without washing their hands. THIS IS HOW DISEASE SPREADS! I am not super germaphobic, but people need to wash their hands! 

And see when I do have the energy and time to write I get distracted by things. 

This all started with the thought that I like to write (even if nobody reads), but now I am deeply concerned about middle school germs and laundry. The thought of middle school germs makes me want to go sanitize everything, and the thought of laundry makes me kinda want to go finish the load of diapers in the wash, but instead I am going to sit here, finish typing this, and watch my sleep little boy asleep on his daddy’s chest. 

Thats the thing, the thought that starting me thinking and typing, the thought of how amazing it is to be the mom of that sweet little boy and the wife of that kind man. 

No matter how overwhelming it is to try to keep up with laundry and house chores, fixing dinner every night (why do people eat so often), and taking care of numerous animals… the most important job I have is to be a wife and mother. And something that means leaving a load of laundry in the washer to enjoy that wonderful job. 

Weekly 2016 Goal Update, Week 10 of 52

This week Vince and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary, and Isaac celebrated turning 1 month old! 

I can’t believe how quickly time flies. It seems like just yesterday Vince and I were getting married, but now we have our sweet little man to celebrate with us. 

So much has happened this past year and I am so very blessed!

1. Complete the 2016 Declutter challenge.

Isaac helped me get rid of a few more things. Mainly clothes he has already outgrown (he is super long!) that I don't love enough to keep for future kids. Also we got rid of a lot of socks. I found a type of sock that stays on his feet, so I got rid of all the others. This also means since they all look alike I don't have to try to match tiny socks. 

2. Have the following things finished when Isaac arrives.
    I still need to finish hanging art on the walls in the Master Bedroom.
    Secure speaker wires, so Roomba stops trying to eat them. 
    Make sure birthing boxes are ready!
    Rehang laundry room shelves. 

3. Finish the following projects by end of year.
    Clean out the Garage.
    Cut down trees in back yard… Finally.
    Re-gravel paths.

4. Pay off some of our debt by end of year. 
    Pay of Credit Card #1 – 
    Pay off Credit Card #2
    Pay off half of Student loan #1

5. If God sees fit, have Isaac at home.

6. Survive the first year with Isaac.
I cant believe our sweet little man is already a month old!!!

7. Eat more meals from scratch, made with local foods.
I signed up for Realplans.com and I'm giving it a month to give my verdict, but so far we love it. 

8. Keep making the house less toxic. 

9. Get to and Stay within a healthy weight and get in better shape.
Breastfeeding has become my best friend, I get to sit and snuggle my sweet guy and loose weight. This is my kind of exercise :)

10. Special Secret Goal