Natural Parenting Fathers

Welcome to the February Carnival of Natural Parenting: Love and partners!

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This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month we’re writing about how a co-parent has or has not supported us in our dedication to natural parenting. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

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Let me just start by saying that I have the most amazing husband in the world.  He has always been extremely supportive, especially so since Axel’s birth.  He’s been marching right beside me throughout breastfeeding, co-sleeping, EC’ing, cloth diapering, and all the rest of my “natural parenting” ideals.  I am 100% certain that I would have failed miserably at many of those things if he hadn’t been there to not only encourage me, but also to participate.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to put Axel’s undies on to wash, only to find that Patrick has already washed, dried, and put them away.  (That’s on top of him working 45+ hours a week!)  He is THE man.

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A lot of our parenting ideas actually originated with Patrick.  He wants to live naturally.  He wants me to stay home and raise Axel.  He wants to be a good example.  We have the same goals.  We have a unified focus.  I think that’s what marriage is all about.

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It’s not as if we never disagree.  That’s hardly the case.  We have differing opinions on many things, but we usually talk it over, and come to an agreement of some sort.  It just so happens that most of the time we end up with the same thinking on the issues we discuss.  (Although, I’ll admit, sometimes I am quick to throw out Patrick’s ideas, only to later decide that he was right.  I’m a stubborn woman.  Nobody is perfect. :) )

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Luckily, Patrick isn’t perfect either.  He has jumped quite a few hurtles along this natural parenting road.  Co-sleeping is a great example.  Logically, he understands the concept, and truly believes it’s the best possible sleeping situation for our son.  I know that he would have a hard time keeping Axel in a crib, especially in a separate room. 

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Despite all that, he misses me.  Of course, that’s very understandable.  He had me all to himself before our baby boy was born, but now it seems like all my time, love, and above all, both my breasts, are devoted to Axel.  We don’t get to cuddle as much.  We don’t get to talk to each other at night after Axel has gone to sleep due to fear of waking him.  Worst of all, we don’t get to get down and dirty in our own bed!  As Patrick says, he “just needs some lovin’!”

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None the less, he has been the ultimate trouper.  I don’t think I’ve heard him complain even once!  I can sense his annoyance, though.  I don’t think it’s gone as far as him being resentful, but it has caused him some grief, which I hate.  He has been an amazing, and understanding daddy.  I want him to be as happy as possible, which is why I’ve started to find other ways of pleasing him (i.e. – getting naked).  Unfortunately, at this point, there’s not much to work with.  I’m really debating having my sister in law watch Axel for an hour or two every once in awhile, so we can have some time for just us.

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So far, I’ve only left Axel once, for about 2 1/2 hours, and it wasn’t at all planned.  My friend went into labor, and Patrick was unable to get home from work immediately, so I had to leave Axel with his sister.  It was horrid.  I’ve never been that anxious in my life. 

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Maybe I’m the only one who feels this way, but leaving my baby while he’s this young really feels unnatural to me.  I think he’s supposed to be with me right now, all the time.  I realize doing that isn’t even possible for most people, but for me it is, and I think I should take advantage of that privilege.

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I know Patrick gets that.  He trusts my judgement, even when it means he loses out on a little extra attention.  I am so blessed.  I know there are people out there who wish that their spouse was as understanding as mine, so I really need to step up and treat him well.  I want to be as good a wife as he is a husband, even if that means silently doing the deed in our 4 by 4 foot closet at 6am.  He deserves it.

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Carnival of Natural Parenting -- Hobo Mama and Code Name: MamaVisit Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

(This list will be updated Feb. 9 with all the carnival links, and all links should be active by noon EST. Go to Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama for the most recently updated list.)

February 9, 2010 | Tags: | 11 Comments »

Grapefruit Is In Season In Texas!

Alright people, its grapefruit time in Texas, and as many of you know, when something is in season it’s usually good and its almost always cheap.

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Wal-Mart and other regular grocery stores have mostly the smaller size fruits.  Whole Foods, however (who usually have fairly high prices), have an 18 pound bag of the big size fruits for $8.99 (that’s 50 cents a pound!), and they are fantastic!  It is hard to find good fruit that cheap, so hurry and get some.   We are about to get into our fourth 18 pound bag in the past month.

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Sarah and I eat only fruit for breakfast, and when citrus fruits are in season and picked at the right time (silly farmers), they are awesome.  I would highly recommend anyone who has access to these cheap, in season grapefruit, to give them a try for breakfast as well.  You don’t have to give up your normal breakfast to give this a try, the grapefruit will be long gone from your stomach if you wait about 30 to 45 munites before eating something else.

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Try it instead of coffee.  I used to drink coffee every day to focus in the morning, and I was never as focused and energized as when I eat good, perfectly ripened fruit first thing in the morning.

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My favorite way to eat it is by cutting it in half, and digging it out with a spoon.  The skin around the meat is tougher than other citrus fruits, and this method allows you to get around eating it.  It is a bit messy, especially if it is really good.  Eat it over the sink and you should be fine.  (^;

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By the way, this is Sarah’s dear husband, Patrick.  I will be posting every now and again.  If anyone in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex knows of any good deals on good fruits or vegetables we would appreciate the info, especially if they are organic.

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We look forward to hearing from you!

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January 17, 2010 | Tags: , | No Comments »