Keeping Your BLWer Happy and Healthy (And Yourself Sane)

Nobody said BLW wouldn't be messy, but it is fun!

One of the choices we made about bringing up our babies was to go down the route of baby led weaning. After doing our research, it just seemed like the most natural progression. We were really lucky in that the transition was smooth and fairly effortless, with no hitches or "emergency" style moments.


Both our kids loved the change to solid foods and they got to try a wide variety of foodstuffs - we were always amazed just how much they could manage to chew on with those hard little gums! Having said all of this, we did learn a few things along the way which might help others intending to do BLW with their own babies.

1. Try not to give your baby bread. We didn't learn about this until just before no. 2 popped out, but we had long suspected that boy Earthly was having problems digesting wheat and/or gluten. It is also addictive! Much like adults, we found our babies would far rather have bread/toast than any of the healthier options on their plate. 

2. If your babies are impatient, make life easier for yourself and get into the habit of preparing snacks or meals for them while they're asleep. I know it's easier said than done, but the number of times we've ended up shoving something in front of them that was less than perfect just to get a bit of peace for 5 mins whilst we tried to get something decent together, are too numerous to mention! If you also have some easy, healthy snacks in such as dried fruit that they can chew/suck on whilst they wait (rather than gulp down!), that will save your sanity somewhat. 

3. I know other BLWers who have also given purees alongside solids simply to keep up the nutrient levels, and I must say this is something I worried about a bit with BLW, because after the initial excitement of trying lots of new things, both our babies went through a really fussy stage where they refused lots of veg and would only eat very select fruit. We didn't go down the route of purees, but instead made pasta sauces, smoothies, yoghurts, home-made spreads, pestos and bean patés etc - all of which they LOVED. 

4. When they get to the toddler stage, start making their meals more fun! We agonised for ages with our 18 month old because he'd become so fussy and would pretty much only eat brown or beige food! Then one day we went out for lunch where he had a mezze platter (baby sized!) to himself. He adored it, because he had lots of little pots and trays of things to play with, bits that he could dip and dunk and mix altogether. It really is important at this stage that they are allowed to have fun when eating as this promotes a positive association with food. If they don't eat much of what's there, that really doesn't matter - as long as they're not still screaming for food afterwards of course! 

5. If your babies are anything like ours, there will come a time when their confidence with eating solids lets them get ahead of themselves, and they will start swallowing larger lumps rather than bothering to chew them properly. The worst culprits (we found) are things like grapes and sultanas - they slide down pretty easily in chunks, and the flesh is also harder to 'chew' with little gums. However, we also found boy Earthly was notorious for eating oats in the same way - and undigested oats are not nice in a nappy! It is just a stage that should pass, though you are likely to get a few sore tummies for a while. You could omit the most culpable foods, or simply chop or mince them up first.

Our kids absolutely thrived on BLW and of course it had enormous benefits for us as well - it meant we could all eat together without one of us having to stand and feed the baby whilst our own food went cold - unless of course they were getting something ultra messy (we had some boundaries!!).

Guest Post - Real Food Diets: Fermented Foods, by Hybrid Rasta Mama

This last year I have been trying different ways of eating to try and regain some of my balance, energy and overall health since bearing and rearing our 2 tinies. Over the next few months I'm bringing you a whole host of wonderful guest posts on a variety of Real Food Diets, from Raw to Paleo. Join me in this series and find the best real food for your mind, body and soul.



This week's post comes from Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama. Miss last week's? We shared some great ideas for a raw kid's tea party! Go check it out!

Sour Fermented Pickles

When Mamma Earthly put a call out for posts related to various “nutritional lifestyles” I set to work figuring out what I wanted to share with her readers. My family is gluten free, we follow a traditional foods/real food diet, and currently, my toddler and I are on the GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) diet. In addition, I pay attention to some of the tenets of the blood type diet as I personally have seen a correlation between my blood type and my body’s ability and inability to handle certain foods. On top of that, I am a former vegetarian and a born again lover of fats.


I have written about all of these topics extensively on my blog and instead of rehashing it all, I will leave a list of links at the end of this post if you are interested in learning more. What I would like to focus on here is fermented foods. Fermenting foods the way our ancestors did is a lost art but one that is making a comeback.


Traditionally fermented foods like grass-fed cheese, kefir, miso, olives, pickles, sauerkraut, tempeh, and yogurt are some of the oldest and healthiest foods on the planet. The term “fermented” may sound unpalatable but this ancient preparation and preservation method, which involves breaking down carbohydrates and proteins using microorganisms such as bacteria, molds, and yeast, produces delicious food. More importantly, these foods contain probiotics that can be beneficial to your overall health. 


Why did our family decide to incorporate traditionally fermented foods into our diet? Here is a short list outlining the benefits and the reasons why we keep a well-stocked refrigerator of various fermented foods and beverages. 


Fermented foods improve digestion. Fermenting our foods before we eat them is like partially digesting them before we consume them. According to Joanne Slavin, a professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota, “…sometimes people who cannot tolerate milk can eat yogurt. That’s because the lactose (which is usually the part people can’t tolerate) in milk is broken down as the milk is fermented and turns into yogurt.”


Fermented foods restore the proper balance of bacteria in the gut. Do you suffer from lactose intolerance? Gluten intolerance? Constipation? Irritable bowel syndrome? Yeast infections? Allergies? Asthma? All of these conditions have been linked to a lack of good bacteria in the gut.

Water Kefir, Gingered Carrots, "Mr Googly": Gluten Free
Sourdough Starter, and Preserved Lemons.

Raw, fermented foods are rich in enzymes. Your body needs enzymes to properly digest, absorb, and make full use of your food. As you age, your body’s supply of enzymes decreases. This has caused many scientists to hypothesize that if you could guard against enzyme depletion, you could live a longer, healthier life.


Fermenting food actually increases the vitamin content. Fermented dairy products consistently reveal an increased level of folic acid which is critical to producing healthy babies as well as pyroxidine, B vitamins, riboflavin and biotin depending on the strains of bacteria present. 


Eating fermented food helps us to absorb the nutrients we’re consuming. You can ingest huge amounts of nutrients, but unless you actually absorb them, they’re useless to you. When you improve digestion, you improve absorption.


Fermenting food helps to preserve it for longer periods of time. Milk will go bad in the fridge but kefir and yogurt last a lot longer. Sauerkraut, pickles and salsa will keep for months. And if you’ve got a huge batch of produce in your garden that you don’t know how to use up — ferment it!


Fermenting food is inexpensive. There’s nothing fancy required for this hobby. And many of the foods required to make these recipes are very cheap. You can use inexpensive cabbage to make sauerkraut, or get yourself a kombucha scoby and with just pennies’ worth of water, sugar and tea, you’ve got a health elixir slash soda pop.


Fermenting food increases the flavor. There’s a reason humans enjoy drinking wine and eating stinky cheese. There’s a reason we like sauerkraut on our hot dogs and salsa on our tortilla chips. It tastes good!


I will admit, sometimes the smell and look of fermented foods does make them a little daunting to consume. However, for me, it is simply a mind over matter thing and I always end up liking them quite a bit. For others, consuming ferments may not be so easy. Here are a few ways in which I have to found to make ferments appealing to others (specifically my husband as my toddler consumes ferments with gusto):

1. When I serve ground meat or sausage, I discreetly pour a small amount of juice from lacto-fermented pickles, or sauerkraut onto the meat. Sometimes I also mix tiny, chopped dill pickles or other fermented veggies into our meat.
2. If you enjoy pickles, make your own! The store version of pickles are not fermented. Yes, fermented pickles do have a “different” taste as vinegar is not used. However, once you perfect your recipe you will probably find that you enjoy fermented pickles quite a bit more. These are easy to make and very tasty. Everyone in our household loves my pickles. 
3. I make my own lacto-fermented ketchup. Yes, ketchup (and mustard, mayo, relish) and pretty much everything that goes on a hamburger or hot dog has its roots in a traditionally lacto-fermented condiment. These are easy to make at home. I will also sometimes mix store bought organic condiments with fermented ones. This “improves” the taste for my husband’s picky palate.
4. I use yogurt, milk kefir and buttermilk to make smoothies. 
5. Gingered carrots are delicious and very palate pleasing. Again, if you can chop it very finely and mix it with cooked ground meat it can be much easier to present. This is also great topped on soup.
6. I make all kinds of dips from yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese, salsa, and guacamole (all homemade and all cultured). You can mix just about anything into these cultures to make wonderful dips that everyone will enjoy. I have even tackled a cultured hummus that was amazing!
7. Water kefir and kombucha are both delicious, mineral-rich, fermented beverage that can be sweetened with a small amount of fruit juice. We drink tons of both around here. Beat kvass is another reall great probiotic drink. It is really tasty too.
8. Unpasteurized soy sauce is a great condiment to sprinkle on something as simple as veggies and brown rice. This soy sauce is usually only available by special order, but try your local Asian market for Nama Shoyu. 
9. Traditional miso is a fermented food product that, when added to cooled broth, provides an excellent avenue for getting fermented foods into your diet. I make several soups with traditional miso and they never last long. 
10. I have recently begun making homemade crackers and have found that I can dehydrate various fermented veggies and add them into my cracker dough. It is a great way to incorporate ferments and no one is the wiser. 

If you have young children, start them on fermented foods and beverages as early as you can. Their palates are less discerning and they will tend to enjoy the fermented foods quite a bit. 

If you are not already making and consuming fermented foods, I suggest that you consider doing so. Cultures for Health is a great resource offering everything you need to get started. In addition, I took an online cultured foods class where I literally learned how to make everything possible. It is offered by Nourished Kitchen. 


Best wishes to you should you decide to explore fermented foods. 


Blessings,
Jennifer


As promised, here are links to my posts related to my food journey:
Confessions of a Former Vegetarian
Eating Traditional Foods and the Blood Type Diet
GAPS Intro Diet – Yep, I Am On It
GAPS Intro – 2 Week Update
My Eyes Are Wide Open; A Series:
  Part 1 - My Journey Towards Better Health
  Part 2 – Let’s Talk About Fats
  Part 3 – Don’t Call Me Betty Crocker
Real Food Resources
Real Food for Real Kids


Jennifer is a former government recruiter turned stay-at-home mama to a precious daughter (“Tiny”) brought earthside in early 2009. She is passionate about breastfeeding (especially extended breastfeeding), bed-sharing, co-sleeping, attachment parenting, cloth diapering, green living, babywearing, peaceful parenting, a Waldorf approach to education and parenting, playful parenting, getting children outside, as well as cooking and eating Real/Traditional Foods. You can find her over on her blog, Hybrid Rasta Mama, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and StumbleUpon.

Real Food Diets: Raw for Kids

This last year I have been trying different ways of eating to try and regain some of my balance, energy and overall health since bearing and rearing our 2 tinies. Over the next few months I'm bringing you a whole host of wonderful guest posts on a variety of Real Food Diets, from Raw to Paleo. Join me in this series and find the best real food for your mind, body and soul.



This week's post covers raw tea party treats for kids, young and old! Miss last week's? We heard from Mampoekie about the Paleo diet. Go check it out!

Raw Tea Party!

Eating raw is not just for adults: in fact it is probably one of the best possible diets a child could have. If you're feeling stuck for inspiration or are struggling with the concept of getting your child to eat raw, what better way to get you all in the mood than having a raw tea party?! Here are a few ideas to get you started :)

Raw Carrot Cake
From The Raw Chef

3 cup carrot, finely grated
2 cups pecans, ground in a food processor
1/4 cup raisins, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
Date paste**
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 cup desiccated coconut

** Make the date paste by grinding 1 cup soft dates and 1/2 cup orange juice in a food processor until smooth.

- Thoroughly mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Shape into individual cakes or press into one large cake, ready to be cut at the end.
- Place on a dehydrator sheet and dehydrate at 115 degrees F for 8 – 12 hours. If you don’t have a dehydrator you can simply place the cake into the fridge to set.

Carroty Cakey Goodness!

For the frosting
1 1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons agave
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

- Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.
- Place in fridge to achieve a thicker consistency and spread on cake when you’re ready to serve.
- Garnish cake with nutmeg.

Raw Tea Sandwiches
From Rawmazing

2 beets
1 cucumber (half sliced, half diced)
1 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 cup cucumber, diced (use the other half of the cucumber from above)
1 tablespoon tarragon
Himalayan salt and pepper to taste

- Slice the beets and half of the cucumber into thin rounds.
- Place pine nuts, nutritional yeast, water, and lemon juice in food processor. Process until very well blended.
- Stir in the scallions, diced cucumber and the tarragon.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- You can either make little stacks with the beets and cucumbers, or just place a mound on top of a beet slice or cucumber slice.

Soft Serve Banana Ice Cream!

Raw Banana Ice Cream
From Choosing Raw
2-3 frozen bananas
2tbsp agave syrup
1tbsp cacao powder

- Process bananas in the food processor until light, fluffy and smooth. Either serve immediately (consistency will be softer) or freeze fully before serving in an ice cream maker / tupperware in the freezer.
- Make topping by combining agave and cacao and pouring over :)

This recipe can of course be adapted endlessly to incorporate different flavours, textures, chunks and bites... whatever you desire!

Happy tea partying!

Guest Post - Real Food Diets: Raising a Paleo Child, by Mamapoekie

This last year I have been trying different ways of eating to try and regain some of my balance, energy and overall health since bearing and rearing our 2 tinies. Over the next few months I'm bringing you a whole host of wonderful guest posts on a variety of Real Food Diets, from Raw to Paleo. Join me in this series and find the best real food for your mind, body and soul.



This week's post comes from Mamapoekie. Miss last week's? We heard from sexy raw chef Russell James on eating raw. Go check it out!

Real Food: The Paleo Diet

My family has been on the paleo diet for almost two years now. The paleo diet (also primal or caveman diet) is not so much a diet as a way of life. It is basically a modernized version of the hunter-gatherer diet, renouncing grains, legumes and all processed foods. Some versions of the diet exclude dairy, but as my family has no digestive issues with dairy, we do eat a small amounts of cheese, butter and the occasional yoghurt.


The main goal is to eat food as close to nature as possible in order to retain nutrients and maintain a healthy body, though, unlike the raw foods movement, cooking is involved. It also involves a healthy amount of the right kind of activity, like our caveman ancestors would have had. 


The diet is based on the idea that our bodies have not adapted to our fairly recent sedentary eating style, that of agriculture, with grains and legumes as staple foods, which only exists for about 10 000 years (depending on where you live) - which is, given man’s long evolution, a fairly short amount of time. 


Proof of our failure to adapt to this regime is the high amount of gluten intolerance found today (30% of all people in the Western World are said to be gluten intolerant), lactose intolerance and the many many ‘prosperity ilnesses’.


As we’re also unschoolers, enforcing a diet upon all the people in our household is not an option. Neither do we see the paleo diet as a religion, we get to wander out of it a little if it so pleases us, and when we’re invited to people’s houses, we won’t frown upon a piece of cake. Whenever we’re on holiday, we indulge ourselves with the occasional pastry, or chocolate (we are Belgians after all), but by now, we have learned that swarming outside of the paleo diet does us more wrong than the short pleasure of munching down on non-paleo foods.


Before we lived in Congo, the rule was: no non-paleo foods at home and outside, everyone could get what they desire, we did get the odd cookie or candy for our daughter when she asked for it.


Right now, all meals are paleo, except the occasional pizza or pasta dish (about once a month) and we still have some cookies and candies available for our daughter when she wants them. Wherever possible though, I try to bake paleo cookies.


We feel it’s important for her to make her own choices concerning food, and have the occasional talk about which foods do what to our bodies. Even though cookies, some chocolate and candies are available, she rarely eats them anymore, and is happy to watch a movie while munching down on a stick of cauliflower.


As we’ve always been very relaxed about who eats what, we’ve never had any issues regarding food. My daughter is a healthy eater and in great shape. As she grows older, she might want to eat paleo only, or she might not... That will be up to her.



Paleo Recipe: Exotic Coconut-Cabbage Mince
Ingredients
1 TBS olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 Bok Choy (Chinese cabbage), in thin slices
1/4 white cabbage, sliced
1 green pepper, diced
1 leek, chopped
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 cup coconut milk
1 TBS tumeric powder
1 TBS curry powder
pepper
1,5 pounds mince meat

Fry the mince in a pan with oil until it's nicely brown. Get it out of the pan and put aside. Fry the onion, add the garlic when the onion becomes translucent. Add green pepper and leek, stir and cover. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add Bok Choy and white cabbage. Add the spices, stir and cover for about 10 minutes (or until the peppers have softened) then add the tomatoes and put the meat back in. Pour the coconut milk over the dish and stir. When the tomatoes have thoroughly warmed, you're ready to serve. Enjoy!


Laura Schuerwegen a.k.a. Mamapoekie is a Belgian expat mother and wife, currently living at the banks of the Kasai river in DR Congo. She has an unschooled three year old and a little one due December. She writes about Life, the Universe and Everything at Authentic Parenting.

Guest Post: Real Food Diets: The Raw Food Challenge, by Russell James

This last year I have been trying different ways of eating to try and regain some of my balance, energy and overall health since bearing and rearing our 2 tinies. Over the next few months I'm bringing you a whole host of wonderful guest posts on a variety of Real Food Diets, from Raw to Paleo. Join me in this series and find the best real food for your mind, body and soul.



Our first post comes from the wonderful Russell James, a.k.a The Raw Chef.

Maca Ice-Cream & Cacao Crackle Sandwiches

You know the drill: You realise there’s more options out there, there’s a different way of doing things. You embark on a healthier lifestyle, you embrace the lifestyle, you even think it’s a great idea to tell all your friends; you can’t understand why everyone doesn’t know about raw food, “it’s like, the answer to everyone’s problems, man.”

At work/college/home you start getting questions, and lots of them, followed by some very confused faces. The questions turn into a ritual dinner-time ridiculing, things start to get a bit uncomfortable. You find yourself compelled to start defending yourself, but you don’t; you just keep doing what you’re doing because you see the truth in it. You just know it’s right.

Like yourself, I’ve been the subject of some ridicule from other co-workers because of all the fruit and salad I bring with me everyday for lunch.

Sure, sometimes you may fall off the ‘wagon’ and get caught by the Food Police, to be told, “but you’re not allowed that, are you?”. But generally, you’re pretty ‘good’, people can’t help to notice that there might be something to this raw food thing.

Then the questions start to change, they become a little more genuine, people seem intrigued by what you’re doing. Not in a patronising way, but in a respectful way. You may even start to get compliments.

Imagine this: I’m standing in the queue for tea at where I used to work. I’ve just come back from a 1 week detox fast and I’m eating mainly raw foods. I’m queuing for some hot water for my peppermint tea, and I’m behind another manager I work with. This guy is a man’s man; he’s all about beer, women, football and the pub. He has a cigarette behind his ear, ready to light for his ‘fag break’ (I think the word ‘fag’ in this context may be an English colloquialism, so for the record, it means cigarette). So he turns to me, clutching my herbal tea bag and box of salad, looks me right in the eye and says, “your skin’s looking good, Russ”. It was the least most likely thing that guy was ever going to say, and I was amazed, if not very amused.

So what happened?

I have been inspired to write this blog post after a conversation with a new friend. My new friend had read, and commented on, my story and how he had experienced a similar scenario as I had, with his colleagues. I have to say he’s not the first to mention it either, so what’s going on?

A curious thing has happened, however, in that now many of them come up to me asking for dietary advice.

We’re tested everyday, no matter who we are and what we do. We’re tested by the Universe (or however that shows up for you) to see if we’re ready for the next phase, we’re tested by potential and current partners to see if we’re up to the job – to see if we’re ‘the one’. Hell, we even test others in this way too, c’mon… I know you do.

When you make the change to a different lifestyle, you are setting an example, so you will be tested to see if you walk your talk. Yes, we know that everyone would benefit from eating at least a little more raw foods, and most people that hear you talk about it know this on some level. That’s why it causes so much interest, but people want to see that you believe in it first, before they take it on board properly.

They want to see it’s not a fad, that it’s not a phase your going through. Raw food isn’t a phase, it’s a lifestyle. It’s not something you can un-learn when you know about it, even more so when you’ve experienced it – you can’t forget the energy, how much better you look and feel, how much more inspired, connected and loving you feel. That stuff’s with you for life.

My manager, in fact, comes up to me on a daily basis and asks if what he’s eating is alright. I try not to be too strict with him, but there have been a couple of times where I told him that what he was eating was atrociously bad, and he actually threw the entire thing out in the trash.

So when you walk your talk, when you’re non-judgemental (as much as you can be), and when you follow a path that people may not see the truth in (yet), you give them a gift. You give them the gift of example, and you make it easier for them to see the doorway, ultimately leaving it for them to decide whether they want to go through or not, because you can’t save someone who’s not yet ready to be saved – I’ve learnt this first-hand recently.

Kinda shocked me that my words could have such power, that another person would actually listen and believe the things I say.

You’re a pioneer, you’re maybe in the top 1% (that’s a generous estimate!) because you dare to be different. You’ve dared to ask questions of your own and you just won’t settle, you won’t settle for mediocre health, not for you or the people you love. That really is an amazing thing.

Russell James is The Raw Chef. Since turning 'raw' in 2004 he has become a passionate pioneer for raw food, it's enormous potential in revitalising body, mind and soul, and the endless possibilities it offers for a healthy, nutritious, delicious - and sometimes naughty food-lifestyle. Here he talks about the challenge of turning raw and what it means in the grander scheme of things...


Russell can be found on his website, blog, Twitter and Facebook. The above article originally appeared on Russell's blog here.

Guest Post: The Living* Dead, by Father Earthly (aka Smellyhippy)

Night of The Living Dead

(* and the Living is touch and go)


Our daughter - Girl Earthly as she is known on these pages - is an insomniac. Our daughter wants to explore this amazing new world and isn't going to let a piffling thing called nighttime get in the way. Our daughter is teething. Our daughter suffers from indigestion, particularly after dark. Our daughter is struggling with separation anxiety. Our daughter is the most effective torture device since the Chinese Water device.


There's only one of those statements I can say with certainty is true. No matter what the genuine reasons for it, my wife and I, in direct contravention of the Geneva Convention, are being systematically reduced to quivering nervous wrecks. Yesterday I confessed to kidnapping Shergar.


Now everybody knows that children cause sleepness nights. After all, it's an all too common theme in all those Hollywood films, depicted in some comedic way as a perfectly attired couple appear at the door of their perfect nursery with perfectly dishevelled hair to show how tired they are. Believe me, it's not just the hair that doesn't get styled - I have to force myself to remember to put on a pair of trousers. I couldn't begin to tell you what style, cloth, or even colour they are. It's only by a process of elimination that I know they're mine - everybody else's would be too small. As to whether they go with the rest of my clothes, I couldn't say. I'm not even sure if I am wearing any other clothes. And I couldn't care less.


The list of things I couldn't care less about includes:

• Whether I'm wearing clothes or not
• Whether I've shaved this week or not
• Whether I smell like a sewer or not
• Being pleasant to people at work
• Work
• Eating healthily
• Eating

These last two are huge for me. I've always had a healthy appetite, and I love to cook. Even now cooking is my escape. I'm an oxymoronical vegetarian Northener, so my dishes tend towards the hearty side - butternut squash lasagne, fagioli e veggie salsiccia, sweet potato, leek & brie pie with roast new potatoes - but these days I'm struggling to care whether I eat tofu & green vegetable green Thai curry with egg noodles and vegetable spring rolls or a Chicken & Mushroom Pot Noodle. God forbid my wife leaves me and the kids, for I'll go from being just "overweight" to "unable to fit through the bow doors". Importantly, the only thing that keeps me cooking good, wholesome(-ish) meals every night is a desire to see Mama Earthly get some nutrition into her. She's not only got the sleepness nights destroying her body, but Girl Earthly is a most voracious breastfeeder. While this has its benefits, it is also draining Mama Earthly of any vestiges of energy she may have left. And I see it as one of my responsibilities to refuel her every day, and that's not going to happen if I plonk down a hula hoop sandwich and a Mars bar.


Our household has been fractious recently, to say the least, with both of us unable to communicate to the best of our abilities through the fog of debilitating exhaustion. But, despite that, we're still both able to support each other in our basic needs. We are, in essence, each other's pacesetter, taking the strain when one is flagging, egging each other on through one more day (and night!). Sometimes this causes one of us to snap at the other, but our love for each other always wins through. That, and our shared camaraderie facing up to the common enemy!


There's more to it than that though. Helping somebody else, even somebody I'm contractually obligated to help (oh, I'll pay for that comment!), makes me feel good. Therefore, by cooking Mama Earthly a healthy meal I'm also helping myself. So I implore you; if you and your partner are suffering from a demonically light-sleeping offspring, find something, anything, that will assist your partner in their basic needs and stick to it religiously. They'll appreciate it, you'll appreciate it, and in turn baby will appreciate it. No matter how hard it is to find the energy and enthusiasm, you'll all benefit in the end. And if that doesn't convince you, remember this - Life may be excruciatingly painful now, but it will only be multiples worse if your partner slips into a coma brought on by exhaustion!

---------

Thanks Father Earthly for ending on that backhanded positive note ;) And yes, you are rather wonderful and I would never cope without you.


You can find more of Father Earthly's musings (when he finds a spare moment or so) over on his blog. Do pop by and give him some love and encouragement :)


Plus, don't forget about our fabulous giveaway of gorgeous Green People goodies. Entry closes Friday so get in quick!