Hair Update

The flat twist out does not last over night for me.  My hair is so dry its impossible to bring the curls back to life the next day.  I have taken to flat twisting it every night but I don't mind it.  It doesn't take me long to twist my hair and I like the regimen I have gotten into with giving my hair lots of moisture every time I twist.  I have seen some improvement in how my hair feels and I'm crediting that to the healthy dose of coconut oil it's receiving everyday.  It feels more pliable and healthy.  I think I will stick with the flat twists for a while.

Valentine's Day

Our family's first Valentine's day was sweet.  My Bella went out for her first sit down dinner with her "date" (daddy).

Me and my Bella dolled up and ready for our night on the town.

Sitting up like a big girl :-)



My Bella eating the bananas I packed and making a mess.

It was a great evening.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Flat Twist Out Part Deux

I washed my hair and did another flat twist out.  I love the results! I took pictures from start to finish to post.  I think I will wear it like this until I grow it long enough to get the bantu knot effect I want.  I think I have type 4c hair from all the descriptions I have read and it is next to impossible to keep enough moisture in my hair, I have tried so many things but as I am running my hands over my hair now I have never felt it this soft and healthy.  My hair didn't suck up all the oil for once.

First, I shampooed my hair with Shea Moisture Organic Shea Butter Curl and Shine Coconut and Hibiscus and then conditioned with Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner.  I love how soft and springy the Curl and Shine Shampoo makes my hair and I have learned through painful trial and error that I absolutely MUST have a leave in conditioner every time I shampoo.  Every time I rinse out my conditioner I end up with a wiry, coarse, unmanageable mess.  So, I didn't wash the restorative conditioner out, detangled and air dried.

  I don't put the flat twists in immediately after washing because it would never dry.  After my afro dried I sectioned my hair into four sections the sides, front and back to begin my flat twists.  In the front and back sections I put three flat twists and in the sides I put two.  I sprayed the section I was working with just a little water to moisturize and make it easier to work with.  I also used pure organic coconut oil for gloss and moisture.

I wrapped it with a satin scarf and let it set over night.  In the morning I took it down carefully and split some of the twists to fluff it out.

Then I tamed it a little and added and head band. 

I think this was a pretty successful twist out.  I used only three products and I spent maybe one hour in total washing and twisting.  I want to continue to wash once a week so I will update on how long I can keep it like this before I have to wash or re-twist.



Enough Stalling Time to Get To It

Okay time to stop neglecting the elephant that IS the room (well several rooms actually) we need to start working on finishing this house. We have taken a month off after the holidays and the initial gut and remodel but now is time to get back to work. There is so much to do I can only take it one room at a time so here goes. The most important rooms right now are the living spaces on the first floor, the living room, kitchen and bathroom. There is a guest room on the first floor as well but I don't have any inspiration for that so I won't force it. The living room is completely painted minus a few minor touch ups that need to be done so it's time to decorate, finally. I have some ideas but I'm not married to anything yet. I've seen some nice pieces I like for the room but I still haven't found that focal point to build the room around. Here is the very blank canvas…

The only things that definitely stay are the couches (until I can save enough mad money to get rid of them but now it's not in the budget) and the TV. You have to see past the baby furniture obviously J my Bella is everywhere. Everything else is temporary and can go.

I want to do a large picture over the love seat something with color because the color of the walls and couches is so neutral.  I say that while I'm looking at this picture and I think maybe a large statement picture may compete with that TV and make that corner busy.

Another view head on.  This is only half of the living room, I'm not including the other half because I'm kicking around the idea of using it as a dining room.  I want an armchair and a small table on the wall with the window, create another seating area. Valances on the windows not curtains, the windows are small so I want to dress the windows without blocking the light.  Get this, hubby wants a bear skin rug so I found a contemporary bear skin rug inspired rug to compromise.

Last view. remove the play pen, chair and boxes and in this corner (in my boxing announcer voice) I got nothing.

Let the living room project begin, I'll post my ideas and tag them with the label Living Room Project and hopefully soon I'll be posting an after pic.
 

A Thousand Words

I'm looking forward to seeing this.  It sounds good in theory but I wonder how he pulled off acting through a script with no lines.

Solid Foods

Starting solids was one of the milestones I looked forward to with my Bella, that and crawling. So when our pediatrician gave us the go ahead at our four month appointment I couldn't wait to get started. I still planned on breastfeeding until at least 12 months but I thought solids would be a fun and new activity for us. My Bella took to it like a champ she started out on brown rice and peas then progressed to bananas, avocados, apples and pears. She loved the new tastes and textures so I was satisfied. Hubby bought me a Baby Bullet before I had the baby so I am able to make her food myself. It came with a guide with information on safe foods for baby and the vitamins, nutrients and benefits from each fruit and vegetable. The Baby Bullet also came with a feeding schedule so I decided to use that as a template and then take cues from my Bella to tailor it to her needs. Everything was fine for a couple of months until about 2 weeks ago when my milk supply began to slow. Of course I panicked because I hate to pump and I don't have a supply for emergencies like this (I have learned my lesson I will pump from now on). Formula is not an option so I took to the forums and blogs to find out what I should do.

I read a lot of messages from women who said the milk just simply dried up and I began to panic more. A couple of moms said that the dwindle in milk supply was the first sign that they were pregnant again so I checked that too. I tried eating oatmeal and practically drowning myself with water but ended up sending up an S.O.S to an acquaintance of the family who is practically a professional nursing mama still nursing her five year old. Her first question was why are you feeding her solids? I explained that her doctor said it was okay and she is aware of my intentions to nurse until 12 months. She told me she didn't give her daughter solids until she was a year old. She explained to me that introducing solids and feeding her BEFORE I nursed her are probably the reasons for the reduction in supply. Her body was telling my body she was already full every time she came to the breast. I was unknowingly weaning her off. I was following the schedule I had that specifically said follow the solid foods with a formula bottle or nursing session. I want to be clear that I do not fault our pediatrician or the schedule in the Baby Bullet because there are a lot of people who don't have all the information about breastfeeding because formula feeding is more common. None of my doctors even talked to me about nursing. And even now most people I know think I should stop breastfeeding now that she is older than six months.

Now that I know what the problem is I took her completely off solids and I have been nursing like crazy. I found a couple of articles on the La Leche League webpage I linked below about feeding solids and breastfeeding. I still would like to keep feeding solids but not at the expense of our milk supply so I will start her up again in a couple days following the more accurate information I have now.

When should my baby start solids?

Starting Solids

Dream Deferred?

Am I holding myself back? I have finished proofing the galleys of my novel made all the corrections and decisions to be made but I have not sent the book back in for printing. Two days before I finished with my proofs, the company I am self-publishing through had a promotion for authors who sent their proofs back in for printing before a certain date. The offer was for free marketing services which I'm sure I could use. I asked if the offer would still be available even though I was a couple days late and it wasn't. So, I decided to hold off on sending my material in, in hopes there will be another promotion and I can get some services for free. It does make sense but I wonder if my "fear of success" issue is really the culprit behind the decision. I have been working to publish this book for over two years and if I am honest with myself and you, I have been standing in my own way for two years. In my heart I believe in my talent but I am so afraid of rejection so many times I close myself off from it so tight that I close myself off from success as well. 

~Some said HOV, how you get so fly I said from not being afraid to fall out the sky – Jay-Z

I wish I had the courage to leap when it comes to my writing. I think if I had more faith in myself and my ability to be a novelist I would put more focus into my craft. I control how successful or how much of a failure I will be. This blog has been encouraging me to write every day, and I'm getting back to the essence of me. I forgot how writing gave me energy, how writing centered me and gave me an escape. Well, the generator just kicked back on. This under construction project is so important to me and important for my family and I will just continue to improve. I will be 20+10 soon and I would like to leave my reckless, irresponsible, wild and free 20's and emerge into the woman, mother, wife and writer I always knew I would be.

Today I am changing the way I have been handling my business yesterday. Today I am going to crunch the numbers and figure out if waiting for another marketing offer is worth it. If it turns out it's not I am going to pull the trigger, I am not afraid to fall and all I have to do is…

Just…

Jump.