Where to begin!?  My normal life and routine have been put on hold for the last several weeks.  I painted our office which meant letting my house go for a week and a half and painting, painting, painting, during nap times and when Kent was in the mood to play on his own.  The painting is done and I’m finally happy with the color.  I painted the dark, wood trim white and I like it.  I normally like to keep the natural wood look but after studying a lot of pictures online I realized the wood was dragging down our house.  The white looks fresh and new and actually allows the remaining wood (the floor in this case) to shine.  I have a new desk for me half built so that needs to be finished and then I can decorate on and around it.

Just when I started to get back to normal my Dad and my step-mom came for a visit.  We were thrilled to have them and grateful that they came.  My Dad helped me do two big projects that would have cost us a lot of $$$ to have someone else do.  More on that later!  It worked out really well because Dawn, my step-mom, was able to watch Kent in the house so I could work with my Dad and get more done.  Let me tell you though, there is a reason I stay at home:  I miss my baby when I’m not with him!!  I’ve been holding him at night for awhile after he falls asleep just so I can get in my cuddle time.

Now they are headed home and things are still going to be hectic for awhile.  Tomorrow December starts so it’s time to finish the last of the Christmas presents and do a little shopping.  I want to decorate and we need to fit in a trip to our favorite holiday CHRISTMAS tree farm.

The projects continue around here, too.  Tomorrow the plumber is coming to hook up our laundry tubs and a kitchen sink in our basement.  He’s also going to run a line for a gas range so we can eventually install one of those down there.  The plan is to make one corner of the basement in to a canning kitchen so I don’t have canning supplies all over the main kitchen from July through November every year.

The laundry tub installation is of particular importantance because I’m raising baby calves.  Washing and filling a bunch of calf bottles in your kitchen sink isn’t beautiful or hygienic.  It’s gross.  Raising bottle calves isn’t easy but I’m enjoying the challenge and increasing the farm’s income, too.  That, among other things, is helping me to refocus on the farm as a whole.  We’ve been talking over our long term plans for the place and I have a lot of work to do to get our goals on paper and make them happen.

It’s an exciting time around here.  I don’t know if it’s the hormones from nursing or what but I cry really easy these days.  Fortunately they are mostly happy tears!  Kent is growing so, so fast and I really am cherishing every moment.  Brian is enjoying him more and more as he smiles and laughs at us now, and I just love the moments when we’re all together.  God is working in my life, I can feel it.

If I have any readers left after the crazy. sporadic bit of posting I’ve been doing than I thank you for sticking around.  I don’t know when or if I’ll be able to commit to writing here regularly again but I don’t intend to stop completely.

Until next time!

This isn’t genius but Kent has been teething for months and this is the first time I thought of it so in case you didn’t think of it either…

Knitted washcloth + water + 5 minutes in the freezer = a great teether!

It is cheap, homemade, and not plastic!  I’m going to keep one in the freezer from now on.

What’s your favorite teething trick?

T: Homegrown chicken in crockpot + homegrown over fried redskin potatoes

W: Freezer burritos

R: Local pork chops + leftover potatoes

F: Homemade pizza + breadsticks

S: Leftovers

S: Soup in crockpot – recipe TBD

Feeding Kent what we eat is making me take a serious look at our diet.  Time to take a hint from Farmer’s Daughter and get back to real food!

Just when I started to get back to normal my Dad and my step-mom came for a visit.  We were thrilled to have them and grateful that they came.  My Dad helped me do two big projects that would have cost us a lot of $$$ to have someone else do.  More on that later!  It worked out really well because Dawn, my step-mom, was able to watch Kent in the house so I could work with my Dad and get more done.  Let me tell you though, there is a reason I stay at home:  I miss my baby when I’m not with him!!  I’ve been holding him at night for awhile after he falls asleep just so I can get in my cuddle time. 

Now they are headed home and things are still going to be hectic for awhile.  Tomorrow December starts so it’s time to finish the last of the Christmas presents and do a little shopping.  I want to decorate and we need to fit in a trip to our favorite holiday CHRISTMAS tree farm. 

The projects continue around here, too.  Tomorrow the plumber is coming to hook up our laundry tubs and a kitchen sink in our basement.  He’s also going to run a line for a gas range so we can eventually install one of those down there.  The plan is to make one corner of the basement in to a canning kitchen so I don’t have canning supplies all over the main kitchen from July through November every year. 

The laundry tub installation is of particular importantance because I’m raising baby calves.  Washing and filling a bunch of calf bottles in your kitchen sink isn’t beautiful or hygienic.  It’s gross.  Raising bottle calves isn’t easy but I’m enjoying the challenge and increasing the farm’s income, too.  That, among other things, is helping me to refocus on the farm as a whole.  We’ve been talking over our long term plans for the place and I have a lot of work to do to get our goals on paper and make them happen.

It’s an exciting time around here.  I don’t know if it’s the hormones from nursing or what but I cry really easy these days.  Fortunately they are mostly happy tears!  Kent is growing so, so fast and I really am cherishing every moment.  Brian is enjoying him more and more as he smiles and laughs at us now, and I just love the moments when we’re all together.  God is working in my life, I can feel it.

If I have any readers left after the crazy. sporadic bit of posting I’ve been doing than I thank you for sticking around.  I don’t know when or if I’ll be able to commit to writing here regularly again but I don’t intend to stop completely. 

Until next time!

The cake was made to match the invitations which I got as a print your own customized .pdf file here.  I highly recommend the creator, she was very professional and speedy.  I did our thank you notes the same way.

Thanks again to all who made it the wonderful party that it was!

Kent at 6 days old in his Moses basket

I mentioned his Moses basket when I talked about my favorite nursing spot.  I had a couple questions about it so here is the story on how we arrived on a Moses basket and how you can go about finding your own.

When I was pregnant I spent hours and hours, seriously, hundreds of hours researching baby products and reading reviews on Amazon.com.  It has really paid off as we’ve been very happy with all of my our choices.  All of the decisions we made selecting a place for baby to sleep was the biggest stressor for me.  We already had a crib but I wanted a portable place for him to sleep too.

I considered a co-sleeper like these ones.  I was really put off by the appearance – plastic and mesh wasn’t my idea of a beautiful place for my newborn.  The look didn’t fit in with our hodge podge of country decor.  We went to Babies R’ Us and looked at one anyway.  Brian said no, and I agreed.  It did not seem sturdy at all (partly due to the quick assembly at the story I’m sure) and it came with a lot of parts and pieces.  We didn’t need another thing to put together.  I didn’t measure our bed before we went but judging by the one at the store we might have even needed extra lifters or whatever to adjust the height. Plus, co-sleepers are expensive!  It would have been different if I was sure I’d use it.  Everyone tells you something different when you’re pregnant: you’ll want him near you, you need to put him in his crib right away, you won’t sleep if you can’t see him, you can’t sleep if you can hear him.  I had no idea what would work and I didn’t want to shell out that kind of cash for something we might not want or need.  So a co-sleep was out for us.

Then, what about a bassinet?  After all, I had always envisioned myself using a beautiful bassinet with a long, flowing, white skirt.  I even had thoughts of making a bassinet skirt out of my wedding dress.  Yeah, right!  We have 4 dogs and a cat, and we live in a dusty farmhouse.  A lot of floor length white lace?  Not happening.  Still, there are some nice bassinets out there.  Research completed, I decided on this one and registered for it at Babies R’ Us.  I loved that it had a sturdy wooden frame, a portable basket, and storage.

They promptly discontinued it.

Then I decided okay, let’s be practical.  We have a crib.  We have a pack n’ play that can go in our room.  Wasn’t that enough?  No.  I planned to (and do) nurse on demand and I wanted the option of having baby where I could easily reach him in the night, in case that’s what worked for us.  I started looking at Moses baskets.  They were portable, charming to look at, and would fit in the tiny spot between our bed and the wall.  The reviews pointed to Tadpoles brand as being the best for roomy size and durability.  The problem?  Still expensive.  They come with a mattress, fitted sheet, bumper, and impractical little flat sheet.  I was trying hard to avoid brand new conventional cotton products and stick with either secondhand or organic materials.  The basket with organic bedding was well over $100.  Not cool, again, in case we didn’t end up using it.

So now that you know the pros and cons and whys that brought us to wanting a basket but not finding one I can let you in on how we got ours.  If you go directly to the Tadpoles Bedding Company website you can find a Plain Moses Basket with no mattress or bedding – for $30!!  I believe it was only around $5 for shipping.  It arrived quickly and was everything the reviews said it would be.  Don’t be tempted by the cheaper ones – I looked at one at a store and it was no where near as nice as the Tadpoles version.

I made my own mattress.  It was super easy and anyone with a sewing machine can do it.  I took step by step pictures so someday there will be a tutorial here.  If you don’t sew ask around – I bet there is a lady out there who would love the opportunity to make a special mattress and bedding for your baby, especially in lieu of an expensive shower gift.  I never did make a bumper pad or any sheets but some creative folding of receiving blankets got me through.

The basket was perfect for us.  We moved our cedar chest to my side of the bed and sat the basket on that.  I could easily sit up and pick Kent up for night feedings.  I could sleep with my hand resting on his chest if I needed reassurance that he was okay.  He was safe from Daddy rolling on him.  He just now moved in to his pack n’ play at three months old.  I haven’t weighed him in awhile but he’s probably in the 13-15 pound range and not overly tall.  He still fits in his basket but as he’s getting stronger I didn’t want the chance of him somehow flopping out of the basket.  He seems to sleep better in his own little quiet corner of our room, too.  He sleeps for 8 hours or more most nights now so reaching him for feedings isn’t an issue anymore.

I hope this helped a little and gave you some ideas if you’re unsure what to do for sleeping arrangements.  As a side note, going straight to the crib might be a good option depending on how your house is arranged.  Kent’s room is too far away for that to work well for us.

Have a little grace and overlook any typos please.  Time is too precious for much editing these days!

I am a farmer’s wife.  That means I have to do the things a farmer’s wife does: Feed cows.  Herd sheep.  Collect eggs.  Garden and can.  Drive tractors and bale hay.  Run dear farmer husband to and fro.  Pick up feed.

This year I became a farm mama.  Back when we were planning to start a family we did the math and decided I would stay home.  That’s where I wanted to be anyway, and it just wouldn’t pay for me to work and have our child in daycare.  People told me I would be “bored” as a stay at home mom, I would be “desperate for adult conversation”, etc.  Boy, they really don’t know my life!  I don’t just get to keep house – I am busy around here!! 

Anyway, just because baby came along doesn’t mean I get to shirk my farm duties.  I have more to do than ever as we’re constantly trying to expand and operate more efficiently.  Where does baby fit in to this lifestyle?  How do I get these things done?  Here are a few things I’ve figured out that make having a new baby on the farm totally doable…

Finish reading this post here.

I thought I might use the rocking chair a lot for nursing but I don’t.  I’ve actually avoided rocking Kent for the most part so he doesn’t rely on it to fall asleep.  I only nurse in the living room occasionally.  When we’re home our bedroom is my go-to nursing spot.  It makes the most sense right now since all my stuff is already in there for nighttime feedings.  Our bedroom is conveniently located near the main part of our house.  I suppose I’d have to set up two different spots if our bedroom was on a different floor or something.

Here’s a close up of my setup.  Excuse the blur: I was trying to balance on my tip toes on the bed to fit it all in!

And here’s my list…

In my organizer:

• reading material: I generally have a non-fiction book, fiction book, and a magazine or two
• baby storybook: it’s never too early!
• bookmarks
• book light and/or nightlight: I use this for checking the baby and reading as he falls asleep
• notebook and pen: for random thoughts, to-dos, and jotting notes if someone calls
• half dozen burp cloths: a must have if you have a fast letdown or need to express some milk to help baby nurse
• nursing pads: in the beginning I had a whole little box of disposables at the ready, now I have a few reusable ones
• nipple ointment
• lip balm
• breath mints
• snacks
• candy

Within reach:

• drink coaster
• TV remote
• phone & charger
• laptop & charger
• facial tissues
• fly swatter:  Brian bought me this after Kent was born.  I never thought I’d be so happy about a fly swatter but flies are an inevitable part of living on a farm and when you’re sleep deprived one little fly can make you CRAZY!!!  :O
• breastfeeding pillow
• baby nail trimmers & toothpicks:  I keep these in the pocket of my nursing pillow for cleaning his nails when he falls asleep nursing.
• extra pillows:  we have at least one extra pillow tucked next to each side of the bed now for propping up my feet, the laptop, or the baby.

Baby’s stuff:

• we have a Moses’ basket that Kent sleeps in at night.  Everyone has their own thoughts on where baby should sleep but for us this works out really well. (hint hint I don’t need your opinion on this )
• toy: something I can dangle over him during wakeful periods now that he’s old enough to enjoy that.
• nasal aspirator: don’t need it often but it is always in the same spot in case he chokes.  Comes in handy if he has milk coming out his nose during nursing, too.
• hat
• pacifier
• diapers & supplies:  I always go to the changing table for this because it helps me wake up enough to feed him but some people may want this within reach.

I hope this helps if you needed ideas.  If you have any questions let me know.  If you have any other suggestions feel free to add them in the comments! 

Abscesses

Every once in awhile our sheep will develop an abscess.  We’ve actually had two ewes develop them on the side of their neck recently.  I’m still looking in to that a little more to see if there is a certain condition that causes abscesses in that area.  In any case, treatment for an abscess is basically the same.  An abscess is a boil or a pocket, usually containing purulent (pus like) material.  They usually form when their has been a puncture that scabs over and cannot drain.

It helps if someone else can restrain the animal, giving you access to the wound.  Wipe or gently soak the area with an antiseptic.  I use a  Chlorhexadine solution.  If there is an obvious scab you can try to loosen it by applying a warm compress of the antiseptic  solution.  If I can get the scab off most of the time the pus will drain out from underneath.  If there is no obvious scab or wound I pierce the area with a 20 gauge needle to let the pus out.  Then I usually flush the area with a lot more antiseptic solution.  You can use a large syringe without the needle to draw up some antiseptic and flush right in to the hole you made.  Depending on the severity of the wound an antibiotic injection may be warranted.  If the sheep doesn’t have a fever I usually wait a day and if things are healing nicely then I skip the antibiotic.  During warm weather you may need to apply a protective ointment such as Swat clear.

These posts are in no way meant to substitute the care of a professional veterinarian.  I only share my experiences with the hope of helping you become a better shepherd.  If at any time you think you might be doing more harm than good STOP and call your vet instead.