Elsie Lou at 8 months

     Elsie Lou is 8 months!!! I cannot believe it, and the last two have flown by so quickly there wasn't even time for a 7 month post.  I was reading an article the other day about babies who are "more intense, more sensitive, and more persistent. Welcome to the world of babies who are more." Little E is more. More fun, more hilarious, and more wiggly than any baby that I know of.  Most likely because she came from two parents who fit that exact description.
     The most apparent trait of Elsie at this point to anyone who meets her is that she only wants her momma. At best she will let another person hold her for a few seconds before she lets out a wail, at worst, she starts screaming when she SEES a stranger. Like that time I tried to get a gym membership. She wasn't going to let that happen for a second.  I am used to it by now, but there were times in the early days of her attachment that I would be heartbroken because she hates everyone, and this momma's arms need a break once and a while.
    This stage has been the most work by far, but the most fun. She has so much personality and a definite sense of humor. She likes to play peek-a-boo with me, and she thinks it's hilarious to put her binky in my mouth, and laughs like crazy when I sniff her bottom to see if she's stinky. I love her laugh!! When she gets excited she scrunches up her nose and does this darling little snort on repeat.
    She is supremely interested in food. She loves it all! She loves the standard baby food, but I try to give her a mooshed version of whatever I am eating- avocado, soggy bread, mashed rice, just anything. I think her favorite at this point is mangos. She adores mangos! If it weren't for her toothlessness I am pretty positive that she would like nothing more than to devour a burger or a good steak.  I keep thinking her teeth are going to pop through any day. I have been thinking that for 3 months now. She likes to gum thick apple slices as a teether. I tell her she can take her time with the teeth- as long as I am nursing and she is a biter I am completely ok with it.
    She has a hybrid scoot crawl, which I have named "The Scrawl". It is so hilarious to watch her really get going and to see where she wants to go and what she wants to do. I love to watch her venture out and look back for reassurance that I am still there before she scoots out again.  She likes to be on the go, no time for even a diaper change for that girl. I most times have to give her an amazingly interesting toy, diaper her standing up, or for the stinks put my leg over her gently so she can't escape mid bum cleaning.
   It is just something new everyday! I love how interactive she is and am amazed by how quickly she picks things up. I only had to show her how to wave hello a few times before she was waving to everyone in costco.
    I wish time would slow down a little bit. I try to close my eyes often and try to make a permanent memory of rocking that sweet girl to sleep and her sweet baby smell and the weight of her in my arms. It's amazing how such a tiny person can make your heart so big, even after she has pulled half of your hair out.

I don't know why I can't rotate this picture.

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Elsie Lou at 6 months.

Something about 6 months feels like such a milestone! I have survived half a year of motherhood. Elsie has survived half a year of me mothering her. And  frankly I adore her to pieces.

Elsie Lou is a going machine, which was perfectly illustrated at her 6 month visit today. I stood her on the table and she instantly discovers the crinkly paper under her little feet and starts stomp dancing it to pieces! She proceeded to yank and try to eat the stethoscope and grab everything she possibly could! "She's a goer!" Her Dr. Says. She screamed during her shots, but I picked her up and gave her a bink and she was comforted. Until I tried to put her in her car seat of course. It's a bit of a wrestling match these days. That is what people notice. One, her giant blue eyes, and two- this girl is on the go!!  In the words of my mother in law , Els is "kind of a full time job." So excuse my perpetual laundry pile. Her main goal in life is to take off walking with no prior training. She wants to be upright like a big girl. She has about mastered sitting up! It felt like an all of the sudden kind of thing. Like one day she was wobbley and the next day, she didn't need any help at all! I love to watch her sit and pull her toys out of her basket. It is so cute how concentrated she gets playing with her little duck taggy and trying to get her little chubby fingers to pinch one little tag. She is a determined little thing.

She is observant. She likes to watch people and cars and animals. Elsie LOVES animals. Especially when she can grab big handfuls of fur before I can stop her. I have had to pry my mother in law's cat's tail out of her clenched fists a time or two.

She is very social! She smiles at everyone at church, and when they come to chat with her she sometimes hides her face in my chest all bashful. It's pretty adorable. She has got some spunk and she has got some silliness like her momma. She is getting more and more talkative! Especially to other littles.

On a smellier note- For the love of stinky diapers can we please go back to breast milk only!? But seriously. You momma's know what I am talking about. But Elsie Lou loves her little pureed meals, and I love watching her face as she tries new things and chomps down on her little spoon. Her favorite so far- pears. A perfectly ripe pear blends up to perfection for baby food! I have had a few people ask when I am planning on weaning her off breastfeeding,. I don't know why people ask me this. But I tell them I will quit breastfeeding when she is embarrassed by it. Ha! Breastfeeding has gone well for us and as long as it is working out then we will keep that stuff up. I have had two instances where my supply dipped scary low- once when I got sick and one weekend where my grandmother had passed away and I had to speak at her funeral and got super stressed. But it snapped back. It's just easy. No bottles. No fuss. Got that baby food? Oh yeah, it's in my shirt. Obvs now we have to drag along some solid goodness, but I like to keep things simple around here. Best place to breastfeed on the go?  Nordstrom's ladies lounge. Hands down.

The girl just loves food. Just tonight, she was sitting on my lap at dinner and swiped a handful of green beans off my plate and stuffed them in her mouth pretty successfully. It was so sneaky! So I started to laugh and then instant panic mode set in as I fished those green beans out of her chomper. She knows what to do with a plate of food, people.

 I always wonder what effect different things will  have on her. In a way your first kiddo is a great experiment- there are so many choices to make. I worry about little things. And then I tell myself not to. There are so many different kinds of mommas and we all have different strengths. While we may not be perfect mommas, we are the perfect mom for OUR littles.

She had a really rough week teething and love felt heavy. So very heavy. I would pray for patience for my sad babe, and to have patience for my husband. I felt so by myself with Elliott working from before we get up to after Els would go to sleep. I have my happy girl back and I know that I will have lots of ups and downs through motherhood and I just feel so grateful to my family and friends for helping me and keeping me sane ( mainly ; ) )

yep she owns a controversial baby mobile. 

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love/hate swaddling

          Swaddling. I am unsure if it's the only way we would have ever got any sleep, or if it has ruined her for sleep. Every time I think to myself, "I should try weaning Elsie off swaddling again", I then ask, " do I hate myself?". Unswaddled in her crib, Elsie rolls from side to side, crashing into the bars in her sleep. When it finally wakes her up, she is either super enthralled that she is free to scoot around and scream like a pterodactyl in the dark, or their is instant crying. Neither of which are very conducive to MY sleeping.  Ideally you would wean them off by swaddling with one arm out, until they master that without bashing themselves in the face too many times, and then you let the other one free, until you have a baby who doesn't flop around like a fish out of water in the night. Or, you can gradually loosen it, but then you have the issue of this loose blanket in the crib. Swaddled, Elsie sleeps from 8 pm to 8am, and only starts grunting when she gets hungry. I then can feed her, change her ( I won't let her sleep in some 3 pound soaking diaper) and wrap her back up and we both sleep like rocks. So you can see why I have stuck with it for so long- Generally we sleep FANTASTIC ( excepting teething, growth spurts, etc). I need to wean her off because it is clear that she is over it and I think babies need that freedom of waking up in their crib and entertaining themselves and being independent little people. I am weaning her off with a method that I have not read about ( and I have read all the methods) called " Swaddle your baby till she is super asleep and then undo it" which has been semi successful. When her hands get crazy and wake her up in the night I do what I call a faux swaddle, where I take the blanket under her and tuck it over her arms and under her bum loosely, just so her arms don't get too cray. Which I also didn't read about anywhere. I feel like you kind of have to reinvent the wheel for YOUR baby, because they are all their own little sleepers. Right now she is currently asleep IN HER CRIB with her arms OUT of her swaddle so obvs I am feeling on top of the world. Little victories!

Elsie's "I am over being a baby burrito" face

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once a year

Once a year I hate the farm.

I hate the heat.

I hate the flies.

I hate that my husband is always gone, and when he is home he is so tired he just wants to go to sleep. I hate that I am kicking it like a single mother.

I hate the dirt that gets tracked into my house.

I hate the weeds in the garden.

I hate the boxes of produce that I have to spend all day canning/drying/freezing. 

These stressful blessings I have, huh? I have husband who provides for our little family so I can have my DREAM JOB, to be a momma & homemaker. I have a garden overflowing with berries and veggies of every sort, an orchard with so much fruit on the branches that it can't even hold on to them, and a beautiful home that get to live in and take care of. 

Once a year I need an attitude adjustment. 

I have been running on empty and mainly diet coke as I have been so sleep deprived with my favorite smooshy girl. Sometimes I hold her and she is crying, and I just cry, too.It is hard to be so tired. I have been cranky with my husband who is just as, and most days more tired than I am from working long days in the hot sun. 

Today as I watched him teach Sunday school I was reminded of all the reasons I fell in love with him- underneath a layer of dirt and exhaustion is that confident, smart, witty man who happens to look very handsome in a suit and tie. I am happy he is my person. I need to be nicer to my person. He works so hard for Elsie Lou & I. As I packed up his roast beef and mashed potatoes dinner in a tupperware today, to deliver to him on a tractor my heart was filled with gratitude for him. Marriage is hard. Farm life is hard. Being a mother is hard. But I am so very blessed and so very grateful to be the farm wife. 

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she's 5 months

I still can't get the girl to smile for my big camera! A serious shot will have to do. 

I gave in. This cutie eats a little meal of pureed food before bed, after she nurses. Dessert? She LOVES food.  She must be a Goodrich. Nobody really refrained from giving her "tastes" of things since she was far too small, and I feel like she is very ready for a little something extra. She opens her mouth when I get a drink of water and pants like "me too!! please me too!!" She usually gets a sip. What am I talking about, she always gets a sip of water. You really can't resist an Elsie Lou.  The best part about her little meal of solids is that rather than decreasing the amount she nurses, she actually nurses A LOT more- which is a big relief to me after her small appetite last month. She is still a little picky though, she nurses most in the evenings at night, and if I want to get a good day feed I sometimes have to carry her around while I feed her. 

I attribute it to her being a genius and far too interested in the world. I know every momma thinks their baby is a gorgeous genius but this little one is really clever. I love how social and responsive she is, smiling her favorites and recognizing her daddy and other family members. He sat down next to me the other day and put his head down because he was so tired and she reaches over and puts her little hands on his face, and plays with his facial hair. It is one of the sweetest things I have ever seen. She can read short books and count to 5. KIDDING! But it won't be long, I am telling you. 

She can sit up for a little bit in tri-pod position, with her hands out in front of her. She is not a fan though! She wants to stand. Her fine motor skills are getting so much better and she loves all things sparkly. Earrings, watches, she wants them. Preferably in her mouth. 

She is either teething or... I have no idea. She gets to gumming things really aggressively. When she wakes up and I cuddle her she really enjoys gumming my face. Kisses? Not the most slobbery I have ever had, really.

She is still a swaddled baby. I don't make an effort to keep her in, but it's her sleep cue. She calms right down. She can sleep alright when she busts loose in the night, but she really needs it to get to sleep. She does a midnight and a 4 am feeding most nights. I am still pretty exhausted, but being her momma is so rewarding. I feel so blessed to be able to be a stay at home with her!

I can't believe how fast she is growing!! Love my little one. 

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4 months & a bit

Where do I start with my Elsie Lou!! She is learning new things everyday and is growing up so fast. Elsie's favorite things are reading stories with me, sitting in her bumbo with us at the dinner table like a big girl, and ROLLING!! She will not stop rolling. She will try to roll when you put her in her car seat, on the changing table, on your knees to play... rolling is her favorite. I try to hold her back right after she has eaten, because it ends up being a giant spit up fest, but the girl is strong and there isn't much stopping her.  She rolled tummy to back first, but seems to have forgotten that bit. She can fully push herself up with her little arms. When she gets her legs underneath her we are going to be in trouble. The girl wants to go! She gets her little legs moving so fast. I put her toys just out of her reach like I am encouraging this or something. She likes to hold my fingers and sit up and then stand up from there. Her standing skills are impressive and she loves it, but she has no interest in sitting up. Why sit when you can stand (?).. She loves to scream like a pterodactyl ( it really is the best way to describe it) and is a sweet smiley girl. She will laugh when I kiss attack her tummy or munch her fingers (which she always tries to put in my mouth). She laughed her first real laugh the day after Elliott and I's third anniversary and I am pretty sure I teared up. It was the cutest thing!

I bought her a johnny jump up for her 4 month birthday, because EVERY baby loves a jump up, right? False. Els hated it! I thought with her love for standing/jumping in my arms she would love it. I keep trying though and she will now tolerate swaying around in it for a few minutes at a time as long as I sit there and encourage her. She loves hanging out in her k'tan with me. I discovered a new sling hold, where she is basically sitting up& criss-cross applesauce in there. I narrate what I am up to and she likes to observe the world close to mom. We go on walks around the farm and chat about what we see. She likes to watch the pigs and likes watch the cat when we feed him. I prep dinner with her in there and let her touch and smell different ingredients.

It has probably been the best bit and the hardest bit as far as mommyhood has gone for me lately. She went through a phase where she became a very picky eater and got to distracted to nurse during the day. Which means I was up 2 or 3 times a night nursing her. I tried everything. I would nurse her in her sleep, try walking around nursing her... It really stressed me out that my baby wasn't getting enough to eat. One night she was so sad but wouldn't settle to nurse so I just made up a bottle with formula and out of no where I had a bottle taker. Now she will take a pumped bottle and it has been fantastic ( and a little sad, too). We have both been under the weather the last few days, but her appetite has gotten a lot better and I couldn't be more relieved. She hasn't had her 4 month visit yet, it's tomorrow (dr. office frustrations for another post) , but when I took her in for her cough she was 14 pounds 8 oz, which I am ok with considering feeding her has been SO HARD the last month.

I have considered starting her on solids since she was struggling with nursing, but I tried and she choked a lot. I will reconsider at 5 months, but in my heart of hearts I want to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months. She shows a lot of interest in food, and grabs at plates and my spoon on it's way to my mouth : )  She loves her binky, and in the car I watch her take it out of her mouth and hold it out and an arms length and marvel at it like it's the best thing in the world. She can put it back in better now, and likes to grab it with both hands and chew on every part of it.

I am phasing out swaddling since she is a roller, and I really feel like she has outgrown it. I can rock her to sleep on my chest and then just lay her down and she sleeps just fine. I usually lay her down on my bed to fall asleep and then move her into her crib when I go to bed ( and she is oblivious).

I love my sweet girl so much and am loving watching her learn and grow!! I hope we get feeling better soon.

"You bring me here and you give me no sushi!?"

  Tolerating the jumpy.

 Chatting with momma

 "All my toys, please! And wipe my face."

Putting together a soup in the crock pot

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3 month update

Elsie Lou at 3 months.

She loves to play with her stuffed animal giraffe, whom we have affectionately named "Raff", because that guy has become a permanent fixture in our lives. She loves to try to stuff things in her mouth- especially her hands, Raff, my hair, blankets, you name it, she wants to try to eat it! She has death grip. She can turn the fingers of unsuspecting victims blue.  She likes to grab at her blankets and clothes and she ends up pulling them over her head. I hope this amounts to peek- a- boo soon.

She is a binky girl. That stinkin' binkin. I told Elliott that I only give it to her when it is time to sleep. And then I realized I also let her have it in the car, while we run errands, at church, whenever anyone but me is holding her, and when she is fussy for no apparent reason... so basically she has it a lot. And she loves it!! She is getting to wear she can pull it out and (sometimes) put it back. If it falls out at night she tries to creep her little pudgy hands out of her swaddle to put it back. It is one of the cutest things I have ever seen!!

 She likes to talk., especially when she is tired. It sounds like she is really trying to explain things to me in quiet coos and different little noises. Sometimes she looks at me and I think... this girl is way beyond her 3 months in knowledge and life wisdom. And then it's bedtime and she cries and I am reminded, yes, still just a little bitty baby.

She can roll over from her tummy to her back now. It still surprises her and her lower lip will go out and she cries a little. She is realllyyy working on back to tummy, and is over on her side a lot trying to kick her legs over.

She is fascinated by her books and mom's (terrible) singing-  especially by the song itsy bitsy spider with associated hand motions. She gets reallllyyy excited and is in awe when my spider hands crawl up the imaginary spout.

She is getting so strong! Her head control is pretty good and she likes to hold my hands and practice sitting up on my lap. I feel like her little life is a series of stations- reading books and singing little songs with me, playing independently on her toy mat, tummy time, hanging in her bouncy chair, and being toted around in the k'tan while I get things done. Then nap. She is always so ready for her nap by the time she gets done playing.

Things that save me right now are TUMMY MASSAGE and the "Double Swaddle"!! How does a girl that tiny get so gassy!? I have not a clue. But I do know that 5 minutes of tummy massage will empty that poor girl out in a hurry. The standard swaddle is no match for the Els, the double swaddle keeps her in and secure all night. Both can be you tubed, there are lots of different methods!!

Elsie gets up to eat 2-3 times a night now. At one and two months she slept through the night, and it's like she just discovered that it's a 24 hour restaurant, and she wants to make up for lost time. She is an astounding night eater. Her appetite increases like tenfold I swear to you. I  can pick her up, feed her, change her diaper and she wakes up for exactly NONE of it.

I could rant literally forever. But in summation the girl's motor skills and hand eye coordination are increasing sooo rapidly , I am crazy crazy in love with her, she is slightly more of a grumpist these days, and everyone comments on her huge blue eyes. They are beautiful!

My biggest parenting question at this point is do I hold rock her for 10 minutes since she falls asleep better in my arms, or set her down when she is drowsy even if it literally takes and hour for her to go to sleep that way. With crying. ...? #runonsentenceprobs. But yes. And second parenting question I have is how to I get this girl to take a bottle once and a while. And that is all.

As for myself I am busy to an extreme. Good thing I slept so much in my teenage years. I am now a Lularoe Consultant! Check them out here... SO CUTE. And I have better prices. Plus the girls at the GWG blog are always rocking the dresses and I die over them. It's just a chance to do some math and feel a little like a business lady a few hours a week while els naps that doesn't detract from being a momma. I will always put my family and home first. Plus it is some sort of badge of stay at home momness to join a multi level marketing company at some point it seems. I am also the owner of a giant watermelon/canteloup/pumpkin patch on top of our big garden. And housework. And cooking. And mothering the crap out of the cutest baby ever. You know?

xo,
farmwife

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boob drama

I spent most of my day stressing over some serious boob drama. My little baby would not eat. She was very reluctant to eat all morning.. And then, she went from 1 pm for what seemed LIKE FOREVER for a concerned momma , and refused to be fed flat out.  And she wouldn't just not eat, she would scream and cry and cry. But other than that, was happy as a clam, smiling at people at dinner parties and whatnot. I was super stressing. Was my breastmilk crap? Was she sick? And it's super awkward in the mothers room at church. Yep. Here I am, my baby, just you know flipping a lid because her mom is trying to feed her. Just hates my boobs, that's all. I was having to pump all day because my milk is actually not crap it's actually prolific- like I could provide for an entire preschool. And finally I got home and was near tears because my baby was in super tears , when I resorted to gas drops ( I use the stuff sparingly ). Anywhoo I gave her the mystery ingredient gas drops, and did  her tummy massage and she started tooting like crazy!! The girl went to toot town and back.  And all of the sudden little toot bottom had room for food (7 hours later) ! She ate and ate and went to sleep, woke up, and ate some more. I don't care if that baby gets up to eat every hour all night I am just so happy she is happy!

Also can we talk about ants for a minute? Those super tiny vermin? The only thing left of this house from before the remodel is the brick on the outside, and these intruders are still finding a way in!! I will find one creeping in the middle of the living room, and then crawl around the perimeter like sherlock ant killer holmes till I find their tricky entrance and put ant death traps all around it. They are the "ant hotels" where they can come and play and take all the poison trick food they want back to their colony. And then. It kills them. All. Entire colony. Obliterated. And that is how it is done. And I don't know why I felt the need to share but there you have it. Fighting a battle over here people. Over & out.

xo,
farmwife

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post baby bod and fitness ramblings

I have always loved working out. I just do. I did track and cross country all through high school and thrive on endorphins and the feeling of accomplishment after doing a tough workout.  I am putting together a pinterest board of my favorite free workout videos that are REALLY doing the job. I mean, I have my abs back and Els is not yet 3 months old.

While you body may be different after baby, like hello I went up two cup sizes different, it can be just as good, if not more fit than before! I am kind of loving looking womanly.

I am still 5 ish pounds away from where I was before I got pregnant. I want to punch people in the face most when they are all about the scale and weight. MUSCLE WEIGHS MORE THAN FAT PEOPLE!! So those 5 pounds that I am hanging onto look a lot different this month than they did last month. While you might be gaining weight if you look at the scale, you are loosing inches and toning up. The scale is no indicator of fitness. Better indicators are your energy level, loss of inches, and the way your clothes are fitting. Plus, you aren't going to loose weight without muscle. Muscle is how you burn the fat. I love running with a passion, but I could run for miles and miles and it would not touch the effectiveness of a 20 minute session with 5 pound weights as far as toning up.

I swear forever and ever on pilates for a flat stomach. I love different types of squats with weights to round out your booty. Notice I did not say get rid of, I mean ROUND. I mean tone and lift that puppy so it looks good in your jeans.

I really like to mix things up and do different things to keep it interesting. When you are a mom, by the time you packed your gym bag, get dressed, get your kids dressed, drive to the gym, got them set up at the daycare, do your workout, get the kids back in the car, go home shower... that is an ENTIRE MORNING.  I just roll out of bed and workout in my pajamas in the basement. Our tv has youtube so it makes it super convenient, but you could easily pull up your laptop wherever.  Plus. This costs nothing.

So the moral of the story is I will be pinning workout vids with my reviews HERE, if you ever are curious and want to try them out.

plus. this.

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nutella hostage situations and so forth

^^Aren't these beautiful?! ^^

awkward:
- I washed an entire bottle of oxyclean in my load of Elsie clothes. It came out full and intact ( maybe this is very fortunate?)
-The next day, my husband's leather belt. It did not fare as well.
- I spilled 6 oz of pumped milk all over my made bed this morning. Do not cry over spilled milk?
-I went out to pick more peonies and I stepped on a bee! Only I was wearing shoes! How it got in between my poor toe and sandal is a tragedy and a mystery. I have not been stung by a bee since I was in kindergarten, about to leave for a field trip to green bluff. Flash bulb memory.  My mom sent me a text to "Bee more careful." Ha!

awesome:
- I rescued my husbands grandpa ( age: 94 , still working in the garden)  today who took a spill  when his shoes got stuck in the mud. Do I kind of feel like a hero? Yes.
- My in laws got a new puppy. Across the street no less! Gotta love a chubby puppy.
- I found my nutella. I thought maybe it had gotten left behind at the grocery store during bagging. It was ( drum roll please) in my husband's office. We basically had a full on nutella hostage situation. It has been resolved, and the nutella is being shared between spouses. Love is sharing your nutella.
- Mishearing the same statement at church that causes you to go into convulsive silent laughter complete with tears. And then looking over to find that your sister has the same problem. We passed the same kleenex back and forth until we were able to calm the heck down. It was a process. And a bonding moment.

xo,
farmwife

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2 months and things

Elsie Lou is 2 months old!! 

Sometimes I see so much of my face in hers. Like the top shot- definitely my little.

She had her checkup today. Little is 12 pounds 6 oz and 23.5 inches long. My big bubs. 

Because... she has been eating like a champion. On the topic of food, she is becoming a Goodrich in 2 very pronounced ways. For one, Elsie doesn't eat every 1 hr 50 minutes, or 2 hours and 5 minutes, is is every two hours on the hour. It does not matter how deep of a sleep she is in, those big eyes will open and stare at you, and you had better feed that little girl or she will get mad! Plus the gal needs everything to be PERFECT to sleep. She needs to be swaddled and the perfect temperature and the whole bit. She has just been sleeping in a diaper and her swaddle blanket lately, she gets too hot in her pajamas these days. It has been in the 80's around here!

Besides her Goodrichisms, Els is just a big  sweetheart. Lots of smiles, lots of talking, and she likes to move move move.  She is getting pretty advanced at tummy time and can keep her head up and look at me while I show her her toys and have them give her kisses while she keeps her head up. She likes that.  My favorite thing she does lately is when I get ready to feed her, she pulls away and looks up and me and smiles and talks like we are having a real conversation and she is just so very  happy about the whole deal.  She is starting to love her carseat and loves to look out the window when we are out and about. She is getting so observant of the world and loves to study new faces. When I read her stories she is looking at the pages and pictures. 

I don't know who her shots were harder for today, me or her. She looked up at me and cried real tears, and I held mine back. I hate to see my baby sad! I had her arms swaddled and fed her right after and she calmed right down, but wanted to be held close the rest of today. Which was fine with me. I love to cuddle my girl! She vomited all over her clothes when the nurse gave her tylenol. She got to ride home in just her diaper like a ghetto baby because I didn't have a spare change of clothes for her. She loved it! We got some smiles even though her poor little legs were sore from the vaccinations. 

As sad as I am that she is growing so fast, each new stage is so fun!! 

And on an unrelated note, I made this roast chicken and these cookies today while Els snuggled me in her K'tan carrier.

I am trying to improve my foodtography for goodrichfamilyeats.. (just changed the name to match the blog, thefarmwifepost) on instagram. 

 And  photography in general. What is the point of having a hardcore camera if you have no idea what all the buttons are for ( insert sobbing emoji face). 

My inspiration for the chicken recipe was found here... I didn't have precisely what she has ( who does...ever?) so I stuffed my chicken with lemons and shallots, dumped melted butter on it and seasoned it with garlic salt and pepper within an inch of it's life, and then sprinkled it with lemon juice for good measure. I don't have a proper roasting pan, so it cooked on a bed of carrots. Who needs a proper roasting pan when you have carrot beds? Also I cooked mine at 250 for 3 hrs while I went about and did other things.  It was delicious. 

Cookie recipe found here. 

Els is sleeping like a champ, and I am off to join her.

xo, farmwife

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before and after: getting the bod back

I just look at this and think.... being a woman is magical! On the left, you have me at 39 weeks pregnant. I delivered at 40 weeks 5 days. I wasn't a small preggers. Buttt, I still felt good about myself (most days, lets be real here). Carrying the baby made me feel beautiful. Not how the world sees beautiful, but it helped me appreciate my body in a whole new way. Not in terms of what it looked like, but what it could do. Looking at that picture makes me pretty sentimental.  I can't believe my Elsie Lou was in there, waiting to make me a momma, and I couldn't fathom how happy my little one could make me.  Baby girl is such a little sunshine of a person. On the right, is me today! Right after a tough workout. I may never be the 115 pound high schooler I once was, but I am doing by best to have healthy habits so I can run around and chase my kiddos and run races and do the things that I love.  I think the moral of this story is that you need to appreciate your body at every size and at every stage, and punch every high school girl who ever thinks she is fat. Kidding. If I could go back to my 17 year old self, I would put my hands on her shoulders and look her square in the face and say... " Quit beating yourself up, friend, you are lovely just the way that you are, and 6 years from now you will be married and have a beautiful baby girl who makes you so happy your heart could explode, and THAT is what matters."

The End.

Just kidding. Here are my tips for feeling great after baby:

1) Put your jeans back on as soon as you can! You body is filled with relaxin, and the same chemical that helped them stretch out can help smoosh em back together ( or something). Even though you would really like to just live in sweatpants for a year.
2) Drink tons of water! Your body wants to sweat off all the water weight. I basically woke up in a puddle the first month from it all. Serious.
3) Ease slowly into your regular routine. Don't push it too hard too soon.Go for a walk and get some sunshine. Lots of sources recommend not even worrying about working out till the 6 week mark.
4) Don't cut calories!! You are nursing. You need them.  Just eat a well balanced diet. Don't torture yourself. Have a piece of cake. Life is meant to be enjoyed!
5) Have a hobby that keeps you active. I like to work out in the garden with baby in a carrier. It gives us an excuse to work outside and keep us moving.




xo, farmwife

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garden babies

A momma bird decided to make a home for her littles in our blueberry patch! It's a killdeer nest. Little ground birds.The babies are the cutest little things- just these poof balls with long toothpick legs. If it were more of a  rational thing to campout and fight off any egg predators I completely would. The mom is pretty impressive though, if you get close, she runs away from the nest and pretends to be hurt- so you would in theory eat the mom and not the eggs. That is love. Unfortunately I do not speak ground bird and can't tell the mom that I am just weeding my blueberries and have her back with nest protection. I hope these wee ones make it!

The garden is in full swing! The berries are blooming and the vegetables we started in the house are taking off. I look forward to garden grocery shopping- wheelbarrow instead of shopping cart... cucumber tomato salad with feta...presence salad with juicy fresh tomatoes and basil leaves...I told husband I would pummel him if he ate the first ripe strawberry again this year.  I put Elsie in the baby carrier and we go out and weed when we can and help Hubs in his garden masterplan vision. The man doesn't do anything halfway. Which is attractive. I feel very blessed to have a husband who helps with the garden. And by helps I mean does most of it. What a champ. 

xo,

farmwife

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taste of home cooking school

I attended the Taste of Home cooking school last night! I was drawn in by a chance to meet a cooking celebrity and door prizes. .

I learned a cool trick to separate eggs with an empty water bottle. And how to tie up the legs of a chicken with it's own skin... that sounds pretty morbid. BUT SO COOL for chicken roasting!!

Also I learned that I am a traditionalist. Simplicity > creativity in the food department for me! I don't need a 30 layer potato bacon waffle to be happy. Just a regular homemade waffle and syrup type girl over here. And I failed to win the recliner, so there was obvs room for improvement ; ) I secretly crave an Oprah type expirience where everyone in the audience wins some insane prize with much happy screaming and hyperventilating.

Elsie Lou was a champion. She did not make a peep that was not an adorable coo the entire time! And I felt so brave busting out my nursing cover and feeding  my bubs in an auditorium of hundreds. There isn't a mothers room at every function to hide out in, so I am going to have to get the hang of this #nursingpride

I have been putting off going through Elsie's dresser to put away all the tinies she has outgrown. I knew it would make me sad! I picked up the little newborn pair of pajamas that she came home from the hospital in, stuffed them in my face and shed a few tears of nostalgia. And by a few I mean I cried for like ten minutes and sent husband some dramatic text about our baby growing up too fast. But really she is. Everyone says it goes by quickly, but I did not quite believe them. Tonight after her bath, I put her in some jammies fresh out of the dryer and rocked my baby and begged begged my silly human brain to remember every exact detail.-  the weight of her in my arms, the sweet smell of her baby soap and the way her fuzzy head feels against my cheek when I nuzzle her and the way my heart goes limp when she looks up at me with her giant blue eyes... please please remember everything. 

xo

farmwife

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the conundrum

Elsie Lou is no longer my tiny smooshy newborn. Still smooshy but more of a little  infant with a lot of personality! Her big blue eyes slay me. Her daddy's eyes. His eyes still get me, too. Seeing  your husband in a fatherly light could make hearts burst all around. There is a lot of love when a family goes from 2 to 3. I thought I loved my husband when he was just mine. Now I share him with Elsie Lou, and seeing them together makes me so incredibly happy. We are a team, the three of us. It's like somebody was missing, and now she is here and our family feels a little more complete ( obvs we will keep some space open at the dinner table for some siblings for little E down the road).

Last night I left a bottle with Elsie's grandma and headed off to the birthday party of a good friend. Little E didn't take the bottle, and I had to come home early after getting a text from hubby that read "your baby needs you".  I have never left a party so fast! And that is the thing about motherhood. I was almost glad she wouldn't take the bottle. Because on one hand I would like more than two hours foot loose and fancy free, and on the other hand I don't want that AT ALL! Quite the conundrum. My little baby needs me. And I love that. But because this is real life, and she may need a baby sitter someday, I will work with her on taking a pumped bottle, even if it makes me a little sad.

I feel like for the first few weeks of motherhood I must have been on some new momma high, fueled by adrenaline and some misconstrued supermom ideal ( it wasn't due to an overwhelm of sleep I can tell you that). Don't worry, we have slowed down. E  is on a growth spurt and has been eating every two hours and frankly I am just pooped. Days have been slower. Cuddles substantially longer. Baby has developed an affinity for falling asleep in her momma's arms, whereas when she was new I could just lay her down when she got tired. I am trying to nail down our routine and just make sure at least Els is dressed and ready for the day ; ), when I get there it's a plus.

Just doing our best over here and loving this spring weather.

If you want to work your booty at home I have discovered a slew of youtube workouts for when you get tired of the videos you have. Check this out, and others by BeFit. Peed my pants during it if that is any testimony to it's intensity. And my need for some special post birth exercises #tmituesday #notathing #neitherarehashtagsinblogs

If you want the perfect mom pants look here... I have these pants in a different print ( from the rack and for half the price), and they are the BEST stay at home mom pants. Put em with a graphic tee for days at home with baby or a pretty blouse and heels for a date with your lover!

If you want to be entertained watch this nun belt it out with her sweet moves here. It will make you smile.

xo,
farmwife

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New Momma Musts

Here are some things that really made the transition to mommyhood easier for me.

1) Big Cup. Oh my big cup. I have so much love in my heart for it. I got it at the hospital, and it seriously has not left my side since. Right after Elsie was born and I started nursing, there was not enough water on the earth to sustain me. I drank one of those FILLED to the full 32 oz line every single time she ate! They would have kicked me out of california drinking water like that #droughtprobs. But, my milk came in the next day. Coincidence? Probably not. My body knew what it was doing.  The thirst continues and I still carry it around everywhere. Now I have tapered down to 120 ish oz a day, more when I run. You NEED to drink tons of water when you are nursing. DOOO ITTT.

2) Multiple Nursing Bras. Being a new mom is a damp experience. If you had a vaginal birth you left the hospital in a diaper. You are changing a baby, and changing yourself for a while. . Your baby is spitting up on you. You might get peed on. You will be damp. That is why you should make at least one thing easier ( and drier) for yourself and have a slew of nursing bras for when things get crazy. My favorite  here. It's purple and pretty. And inexpensive.

3)  Visitors. Visitors are a double edged sword. On one end, they bring you dinner and even fold your laundry. Yes, I cried happy tears when a ward member folded my laundry pile with me. My love language is housework, and that pile had been growing for a few days (farmer+baby+postpartum mom= TONS OF LAUNDRY). One of my good friends stopped by and showed me a different and really helpful way to burp my little. Those are treasured visitors. On the other hand they on occasion show up unannounced , ring your doorbell while your newborn is sleeping, or stay for extended periods of time to chat when realllyyyy you just want to sleep and bring in all kinds of germs from who knows where. I had one visitor who seriously banged on my door while I was nursing and couldn't get it right away, and when I did not, went around to the back door and banged on that. Because that is really polite and considerate and stuff. Anyway, I said to H with you, door banger, and didn't bother. So. Moral of the story. Be a good new momma visitor, bring food or clean or don't stay very long. And for the new mommas- your door has a lock. Use it. You do not have to get the door, you are a recovering human being, not a feature at a zoo.

4) A place for everything. Being naturally disorganized, a place for everything is a must for me. I bought a changing pad that sits atop a short dresser, with all the changing paraphernalia in a drawer directly under it. Burp cloth and boppy ( which I never really use now) are on the rocking chair, making a nursing station.  Her play mat with the toys folds up and gets stashed behind the couch. If I didn't do this, there would be diapers and burp rags everywhere. With a newborn, a feeding leads to a changing  leads to where is that swaddle blanket,and the mess kind of snowballs.

5) Nose Frida.  Elsie Lou has the cleanest nasal passages in the land and she doesn't even mind when I suck them out with the cool little bugger. Once you get over the gag factor of feeling like you are going to suck up boogies, your life will be changed. Love that booger bugger. Find here.

6) A rock and play. I was really adamant that we have the crib and everything set up just so before baby girl's arrival. Which is great and I am glad, BUT, she does not sleep in her crib. It's too vast and uncozy for such a tiny being. The rock and play sits your baby upright, which is great especially if you get a spitty one, and snuggles them closer so they can feel secure and sleep through the night ish. Plus you can pull it right up next to your bed to pop the binky back in late at night without a fuss, or drag it around your house for daytime napping. Or shove it in your car for a lil trippy. You know? Portable. Convenient. I don't know why it's called a rock and play. It should be called Sleep at Night Maybe or Rock to Sleep Hopefully. Because she sleeps like a rock in it. You know, once you get her to sleep.

7) That other idea that I had and really wanted to talk about but I can't remember because Elsie wanted to stay awake untill 2 am and then

8) I REMEMBERED! Routine. You need routine. Baby needs routine. Routine > Chaos. Have a bedtime routine for baby. Have a wake up routine for baby. Read a story, change into jammies, rock, sing, whatever. Just have it be dependable and consistent. I feel better about the day if I wake up with Elsie Lou's first morning feeding. Bright and early at 6 am. Regardless of how tired, if I fall back asleep with her I wake up feeling like the bus has left without me or I have gone to class without my homework. The day just gets away from me. If I wake up early and deal with the tired, I can take a nap in the afternoon with satisfaction that at least something got done.

9) And lastly a bazillion burp rags, zip up jammies or those night gowns that make for easy changing, those car seat strap covers that give them somewhere to rest their head while out and about in the car, and aiden and anais swaddle blankets (i.e. the most well meaning baby straightjacket ever).

XO,
farmwife

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how we doin'

Els is almost 7 weeks old, which means I am not so new at this anymore! Although it's not an official milestone, I feel that the little one needs an update as she is growing so fast.

Els LOVES to lay on her playmat and look up at her toys- with her legs kicking one hundred miles an hour!! She loooves to kick. Her arms join the party too, and after 5 minutes it makes for a very tired baby. Sometimes she is calm and could just stare up at the lights as long as I let her. She is a content little bug.

She likes to be in her k'tan carrier when I do work around the house and weed the garden. It's so cozy for her in there, and I like to be able to get things done and "hold" her at the same time.

E is still a great sleeper, that is until I want to go to bed. She does get a little angry before bedtime, and falls asleep best with a lamp on so she can stare right at my face as she drifts off. I only really swaddle her at night so she knows it's time for a long stretch of sleep, or if she gets fussy during the day and can't fall asleep on her own.

She loves baths!! With her poo diapers most times I just rinse her off, it's just faster and less abrasive with the wipes. I don't even have to undress her all the way, I can just tuck the jammy legs up into the back and clean her up all quick like. She is kind of a perfect fit for the smaller bathroom sink right now.

She hates tummy time but is getting better at it! She can prop herself up enough to look at me for a minute or two before she gives up or cries for me to rescue her from such torture.

The girl has almost outgrown size 1 diapers and eats like a little piggy champion.

Els loves to talk! She is started to make all kind of different noises when she yells. I would like to think she will be an early talker with a complex vocabulary. Which is why we listen to NPR together. Also so I don't feel completely disconnected from the world and am able to still hold intelligent conversation with my husband.

As a momma I think the hardest thing is outings. It's a little nervewracking to figure out where and when to nurse in public settings....We are working on her taking a pumped bottle but she isn't quite sure what to do with it. Plus with the carseat, if the bink falls out when you are driving and she gets upset you have to wait until a stop light to lunge back like superwoman and pop it back in. It's hard not to be able to help her right away! I was so nervous the first time I took her out by myself and even googled how to put the carseat in the shopping cart... ( I just set it in the main compartment as I am to mortified it tipping over). I just try to run errands between feedings when she is most likely to fall asleep. She isn't a huge carseat fan but if she is sleepy enough it goes just fine.

I love it when  she sees me and smiles! And when she snuggles into my shoulder and goes to sleep. I even love her spit up breath. And if someone made a car freshener called Elsie Lou Spit up I would freaking purchase it. And everyone would gag and leap out of my moving vehicle because they are not her momma.

She's a spitty one

I am in love with being Elsie Lou's momma : ) 

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easter and such

Well. I decided to host easter.Instead of deciding whether to spend it with Husband's family or mine, I decided both families are small enough to smoosh into one dinner event.  I always have these big ideas about hosting dinner parties and whatnot and then I realize that Elliott and I are pretty much hermits and anti social level 5. It turned out really lovely. I had 11 guests, and I even stayed up until one ironing cloth napkins into little rabbits. Completely worth it. I was really surprised at how fun and nice it turned out!!

 
I made Southern Living's " Best Carrot Cake"... The title says it all. It was seriously THE BEST carrot cake and moist and gorgeous and mmmm....Els loved watching all the new faces eat their Easter meal and was adored by all.

off to bed!

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update!

I've just got my little Elsie Lou sound asleep next to me in her cradle, and thought that I had better jot a few things down about these 5 weeks of motherhood I now have under my belt while I can.

Els is a big sweetheart. Unless you don't feed her within 5 seconds after she decides she is hungry, or if her stinkin bink falls out while she is falling asleep. She loves to lay on her playmat and kick her little legs. She gets them going so fast! She likes to yell happy nothings and has the cutest little voice. She is a good little eater, and some of our favorite times are cuddles after she gets a good meal and a good burp. She likes to nuzzle into my shoulder and we just snuggle as I savor being a momma of an Els at 5 weeks. I want to remember every stage! I just want to savor it. B(reast) feeding is kind of really rewarding. Watching her little thigh chubs grow, and knowing that I have everything to do with it gives me some kind of happiness. And I just thought hey its free and it's best for baby, so lets do this, but it's kind of really sweet. She stares at me like I am the best thing, and it makes all of the work worth it.

She is growing like a weed! We said goodbye to newborn clothes and diapers about 2 weeks ago. Her daddy is saying that her 3 month jammies are already getting too small. They really are! At her last checkup she was in the 92nd percentile for height and 84th for weight. She loves "bouncy time" with hubs, when he lifts her up like she is jumping on his lap. Only she is really getting the hang of it and does these cute little jumping movements. I can't wait till she is only enough to stick her in a johnny  jump up and watch her go!

She sleeps most the day between feedings, but has a period of awake time for about 5 hours!! I have been trying to align it with when I would like to go to bed, and have been having some success. She has gone to sleep at 11:30 two nights in a row. She sleeps until about 7. We do her little nighttime routine where I wash her face with a warm washcloth, feed her for the last time before bed, put her in her jammies and swaddle her up.  I sing to her a little bit, put her in her cradle, and turn off the lamp. It usually does the trick and she is out. Yes, we are lucky/blessed. She is good.  She does have angry Els time though. Sometimes she just likes to scream. Usually when she is overtired and needs to be rocked to sleep, or is a lil gassy.

I started doing light workouts two weeks after having her and have been building up to get back on the horse... by the time all was said and done in pregnancy I gained nearly 50 pounds! Ha! Never thought I would see the day. Or laugh when I did. I lost 20 when I had her, and it has continued to slough off. I am left with 9 measley pounds today. Getting back into healthy habits and working out a little + nursing will melt it off in no time. I am excited to get back into running if I can figure that out. You cannot take a jogging stroller on country roads unless you wish to be hit by a semi.  Just you, you know, you can run into a ditch bank. But those days are over for now. Looks like I might  have to start getting up before Elliott leaves for work and can watch her.  I do kind of catch myself wondering when I am going to have "me time"... probably in 20 years?

My talented sis took some photos of us and I am so very happy with them!!

I have started a new instagram account where I post food stuffs. Because remember how when I got married my repertoire consisted of no-bake cookies and eh.... that's it? And now I make good food on a consistent basis? Anywhoo I am still learning, but am proud of making a weakness a strength and am sharing recipes and whatnot. The account is goodrichfamilyeats if you want to follow along!!

Around the farm things are a happenin'! I am working out in the garden with Lou, and Elliott has my watermelon patch all tilled and ready to go. And. We got pigs. And unfortunately they are adorable and very sweet. Because, you know, they are friends until they are food.

xo,
farmwife

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post partum

In all of the advice on life post-partum, nobody ever said to me, "you know, it might just be really good."

Your body will probably snap back quickly.

You will survive your first sleepless nights.

You will learn how to get things done with a little one.

You will be a good momma.

So if I ever give anyone new mom advice, it will be to trust yourself. You were meant to do this, and you'll figure it out.

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Elsie Lou's Arrival

My Elsie Lou has arrived! Named for her great grandmother on her daddy's side, Elsie, and Lou for both Elliott & I's grandmothers, Lareva Lou, and Betty Lou.

The Sunday night before she came, I had a hope that my body was finally going into labor on it's own ( at 40 weeks 5 days) ! I started to have regular but bearable contractions about 10 min apart into the next morning.  I had an appointment that day, and my hope beyond hope was that I would truly be in labor, and that they would keep me, and we would have our baby girl here finally! I had my hospital bag in the car and was ready for anything, and seriously told everyone to pray that baby would come that day so I wouldn't have to be induced later in the week. I spent the morning shopping and eating at Olive Garden with my mom and stopping and resting each time a contraction hit.

The Dr. did not think I was in labor. I was only at a 2. She told me that people have contractions like that sometimes for days, but since my appointment was in Spokane, she sent me over to the hospital to be monitored for a while to be on the safe side. They kept coming, but no progress. They were getting ready to send me home, when they decided they wanted to watch baby's heart rate for a little while longer. And THAT is when it hit. Worst contraction thus far. And just like that, my water had broken!! The most startling experience ever!!

Everyone changed their tune pretty quickly after that! I was hauled away, given a hospital gown and admitted. I swear it took about 5 minutes for true labor to hit hard. A pain of an intensity that I have no way of describing. I have a whole new respect for woman kind. I really really do. That pain makes anything else look like a cake walk. Things happened VERY quickly after that. I called Elliott, and he headed on his way! We were all so pleasantly surprised. It also should be said that I was positive after a few contractions that this momma to be would be having an epidural, and I am not even ashamed. Mothers who go without deserve medals and giant cupcakes. Pain or no pain though, I pushed that baby girl into this world, and that was all me! So my water had broken at 6, and baby girl was here by 12:45 am, no pictocin necessary.

I remember it all so vividly, and unfortunately so does Elliott ha ha! We were planning on kicking it old school where he hangs out in the waiting room and comes in when we are all clean and nice. FALSE! I got to a ten so fast, the nurse just ordered him to " Grab a leg!".  He got a front row seat to the whole ordeal.  I remember my last push, and I knew she was out and I heard her cry, and they put her right away on my chest. I will never forget the first few minutes of those big big eyes staring up at me while they stitched me up. I was in shock! This little person was all ours to keep.

Elsie Lou Goodrich

8 lbs 11 oz
21 inches 

3/11/14

Then I went into actual shock from labor and started shaking uncontrollably and my lips and hands turned blue. I was so scared! Turns out I lost too much blood for a vaginal delivery, and we had to stay in the hospital an extra night. We were so ready to go home by the end!! Elsie proved herself a little nursing champion. Right after she got here I wanted to try to feed her and I just said to Elliott " I don't know how!", but this little girl knew exactly what she was doing.  She was known throughout the maternity ward for her appetite ha ha.


Life at home with little Els is a treat. She really is a good baby ( excepting when I have chocolate or caffiene.... never again). I feed her and she is awake for a little while and I read her a story or just kiss her freaking adorable face. Then she goes into a milk coma and starts to stir about 2 and half hours later when she is hungry again. She loves warm baths and cuddling with her momma and daddy. We are tired but we are happy. I am in love with being this little girl's momma.

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40+1

YESTERDAY was my due date. I knew all along that my baby would probably be a little later than the day I was handed 10 months ago. Babies in my family are big, and they are untimely.  However, it was a little discouraging to go into my appointment on my due date,  and be told that I am still at a measly one!! I responded with "nooooooooooooo!!" Because really, no way!! I have been having contractions and cramps and walking and walking and walking. Women should really just get a due month. You will have your baby sometime between 38 and 42 weeks. The end. Because all due dates really do is psych you out. I have been living on the edge a bit. My house has never stayed this immaculate for such a long stretch of time!  I never leave dishes until morning, because what if she comes in the night! And that leads to wiping down all the cupboards, organizing the fridge, and a slew of other cleaning and organizing activities. I am not even sure that it is nesting. Because it is like I enjoy it. It's like I have uncovered some inner compulsive cleaner who gleans way too much satisfaction from a shiny fridge door without fingerprints. My mom is probably proud.

Plus every contraction makes you think... COULD THIS BE IT!!?? And it's not. And that is hard.  I felt like the dr. told me I would be pregnant for life, even though he told me we would evict her next week if she isn't busting a move. She is Elliott & I's child. We should have expected her to be a stubborn little love even in the womb. I just cannot wait to meet this little girl and see those tiny feet that have be protruding out of my tummy the last few weeks. I am so very ready and so very excited. 

My tummy has definitely dropped. I can breathe! And it also comes with some startling pressure when walking, and literally going to the ladies room every half hour. Something kind of neat has happened though! My swelling that was so terrible is basically gone!  I don't know if it is the walking or excessive drinking of water or just a stroke of luck. Obviously I am still a little poofy looking. But that is not so much edema ...and more.. the haagen daas.Weeks 32-37 I was so so very swollen and my feet would hurt so badly at the end of the day... and it just kind of dissipated. I am sooo very grateful. 

Hopefully she will come on her own, but until then I am just trying to stay busy and enjoy time with hubs : )

-farmwife

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feeling fab

It should be said I felt fantastic today! I had an achievement days conference, and it was so fun talking to those girls! They are so silly and so sweet. There were at least 5 girls there from the 3rd grade class I student taught in, so it was a happy reunion. It has been a while since I have heard... "MRS GOODRICH!!!" It was also mani and pedi day. I swear the place I go may be the most sketchy, but it is the BEST and cheapest you will ever get. The lady I always end up with is so sweet and massaged the swollen right out of my poor hands and ankles. Then hubs and I worked in the garden, and I had so much energy I just wanted to freaking jog a mile. A couple of laps around the yard sufficed.   And- we shared a blizzard. Yes, my germaphobe husband and I effectively shared an ice cream. It was a nice little day. 

-farmwife

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