Introducing Iris

On January 14th, 2016, I was 39 weeks pregnant. I had very little complaints about being pregnant. I wasn't too overly tired of being pregnant. I awoke that morning with a lot of pressure. Not contractions, but it just felt like she was going to fall out of me. My doctor had be asking me for weeks how I was still walking because she was so low so I just thought it was nothing. Zack went on to work and I kept having weird feelings, but really did not think that I was even in early labor. I cleaned the bathroom, kept in touch with my doula, and rested because if today was the day I wanted to be on my A game. Zack kept in touch and told me to go ahead and call my mom and let her know how I was feeling. I assured her that I thought it was a false alarm, but she decided to go ahead and head down. I went about my day. Still no contractions, but a lot of pressure. Zack got home from work and mom arrived after around 6 pm. I unpacked her truck, got her bed set up, ate some chili, showered, and then watched some TV. Around 9:00 I went on to bed. Mom did as well and Zack, also convinced that nothing was happening, stayed up. An hour later, I woke up and the sheets were wet. "Okay," I thought, "my water broke. No big. Go tell Zack." I was pretty calm about it because I knew that labor still could take a while. Zack and I changed the bed sheets and talked to our doula. I also called the doctor who said I should come on in to the hospital. I did not want to do that at all. I wanted to be at home for as long as possible. So I ate a bite, drank some red raspberry tea, and sat on the birthing ball. About an hour or so later, Zack told me he would feel more comfortable if we went on to the hospital. I respected that, so we loaded up. Mom decided she would stay and get some sleep.

We had about a 20 minute drive. I was still not really having contractions when we left, but when we were about 5 minutes away from the hospital, crossing the river, I felt my first contraction. I told Zack to park far away because I wanted to walk. We had to enter through the emergency room entrance, and wouldn't you know it, but there was a hearse parked out front. That really helped my anxiety about hospitals... We checked in and they made me ride in the wheelchair. As I was being pushed down the hallway; out wheeled a body covered up, headed for the hearse... Wonderful. Zack kept reassuring me and I calmed down. They got us into the room and said they had to check me before they could really admit me. I consented, and I was already at 6 cm! Things were rolling! Contractions started to pick up. Natalie, our doula arrived as I was being hooked up to the I.V., for a dose of antibiotics, and the monitor. I wanted the wireless monitor so I could move around and get in the shower. The nurse said she didn't even know where that was, and when they did find it she couldn't hook it up. Once they did get it hooked up, they then told me that I couldn't get it wet (which I'm pretty sure is false) but that I could be unhooked from it for 10 minutes at a time to get in the shower. I was starting to get pretty uncomfortable at this point but refused to lay in the bed. I leaned over the foot of the bed while Zack and Natalie rubbed my back and encouraged me. I got in the shower and that was an amazing relief.

We kept the pattern of shower and leaning over the bed for about 2.5 or 3 hours. I was not able to talk through contractions anymore and I wasn't even feeling a break in between. I remembered reading in Ina May's Guide to Childbirth that sitting on the toilet helps relax you pelvic muscles and will in turn help dilation. That's where I sat. Then, I realized that chili was a bad choice for dinner because it's not comfortable coming back up. Natalie encouraged me while I was puking telling me that she was confident that I was in transition and to keep "mooing" through the contractions. I told Zack "I can't do this," but he assured me I could. I was feeling pushy. Natalie told the nurse this and she said she had to check me before they called the doctor in. I did not want this at all. Zack told them that, but I was feeling the urge so much that I agreed. I was 9.5 cm. I got back up and 10 mins later I told them they better get the doctor that I was pushing. The nurse told me to wait for the doctor as like 6 more people entered the room.

Zack sat behind me and I leaned against him upright. Natalie was on my right helping me support my legs. The nurse or doctor one asked me how I was feeling and I politely told them that I felt like I was having a bowel movement (I can't believe I didn't say "I need to take a shit!!!"). Doc was there. I was pushing. I believe it was like 3:45 am on the 15th. There was this one nurse who was standing to the right of me who kept asking Natalie if I was pushing and then telling me that I had to push. I not so politely told her to be quiet. I don't think I ever screamed like they show in movies. I had always said I wanted to be as calm as a hindu cow, so I was mooing...pushing...mooing. Fifteen minutes later, at 4:01 am on January 15, I mooed Iris out into the world!

We delayed clamping her cord until it was done pulsating and then we were skin to skin, the best feeling in the world. We stayed like this over an hour. Iris weighed 6 pounds 7oz and was 18 1/4 inches long. All was perfect.

Although I didn't want a hospital birth, it could not have gone any better. I am thankful for my fast, natural, intervention free birth, and most thankful our beautiful Iris Riley.

Who can add a single hour to their life by worrying?

No one can. So what's the point???

I am currently 15 weeks pregnant with Homestud and I's first child. We are beyond excited, except for the vomiting and severe headaches I am still experiencing. Last week, I was pretty much bedridden; unable to keep any fluids down and nothing was helping. Wednesday I went in for an IV but refusing any other medication. The constant sickness left me drained, physically and emotionally, leading me to the decision to resign from my seasonal position as a Field Tech (working outside in 110 degree weather). 

So my income is gone. We were prepared for this, but we were not prepared for our $3000 fridge to go out the next week. Seriously folks, don't ever buy Kitchenaid appliances. DON'T DO IT! This is the second time this has happened. 

But, this is life. I cried a lot and honestly Homestud and I fought about it (now I don't really know what we were fighting about). We have a backup in the basement. So what? It's an inconvenience. 

Life will go on. Food will be in our belly (maybe non refrigerated food) and there will be a roof over our head tomorrow. We have been lucky with an abundant cherry tomato harvest and we consistently have eggs. So why worry? This is life on a homestead.

Enjoy the little things. Like baby tomatoes. 

There will likely be a lot more committed to this site now that I'm "unemployed" so stay tuned!

By God, I'm gonna look good doing it.

Here on the homestead, we do a lot of dirty chores. Cleaning up brush, gardening, working on chicken coops, etc are things you can find us doing almost every weekend. For such nasty things, certain clothes are usually worn. Nearly every weekend you will probably find me in my green arborwear pants, an old t-shirt, boots, and a ball cap. This is necessary for safety sake and because I don't want to tear anything up.

Homestud got me these for a wedding present as well as the belt buckle.

I usually look something like this...

Homestud usually looks something like this...

And so this is our weekend attire... Functional, because that is what is required. On top of the weekend garb, I typically wear my arborwears, or work clothes during the week. I've been interning with the US Forest Service and even though I've been doing a lot of office work, I want to be prepared to go into the field at anytime. During the fall, I will be working with them again once a week in the field, so long pants, boots, and a hat will be my go to again. 

So Kait, where are you going with this??? I love work. I love a good pair of work pants and gloves, but at the end of the day, I'm a lady. Yes, yes, this may come as a surprise, but I love dresses and pretty things, but sometimes, my lifestyle does not allow for such attire. I've been going through this mindset of, "You're not feminine. You look like a man. You don't have sex appeal." I want to feel like a pretty lady damnit! So even though a lot of times wearing a dress and cute shoes is not an option, I'm going to try to wear something feminine and pretty on days where I'm not going to be up to my elbows in chicken crap, fighting with poison ivy vines, or putting in plots in the forest. On days like today when house and cooking chores are on my agenda I will look like this... 

How do people have time to take so many selfies all the time... It's hard! 

A dress and an apron to protect said dress from all the kitchen crud and dirt... It's a win win situation. Who knows, maybe I'll get ambitious and put on some makeup. I'm a lady damnit and I want to look good. Not for anyone else (even though I'm sure Homestud appreciates it), but for the shear fact that it makes me feel good. This has become a goal of mine. I encourage any other ladies out there who live in work clothes, who do like dresses and the such, to make it a goal to put on something feminine at least for a few hours a week. At the end of the day, do what makes you happy. Do what empowers you, and don't do it for anyone else.

Mind your own business and work with your hands

My husband and I had pretty different upbringings. He grew up in a fairly high population setting surrounded by a lot of money. Not local politician or Bill Gates money, but that kind of strong middle class, disposable income, that you don't see anymore. On the other hand, I grew up in pretty rural middle America. We didn't have to scrape by and we never went without, in fact we were able to go on vacations every once in awhile, but a disposable income was not even really on my parents radar when my brother and I were growing up. We just didn't live in almost luxury like my husband did.

These different backgrounds make homesteading hard because his ideas require a capital investment that we don't have the money for. In fact, many of the ideas I have require an investment that just cannot happen without months of planning and saving. As Zack puts it, he funds the homestead, I keep it together.

For the past few weeks we have been discussing what I will do next semester while I finish up my degree. I could go back to a part-time minimum wage job, or I could stay home, while I'm not in class, and produce what I can. This has not been a easy decision and it has not been made without judgement and others strong opinions.

Zack and I have both agreed from the get go, that if and when we have a kid that I will be staying home for it's infancy, if not longer. This seems to boggle peoples' mind because the idea of a parent not working for a few years is just out of this world nowadays. But many of these types of people, were raising kids during a time when child care was not outrageous and work was easier to find. Not to mention many were also blessed to have their parents nearby to watch their children while they worked, because a stay-at-home-mom was pretty dang normal. We likely will not have these things, Zack's parents work, and my mom lives 7 hours away.

I'm not sure that one of us quitting a job all together will happen (because we like trips too much) but one of us working a job less, is definitely something that we value and will implement. Cutting out the dependency is something we want. Making money is not always the answer. I don't really know where I'm going with this, other than saying; you live on what you make. Work with your hands, consume less, and produce more. Figure out what you can do without and what you are not willing to give up. Come up with a happy median of making money and cultivating your family or dirt. Do what you think is best for your family and don't give a damn what others think because you know what is best for your situation.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."

It's probably the kraut in me...

I love all things cabbage. Sauteed, roasted, raw, fermented... This love must be passed down from my Oma (my German grandma). We have been getting beautiful heads of cabbage in our weekly CSA share and since I love putting away and preserving foods, I figured some sauerkraut was in order.

Packed full of probioticts and vitamin C, sauerkraut can easily provide some nutrients and vitamins that many of us need. Sure, you can buy high quality kraut in the store, but making it yourself is simple and the result tastes much better.

First, you will need one head of cabbage, one or two clean jars (depending on how much cabbage you have), a sharp knife, and salt (you can also add caraway seeds if you have some). I use my Oma's kraut cutter that's probably like a thousand years old or something, but a knife will work just fine.

Remove the outer leaves, but save one for later. Cut the head into fourths. 

 I guess if you are using a knife you don't really have to slice it into fourths, but if using a mandolin or fancy kraut cutter it does make it easier to handle. Slice the cabbage into fairly thin strips and add to a large bowl.

Once everything is sliced add about 2 tablespoons of salt.

Next, the cabbage gets a nice massage. Start squishing the cabbage and salt in your hands. It will start to wilt and get watery. This takes awhile around 5 minutes or so. Keep working it.

Once you start to get all this foamy liquid stuff it's ready.

You want to make sure the cabbage is fully submersed into the liquid. If it's not, the kraut won't successfully ferment and mold could start to grow. Start adding handfuls of the cabbage into a jar. Mash it down very tightly. I found a muddler for making cocktails works really well.

 Pour any excess liquid into the jar. You should have this foamy fizzy stuff at the top.

Take one of the outside leaves and put it over the liquid and cabbage. This will help to weigh everything down so you get proper fermentation. 

Cover the jar with a cloth or paper towel. Secure with a rubber band or jar band. It is important that it is covered with something that allows air flow.

Let it hang out in a dark corner for a little as 3 days or as long as you'd like really. Check on it every day or so to make sure everything is submerged. The longer it sits, the stronger the flavor. Enjoy it on some brats, hot dog, as a side dish, or just eat spoonfuls of it!

Dimes and Dollars

This is a very touchy subject... money. It is the root of all evil, but seems to make the world go round. In 2012 a Gallup pole reported that the average American spent an average of $151 on food per week. Food, is a subject that Zack and I have decided not to skimp on because it is the core of health and well being (not to mention good food tastes darn good). Someone said something to the two of us that really got me thinking about the amount of money that the two of us spend on food each month. They said, "I don't have the money to be a food snob like ya'll." This was said in a jokingly manner but the wheels started turning in my head. How much do we really spend on food each month? Are we below average or above?

Produce:
For most of the year we are members of a CSA. Each weekly distribution of local organic produce comes out to be about $20 per week. On top of what I grow and put away we really don't buy much produce in the store.
$20x4weeks= $80 per month

Weekly CSA share

Dairy:
I buy Daisy sour cream in store. There usually isn't an organic option so I go with Daisy because it is just cream and cultures, here it costs about $2 for a pound. I also buy cream cheese because it's a weakness of mine for $3.50. I normally go with Kerrygold butter with is about $4 a 1/2 pound, which usually lasts us close to a month. We don't drink a lot of milk, but when we do, it comes from the farm for $3 a gallon. Sometimes I will get cream from the farm to make butter, but I started doing the math and because this farm's cows do not produce a lot of butter fat, like a jersey would, the yield of butter from a gallon of cream is very low. It really come out to be more economical to purchase high quality butter from grass fed cows.
$4+$3.50+$3= $10.50 per month

Meat:
We bought a whole grass fed/no antibiotic cow about 2 years ago. If my brain serves me right, the whole thing with butchering a packaging end up being about $1200. We got close to 600 pound of meat (I think... I don't really remember but that sounds right). We got half and Zack's parents bought the other half. Zack and I eat beef probably close to 5 days a week and the half of a cow lasted almost 2 years. Zack's parents on the other hand, did not like the taste of the meat, so we ended up buying what they had left back from them. So we should have enough beef to last close to another year.
This one is tricky but I think it comes out to be: $1200/36months=$33 per month (roughly)

Our whole cow 

Ok. So that's a run down of what we purchase typically. Lets run some numbers:
$80 for produce
$10.50 for produce
$33 for meat
Total: $123.50 per month.

These numbers are not exact by any stretch, but it's a rough estimate of the bulk of what we buy and eat each month. Flour, sugar, and other staples were not really factored in because I buy those in bulk and that last me awhile. Also, the amount tends to fluctuate depending on the amount of produce we get each week and how much I grow. Since we also have the chickens we have not purchased eggs in the store for over 2 years. I'm pretty proud of this number considering that Zack and I have become "food snobs" and are really particular about what we purchase and consume. As my hero Joel Salatin put it, "“If you think organic food is expensive, have you priced cancer lately?” Nourishing foods don't have to break the bank. Small steps make all the difference. Joining a CSA can help to cut the cost of organic, buying in bulk, or having a small herb garden or a few vegetable plants in you flower bed are steps in the right direction in driving down your food bill each month and steps towards self reliance.

Cha cha cha changgeeesss.....

As you probably see, the name of this blog has changed. This was done to mark a new chapter in my life... I got married!

Zack and I got hitched in March. It was a beautiful 15 minute ceremony with a home cooked reception after. We wouldn't have done it any differently. And so begins the Heard Homestead.

In the homestead news this week: chickens, gardening, and and various other projects like my outdoor kitchen.

I started another garden plot this year to hopefully grow more food to put away. It's shaping up quite nicely. I decided to trellis my cucumbers this year, but because of lack of money and Zack working long hours I had to make one the the materials that I had laying around; some sticks, twine, and some lashing skills. This is what I came up with:

It's at a slant so I am able to grow some lettuces and greens under the shade of the vines if I so desire. I hope it holds up. I also built a totally vertical one for my sugar baby watermelons to grow on.

This is what is planted in the summer garden this year:
Blue jade sweet corn
Empress bush green beans
Burgundy red okra
Cucumbers
23 tomato plants of various varieties
Lots of jalapenos
Sugar baby watermelons
Sunflowers
Yellow crookneck squash
Zucchini
Eggplant
Sweet peppers

I'm really excited to see how the blue jade sweet corn turns out. It's a small heirloom variety that only gets to be about 3' tall. I hope it is as pretty as it is on the seed packet. I'm anticipating doing A LOT (more like hoping) canning and preserving this summer. We have been in the process of making an outdoor kitchen for some time now but with wedding stuff and work have not got it completed. Yesterday, I went and bought a 2 burner propane gas range and put it in place. Now all we need is to plumb the water hose into the sink. The counter and sink were given to us!!!

Not the greatest of pictures, but you get the idea.

We also have theses little babies and some teenagers down in the coop. We should have more eggs than we know what to do with come fall...

Those are some of the happening on the homestead... Things are shaping up!