Home is...whatever your money can get you. yikes.

Alright, so let me just lay it out for you. Nick and I pretty much scour the real estate websites on the daily looking for potential homes. We lie in bed at night with our iPhones gleaming in our faces scrolling through homes and excitedly showing each other what we find and exclaiming what we could do with it. Many get sold and we *sigh* heavily wishing that we would have had our act together to put an offer down. Rewind to the end of this past summer and we were actually gonna go for it. Got pre-approved, went house hunting. Then we got scared. Were we ready? We just had a baby and paid a mountain of medical bills, so it was scary to jump into another big financially draining pit. We filed away our approval letter and decided the time was not right. Well, we can't stop thinking about having our own home. Apartment living with a 9 month old is rough. He likes to scream/talk and our neighbors upstairs like to stomp around in heels. It's annoying on both ends...well, not so much Silas screaming, that is quite hilarious. The thing is, when only one of you is working the dough isn't quite rolling in like it used to. We cut our income in half (half!!) when we decided I would stay home with the babe. I mean, daycare is frickin' expensive and I (we) prefer that I'm the one with him rather than some stranger. So, here we are looking things over and it's surprisingly looking good for us as far as the housing thing goes. We've talked to some people and we are pretty confident that we can make something work. We don't need a huge mansion with mid century design and gorgeous hardwoods. All we need is something that can be made into that :) We are both willing to put in some sweat to make a house our home. It's exciting and scary and kind of confusing all rolled up into one ball. I see where people went wrong with this mortgage business...the first guy quoted us waaaay more than we could afford, but now we found ourselves a dude who is really into showing us what is out there for us and seems to genuinely not want to screw us over. So yah, here's to house hunting! xo

Some inspiration for our *hopefully* new house in 2014!

*all images are via Pinterest

Family photo day...and other happenings

Today we had our family pictures taken and I am so frickin' excited to see them. My lovely gal pal Christy is so amazingly talented at photography. She's taken my maternity and Silas's newborn photo's so of course we had her take some family pictures this time around. Silas is at such a cute stage right now; standing on his own, crawling like a maniac...and his smile just makes me melt. I know that we will have some pictures done for his 1yr, but I just had to get this stage captured as well. I love getting pictures taken by Christy for two reasons; she is extremely talented, but also I have known her forever so it's pretty much a day where we hang out and chat and she shoots away in between our convos. Such an organic way to go about it. I am not one for staged pictures with us all wearing coordinating outfits (nothing wrong with that though!). I love them to feel homey, warm, and very natural. I have gotten that every time with Christy and I am so thankful that I have a friend who has been able to capture these special moments for my family. I can't wait to get these ones back to show you! Here is a sneak peek and some random photos from over the weekend! :)

I love this.
(photo credit: Christy Cassano-Meyer)

Christy and Silas just chillin'.

It's ridiculous that I am putting this picture in, but I just experienced a "dirty chai" for the first time and I think I am in love.

Nick's brother came into town this week; Uncle Ben!

The sunshine in my bedroom at this spot is pretty legit in the afternoon. My favorite spot to write and relax.

Master of destruction in the Bushong household.

We are trying to utilize a "floor bed" in order to help with night weaning...it hasn't been used yet. Yikes.

Let's get crazy and make some veggie tacos

I am not a vegan. Or a vegetarian. But back when I first started breastfeeding we came to the realization that Silas had a serious intolerance to dairy and soy which he was getting through my breast milk. So for awhile there I went vegan. And I loved it. My skin looked amazing, I lost all of the baby weight instantly, and I felt so so good. I am getting ready to hop back on that vegan train. Here is an extremely easy lunch/dinner idea that can be whipped up in no time. Change out the ingredients to correlate with the season if you so desire.

Veggie Tacos

ingredients:
Brussels sprouts
bell pepper
green onion
black beans (1/2 can)
sweet potato
avocado
cilantro
Pepita's
radishes
corn tortilla's

Directions:
I like to saute all of my veggies separate and then mix them together. So keep a big bowl to the side and when you're done with one just throw it in. Dice up the sweet potato, cut the bell pepper in thin strips, slice the brussels sprouts into fourths (1/2 and then 1/2 again), drain and rinse the black beans. Saute your potato, sprouts, and bell pepper with a little bit of cumin and some sea salt. Toss in your big bowl with 1/2 can of your cleaned black beans and some green onion. pile onto your corn tortilla. add sliced avocado, cilantro, Pepita's, and some radish slices. Serve with a slice of lime, or don't. It's really up to you.

Seriously. That is how easy it is. They are easy and delicious...and that's all you can really ask for in life I'd say. So, get crazy and make some veggie tacos. Happy eating! xo

Playroom for the bebe

I love everything about this room. Light, airy, and colorful.

My sister moved to Portland in October and has been living with us since, but I think she's had enough of the 7am yelping from my wild child and has decided it is time to move into her own spot. We knew it wasn't going to be a permanent situation, but we are sad to see our Aunt Lo go! On the plus side, gaining her room could not have come at a better time because are in desperate need of more space. We will be moving our things into the room that she is occupying now and the room we currently use will become a Silas's playroom/bedroom. I am beyond excited to make this a space that Silas and his buddies can cruise around in and have lots of fun with. I plan on baby proofing the hell out of it so that I can feel content doing things around the house while he chills and hangs out in there every now and then. Here are a few of my inspirations (via pinterest of course!) and some DIY ideas that will hopefully come to fruition in the next few weeks. Looking forward to showing you the final product!

On the DIY docket:

- Teepee

-Fabric/felt triangle banner

-Chalkboard wall (this is a maybe)

-Colorful pillows

Below are some items from IKEA that I absolutely love. 

                                                    

    

Train Track.   

Slide.

Table & Chairs.

Easel. 

"small business" style

I am guilty. Guilty of buying the majority of my things from big corporate businesses that probably pay $1/hr to people to sew the cute jeans I just had to have. Everyone is. "Made in America" is hard to come by in the clothing industry and when it is...it's $$$. Unfortunate, but true. I am trying to be more conscious of the clothing I put my child in. Does that mean I've boycotted baby gap, target and the like? No. I have developed a taste for things from smaller businesses, though. The majority of these businesses I have come to find through instagram and fellow bloggers. Can they be a little more expensive than the stores at the mall, sure. But, I am supporting a small business owner with my purchase and it makes me feel good. It makes me feel like I am doing something right in this corporate laden retail country we live in.

American Apparel is an easy one to start with. Their stores can be found pretty much everywhere. I love that everything is a nice cotton and looks exactly like the adult items! They are based out of L.A,  treat their employees well and are pretty affordable.

These are a splurge. I won a contest through instagram and was lucky enough to snag quite a few pairs of these adorable moccasins. They have become my absolute favorite thing that Silas wears. Freshly Picked Moccasins is based out of Utah and was started by a stay at home mama!

Baby leggings are the most comfortable and easy thing to put a little babe in. I love that so many etsy shops have popped up offering them in fun prints. These are my go-to item with Silas. Sweet Luka Mo (left and right) and Little Hip Squeaks (middle) are definitely some of my favorites that I support. (Based out of Philly and Brooklyn)

Etsy is a great place to start if you are looking to buy from a small business owner. So many cute and fun things not only for yourself, but for your babe's to wear can be found here. I can't tell you enough how happy I am to have started incorporating things that are "Made in America" into my little mans closet. Being conscious of where your dollar is going is a good habit to start! Happy shopping...'Merica! xo

Big boy eating

First off, sorry for the absence this week. The days have literally just flown by, which means I have lots of posts coming this weekend. I feel like I have a million things to say, but I am really trying to organize and not just throw it into one long blah, blah, blah blog post deal. Anyways, Silas is officially on the road to eating some solids. At 9 months old we finally feel like he's ready. We tried a few things when he was 6 months, but it just felt waaaay too early to be doing it. He gagged. Threw up. It was not fun. And yes, I know a lot of people start then, but for us it wasn't right. And I'm just not too keen on pushing him to grow up, yah know? The last couple weeks though he's been so interested and I love giving him bites of things. Of course, I am limiting it to fruits and veggies only. No dairy. No meat. No grains (he tried some organic cheerios, but they got stuck on the roof of his mouth). I usually make a kale smoothie everyday and he has been into those for a month or so now so that has been a great segue into trying some different things in the last couple of weeks. I love that babies are born with such a clean slate. I want to make sure that Silas has a chance to have the cleanest diet that I can provide for him, especially since all he has ever had is breast milk up until this point. 

Organic kale, pears, and green peas. Plus, adding in a RAW probiotic to help his belly during the transition to solids. (I also use this brands pre-natal and I LOVE them)

This was the face he made when trying a cheerio...hilarious.

I call this one "Avocado Trance". P.S That shirt was completely ruined.

It's exciting to see him try new things. I wanted to make his food, that much I knew for sure...but I wasn't really wanting to jump into that until I knew he was ready. So this week I bought a few pouches of mixed baby foods by Earth's Best. I love this brand. It's a part of the Non-Gmo project which I have been trying to support as best as I can by buying products labeled with their symbol at my local grocery store (F U monsanto!). Silas LOVED these. It gave me the confidence that he was ready to go ahead with the solid thing and to make some of my own. I can't wait to get creative with different flavors. I have decided to do both purees and some chunkier solids. We started this venture with peeling whole apples and letting him naw on them. The same with carrots and pears. It let him experience a new flavor without forcing him to swallow a spoonful of something. I found that going the spoon feeding route was a little too shocking to his pallete and usually resulted in a major vomit episode. I am super excited for my bebe to join my hubby and I at the table for dinner and I am so happy that we have let it become a fun and gradual experience rather than a forceful one. We are still doing lots and lots of breastfeeding and I am in no way looking to replace any of that with solids yet. "Food before one is just for fun" is our motto around these parts! Bon appetite little ones! xo

Me, Myself, and I

It's hard to juggle all of the titles that life has thrown at me in the last year. And by titles I mean "mama" and "wife" which joined the previous solo title of "ME". It's a constant switch back and forth between the duties that each role seems to dictate. The emotions that go into each one seem to vary as well. When I'm by myself (which is rarely, but let's go with it...), let's say in the shower, no one to answer to...I am ME. As soon as I step out it's a constant switch up between being a mama and being someones wife. In order to be the best wife and mother I feel as though I have to make sure that I'm taken care of as well. Are you following me or am I floundering? This is a difficult subject to broach. Many women believe that putting their child anywhere but at #1 is preposterous. It's mean. It's neglect. But, in my mind...neglecting yourself and your own soul is mean... it's neglect. So, how do you make sure each part of yourself gets enough attention and nurturing? Well, I for one have yet to figure it out. It's hard to not feel the guilt that comes with putting yourself first which I think is what holds the majority of mama's back from nurturing and caring for themselves. All of your time and energy is spent loving, caring, and molding your relationship with your significant other and a tiny little human so it's so easy to let your owns needs (emotional and physical) be pushed into the background. It's hard to put into words how to say this properly. I am not  trying to say that I put all of my selfish needs in front of my child's, that I let him sit in a dirty diaper while I put on makeup or paint my nails. I don't value myself any more than my baby, if anything I feel the need to take care of myself because I value his well-being so much. Does Silas benefit from a mother who doesn't feel good about herself?Absolutely not. Does he benefit in anyway from a mother and father who have lost their connection, their love? Again, no. So it's important for me to take that time (most of that time is when his papa is around, someone is always with the baby! Don't fret) to remember that I am still important. And that my marriage is too.

I'm guilty of letting myself go at times. Days without a shower, pj's 7 straight days. THer are times when it feels good to not care, but then a day comes and I feel and intense push to get in that sower, do something with my hair, throw on some mascara, and feel human again. This week I have a hair appointment and a breakfast date with some girlfriends (sans baby). The plans are made on my husbands only two days off...so yeah, I feel like I'm missing out on some family time and that's hard. I might feel a little guilt, but I'm going to work really hard on pushing that away. Each of these components in my life deserve a fair amount of love and time. And if you neglect one, the others will suffer. It's a balancing act, that's for sure.

"In order of importance: 1.Self, 2. Marriage, 3. Child. 

Of course all are as important as each other, but neglecting 

the one before is a disservice to the one after."

-Jemima Kirke

Sleepless in The Bushong house

The Sleep Bandit (and his double chin).

First off, I hope you got my cheesy title for this post...and if you don't well...you win some, you lose some. Second off, I can't for the life of me remember what a full night's sleep feels like. Seriously. Going on 9 months now and we have yet to get a full night of Silas sleeping like a little angel baby. I'm a part of this facebook group and I laughed when a mama posted about how her 3 month old "just randomly decided not to sleep for 4 nights in a row, what could be wrong?!". Listen, lady. I'm going on day 270. So, here Nick and I are...craving some ZzZZz's and we literally have no idea what to do. I feel like we keep convincing ourselves that it will, no...more like has to happen at some point. And then sometimes I think to myself "Did I fail somewhere?", because to be completely honest I was a total asshole exclaiming to the world that I was going to have a 3 month old who slept through the night.

Yes, Silas. This is how I feel after a sleepless night too. (Actually, he was pretty sad when is Papa left for work this day. Poor little bebe sat by the entryway like this after he closed the door!)

In the midst of a rather irritating and sleepless day I started looking up sleep training BS. In there somewhere it kept mentioning how I was supposed to be responsible for "teaching" my child how to properly sleep. So, of course I felt like I really screwed it up. That's how this parenting gig works though. There are a million ways to do things and it's straight up overwhelming at times. The guilt of "Am I doing this right?" is all consuming. I nurse Silas to sleep every night and I nurse him back to sleep the 10 times he wakes up during the night. We co-sleep. To 1/2 of the parenting population I am doing it wrong. To the other 1/2 I am doing it right. It's hard. At this point we aren't really going to change much. I don't want him to cry it out and I don't see how me spending 2 hours with him doing that, rather than 15 minutes letting him nurse is going to help me get any more sleep. I mean, what can we do at this point? The kid is almost 9 months. I'm not going to stop nursing anytime soon and we enjoy snuggling him and co-sleeping. I guess we've made our sleepless bed and now we have to lie in it. With that said, I'm going to go drink a glass of vino and sit on pinterest because that's what mama's who don't sleep do ;) Cheers! xo

Oh, Oregon. You sure are pretty

Oh, man. Today was a good one. We spent our day out in the Columbia Gorge doing a little hiking. You see, here in oregon Winter is a grey and rainy mess. But, sometimes we get days like today that sneak their way in to remind us that a beautiful Spring is just around the corner (not like Spring is any drier, but yah know). When we left for our hike this afternoon there was some serious fog here in the city (um, hello?! Twilight?!). When we got to the Gorge though you could just tell that blue skies and some rays of sunshine were considering an appearance. And they did just that. And it was wonderful. We went with our amazing friends Jen and Max, their little guy Harley and lovely pup Simba. It was a perfect hike with beers afterwards. Cheers to more Tuesday's like this one!

This kid...he is so awesome.

Going in a frame. Along with the rest of these.

The mama's and Simba killin' it. Waterfalls make every hike better.

Love my crew.

Us + Max & Harley.

Taking a break for some boob...

And some sunshine.

 Thank you Oregon for sharing your beauty with us today! xo