The Birds.

A couple of months ago a friend called me; a family member of hers had two birds that might need a new home in the future.  Well, that future is now.  As of yesterday, this home's bird population went from one to three. 

Meet the Birds:

Our original member, Quigley, is a tiny 1.5 year old budgie who spends her days chirping along with movies, baby toy noises, and winning squawking competitions with the outdoor birds.  Budgies originally come from Australia, and at the time we thought she was a he, so it was only fitting to use the name Quigley.... the name of Tom Selleck's character in an old movie based in Australia, Quigley Down Under.

And on the huge side of the bird-size spectrum is Jackie.  I'm assuming Jackie is a male, but I could be totally wrong.  Jackie is a green cheeked amazon, which are originally from Mexico and are endangered in the wild.  Jackie is about the size of a cockatoo to give you an idea how big this bird is.  Oh, and amazons can be really LOUD at times.  I'm talking ear drum shattering if you're in close range. 

And last but not least, there's Sparky, a yellow-crowned parakeet/kakariki, which are originally from New Zealand.  Kakarikis are hyperactive birds; constant climbing, playing, searching, investigating, and flying. Which makes sense because he's constantly running and climbing all over the inside of his cage. 

Progress:

Today was day 1, and these next few days will be dedicated to letting  them adjust to their new surroundings.  I joined a parrot forum to get real live advice on these birds and got some relieving tips.  Signs of comfort include eating, drinking, vocalizing, etc... Basically acting normal.  Jackie and Sparky are showing promise; eating, drinking, pooping, vocalizing with sounds and words.. All the normal bird stuff.  Jackie's word repertoire currently includes "it's ok", "I love you", "yeah", "go night night", "hello", "hello chuck", "what's pretty bird doin?", "pretty bird", and I'm sure there's more....  While Sparky's only spoken "pretty bird" while frantically looking at himself in his mirror. 

This first day has been fun just watching them, listening to them, talking to them...waiting to see what they do next.  And I'm ok with leaving them be for another day or two.  I'm excited to see what the future holds, but I'm also intimidated by the size of Jackie's beak (you would be too). 

No matter the number of phrases, their size, or anything else- these birds are amazing creatures, and I can only hope that they will grace us with their affection.  

To Be Continued...

Oil Me Up!

Baby J doesn’t get diaper rash very often, but when he does I turn to my jar of coconut oil.  The other night I slathered some on his cute lil’ bum, we went to bed, and in the morning I was amazed to see the diaper rash was virtually gone!  Diaper rash isn’t all coconut oil is good for…

*great for baking, stir-frys, or a butter replacement

*coffee creamer

*skin lotion

*homemade deodorant

*eye-makeup remover

*prevent stretch marks during pregnancy

*rid baby of cradle cap

*boosts metabolism

*rids hair of frizz

*helps skin heal faster after injury or infection

*fights athlete’s foot and toe fungus

*use as nipple cream to soothe from breastfeeding

*a natural treatment for lice when combined with apple cider vinegar

*can improve insulin levels

*reduce appearance of varicose veins

*lessens arthritis with its anti-inflammatory properties

*reduces the itch of mosquito bites

*resolve acne

*when consumed daily, it can speed up weight loss

*soothes the itch from chicken pox or poison ivy

*on cuticles to help nails grow

*clears up cold sores

*makes a great tanning lotion, and also helps to heal sunburns

 Coconut oil is also great for diabetes, heart disease, fatigue, Chron’s, IBS, Alzheimer’s, thyroid conditions, boosting the immune system, and lower cholesterol.  There are many, many more uses for coconut oil, but I honestly didn’t feel like typing them all out.  I will say that I’ll be using it in my morning coffee to hopefully get a little weight loss boost!

 

Sources:

http://wellnessmama.com/5734/101-uses-for-coconut-oil/

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1092-COCONUT%20OIL.aspx?activeIngredientId=1092&activeIngredientName=COCONUT%20OIL

Guess Who's Back.

It’s been a year since my last blog post; I was 6 months pregnant, and as you can imagine, things have changed drastically since then.  So, let me bring you up to speed, kinda…

After 16 hours of labor, getting his head stuck, and having his umbilical cord wrapped around him, J was born on April 10, 2012.  It was quite the experience having a purple, slimy, screaming baby flopped onto my chest as he peed and pooped and cried and cried and….but nevertheless, he made it, and he is my everything.  He was a small 7 lbs 7 oz, and has since then grown to a massive 27.5 lbs at only 9.5 months.  Hubby recently asked if it’s normal for babies to be his size at his age… ummm, no.  Honestly,  the only other ‘big’ baby I know is his cousin, M, who is 4 months older. 

Having a baby is life changing.  Whether you’re giving birth, the partner, family, or whoever…you’re life will be changed.  At first, it seemed like a daunting task…I had no knowledge of how to change a diaper, how to feed a baby, how to bathe a baby… I knew nothing!  Well, have you heard of motherly instincts??  Yeah, those kicked in and next thing I know I’m a baby wranglin’, diaper changin’ pro…and I’m not afraid of poo.  

Having a baby isn’t the only thing that’s changed my life recently.  I’ve lost friends, gained new ones, lost communication with important family members, gained communication with others, and learned a lot about myself.  I’ve also been on a learning spree…I love to learn about new things, acquire new skills, and share them with others.  After receiving my late step-mother’s entire sewing room; machines, tools, fabrics, you name it, I’ve been on a mission to learn how to do it all.  Knitting, crochet, quilting, sergers, sewing machines, all things crafty have become my obsession. 

I know this is a short reintroduction, but I don’t want to put it all on the table from the get-go.  You’ll just have to read my future posts…and hopefully there will be some tutorials of crafty stuff.