Potty training...

O.K. So people have been asking, "Melanie you keep mentioning MJ is potty training... "
So, I will explain.
At 3 months I began doing Natural Infant Hygiene and love it! I am pleased to report that it works well for us.
I began at 3 months old (when poop was less frequent and non explosive) by keeping her on a open, water proof cloth and learning her cues.
Now, at 7 months, I just "know" when she needs to go. We rarely miss a "boom boom" (BM) and get 50-75 % of all "pee pee" (urine).
She has gone in the car in a bag, in the woods, in a child's potty, in adult potties in bathrooms all over the state. It has saved us an obscene amount of money because she rarely needs more then 2-3 diapers a day, depending on recent sales these could be paper or cloth. She might wear slightly more if she is wearing paper because the tabs "wear out" before she usually wets them.
I know people say what a pain, but for me it isn't. I enjoy the time we spend together whether on the potty or playing, and she has been going "on the pot" for a few months now; she holds her pee longer between potty trips, displays uncomfortability when she is wet, and laughs and sings while on the "pot".
We sing after she sits on the potty whether she goes or not (our own little potty song) and use NO negative reinforcement, "punishment", or "shame".
We never call dirty diapers icky, gross or bad.
We have had only 1 diaper rash (when she started swimming).

People all over the world do it and it just seemed like a healthy, cost efficient, more comfortable and natural alternative to waiting and potty training when she is older...

Feel free to ask questions in the comments if you want!

June re-cap lots of pictures for Dionne...

We have had a busy June:

Emptying the dishwasher...We went fishing...
We went rving with PopPop for Father's Day and had lots of fun...

went for long hikes in the woods

Ate smores' for the first time (just the cracker but shh don't tell her)

We grew corn

Then we harvested itWe learned to "rock out" on our lady bug...Ate popsicles (messy) with Mommy to try and stay cool!

and MOST importantly we leanred to CRAWL!!!

video to come until the this "action" pic will have to suffice!

Wow, no one ever told me!

That ages 3-6 months would be so busy! I did not get a chance to blog at all! I started selling Mary Kay also during that time and it has been such a blessing and wonderful opportunity! If you are interested my Mary Kay website is http://markay.com/mbaxter09. Shipping is free on all products and email me so I can tell you about any special offers or discounts I am offering! Currently I am offer 15% off any new orders placed online! So stock up for summer! You are worth the pampering! Also, I do teach skin care classes and pampering parties, so if you are interested in hosting or attending one let me know. I have some great hostess benefits which includes earning up to 45% off your purchase!
Anyway on to my baby. Life is good. MJ is starting to crawl. She began trying on Tia Cathy's birthday 5/18 and is now going pretty full force. It is such a blessing to see. She also pulls up and tries to walk everywhere! But her legs are just too small to support her weight and she gets oh so frustrated! I will post video of these soon.
She eats anything and everything I allow here to but hates olives and mushrooms. I know some of you may be thinking "she is eating that at 6.5 months?!?!?" But I am of the belief of saying no to baby food as much as possible and just mushing and smashing up my food and letting her eat that whenever possible! Her favorites are: sweet potato, tuna, eggs/avocado/salsa/bean mix, and big huge pretzel stixs (I let her gnaw on them when her gums hurt instead of Zwieback, supervised of course!)(SP?)
Also, she is beginning to swim and dreams of being as good at swimming as her best friend cousin Oakley!
---side note please say a prayer for Monica, Matt and Oakley and Matt's extended family, they have lost a loved one recently and my thoughts and prayers are with them!
Well I should be working on my Mary Kay stuff but I just HAD to post something! It has been too long... Pics and Video to come
xxoo,
M&M (Melanie and Maryjayne)

getting back into the swing of things

The convention is over and I am back to being a "full time" mommy again. Working this week made me even more grateful for the blessing of my living situation. See for those of you who do not know or really understand my mother is not in the best of health and needs lots of help doing things, also my Dad was not able to work part time and do everything that was needed around here (he has bad knees, back etc.). So when I found out I was pregnant I moved back home. At first I truly thought I would be returning to work after 8 weeks. I mean how else would I live? But I have been doing the "buy used save the difference" program, cloth diapering, couponing etc. With all the money saving programs I am a part of I have been finacially able to swing staying home. This also works out better for my folks because I have saved them by not having to hire a house cleaner, yard person, and I have gotten thier groceries down to about half what they were spoending before I lived here but they are getting DOUBLE the groceries. Also I get to spend all day everyday with my beautiful baby girl. Bless all you Moms that do have to work, you must have strong souls because just being gone fro 3 days crushed me. I only got to see my daughter about an hour a day and it was HARD!
I know after a year I am going to have to do something so I am considering finishing school and maybe doing a work from home venture like AVON. I am also taking the cake decorating classes, hoping that will eventually afford me a little side income! Anyway we are off to the doctors today and I am going to buy my Pressure Cooker! I am glad to be home!

ARIZONA MOMMY'S:
In this economy I know EVERYONE is looking for ways to feed thier families cheaply. I belong to coupon sense which is great, but I am moving away from processed food (which is what coupons are usely for). If you are like me looking for HEALTHY food that doesnt kill your pocketbook check out bountiful baskets . For a minimal amount of money ($15) and a short drive to a pick up site, you get aproxiamtely $60 worth of arizona grown produce, they even have an organic option. This is a perfect way to subsidies your garden or make up for a lack of one! This co op even offers holiday specials and sometimes even fresh ground beef , bison, hog. Check it out!

sneezing achey stuffy head... but no medicine!

It has been awhile since I posted... No The applesauce did not defeat us... I got a cold, then my mother got the cold, then my father got the cold... Luckily MJ never really got the cold. But it hit me hard. My milk production was at almost 0, I am trying to rebuild it. I had a few seizures (I am epileptic and lack of homeostasis in my body sets them off). God was certainly keeping a special eye on me because thankfully I was not holding her whenever they happened. I did have one real bad one outside (chasing the cats), I tried to hurry to sit down and as soon as my behind hit the seat I must have fallen forward because I "came to" on top of our cast iron dutch oven we use on the grill! OUCH! I never realized how hard it is to "mother" when you are sick, my family members (mom, aunts, sisters, cousins) all set such good examples of taking care of us when they were ill I never realized how hard it is. Luckily my Dad didn't get sick until today so I was able to have him watch MJ while I took naps to try and rebuild my strength (this one knocked me out!) I also managed to get our garden going , tis the season and I was not going to let my cold ruin my entire growing season! Pictures to come hopefully! I also was able to trim the tree in the front yard, it had been rubbing against the roof and I just knew if I did not just get it taken care of (cold or not) it would rip a hole in the roof! So yesterday I finally felt safe enough to use my hand saw on a ladder sawing down 6 foot long branches...

Tomorrow I will be working for my Aunt at the ADA convention downtown. I am working for her until Saturday 10 hours a day. My mom will be watching MJ, but I am still a little sad and hesitant to be away from her all day. I know the books say babies don't understand time and me going to the store or even to the bathroom seems likes the same amount of time, but 10 hours... that seems like an eternity to ME! I just have to keep reminding myself that this job is how I am going to buy my pressure cooker/canning combo and I need one to can baby food, soups, corn, beans etc.!

That is all for now, wish me luck tomorrow! I pray I don't bug my mom too much "checking in" on them!

40 days for life

This year as part of my Lenten promises I have been volunteering with the program 40 days for Life. Today was our (Maryjayne, my Dad, and my) first vigil assignment. Everyday we have been praying at home for the end to abortion, but today was our first public proclamation. The planned parenthood we are praying in front of (just praying not shouting, blocking, protesting, etc.) is not open on Fridays, so it was eerily quiet looking at it from the sidewalk. Dad and I prayed the rosary and various other prayers and lit candles for the intention of the babies, women, and families who are harmed, affected, or killed by abortion. It was surreal, us 3 standing alone in front of the clinic praying while rush hour traffic hurried by. The entire time I squeezed and kissed my daughter as I thought about how many "doctors" told me because of my seizures and the medication I had to take for having MRSA that I should have an abortion. That was never an option for me, but to other women I can see how easily the medical community can manipulate you into thinking that it is what is "best"...

Today we got a letter from Maryjayne's Daddy and he is doing well and misses us as much as we miss him. I pray that God watches over him and keeps him strong and protected. I also pray that Maryjayne has few memories of this time without her Daddy.

Well I am off to bed as we have a big "project" tomorrow; turning 40lbs of apples into canned applesauce. Organic apples were on sale at Sprouts for $.49 a lb, so I bought a case and got a bulk discount on top of that already dirt cheap price...
So wish my Mom, MJ and I luck as we find out that "Rain really does NOT make applesauce" :) The Bee women do! (I think of us as the Bee's since my daughters last name begins with a B like my mom and mine does)