Its been 2 whole months...

So it has been 2 whole months since blogging. Tons of new things have happened. Here is a long list!

• Jayson got 2 teeth back to back
• Jayson learned to sit up
• Hayden celebrated his 3rd birthday with his Daddy (party since his real bday is Sept 28th)
• We visited the Gilroy Garlic Festival (too much garlic!!!)
• Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Nicole visited
• Grandpa Dave and Aunt Amanda visited
• Grammie and Aunt Melissa visited
• Brad leaves in about 2 weeks
• We got approved to move home on the Navy's dime (come on November)
  
• My garden is HUGE
• We started our CSA deliveries
• 79 days til we move!
• I think I may have found 3-4 different apartments to look at.
• We found out 2 of the neighbors are having babies...sucks I will miss them.
• We discovered that you don't necessarily have to plant a specific number of corn to get baby corn...seriously!
• I realized how much I really do like this stupid place I live and how much I don't want to leave my neighborhood and recently made friends, but want my kids to know my parents and have an awesome relationship with them like I did.
• I have recently became addicted to Pampered Chef
• I love my husband more today for the sacrifices he will be making by going on this trip and running around like crazy to get our move accomplished in time.
• I will be home in time for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Jayson's birthday and whatever else I love and miss about that time of the year in VA
• I realized I will miss the fruit and the veggies that are so incredibly fresh and cheap out here...seriously 20 lbs of grapes, peaches and tomatoes for $8
• I only have 2 more days of watching kids so I will now have time to focus on my own!
• The days just keep coming and going and eventually he will leave.

Wow...that was quite a list. I am sure there were more. Who knows?

These last 2 months have been a blur with trying to spend every waking moment savoring my husband. I miss him and he isn't even gone. I have so much to do and no time to do it. I am scared beyond belief. I find myself crying at a song, a commercial, the news, anything that makes me think of him. I don't sleep very well. I guess I have a bad case of the predeployment blues. I am thankful he has rather safe orders and that he might be able to come home in between training and actual duty.

So no pictures this time, just words. I promise there will be more. Just wait...there are big adventures coming for me!

My little garden helper

Hayden is so in love with watching my plants grow. I think we have come outside more in the past month since I have started this journey to water and nurture and just watch the garden than we have since we have moved to California almost 2 years ago.

Anyway here are some pictures of my helper that I took in the backyard today. Oh and by the way, I can't wait to have a real backyard!









I love taking pictures of that kid!

Relactation/Adoption Breastfeeding

So I have been thinking about the for a while now. With Hayden, I bf him for 3 weeks and I was DONE. He was horrible, wouldn't latch, too impatient, plus I had no support what so ever right after he was born. This time with Jayson, he was a perfect bf-er. I stopped at 6 weeks because I could not discipline Hayden while sitting on the couch all day with Jayson, feeding him. I feel like I short changed him for selfish reasons. I know that mommy milk is better. I knew so much more this time and I still failed.

I decided Monday that if adoptive moms can bf their non-biological children that I can surely restart and get my milk back for my own child. I know this is going to be hard but I want this so bad for my little boy since he might be my last. :(

So starting yesterday, I have been offering myself to Jayson whenever he is happy. He has his latch skills still but gets rather aggravated there is nothing for him to drink. I have also been pumping every few hours and man do I hurt. I have mother's milk tea coming and fenugreek and also a supplemental nursing system. I can't wait for them to arrive so I can kick this in high gear. I don't really want prescription drugs if this doesn't work bit if need be there are some alternatives that way that I can ask the doctor about.

I am so excited for this to hopefully work. Like I said, I want this so bad for Jayson. He deserves the best, just like I am trying to give to the rest of my family.

Being eaten and trampled and finally giving in

So as of right now, My boys are 2.583 yrs and 3.548 months old...lol! I can't believe Jayson will be 4 months old in 2 weeks.

Jayson


Hayden

Those are just some cute pictures I took in our backyard area. They have on cute big brother/little brother shirts! I love them both so much!

My Garden Update

So I got my straw bales on April 13th.


My seeds were busting out of the peat things they were planted in. They looked GREAT!

After only 9 days

I then proceeded to add the potting soil to the top of the bales. I watered and watered just like everything told me to. I then planted a few of each plant, the healthiest ones, in the bales after a week of watering. Then, I went to bed. Little did I know most of my plants would be eaten by this little puppy. I did not originally have the fences up. They were a certainly a good investment.

Brady, The Plant Eater


After 3 or 4 days of battling dying plants, a dog and cats walking on my bales, I caved on one side of the garden. I bought big plants. They weren't too expensive but still money I didn't want to spend.

Side 1 that I had to buy big plants for since everything else was eaten
Tomatoes (Roma and Big Boy), Green Beans, Yellow Squash, Zucchini, Eggplant, Acorn Squash, and Cucumbers


Side 2 part 1
Sugar Snap Peas, Sweet Onions, Watermelon


Side 2 part 2
Pumpkin, Basil, Anaheim Chili, Broccoli, Cauliflower,


Sugar Snap Peas


Out of everything, including the already growing plants, my sugar snap peas are doing the BEST! I don't really know why either. I guess that they are just the happiest.

Right now I am currently battling the acorn squash. In the morning it is fine. When the sun comes around it looks dead and then after I water a little better. I don't get it. It is supposed to be a warm weather plant and it has been between 70-85 degrees since I planted it. I will keep you posted.

After the Brady fiasco, I replanted seeds and thought they weren't growing since it only took 6 days the last time when they were inside. That's another reason I bought the potted plants. Now about 4 days after digging into the bales(which I have to Thank Brad so much for) to plant them, I have cucumbers, yellow and green squash, lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower sprouting!!!!!! Now all I am waiting on is the cilantro, corn, Swiss chard, butternut squash, romaine lettuce, carrots and watermelons to sprout. It seems daunting but it should be soon. I might even need 2 more bales while I have this HHR rental.


Until then....

Up to speed

Okay, so i have to catch you up.

I am Anneka.

I have 2 boys, Hayden (2.2) and Jayson (2.5 months). They are my whole world. Little boys are the best thing ever.

I am married to a sailor, Brad, and have been for just over 3 years. It has been great but I won't lie; it's the hardest thing I have ever done.

I have recently stopped working for the first time in my whole entire thing and it has been the second hardest thing ever. I went and went and went for years and years, and now I clean, play with and nurture my children. I love it but deep down inside I am so super bored. Which brings me to, Now!

I have always loved sewing. I find it so relaxing and rewarding. Quilting's one of the things that takes up the time I have left after my little ones. I have also taken up cooking to provide my family with the best nutrition I can. I don't like the way I feel when I eat processed food so I made a promise to myself to start making things from scratch so I know exactly what is in it and to feel healthier.

Another new adventure I hope to start soon is to plant my straw bale garden. I am so excited to get this started so that we can eat the best possible fruits and veggies without pesticides and hormones or anything else that affects its nutrition. I have a large list of things I want to plant and hope that it all works out. I want to plant carrots, Zucchini, Roma tomatoes, Yellow Squash, Cucumbers, Watermelon, Eggplant, Green Beans, Sugar Peas, Hot Peppers, Onions, Bell Peppers, Cauliflower, some kind of lettuce and Butternut Squash. I know that seems like a lot but we are a small family and only need a few plants of each.

I am so excited to get this started. I can't wait to eat my veggies. Maybe I can get my toddler eating healthy again. Hopefully!