Our family made the obligatory fall pilgrimage to a pumpkin patch this weekend.  We made the hour and a half drive to Mike’s Farm and, while I was sort of dreading that trek with a toddler, the whole trip was amazing!

Lucas could not have enjoyed the hayride to the pumpkin patch more!  He was loving running around the field and didn’t like being “stuck” on the wagon while we were waiting for it to fill up but as soon as the tractor started he was so excited.  He was almost transfixed as we drove through the woods.

And the excitement he had when actually getting to the patch and being “cut lose” was one of the cutest things I’d ever seen!  He loved exploring the pumpkin patch and looking at all the different pumpkins.

We let him pick out his own little pumpkin and we got a larger pumpkin to carve as a family.  Poor Darrin had to juggle two pumpkins, a water bottle, my purse and L’s backpack as we made our way back to the tractor.  Lucas decided to help out – and watching him try and lift the big pumpkin was the highlight of the trip for me.

After we made our way back to the main farm, we let the little guy run around for a while before heading to grab some lunch and then making the trip back home.

It truly was the perfect Saturday morning – I’m already looking forward to next fall when we head back!

But now, some photos of the little man and his first trip to a Pumpkin Patch!

…Oh man do I wish something like that existed.  The stomach flu is like the worst thing EVER in my mind.  I’m am literally terrified of it.  I run the other way if someone even THINKS they are coming down with something stomach related.

So imagine my horror when I woke up from a sound sleep last weekend and realized I was sick.  Now, I’m a mom, so sharing intimate details of illness seems totally normal to me.  This is probably not the case for most so I’ll spare you the yucky details.  All I’ll say is I had a lower GI thing going on and it was rough!

I’m still breastfeeding L so I always have to research what medicine I can and cannot take.  According to lactmed.com (which is a great resource for breastfeeding moms!) regular use of Pepto-bismal is not advised.  I decided I’d take one dose and see how I felt before doing anything else.

Well, that one dose didn’t touch what was wrong with me.  I was curled up in the fetal position on the couch while D gave L breakfast when Andrea, from Diva Goes Organic, suggested I try raw, organic apple cider vinegar.  At first I thought she was nuts – I mean, my stomach was already pretty tore up and now I’m supposed to drink vinegar?!  I was feeling so sick though that I was willing to blindly try anything, so I got in my car and drove to the store.  I brought a glass of water with me so I could mix it with the vinegar and drink it on the way home.

Now I’m not going to lie and say that it was the best thing I’ve ever drank, but honestly, it wasn’t that bad at all.  The best part, in about 30 minute I was feeling so much better.  Full disclosure…I was still sick for a few more days but drinking the vinegar and water mix really helped with the symptoms and made it possible to function.

Apparently raw, organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar (I used the Braggs brand by the way) has a bunch of great uses.  After it worked to help make my stomach issues manageable I started researching what else it could be used for.

Raw, organic and unfiltered apple cider vinegar has been used since biblical times and acts as an antibiotic, anti-fungal and anti-viral. Here are some of the other things I learned in my research:

1. It can help lower glucose levels, making it great for diabetics.

2. Taking 1 TBSP in 8oz of filtered water can help balance the bacteria in your gut.  This is what helped “cure” my stomach issues.

3. People also use it as a weight loss tool – it makes you feel fuller longer.  This is one that I’m not totally sold on!

4. It’s a natural way to relieve heartburn.  I know several people that used it while pregnant since it’s totally natural and safe for baby.

5. It can be used as a natural astringent to clear up a breakout.

6. It can help neutralize a sunburn, either by soaking in a tub with water and vinegar or applying compresses soaked in a mixture of vinegar and water directly to the burns.

The more I look into natural remedies the more I like what I find!  I will definitely be adding this to my “medicine cabinet” for future use.

Do you have any natural remedies you love?  Share them in the comments below.

Someone told me (maybe my mom?) that the best person to know what is going on with a baby is his or her mother.

If you are a mom think about it for a second (and if you’re not, take my word for it!) – Don’t you know the difference between a hungry cry and an angry cry, or when a nap is needed or when your little one just needs a hug?

**Let me preface this next part with the following: I really love my pediatrician’s office.  They are very kind and care for my child’s well being.**

That same gut instinct seems to apply in most, if not all, situations.  Here is my story, and the inspiration for this blog:

My baby was eating all the time, barely gaining weight at the appropriate rate, not napping well, was causing me a lot of pain when he nursed, and was getting the hiccups (or hic-come-uppers as we now call them!) all the time.  The pediatrician (remember I really do like them) told me I had a fussy baby and to limit the length of time he ate.

WHAT?!?!

Who tells a mother to limit their 2 month old breastfed baby’s food intake!?!

I knew, in my gut, that there was more going on and that was NOT the right way to handle things.  Guess what, I was right!  There was something amiss with my baby.  I’m not going to go into too much detail now – I can’t  give away all the good stuff or you’ll never come back for more – but once corrected things took a drastic turn for the better.

This has been the most important and valuable lesson I’ve learned so far – Momma Always Knows!  And that as a mother you need to fight for your child.  No one will care for that child more than you (and Daddy of course!). Now don’t skip trips to the pediatrician because some girl on the internet told you that as a mom you’ll know when something’s wrong with your baby…but if you suspect something isn’t quite right, do something about it!  Trust your gut instincts momma – I promise you won’t regret it!

So I’ll leave you with that for now – but I invite you to come back  and share in this new and amazing journey of motherhood with me.  I’m not an expert but I can promise you I will try my hardest to  give you new things to think about and the best advice I have – or, at the very least, keep you laughing!

And while we’re at it – do you have a funny, serious or inspiring story of how trusting your gut was the best thing for you, your baby and your family?  I’d love to hear about it so share in the comments below!