My "No Poo" Journey

Several of my friends have become "No Pooers" and have convinced me to try it. Now, I know what you're thinking...that can't be healthy and why on earth is Rebecca sharing this fact on a public blog for all the world to see? I'm talking about not using shampoo. Ever again.

Sounds greasy and oily at first, right? But just because I wont be shampooing my hair doesn't mean I wont be cleaning my hair.

And since Jenna said it better than I can:

The idea is, shampoo strips the hair of its natural oils. This is because it has sulfates in it. So, the hair and scalp become dry, sending the message to the oil glands to produce more! Which is why your hair becomes greasy easily if you shampoo it frequently.

Cones are bad because they are ionic (charged) and cannot be removed from the hair shaft with water and soap alone. A sulfate must be used. And as I mentioned before, sulfates are BAD. Cones block the hair shaft from receiving proper moisture.

I started day one by washing with baking soda, rinsing with apple cider vinegar and then Co-washing (washing with a cone free conditioner)

Day One:
BS/V Wash and CoWash

Day Three:
Haven't done a thing to it since! I'll be CoWashing tomorrow...

Not such a peanut afterall

We just got back from Hayden's 3 year old well checkup and here are the stats:

39.25 inches - 80th percentile
32.5 lbs - 50th percentile

WOOHOO!!!! I think last year he was in the 10th percentile for both!

And here is a picture of my big strong healthy boy playing in his "playhouse".

So ideas for Christmas gifts: Big giant boxes :)

We are so blessed

Lately it’s felt like nothing has gone right in our lives. A year ago Mike lost his job and hasn’t been able to find a full time job since. I got pregnant at a very un-ideal time. I am always uncomfortable because I am enormously pregnant in the middle of a hot, humid, Florida Summer. I had to spend a very nerve racking night in the hospital. Mike didn’t get the bailiff job that we were really hoping and praying for. Our air conditioning went out and we need new tires for our only car. I’m not feeling like the best wife or mother lately because my patience is wearing very thin. I feel like all I do is complain…so how’s this for the world’s biggest one-hundred-and-eighty-degree flip flop:

Wednesday (also Mike’s birthday) we got the news that Mike didn’t get the bailiff position that we so desperately needed. We felt nothing but gloom and doom and had no idea what our next move was going to be. (We still don’t!) I posted the news on an LDS Families Bulletin Board on Babycenter.com where I’ve been posting for nearly four years. After a very long, emotional day and a meeting with our Bishop, I received an email from a perfect stranger. I “know” her through Babycenter, but we’ve not ever actually had a conversation. Just ‘seen’ her in passing while posting on Babycenter. She saw my post and wanted to do something to help. She said she felt inspired by my situation to share her abundance and offered to send me a gift card for something that we needed. After a long humbling moment I gratefully accepted her very generous offer and told her that at this point a Babies R Us gift card would help us most since we needed a new stroller and car seat and I had no idea where that money was going to come from. The very next day at 10am we received a package from her that included a $200 gift card to Babies R Us (more than enough to cover the stroller) as well as a gift card for Subway with enough to cover our family for at least two meals.

That same afternoon I received a letter from my Grandma and Grandpa saying they saw my previous post on my blog about my hospital stay and thought we could use some extra help. Enclosed was a check for $100.00. Talk about perfect timing.

Then there’s my mom. Like I said before, Wednesday was Mike’s birthday, and she was a little late getting him a card. That day at lunch (before she heard about the job) she felt prompted to put some extra money in his birthday card. She said she somewhat pushed that thought aside and was going to think about it. After she received the text message from me with our news she knew why she was prompted to slip in some extra cash.

While Mike still doesn’t have a job…we are able to buy a new stroller and car seat, pay for our air conditioning to be fixed and get the tires that are so needed for our car.

I am so amazed at the generosity of my family and strangers. It’s so wonderful to know that there are people out there who really do listen to promptings from our Heavenly Father and act on them. It’s been very humbling to go from being angry with Heavenly Father for our situation to overcoming those feelings. How wonderful it is to have a small glimmer of hope. Hope is something that I have not felt in a very very long time…but in the last couple of days I have learned that my Father in Heaven knows me. He knows what trials I need in order to grow. He also knows my limits. Once I feel like I can’t take anymore He lets me know in His very perfect way that I am loved and that He is very aware of me.

Thank you to everyone who has offered help to our family…whether it be kind and encouraging words, prayers, meals, money or a listening ear and shoulder to cry on. We are so blessed.

Still in the thick of it...

Sorry for all of the 'downer' posts...but this is my blog - which is also my journal so here we go...

Mike didn't get the Bailiff position we were hoping for. It would have been perfect for us with the "regular" schedule that it offers. He'd have been able to finish school and also still work part time at night to help pay off debt. This was a HUGE blow to us (especially since we found out on his birthday). I have spent all day yesterday and a good part of today just sobbing over it.

He had an interview with the Department of Agriculture a couple of days ago so we'll find out how that went in a couple of weeks, and then proceed with their long, drawn out hiring process. He also has an interview set up with Clay County, so hopefully something will work out sooner than later. In the mean time we're submitting applications for anything and everything. He just needs a full time job...and with me having a baby in less than six weeks, he needs one SOON!

We are so grateful for all of the love and support of our friends and family. Please continue to keep our little family in your prayers.

Girls Night Out

We had such a fun girls night out! We went to see "The Proposal" and then finished the night off with some ice cream from Sonic!

Peace and Quiet

I've been sitting at my computer for nearly 15 minutes completely uninterrupted by Hayden. I've sent 3 emails, balanced my checkbook (sad), and surfed around a bit on Facebook without anybody clawing at my arm. How is this possible, you ask? May I present the worlds best birthday gift:

I couldn't even get him to look up and smile for a picture - which is so out of character for him...he usually loves to ham it up for the camera! It arrived yesterday (dang"online only" availability). The first thing he did when he got out of bed this morning was run outside, barefoot and lack of pants, because he was so excited to see his new toy! We didn't even had sand or water in it at that point and he was still in love with it!

Thanks, Nikki and Aunt Linda for the best present EVER!

Family Night Out

Tuesdays is "Family Night" at Chick-fil-a so we went for milkshakes and a walk around the Town Center to look at the turtles and fish.

Enjoying our milkshakes

By the fish pond

aaaaand for my mom:
32 weeks, 2 days

Snuggle Up

I was looking through old pictures of Hayden and I realized I must have taken a thousand sleeping pictures of him as a tiny baby! Mike shot this one today...and it just might be my favorite one yet:

Messy Faced Boy

This is Hayden after "helping" daddy work in the yard

He's much messier in person

Happy Happy Birthday, Michael, Dear!

Michael serves in primary as a teacher and this month is "such a special one" because it's his birthday on the 24th...so he got to wear the special birthday hat while the kids sang to him. Our friend snapped this picture with his phone...enjoy!

Scariest morning of my life. (edited for clarification)

Yesterday morning I woke up to some very heavy bleeding. I hadn't felt the baby move in awhile, and this kid is normally all over the place and out of control. I was a hysterical mess. Hayden just kept asking what was wrong and when I'd try to put on a normal face for him and give him a hug he'd ask "Are you happy now?" and it just broke my heart at the thought of having to tell him he wouldn't be getting his baby brother. I couldn't stand it anymore, so I just waited in the car until Timi came to get Hayden. I couldn't look into that sweet concerned face anymore.

Timi took the boys to a kids concert downtown yesterday morning and when Grandma Brenda picked Hayden up she said the first thing he talked about was how mommy was sad and had to go to the hospital. I talked to him that afternoon and he sounded so worried about me. It's so amazing the amount of compassion this kid already has.

Mike has to work today so Grandma Brenda is keeping Hayden for me so I can rest, but I can't wait to squish his sweet face and cover him in kisses.

I'm just so glad to be home and able to sleep in my own bed tonight! I'm not on bed rest or anything, I was just told to take it easy for the rest of the weekend...thank GOODNESS!

Edited to add: Apparently part of the placenta separated so that's why they kept me overnight. If more were to separate it usually happens within 24 hours. I guess it isn't an entirely uncommon thing to happen and everything was fine so they sent me home this morning.

Ode to the Doughnut

In honor of National Doughnut Day (Yes...that's a real holiday) we took the kids to Krispy Kreme for a free doughnut!

Pure bliss

She's going to kill me for this someday...

Of course they choose the messiest of all doughnuts

Now tell me that isn't the prefect "Got Milk" ad!

And we wouldn't be doing Doughnut Day any justice if we didn't hear from our good friend, Brian Regan:

Living in a Material World

And I am a Material Girl. Shocking. I've always been overly focusd on "things of the world". I try not to blog *too* much about them because that's not really how I want people to think of me...but today, I'm going to indulge myself...

Magwitch Cap
Anthropologie: $28

A cute hat so you don't have to get up and do your hair every day. Love.

Anton Magazine Rack
Target: $59.99

I have lots and lots of magazine subscriptions (that I got for free, of course) and they're taking over my computer area! I would LOVE to be able to corral them in one adorable area.

Dior Addict Lip Gloss
Sephora: $25.50
By far my favorite lip gloss. Ever.


Fresh Gerbera Dasies
1-800-FLOWERS: $44.99
I always thought I'd be the girl with the fresh flowers all over her home...somehow that hasn't happened lately! I love the way a colorful bouquet dresses up any room. It just makes it look so inviting!

Daddy's Little Helper