Vacation part 2

[caption id="attachment_582" align="aligncenter" width="600"] At the beach with daddy[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_583" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Crawling on the sand has so much fun[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_585" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Look at the camera baby...[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_586" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Playing with daddy and water and sand[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_588" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Having a walk on dessert like scenery in the middle of an island with no sea close...wtf?[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_589" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Showing him how sand works[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_591" align="aligncenter" width="600"] He loved it so much up there...he cried when we left...I broke...[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_592" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Climbing on a truck[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_593" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Somewhere nice (with my grandma on the background)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_594" align="aligncenter" width="600"] I breastfed there too[/caption]



[caption id="attachment_596" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Climbing everywhere is his new hobby[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_597" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Beautiful eyelashes...sleeping on a beach chair[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_598" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Mohawk[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_599" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Little auntie walks with baby[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_600" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Swim fishy[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_601" align="aligncenter" width="600"] I love you so bad[/caption]

We're back!!

After our longer than expected vacation, we're back! We had so much fun! We met long time no see friends, we splish splashed on the sea, we ate fresh and pure food, smelled some fresh air, visited nice places, had big fights with my relatives (too many people in one house). We had some trouble, but generally it was great!

Now, that my head cleared up, we're back to Athens. Back to responsibilities! I have many great plans for the blog and we are planning something big with Phillip. I can't say more yet. I'm very excited and happy to be envolved in all these stuff. I'm going to write more about this soon.

Vacation part 1

I'm at one of the village's cafes, on my secret greatest place in the whole world. After some trouble, I finally got the time to post some pictures of what we've done recently. So have a taste...

[caption id="attachment_567" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Two friends staring at an exausted baby at the beach[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_568" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Mama on the beach eating barbeque chips...the only vegan choice I had...[/caption]





[caption id="attachment_570" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Can you believe this is the first photo of the three of us?? Well ok, ours and our baby's hand![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_571" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Trying to see what mama's doing up there[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_573" align="aligncenter" width="600"] I looooove his new angry face....[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_574" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Seriously I looove this face so bad![/caption]

We are travelling tonight!

I can't explain how excited I am. After witnessing for the first time, my town empty (in August everyone leaves Athens) and completely freaked out, I'm finally leaving too. We have two backpacks, one beach bag and one diaper bag, all packed with our stuff. We are having a ten hour trip by ship tonight. And we are traveling to my favourite place in the whole world. The greatest island ever. I have no time to write more or add photos. More soon...

Vegan BLW: *Breakfast*

This is a typical baby led weaning breakfast. Fresh fruits! Quick and delicious!

[caption id="attachment_551" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Enjoying his peaches and figs![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_552" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Funny face[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_553" align="aligncenter" width="600"] See the doggie on the back? Waiting patiently for something to be dropped...[/caption]

Baby Led Weaning: What he's been eating

Before we move out, I had begun a series of posts talking about what a vegan BLW baby eats. Actually, what my vegan BLW baby eats. It was the most serious attempt I had made on this blog and the beginning of more essential content. Having to leave my house and summer’s arrival created a mess in my life and everything, including the blog, turned upside down. After a looong time no posting, I decided I had to keep writing on this blog. So, I owe to everyone to make a summary of what we’ve been eating. Keeping a diary of what he eats, finally seemed usefull, as long as I have the weakest memory ever and no camera for almost two months that’s our only document.

While he was 7 months I was offering fruits and vegetables in the right shapes and properly cooked, plus some bread and crackers. At 8 months I thought I should let him try to experiment with our food. By now he had tried a big variety of foods including fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes.

That’s what he had so far (10 months):

Fruits: Avocado, Apple, Banana, Melon, Watermelon, Nectarine, Peach, Fig, Orange juice (combined with other fruits in my smoothie or dilluted with water)

Vegetables: Potatoes, Tomatoes, Green beans, Carrots, Broccoli, Zuchini,  Cauliflower, Sweet potato, Cucumber, Peppers, Eggplant, Corn, Vlita and Stifno (types of greens)

Grains: Wholegrain bread, White bread,  Crackers, Rice crackers

Our food: spaghetti with tomato sauce, spaghetti with pesto, stuffed tomatoes, toast with vegan cheese, fava/black eyed peas/lentils with onions and a bit of olive oil and lemon juice, baked falafel, rice, peas, quinoa, baked vegetables

I'm planning to share more of what he eats, the next days, with picures to get a better idea.

My mothering style

Since I gave birth to my son, every woman I know, thought, it would be a good idea to advise me about how to raise him. At first I was completely lost and I was being affected by anyone. That leaded me to breastfeed on schedule, hugging my son only to feed him, have him sleeping in my room but from a distance, cleaning like a maniac and many other things.

I had no idea about babies and when I was dealing a ''problem'' like for example that he was not interested in sitting on his relax chair, I was talking about it with the women, that had raised kids, in Philip's and my family. They were immediately being shocked and they were nervously trying to find ways to help me sholve my ''problem''. Of course all these solutions were not professional and they were all leading the baby away from me. I was confused and their advices were making me seriously nervous...I was spending my time to make him do things he didn't want to. I believed that something was terribly wrong with him. I was trying hard, just to prove them that he is normal.

It took me sometime to realise that every baby (and parent) is different and the point is to find what works for both. It took me more time to develop critical thinking. That's when I realised that our society forces babies to become quickly independent and separate from their mothers, which is something I completely disagree. I was doing my own research through internet and books. I stopped asking about their opinion. Of course they still advise me, but if I don't agree I just don't mind.

I try to keep things as simple and natural as possible. That envolves ecological breastfeeding, cosleeping, babywearing, baby led weaning, many hugs and my full attention. I believe that all these super fancy-super expensive baby stuff that a new parent should buy, are simply USELESS! They exist only to replace the presence of mother. Pacifiers, bottles and formula milk are needless when there is breast and breastmilk. When there is a healthy, no smoker, no drug user, relaxed mother with her insticts of a fully functioning, there's no need for a crib...cosleeping is great! When a mother has arms, a relax chair is useless. A walker is useless too, as long as the mother (or even better the dad, grandpas, uncles/aunts etc.) hold the baby while he's trying to walk. Simple water bottles and glasses can do the sippy cups' job. About the toys now, he has soo many (most of them second hand) and still he wants to play with the doggie, our shoes, pots and ladles, wires and a lot of other dangerous stuff around the house. I'm pretty sure I can find many more needless baby stuff, that I know forget.

But let's be honest, there are some materials that I looove to own. First of all my ring sling. It had saved me a million times. The high chair, mostly because we are baby led weaning our son, although I'm pretty sure we could make it without it. The stroller is good too. Not so much for putting the baby in it, he gets bored after a while usually. Mostly because I can put my bag and my shopping bags on it.

I'm not trying to tell you what to do and what not. Every person is different and something that works for me, may not work for you. I just want you to think before you make any decision about your baby and before you buy any baby equipment. Be well informed, even before you have a baby. If you can stay at home with your baby for a long time, consider being his pacifier, milk, walker, sleeper etc. Think about getting second hand stuff. And please think about the environment. Where are all these products your baby will use during his baby life are going to end up? They're going to end up at the earth. All this plastic is going to pollute our earth for many many years. Why?

Just some food for thought for young mamas and mamas to be...

Where I Breastfeed

My armpits are shaved, I swear!

Earlier tonight at a park.

*** For more 'Where I Breastfeed' posts click here.***

Did you know I'm a vegan?

I don't think I have mentioned that...but yep! I've been a vegan for more than 3 months. I stopped eating animals and animal products in April 27. I know, 3 months is nothing, but my vegan story doesn's begin here.

When I was 16, a friend that I used to respect, mentioned to me something about how eating animals affects us and the environment. Until then, I was eating meat like a crazy. I believe I used to eat JUST MEAT. See, my eating habits have never been a concern for me. I was eating whatever I liked. Of course I had my mother trying to make me eat healthier, with no luck. It was very interesting to hear another opinion on eating…a more sophisticated one. That putted me on thoughts.

The change happened half a year later. I red an article on a magazine, about  vegeterian diets. I was lucky enough to have plenty of time, a laptop and internet access, back then. I was searching for more information all the time. I red about animals’ rights, vegetarianism and religions, ancient greek philosophers’ opinions on vegeterianism and a lot more. I possibly red everything someone could found on the internet that time. And of course I watched those terrible videos. You know what I’m talking about. The ones that show how bad people treat the animals in farms. My stomach couldn’t stand this.  I didn’t want to be a part of this, I didn’t want to eat animals anymore.

And that’s what I did. I started experimenting with cooking, so I could prepare my own animal-free meals. I tasted so many foods I have never tried before. I was talking and talking about my ideas with everyone. I was helping those who showed some interest to  reduce animal products from their diets or even better experiment with vegetarianism and veganism. New doors have opened in front of me. I was living in a less toxic, more compassionate way.  I think I was vegan for about 5 months and then I fell. For souvlaki…one of the worst type of meats. After that I began eating meat, dairy, eggs and fish again. That was so silly. I mean, ok I had a souvlaki, but there’s no vegan police to chase me. Yes, I was weak, but I could have try harder and stay vegan after my ‘’sin’’. I was so confused cause everyone used to tell me that what I was doing was wrong. I was alone and hungry for meat. I know it sounds awfull but, I like its taste and staying away from it was a huge challenge for me. Enough with the apologies. Since then for some time I was a vegan and then meat eater and then a vegan again. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be. I liked to eat animal products but I hated the idea of animals suffering. I had concerns about if my abstention from meat actually helped any animals. I didn’t know what was right.

And then, the most great thing happened. I made a baby! And with him, an amazing power rised from my inside. A very strong will to be a better person, so he can have a good example as he grows up. When, in my teenage years, I was reading about vegan kids, I totally knew I wanted to raise my future kid this way. So when I started thinking how I want to raise my boy and what values I want to give him, I knew I wanted to have an animal lover boy. I knew I had to be vegan again. He had to be vegan, too.

At last, I don’t know if avoiding animal products and products which have been tested on animals actually helps any animals to survive and live longer and better lives. I don’t know if it’s natural to eat animals or not. I know that I want to raise a caring person, a nice boy who loves and respects every type of life on earth. I know I want to hurt as little as possible this planet and διατροφικα I believe it’s a good way. I want to try harder this time and stay vegan forever. I hope my son will be vegan forever. If he won’t that’s ok, he will have to choose. I just have to set this example.

Now I can cross this off my 21 before 21 list!

Peace to everyone!