New Toledo Area Moms Thread

[samuelsmom]

Just starting a new thread for us, since our other one is getting close to the 2,000th post.

I thought maybe we could start again with intros, that way if any newer folks join in, we'll all know who we are!

I'll start:

I'm Cindy, SAHM to Sam (6), Mary (2.5), and the new one due in a couple weeks. I'm a La Leche League leader with the daytime group. We live SE of Toledo in Wood County. We have done the cloth-diapering, babywearing, breastfeeding thing since having our first child. I love to read and hang out online, mostly though, I just love being with my family.

Post away, ladies!

[ohiomommy1122]

Hi I'm Betsy A mom of 3 great kids Sebastian 7 Alexis 2 and Xander 6 months I homeschool Sebastian and plan to Homeschool all my children it's really not as scary as it seems. If you want more info on Homeschooling pm me. DH and I own and run our own business. We cloth diaper, baby wear, co-sleep and more .....longer I hang on these board the crunchier I seem to get.

Thank you Juile who introduced me to these boards a few years ago, we met at A nurse in at Victorias Secrets.

How did you guys find this board?

[sandyacres0302]

Betsy, it was nice to see you too I would love info. on homeschooling. I can PM you at a later date if you want me too.

Julie, your pictures are so beautiful!!!! Your looked wonderful.

Thanks Shelley and all the mamas who answered my billion questions at the swap and just for talking. It was wonderful. I was so excited for the diapers covers that we bought, and everything else. Leah loves her boots. The skirt is so comfortable It was so great seeing everybody again. Maybe I will stop talking and looking long enough for the sept sale to actually sell some stuff. Shelley did anybody take those clothes??

Ok I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Erica. I have a wonderfully spirited, very active 2 year old whose name is Leah. She was born March 2, 2006 . She actually told me her name and when she was going to be born in a dream. She was born on that date which was the new moon and of course we named her Leah. I'm pregnant with #2 due July 25. We don't know if this baby is a boy or girl we chose not to find out again. I'm almost positive that we will deliver this baby at home with Linda from Mother's Own My DH name is Phil we were married Nov. 3, 2001. We live on a farm which is called sandyacres. We have 2 horses, 12 chickens, 4 cats and 2 dogs. We have big organic garden which I so love to walk outside to pick things for dinner: I work about 2 hours on saterdays, I'm a physical therapist. I love to sew, garden and to do just about anything outside. We co-sleep, baby wear, cloth diaper (although it took me a long while to figure out what worked with Leah so I had barely anything for her initially), extended breastfeeding and scarf anything organic. Ok I think that is all about me for now!!

Erica

[susanrc]

Hi I am Susan, SAHM to 2 beautiful girls Mckenna who will be turning 3 in September and Maleah who is 6 months. They keep me on toes at all times I married my husband Chad 2 days after we found out we were pregnant with McKenna. We moved to Holland in 04. LOVE it, but hate the taxes: We are looking to relocate in Perrysburg or possibly Sylvania before the girls start school.
I started cloth diapering with Maleah and LOVE it and so wish I would of started with McKenna. My 2008 resolution was to start buying all natual organic and biodegradable products (and food)!! Replacing it with everything from cleaning products to hair products , lotions, soaps, deoderant, dish soap, laundry soap. I even bought organic sheets and pjs for the girls!! I do have to say I have learned sooooo much from this website and am so glad I found it thanks to Betsy and Julie. I learn something new everytime I get on this website and start reading. I probably would of never kept breastfeeding after one year (just because I didn't know any better) until I read all the benefits it has on a toddler as well I also learned ALOT about vaccinations and again wish I would of known more with McKenna but ya can't change the past. My hobbies include reading, gardening, working out (when I have time), making crafts with my girls, spending time with my family, vacationing (is that a hobby) oh can't forget my favorite SHOPPING My girls love to shop as well I hope someday I will get to meet more of you like-minded moms. Peace and
I forgot to add we will be adding to our family sometime next summer and cannot wait!!!!

[activistamamacita]

Hi! I'm Erin, a.k.a. the Activista

I will be married in September to a wonderful, adorable, slightly OCDish, music, healing man. We just wrote an offer on our, hopefully, new home in South Toledo. I will keep you all posted. And yes, I am crazy enough to get married and buy a new home and take summer classes at the same time! GULP! Even crazier, we will TTC very shortly. I am close to having all I ever wanted.

I am very driven towards my goal of becoming a midwife and I am so glad to have met all of you wonderful, supportive ladies. You help me feel not so alone on this long journey to initiate change in our sacred instituion.

I am mostly green, mostly veggie, mostly organic, mostly local, dedicated yogi and fitness guru, queen of recycling, and future baby-wearing, APing, BFing, delayed vaxing, no circ, hot, loving mama. I can't wait!!!!!

[mellymommy]

Hi there!!

I'm Melody a SAHM to Prewitt (5.5yo), Maggie (3.5yo), Donovan (9mo foster son), and Brody Bear (6.5 weeks old). I've been married just over 9 years to my CPA&CMP dh (getting his MBA at BGSU) and we've lived in Bowling Green for just about a year and a half; we moved here from CA. We are starting a "formal" homeschool curriculum for ds1 in the fall, Brody Bear was our first homebirth/second water birth (with Linda, ds 1 was our first waterbaby at a CA hospital), we hope to adopt our little Donovan if his case goes that way, I've CDed all my children, we co-sleep, I am a bit recycle-crazy at our house and it isn't uncommon to find me searching through the trash to find more recyclables, I LOVE nursing and we let our children tell us when they are done, I'm a Christian, I play the guitar, I knit and crochet and quilt and sew, I LOVE to talk with my kids, we don't spank, and let's see, what else....I think I'm fun and bubbly and I LOVE to learn about anything "crunchy."

I'm glad to be here.

[Laniemama]

Hi Everyone!

I'm Holly, I have Lanie that is 4, Parker is 2 yrs and baby on the way due in Aug! I'll be giving birth at home with Linda! We are very excited! We have been married for 8 years and my dh is finishing up a triple major (hopefully!) this year!

I am the co-leader of the Toledo Area Babywearers and co-leader of the Toledo Area Cloth Diaper groups. Check out my siggy for links to the yahoo groups. We each meet once a month.

I love bw'ing, cd'ing, everything thing ap'ing! Hope to get to meet some of the new mama's soon!

[starbuck22]

Hi I'm Rebecca.
I'm a SAHM. We live in West Toledo. We hope to move back out to the country next year though. DH and I are farm kids who somehow got plopped in the city. DH and I have been married 4 years this July. We have Silas who will be two in August and a little one due in October. We were very mainstream before Silas was born but he taught us so much, mainly to listen to our instincts. We are now AP, CDing, EBFing, Co-Sleeping, mostly organic, chemical free, etc. I have learned so much from this board about what is available for our lifestyle locally. I tend to lurk more than post. I'm definitely going to try to make the tie-dye party though!
ETA: I forgot to mention that I am also a Child Passenger Safety Technician, and car safety nut!

[Artichokie]

Hi, I'm Jenn and I live with my DH Chris and our 5+ mo old high intensity child Elah in Old Orchard. She started crawling for real this week and is pulling herself up on everything.

I am a grad student at UT, but am taking a sabbatical for awhile to be a SAHM. My husband is an environmental engineer.

We are a CD/AP/CLW/cosleeping/delayed vaxing/xian/dog loving/Phoenix-shopping family. We'll be dabbling in EC this summer, since E will usually potty when I sign it, and she hates to be wet. We wanted to babywear, but E wants nothing to do with it.

I found this board because when I was pregnant, every time I googled something baby-related, a mdc link came up.

Hey Betsy and Susan, we really should all get together so the three LOs can get to know eachother (and us, too).

[elissa_teal]

[QUOTE=mellymommy;11542298]Hi there!!

I am a bit recycle-crazy at our house and it isn't uncommon to find me searching through the trash to find more recyclables, QUOTE]

Hee hee hee--me too!

[elissa_teal]

[QUOTE=starbuck22;11545271]Hi I'm Rebecca.
We hope to move back out to the country next year though. QUOTE]

We'd love to move to the country--self-sufficient farm (probably in Michigan)---our goal is to move in 3 years. We are both city kids though, so it should be fun! I'm stocking up and reading all kinds of books on how to have a family farm. Where are you guys from and where do you want to move to?

[elissa_teal]

Introduction

Hi Everyone,

I was so glad to meet so many of my MDC buddies at the diaper swap on Saturday (putting names with faces!).

Anyway, I found MDC through Linda at Mother's Own. I loved the Mothering mag's that she gave me. I found her b/c we did not have maternity coverage after I left my full-time job as the MBA program advisor at the University of Toledo (to become a SAHM to Jayson who was 9 months old at the time). I looked into home birth but was very nervous. After I met Linda, my fears were relieved. I gave birth at home to George last summer in the kitchen in a water tub. All future babies will be born in the same manner. It was a wonderful experience. We will probably have four children when all is said and done. I'll be pushing 40 by the time that #4 comes around---maybe we will adopt after that---who knows.

I'm a big fan of the nutritional findings of Weston A. Price (raw milk, soaking grains, etc.). We are about 50% organic but I'm striving to do better. DH (Gary) and I are Christians and attend Cedar Creek Church (and are actively serving in several ministries). We cloth diaper (yay-Fuzzi Bunz!), babywear (yay-Ergo!), breastfeed (extended) on demand and co-sleep. We also plan on homeschooling. I'm also learning to garden (starting very small).

We will be saying good-bye to our foster son Jeremiah (5 yrs old) on July 3rd b/c he will be going to live with his biological father. This is a happy reunion b/c his father has made incredible turn-arounds in his life and is very happy to be the father that he wants to be to Jeremiah.

Oh, and I guess that I am a WAHM b/c I do teach composition II online (from home) through Monroe County Community College. I got my Bachelor's degree from BGSU and my master's degree from UT (FREE! while I worked there as an academic advisor).

[activistamamacita]

We got our house!!!!

I am very excited because there are so many things we have put on hold in anticipation of getting out of this dump, and now we are! My new backyard better get ready for me and my spade, and I am stoked to get ready for canning in my own kitchen.

I am already daydreaming about having my babies there too. The living room is the perfect set up for a tub

I love checking things off the to-do list!

[momofsamandaddi]

Hello. I'm Ruth, SAHM to Samuel (just turned 2 last Saturday - June 21) & Addison (5 month old). I'm married to my wonderful husband, Chris, who is so supportive of everything & goes with the flow. We found MDC through our midwife, Linda Johnson, & Erica told me about it too (thanks, ladies!). We cloth diaper (mostly), extended breastfeed, babywear, co-sleep, no vax (or delayed for some?). We live in Temperance, MI, but are moving to the Detroit area soon (Hamtramck if you guys know where that's at).

[anniebee]

Cindy, thank you for starting our new page!

Erin, congrats on your new house! I remember how great it feels...

All others, it's so great to have a roll call every once in a while! Yay!

I'm Anne. I'm in Perrysburg with my husband Neil and our two boys, Joel (2.5) and Asher (3 weeks!!!). I found mothering.com thanks to a dear friend, and I found MDC thanks to Julie (mommyto3girls). So, so happy for both of these! We practice AP, wear our kids, co-sleep for a while (we were all mutually happy to have Joel in his own bed once he started wanting to dance around all night in his sleep...) , are very conscious of living gently toward our earth, breastfeed our babes until they're ready to stop, and love living as locally as possible. We're Christian and currently practicing as Quakers.

If I'm not with my kidlets, I'm probably reading, researching something (food, ethics practices of various companies, childbearing, nutrition, something sciencey, etc), knitting, or cooking. I'm a stay at home mom who has started to go back to school AGAIN (I have my BAC from BGSU) - I'm officially starting the RN program at Owens next January (or August, depending on if I'm ready to leave the babes in January yet) after working on pre-reqs for the past year. My long-term intention is to go back AGAIN for my CNM and finish that in another 10 years or so. Neil is defending his dissertation next week (YAY!!!) after an 8 year battle with grad school. We are a school-loving family, I guess...

Happy to see you all/meet you all/be on board!

[Miasmamma]

I'm the other Erin! I live in Oregon with my DH of 4 years and our DD Amelia Rose who turned 2 on June 15th. We have 2 cats and 2 dogs; here is Lance, www.gilnockie.com/lance . We are a one car, two bike house with 2 gardens between ours and the one I planted at my parents'. I am a Christian currently attending Hope Community Church in Oregon. I am also a very new Doula on the look out for clients. My hobbies are reading, reading, and more reading!!! I also love to work in my garden, cook, and compete with my dogs in all sorts of AKC events. I am trying to keep my house in order, but I don't think it's working! We cloth diaper, or did till DD potty learned, breastfeed, it was 2 years on the 15th with no signs of slowing down, co-sleep, babywear... I love my BabyHawks!!! (thanks Elissa!!) DD likes to ride in the BabyHawk on quick trips to the store!! We try to eat as organically and locally as possible, which of course will get easier when my gardens start producing more than just baby beets and salad greens! Speaking of which, does anyone know when the best time to start peas for a fall crop would be? I've never done them for fall, only for spring.

[starbuck22]

Originally Posted by elissa_teal

Where are you guys from and where do you want to move to?

I'm from just north of Adrian. We keep our camper on my parents property (10 acres) and stay in it on weekends. We keep a large garden on their property too. Our church is in Adrian also so that's where we can be found on weekends.
DH (Rob) grew up on a 30 acre farm in Berkey. His parents grew/slaughtered/milked ALL of their food. They were totally self sufficient. DH ended up more domestic than me, and I love him for it.
When DH got out of the Marine Corps he moved in with his brother who had just broken up with his fiancee and lived over on Jackman. Eventually his brother decided to get married again and kicked Rob out. He had a matter of weeks to find a new place and bought this house in the Sylvania/Douglas area. So then I come along and he already has a house so here I am.
We've been slowly trying to get this house ready to sell, and getting our ducks in a row, but it's a slow process. I'm hoping it doesn't take forever since this is a pretty affordable home, 75kish.
We want to move out towards Morenci, even into Hillsdale county. You get so much more bang for your buck out there. Land is the main thing. We won't buy less than 5 acres. We've also toyed with the idea of going up north to Traverse City. So, short story long, there ya go.

[Miasmamma]

I'll vote for TC!!! I LOVE it up there. We used to vacation up there every year. So pretty!!!

Anyhow... I just found the Diva Cup for $17 at South Coast Shopping if anyone is interested. I ordered mine!

[mommyto3girls]

hi I'm Julie! Newly remarried mommy to many! Sierra, my firstborn, died at 3 days old from a reaction to the hepatitis B vaccine; she was a much longed or fertility baby who arrived after 4 miscarriages. her birth and death caused me to really evaluate how I lived life and my idea of how to raise children. I came to trust myself and my intuition more and more and this lead me to midwives, extended breastfeeding (and now CLW with Sage), non-vaccinating, CDing, BWing, more organic living, alternative healthcare, and so on. I have 3 living daughters, Maia who is 5 1/2 and still likes to be worn in the angel pack, Sage who just turned 3, is still nursing, and still loves to be worn, and my new stepdaughter madison who was 3 in March and has discovered that she too enjoys being worn in the Angel Pack!

I teach Junior high at DeVeaux in Toledo and my husband Matt is a Chiropractor at ABA Chiropractic. We are pagans (for lack of a better term) who believe in the powers of ourselves and the universe around us. We are very open minded and caring people who believe that each individual has the right to their own beliefs. When the kids are with us on Sundays (every other one) we attend Maumee Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Bowling Green. It is important to us that our children are exposed to many different belief systems and walks of life so that they can choose the path that calls to them when they are older. The girls also attend (or attended in Maia's case- she starts kindergarten in the fall) Christian based pre-schools because even though that is not my belief system, I wanted them to learn about Christianity because I feel it is a part of being culturally literate in the United States.

Matt and i were just married on Saturday, a small private ceremony that was just perect for us. If you missed the pictures they are on the last page o the old thread.

[mommyto3girls]

Originally Posted by Miasmamma

I'll vote for TC!!! I LOVE it up there. We used to vacation up there every year. So pretty!!!

Anyhow... I just found the Diva Cup for $17 at South Coast Shopping if anyone is interested. I ordered mine!

Holy cow! I paid $28 through the cheapest online place last year, I lost it though and bought my replacement from Claudia's for $32. $17 is a steal