Sorta Crunchy

I think this blog needs a little history.
– Ever since getting pregnant with Anna, I’ve especially been trying to lead a healthy lifestyle.
– I met a friend when we moved to Hillsboro who is more than sorta crunchy.
– Crunchy: refers to altering your lifestyle to become more organic or environmentally friendly… it’s a new word, so I’m not sure exactly what it means to other people. To me, it means being interested in non-mainstream healthier options.
– Recently, I’ve begun researching how to practically apply a healthier lifestyle by reading the blogs of other moms who are striving towards healthier kitchens and homes.
– Today I came upon a blog called http://sortacrunchy.typepad.com/sortacrunchy/ while linking between blogs I’ve found already… while I was researching the benefits of raw milk. I WANT TO READ THIS ENTIRE BLOG’S ARCHIVES!
– I got there after reading this post here: A Little Bit Crunchy Granola Tree Hugger that describes the ways she is and is not “crunchy.”

So here I go… here are the ways that I am crunchy and the ways I am not.

Crunches
– This would have surprised me even months into Anna’s pregnancy… but I have become something close to an advocate for midwife-attended homebirths. I think I’d have to actually be actively doing something about it to be an “advocate” so that’s too strong a word… but it is my first choice for myself!
– Homeschooling… well, once I have some kids big enough you know.
– I cook from scratch most of the time. This is a baby crunchy, since I do not yet cook very good whole foods from scratch… but it is LESS processed anyway. This particular category is where I WANT to be more crunchy; I’ll let you know how it goes!
– I nursed/breastfed Anna for a year. It was harder than I expected at the beginning but ultimately something I am proud of.
– We use cloth diapers. They are cheaper. They are cuter. They are easier on my babies’ bums. Did I mention they are cuter?
– If we have a boy, we aren’t planning on circumcising. Please don’t faint… in my crunchy circles this is the norm and not weird. Promise! We’re just not that interested in what is mostly a cosmetic surgery.
– We have a budget. That’s probably not crunchy and it’s rapidly becoming more common… which is a good thing.

un-Crunchiness<
– We currently are on the doctor recommended schedule for vaccinations and are happy with this. We do not do rotovirus and have yet to do the chickenpox virus.
– I am not a huge fan of babywearing and the related attachment parenting movement. As with most things, there is SO MUCH there that is SO VALUABLE and useful… but I get frustrated when I read too much information where other parenting philosophies are discounted and they’re the only right way that I stop liking it. So I take what I can from attachment parenting and add it to my continuing education. Just please don’t think I’m one of THEM. Oh, and i love, love, love all my baby carriers. But I don’t wear my kids. That just sounds weird. I first heard that term when I was pregnant with Anna and it still sounds funny. 😀 I carry my kids a lot. I don’t think it’s good that they are let lay a lot. Body-to-body contact is important to little babies and all people… but still, I’m not comfortable being identified as one of THEM. Am I a hippie, crunchy person and I just don’t know it yet?
– We do NOT cosleep. Definitely. No. Uh-uh. That’s OUR bed. Mommy needs her sleep. Mommy needs her snuggle time with Papa too. Do you want siblings? Then go to your room. My room. My bed. Hopefully we won’t have a hard time doing this when Maggie is born. Anna stayed with us for two weeks while i healed enough so I could get to her room for night feedings. Then she stayed there and I rested so much better!
– I don’t get essential oils. Most of what I’ve read is inflammatory so I’ll have to research that later. For now… not part of my crunchy chi.
– I don’t know kung fu.
– I still eat candy bars.
– I don’t make my own yogurt or cheese or anything like that… I’d like to learn.

Ok, I am to tired to go edit and fix this up… so like most of my blogs, what you get is what you get! Go further down to read about the zoo.