I'll have the placenta burger, please!

Livermush festival was pretty fun despite the fact that there was only ONE livermush vender!! I'm not sure what I was expecting...livermush from around the world? Chocolate covered livermush? Livermush plush toys?? I definitely was thinking there would be more livermush than just the one spot as one vendor does not a festival make. HOWEVER the bright spot of the day was the fact that they had a farmer's market set up. By the time we got there there wasn't a ton of variety left but I did get some yummy squash I plan on cooking later and a few new contacts for fresh goods. We also sat on the courtyard sidewalk and listened to some awesome bands. We went out to try to find a spot called the 'Biggerstaff Hanging Tree' only to find that there was no longer a tree, just a plaque. Didn't have a chance to see paranormal activity 2 as I ended up going with a couple of friends to another friends house for a bonfire and dinner. Good times were had by all, however! I'm looking forward to adventures this weekend as it is my all time favorite day of fall ~ HALLOWEEN!! Can't wait to see all my nieces and my nephew in their spooky finery! I hope everyone has an exciting weekend and gets a least ONE drive with the windows down and some bluegrass playing. I've managed several a week. Nothing makes your day brighter than that! :)

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So, I've always been inquisitive and a researcher. The past few months have given me on a 'prepare for the future' mentality so in addition to reading up about Real Foods, I've been thinking about my future as a wife and mother. Even thought there aren't any babies dancing on my horizon, I still want to prepare. For years I've been researching ways to educate your baby from birth. I learned a decade ago that babies see best in black and white, thus use 'Black and White' board books to help strengthen their eyes and help them focus. I've looked into the 'Your baby can read' program and must say that it's quite intriguing! Recently in my search for all natural foods and how to make your own baby food, I've discovered a few 'all natural' parenting sites...and these include all natural births!

I found out today something called 'unassisted birth'. UB is basically you, your husband and the baby. I like the idea of home birth but want to research more about UB. I definitely don't want to have the 'hospital' birth. I remember my sister itching from morphine after her c-section and not being able to hold Parker at times due to carpel tunnel flaring up. (related to the morphine? I don't know but I couldn't imagine having to have someone hold my son so I could breast feed him)

I also saw a post on 'crawling babies' and how a baby, if not taken away from the mother right after birth, will naturally crawl up to the mothers breast and root. Yet another reason to avoid hospitals. I believe I'd want a midwife for my first birth, only because every new mother is a bit more worried than women who have gone through the process a few times. I read in 'Mothering' magazine online that one lady had her first 2 in the hospital and had horrible experiences. (Not the first time I've heard about such) and she tore so bad she needed stitches during both times but when she had her home births, she didn't tear at all. She says its due to listening to her body. The crazies thing I discovered? A practice known as 'placentophagia' which is where the mother eats the placenta in order to 'reclaim' nutrients, etc. Benefits include increased milk production, decreased risk of postpartum depression and many other things. Interesting!

But like I said, giving birth is a LONG way off but it's never too soon to research to make an informed decision! I'd love any info you guys want to email me! Experiences, tips, links, etc!