Update on Miss Alisyn

Alisyn is now 2yrs old
Her favorite color is Red
Her favorite shape is circle
Her favorite food is pancakes
Her favorite drink is water
Her favorite animal spider (pretty sure she means the itsy bitsy spider)
Her favorite song ziggy (anything by ziggy marley)
Her favorite movie frances: bedtime for frances
Her favorite TV show Caillou
Her favorite toy puzzle
Her favorite book her look and find (dora,elmo,dinosaur train)

Alisyn can sing the alphabet for the most part, she only misses 2-3 letter. I'd say that's pretty awesome for a 2 year old!She can also count to 12 and 20 if she repeats after us, she likes to count things, we encourage her as much we possible when it comes to learning new things. She loves loves loves her nursery rhymes, and Ziggy Marley, she will sing along to his songs in the car and it hasta be the cutest thing ever! She is a chatter box! I love having conversations with her, and her imagination grows everyday. Yesterday we talked about a dinosaur that smashed everything, he was mean and took alisyn toys, oh and he is the one who messes up her room LOL. She is so rambunctious at times, but then she can be so cuddly. I can tell already she is going to be an amazing little girl, she is so smart and catches on to things after the first time of doing them. Her memory is out of this world! I am proud and honored to be able to call myself her mother ♥

It's been ages!!

So Alisyn only has one speed and its go! We are currently in the process of potty training ... and well lets just say I am going to need to shampoo my carpet a few times! She has gotten better but it seems like she likes to wait until after I take her off to go potty in her panties. I do put her in a diaper at night and during nap times but as soon as she gets up she puts on undies!

Alisyn has really come out of her shell in terms of talking, she used to be pretty quiet in the words department unless you really dragged it out of her .. now she will try to say any word at least once. I am excited to say she hasn't said any "no no" words (knock on wood!).

Going Green!

So over the past year I have been slowly making the change be more "green" when it comes to our household items.

So what have I changed?? Well, Alisyn and I no longer use Shampoo and conditioner instead we use Baking Soda and Apple Cider vinegar (get the recipe from here:http://onjustacoupleacres.blogspot.com/2011/04/all-natural-hair-care.html) Ok, So i'll give you a quick run down on why Alisyn and I are doing this, Well It's A LOT cheaper(always a plus in my book!) and I know what is going on my daughter's head,not to mention I can go 5 DAYS without washing my hair(WAYY better then everyother day!)! I swear since going no 'poo our hair has grown at least 1 inch! We have been no 'poo for a month and a half.

We will be making the switch to homemade toothpaste as well once we get some wintergreen essential oil(http://arealfoodlover.wordpress.com/?s=toothpaste)

We have made the switch to using homemade cleaners instead of the chemical pack ones from the stores. This is my all purpose cleaner(http://www.inspired-housewife.com/2012/07/15/the-best-bathroom-homemade-cleaner-scum-remover/), this is my stain remover: http://www.learningtobeamom.com/2012/07/miracle-worker-stain-remover.html), I am also going to be trying my hand at homemade dishwasher soap(http://cupcakeapothecary.blogspot.com/2012/02/im-addicted-to-pinterest.html?showComment=1342541296592) and laundry soap (//www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm (p.s. you can make homemade washing soap read about it hear (http://naturesnurtureblog.com/2012/05/08/ttt-turn-baking-soda-into-washing-soda/)

Instead of Deodorant I use a dab of coconut oil under my arms and keeps me smelling good all day(p.s. I still sweat but that is a good thing!(http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/exercises/sweating-why-its-good-for-you.html#b) Why not use deodorant? well you can read all about why store bought deodorant is not good (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/240324.php) and here is 52 uses for coconut oil (http://www.deliciousobsessions.com/2012/01/52-uses-for-coconut-oil-the-simple-the-strange-and-the-downright-odd/), I use Coconut Oil for a body lotion, lip balm, deodorant,hot oil treatments and of course cooking with it.

And as for our eating habits ..Well most people know I am a raw juicer, so my diet is usually 75% raw fruits/veggies and well Alisyn eats what I eat, I usually make her a juice that contains 1 apple and some kale(she love it!) she snacks on any fruit that we have in the house as well. Not to say we don't eat unhealthy.. we DO! But here is they way I see it, one bad meal won't make you unhealthy, and one healthy meal wont make you healthy. So since we usually eat a pretty healthy diet when we do have our bad days or even weeks, I don't get on myself, I think its better if I give my self some leeway when it comes to food :). I am very picky when it comes to Alisyn's food..what do I mean by that? well let see: I make Alisyn her own homemade raw vanilla almond milk(http://tasty-yummies.com/2011/04/28/homemade-raw-almond-milk/) I make her homemade juices with our steam juicer. I make her homemade granola bars(http://dinnersdishesanddesserts.com/no-bake-chewy-granola-bars/), homemade pudding pops, and home made crackers (graham/animal/cheese(http://weelicious.com/category/foodgroup-toddler-recipes/?s).Pretty much everything is homemade for her unless she is eating out with us, then its kinda the "When in Rome" mentality.

I guess that is all i have for now :)

Signing

Alisyn Can Now sign "All Done"(she just throws her hands up but she doesn't rotate them yet) She can sign "Milk"(as in mama milk).I am trying to teach her "Potty" so we can start potty training here in a few months or less lol.

She will mimic sounds after we prompt her for awhile(like an hour) We have gotten her do sing lalalalalala, gotten her to do the blue clue song bar bar bar babar bar bar( I think that is how it goes in text LOL) she will growl if we prompt her to, and she can click her tongue when prompted. I can't believe how smart she is already!

She responds to simple commands like:

NO
out
get back
sit down
get down
eat
put it down
sit at the table
take a drink
give it to me
give me 5
hand shake
hugs
kisses
squeeze
push
bite
drink(when drinking from a straw)
go get ...(a toy etc)
clean up/ put toys in the the box(toybox)
come here
pull I never in a million years would've image the amount of love I have for such a small person! Alisyn is my world and as I teach her things and I see her accomplish things on her own it brings tears to my eyes to think that this will only happen once and that there are not enough minutes in the day to express to her my love and my hope for her to have a bright beautiful future♥ That is all I got for now :0)

Self Weaning

So the time has come, Alisyn is now starting to self wean :/ She is 13 months and only nurses 4 times during the day and sometimes once a night. She eats on a schedule(she set the times) she nurses at 4:30 am and 7 am, eats breakfast at 9 am, nurses again before nap time around 11:00 am, wakes up at 12:30ish pm eats lunch, nurses before nap time around 4:30ish pm, wakes up eats dinner around 6 pm, drinks a raw juice of one apple and a stalk of kale(otherwise I would only get half my juice!) before bath time at 8:30 pm (times vary).
I am terribly sad that she is already self weaning, but I am VERY proud of our breastfeeding journey...BUT it's not the end yet, I hope to keep her nursing those 4/5 times until she is 18 months, anything after that will be a bonus! I would love to make it to two years, but if we don't I will not be disappointed :)


Alisyn is starting to babble more and more with more and more words thrown into the babbling mix! I love watching her try to figure out a new object and when she randomly starts yelling at whatever object she is toying with because she can't figure it out....I wish I could understand what she is saying! I am in the process of teaching her sign language, I think she will catch on quick, but we shall see!
Ta-Ta For Now!

The lost months of October and November!

October Highlights:
Well in the month of October Alisyn started to walk and Stand up by herself! For Halloween She was a Chicken,cutest chicken I've ever seen(but i could be bias LOL).

November Highlights:
Alisyn Started saying juice and mom and dad as clear as day! Her Birthday was on the 30th which we had a great turn out! She got tons of toys and clothes, She had a blast!! When it came to eating her cake, she however didn't get messy enough for me fast enough so, I did what any loving mother would do .... and pushed her face in the cake(she didn't cry one tear!) She loved her cake! I made it from scratch(because i'm a nut like that!) it was a Strawberry Poke Cake...mmmmm boy was it good!

Alisyn's Year Check Up

So Alisyn had her year check up ... Her doc said she is doing great! She just wants Alisyn to gain more weight. She weighs 17lbs, she is 30in long, and her head is 17 1/4in. I expected to hear some resistance when she found out I was still nursing and planned on continuing until baby says otherwise(or until two years), not a word about it! She asked me about vaccines and I once again said no, Then she asked me if I gave Alisyn any whole milk, to which I replied " No, she will not be getting cows milk unless it is raw cows milk, she will more then likely have raw almond milk since it has more calcium then cows milk any ways" and she smiled at me and said i couldn't agree more and she gave me a phone number for a farm that sell raw milk and farm fresh eggs and then asked me how I make almond milk and so I told her and she couldn't believe how easy it was! This made me like her even more!! Ohh and Alisyn likes her as well :)


Alisyn's Mile Stones to date:
walk/run
stand up
spin around
points
gives Hy-5
handshakes
claps
gives hugs
gives kisses
climbs on top of couch
climbs on top of coffee table
when asked if she wants another bite she will say yes
walk with shoes on(this was a big one for her!)

can identify certain objects:
red block
purple ball
her tent (tell her to go get in her tent)
her couch(tell her to sit on her couch)
her cup
her food
her toys

Words she can say:
Mom
Dad
no
yes
juice
nom nom
Uh oh

that's all i can think of right now LOL