tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42593516590224547352023-11-16T06:11:17.977-08:00Our Vegan Pregnancya vegan journey through first-time pregnancy and now parentingOur Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-38269357631790722032015-10-17T00:42:00.000-07:002018-02-08T07:51:22.775-08:00Extra! Extra! Read All About It! Our Vegan Pregnancy Finally Updates Blog, Is Featured In Time Magazine!<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Well, that last blog post sure was a long time ago!</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">"What's the deal?" you ask. "Where have you been?" you inquire. "Did you throw all logic and reason out the window and go Paleo and are now raising Astral and Defy as little anti-vegan cave persons?" you anxiously wonder to yourself...</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Nah, we're still out here in the San Francisco Bay Area and we're still, and always, vegan. </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Astral and Defy are over five and a half years old now! I'm still their "stay-at-home", homeschooling Daddy and Mama still brings home the </span><a href="http://www.phoneybaloneys.com/bacon/" style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Phoney Baloney's</a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> coconut bacon. The boys and I do our lessons, read a shit-ton of library books, skateboard and bike together, attend homeschool meet ups and "field trips", go to karate and explore public parks during the weekdays. Mama's a "Silicon Valley" PR pro, and because she is a badass "level-5" vegan superstar, she also works on external communications for the directors of the ground-breaking documentary film, </span><a href="http://www.cowspiracy.com/" style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Cowspiracy</a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdgU3g-sVOGCwWXTIMUrrTHmhRwT6zZWGCk9H6ugSaMcFEsUhYnt6N3YAUH-FX1miMlNrQH2F4TUziF4jAaOWWwDIVCWKrYEEe6FnIaJvwRkypcn5uct0S1VdFdLcpu2HScFSKiFt-sR8/s1600/IMG_20150814_134447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkdgU3g-sVOGCwWXTIMUrrTHmhRwT6zZWGCk9H6ugSaMcFEsUhYnt6N3YAUH-FX1miMlNrQH2F4TUziF4jAaOWWwDIVCWKrYEEe6FnIaJvwRkypcn5uct0S1VdFdLcpu2HScFSKiFt-sR8/s320/IMG_20150814_134447.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQR-C44KTWtbB7fbdmhQQSTyEvnP7JDMd4dEJSrjXVJ0zLfN2_IpmZi5_3tmAlMLpabhq60qF4Vn1dLRuIe9q3e3vZpgEYhRf4I1OuG9ikUq0KQS1KxL0mNblrvezd8U8jt5iNyJxlorM6/s1600/blog2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQR-C44KTWtbB7fbdmhQQSTyEvnP7JDMd4dEJSrjXVJ0zLfN2_IpmZi5_3tmAlMLpabhq60qF4Vn1dLRuIe9q3e3vZpgEYhRf4I1OuG9ikUq0KQS1KxL0mNblrvezd8U8jt5iNyJxlorM6/s320/blog2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczruBKzCMz7HJMmcskSzRastj86aF72BvRwHdEHNe7QH6aL0ul7j9dNYBbFdPqscTNbbkr1qjEmuNqX6KAvezWqpvWk5OZqBdV6l0WZLwAc6gFz1S5lGovHOoj3TQzk-p0CkVSlcIu4aS/s1600/blog5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczruBKzCMz7HJMmcskSzRastj86aF72BvRwHdEHNe7QH6aL0ul7j9dNYBbFdPqscTNbbkr1qjEmuNqX6KAvezWqpvWk5OZqBdV6l0WZLwAc6gFz1S5lGovHOoj3TQzk-p0CkVSlcIu4aS/s320/blog5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVt4tgf9AQ6AkAI6CxS8T7JrLDnCtnNETXrL82nGFzSmipMJP-azYSDkrXfDF-hoAejJBrDfnyV1b127stWFQs58AHDzNmSJ01sFkM3A3GA-tZifEJdQ4EjhDMGVKcG_HGJO6C83uKdgI0/s1600/IMG_20150710_163319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVt4tgf9AQ6AkAI6CxS8T7JrLDnCtnNETXrL82nGFzSmipMJP-azYSDkrXfDF-hoAejJBrDfnyV1b127stWFQs58AHDzNmSJ01sFkM3A3GA-tZifEJdQ4EjhDMGVKcG_HGJO6C83uKdgI0/s320/IMG_20150710_163319.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qiBmUuoddQC-aUexk5B2npa3VoG0Kqqv8KXHolS1N9__mtf9oghQBqa9IZ-I_SYgUWXt9gHWb0265cWRCYi9CWgfnH32AWVBHwOLW_1ta_EBamIlrTCIqZ1m4_0UbcRxgxNauKIYRYKV/s1600/IMG_20150831_165039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qiBmUuoddQC-aUexk5B2npa3VoG0Kqqv8KXHolS1N9__mtf9oghQBqa9IZ-I_SYgUWXt9gHWb0265cWRCYi9CWgfnH32AWVBHwOLW_1ta_EBamIlrTCIqZ1m4_0UbcRxgxNauKIYRYKV/s320/IMG_20150831_165039.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">We still have a low digital media household. The weather out here allows us to be outside year-round, so on weekends and days off we hit up the beaches, redwood groves, mountains, national parks, museums, etc. as a family. We currently run the Bay Area Vegan Family meetup on Meetup.com, and although we have not been very active on there as of late, we plan to be in the near future and have thus far met some wonderful vegan families.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fatgEXshbC-N6cUG-2-D6L4r6ulDfawsIL9_XFoOt_zGeV0jXtn1YIkdiWy7y5ryP4TS93QoNanBa_TAFILHigVdwV5brSRmEiiRFJUSs9fVySqVQVAznCVqdArUzSBgBxToXQfQ_uvX/s1600/blog4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fatgEXshbC-N6cUG-2-D6L4r6ulDfawsIL9_XFoOt_zGeV0jXtn1YIkdiWy7y5ryP4TS93QoNanBa_TAFILHigVdwV5brSRmEiiRFJUSs9fVySqVQVAznCVqdArUzSBgBxToXQfQ_uvX/s320/blog4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnUlj5HH8QLt0ntSULJf5j9Cccx4Vo0GflHUUocQgpDmDyARv2nvzPJCByDAt38qLJ09QiAKCAqowarxoN_EV3c12mCY7JmNaVNP6KkWi9ub6i0oU8BEXUMV4oUHdlZh9YaVQ3Rp-9Ls6/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnUlj5HH8QLt0ntSULJf5j9Cccx4Vo0GflHUUocQgpDmDyARv2nvzPJCByDAt38qLJ09QiAKCAqowarxoN_EV3c12mCY7JmNaVNP6KkWi9ub6i0oU8BEXUMV4oUHdlZh9YaVQ3Rp-9Ls6/s320/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJW1ieuxLGyI8gqN8GJVuilx8vky-MSZTqGC9VTPmtjr0igEd9RTj-Zw285_9piJOBdpj9p-AFAcvnd3Mx__sC3bdkq-qZMybmkwjqQkiml4I79Y2ENw8l8qz5EDQ7sZvUh_P8_mIswBN/s1600/blog11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJW1ieuxLGyI8gqN8GJVuilx8vky-MSZTqGC9VTPmtjr0igEd9RTj-Zw285_9piJOBdpj9p-AFAcvnd3Mx__sC3bdkq-qZMybmkwjqQkiml4I79Y2ENw8l8qz5EDQ7sZvUh_P8_mIswBN/s320/blog11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWc0FdNqA0DhvSOR4WhtgZQNhdODw6OB_QkrTccHcjZTvaAXMqknq1cWnx0DjMYjGnQL9ZAWETzOVE-AoGPaq8gsW-KfYsVOCoB1iY-g-HBHfZD8TfkQo3wrhjrCdjFrvxOsPrLcOy5VU/s1600/IMG_6755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWc0FdNqA0DhvSOR4WhtgZQNhdODw6OB_QkrTccHcjZTvaAXMqknq1cWnx0DjMYjGnQL9ZAWETzOVE-AoGPaq8gsW-KfYsVOCoB1iY-g-HBHfZD8TfkQo3wrhjrCdjFrvxOsPrLcOy5VU/s320/IMG_6755.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcG-BKOqLcJl62S1tT5Zqw7JYDZ3JwNFQRBxVtcmmKVaUWGLsfkVTBVaAs7KcPm2IQe_MD8VoGDvKRj4BM6gUeRSra1PW-DFolInMR26V5tEb8ibGcTBXN5UZDl_mX_cp8GPAeEXnOksj/s1600/blog7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcG-BKOqLcJl62S1tT5Zqw7JYDZ3JwNFQRBxVtcmmKVaUWGLsfkVTBVaAs7KcPm2IQe_MD8VoGDvKRj4BM6gUeRSra1PW-DFolInMR26V5tEb8ibGcTBXN5UZDl_mX_cp8GPAeEXnOksj/s320/blog7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChJfqsZB9PB61WKMgZLy8kIz8T2gUj8DDX5vje0YvT73KHiTVMjDludnrHEhO4-b_-nXflJbm_ciuH1QFClr-ZZkJGuKtT4Sp-4JnvYWMj4bf4uYLdzPmak0FMoftSpTUAUWxlz1Nv9F-/s1600/IMG_6831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChJfqsZB9PB61WKMgZLy8kIz8T2gUj8DDX5vje0YvT73KHiTVMjDludnrHEhO4-b_-nXflJbm_ciuH1QFClr-ZZkJGuKtT4Sp-4JnvYWMj4bf4uYLdzPmak0FMoftSpTUAUWxlz1Nv9F-/s320/IMG_6831.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Astral and Defy continue to thrive as vegan kids. They still eat a mostly whole foods diet, but they do enjoy (mostly healthy) vegan sweets and treats as well. They are witty, adorable, strong, creative, and compassionate little critical thinkers who amaze us every day with their growing knowledge, artistic talent and ability to navigate their world. We are just so incredibly proud of them.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7Eb1NzKSuRkK94gVn0SDyZysxnv8fIOeXp7LoNfx62Miaspnu-ZAMbm4Rj9xxwQ-4_anUMZw2r1ATVlsXIscQi2V0kZyhoe-A8ejLQbSTABN_ia6DeRboCHpaJnLhnNA3HB7CkwVjPHg/s1600/blog1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7Eb1NzKSuRkK94gVn0SDyZysxnv8fIOeXp7LoNfx62Miaspnu-ZAMbm4Rj9xxwQ-4_anUMZw2r1ATVlsXIscQi2V0kZyhoe-A8ejLQbSTABN_ia6DeRboCHpaJnLhnNA3HB7CkwVjPHg/s320/blog1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMz5EQI9JBJEFDXjI0QDXssVP1zicvRXpzYssRXnuS-kKYw_EaR8k2sMmHndpLMpStWqv20dv_Y4JFIst0FHLV8nGb-hkq4-H_zsoTXnBfD09A05qgFtmMpAjgH9EyN5zcfTF4MaBYLPTk/s1600/IMG_20150904_183447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMz5EQI9JBJEFDXjI0QDXssVP1zicvRXpzYssRXnuS-kKYw_EaR8k2sMmHndpLMpStWqv20dv_Y4JFIst0FHLV8nGb-hkq4-H_zsoTXnBfD09A05qgFtmMpAjgH9EyN5zcfTF4MaBYLPTk/s320/IMG_20150904_183447.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">This week, we were featured in the cover story of the latest issue of Time magazine about millennial parenting. You can check it out <a href="http://wp.lps.org/tnettle/files/2015/03/Help-My-Parents-are-Millennials.pdf">here</a>.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Thanks to Katy Steinmetz for interviewing us, taking us out to a vegan dinner on Time's dime, and for not shying away from dropping the "V-word" in her article!</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Until next time...</span></div>
Lucashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04277160606423389877noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-90266940199843473672014-02-11T11:08:00.000-08:002015-10-19T22:35:49.172-07:00Humane Parenting...****WARNING: UNAPOLOGETIC SATIRE****<br />
<br />
Here at Our Vegan Pregnancy, we love our children a great deal. Since the day they were born, we've treated them with only the utmost love, kindness, and compassion. This stems from our belief that they deserve an extraordinary degree of attention and care. <br />
<br />
Our enduring affection for them is central to the way we raise them. <strong>That is our guarantee to you.</strong><br />
<br />
We have fed them only the finest, wholesome, all-vegetarian, all-<em>natural</em>, mostly organic diet we could obtain, and we sure as heck haven't given them too many antibiotics or un<em>natural</em> pharmaceutical products, unless they were absolutely necessary for their health, of course.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3oHVpTQ8e8oXOFKlWuIjPI4Dot4CgA0tv0n2lght522L64Gq5A5-MxJODUpt6OPc4ydzppXnZUSa3rIGFNChL_yJtWEakbXIJdEW9E6Qvkv5gv9UypVDUVzkqzrX7Pp_KR-JsNYc0C-fF/s1600/kenyasandroid+567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3oHVpTQ8e8oXOFKlWuIjPI4Dot4CgA0tv0n2lght522L64Gq5A5-MxJODUpt6OPc4ydzppXnZUSa3rIGFNChL_yJtWEakbXIJdEW9E6Qvkv5gv9UypVDUVzkqzrX7Pp_KR-JsNYc0C-fF/s1600/kenyasandroid+567.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQYghaQ6ZnmYP-_SLHvejB7CCbUwX2QLRPIbIg-iSuHPFNfQRhzxaBJFT64EFtQ1G_yzyDuN1eeO0D3pdoOYhl-ZfuTl0yaQ2F79b9tqNM4AqbfyaAD4BYPQB5eG3TtLl8o3ZpyQmMhsG/s1600/1380567914441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQYghaQ6ZnmYP-_SLHvejB7CCbUwX2QLRPIbIg-iSuHPFNfQRhzxaBJFT64EFtQ1G_yzyDuN1eeO0D3pdoOYhl-ZfuTl0yaQ2F79b9tqNM4AqbfyaAD4BYPQB5eG3TtLl8o3ZpyQmMhsG/s1600/1380567914441.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
We have been steadfast in our commitment to allow them enough space to stretch their limbs, to run and play, and to roam and explore their environment, in a way that <em>nature</em> intended for them. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qYVcAjNhUC9n4tkkVU7991fx2NnC_UKUZGxcJjEuXN64GJWpsXLFWKOsRzW1D_6bkfwYxJJWr_DVzyhRTAuhMY87fliBo1dctXwmRwuHOfHdQFhXwSJctovwHKvM54OaiwTjuVbNrUYe/s1600/kenyasandroid+100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qYVcAjNhUC9n4tkkVU7991fx2NnC_UKUZGxcJjEuXN64GJWpsXLFWKOsRzW1D_6bkfwYxJJWr_DVzyhRTAuhMY87fliBo1dctXwmRwuHOfHdQFhXwSJctovwHKvM54OaiwTjuVbNrUYe/s1600/kenyasandroid+100.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJoqdGW9uQ_3AFElWyR7CLvz-6tLSrQe7Dat0YUKpOyrZ9jekwzGcWMl7Y2VelLWYl2fvIwfqXbXELw55aX6bbfxtYHdEYPYC9MadjS2zJheNHECtT04EtsPiaSyuSEW6gwsu74BNoP-o/s1600/1385417660387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJoqdGW9uQ_3AFElWyR7CLvz-6tLSrQe7Dat0YUKpOyrZ9jekwzGcWMl7Y2VelLWYl2fvIwfqXbXELw55aX6bbfxtYHdEYPYC9MadjS2zJheNHECtT04EtsPiaSyuSEW6gwsu74BNoP-o/s1600/1385417660387.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCQ0ASxucTMGcPsFv7exuHvmbMxJ8TopglZ4fDyqiuTr5H4jw0DUBZ2g-aeX_Q0FC5HD5KZT8-azuqvRnKWaxj_lVjL_9pWT5KDBr141numGGf9wSuaHHyp_-HtEyE6Ow1xDEE41aKPIe/s1600/1382658981110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCQ0ASxucTMGcPsFv7exuHvmbMxJ8TopglZ4fDyqiuTr5H4jw0DUBZ2g-aeX_Q0FC5HD5KZT8-azuqvRnKWaxj_lVjL_9pWT5KDBr141numGGf9wSuaHHyp_-HtEyE6Ow1xDEE41aKPIe/s1600/1382658981110.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Like our parents before us and their parents before them, we have provided our children with social environments, so that they can express their <em>natural</em> behaviors and fulfill their <em>natural</em> tendencies to develop relationships with other human children, which is what they would <em>naturally</em> do in <em>nature</em>. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqg9ZUpaHb2iv5e3c_32CVQ5xusQa4K_cHENQUfecOyPJO0NpRTXe1ZX_-cp_SBvk8THRZO666-0qsygr8u2Nd6QP-AaZAWX1RFaI5yHZ3OjlgkqBr_28pvb6bpiMQ93XUiZ46SlIJjb_7/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqg9ZUpaHb2iv5e3c_32CVQ5xusQa4K_cHENQUfecOyPJO0NpRTXe1ZX_-cp_SBvk8THRZO666-0qsygr8u2Nd6QP-AaZAWX1RFaI5yHZ3OjlgkqBr_28pvb6bpiMQ93XUiZ46SlIJjb_7/s1600/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrcOcfnmHoU_gtehHGSHbm2uvQen3bOljIKcIu_leB2cg2SAx1710hhbAe6FQJSFRsupYpbbXe13y0BAW-psxQ2xwFxDn5P4Kf09xeRqoHWTeskWriiAfk92ZZlKuZtgDdtELPOHWnWZt/s1600/1383937056388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrcOcfnmHoU_gtehHGSHbm2uvQen3bOljIKcIu_leB2cg2SAx1710hhbAe6FQJSFRsupYpbbXe13y0BAW-psxQ2xwFxDn5P4Kf09xeRqoHWTeskWriiAfk92ZZlKuZtgDdtELPOHWnWZt/s1600/1383937056388.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7keikgWQs0Y8bc82Lne4D_UkNNsBY_gh29N0jDtmLF8JNBTaOK_jH8PwWSTvsnPj_7kz4B1PLMFK4c_DnJ-Lp5Y2Ut5Nd1XKMpHetEoXphvVo6sRR1jy3y6Qh8qwWcdaGvMQxGGcT3Bl/s1600/1377117606239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB7keikgWQs0Y8bc82Lne4D_UkNNsBY_gh29N0jDtmLF8JNBTaOK_jH8PwWSTvsnPj_7kz4B1PLMFK4c_DnJ-Lp5Y2Ut5Nd1XKMpHetEoXphvVo6sRR1jy3y6Qh8qwWcdaGvMQxGGcT3Bl/s1600/1377117606239.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmRsgi4zAHo1j-9bp0_FS2F1OVhY-vgqPorkwiQT9zc08GRYia-WLRDHDSdHvlsE3874mr77s1BMSGLc5-C5DmfziFdGRQUjBBz4vcUL26Nu_vFEM4yC22kX7y-NslfVU9MMmyJPVmDNp/s1600/kenyasandroid+1692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmRsgi4zAHo1j-9bp0_FS2F1OVhY-vgqPorkwiQT9zc08GRYia-WLRDHDSdHvlsE3874mr77s1BMSGLc5-C5DmfziFdGRQUjBBz4vcUL26Nu_vFEM4yC22kX7y-NslfVU9MMmyJPVmDNp/s1600/kenyasandroid+1692.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMj5kL852IO70QeavDWfkwphoHTwhW2aFKSZ_aErcIubSWjvSOUmbBlVMEmDO047GZqJHCalWPau4RvGI6knUgSlmNmTk8tzXvilPF0XFGDoow9KpPNrOLhwpbML1BjJYMQJk3yovK3Da/s1600/kenyasandroid+579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMj5kL852IO70QeavDWfkwphoHTwhW2aFKSZ_aErcIubSWjvSOUmbBlVMEmDO047GZqJHCalWPau4RvGI6knUgSlmNmTk8tzXvilPF0XFGDoow9KpPNrOLhwpbML1BjJYMQJk3yovK3Da/s1600/kenyasandroid+579.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As a small-scale family operation, we raise our children in environmentally sustainable ways, so as to work with <em>nature</em> and to be good stewards of the Earth. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-aI8EXswH19GQTse1w6sP2MIZMYcaDt6TLbwsXP_Wy_EOVXlIl5-SgYEEAToDtBGjHzWOGHgmu2FjbUS0gGeR_k7z7TpEdOdB9FBhyphenhyphen9_LzLB-pOmIarjPmu2mG9iPvcSOqBjf1mi8b-J/s1600/1380665416652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-aI8EXswH19GQTse1w6sP2MIZMYcaDt6TLbwsXP_Wy_EOVXlIl5-SgYEEAToDtBGjHzWOGHgmu2FjbUS0gGeR_k7z7TpEdOdB9FBhyphenhyphen9_LzLB-pOmIarjPmu2mG9iPvcSOqBjf1mi8b-J/s1600/1380665416652.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIDi2jaHOsCv3EhBCFLBGVEEosDezunwAYyrRe6fsJbVNWkcZ9OlXuHFBNkrXJCfDA5KxuzQXR_vl3uSw86wgveI_Muca7fMpepoS5f3lHNjftRR_DuPMrcp93eqvrNrFmyG7ZnLX_uNP/s1600/1386540352315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIDi2jaHOsCv3EhBCFLBGVEEosDezunwAYyrRe6fsJbVNWkcZ9OlXuHFBNkrXJCfDA5KxuzQXR_vl3uSw86wgveI_Muca7fMpepoS5f3lHNjftRR_DuPMrcp93eqvrNrFmyG7ZnLX_uNP/s1600/1386540352315.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YZE2LSJ7bSQkxcxOr0L6U3eWfWrXDvO1we7-X77BC5FSArxN0I14UebozQFSnCudiJ_THI6m5quJ_-L8STRGy-vVtjGtkjUfPfjyqQad1LTbQzRnbpcg5QZCDHBWZLmbDY8zjloe1AAX/s1600/kenyasandroid+1479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YZE2LSJ7bSQkxcxOr0L6U3eWfWrXDvO1we7-X77BC5FSArxN0I14UebozQFSnCudiJ_THI6m5quJ_-L8STRGy-vVtjGtkjUfPfjyqQad1LTbQzRnbpcg5QZCDHBWZLmbDY8zjloe1AAX/s1600/kenyasandroid+1479.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<em>Naturally</em>, we care deeply about the welfare of our children. Therefore, we feel that it is our responsibility -no duty!- to ensure that our children are lovingly and humanely raised and handled throughout their entire lives.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtMKjequnVZL0L2Yk7-QnSF21jy0C-1xo92dR4f9VuwFqGCw7BRsZX820knUV4c98qJtJV_JMU_mQQDtEPqNqLKI2Cr-_NLUhTxtTTNaoaHtUZv35CovFE2YORMXwIUrTrFB7rUdF6_pP/s1600/1377982043294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtMKjequnVZL0L2Yk7-QnSF21jy0C-1xo92dR4f9VuwFqGCw7BRsZX820knUV4c98qJtJV_JMU_mQQDtEPqNqLKI2Cr-_NLUhTxtTTNaoaHtUZv35CovFE2YORMXwIUrTrFB7rUdF6_pP/s1600/1377982043294.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizERIEvE6h9A_fofXoqGZB4mmuVkt5vgOsZdNxRWgs_HLsO2_8EFDFGc1avp35fkgZsFubrh7Ngk-i1FkQJt2pDCKoWZrfLbk9eIKnCrZOOOZBCHnWIGynPm8Lkh78vYwURLADYjKvOKRs/s1600/1379189920777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizERIEvE6h9A_fofXoqGZB4mmuVkt5vgOsZdNxRWgs_HLsO2_8EFDFGc1avp35fkgZsFubrh7Ngk-i1FkQJt2pDCKoWZrfLbk9eIKnCrZOOOZBCHnWIGynPm8Lkh78vYwURLADYjKvOKRs/s1600/1379189920777.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
And as it turns out, this is not only good for our kids - it also guarantees the <strong>best flavor</strong> (of blog post content and super adorable pictures) for you to consume, savor, and enjoy! </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0lqxAoLEX3gdun8L8FioHe5CccE1q7zFl6XbAZvHhUzl_P8X8T6enosiP7jQGxCSngcaE_RLphDh62NaKFFyJguXEtiJndElA_RQVL6iLgu4Rf1S2s87kb2cgfUE3iseef7g5iAtKhsw/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0lqxAoLEX3gdun8L8FioHe5CccE1q7zFl6XbAZvHhUzl_P8X8T6enosiP7jQGxCSngcaE_RLphDh62NaKFFyJguXEtiJndElA_RQVL6iLgu4Rf1S2s87kb2cgfUE3iseef7g5iAtKhsw/s1600/photo+4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Our Vegan Pregnancy: Committed to Raising Kids Sustainably and Humanely Since 2009.</strong></div>
Lucashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04277160606423389877noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-50287885177352798682014-02-02T11:14:00.000-08:002014-02-02T12:01:06.538-08:00Making Moves...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span lang="">Hello everyone! We're still here! Well, sort of...<br />
<br />
Six months ago, Our Vegan Pregnancy HQ packed up and moved from the DC Metro area of Northern Virginia all the way across the United States to "Silicon Valley" in Northern California. We have been so busy with the move and adjusting to life out here that we just haven't had much time to blog.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span lang=""><br />
</span><span lang="">Relocating across the country is no small feat. Before the move, Lucas and I were a little (okay, A LOT) concerned with how 3 year old rowdy twin rabble rousers and two silly dogs would handle several consecutive days sitting in a car with two predictably grumped-out and exhausted parents. To our surprise, Astral, Defy, Star, and Sunny all handled the trip very well (probably much better than mommy and daddy, in fact). <br />
<br />
Fortunately, Lucas's side of the fam lives in Southern Illinois, and we didn't have to go very far out of our way to stop there for a few days before proceeding westward. It was a nice break after the first 12 hours of driving. We were able to relax a little, visit with loved ones, enjoy some of grandma's delicious vegan food and mentally prepare ourselves for the next leg of the journey: 3 more days of driving in a cramped automobile! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span lang=""><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGashEAEGIQiFTZH2tPf-pKYTyguCDuTMjDyYDIl_OEvJe2W6bBtHdyYdVPaKEPBpfypoNOs_1MUd-H3EfpWiR_CA-Pza7qhH31yH8vwDqbaQo-mLrKrOhjgfWIo8ZJHqcjrZxhCNCVUQO/s1600/1186223_10151660766383964_1337558470_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGashEAEGIQiFTZH2tPf-pKYTyguCDuTMjDyYDIl_OEvJe2W6bBtHdyYdVPaKEPBpfypoNOs_1MUd-H3EfpWiR_CA-Pza7qhH31yH8vwDqbaQo-mLrKrOhjgfWIo8ZJHqcjrZxhCNCVUQO/s1600/1186223_10151660766383964_1337558470_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYh-N4H0Ei-eMXSGu2v4J1nDMZ0vmBTsgD5GUwtZJCLl1tElkEX9qfZYUU8yE5xcLojM5boPqhvsVugs3ynsfAA0dzmixt85EuwL8TzomcNZSEszwAaXEtHvN2bYNLKy5KkUnF0jKnfy6t/s1600/970685_10151662720353964_1568395197_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYh-N4H0Ei-eMXSGu2v4J1nDMZ0vmBTsgD5GUwtZJCLl1tElkEX9qfZYUU8yE5xcLojM5boPqhvsVugs3ynsfAA0dzmixt85EuwL8TzomcNZSEszwAaXEtHvN2bYNLKy5KkUnF0jKnfy6t/s1600/970685_10151662720353964_1568395197_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span lang=""><br />
As many of our long-time readers already know, the Our Vegan Pregnancy crew doesn't eat "fast food" on road trips, mostly because food joints alongside the interstate in the U.S. are not exactly known for their vegan-friendliness. As usual, we packed a lot of dry goods, fresh fruit and a cooler with other essentials. We were lucky enough to consistently find natural food stores right off of our route, so we could replenish our food supply.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYH1kHcfBF7a0TxkOAZLcu19iUJ47HeWnLOSZzT8b8i4lS7Hyz-TBhQAWDWX4oDw_M6P6ncC2pduWZKmyUNrNp88U1UEoQEj5vApYjZ1JuQlhkFJGblpu9cs-VBVQD-FGT-sCBVAvXuMz/s1600/1185609_10151663122083964_37743666_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYH1kHcfBF7a0TxkOAZLcu19iUJ47HeWnLOSZzT8b8i4lS7Hyz-TBhQAWDWX4oDw_M6P6ncC2pduWZKmyUNrNp88U1UEoQEj5vApYjZ1JuQlhkFJGblpu9cs-VBVQD-FGT-sCBVAvXuMz/s1600/1185609_10151663122083964_37743666_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RJIkRK3IffUb_QpZO1aeNYxLsiuAanl6vPP1H-chDqRUCnT0OgbacRXR0v7xKgKRMesN065fWXETDoNk-3kcVE2l4bWKQ66i-lbcwY-fBug1Z4ayXmDtRLX6wi8iuXSIx7gMhmGsTvTo/s1600/1009869_10151665055533964_578077835_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RJIkRK3IffUb_QpZO1aeNYxLsiuAanl6vPP1H-chDqRUCnT0OgbacRXR0v7xKgKRMesN065fWXETDoNk-3kcVE2l4bWKQ66i-lbcwY-fBug1Z4ayXmDtRLX6wi8iuXSIx7gMhmGsTvTo/s1600/1009869_10151665055533964_578077835_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span lang=""><br />
Astral and Defy were super good on the road. They played games, played with toys, sang songs, "read" books, drew plenty of pictures and slept to pass the time. They thoroughly enjoyed staying in hotel rooms three nights in a row, as each was a new adventure for them. They also enjoyed stopping at the Grand Canyon and seeing it for like 2 minutes before they proved far too dangerous to be right at the edge of an enormous hole in the Earth...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAfvIkNLr1znDaCRQOMf_RK508a6FjoBnKzV2OtY26kVEcORJ_3HaasV4il9b6czzsgPxdYJ4F8tlREY1BXzySP4aAduhn9Ipv5YV8n13u2vK-Xws_XhL6xaeUTjwM27dCO7jsTKoLxqtX/s1600/1186689_10151665395773964_1284540631_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAfvIkNLr1znDaCRQOMf_RK508a6FjoBnKzV2OtY26kVEcORJ_3HaasV4il9b6czzsgPxdYJ4F8tlREY1BXzySP4aAduhn9Ipv5YV8n13u2vK-Xws_XhL6xaeUTjwM27dCO7jsTKoLxqtX/s1600/1186689_10151665395773964_1284540631_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang=""><br /></span><span lang=""><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj362GzTtABDiCi7PCUDFQN0IvOVE0gJgfoocF2RC8X2N5dbdn_Hb-CLj2CFWoSOmheQuJlNxLx-qG_9YXvQ0E-DEi54CytxFdQCjl7o-Y3WFVoCPATlGemSlw61YGAq4Sw_9cCDQ5a7big/s1600/1376687584514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj362GzTtABDiCi7PCUDFQN0IvOVE0gJgfoocF2RC8X2N5dbdn_Hb-CLj2CFWoSOmheQuJlNxLx-qG_9YXvQ0E-DEi54CytxFdQCjl7o-Y3WFVoCPATlGemSlw61YGAq4Sw_9cCDQ5a7big/s1600/1376687584514.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></span></div>
<span lang=""><br />
To cut a long story short, we made it to CA, our new home! Astral and Defy are happy with the weather, the scenery, the libraries, and all the fantastic parks. Lucas is still their "at-home" dad, teaching them their daily lessons and exploring all the wonderful public services with them during the day.<br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang=""><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ba_5ccCFQ3umrfi929n5pEanVFgbq8JrVLfCq0GjF-x66UGniSw_qpC4CUTD4_hfeMiZR0Tb0gDSfwQq5cbO6we8IrB8A2j99x9TWSSk9sU2A_kqabHjA0Of6Ds7c9uEKYdn3nqcnuma/s1600/kenyasandroid+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ba_5ccCFQ3umrfi929n5pEanVFgbq8JrVLfCq0GjF-x66UGniSw_qpC4CUTD4_hfeMiZR0Tb0gDSfwQq5cbO6we8IrB8A2j99x9TWSSk9sU2A_kqabHjA0Of6Ds7c9uEKYdn3nqcnuma/s1600/kenyasandroid+015.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span lang=""></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhSP28xAvv4wRuBESsTAEy-iYGQBkA3TQfJC7axAeQOnFyQ1yGrRPq6ttOzgtf0djWRLLRGVEvQRKn7M6C4MHQyEafeBw__Oh2lfOEtsmF6pSR0OBzyaSrLqG3STd6Ua1sSgbvwWjAB3Z/s1600/1185028_10151680215903964_1935635568_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrhSP28xAvv4wRuBESsTAEy-iYGQBkA3TQfJC7axAeQOnFyQ1yGrRPq6ttOzgtf0djWRLLRGVEvQRKn7M6C4MHQyEafeBw__Oh2lfOEtsmF6pSR0OBzyaSrLqG3STd6Ua1sSgbvwWjAB3Z/s1600/1185028_10151680215903964_1935635568_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang=""></span> </div>
<span lang="">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfmGlU_ez5tBiJ3uc6XOyw77A_7Ip2alg9r-vVq89FUwqqVQNn8oC0dZXMUftDoNG99BP-HmNX5kTEwVV7uAeEms-1bLjf7xPXyXB__9BOeA4Vdq4wDtwj9Z8GJWZx0RUSmcY5x8BGGdI/s1600/kenyasandroid+1585.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfmGlU_ez5tBiJ3uc6XOyw77A_7Ip2alg9r-vVq89FUwqqVQNn8oC0dZXMUftDoNG99BP-HmNX5kTEwVV7uAeEms-1bLjf7xPXyXB__9BOeA4Vdq4wDtwj9Z8GJWZx0RUSmcY5x8BGGdI/s1600/kenyasandroid+1585.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roasting pretend vegan marshmallows over a fake fire...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang=""></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang=""><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvndSmICA8ouO98RK2tqZKp_vvvcCPD16-yvTtrARnu5YjF3GVNqVp5rQKyDroUl5Tpdo2JJbG-OxtPmiLN1inO_spIseUiUdrqBhX_2_IziszLd95aMUM5A-ywMGzxHhLWMOC9TagndNO/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvndSmICA8ouO98RK2tqZKp_vvvcCPD16-yvTtrARnu5YjF3GVNqVp5rQKyDroUl5Tpdo2JJbG-OxtPmiLN1inO_spIseUiUdrqBhX_2_IziszLd95aMUM5A-ywMGzxHhLWMOC9TagndNO/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8u5Skdm2PWOrAZAwTFFbEy9W7howY_rU7vtgP2GmxmBcZpGHzMTxHy8xJNn-bFWhNmwC9HIOEAJjXB5yTc95MBQKI6Gk8H0fzUqzqNYjCD4WwLDzEJZdsiWnB8gMsxxHucjBkxRPtD5f/s1600/1176351_10151669858713964_1386081656_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8u5Skdm2PWOrAZAwTFFbEy9W7howY_rU7vtgP2GmxmBcZpGHzMTxHy8xJNn-bFWhNmwC9HIOEAJjXB5yTc95MBQKI6Gk8H0fzUqzqNYjCD4WwLDzEJZdsiWnB8gMsxxHucjBkxRPtD5f/s1600/1176351_10151669858713964_1386081656_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span lang=""></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang=""> </span></div>
<span lang="">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Northern California has a lot to offer vegan families. There are vegan family play groups, tons of vegan restaurants, and the most ridiculously beautiful weather for playing outside, adventuring, and observing free-living nonhuman animals. We are thankful to have had the opportunity to make the move, and we are excited to raise Astral and Defy out here in the stunningly beautiful Bay Area. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMp_eCwJDCGoMTYhTlBfQjwma8o2wHCpb_iQt07Ftz8zZ3zuvz2523P8kp4WTm6XtXk88H4Ot-0vG5YBJqKTFkFmQphPBb1ONG_0rtqV92aVKYAdzx0Z1OWa4Vymw1WutLc4PhoxDHnlOc/s1600/1378156860728.jpg" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-sLR8sz9HVg32Xw38kW-jL9FG6rGKlu0XhD4YssLBAtq685jV69ZKv5mGoVJZgUgY2JAjKX9RSTa7IHUqOJhF-FLJZ1otUZc3yivb7g4n1_lAvR3fmCJPw4MpG6ql8OUs2CsN_pW8VsS/s1600/kenyasandroid+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-sLR8sz9HVg32Xw38kW-jL9FG6rGKlu0XhD4YssLBAtq685jV69ZKv5mGoVJZgUgY2JAjKX9RSTa7IHUqOJhF-FLJZ1otUZc3yivb7g4n1_lAvR3fmCJPw4MpG6ql8OUs2CsN_pW8VsS/s1600/kenyasandroid+016.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RQ_uDoJHdqWaWOqFU3zSUYOHChN6ZauWoXtWGo8G915DhMYamSDKnwM37rzU2_E40e0A_Obu4DNWD3g8i3AgIfeE-ICPHshNYZbTwRROcSLnAcPhjIjSi3alqcO9E0dxuszj9hTYuhq7/s1600/1010156_10151699642838964_1450902867_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RQ_uDoJHdqWaWOqFU3zSUYOHChN6ZauWoXtWGo8G915DhMYamSDKnwM37rzU2_E40e0A_Obu4DNWD3g8i3AgIfeE-ICPHshNYZbTwRROcSLnAcPhjIjSi3alqcO9E0dxuszj9hTYuhq7/s1600/1010156_10151699642838964_1450902867_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3UkbvOWP7Kjk3UxBvAe4sJ3M82bL9BtPI9Fmy7CmJT7FPyvoPyOFR6n_NqAmk8TzYdLtI_YJ-k5mE3l4rd-wEuKMsKCwXiI5Eb1P4v3mmnrxqz-FiMABj1lbUKkwD4RgkAFyvVGYrBb2j/s1600/kenyasandroid+816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3UkbvOWP7Kjk3UxBvAe4sJ3M82bL9BtPI9Fmy7CmJT7FPyvoPyOFR6n_NqAmk8TzYdLtI_YJ-k5mE3l4rd-wEuKMsKCwXiI5Eb1P4v3mmnrxqz-FiMABj1lbUKkwD4RgkAFyvVGYrBb2j/s1600/kenyasandroid+816.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilHc-srKE0nUPF6LpzKT4RTHeUbaVS6mDBCG3jz7t8A1GEttE_T6x-Nn0ZO_RxehtYDXFB9dRQ0vIisAOKrRGQlUhyGvDCdbmU2OxxqAEZrISligpTdcC976Z1bBOf19DhAYm5gdtJbi8A/s1600/1379192282227.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3hjClMNo2Gobe8oYxhIx0oU9GPyskZmM-z8l6hWdbKSKq-pYDALHJUrz10vY7YZ06j3khNDaXuXiRQo5ahkia6xcNYXJkPSto47k3RHtLY8_MnQVA-3zSHFiMY9sv5JGDzT9-Ntlvun2/s1600/photo+1+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3hjClMNo2Gobe8oYxhIx0oU9GPyskZmM-z8l6hWdbKSKq-pYDALHJUrz10vY7YZ06j3khNDaXuXiRQo5ahkia6xcNYXJkPSto47k3RHtLY8_MnQVA-3zSHFiMY9sv5JGDzT9-Ntlvun2/s1600/photo+1+(1).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Props to The Veggie Grill in San Jose!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirNAJG7yYBLY7W7gTLDPQ1TQxeICxry41_FjDqgwmk50IYy2__1he6Befjzwjz730ervmgoEJ5abX-vO0uz0N1Z1zPgXi9qFw2UQZv-9GNOMs3P3cH9fiXP-9GFYBiEGAsH3pZK0YFIQr9/s1600/kenyasandroid+1086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirNAJG7yYBLY7W7gTLDPQ1TQxeICxry41_FjDqgwmk50IYy2__1he6Befjzwjz730ervmgoEJ5abX-vO0uz0N1Z1zPgXi9qFw2UQZv-9GNOMs3P3cH9fiXP-9GFYBiEGAsH3pZK0YFIQr9/s1600/kenyasandroid+1086.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
We will try to post again soon, specifically about what the vegan twin superstars of this blog are up to. We just wanted to put out a post to keep everyone updated on our transition westward, and to let you all know that we're still making moves... <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkmvvy4Ako1UFGAYIJb-YpqwaBnUZ_pYaEdx06TxQLwwcwgHPldcR9OnR9nRQ5kST-EEuhjruRFOKEkG60_TeQxKzbD0WBSA85W7loRHMRF7b5xFL4_oKWPL7apzdns5hPDSVdUg5__BwQ/s1600/kenyasandroid+1092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkmvvy4Ako1UFGAYIJb-YpqwaBnUZ_pYaEdx06TxQLwwcwgHPldcR9OnR9nRQ5kST-EEuhjruRFOKEkG60_TeQxKzbD0WBSA85W7loRHMRF7b5xFL4_oKWPL7apzdns5hPDSVdUg5__BwQ/s1600/kenyasandroid+1092.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcd0l05RwfquSNMuZACt_GdBTcIaeV-8MmXNAoASDRTrD-m1ZqfpsCldVbzmAh_0zdYP9qazkXQem78Y7gth_nPbpdqIoCpSbDl74Gr5sQEhYipiDb67G0u9ApYDkpGQOT79vkjcOSW1XW/s1600/1383512160455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcd0l05RwfquSNMuZACt_GdBTcIaeV-8MmXNAoASDRTrD-m1ZqfpsCldVbzmAh_0zdYP9qazkXQem78Y7gth_nPbpdqIoCpSbDl74Gr5sQEhYipiDb67G0u9ApYDkpGQOT79vkjcOSW1XW/s1600/1383512160455.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGQAs-D8KyQP37SVVcDdL29EQ72KkJ1SPGCk9wO5lmBhnvhVod_zcnao-hCL4SN1dSLMAR7cllMLVrexx-xAWVHbTabPFbzylUhdtLbyNM3qieBRj1U_JvdypTeWcJlal_fHbmA_P6_se/s1600/kenyasandroid+1374.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGQAs-D8KyQP37SVVcDdL29EQ72KkJ1SPGCk9wO5lmBhnvhVod_zcnao-hCL4SN1dSLMAR7cllMLVrexx-xAWVHbTabPFbzylUhdtLbyNM3qieBRj1U_JvdypTeWcJlal_fHbmA_P6_se/s1600/kenyasandroid+1374.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"<strong>Respect Animals. Go Vegan</strong>!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</span><br />Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-71328980870336410282013-06-30T19:04:00.005-07:002021-11-01T22:14:24.787-07:00So Far, So Good...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPKj4D-hIwYFwZ1dYu_mFw3bi40cvXuPZ5vpHXVMmjLILZS-Te9X5SnDqZrSHrgY2DkAlhrdm9bxK79rQfZcdG5A1RElpJGEWxnSTTa5I-2VQMazwZkJxYiZtUVTluTfTIpJG020MptjV/s960/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPKj4D-hIwYFwZ1dYu_mFw3bi40cvXuPZ5vpHXVMmjLILZS-Te9X5SnDqZrSHrgY2DkAlhrdm9bxK79rQfZcdG5A1RElpJGEWxnSTTa5I-2VQMazwZkJxYiZtUVTluTfTIpJG020MptjV/s320/14.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrX7EaIoGw431sQzUIPl6K3sCcY1_0s_ZFsbJW7LB0lWATQJrwaOmajw0C31-CbYBO0H_kBB-d6I1pvHLgCUXADZ4Fh5VdYJ4C7RJTF5uBpy5r25Cj-tntw4OgyV3SNduSeDVYkIQeqBPF/s1586/222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrX7EaIoGw431sQzUIPl6K3sCcY1_0s_ZFsbJW7LB0lWATQJrwaOmajw0C31-CbYBO0H_kBB-d6I1pvHLgCUXADZ4Fh5VdYJ4C7RJTF5uBpy5r25Cj-tntw4OgyV3SNduSeDVYkIQeqBPF/s320/222.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ni3ySI1whXhw9PCygEF9xXRtd9UQXW7Cuz4iFM31-3GmcGrV1300nDKeaR9dmbkURymZHpc0BKtXFgsETcH8KbJyWHgUWJ0JSgGegdjRItpY_YYRKD47z4gvcLtUp0BQOGDVrUfyUg7B/s1600/IMG_20130629_141726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ni3ySI1whXhw9PCygEF9xXRtd9UQXW7Cuz4iFM31-3GmcGrV1300nDKeaR9dmbkURymZHpc0BKtXFgsETcH8KbJyWHgUWJ0JSgGegdjRItpY_YYRKD47z4gvcLtUp0BQOGDVrUfyUg7B/s320/IMG_20130629_141726.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Teamwork...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I won’t even bother to make excuses for not posting, because
there isn't a good one. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuX5KN3PX3TpaUWucMcmPxv2Di0Yca0kMzchaI65J-pwNeokiWQ03DmnxMuim_fNNiWCOzXseSZCPiY2iumQLX9jgoHH6hl3C9mj4b8ubF00RmV0stePFmLAnJw6m-FOevmEprbF7jevWu/s1600/084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuX5KN3PX3TpaUWucMcmPxv2Di0Yca0kMzchaI65J-pwNeokiWQ03DmnxMuim_fNNiWCOzXseSZCPiY2iumQLX9jgoHH6hl3C9mj4b8ubF00RmV0stePFmLAnJw6m-FOevmEprbF7jevWu/s320/084.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoFuQYh3PB9zXNpa0EPT-lLar_jKHHjG7hkAthY693Yt4lcVQqe_UOOeOOjOjcT0roQlaQ6g_dWZeDTE6daN9bi0dtVkWCBF5VQj13Qv-V6ziLKSIhX3Lh57RCIKGkL1Yw0TYsVX_TzLd/s1600/054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoFuQYh3PB9zXNpa0EPT-lLar_jKHHjG7hkAthY693Yt4lcVQqe_UOOeOOjOjcT0roQlaQ6g_dWZeDTE6daN9bi0dtVkWCBF5VQj13Qv-V6ziLKSIhX3Lh57RCIKGkL1Yw0TYsVX_TzLd/s320/054.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuJHuwjTQcD0y1lZtXsbjht6Twjx48nZ5jFg9ZTz8Igly-Py0F0rP4NOtpA1gy9J7p42jBw-Ix0JYC7Z2tdz-Gqjs56huOf2fcRKFWKH2Ej-wCYFuI0NxFl864zKT2eRZH87q2g0YP_l7/s1600/056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhuJHuwjTQcD0y1lZtXsbjht6Twjx48nZ5jFg9ZTz8Igly-Py0F0rP4NOtpA1gy9J7p42jBw-Ix0JYC7Z2tdz-Gqjs56huOf2fcRKFWKH2Ej-wCYFuI0NxFl864zKT2eRZH87q2g0YP_l7/s320/056.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0yj1uG9eSPiKdAzXt02BBuXxhyozBijnTWeHenpWBtcFaBHxEeoa9WvvGUTpIv07L4iSmkGo6daW8UzSC0mnDLbvoa77pc1cEpglKBho71WXvYGnBnDF4GglS0QjKstO2G7bAG25PZcsF/s960/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0yj1uG9eSPiKdAzXt02BBuXxhyozBijnTWeHenpWBtcFaBHxEeoa9WvvGUTpIv07L4iSmkGo6daW8UzSC0mnDLbvoa77pc1cEpglKBho71WXvYGnBnDF4GglS0QjKstO2G7bAG25PZcsF/s320/9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So Astral Defiance and Defy Aster are 3 years and nearly 4
months old, folks! From the outset Lucas and I knew we would be scrutinized
more than other parents because we are vegan, anti-consumerist, and very
nontraditional. No, my kids don’t watch Sesame Street, eat goldfish crackers,
or visit zoos or circuses, but they are happy (for moody, tantrum-throwing 3
year olds) and thriving, and it is undeniable.
Astral and Defy are STRONG and powered completely by plants. They have
respect for all sentient beings, are super happy to be vegan and will question anything
they consider to be unjust or unfair in a heartbeat.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqlOyv7bVrWeNqFOOPazb7hIbMIHlY7V1QkhLH-Xj2zr6aYcjGjLeRNO6uaLZ1OhZGbQS44ttztIwrdYgqUUxSwLAJOOZWx0pVcN6vcytUy83T-NeEJ60Dk5YCibaNCJiZRaPV9nCs6lET/s1600/777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqlOyv7bVrWeNqFOOPazb7hIbMIHlY7V1QkhLH-Xj2zr6aYcjGjLeRNO6uaLZ1OhZGbQS44ttztIwrdYgqUUxSwLAJOOZWx0pVcN6vcytUy83T-NeEJ60Dk5YCibaNCJiZRaPV9nCs6lET/s320/777.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzFn3LUvd2BmUY_ydJs0y_RrbgmPuK2qe8A1ZYU7U5T3IExpfIEsEd5bkUWuhw3PXNj6S1yJpexzB0WnupugwQIpY9vhDYX-rh-IppxJW0xMwFKA0hVzRc3m8Pvyopgj3K7lQYhemfkGF/s1600/333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzFn3LUvd2BmUY_ydJs0y_RrbgmPuK2qe8A1ZYU7U5T3IExpfIEsEd5bkUWuhw3PXNj6S1yJpexzB0WnupugwQIpY9vhDYX-rh-IppxJW0xMwFKA0hVzRc3m8Pvyopgj3K7lQYhemfkGF/s320/333.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The highlight of their big 3 year old appointment in March
was peeing in a cup for the first time, and they did it expertly. Astral weighed in at 37 lbs and Defy at
35.5lbs and almost 40 inches tall for both.
I am sure they are well over 40 inches and maybe even 40 lbs by now. Astral has almost always been slightly bigger
than Defy, and he has always eaten more. They both still drink their kale
smoothies and eat well, although they now also enjoy the occasional sweet treat.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUS6Ga6l7t2_JOyqRddo0dFqhyiR-Jl03RN2DALhmmrsFV9WsK6-mqdAIK5y0e9P80wKyk0GD74aMjxOJtQ6wRgxFJ9lqufYrpYCEnYp2hex9lEXTiFg3xnkgC248L0hn0kLXKplKZKGp3/s1600/t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUS6Ga6l7t2_JOyqRddo0dFqhyiR-Jl03RN2DALhmmrsFV9WsK6-mqdAIK5y0e9P80wKyk0GD74aMjxOJtQ6wRgxFJ9lqufYrpYCEnYp2hex9lEXTiFg3xnkgC248L0hn0kLXKplKZKGp3/s320/t.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyqmxlETeWC5FLyIKEY3pXcN1XqVbavAmfe2OKuxIrxW3m-BgCKOEHWt_wMiGmUqpZeOPQmP2mG7AATEnIGwHmCCShMr9ps_Y2IyApKlHQVaITkbPxuqR51DQcfEBkCgUwrmz7jPMllWl/s960/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyqmxlETeWC5FLyIKEY3pXcN1XqVbavAmfe2OKuxIrxW3m-BgCKOEHWt_wMiGmUqpZeOPQmP2mG7AATEnIGwHmCCShMr9ps_Y2IyApKlHQVaITkbPxuqR51DQcfEBkCgUwrmz7jPMllWl/s320/5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnXVSTApeIPXdGLbncp2pOfYa5O0s_utO_8IlnW16zugixTaJ5WI2n3GusR5PLUY11Zh7I5dHyi0Lun3-HHvOV9l1vA-q5JmCYrz0KDvvZqTlGpW9PZhUeXowexktcXEmOxrrIqpcY5_s/s1600/8484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpnXVSTApeIPXdGLbncp2pOfYa5O0s_utO_8IlnW16zugixTaJ5WI2n3GusR5PLUY11Zh7I5dHyi0Lun3-HHvOV9l1vA-q5JmCYrz0KDvvZqTlGpW9PZhUeXowexktcXEmOxrrIqpcY5_s/s320/8484.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWoPevn3lOuJAcDYRxTXZqb3MEwSc3LMhxIP2gVOS-z7bHG8DsGeJri6BjdZ_kDXPq2WgXGt10KF-zm5XXTuO_d0-Eyczn9VoOsaWNZthn7KF0XZcYEbDSmsaunLMAoKQil1U0mMSMSQi/s1600/66.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWoPevn3lOuJAcDYRxTXZqb3MEwSc3LMhxIP2gVOS-z7bHG8DsGeJri6BjdZ_kDXPq2WgXGt10KF-zm5XXTuO_d0-Eyczn9VoOsaWNZthn7KF0XZcYEbDSmsaunLMAoKQil1U0mMSMSQi/s320/66.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
"Cows' Milk: Double Yuk!" -vegan kids say the darndest things...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVc-fixnw7MFc43luradvrS9G2OIvPXfSXfkQvKnj-LQzKRHli0kH2lmcw7SpEZaiPLGENv4279wqKIDcPf4NIbETwJausBVZWn8ucl1mUFrar6U7mU3qmZrKoVR79DNln69A8-B-3EabY/s1600/1111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVc-fixnw7MFc43luradvrS9G2OIvPXfSXfkQvKnj-LQzKRHli0kH2lmcw7SpEZaiPLGENv4279wqKIDcPf4NIbETwJausBVZWn8ucl1mUFrar6U7mU3qmZrKoVR79DNln69A8-B-3EabY/s320/1111.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
freestylin'</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9sWcefzS4SrVbsdI2sjDkZSP2OvnagKVV0JR8NA9XaqlILpsNI9pt0VGuSzynLQJvT73z04rO_B7UkbZbcJL9a1nmuR4EOPuwso6z4NGjC2Ba3vGR72eRXRhj4wtYuvjD9QBC3K2UJxW-/s1600/888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9sWcefzS4SrVbsdI2sjDkZSP2OvnagKVV0JR8NA9XaqlILpsNI9pt0VGuSzynLQJvT73z04rO_B7UkbZbcJL9a1nmuR4EOPuwso6z4NGjC2Ba3vGR72eRXRhj4wtYuvjD9QBC3K2UJxW-/s320/888.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMScGX2Y1hnRfsMt313jgu08QLFPvDes-exh7VAujP9V6wfivUWVXFGhLg1wFSkHgOovpnMVKXBIIdzvEHNk0ZRCFrjNUdm_2ffODy2dbzd1_hDKWwkwuytIsqwHWma0PlCtIqhlEyEma/s1600/20130601_122337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMScGX2Y1hnRfsMt313jgu08QLFPvDes-exh7VAujP9V6wfivUWVXFGhLg1wFSkHgOovpnMVKXBIIdzvEHNk0ZRCFrjNUdm_2ffODy2dbzd1_hDKWwkwuytIsqwHWma0PlCtIqhlEyEma/s320/20130601_122337.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I just love how stoked Daddy gets when he scores against a 3 year old in air hockey...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHJeuFw1DlsYZxyEL7okEYZD8tp4CjCAL8RVXmbFH06Dz37USDrPoOw_nyDINj_rnY-_5LOXi5SFIL4sJJKm8uYpMrclejRsYNlzXBfs2rgD7dWyL-ysXoNAIjZvri-M5hXqGrirtH5GV/s1600/555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHJeuFw1DlsYZxyEL7okEYZD8tp4CjCAL8RVXmbFH06Dz37USDrPoOw_nyDINj_rnY-_5LOXi5SFIL4sJJKm8uYpMrclejRsYNlzXBfs2rgD7dWyL-ysXoNAIjZvri-M5hXqGrirtH5GV/s320/555.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6OLF93QCVmQH1Ec7WqombGen6C9e_1N6bS-vbyrh7i6aS8GlGCuWwEv7jOWCXnPjG5OY5kMO21nCOG9FwMcvLoEPhbOTu-VkwcOzeCvZhJstV8ZPN6uu5kaRUnE04JgO7j_VAVLy6SbNS/s1600/IMG_20130615_172740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6OLF93QCVmQH1Ec7WqombGen6C9e_1N6bS-vbyrh7i6aS8GlGCuWwEv7jOWCXnPjG5OY5kMO21nCOG9FwMcvLoEPhbOTu-VkwcOzeCvZhJstV8ZPN6uu5kaRUnE04JgO7j_VAVLy6SbNS/s320/IMG_20130615_172740.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtmn_t4EYfDvjjLKlGMIlJcqsmMYFNbQYogwQ7p-9Lhvjf1dkZt0X7IRQKOyC_yO1xO_ue4ep2HoL9FrwZs9TYU46ZsCr2NjYDxHXdIl1fIYHZxSVA9c18644PyeLojtKnJLqQIRValQs/s1600/IMG_20130310_172312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtmn_t4EYfDvjjLKlGMIlJcqsmMYFNbQYogwQ7p-9Lhvjf1dkZt0X7IRQKOyC_yO1xO_ue4ep2HoL9FrwZs9TYU46ZsCr2NjYDxHXdIl1fIYHZxSVA9c18644PyeLojtKnJLqQIRValQs/s320/IMG_20130310_172312.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Daddy has been conducting his own version of pre-school by
homeschooling the kids for as long as I can remember, and you can really see
the results. Recently, they have started
learning how to read some 3 letter words and do some basic addition and
subtraction. They also seem to have a better grasp on logic than some adults we
know. I could go on to tell you how creative, articulate, smart, funny and
super handsome these guys are, but I’ll spare you the bragging. We are just so
proud of them. Yes, these dudes are
special, but daddy and I feel that every single being is special in their own
way, and that’s something we will always try to impart to Astral and Defy. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi056R8lA8s2ujZXaxBdYqL5DZ-fMtrtAU8GGogKt6JlGQE_7UVHIOHa3LwM6gYBmaMT1jE-FOlDQZxX4oHJfAsH2CYWca5gPOjuW_DobXvqXgqljChJGLqKdxCSvR18hVB9UjKsniOYChw/s960/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi056R8lA8s2ujZXaxBdYqL5DZ-fMtrtAU8GGogKt6JlGQE_7UVHIOHa3LwM6gYBmaMT1jE-FOlDQZxX4oHJfAsH2CYWca5gPOjuW_DobXvqXgqljChJGLqKdxCSvR18hVB9UjKsniOYChw/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We continue on our quest to raise compassionate, critically
thinking people who question everything and everyone. So far, so good…</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhfEhu2QCGuAhyphenhyphen2Q1J4S8rofTqFB9DlClOQyNu7eL68RrXCFNKtLIWPc2yQAVafj4sC8MmDpX4h5URR3b-jwA5StiZ3NE-YGVTc4-YSxKEx7HKcknRw1HW00zR6-dEygfP2NpOh9bSAMo/s960/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhfEhu2QCGuAhyphenhyphen2Q1J4S8rofTqFB9DlClOQyNu7eL68RrXCFNKtLIWPc2yQAVafj4sC8MmDpX4h5URR3b-jwA5StiZ3NE-YGVTc4-YSxKEx7HKcknRw1HW00zR6-dEygfP2NpOh9bSAMo/s320/10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFlL1w3O2j2P0M5A16H5bCWkKOLmXWz2qRpyB3cGRnmjynJQW_6y41odZc6EWX9dDvOuz08HjPH4siSdm1a5SWk8QVQIv8yO2SIDlo_RQiobdoiPWxHDrJdtWUDws6tZF54j3dzOwUqD2A/s960/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFlL1w3O2j2P0M5A16H5bCWkKOLmXWz2qRpyB3cGRnmjynJQW_6y41odZc6EWX9dDvOuz08HjPH4siSdm1a5SWk8QVQIv8yO2SIDlo_RQiobdoiPWxHDrJdtWUDws6tZF54j3dzOwUqD2A/s320/7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3W611f_oqOsJI7AD2Ys3YmTIT52v6UYwZzmoqKNFLlB1tYcSp-LfTILk763W9zKorW2AIB6w4XA96Mj3t35Z6haXS0EHeKwjy018xxUWAOnnPwGcZ_1M5dzTXa0wIvvSEIRGrPUh16el/s960/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3W611f_oqOsJI7AD2Ys3YmTIT52v6UYwZzmoqKNFLlB1tYcSp-LfTILk763W9zKorW2AIB6w4XA96Mj3t35Z6haXS0EHeKwjy018xxUWAOnnPwGcZ_1M5dzTXa0wIvvSEIRGrPUh16el/s320/12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJ2wkii60rosAhj5jZlVZREBHxF3raYK5OfMAcautM0Fats0l_QaCevKIp-288lpJ36EymqEXhT4ZzBCfo4vqEooZ6v4BltIyTSHBR0leHE7GCcG8w4GJILRbVEWjV8PcZyUfDnSI0tv9/s960/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJ2wkii60rosAhj5jZlVZREBHxF3raYK5OfMAcautM0Fats0l_QaCevKIp-288lpJ36EymqEXhT4ZzBCfo4vqEooZ6v4BltIyTSHBR0leHE7GCcG8w4GJILRbVEWjV8PcZyUfDnSI0tv9/s320/13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwnhyt1di0vZDrvCMfuHSEtV6_bXAMZoaFhraRFNoEoE-Q6BsLcYr-UZJgQdM0f2LDgVL2pU6ktlGDcd-UqHfqxAfT_FR-BsdZr3X18O_4qHso0g85dTbLlxk1d1Ji7ToZ_qcCSXxxtur/s1600/GEDC1899_%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwnhyt1di0vZDrvCMfuHSEtV6_bXAMZoaFhraRFNoEoE-Q6BsLcYr-UZJgQdM0f2LDgVL2pU6ktlGDcd-UqHfqxAfT_FR-BsdZr3X18O_4qHso0g85dTbLlxk1d1Ji7ToZ_qcCSXxxtur/s320/GEDC1899_%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6y6-EHuhsa-ocNGj0LEzU8PfZljELGjfsnoObPqWXuft38kbxBw9MEUEtnMPiP2V3kTCENCOaTNT14KzgIn4COJof-aMKuh3D612cCVg7qCahDAYxpuAah20EezO5aOaD9LHVD5nF5Ce/s960/1+real+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6y6-EHuhsa-ocNGj0LEzU8PfZljELGjfsnoObPqWXuft38kbxBw9MEUEtnMPiP2V3kTCENCOaTNT14KzgIn4COJof-aMKuh3D612cCVg7qCahDAYxpuAah20EezO5aOaD9LHVD5nF5Ce/s320/1+real+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
In March the boys were finally able to build a snowman after waiting all season. Meet Hunter S(nowman) Thompson...</div>
Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-42711211728064531532013-02-28T19:52:00.000-08:002013-02-28T19:52:05.621-08:00Discovering A Non-Vegan World…<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTWpZ67nqD2PG8mz3YmY7Of4MoGz3lOdoosWXe_lAC4r1Aun8beUwaLeMPt6kXcU1glMj-90qIt_sisOfBR_9F7bkOHdVOpFB8yfY1WDUjwunVffipiSoy49PDJcRyeuU3Uyk89lpEwSM/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNTWpZ67nqD2PG8mz3YmY7Of4MoGz3lOdoosWXe_lAC4r1Aun8beUwaLeMPt6kXcU1glMj-90qIt_sisOfBR_9F7bkOHdVOpFB8yfY1WDUjwunVffipiSoy49PDJcRyeuU3Uyk89lpEwSM/s320/12.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hYv-iPg9j8WK0Yh0XKuHE-m7iKTguNnmXIx7uJkUbXgHEAL6PvXlUcbAI2D369pwKfQ5LRuWRTFBzSPLU5IT9psQgHKY1q2BjK6zpsczTXBm5b2mnklvmJC0sspjiwZMInlOcmKRqZUC/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-hYv-iPg9j8WK0Yh0XKuHE-m7iKTguNnmXIx7uJkUbXgHEAL6PvXlUcbAI2D369pwKfQ5LRuWRTFBzSPLU5IT9psQgHKY1q2BjK6zpsczTXBm5b2mnklvmJC0sspjiwZMInlOcmKRqZUC/s320/9.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNyXvobYBblZhyphenhyphenu0bNiOQvhF_FXSVa04ALo9YsRgMzDKPCjGkWbY5k9REPMHoGccH1QYcCFiwTqT4HPlsqKWsnMtHhYkZN_Ikftf26qhCbmVPcfUG_6ysK2FZ20c5Jo2EeAjQzFPDMlFq/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNyXvobYBblZhyphenhyphenu0bNiOQvhF_FXSVa04ALo9YsRgMzDKPCjGkWbY5k9REPMHoGccH1QYcCFiwTqT4HPlsqKWsnMtHhYkZN_Ikftf26qhCbmVPcfUG_6ysK2FZ20c5Jo2EeAjQzFPDMlFq/s320/13.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMqMfsZDPskD2gAcz6fvBkl9ytbyGSbUhQy7YtD_QBEi8xgCvzOjs3fH107h7ZpP_8zzmUN-rUKyR3jovX7DJsXbmbF6b4OuJba02kmAzfQYWUqKHDgHXT2TjjT7U3zwU3VElVl0AgOve/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMqMfsZDPskD2gAcz6fvBkl9ytbyGSbUhQy7YtD_QBEi8xgCvzOjs3fH107h7ZpP_8zzmUN-rUKyR3jovX7DJsXbmbF6b4OuJba02kmAzfQYWUqKHDgHXT2TjjT7U3zwU3VElVl0AgOve/s320/11.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDxOS6auBUebF0tPUlaz-gxPC6Gyu2evtps0eIRB6G5njFUxNno9Org2kbeguBJAC6CO9m0B2t7ZSNOX9MNQXSX1HmdPPY2XBExd8_WOGXVT2SIijygNwYr8UGH5T26wGlo2XUr92vWP3/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDxOS6auBUebF0tPUlaz-gxPC6Gyu2evtps0eIRB6G5njFUxNno9Org2kbeguBJAC6CO9m0B2t7ZSNOX9MNQXSX1HmdPPY2XBExd8_WOGXVT2SIijygNwYr8UGH5T26wGlo2XUr92vWP3/s320/10.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><b>Exactly 1 week before Astral & Defy turn 3! (2/24/13)</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">It sure has
been a while, but we're back for another post! We refuse to give up this amazing platform that allows us the ability to share our experiences with veganism, raising vegan children and vegan pregnancy. </span><span style="line-height: 150%;">Our analytics
show that even though post frequency has declined, more people than ever are searching for vegan information and finding Our Vegan Pregnancy. We want to continue to be an example of how
veganism is healthy and manageable during all stages of life. Astral and Defy
are almost 3 years (plus gestation) of living proof!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxjJo2TWu1Vl79r0TkGySkVq40byFHmBsxKYX_6HxMp9BJP0350cPFjhXk5hUBp3rbVWLnMhaxr5wMed-LOS4SWBOsmzjHggoMwbff_a3mIHxMFDevv97QrEX_hJtb31XwVWSRlaVKymZ/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxjJo2TWu1Vl79r0TkGySkVq40byFHmBsxKYX_6HxMp9BJP0350cPFjhXk5hUBp3rbVWLnMhaxr5wMed-LOS4SWBOsmzjHggoMwbff_a3mIHxMFDevv97QrEX_hJtb31XwVWSRlaVKymZ/s320/6.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HEB89V7TdFHFmAde9WlxhCT-BzT6m1JzmYc2LbWJT5iv9wMM_dFLk48NaoTrrPby2QLCyqA-bvZwOJbcryNnnU12BVHdEUlVi-OF6GP3jRs1AvUEkNS4wUreqtlX_o_Qm5pZTO-zYlYx/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HEB89V7TdFHFmAde9WlxhCT-BzT6m1JzmYc2LbWJT5iv9wMM_dFLk48NaoTrrPby2QLCyqA-bvZwOJbcryNnnU12BVHdEUlVi-OF6GP3jRs1AvUEkNS4wUreqtlX_o_Qm5pZTO-zYlYx/s320/7.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5lMJBff_Sw8V8oQecthe-QledLIlNHR1hwO1JpMk8YyWCiBgq3q21OtA5pEZVGytA1_e46hVZqulZXiLX6qD-DjC4r8djhr4RqbODWbyAcZe8nP4WMfC6tFQoWNwPftkmIXovk2axXhF/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5lMJBff_Sw8V8oQecthe-QledLIlNHR1hwO1JpMk8YyWCiBgq3q21OtA5pEZVGytA1_e46hVZqulZXiLX6qD-DjC4r8djhr4RqbODWbyAcZe8nP4WMfC6tFQoWNwPftkmIXovk2axXhF/s320/8.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since my last post at the end of October the boys have been progressing rapidly per
usual. I find it just too annoying to rehash every single milestone of
their lives at this point. Every day something new and amazing happens (in
our minds). So instead of the same old stuff, I’m just going to post
a ridiculous amount of cute photos (of which there is no shortage) and hand it over to my absolute favorite vegan daddy to see what he has to say about Astral
and Defy’s recent developments as vegan toddlers:</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Astral and Defy are increasingly becoming aware of how non-vegan
the world currently is outside of our "vegan bubble". They get that most of the items in grocery stores are
derived from animals, but don't seem to have a problem with wanting
any of them, even with all the bright, colorful packaging emblazoned with likable (by-design) cartoon characters. We just tell them that the items contain animal products and
that's that, end of story. Like most kids their age (and probably most adults)
they understand that it's wrong to intentionally harm animals when it's
unnecessary to do so. They just have a different understanding of what
necessity is because they know they don't need to eat animal bodies or animal
secretions (or otherwise consume animal products) to be healthy and happy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0TTFjSykwPzgZcVNqvURrxfxVQuTOFC80IPnLzVb2BRPgHPostkc0_4_YKa6CJguqk3MXhu3txAWlptTQw599nTN8XGRgQfzJkwaR2yFRXcsfXg5UGeZ4Vgqpwth40gwikLwf-NideFJ/s1600/IMG_20130206_132752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0TTFjSykwPzgZcVNqvURrxfxVQuTOFC80IPnLzVb2BRPgHPostkc0_4_YKa6CJguqk3MXhu3txAWlptTQw599nTN8XGRgQfzJkwaR2yFRXcsfXg5UGeZ4Vgqpwth40gwikLwf-NideFJ/s320/IMG_20130206_132752.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">This understanding of what's wrong with exploiting animals for
"food", with the ubiquity of animal-derived "food", and with the non-necessity
of consuming animal products has led to some interesting situations for us as
vegan parents. Sometimes I take the boys into a coffee shop during the day.
This coffee shop has a big picture of some milky liquid being poured into a
coffee-like liquid, and every time the boys see it they loudly go on and on
about how it's not vegan, it's cows' milk and it's for the baby cows,
"they hurt the cows for that", it's "just not right", etc.
Honestly, I love having the opportunity of openly agreeing with them (probably to the
surprise of anyone listening). "Yea, I agree, fellas. It's not right.
Cows' milk </span><em style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">is</em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"> for baby cows, not for us". I can assure you that if you're
ever in this situation, you will draw plenty of attention from bystanders.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmgtwNcfKR-ZAZEQj9atB0x6NIl8XKxDASHTInwALLUX1qAT6nezJ4w5myrJTcATFBMpNhxH3QkJAHtW2J4W2K1KHONd5FmFMkVhVUxCgERGyZU53A4sKyQoCJtVfT7XiAoIjd0HBFahR/s1600/211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmgtwNcfKR-ZAZEQj9atB0x6NIl8XKxDASHTInwALLUX1qAT6nezJ4w5myrJTcATFBMpNhxH3QkJAHtW2J4W2K1KHONd5FmFMkVhVUxCgERGyZU53A4sKyQoCJtVfT7XiAoIjd0HBFahR/s320/211.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTRHBh7ddotoqxHlhwJi3WBDuZBtHMsuZKBRWUFiSQeWXi-2vwEKsof1yabjQ8Oo7rgAqVtE79fs_7bK9PQ4Ak1R3jQWGcDVCf5-3L63t2ba8NbjAozt2aOQlFcVzKtvomPXK81EiosRT/s1600/223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTRHBh7ddotoqxHlhwJi3WBDuZBtHMsuZKBRWUFiSQeWXi-2vwEKsof1yabjQ8Oo7rgAqVtE79fs_7bK9PQ4Ak1R3jQWGcDVCf5-3L63t2ba8NbjAozt2aOQlFcVzKtvomPXK81EiosRT/s320/223.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgF_adtQmydO1apAGXGWBMFQ5IM7fIm01GMSYZlNDMTtKlEPK4LC1rR1D6iJKyavqX3jkcReCQbDZKuZ98UaRuzBq_ck7RYqzy0Iw1UL4TdJdDo_37AyYGBp-hw5WT_5HYGM24gQIioVcX/s1600/224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgF_adtQmydO1apAGXGWBMFQ5IM7fIm01GMSYZlNDMTtKlEPK4LC1rR1D6iJKyavqX3jkcReCQbDZKuZ98UaRuzBq_ck7RYqzy0Iw1UL4TdJdDo_37AyYGBp-hw5WT_5HYGM24gQIioVcX/s320/224.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgssQRt1-VfSf-GFj8_nUbY27_GZIVwuXejR_MYWIv3H4rrySLEwnF71SsMikavg69EtLXKiGeSkWCmh-ISap0eC6tucmjgXOJSzAbenYVmOl8V-3H2CrNwRjIHfcK9VhyBqUManhc12cmn/s1600/225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgssQRt1-VfSf-GFj8_nUbY27_GZIVwuXejR_MYWIv3H4rrySLEwnF71SsMikavg69EtLXKiGeSkWCmh-ISap0eC6tucmjgXOJSzAbenYVmOl8V-3H2CrNwRjIHfcK9VhyBqUManhc12cmn/s320/225.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigbPLeBLQI28vA5mmkftEVMg0APNeBhTObUjORqkzDgE8YzhriBZ23hnsTWRkRqt4GqWFg8LLkwBsuTB-T0_tJ4PSODNgel_ZO9wQ428e93sTGHsU4PRjCkdvZtbPNHkAeXuqzCr-djNR/s1600/226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigbPLeBLQI28vA5mmkftEVMg0APNeBhTObUjORqkzDgE8YzhriBZ23hnsTWRkRqt4GqWFg8LLkwBsuTB-T0_tJ4PSODNgel_ZO9wQ428e93sTGHsU4PRjCkdvZtbPNHkAeXuqzCr-djNR/s320/226.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2GZxF3Yezgk9a6tRECDAAEfbCiDyNTvF4INjLtBYts0O2mj3wJSB73jIntV1qI5wDLLLFV2BtVRlukIFR1QUSH88-RQiRwCl5QsDwYPdNhaVqUIN76el4rmgIh9gWhXb6XA2YTzTUFEx2/s1600/227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2GZxF3Yezgk9a6tRECDAAEfbCiDyNTvF4INjLtBYts0O2mj3wJSB73jIntV1qI5wDLLLFV2BtVRlukIFR1QUSH88-RQiRwCl5QsDwYPdNhaVqUIN76el4rmgIh9gWhXb6XA2YTzTUFEx2/s320/227.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yfphQfe2mQXZOVwGihCZSpF46S_AhyMqk843H4Th7mRWX2h2JJgLtUaTb8V3fsEuUtcVuMoBtW1V75X0jFsy9M-xfwH1VWOwyr0XNZnKCTzoukelZV5GpVqeHU0Rgu_NFx-L_6yzQZIO/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yfphQfe2mQXZOVwGihCZSpF46S_AhyMqk843H4Th7mRWX2h2JJgLtUaTb8V3fsEuUtcVuMoBtW1V75X0jFsy9M-xfwH1VWOwyr0XNZnKCTzoukelZV5GpVqeHU0Rgu_NFx-L_6yzQZIO/s320/5.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Then there are situations with relatives. Earlier this month
while visiting grandparents and other relatives in the Midwest, Astral and Defy
became suspicious of certain things they saw at grandma and grandpa's home and kept asking us which relatives eat
animal products. For the first time we had to explain to them that nobody there is
vegan, and DnA seemed a little confused and saddened by this idea. Unlike DnA, Kenya
and I weren't always vegans, and we remember that at one time we too had no clue about the realities of
animal use. We don't in any way want to condone <em>any</em> animal
exploitation, but we also don't want the boys to think less of their otherwise incredibly
thoughtful, kind, supportive, and loving family members. We told the boys that
not everyone understands that animals are exploited and inevitably "hurt" to obtain animal products. This lack of understanding
might be true in some cases, but it felt somewhat dishonest, and none of us
seemed satisfied with that response. We just didn't know what else to
say when put on the spot. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Although grandma ate vegan and made many delicious vegan meals throughout
our entire stay (including a veganized version of a 100 year-old family pretzel recipe), not everyone else did. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One morning grandpa was sitting at the dining room table,
eating his very non-vegan breakfast and washing it down with a tall glass of
cows' milk. Astral and Defy noticed, and one of them asked him if he was, in
fact, drinking cows' milk. Grandpa said "yes", thinking nothing
of it. The boys then began complaining and ultimately refused to sit at the
table with him. Again, we didn't quite know how to deal with that kind
of situation, so we just used the dining room table when he was finished. Grandpa sort of laughed it off and tried to tell the boys that he was simply drinking milk, just like them. Astral made a face, crossed his arms, said "no!" and he and D walked away.
Fortunately, Astral and Defy still enjoyed spending time with grandpa after that, just not so much during meal
time...</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNpjH3w_Tet2FP18LA7GE7xjgiySeqHQtHduPRhyphenhyphenXkAVyQBzvgYBNHpXZowPbQT46ADLdEMuarEow-CGgBhPjKk5IrnD1lRrR7AxTKM9v4_6Eg90vp3sLjxASVSII3oI8EvEg2jWSp8av/s1600/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNpjH3w_Tet2FP18LA7GE7xjgiySeqHQtHduPRhyphenhyphenXkAVyQBzvgYBNHpXZowPbQT46ADLdEMuarEow-CGgBhPjKk5IrnD1lRrR7AxTKM9v4_6Eg90vp3sLjxASVSII3oI8EvEg2jWSp8av/s320/01.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiC9Ex43PpNBV4VK1gOaBYJmgJjzZsnFV59w4j2F-a6KSCE9rPI8zdabkcozC1mMynmnqZvQEBwd82ZGhLNvaq99KAkwJbgf6kLlQLiG-N8iqWr0vbiwphLIgh97tk6vFlLK-P0Kcjoh-W/s1600/02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiC9Ex43PpNBV4VK1gOaBYJmgJjzZsnFV59w4j2F-a6KSCE9rPI8zdabkcozC1mMynmnqZvQEBwd82ZGhLNvaq99KAkwJbgf6kLlQLiG-N8iqWr0vbiwphLIgh97tk6vFlLK-P0Kcjoh-W/s320/02.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXhl0F1KjhKYPJbvGSTx_i_ZmX9lhKZ9nHBrcRIhCbsY7cyGvfSWNmthAafRKfumiAn9hb1drNWu_aFutD6k5ZCNAz2a63nHnSWGJu5xMFyuAfVjJiCuoOJExiILS6pKWKtNXMnrNyY1W/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkXhl0F1KjhKYPJbvGSTx_i_ZmX9lhKZ9nHBrcRIhCbsY7cyGvfSWNmthAafRKfumiAn9hb1drNWu_aFutD6k5ZCNAz2a63nHnSWGJu5xMFyuAfVjJiCuoOJExiILS6pKWKtNXMnrNyY1W/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78ZPlqBWy6LOPavt7ODVnciLipmtpi5_PAZfY0mrlJh8hTMur9hWvzTd7S8jPhEWg1TgSaqnMpXDn6tGHrVF5ZWajg7PM0gglx_ZCk_YuSzYIkkRbI9Q46j3BZuxgLoVewDzWtsYIbI1A/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78ZPlqBWy6LOPavt7ODVnciLipmtpi5_PAZfY0mrlJh8hTMur9hWvzTd7S8jPhEWg1TgSaqnMpXDn6tGHrVF5ZWajg7PM0gglx_ZCk_YuSzYIkkRbI9Q46j3BZuxgLoVewDzWtsYIbI1A/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aLdsCa4rwyrA9-0Vs2ko2vtzGvLRqMAR0EHVWIeRa8ULfAlP38k5cGKUJlyEQy5Hqnz_Z-zxyyhzB5toTjEAC9dW7-VsE7EmO7nSkfqv96ulwQvUSehDaqyr7o9AdU4rWDVSQq4E_8E-/s1600/00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aLdsCa4rwyrA9-0Vs2ko2vtzGvLRqMAR0EHVWIeRa8ULfAlP38k5cGKUJlyEQy5Hqnz_Z-zxyyhzB5toTjEAC9dW7-VsE7EmO7nSkfqv96ulwQvUSehDaqyr7o9AdU4rWDVSQq4E_8E-/s320/00.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCydCMzoZnVgVpl_fkIisAjAT8apv6-Q0oqyxQGyEG4xpm3pPFUyJC1ZFI3YEq6guKY0PUHKnXl9czmOVlie176wS36wKRc-1FZ79G2KG2FYM7IK_kFWnlvw8vpU9BskQFYMZ-zYJel1G6/s1600/001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCydCMzoZnVgVpl_fkIisAjAT8apv6-Q0oqyxQGyEG4xpm3pPFUyJC1ZFI3YEq6guKY0PUHKnXl9czmOVlie176wS36wKRc-1FZ79G2KG2FYM7IK_kFWnlvw8vpU9BskQFYMZ-zYJel1G6/s320/001.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please feel free to contact us at ourveganpregnancy@gmail.com or follow us on Twitter @VeganTwins. </span></div>
Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-15201851382569748362013-01-08T10:58:00.002-08:002021-11-01T22:07:58.023-07:00Vegans, Procreation, and "Overpopulation", Oh My...<div class="gmail_quote">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.partipourladecroissance.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/vous-%C3%AAtes-vraiment-trop-nombreux.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://www.partipourladecroissance.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/vous-%C3%AAtes-vraiment-trop-nombreux.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="gmail_quote" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">"There are definitely too many of you!"</span> </div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
</div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
If you spend enough time reading vegan blogs, websites, and social media, or if you frequently participate in vegan forums, you will inevitably encounter vegans making arguments against human procreation. Invariably these arguments are premised, at least in part, on the assumption that the world is overpopulated with humans and that the size of the human population is the primary driver of just about every ecological and social crisis we are facing today. Often the people making these arguments go even further, suggesting that there is no ecologically acceptable place on this planet for humans because humans are destructive and parasitical by nature. Some vegans will even go so far as to declare that procreation is decidedly not vegan because, given all these obvious problems caused by human overpopulation, the decision to add to the surplus of humans harms countless nonhuman animals.</div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
<br />
These simplistic arguments - that "there's too many people on earth, just look at all the destruction humans cause to the planet" and "obviously 7 billion humans is too many because that's a really, really big number" - are typical among the vegan and non-vegan anti-procreationists/<wbr></wbr>populationists, but if we examine them we can begin to see how they are deeply flawed and how they necessarily obscure much more than they reveal. </div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
<br />
The truth is that most of us <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Too-Many-People-Immigration-Environmental/dp/1608461408">7 billion humans are not endangering the planet</a>; The primary drivers of environmental destruction, pollution, resource shortages, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, species extinction, <a href="http://climateandcapitalism.com/2010/04/28/overpopulation-and-global-warming-dissecting-the-numbers-part-one/">climate change</a>, and many other pressing problems often attributed to "too many people", are, in reality, our unjust political and economic systems -controlled by a small minority of humans- and the military industrial complex that allows them to function and expand. The tragic irony of the blame-the-"breeder" position is that the vast majority of humans are actually the victims -not perpetrators- of this profoundly exploitative system in various ways.</div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
</div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
We need to understand that <a href="http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-stuff/">our materials economy is designed to create an endless supply of "cheap" disposable stuff</a> merely for profits gained by a <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21228354.500-revealed--the-capitalist-network-that-runs-the-world.html">small</a> percentage of humans (think about the "<a href="http://www.bravenewfoundation.org/whoarethe1percent">1%</a>" articulated by the Occupy Wall Street movement), and not for the needs and well-being of humans or other animals, for the health of our ecosystems, or to create sustainable and equitable social systems. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/feb/18/worlds-top-firms-environmental-damage">Rampant ecological destruction</a> that negatively affects the lives of many humans (particularly <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10452037/ns/us_news-environment/t/minorities-suffer-most-industrial-pollution/">marginalized</a> groups) and countless other animals is inherent in this infinite growth economic model, from the extraction of materials and resources, to the production, distribution, and disposal of all this stuff, much of which is intentionally designed to become obsolete after a very short period of time. </div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
<br />
Additionally, <a href="http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/2-us-department-of-defense-is-the-worst-polluter-on-the-planet/">it has been reported</a> that the US Department of Defense is "responsible for the most egregious and widespread pollution of the planet" and that "This impact includes uninhibited use of fossil fuels, massive creation of greenhouse gases, and extensive release of radioactive and chemical contaminants into the air, water, and soil". Futhermore, "the Department of Defense ... produc(es) more hazardous waste than the five largest US chemical companies combined. Depleted uranium, petroleum, oil, pesticides, defoliant agents such as Agent Orange, and lead, along with vast amounts of radiation from weaponry produced, tested, and used, are just some of the pollutants with which the US military is contaminating the environment". It should go without saying that the vast majority of people on this planet are not included in any decision making process within the US DoD.</div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
</div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
Many people challenging anti-procreationist/populationist arguments often attempt to shift focus and blame onto individual consumption choices, and in some ways this also misses the point. <a href="http://www.storyofstuff.org/resources/the-story-of-stuff-book/">According to Annie Leonard</a>, author of The Story of Stuff, 97.5% of solid waste in the United States comes from industrial operations, not household waste, and up to 97% of all energy and material that goes into manufacturing products is simply wasted. This is not to say that individual consumption choices don't matter, but clearly the vast majority of us have little or no immediate control over, or even any say in the decisions made that use the most resources, produce the most waste and pollution, and cause most ecological destruction.<br />
<br />
Moreover, populationists often tend to overlook or ignore substantial inequalities, and thus disparate levels of consumption, even within rich nations. In reference to individual greenhouse gas emissions, <a href="http://eau.sagepub.com/content/21/2/545.abstract">David Satterthwaite writes</a> that "...the lifetime contribution to GHG emissions of a person added to the world's population varies by a factor of more than 1,000 depending on the circumstances into which they are born and their life choices..." <span style="font-family: StoneSerif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: StoneSerif; font-size: xx-small;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: StoneSerif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: StoneSerif; font-size: xx-small;"></span></span><br /></div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
On top of all this, it's downright silly for vegans, of all people, to argue that the planet is overpopulated with humans when it is estimated that <a href="http://mahider.ilri.org/bitstream/handle/10568/10601/IssueBrief3.pdf">"livestock" systems occupy nearly half (45%) of the global surface area</a>. This is a true overpopulation problem for the planet: we breed billions of land animals into existence every year -roughly 8 times the human population- just to exploit and kill them for unnecessary purposes, misusing vital resources and causing widespread pollution and environmental <a href="http://www.worldwatch.org/files/pdf/Livestock%20and%20Climate%20Change.pdf">catastrophe</a>. Not to mention the many billions of aquatic animals unnecessarily killed every year, brutalizing our oceanic ecosystems. </div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
</div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
Can we seriously maintain that the size of the human population (or even human existence), in and of itself, is the main driver of the destruction of our world? The issue of human "overpopulation" is, and historically has always been, a huge <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/08/30-1">distraction</a>. </div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
</div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
Note that none of what I have mentioned above even addresses the fact that the human population is <a href="http://www.census.gov/population/international/data/idb/worldgrgraph.php">not currently exploding</a> as many populationists claim. Rather, it is experiencing a global trend <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Coming-Population-Crash-Planets-Surprising/dp/0807001228">that will likely result in stabilization, if not decline</a>, later this century. Nor did I address the inherent racism, classism, and misogyny in an argument that focuses blame on <a href="http://www.cwpe.org/taxonomy/term/1">women's bodies</a> and on folks that still have rising populations: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/howard-steven-friedman/population-growth-worldwide_b_1245202.html">mainly poor people of color</a>. Nor have I begun to address the history of the "too many people" position, or what <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Malthus-Factor-Population-Capitalist-Development/dp/1856495647">groups of people</a> have constructed these <a href="http://www.thecornerhouse.org.uk/sites/thecornerhouse.org.uk/files/20malth_0.pdf">arguments to justify elitism, racial supremacy and oppression</a>, or how <a href="http://www.thecornerhouse.org.uk/resources/results/taxonomy:7">overpopulation theory</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Imperial-Ecology-Environmental-British-1895-1945/dp/0674005953">has been</a>, <a href="http://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/filmedia/play/4623/A-Woman-s-Womb">and</a> <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17612550">is</a> <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/15/uk-aid-forced-sterilisation-india">currently</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fatal-Misconception-Struggle-Control-Population/dp/0674034600">put into horrifying practice</a>. </div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
<br />
If anything is "not vegan" or unethical, it's attempting to shame fellow vegans (or anyone else) and relying on flimsy "overpopulation" arguments to validate one's own shallow misanthropy. Now that's a <em>real</em> shame, and we should not tolerate such nonsense if we are truly concerned about challenging oppression and promoting social justice...</div>
Lucashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04277160606423389877noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-36550907357757003672012-10-31T19:08:00.004-07:002012-10-31T20:41:49.520-07:00Falling Leaves, Falling Down...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinvP6eQRKeahxJnGPWDqULZ8Fz63RkCy7hiZfVIDkjKd2tADyRi7_-D3ZwfH4iAD8g91Z0LlCIVv5_rmiuPcX5R2luQJQszWw2uBhcK7eaGz18pVRgtrmJ-dkgZhN-IiJqN8uIQWaAEDwY/s1600/IMG_20121031_105939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinvP6eQRKeahxJnGPWDqULZ8Fz63RkCy7hiZfVIDkjKd2tADyRi7_-D3ZwfH4iAD8g91Z0LlCIVv5_rmiuPcX5R2luQJQszWw2uBhcK7eaGz18pVRgtrmJ-dkgZhN-IiJqN8uIQWaAEDwY/s320/IMG_20121031_105939.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10/31/2012 - Astral Defiance & Defy Aster 31 months </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the heels of Hurricane Sandy, a super storm that ravaged
the Caribbean and basically shut down most of the east coast of the United
States for a couple of days, we are lucky to have no damages and no loss of electricity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things got pretty intense a couple days ago
but now seem to be getting back to normal around here. While waiting out the
storm, I had a moment to get my thoughts together and write this overdue blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-SlAHwg0nJPyOna_nKsSiPOW1pbiMfE6-GtKyqc_4Hr4oLV2sFHFdIjfaph9XneSFUp6oMwi1FGeRts-QTYgLt55jUh9v4duBjodQQzTLfmIpC5EhE9Y8rm-EcXZNZ6q-LVZy-uWgb70/s1600/IMG_20121026_110308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP-SlAHwg0nJPyOna_nKsSiPOW1pbiMfE6-GtKyqc_4Hr4oLV2sFHFdIjfaph9XneSFUp6oMwi1FGeRts-QTYgLt55jUh9v4duBjodQQzTLfmIpC5EhE9Y8rm-EcXZNZ6q-LVZy-uWgb70/s320/IMG_20121026_110308.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzZ0nSWfQNZjX8WjZo6oYXNnkDVmSQcn0egdbrl4A0jcSPy2fI4drUviNjhSIA2wQmKLThKsblWt4cOl1Yz_xSlLiZ3Hom4RhPsXOktqN2tAfmtN2pCGJ70h1rl4PC5PIYIK2R5hPe85L/s1600/IMG_20121026_112324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzZ0nSWfQNZjX8WjZo6oYXNnkDVmSQcn0egdbrl4A0jcSPy2fI4drUviNjhSIA2wQmKLThKsblWt4cOl1Yz_xSlLiZ3Hom4RhPsXOktqN2tAfmtN2pCGJ70h1rl4PC5PIYIK2R5hPe85L/s320/IMG_20121026_112324.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One minor injury occurred during my blogging hiatus. Back in
September the boys were roughhousing, as per custom in this house, when Astral
fell on top of (or tackled) Defy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
they fell to the ground Astral apparently hit his front tooth on the side of Defy’s
head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He informed us that
his tooth hurt and we noticed a small drop of blood on his gum-line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I immediately took him to the dentist which
incidentally was his first visit ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
always imagined that their first visit to the dentist would be one with all of
us together as a family or at least one that was scheduled. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil5fTK9wThVvXSYeulD__S1N-C2Fw0LUCkLD_JUHLn7SG0Ua10RLxKsVQSjNrpMZzJg4ShWX_exAqCa_LWMCiKax6l4udAcM6q4h7xhzmyNQkMEbekvBrujGYHZRwe4nAB9v82HQRo6k6G/s1600/198815_10151138083763964_1879715980_n%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil5fTK9wThVvXSYeulD__S1N-C2Fw0LUCkLD_JUHLn7SG0Ua10RLxKsVQSjNrpMZzJg4ShWX_exAqCa_LWMCiKax6l4udAcM6q4h7xhzmyNQkMEbekvBrujGYHZRwe4nAB9v82HQRo6k6G/s320/198815_10151138083763964_1879715980_n%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uv0T_GiBZG3zcQ7WHNvsfDgsB_G-cShR-MfIFG1CzoUEOlP9kFo5fFMYP3kbdzV1SVRIeHQoIQMmx-tHgqiM5X8JnXYULUrC3hq8XjOe5cIL4i7RKsMuSuO2V5tohwvcYtb7f3HTnFPX/s1600/668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2uv0T_GiBZG3zcQ7WHNvsfDgsB_G-cShR-MfIFG1CzoUEOlP9kFo5fFMYP3kbdzV1SVRIeHQoIQMmx-tHgqiM5X8JnXYULUrC3hq8XjOe5cIL4i7RKsMuSuO2V5tohwvcYtb7f3HTnFPX/s320/668.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbRc7gX7Yw_qoP0yxe8_ro1CZddF7Wp9FmjvEmI-N_wWCvde52m9EGlCKpk26QYlc2aydxp8pRY50zZXbQV2BwZl2eJ1noDEUcj5LIrDOIKO3zsGBh3EN5hbDBpr898O9vNSkGYSUUe1e/s1600/544897_10151154431003964_1420850647_n%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhbRc7gX7Yw_qoP0yxe8_ro1CZddF7Wp9FmjvEmI-N_wWCvde52m9EGlCKpk26QYlc2aydxp8pRY50zZXbQV2BwZl2eJ1noDEUcj5LIrDOIKO3zsGBh3EN5hbDBpr898O9vNSkGYSUUe1e/s320/544897_10151154431003964_1420850647_n%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXydLe48D4CJINbvDwqpjNe5MvJltm6Sn6Jx7_sxdY_rWtplDf05itIwEcrS2Rnl540Y07NshOHP_iteQAauXDwl4slv7lhrPLHrZyn1BX_kpVbFEgtmfibIEaLD9Xny6Y0kGVAzfORXnj/s1600/659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXydLe48D4CJINbvDwqpjNe5MvJltm6Sn6Jx7_sxdY_rWtplDf05itIwEcrS2Rnl540Y07NshOHP_iteQAauXDwl4slv7lhrPLHrZyn1BX_kpVbFEgtmfibIEaLD9Xny6Y0kGVAzfORXnj/s320/659.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1gHa1QQFIjKW75xS46VOkdFltR3qu-ZQBMeUuZCjQ5U8Cc6O3jzfxwRuYzOSEWDg36ok3-dqcsSI6-ahxIiPhTSj6p2UBwrm2hIoL-9iNHUQTIFYJLZOg_Phs45YWWvqgXqsuKbYMJv0/s1600/tn%5B5%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1gHa1QQFIjKW75xS46VOkdFltR3qu-ZQBMeUuZCjQ5U8Cc6O3jzfxwRuYzOSEWDg36ok3-dqcsSI6-ahxIiPhTSj6p2UBwrm2hIoL-9iNHUQTIFYJLZOg_Phs45YWWvqgXqsuKbYMJv0/s320/tn%5B5%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjATTsAGgEjCYxOoJv3L9dUDpLo3Tu-jO4Pq1yHodEptx8bWwL9DrPGYEoRh2qYU1n07vGaWi3idKr72aDilJH3IlV-rZ7_BhxQXjFj8f6xluH48t8btEuexdLj3hk75sEesNaTShCn9CF7/s1600/402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjATTsAGgEjCYxOoJv3L9dUDpLo3Tu-jO4Pq1yHodEptx8bWwL9DrPGYEoRh2qYU1n07vGaWi3idKr72aDilJH3IlV-rZ7_BhxQXjFj8f6xluH48t8btEuexdLj3hk75sEesNaTShCn9CF7/s320/402.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Earlier this month the boys had a chance to visit their beloved
animal friends at Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary during their annual
fundraiser/open house event. Despite being “a little bit scared”, Astral and
Defy absolutely love being in the presence of all the animals. They talk about
Malcolm the goat and Bobby the pig on almost a daily basis, and they’ve been
quite excited about meeting newly rescued baby pig Isaac. They also had their
first up close and personal interaction with a clown which went better than we
imagined it would. The balloon animal offerings must have won DnA over because they
really seemed to enjoy the whole experience. Some clowns are super creepy (even
to adults), Apple Dumpling was anything but. There were tons of delicious vegan
food to enjoy and a silent auction of some interesting miscellaneous items. All
in all, it was a lot of fun! We also had the pleasure of meeting a sweet vegan
family that recently moved to the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hi to Julia, Ian and baby Leo! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPcCbW2rC0h-9nd6HiAvLAX8i8ymMI7tIPsl9wAkNb0H46fOsEIajEmLWs86kpgSX3M4ecIJYoVIfLsny2VfxampCSLdp0zqMz0B1ab8hwwGofFExQvZoUI8AVqT2sCH4leUAAxPPuEVP/s1600/408728_10151120856138964_2116235229_n%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPcCbW2rC0h-9nd6HiAvLAX8i8ymMI7tIPsl9wAkNb0H46fOsEIajEmLWs86kpgSX3M4ecIJYoVIfLsny2VfxampCSLdp0zqMz0B1ab8hwwGofFExQvZoUI8AVqT2sCH4leUAAxPPuEVP/s320/408728_10151120856138964_2116235229_n%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXIHiIQDVVPNhmSUxV2OHCCz3UUnR336tH4qqM-JTfYjBGhH7E-p2VRVkokicIZMt3iU5ZVYUw-HsAPJtGVWv8jbNi52R-1Odbj6fTRaYn3IlUWg5uXnWjizklgOaww1pf8kMLOUSdt6X/s1600/385751_10151120856338964_1617821537_n%255B2%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYXIHiIQDVVPNhmSUxV2OHCCz3UUnR336tH4qqM-JTfYjBGhH7E-p2VRVkokicIZMt3iU5ZVYUw-HsAPJtGVWv8jbNi52R-1Odbj6fTRaYn3IlUWg5uXnWjizklgOaww1pf8kMLOUSdt6X/s320/385751_10151120856338964_1617821537_n%255B2%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZKb44IqOzwjf9Ta1HhQa8rZqJmK1W00lqc_DIxKQKZeOPjgDba2ipFIiKE8D0FsIg5JgFwpKtG269eTsfQHNuswOqrpjEwt-I9Zqr52Vyt3eZPb3PJRvxE2zwV0gKLP2QCIufvmJUhMk/s1600/67101_10151120856888964_1910801864_n%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZKb44IqOzwjf9Ta1HhQa8rZqJmK1W00lqc_DIxKQKZeOPjgDba2ipFIiKE8D0FsIg5JgFwpKtG269eTsfQHNuswOqrpjEwt-I9Zqr52Vyt3eZPb3PJRvxE2zwV0gKLP2QCIufvmJUhMk/s320/67101_10151120856888964_1910801864_n%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2bBb0sbskvfm0x0CWjdeoe7nZg1GZiBNALCoHb7IvNnIooEfEzCUxmiz2axj36l3yHh1_163DA4fPwJ8XGPml8Q8WpQ4C2bt_0XTXuRja33uh1yfgl7k56Hsyi1vEUObGk4-q3KSXAHl/s1600/429275_10151120856693964_256669108_n%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2bBb0sbskvfm0x0CWjdeoe7nZg1GZiBNALCoHb7IvNnIooEfEzCUxmiz2axj36l3yHh1_163DA4fPwJ8XGPml8Q8WpQ4C2bt_0XTXuRja33uh1yfgl7k56Hsyi1vEUObGk4-q3KSXAHl/s320/429275_10151120856693964_256669108_n%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39WfXa3M6vyL9WcFEx_guBVYNZ8YpAA0jHeg5XV6N4idTeB72mxsoKk_-g73Fo5xFP34cYMs3gmc8JPZS6jgdnCqARrh0_zaJxQ23vn4zMVgaV06R-uiH8q5H1yrMsqiuHqureAWScPPE/s1600/404746_10151120856518964_1663830376_n%255B2%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39WfXa3M6vyL9WcFEx_guBVYNZ8YpAA0jHeg5XV6N4idTeB72mxsoKk_-g73Fo5xFP34cYMs3gmc8JPZS6jgdnCqARrh0_zaJxQ23vn4zMVgaV06R-uiH8q5H1yrMsqiuHqureAWScPPE/s320/404746_10151120856518964_1663830376_n%255B2%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">These kids started talking and never skipped a beat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They understand everything and we can pretty
much have conversations with them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
pretty amazing to have two more people around for discussions. Their comprehension
is impressive. Just now while typing this, I was talking to Lucas about needing
a tissue and the next thing I knew Astral was holding up a piece of scrunched
up toilet paper he had brought to me from the powder room. How cute is that? Also,
they now have a stronger sense of time, which is really cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They get that Grandma is coming over tomorrow
or yesterday we went to see Malcolm. They get before and after too. They are
learning how to write their alphabet and really enjoy their daily lessons with
Daddy, although they do sometimes get distracted by their silly brother. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wRq3L8W2xSbm5h8HFJKVoyYDj-okf5gdjhCnCKyijZbvYodlqNqBPqYA7urEJ9FoY5uRoCTS05HqNLefsYxbs4nCGPYQ6P1dfkxOXvnZQIWmE_A3uVTycD0JzpXpBmlXuEyJ7hwHpagg/s1600/029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wRq3L8W2xSbm5h8HFJKVoyYDj-okf5gdjhCnCKyijZbvYodlqNqBPqYA7urEJ9FoY5uRoCTS05HqNLefsYxbs4nCGPYQ6P1dfkxOXvnZQIWmE_A3uVTycD0JzpXpBmlXuEyJ7hwHpagg/s320/029.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjji1oA5zqDR0GCg2d2P7E7l8mjXNerna4xXHHZTswr1rNx0CrHOrrc6f3DYMC6ibePSAfBoqFN2hAN_MA7SBKAvf80xoSIDW7fYxvWLw_qu5hEAe_01g2bnnwhkk4NYcGuxuH79xHL-8LW/s1600/024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjji1oA5zqDR0GCg2d2P7E7l8mjXNerna4xXHHZTswr1rNx0CrHOrrc6f3DYMC6ibePSAfBoqFN2hAN_MA7SBKAvf80xoSIDW7fYxvWLw_qu5hEAe_01g2bnnwhkk4NYcGuxuH79xHL-8LW/s320/024.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When the boys officially turned the big 2-point-5 we retired
the cloth diapers and switched to cloth training pants and “big boy” undies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have very few accidents now, a very
important milestone, especially for those lucky parents that have been cleaning
cloth diapers by hand for a couple of years. Yes, it is every bit as delightful
as it sounds…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">DnA are still eating really well and enjoying their green
juices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all caught a flu-like virus
over the course of a couple weeks, which was pretty disrupting. Thankfully the
boys only showed symptoms for a couple of days before returning to somewhat
normal, but with decreased appetites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since
they’ve been better, it has been decided that they don’t like two staples in
their diet for what seems like forever: peanut butter and their favorite
multi-seed whole grain bread. Not a big deal, it happens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Toddlers sometimes love something one day
only to passionately hate it the next and fall back in love the following day,
without missing a beat. They love granola, beans, salads, fresh fruits and have
been obsessed with pumpkin muffins and pumpkin pancakes lately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think they enjoy helping to make the food
almost as much as they enjoy eating it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqi0BJigLAyHwcvJDUWQkcmjCf5933Oox1PRMh6lVccbc-6TDxTMqzUhNPR8PkY5E5LqvtB5LAOVzd723gnnYCZI2BXJ1UCEzRY9usZ3YMo7WjYdF9eEkNZiNVQc-vnY2dR7Wxui9Oqd3N/s1600/IMG_20121015_200536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqi0BJigLAyHwcvJDUWQkcmjCf5933Oox1PRMh6lVccbc-6TDxTMqzUhNPR8PkY5E5LqvtB5LAOVzd723gnnYCZI2BXJ1UCEzRY9usZ3YMo7WjYdF9eEkNZiNVQc-vnY2dR7Wxui9Oqd3N/s320/IMG_20121015_200536.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZKb44IqOzwjf9Ta1HhQa8rZqJmK1W00lqc_DIxKQKZeOPjgDba2ipFIiKE8D0FsIg5JgFwpKtG269eTsfQHNuswOqrpjEwt-I9Zqr52Vyt3eZPb3PJRvxE2zwV0gKLP2QCIufvmJUhMk/s1600/67101_10151120856888964_1910801864_n%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEUkIEshQaafeaPkcfWynNCEtO8VolA8m3FPHhDS6cqdjs1FreeomI06-4ncOoXGbEeFQrkSvlnIOCwg9K2b1pd2oAGRLJeSDfFMKQqVgU8hwHnHQKBT3AlszWA2UA4UMs2BQspfEGtj_/s1600/389527_10151137898603964_720620532_n%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEUkIEshQaafeaPkcfWynNCEtO8VolA8m3FPHhDS6cqdjs1FreeomI06-4ncOoXGbEeFQrkSvlnIOCwg9K2b1pd2oAGRLJeSDfFMKQqVgU8hwHnHQKBT3AlszWA2UA4UMs2BQspfEGtj_/s320/389527_10151137898603964_720620532_n%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYfws2SN4qG0gYQzdnG-ExGgzboAH0X2uK449uKT3zzDha8QCts7OQ7XxvqK_vko0gHfOUbhwGaTWb_tZcZo1KSTaGvgtjMMs4IO7FWp-vnxVpO9kLn-_gyU2dfhFpqqRS5QN86oNmmu-/s1600/463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYfws2SN4qG0gYQzdnG-ExGgzboAH0X2uK449uKT3zzDha8QCts7OQ7XxvqK_vko0gHfOUbhwGaTWb_tZcZo1KSTaGvgtjMMs4IO7FWp-vnxVpO9kLn-_gyU2dfhFpqqRS5QN86oNmmu-/s320/463.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvUnwZ5BPdP6e1LD77nUyPwA2Ha1YfHlFxPtxg9UKc5t5hzbyBmJwAMP_mQ9vOjxipUSRos-BsfSDtx6KloOKm6K6M9CBVcLnWi7wnKYmpqRobrAP9kkiDLSJ_R4ZfztMdRx5PqOW3Y9Mx/s1600/464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvUnwZ5BPdP6e1LD77nUyPwA2Ha1YfHlFxPtxg9UKc5t5hzbyBmJwAMP_mQ9vOjxipUSRos-BsfSDtx6KloOKm6K6M9CBVcLnWi7wnKYmpqRobrAP9kkiDLSJ_R4ZfztMdRx5PqOW3Y9Mx/s320/464.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9DRF4mRGbjtIcNMb7pcKvg9Ysztvraluc1W8Ksd4BTXzAGGaztwJtwRjQxqU64MxteSuECnNEPCzeqQpP_SuTomOPLb4ZDVtNPeEIXScmAWx41HAXi3phojmTXPAOf9MTCbasQ6XimAD/s1600/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE9DRF4mRGbjtIcNMb7pcKvg9Ysztvraluc1W8Ksd4BTXzAGGaztwJtwRjQxqU64MxteSuECnNEPCzeqQpP_SuTomOPLb4ZDVtNPeEIXScmAWx41HAXi3phojmTXPAOf9MTCbasQ6XimAD/s320/026.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZW_3w_86MFubAaxtKTFYSscxUd6jR84ZsyYZH-aONLoAwlKEH2Kbv0haAksuYIN69oJn5AOxXjV7ghPAj7eWnViBXIwD-mFvePP6i0dfTu6H07wqhp2wWQj7z1UeYw17VX3y4OrQirOv5/s1600/IMG_20121021_111659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZW_3w_86MFubAaxtKTFYSscxUd6jR84ZsyYZH-aONLoAwlKEH2Kbv0haAksuYIN69oJn5AOxXjV7ghPAj7eWnViBXIwD-mFvePP6i0dfTu6H07wqhp2wWQj7z1UeYw17VX3y4OrQirOv5/s320/IMG_20121021_111659.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">smashing plantain for patacones</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOJrB86PbIY8vF-lVZeS6QEgQdHjf8XUsogHFDmu2FWKDyNSekeJ3u64T5KZZ2Ejt91cfo7uQebY7wCIbuWVyfduViFxV39b_VVJ21GOpDdvNkqBVCV7iS3R-xk1Tnn_jsjC1EC1Ixcor/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOJrB86PbIY8vF-lVZeS6QEgQdHjf8XUsogHFDmu2FWKDyNSekeJ3u64T5KZZ2Ejt91cfo7uQebY7wCIbuWVyfduViFxV39b_VVJ21GOpDdvNkqBVCV7iS3R-xk1Tnn_jsjC1EC1Ixcor/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">what vegan 2.5 year olds eat: chickpea cutlet, spaghetti squash and salad <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsa0ndxJPVVh7-dfynvNKulSJhQ0jPPKegaa6q8BI9e_pV6lBaKLYwa0C6XuYup4hqbldcd_GF3Af9RdDaTFYcTGTueLbxkU66un3cNIT-_NyBoXFa2dx5eoRiGl3ZdfeAAvZlrBkfb6rK/s1600/A6QIBfICAAEmebQ%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsa0ndxJPVVh7-dfynvNKulSJhQ0jPPKegaa6q8BI9e_pV6lBaKLYwa0C6XuYup4hqbldcd_GF3Af9RdDaTFYcTGTueLbxkU66un3cNIT-_NyBoXFa2dx5eoRiGl3ZdfeAAvZlrBkfb6rK/s320/A6QIBfICAAEmebQ%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
pierogies, lentils, salad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZtx5uyfSO01X1vv2PjcDHZtQ_kBmUzRWGErcuPzGjcqXd2zA40aBNZGAUSjtcJO_FTcTsrgtXhUCz1LXtngGmI3KUepeewZfpr3vNJ03VT1bfgRZai1rZiwRbv90Pk_TuKMvtZhCYKxx/s1600/208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZtx5uyfSO01X1vv2PjcDHZtQ_kBmUzRWGErcuPzGjcqXd2zA40aBNZGAUSjtcJO_FTcTsrgtXhUCz1LXtngGmI3KUepeewZfpr3vNJ03VT1bfgRZai1rZiwRbv90Pk_TuKMvtZhCYKxx/s320/208.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">whole wheat pasta, sauce, nooch<br />
<div align="left">
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglqkhxnz-2ij_leVJMtPFv_Ru1uHLUnz6_kFTtGhIY_WwsJ2PZlY3SoFBIHc1P6CeAjEQsyGyhhVOhyvhVaBNeNylH04d6L1xG2Vs44aVWFKBa9a53BPgJ0ZN5JAp35Qk4DZcdflBM8bLT/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglqkhxnz-2ij_leVJMtPFv_Ru1uHLUnz6_kFTtGhIY_WwsJ2PZlY3SoFBIHc1P6CeAjEQsyGyhhVOhyvhVaBNeNylH04d6L1xG2Vs44aVWFKBa9a53BPgJ0ZN5JAp35Qk4DZcdflBM8bLT/s320/011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here’s to a Happy World Vegan Day (November 1<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st)</span></sup>!
I hope you find a special way to celebrate and promote veganism…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOwsFN8hrmJ8ftWwaAmnlHHdBstCSNQ0oSRd-RlWSb4PAzD8Z2hyleo5Efm-vWB2WKog9P6NoT53yR9vX4rQcP68MCtF5VgZGQGhbliJR2gap-Bqe2eR-_SeDoAEau9TS7aPW796w2on4/s1600/564438_10151092181658964_1184143485_n%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOwsFN8hrmJ8ftWwaAmnlHHdBstCSNQ0oSRd-RlWSb4PAzD8Z2hyleo5Efm-vWB2WKog9P6NoT53yR9vX4rQcP68MCtF5VgZGQGhbliJR2gap-Bqe2eR-_SeDoAEau9TS7aPW796w2on4/s320/564438_10151092181658964_1184143485_n%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpXImxuXm4ojBhZ1vCMmrPGpIw7F58aD5VBE8KsogW1prbcKWHeCVZNie6yMNsaZkD1THve_WD18AhQuyAOUcMTs8qyb6BgXxolgUSTy2NtvSUv4N2DFdcVPay0cE9ZhN0MOB3cVJISBM/s1600/532113_10151092181078964_2076311308_n%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpXImxuXm4ojBhZ1vCMmrPGpIw7F58aD5VBE8KsogW1prbcKWHeCVZNie6yMNsaZkD1THve_WD18AhQuyAOUcMTs8qyb6BgXxolgUSTy2NtvSUv4N2DFdcVPay0cE9ZhN0MOB3cVJISBM/s320/532113_10151092181078964_2076311308_n%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzZ0nSWfQNZjX8WjZo6oYXNnkDVmSQcn0egdbrl4A0jcSPy2fI4drUviNjhSIA2wQmKLThKsblWt4cOl1Yz_xSlLiZ3Hom4RhPsXOktqN2tAfmtN2pCGJ70h1rl4PC5PIYIK2R5hPe85L/s1600/IMG_20121026_112324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-21218030384016423502012-08-31T19:49:00.005-07:002021-11-01T22:17:27.845-07:00Moving Forward...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4v0K6EF3DF9OPymqAxwCGFmyEErMrS1U0ciA634Ifo4aoY_zxuxlLP-APYh5zT1i9XW5ph-lA4xFIWHKm-zpV1G4omtDKbqqZ9gwMPoUJbc9OOfCUetQ3UDVJ6lgiMCu0jsNsnayLPiIR/s1600/362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4v0K6EF3DF9OPymqAxwCGFmyEErMrS1U0ciA634Ifo4aoY_zxuxlLP-APYh5zT1i9XW5ph-lA4xFIWHKm-zpV1G4omtDKbqqZ9gwMPoUJbc9OOfCUetQ3UDVJ6lgiMCu0jsNsnayLPiIR/s320/362.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Astral and Defy love this <a href="http://www.coexisting.co.nz/">INVSOC</a> card! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9hhC-A9EIyagXeYRmhJJjLCBDC5a8wqbVme1FEWJt3m12XLlDydd_-JO51qBgHt68KYoszlgH0XOH5zkYMsT8GY5nX6Px0MGJb0izclUqG_7-Q__PfuVjlxZiSS2H5p9VW4b0-IH5_jV/s1600/098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9hhC-A9EIyagXeYRmhJJjLCBDC5a8wqbVme1FEWJt3m12XLlDydd_-JO51qBgHt68KYoszlgH0XOH5zkYMsT8GY5nX6Px0MGJb0izclUqG_7-Q__PfuVjlxZiSS2H5p9VW4b0-IH5_jV/s320/098.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibphfHw5hjmbFiu82AYRcnIbFfNpCPCIAtPufAAGOkMAnx0i5x2_G_cWJxEw-pMiC_Z7PzTUpQRedAveRLgXQmBnppvWHt85se295wm-WC3wzKPyLwnNd2hPv77sdDdliCX_lITxlNdX_5/s1600/109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibphfHw5hjmbFiu82AYRcnIbFfNpCPCIAtPufAAGOkMAnx0i5x2_G_cWJxEw-pMiC_Z7PzTUpQRedAveRLgXQmBnppvWHt85se295wm-WC3wzKPyLwnNd2hPv77sdDdliCX_lITxlNdX_5/s320/109.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PtRJP3uG_bCi0rcknKmWWdGOh2rAOGMBtfIr8ISTFjJOUW0NV1K9tP1_TEiKwCs5FxJbNCW_gx0LPGaIykbESXaOegpWqdDGjVk-d6_USlycDHLb97JyLRmy9ftOURIqgSNT_uVuOSt1/s1600/133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PtRJP3uG_bCi0rcknKmWWdGOh2rAOGMBtfIr8ISTFjJOUW0NV1K9tP1_TEiKwCs5FxJbNCW_gx0LPGaIykbESXaOegpWqdDGjVk-d6_USlycDHLb97JyLRmy9ftOURIqgSNT_uVuOSt1/s320/133.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">These little dudes love stuffing their mouths with mangos! </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Astral and Defy are
right on the cusp of the big 3-0! 30 months, that is. In 3 days they will be 2
½. How did time fly by so quickly? The past 30 months have been so precious;
we’ve experienced and learned so much while raising our sweet little rascals.
We are happy to have shared our journey so far with readers from all around the
world. It has been very important for us to represent veganism as a healthy and
ethical way of living, and to show that raising children as vegans is entirely
possible. We have been told by many readers that this blog has helped them out
on their own journey, so we feel it is necessary to keep on posting, at least
until the boys are a little older. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">DnA are natural born
gymnasts. These little daredevils have perfected their forward roll, and since
that wasn’t nearly amazing enough, they have now mastered the forward roll with
no hands. They are basically catching air while tumbling. We need to quickly
find a gymnastics class to nurture their flexibility and acrobatics in a much
more padded environment. They still enjoy stretching, doing push-ups, hanging
on bars, and doing pull ups. Never doubt the strength of a vegan toddler,
especially one powered by kale juice!!! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">As usual, the boys have
been eating so well. They usually finish every single bite on their plates or
in their bowls and quickly slam down all of their coconut milk and green
juices/smoothies. This isn’t a food blog by any means (yes we know our photos
aren’t vegan cookbook worthy), but since this is going to be a short and sweet
post we’ve decided to post some photos of our simple, go-to toddler-friendly
vegan meals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHuKwkJyHRuPhwuVuyHATmqN_K2jG5mP3Wi3CLMgjCZOw4bPVvny4HK5VCjNcVukFVOBmbcbG59jyra2rIPW_Ie3ozALR-DF1CUFaF9I03qU_1xnBbo8dKYvDZ0t2eioLNlE6n7Yn5Lek/s1600/160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHuKwkJyHRuPhwuVuyHATmqN_K2jG5mP3Wi3CLMgjCZOw4bPVvny4HK5VCjNcVukFVOBmbcbG59jyra2rIPW_Ie3ozALR-DF1CUFaF9I03qU_1xnBbo8dKYvDZ0t2eioLNlE6n7Yn5Lek/s320/160.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> seed and raisin mix</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnrxblFn-reMrjMP2A6ceovZmuLrRvn77QHeHJ16Tqm86qq9xNWqZGSPriDdGNBVTWsFAe6UUdqAL6IUhVRjiIn3fvASaD-h1e9HGcyoUGF8Ryh2Bt-10WeGKgnQ2goiGQKMHY0REZenyj/s1600/274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnrxblFn-reMrjMP2A6ceovZmuLrRvn77QHeHJ16Tqm86qq9xNWqZGSPriDdGNBVTWsFAe6UUdqAL6IUhVRjiIn3fvASaD-h1e9HGcyoUGF8Ryh2Bt-10WeGKgnQ2goiGQKMHY0REZenyj/s320/274.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> back to the basics: red beans and brown rice</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28pdXjYjvRW9t8X6TsAZADDeIs8n6crrDPdlPsX7zszNhyphenhyphenrfw6N_fNYIfWNsspOd-hZNfbni2tPcvylkMMnjMfwLsrGjOOKhwKoPSnFh8cle5xoix7FWdDkhsAYgRnDNj6C7lc-c8_t22/s1600/184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28pdXjYjvRW9t8X6TsAZADDeIs8n6crrDPdlPsX7zszNhyphenhyphenrfw6N_fNYIfWNsspOd-hZNfbni2tPcvylkMMnjMfwLsrGjOOKhwKoPSnFh8cle5xoix7FWdDkhsAYgRnDNj6C7lc-c8_t22/s320/184.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> pasta salad</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJW-IlNJF0N9-wf9aiO-KNW1Alm3vRfJSJm7nWm71zmBNhzEVjlJp7fKKXWAFAVvpV7MOJ9eKZOAABT4iq2SPOXDJA_w7FVWJ_l8V8KLcF9eyXD4PEzxaLAwTDOKdOJsbUUb3JLoXMpSi-/s1600/280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJW-IlNJF0N9-wf9aiO-KNW1Alm3vRfJSJm7nWm71zmBNhzEVjlJp7fKKXWAFAVvpV7MOJ9eKZOAABT4iq2SPOXDJA_w7FVWJ_l8V8KLcF9eyXD4PEzxaLAwTDOKdOJsbUUb3JLoXMpSi-/s320/280.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> tofu scramble, tortillas, oven potatoes</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZbUi4clkgKLqhpA63ll6zqsyjSr0c3NFBPI5DS5bO3aFw02ewf_qTuhjCGpNjBv_RXWV-cdXsHyXsHmDpi1QYq0QybRZ9PU2EDoDbjF4cKiq2ibQq_bA29KY4vxPSRQSPt9ssa4E8RLo/s1600/385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZbUi4clkgKLqhpA63ll6zqsyjSr0c3NFBPI5DS5bO3aFw02ewf_qTuhjCGpNjBv_RXWV-cdXsHyXsHmDpi1QYq0QybRZ9PU2EDoDbjF4cKiq2ibQq_bA29KY4vxPSRQSPt9ssa4E8RLo/s320/385.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> brown rice and stir-fried veggies, tofu, kale salad</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8GplnH8nKyNyAaYCc4Xw40npnvkrXjzswa5J9hR-FHIE32Rbhbuvmmm3sWMzDCw9vLLjyh34bEEtGU0Oktdg87_w-ohx9qAPYZ8tissVkjaH2elIGpjrRgPsoNWck5xCi727foJEGKfu/s1600/343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8GplnH8nKyNyAaYCc4Xw40npnvkrXjzswa5J9hR-FHIE32Rbhbuvmmm3sWMzDCw9vLLjyh34bEEtGU0Oktdg87_w-ohx9qAPYZ8tissVkjaH2elIGpjrRgPsoNWck5xCi727foJEGKfu/s320/343.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> no queso blackbean quesadilla, salsa, carrots, salad with walnuts, blue corn chips</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTzp3Ka7bYN7FcHX11bH5qT0IC0xLKOhL4l6ojwCT2v89lyWSaL4TkdY8u3GB9HAmY051FR3VLq_zC3PPqEfJSj2bmXEqWcrVYn7oTUBzb2OX8C_RfuxOSLKV2kqZDEuW0lGcOIgQvc4b/s1600/20120817_190813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTzp3Ka7bYN7FcHX11bH5qT0IC0xLKOhL4l6ojwCT2v89lyWSaL4TkdY8u3GB9HAmY051FR3VLq_zC3PPqEfJSj2bmXEqWcrVYn7oTUBzb2OX8C_RfuxOSLKV2kqZDEuW0lGcOIgQvc4b/s320/20120817_190813.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> toddler smorgasbord: salad, salsa, lentils, blue corn chips, plantain</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZlqNuvpV_wDvN7Qy3JlWOms7wV3Cn71Aodd1RKiGndzQP5sDEi3zppClSo2B-AITVfrjaHyDhIfQUDGNgp_r6Qeo86m9790ZXWWE5E0Mdoxj3OX4QLhowJ-eZj3eLfbwXlyqEoyx5B-I/s1600/20120817_144906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZlqNuvpV_wDvN7Qy3JlWOms7wV3Cn71Aodd1RKiGndzQP5sDEi3zppClSo2B-AITVfrjaHyDhIfQUDGNgp_r6Qeo86m9790ZXWWE5E0Mdoxj3OX4QLhowJ-eZj3eLfbwXlyqEoyx5B-I/s320/20120817_144906.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> veggie noodle soup with bok choy, corn, edamame</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKyjL94O5r76ts8rJr5pRSWPepyNt7PhEmcQ6-g_NWF5MDWqG1_wj8GhGaFQeDfHq8LoaGV8oCxAbFnODbyS1cNjuR_cR56Na7TG5ECwsZOYosG3W0x__KrrDHyI7g00W-YRgwVRbiu8c/s1600/229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKyjL94O5r76ts8rJr5pRSWPepyNt7PhEmcQ6-g_NWF5MDWqG1_wj8GhGaFQeDfHq8LoaGV8oCxAbFnODbyS1cNjuR_cR56Na7TG5ECwsZOYosG3W0x__KrrDHyI7g00W-YRgwVRbiu8c/s320/229.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Lucas found 30 pounds of this Sulfur Shelf aka 'chicken mushroom' in a park last year. We dehydrated it and are still enjoying this delicious find. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kURLw75uTAGigwuQe2OreGPTkYSWBVQPbq3ENlHUxwMUVbkChSDeP9M1n4YOz_JMrIDNrLw6nYlm533t1nHCBHw3g_IH7Qm7O4tespuRYdAZlqrVomMXwDYLv4l2sG0zqdp6Mqm2Fbc6/s1600/246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kURLw75uTAGigwuQe2OreGPTkYSWBVQPbq3ENlHUxwMUVbkChSDeP9M1n4YOz_JMrIDNrLw6nYlm533t1nHCBHw3g_IH7Qm7O4tespuRYdAZlqrVomMXwDYLv4l2sG0zqdp6Mqm2Fbc6/s320/246.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> Soy 'chicken' analogs have nothing on this mushroom! Look at the texture!!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXjw2YN6VhoCOq6VUSZPX5__ulL4AYUeTGeJxLVdWyhyP0Q13Fy11GizaZl1Mu__-7M5E-TeWudoGi86s2Te_KmE-yOtQXH32tUprjOW09r24keJgnvjs1iysVy9GyJul7DuCN2RL0qX2/s1600/229782_10150260946013964_2820789_n%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXjw2YN6VhoCOq6VUSZPX5__ulL4AYUeTGeJxLVdWyhyP0Q13Fy11GizaZl1Mu__-7M5E-TeWudoGi86s2Te_KmE-yOtQXH32tUprjOW09r24keJgnvjs1iysVy9GyJul7DuCN2RL0qX2/s320/229782_10150260946013964_2820789_n%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This is some of the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVjKfqApNsE">'chicken mushroom'</a> right before Luke harvested it! Best find EVER! </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Warning: Please make sure you do serious research before foraging for mushrooms!!!!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRC_QscaMnEJOlbDjFJVKuGq3W_3fKjC1WaKP8VlxTl52I3yGg_dQpfymV-ZXeLjMkKXpq-yiJmED5HZV3tPQNGtjLKLiJr-F2q1ANyCunH41FXVV7PfdVRZuZIxcev2bJsNHTZkOipS2e/s1600/187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRC_QscaMnEJOlbDjFJVKuGq3W_3fKjC1WaKP8VlxTl52I3yGg_dQpfymV-ZXeLjMkKXpq-yiJmED5HZV3tPQNGtjLKLiJr-F2q1ANyCunH41FXVV7PfdVRZuZIxcev2bJsNHTZkOipS2e/s320/187.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">chugging coconut milk </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Art is definitely in
Astral and Defy’s genes. These budding artists can draw pictures of faces,
cars, etc. There's really nothing sweeter than having them draw a picture of a
face while saying with a smile, "that's mommy" or
"that's daddy".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhip1ZJg-PMJaA_nm6snZkgEzmKE7wfHm2_rmjEE0zfMLZjOMuAu2rCEltnQsHDIsXhhvWqGq-A_H-qSFo6kByfZqt9plcDNUnTu4yk_sEUAx4YfsZCIJplnxnLA4TcyE_zJkHFmovCCvxu/s1600/523212_10151058209498964_529969806_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhip1ZJg-PMJaA_nm6snZkgEzmKE7wfHm2_rmjEE0zfMLZjOMuAu2rCEltnQsHDIsXhhvWqGq-A_H-qSFo6kByfZqt9plcDNUnTu4yk_sEUAx4YfsZCIJplnxnLA4TcyE_zJkHFmovCCvxu/s320/523212_10151058209498964_529969806_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVicxi4n75_Qecb6oX6xB0xWgC95bbGHazBgLXxwGi35QdWvqdn3zDnb9iq_2KU3dIkem28cgG1VfvYYmt8zQO88WhNb-DP453K6Kk7PWT5643EzRj5ugIXeObtBiGnXdFVK4VkXQqLAFu/s1600/366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVicxi4n75_Qecb6oX6xB0xWgC95bbGHazBgLXxwGi35QdWvqdn3zDnb9iq_2KU3dIkem28cgG1VfvYYmt8zQO88WhNb-DP453K6Kk7PWT5643EzRj5ugIXeObtBiGnXdFVK4VkXQqLAFu/s320/366.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">We are getting settled
into our new place. We had no clue how much extra (unnecessary) stuff we had
accumulated after preparing for and having the boys. The movers were with us
from 10am until almost 6pm on the day of the big move. I never imagined it
would take more than a couple hours for them to move our stuff. Boy was I
wrong. Astral and Defy behaved really well and thankfully we had helpers to
keep them out of the way at the new house. They have their own playground in
the backyard and a great playroom that has kept them entertained over the past
few weeks as we try to figure out our new routine. At first they asked about
their old house, but now they tell us that they love the new place. They still
ask about old friends and we tell them we will visit soon, since we only moved
35 minutes away. We are relieved that they are adjusting so well to their new
environment. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_zahAcTsCt42x2X27zJ1ZhSFlJ6GYEjqq-a43eIGGZlmzMhyphenhyphenh7G45PPoYdD3WKzz5Jbhm_vTC3SP38dPy2-mRfeJAVc2QxR9M4y9_9l42WrrMU8qvp9W2oaI-hqqvpqbWr34XWIUUCNP/s1600/057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_zahAcTsCt42x2X27zJ1ZhSFlJ6GYEjqq-a43eIGGZlmzMhyphenhyphenh7G45PPoYdD3WKzz5Jbhm_vTC3SP38dPy2-mRfeJAVc2QxR9M4y9_9l42WrrMU8qvp9W2oaI-hqqvpqbWr34XWIUUCNP/s320/057.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROt2u-tT2RYwJ8kdvuLSPCzZsZWZMNFItz6eHCOrqjrh2RHIgLm8edyDcr8ojuw6ktOLPRbP_h21Zhyphenhyphen8wchz_PL8Fa-lp1DaU-ziJpsLD-pHQj87S-Mw3kbXBRH5utyQxazky3a3JXEnM/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROt2u-tT2RYwJ8kdvuLSPCzZsZWZMNFItz6eHCOrqjrh2RHIgLm8edyDcr8ojuw6ktOLPRbP_h21Zhyphenhyphen8wchz_PL8Fa-lp1DaU-ziJpsLD-pHQj87S-Mw3kbXBRH5utyQxazky3a3JXEnM/s320/018.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> plotting and scheming </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQWEdqW2tV8VG8sQ8_QLCgTZ1L6YKC4RlHaZuBEBTUj5s7Hllcsd5Hdjeg7VCukt-xR9lVTZs1f9Dy6BH4ralTb1MZso3MH4wi0xT_JGuVYxqauLQj8O6Ir7bI8eGmJZwapkgdwi1GFvx/s1600/047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQWEdqW2tV8VG8sQ8_QLCgTZ1L6YKC4RlHaZuBEBTUj5s7Hllcsd5Hdjeg7VCukt-xR9lVTZs1f9Dy6BH4ralTb1MZso3MH4wi0xT_JGuVYxqauLQj8O6Ir7bI8eGmJZwapkgdwi1GFvx/s320/047.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">
<br />
Having a sizable yard is something new for all of us, and we have already put
it to good use. Star and Sunny love sunbathing for unlimited amounts of time
and, aside from the playground, the boys enjoy playing in the dirt and observing
all their insect friends (there are some amazing and huge butterflies here).
Daddy is already composting away and planning his garden that will go along
well with the (now berry-less) blackberry bushes that are already here.
Hopefully by this time next year we'll have copious amounts of home-grown kale
and other organic goodies! Until then, at least we can pick pears from our
neighbors' tree to our hearts' content...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguDQvK0RTtKv9Pz9qZUMHxH7_4zgMnEreHgyJwA1H_iKSA5W9tx8f4Va2ciZxWLDRzVk-nBjjK2Pvk2hLks_e2B6Yx6s5OWA8jpk5HMe1samNYT9f1d_KKgxoBNqWOFVJUPQDkWr9VQ8uE/s1600/326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguDQvK0RTtKv9Pz9qZUMHxH7_4zgMnEreHgyJwA1H_iKSA5W9tx8f4Va2ciZxWLDRzVk-nBjjK2Pvk2hLks_e2B6Yx6s5OWA8jpk5HMe1samNYT9f1d_KKgxoBNqWOFVJUPQDkWr9VQ8uE/s320/326.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUStX1_TixgG9dcjZG6mwRsvnO-8AA3N9UzDwlH93rmPhq-Mfc1HGZMjB8xSuKi4kcaDsTUUhOYI-DEFEA_xQrTD1QPzg3IndJuvnZe-dZ9YMGPJ4wi4uIdpLYo5gxXKWVEvMuyiXZwfO/s1600/331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUStX1_TixgG9dcjZG6mwRsvnO-8AA3N9UzDwlH93rmPhq-Mfc1HGZMjB8xSuKi4kcaDsTUUhOYI-DEFEA_xQrTD1QPzg3IndJuvnZe-dZ9YMGPJ4wi4uIdpLYo5gxXKWVEvMuyiXZwfO/s320/331.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAS5vbbzNpgUzAelAjkopNRPqURruvV4JmN3dX-x5g-c7bmtQjWVQvKFePEVBSotGSdCDc8sMWsrGNfH1BSsIuPEwJjh-FVSSpBIz4lh7j8V7pKTgmtpjDh9kcbzvWpFX63eF35gzbnD3l/s1600/20120818_153522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAS5vbbzNpgUzAelAjkopNRPqURruvV4JmN3dX-x5g-c7bmtQjWVQvKFePEVBSotGSdCDc8sMWsrGNfH1BSsIuPEwJjh-FVSSpBIz4lh7j8V7pKTgmtpjDh9kcbzvWpFX63eF35gzbnD3l/s320/20120818_153522.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTb3aEIG8IP2TtEu3egF1p8ibdooal9Lee52vw919j13aVdvo9ZD6cMe6HHAa7304KYoOGMOu9X48LYh0U1ICOEKHkO2kwDPjEmkl2jNACKOkdeR1H0p5KEiaYPmXi5j6z-uqosVi9G7wL/s1600/20120817_131231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTb3aEIG8IP2TtEu3egF1p8ibdooal9Lee52vw919j13aVdvo9ZD6cMe6HHAa7304KYoOGMOu9X48LYh0U1ICOEKHkO2kwDPjEmkl2jNACKOkdeR1H0p5KEiaYPmXi5j6z-uqosVi9G7wL/s320/20120817_131231.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;">they requested "little vases" to make arrangements</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMVCc63c5UwjZ9WPzknBO4iK5lcB-tlvNFlDkF8LGbvK8hZaaNKcpV_ABis2WfkTrUzC89EQlM9LSpgdt5iV7ytl5xHrhbnTPJKBo3KjpbyBRmIIo8OJC3cXJBGO7eIWl9HOlEanbIV3r/s1600/20120817_130625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMVCc63c5UwjZ9WPzknBO4iK5lcB-tlvNFlDkF8LGbvK8hZaaNKcpV_ABis2WfkTrUzC89EQlM9LSpgdt5iV7ytl5xHrhbnTPJKBo3KjpbyBRmIIo8OJC3cXJBGO7eIWl9HOlEanbIV3r/s320/20120817_130625.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p> all photos are of Astral Defiance and Defy Aster at 29 months old </o:p></span></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span> *********************************************************************************</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p>Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-21819680171638963162012-07-31T18:42:00.002-07:002012-08-03T07:45:06.758-07:00Stormy Summer Sweetness...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLO3C_7SrUEO31dPbWzwHvV1ri2C36Wd1ZZcDhm08tPCmrqqBRVBOo2a38Svi20i0PGW0ShpZePZ_WE3mHOjbqRcrpkTMt2gf6hZ2OTkrgpBh6VpX42fbUCII_mC2lhCAWqoryT2wymV2K/s1600/532667_10150893253598964_2114880519_n%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLO3C_7SrUEO31dPbWzwHvV1ri2C36Wd1ZZcDhm08tPCmrqqBRVBOo2a38Svi20i0PGW0ShpZePZ_WE3mHOjbqRcrpkTMt2gf6hZ2OTkrgpBh6VpX42fbUCII_mC2lhCAWqoryT2wymV2K/s320/532667_10150893253598964_2114880519_n%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzGrEh5t8TXINhicIEJQVDuHmUo5Lh9M5R88nz4PG0wsfIajbBQ7t8ejOAVFY3F04vzYiZJQV9oEikVkGa3q9q8J5geRGI5OBHCXwwN7DG-HIQMqyzOkLqXdS7Kbjdu4eIl1io3m3nFaX/s1600/165804_10150893253498964_1857473985_n%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzGrEh5t8TXINhicIEJQVDuHmUo5Lh9M5R88nz4PG0wsfIajbBQ7t8ejOAVFY3F04vzYiZJQV9oEikVkGa3q9q8J5geRGI5OBHCXwwN7DG-HIQMqyzOkLqXdS7Kbjdu4eIl1io3m3nFaX/s320/165804_10150893253498964_1857473985_n%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">26 months </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9we37bbXZhTbocIJkk1i3HOff5-ezwTGZj3cTPtMcxXghkdUEyIMkGAf9p8-44Y-Z9K7tYYULdbsA7bSvQ0-2HcTu99gs1jLLpun451VfmCHD93DgROqamN5_y4WGMdVX2vAwEKwkApN3/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9we37bbXZhTbocIJkk1i3HOff5-ezwTGZj3cTPtMcxXghkdUEyIMkGAf9p8-44Y-Z9K7tYYULdbsA7bSvQ0-2HcTu99gs1jLLpun451VfmCHD93DgROqamN5_y4WGMdVX2vAwEKwkApN3/s320/015.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZlYfO0H_1z2eQdut-9-zkW-5a5WqVk7VHmNBrsoMJJiyFMeFOAqtV8eKxPGuABmS7toyLMcEauL-8RLSy0CCN4Pvnp6P7lj7jDTECsumZd1QQMm98AkXpamcXUVxIH24y8t5oSNZxHjO/s1600/556981_10150938798558964_1944192633_n%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZlYfO0H_1z2eQdut-9-zkW-5a5WqVk7VHmNBrsoMJJiyFMeFOAqtV8eKxPGuABmS7toyLMcEauL-8RLSy0CCN4Pvnp6P7lj7jDTECsumZd1QQMm98AkXpamcXUVxIH24y8t5oSNZxHjO/s320/556981_10150938798558964_1944192633_n%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div align="center" class="yiv1320989495MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">27 months </span></div>
<div class="yiv1320989495MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So we’ve been on hiatus since May, but with good reason. I admit it, I am a total procrastinator and love being under the pressure of the deadline. As a former journalist and now in my public relations career I thrive on deadlines! I waited until the last minute to do my June blog and on the evening of Friday June 29<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> we were hit with this major storm ("Derecho") and the winds downed power everywhere in the region. There was no place to get gas for your car and it was also during a hell of a heat-wave. Due to the massive damage, our power didn’t get restored until late Sunday night on the 30<sup>th</sup><span id="yui_3_2_0_18_1343780519744137">. We stayed with friends who live only a half an hour away and were lucky enough to have electricity. Then we left for a week at the beach the following weekend. Needless to say, we’ve been super busy and now we have a move on the horizon (next week). We are just moving a couple counties away, but this will be the first move since the boys arrived. The house we live in now is all Astral and Defy have ever known. I’m sure there will be an adjustment period, let’s just hope the adjustment has nothing to do with sleeping… </span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqw1kacgnEqjVbIu-M6zobwiOUE2GtWKmXrJDATEWR5LwEialYz1ig0LrmnFv25Y3XAlG6HP1vdKN2OtBOwfQsPM_05x_6VyeCBHQT5W6DIB1MORL2b5MFo2r08WFVpXdkBy6DeaNeZqBX/s1600/236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqw1kacgnEqjVbIu-M6zobwiOUE2GtWKmXrJDATEWR5LwEialYz1ig0LrmnFv25Y3XAlG6HP1vdKN2OtBOwfQsPM_05x_6VyeCBHQT5W6DIB1MORL2b5MFo2r08WFVpXdkBy6DeaNeZqBX/s320/236.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhij4GA0nBN89qIo2JqZurvJVwwUpzht1gD3VueYjV1q3gDib5SWluvbh6_78XJOHGImfsMsdmG77hXytBJBeONf9E016QcICccwCmC_mqEcaNmneP48hjnPYSWeBdpULZU5gm3Op3c8-Ed/s1600/215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhij4GA0nBN89qIo2JqZurvJVwwUpzht1gD3VueYjV1q3gDib5SWluvbh6_78XJOHGImfsMsdmG77hXytBJBeONf9E016QcICccwCmC_mqEcaNmneP48hjnPYSWeBdpULZU5gm3Op3c8-Ed/s320/215.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div align="center" class="yiv1320989495MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">VEGAN TWINS!!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0D30iXBn0bhiincI9TZEteyP92wtWz3Eg67Wm3xkjz0tTLLlw453fgX4DX3oiC12ud95OeLoyu4MOw1lZGuQWNSdnBhLVrn3xQovsUp6lWsxSD6I7gEhz4e5IS3tQ4Kiue0NSk3hVrXUa/s1600/150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0D30iXBn0bhiincI9TZEteyP92wtWz3Eg67Wm3xkjz0tTLLlw453fgX4DX3oiC12ud95OeLoyu4MOw1lZGuQWNSdnBhLVrn3xQovsUp6lWsxSD6I7gEhz4e5IS3tQ4Kiue0NSk3hVrXUa/s320/150.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifa45qOpbo8-pHPjIII6uh0gTkHc9q2wGUvaoszj8aCFhwmStD-KjVAKemTUYIMpE0cZwtx_DUDAbiQLolnZTrzfL6Vfl_w1iMdAJpc8bZxwxJ-b-ydyonpadqDfbudrpmPlZchNxQYAIP/s1600/118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifa45qOpbo8-pHPjIII6uh0gTkHc9q2wGUvaoszj8aCFhwmStD-KjVAKemTUYIMpE0cZwtx_DUDAbiQLolnZTrzfL6Vfl_w1iMdAJpc8bZxwxJ-b-ydyonpadqDfbudrpmPlZchNxQYAIP/s320/118.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5NlZhmf3SfLjZSmb_NaSiwKTzhk98b4zgMO4MkFON4dAHqrQ-DYHF94iWEgWeH5bz8I1QPXUkqwcn8Wk8r2CizukFHiPYXR-vrCSQHGQEn72jGnkZGDTVKGCsQn66rJaJJePwKWn9wIh/s1600/157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5NlZhmf3SfLjZSmb_NaSiwKTzhk98b4zgMO4MkFON4dAHqrQ-DYHF94iWEgWeH5bz8I1QPXUkqwcn8Wk8r2CizukFHiPYXR-vrCSQHGQEn72jGnkZGDTVKGCsQn66rJaJJePwKWn9wIh/s320/157.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_esNLrY-XqBjudHYBgwRET35tNuoz2dmHn2IvQ0p-OOE_EYHrJIBo-PJeEBfLWKY8NQnJ8a_1RkbxIB0X6do_eW9_QIF0LC4cQDqDCH54ZmozoTiQcKJ29TKcGwKYbJ1GvYdSf2c955Y/s1600/523719_10150963612438964_1934194178_n%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_esNLrY-XqBjudHYBgwRET35tNuoz2dmHn2IvQ0p-OOE_EYHrJIBo-PJeEBfLWKY8NQnJ8a_1RkbxIB0X6do_eW9_QIF0LC4cQDqDCH54ZmozoTiQcKJ29TKcGwKYbJ1GvYdSf2c955Y/s320/523719_10150963612438964_1934194178_n%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8L2edqgced107WH27RUu0IEHPxQI7T6DUi7ZWKVkZ6xGNWdxJtvjRl5aIBtYyk8hz4_s82Ye8oC7bZnmRVu-GUWvy6Nlu3cD3XGXibZnoW8QCxM5rsYaHIJ7iJ4m0502EQBBmUvuLhNB/s1600/575669_10150963609633964_401219816_n%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg8L2edqgced107WH27RUu0IEHPxQI7T6DUi7ZWKVkZ6xGNWdxJtvjRl5aIBtYyk8hz4_s82Ye8oC7bZnmRVu-GUWvy6Nlu3cD3XGXibZnoW8QCxM5rsYaHIJ7iJ4m0502EQBBmUvuLhNB/s320/575669_10150963609633964_401219816_n%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="yiv1320989495MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Astral and Defy are now 28 months old (for a couple more days). They still love to sing, dance, read, draw and pretend to cook (sometimes like </span><a href="http://theveganzombie.com/"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Vegan Zombie</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">). Interactive role playing is their absolute favorite thing right now. Watching them play together is fascinating; it is so seamless and in sync and can go on for hours (again…ridiculous attention spans for 28 months). They are also still enamored by nature and all its offerings, and still prefer to simply examine insects, other animals, and plants over playing on playground apparatuses, although they enjoy that too. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-K5Fi84NppkAvbdnnjFPdLKnMm-oOKJZ3TaYvpm7qfczYnylIqyicY35Vfl3AxTLQN4diTZEdOYapSSdaLOm4tK58BW3trjes8_6yIoJreA4IqfouMraHSWyymmrtHqrl4FPCK51Ssl7t/s1600/166+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-K5Fi84NppkAvbdnnjFPdLKnMm-oOKJZ3TaYvpm7qfczYnylIqyicY35Vfl3AxTLQN4diTZEdOYapSSdaLOm4tK58BW3trjes8_6yIoJreA4IqfouMraHSWyymmrtHqrl4FPCK51Ssl7t/s320/166+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxv1uRNKDk8YF-RvTVvEPlFQpydTb-PPv2Sr9ZfWFCw5eimPbBnye7_w32O6-AYKhr7u-ieyREFG5K8jHtJpE_Xs3AmxtUckjAwGgIYkAFyEq86IrKBCPEPmSvOII-cpvVCyn5XV5qykqS/s1600/182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxv1uRNKDk8YF-RvTVvEPlFQpydTb-PPv2Sr9ZfWFCw5eimPbBnye7_w32O6-AYKhr7u-ieyREFG5K8jHtJpE_Xs3AmxtUckjAwGgIYkAFyEq86IrKBCPEPmSvOII-cpvVCyn5XV5qykqS/s320/182.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRF6cypDs18Qb_n1Yjz58wVaL2sgkargouCYPXLfoPQFUxKsxv_tRQYQgYicplEJPnCS8BYvVkkrDPHsEdjG42wJEMeS4vcVenHiNOS3aqJuI45QqjjrOrJIuzJGDVYg1yNtPrs9zj4U4w/s1600/576170_10151002357108964_642883812_n%255B2%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRF6cypDs18Qb_n1Yjz58wVaL2sgkargouCYPXLfoPQFUxKsxv_tRQYQgYicplEJPnCS8BYvVkkrDPHsEdjG42wJEMeS4vcVenHiNOS3aqJuI45QqjjrOrJIuzJGDVYg1yNtPrs9zj4U4w/s320/576170_10151002357108964_642883812_n%255B2%255D.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="yiv1320989495MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="yiv1320989495MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This past weekend we attended an open house at our local farm sanctuary, </span><a href="http://www.animalsanctuary.org/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Poplar Springs</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. DnA loved seeing all of their animal friends again. At one point Astral began happily following some geese that were walking in a single-file line to a pond. If daddy hadn't intervened Astral might have gone right in with them! The boys were taken aback by the size of the bulls and were very excited at the sight of the beautiful hens, roosters, turkeys, a peacock, and rabbits. They were a little scared of a mule and all the huge pigs but haven't stopped talking about them ever since. Their favorite animal friend was Malcolm the goat, who was just a kid last visit and is now all grown up. Both DnA have been incorporating him into their role-playing and have even been saying that they are him. There's a pic of kid Malcolm in our October 2010 post, </span><a href="http://ourveganpregnancy.blogspot.com/2010/10/sitting-and-crawling-and-standing-oh-my.html"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sitting and Crawling and Standing - OH MY...</span></a></div>
<div class="yiv1320989495MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We vacationed at the beach for a week in early July and were lucky enough to have some of both sides of our families there to share the trip with us. The boys were perfect on the 8 hour road trip there and on the journey home as well. While there, they were sitting with one of their Grandfathers flipping through a magazine and came upon an ad for a popular fast food place. The ad was basically a huge nasty-looking hamburger with all the traditional fixings. The boys looked at the picture and named everything from top to bottom that made up the sandwich and when they got to the flesh they pointed to it and said “…ewwwww, that’s a cow”! Everyone thought it was smart and cute and had a big laugh, even though they all eat cow-flesh hamburgers. I don't think daddy or I have ever said "ewww" to the boys about disgusting animal flesh, that was all them! They know that they drink coconut milk and that some of their friends and family members drink cows' milk. What 2 year old ask “What’s in it?” or say "That's an animal!" when offered food? Astral and Defy do!!! They really loved the beach. At first they were both pretty scared of the ocean, but by the end of the week they were loving the waves and wanted to be dipped and swung into them. It was such a fun trip for the whole family.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJkFVGr86sizREC1YacLjDbB7F_QI1TfoaYPPZzGANW9H3vdLe_bYK4RcjRhNrc2b4Rq8Selz_04IPALYnVnVp4B427xCx4Ul2t-y8yzTxn4gE8rIMkjBgL6rCSEZa2I8gCWc6xfJj0Fn/s1600/019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJkFVGr86sizREC1YacLjDbB7F_QI1TfoaYPPZzGANW9H3vdLe_bYK4RcjRhNrc2b4Rq8Selz_04IPALYnVnVp4B427xCx4Ul2t-y8yzTxn4gE8rIMkjBgL6rCSEZa2I8gCWc6xfJj0Fn/s320/019.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span class="yiv1320989495Apple-style-span"><span class="yiv1320989495Apple-style-span"></span></span><br />
<span class="yiv1320989495Apple-style-span"><span class="yiv1320989495Apple-style-span"><div class="yiv1320989495MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kale Power!!!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></span></span><span class="yiv1320989495Apple-style-span"><span class="yiv1320989495Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="yiv1320989495Apple-style-span">Astral and Defy show other signs of comprehension of why we don’t eat (or otherwise exploit) animals that is far beyond their age. We</span> have </span><a href="http://wedonteatanimals.com/home.html"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's Why We Don't Eat Animals</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> by Ruby Roth, and ever since we read it to them for the first time, they have been very aware of animal confinement. They often say, "he/she's in a cage" when watching the rare treat of an animal focused documentary (especially one about rescuing orphan kittens or, as they say, the "kitty boo boo doctor") online. They even pretend that their toy animals are in a cage and they are trying to release them! No joke! Sometimes they are even the animal in the cage, and daddy and I have to explain how being in a cage isn't fun. While at the sanctuary they yelled, "they're in a cage" when they noticed that some of the animals were behind a fence or kept in their designated areas, so we had to explain that the sanctuary keeps them in those areas for their own good and not to use or harm them. They haven't even reached the whole "why?" stage yet! Oh, boy!</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtVKfQcU7ZXkiG40pw3Ucm09GjBN4ZVGxX06wWpYfUkZ26glvkiSVabMg_K0vbd6u3eJ-3XROiFytq90ZsM5_TXfjDToTPZZ3QiYTgrgKu2bRFno3y9jazTc7LbH9cpXvjRwA9lnqXpOU/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtVKfQcU7ZXkiG40pw3Ucm09GjBN4ZVGxX06wWpYfUkZ26glvkiSVabMg_K0vbd6u3eJ-3XROiFytq90ZsM5_TXfjDToTPZZ3QiYTgrgKu2bRFno3y9jazTc7LbH9cpXvjRwA9lnqXpOU/s320/012.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTe47cehKZARhr91mZjVRVJycranpybmsalQNF6ocHrTQ3AflRL-jgiEJ_AjxDXzj-_IywKF-CDYXP2QxCEzEilZTgipoSb-YNB6krHzXAVir9Gw7uTG_xC7os2P0djhiaMpiPjEMlov_D/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTe47cehKZARhr91mZjVRVJycranpybmsalQNF6ocHrTQ3AflRL-jgiEJ_AjxDXzj-_IywKF-CDYXP2QxCEzEilZTgipoSb-YNB6krHzXAVir9Gw7uTG_xC7os2P0djhiaMpiPjEMlov_D/s320/003.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="yiv1320989495MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span class="yiv1320989495Apple-style-span"><span class="yiv1320989495Apple-style-span"><span class="yiv1320989495Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 28 months </span></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv1320989495MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Astral and Defy had their first sweet, sugary treat this month at our local </span><a href="http://lovinghut.us/fallschurch_01/"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Loving Hut</span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. They ate homemade vegan ice-cream (made by </span><a href="http://veggourmet.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mimi Clark</span></a><span id="yui_3_2_0_18_1343780519744152" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">) and an organic waffle cone. Of course, they loved every single lick (Defy liked the cone, but Astral bit one big hole in the middle of his and was finished)! To our total happiness they still love their kale juice and haven’t asked for ice-cream since. We don’t prefer that they become JFV (junk food vegans), but a little vegan sweetness never hurt anyone…</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="yiv1320989495MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="yiv1320989495MsoNormal" id="yui_3_2_0_18_1343780519744150" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-46302218801847100912012-05-31T12:27:00.000-07:002012-08-03T07:46:28.590-07:00A Cow Made It…<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62YPdbLIIUI2kppD3mjz94sr7TK4IPrKABkhDlH2dTPE3H9noOnOaKnC52XH-GqAK-Gn-zXmogNUgvYEbj1XLFbMp73R0gyTS4Hhf9VoNlilGYUQ2HSwm1hD5YIj1jjyqPIu-otJ0RGEN/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62YPdbLIIUI2kppD3mjz94sr7TK4IPrKABkhDlH2dTPE3H9noOnOaKnC52XH-GqAK-Gn-zXmogNUgvYEbj1XLFbMp73R0gyTS4Hhf9VoNlilGYUQ2HSwm1hD5YIj1jjyqPIu-otJ0RGEN/s320/17.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsW4gP4lYW0vMtJOvpmN77PAC8uFer5PWuiXTSX7hx6BIRwHyn-LyT_WtvQFukbmN62MGMUN3hJ8reE4oBmM5E7yP9wJYRhLsSNfDyM4gVAUEiPKeTCQ5C2XthrUpj7Gz2nZTuJHm5g6bP/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsW4gP4lYW0vMtJOvpmN77PAC8uFer5PWuiXTSX7hx6BIRwHyn-LyT_WtvQFukbmN62MGMUN3hJ8reE4oBmM5E7yP9wJYRhLsSNfDyM4gVAUEiPKeTCQ5C2XthrUpj7Gz2nZTuJHm5g6bP/s320/18.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSr-j-5k1C2xgiLHCrydd4dNgRboUWjZPPqX74N3RKEEkSO5rA-OG1b_BcS6Rqz1MC63tBk25RW_SNs3IC6-mWp0xWiP8ez0LclqWyHehMvivS8IvVFmFHiq5uoByAwM1Y5y3goviRZwOx/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSr-j-5k1C2xgiLHCrydd4dNgRboUWjZPPqX74N3RKEEkSO5rA-OG1b_BcS6Rqz1MC63tBk25RW_SNs3IC6-mWp0xWiP8ez0LclqWyHehMvivS8IvVFmFHiq5uoByAwM1Y5y3goviRZwOx/s320/20.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuffk2IUQ3td72Vr1TNdmgt47sr3S0_6H9DM9I489LHURvIbXfD1QcBWbUT-rJnKP-naujcXg7JnNpCNRcMY9pSH7X0sE3lCi2tDIp4fSFCTq6qesolPssCU1tN_nA4Xt-y6JFmvQJ58Bm/s1600/30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuffk2IUQ3td72Vr1TNdmgt47sr3S0_6H9DM9I489LHURvIbXfD1QcBWbUT-rJnKP-naujcXg7JnNpCNRcMY9pSH7X0sE3lCi2tDIp4fSFCTq6qesolPssCU1tN_nA4Xt-y6JFmvQJ58Bm/s320/30.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We
are at the point where life with twin toddlers is getting easier and the
benefit of having two children at the same exact age with the same exact needs
actually assists in making life less hectic. Astral and Defy have a built
in playmate and it’s freaking fantastic when you just can’t build another amazing block
tower only to have it destroyed yet again. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6wUhC5hctla3aNP-gu7xQpkGtnigKOwqllOvBjKfJrWaBdYy_ZwW5TCsnxfIHN7HjjbxXQTfdzvq-kc-bRpGx_c4cdM43H2bCQH3Zoh0HEuWJVMTwPqpelXIRxo8OJEAmJ1pIx0DtAHt/s1600/648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6wUhC5hctla3aNP-gu7xQpkGtnigKOwqllOvBjKfJrWaBdYy_ZwW5TCsnxfIHN7HjjbxXQTfdzvq-kc-bRpGx_c4cdM43H2bCQH3Zoh0HEuWJVMTwPqpelXIRxo8OJEAmJ1pIx0DtAHt/s320/648.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPqQRrwfHvhzYft28iqbN78e0goS4cvLBbqTfHTfNqzmICajwEqtbSnwLMuOURxWHzAmIcFZCeqml6gl3iBMji4rCtt4Z1VIRENyUS0YG-Q4l91LB5X5XEJKbsTQWbrefwbLScKNlDUPvK/s1600/652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPqQRrwfHvhzYft28iqbN78e0goS4cvLBbqTfHTfNqzmICajwEqtbSnwLMuOURxWHzAmIcFZCeqml6gl3iBMji4rCtt4Z1VIRENyUS0YG-Q4l91LB5X5XEJKbsTQWbrefwbLScKNlDUPvK/s320/652.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
road trip entertainment</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So
at 26 months Astral and Defy went on a road trip after not having been on one
since they were like 6 months old (it was awful back then so we vowed to not do
it for a very long time). Thankfully the boys behaved super well on the
drive there and back. They didn’t need a DVD player or a tablet to keep
them happy in the car like many kids their age. They read books, played
with their toys and ate lots of yummy and healthy vegan snacks. They were
quite entertained by one another as well. We did have a “crazy poop
situation”, but otherwise the drives were pretty uneventful (in a good
way). We are off to the beach in July so hopefully our next trip will run
just as smooth. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9eKGCKgmDuI5NJuTrfblWGlvqAOk5DHbHzUATKrpLFcT89mfFE2tVx6TovrHiJFTIpK3IZH7pCzuBxM0YzoxYEtqmoAf1v0edsfeEe6wnjrj8bCjyY93BwJZel-bw7ER-Lv073cViVrV/s1600/032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9eKGCKgmDuI5NJuTrfblWGlvqAOk5DHbHzUATKrpLFcT89mfFE2tVx6TovrHiJFTIpK3IZH7pCzuBxM0YzoxYEtqmoAf1v0edsfeEe6wnjrj8bCjyY93BwJZel-bw7ER-Lv073cViVrV/s320/032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
vegan toddler breakfast</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv19AzuWqT8f2LeHB04dFAjy6990-XTNmrin-imutLQ90pnTJoAypBbs6FETGATf9nLndQGChk-IwXRWi7te-w5BPEAHVJA5CS-aS1XVUu2w7qcjDbhMD8zeUqUoHoibauQo5LHTKx9Vg8/s1600/241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv19AzuWqT8f2LeHB04dFAjy6990-XTNmrin-imutLQ90pnTJoAypBbs6FETGATf9nLndQGChk-IwXRWi7te-w5BPEAHVJA5CS-aS1XVUu2w7qcjDbhMD8zeUqUoHoibauQo5LHTKx9Vg8/s320/241.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> quinoa, tofu and stir-fried veggies</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfWAljIkTtRBRErNrEX_wk7jEnekfsdcWD8nOHMGbsj5PIY51kiO-UPzTORPlpwm0ge4hmmj0-mVxbXMlMoBrVXNOZmqiT4hESTv_OIWkw97K2OW5_-gt4LV_rAhkGEgOZJsLPDfklqXS/s1600/299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfWAljIkTtRBRErNrEX_wk7jEnekfsdcWD8nOHMGbsj5PIY51kiO-UPzTORPlpwm0ge4hmmj0-mVxbXMlMoBrVXNOZmqiT4hESTv_OIWkw97K2OW5_-gt4LV_rAhkGEgOZJsLPDfklqXS/s320/299.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> strawberry and avacado pudding</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMBNA-mHsVcNJCM88t7eyK6UT6TrBDQJPU8-B_692QsYQEuo9ZlhCgLkugq1TbFYrD6g4_fpFrdXyUoJCsSns_VU8ygFieZHjq7KXds3DD7HiFUnLw6r8cQj0UlxsGeLSjg1p4YWqFGF1Y/s1600/630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMBNA-mHsVcNJCM88t7eyK6UT6TrBDQJPU8-B_692QsYQEuo9ZlhCgLkugq1TbFYrD6g4_fpFrdXyUoJCsSns_VU8ygFieZHjq7KXds3DD7HiFUnLw6r8cQj0UlxsGeLSjg1p4YWqFGF1Y/s320/630.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVGS0SjZb2MYa1qse62yumXjSCNIfnbHDvzr3jC8Nb34W-8gtbvsClDRb6o_hQCG0zuNmnrQ0t_PpS0kbVDld9kkarJx43hyZMFEdm3B-Ut0VtiH6E6rlxqlRwlC8cshLYXDig19BrISf/s1600/632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVGS0SjZb2MYa1qse62yumXjSCNIfnbHDvzr3jC8Nb34W-8gtbvsClDRb6o_hQCG0zuNmnrQ0t_PpS0kbVDld9kkarJx43hyZMFEdm3B-Ut0VtiH6E6rlxqlRwlC8cshLYXDig19BrISf/s320/632.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqqYID_gUOOlNP5WSoXc8PKIB3_c7evGYQOimNOjrUC3TLmLLdzl1VjYDGe365E1gyHdJQg3auXnRb9RyWu_Cinq-vno-jF1nSBajFnIxXfWG1gRtMktcaUwdVjXZzMduMRcx0-natStW/s1600/638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqqYID_gUOOlNP5WSoXc8PKIB3_c7evGYQOimNOjrUC3TLmLLdzl1VjYDGe365E1gyHdJQg3auXnRb9RyWu_Cinq-vno-jF1nSBajFnIxXfWG1gRtMktcaUwdVjXZzMduMRcx0-natStW/s320/638.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBfCbVLA9QvGZQBA7Yapb7OWJtY-O03Q0VZziPRzBhcWVHTu2fNNIqMrbiOfKZzGTQc3WIsOfvaw8WYbHlFAATueWerVs0fQsj7TLWYsaLSMXBDqnKRvpJsCp730kuTBU0X3VKb2tJPbr/s1600/641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBfCbVLA9QvGZQBA7Yapb7OWJtY-O03Q0VZziPRzBhcWVHTu2fNNIqMrbiOfKZzGTQc3WIsOfvaw8WYbHlFAATueWerVs0fQsj7TLWYsaLSMXBDqnKRvpJsCp730kuTBU0X3VKb2tJPbr/s320/641.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
chowing down on vegan blue tacos</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">While
many families roll into popular fast food chains on road trips, our vegan family
packs a small cooler and brings tons of great vegan treats for the road.
The boys enjoyed coconut milk, hummus, crackers, strawberries, blueberries,
peanut butter sandwiches, dried mango, granola and many more yummy snacks on
the road. It isn’t a problem or inconvenient in any way, it just takes a
little preparation and is so worth it! </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjut8QticGar-W8zgj3i6ZZDWbp37nCH06KryulYo7dw4ipfjeAvtBSuTZmErwbLrkLiCAbHjSQhQBqjHybrUiSdUbxvk2bL1fjvRMvP7UUffKgKJrMjXyFG22Exi7F4PL7WxW1Y4RSZvPz/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjut8QticGar-W8zgj3i6ZZDWbp37nCH06KryulYo7dw4ipfjeAvtBSuTZmErwbLrkLiCAbHjSQhQBqjHybrUiSdUbxvk2bL1fjvRMvP7UUffKgKJrMjXyFG22Exi7F4PL7WxW1Y4RSZvPz/s320/16.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The
weather has really warmed up and outdoor water play-time is here. The
boys love splashing around in water. This should be such a fun summer, they
are super active and way more coordinated than last summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We expect a lot of pink cheeks, boo-boos and
dirty little hands. Astral and Defy have their first safety helmets and
have been trying out a set of scooters a neighbor gave them that her twins
outgrew. They are such big and mature 2 year olds, I think they are ready
to transition to bikes with training wheels and retire the tricycles. We
are really thrilled that they actually like wearing the helmets (they wore them
inside for hours the day we bought them), we see skateboarding and other
dangerous sports in their future so we wanted to get the safety thing squared
away early on!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrrpfKjtQWcRfOOxjgAp5fuUAYRmxsyskNFWTNFLqCYWow4ZEHS8RRAwsHGnIe-ZJtz4AFQEHBrGL207-HFLICx2LM-4tSuzjdYPgtYTsZvUTXuZ5F7JmV1EiYuo-Xxtl2TbOej7G0EsE/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyrrpfKjtQWcRfOOxjgAp5fuUAYRmxsyskNFWTNFLqCYWow4ZEHS8RRAwsHGnIe-ZJtz4AFQEHBrGL207-HFLICx2LM-4tSuzjdYPgtYTsZvUTXuZ5F7JmV1EiYuo-Xxtl2TbOej7G0EsE/s320/6.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-eJHwuO7AZn3D1e2t-zxeRYLLYJ27sOqmKi3rToHspoDNJvvQeoVZXVbNShQJT8TdIlJVM3qmuaPAcHsF0QNHCmiAJub0-_D1h7UPLM0UFAjzXhPTY-NDP7CnRZaqmHEmykLjWofrE3F/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ-eJHwuO7AZn3D1e2t-zxeRYLLYJ27sOqmKi3rToHspoDNJvvQeoVZXVbNShQJT8TdIlJVM3qmuaPAcHsF0QNHCmiAJub0-_D1h7UPLM0UFAjzXhPTY-NDP7CnRZaqmHEmykLjWofrE3F/s320/12.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxDc3vPSm7bEAoxsbTx267cAYqiHZD1kUXFeuonAUW3FhnhJCoZ_kbEQ87iPNgo6P5Jl-Udx0sxV5IqdkXQNs8lS5UoiGtK_znQ2RVi2dxv2NJGPTgR6tTznkHm5Sb0qoTpbsJ6xCofhx/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxDc3vPSm7bEAoxsbTx267cAYqiHZD1kUXFeuonAUW3FhnhJCoZ_kbEQ87iPNgo6P5Jl-Udx0sxV5IqdkXQNs8lS5UoiGtK_znQ2RVi2dxv2NJGPTgR6tTznkHm5Sb0qoTpbsJ6xCofhx/s320/13.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntLTFPg5p8j24IyACqCcSTpPt96E0ulIX3t7BSg1chU6aUt9occOmDoWd_22vE2uSYqeRl2FMlLhJ1T08SLqacvMoBU2HshXrmHGjngHENSK_Ttg9cH7gt2hsD5VgwEd_hhPuP6gAJ_ZH/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntLTFPg5p8j24IyACqCcSTpPt96E0ulIX3t7BSg1chU6aUt9occOmDoWd_22vE2uSYqeRl2FMlLhJ1T08SLqacvMoBU2HshXrmHGjngHENSK_Ttg9cH7gt2hsD5VgwEd_hhPuP6gAJ_ZH/s320/15.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxD0vPqi1qo8LDdw3h3HnZPzs-wpblHOFmyxX2mE8dj0O0F5duAfkzNS4XeAOP9ZXDMFYdkoYFpAWZTHKGwjRoIzpZZcjbrvQyWhKfdNDp8BCus71Ycyl7USK5BZY-qYtNWpL3iyKYOLw/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNxD0vPqi1qo8LDdw3h3HnZPzs-wpblHOFmyxX2mE8dj0O0F5duAfkzNS4XeAOP9ZXDMFYdkoYFpAWZTHKGwjRoIzpZZcjbrvQyWhKfdNDp8BCus71Ycyl7USK5BZY-qYtNWpL3iyKYOLw/s320/14.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMDCxKMFMzhpaOROHSBvr4RNQqX5f61ojTjC50iPPYmotBFUilwug97QpiqVHKdnZfxPh1KjmPDSkDLaRdakkB7tByJrejgjlU91wb4z6NWcWWy9YHPKfssbs-NajTB-Vhx7WK5XY-vGC/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMDCxKMFMzhpaOROHSBvr4RNQqX5f61ojTjC50iPPYmotBFUilwug97QpiqVHKdnZfxPh1KjmPDSkDLaRdakkB7tByJrejgjlU91wb4z6NWcWWy9YHPKfssbs-NajTB-Vhx7WK5XY-vGC/s320/8.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kPSlSLKw_8HtMGmvVqR8HTG2CqrIWlile9ZKWIwWbcWPvOf_rlb4rT-PzxdopLsxyeEiAksVazp46Zy9tVlPCKqmwiP7P0xHCw-qpk8PY_7w5yqiDNqFX_U1s6fXPsKGWFkbG29VL3cR/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5kPSlSLKw_8HtMGmvVqR8HTG2CqrIWlile9ZKWIwWbcWPvOf_rlb4rT-PzxdopLsxyeEiAksVazp46Zy9tVlPCKqmwiP7P0xHCw-qpk8PY_7w5yqiDNqFX_U1s6fXPsKGWFkbG29VL3cR/s320/9.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeess_k3lS0mAO5kcJT_7aWeaHdhlmVbv7itAotwxx2RuqIwcA1gXYK97Fm3-Ya9Ob68E2N-IELEolMmB46wrbBfVv-8XAqmbC-MoCFeXT2z1SZUiJeHk1k9-Ll4a3KI-gkVIfP0vQTdc/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeess_k3lS0mAO5kcJT_7aWeaHdhlmVbv7itAotwxx2RuqIwcA1gXYK97Fm3-Ya9Ob68E2N-IELEolMmB46wrbBfVv-8XAqmbC-MoCFeXT2z1SZUiJeHk1k9-Ll4a3KI-gkVIfP0vQTdc/s320/10.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">botanical garden fun</span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
Although
daddy and I are constantly telling the boys, in age appropriate
ways, about the reality of how animals are exploited and treated by
humans, they haven't seemed to comprehend it until recently. A flyer
came in the mail for a new restaurant in our area that serves organic,
free-range, happy, and certified-hugged-and-kissed-to-death animal bodies.
On it there is a picture of cows grazing in an open field juxtaposed to a
picture of a very non-vegan cheese burger. While I was at work, daddy explained
to them that humans must hurt those cows to make that burger. Later, when
I came home, Astral showed me the flyer, shook his head disapprovingly, and
said, "A cow made dat. A cow made it".</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Earlier
this month, daddy was showing the boys a National Geographic magazine in which
there was a picture of a very happy looking little girl at a 4-H event holding
a rope that was around the neck of an ear-tagged cow. Once again, daddy
explained that although the girl looks like she's having a good time, the cow
is actually being used and hurt by humans and would eventually be
killed. Defy looked at daddy with a sad expression on his face and then looked
back at the picture and softly said, "Go away, cow. Go away", as if
he didn't want the cow to be hurt. It was enough to bring tears to my eyes. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If
you explain to a young child that hurting animals is wrong, they understand it and
don't want it to happen! Imagine that...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qzDaCeNDDtW7Jjm5gsXXMh073DRtAO7Yhyphenhyphen8T1q82TRYSl0OngGUkAXV_d7kr0KgCkkhqNxfnjMZYTpMyiWONUjoMn63YP85y7rWy35oKeVi0ydQmUZy7NiorDD3oE2eIKqVAxVFY1YZE/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qzDaCeNDDtW7Jjm5gsXXMh073DRtAO7Yhyphenhyphen8T1q82TRYSl0OngGUkAXV_d7kr0KgCkkhqNxfnjMZYTpMyiWONUjoMn63YP85y7rWy35oKeVi0ydQmUZy7NiorDD3oE2eIKqVAxVFY1YZE/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQAhXO8rZtp3CQWuHJQnLrjXEzLYHFczCNFyLxZNGOFphCGwvcmMq2IsvZxH6zvaKoG9dlnqatVl8tLGOWxZGOwsddFAxahN7upxKBhaSNTFYSIqJiT0kb9ZKmYvtl5xkn2YJ6JxXRYK2/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQAhXO8rZtp3CQWuHJQnLrjXEzLYHFczCNFyLxZNGOFphCGwvcmMq2IsvZxH6zvaKoG9dlnqatVl8tLGOWxZGOwsddFAxahN7upxKBhaSNTFYSIqJiT0kb9ZKmYvtl5xkn2YJ6JxXRYK2/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpQ1ZgJzVtcbz8SoNP2tSJwBPArU4cvj8Qfys3vEiQQ1UKDUncrPGX-jrIAXAqiGaonPPggIo2LuXqfibntdzmW0M__2GZGO8pmiz65prhCgGUgeEAGqMpSBwvsydYOsFF_6voD8nzBg_/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUpQ1ZgJzVtcbz8SoNP2tSJwBPArU4cvj8Qfys3vEiQQ1UKDUncrPGX-jrIAXAqiGaonPPggIo2LuXqfibntdzmW0M__2GZGO8pmiz65prhCgGUgeEAGqMpSBwvsydYOsFF_6voD8nzBg_/s320/3.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg-_Ea6y4o43W9dFMoRumpN6RTi_vFzdd6GnNzCM-hyYdQW6gnL8GPrHqHiMt60wOAMduP-u7VtvVpwK_soN8zv-scr9Y7fY-RH_oWyxw3VCiUEtXZ_widDML8F4rqRNziWIqyksEiZ3W1/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg-_Ea6y4o43W9dFMoRumpN6RTi_vFzdd6GnNzCM-hyYdQW6gnL8GPrHqHiMt60wOAMduP-u7VtvVpwK_soN8zv-scr9Y7fY-RH_oWyxw3VCiUEtXZ_widDML8F4rqRNziWIqyksEiZ3W1/s320/4.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKO5vFpXtuWPB58kJbW2WyWxjFKBjIEL2O4ySTIcWJCFVT3sbXC7kRmMpzOifV0XRBl49GIiHDfMNPY_JMdKqw_q9uP-Pk4htKwFWxkFq5cwjh2dP3ClP6P1O4tlSMtdekGfvxUdakwKXA/s1600/526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKO5vFpXtuWPB58kJbW2WyWxjFKBjIEL2O4ySTIcWJCFVT3sbXC7kRmMpzOifV0XRBl49GIiHDfMNPY_JMdKqw_q9uP-Pk4htKwFWxkFq5cwjh2dP3ClP6P1O4tlSMtdekGfvxUdakwKXA/s320/526.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajyzxRZ7pW0aOZ9qzD4MvbVhnddyvczTs43U9pV5kBujKiQFpvRssVR30yPut_M7ATpIA-BPwNVdK-v1Vos0n8PNhSBxwiKCSrFPu2gkS15eiRYT7CinmPtucsHgUqm89alo9AOLQd5Bf/s1600/531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajyzxRZ7pW0aOZ9qzD4MvbVhnddyvczTs43U9pV5kBujKiQFpvRssVR30yPut_M7ATpIA-BPwNVdK-v1Vos0n8PNhSBxwiKCSrFPu2gkS15eiRYT7CinmPtucsHgUqm89alo9AOLQd5Bf/s320/531.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> All photos in this post are of Astral and Defy at 26 months!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span>Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-20283305859709539842012-04-30T19:51:00.002-07:002012-04-30T19:53:59.306-07:00Big Kid Stuff...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizJUhGz6-OkYd5_6iBCKW0I3lDgAtGDuA1qnU1Bkno8snXMRN8mkt6ZDVzTYPcEqCwHGXmnczJ9XZc1cQ4C90iApe49p3NELCnYaVFVZpwXI5lH649FeKP9ajYSBP6awZWtayXfGEvpfr8/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizJUhGz6-OkYd5_6iBCKW0I3lDgAtGDuA1qnU1Bkno8snXMRN8mkt6ZDVzTYPcEqCwHGXmnczJ9XZc1cQ4C90iApe49p3NELCnYaVFVZpwXI5lH649FeKP9ajYSBP6awZWtayXfGEvpfr8/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhplg1GRn7X-rJbZYzJvNWy2xeHVOQiU7gYhUeBbetYx42LIwabC-xgXiWEVS3QlLLubZ5TOMPyBELfPYJUin9SL2szcbnpKo8lag-V9tXdutFWzGcnlfIehqj7Z9YTrIzxU8rvxxu_VgJ1/s1600/2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhplg1GRn7X-rJbZYzJvNWy2xeHVOQiU7gYhUeBbetYx42LIwabC-xgXiWEVS3QlLLubZ5TOMPyBELfPYJUin9SL2szcbnpKo8lag-V9tXdutFWzGcnlfIehqj7Z9YTrIzxU8rvxxu_VgJ1/s320/2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This should come as no surprise, but DnA have been doing some "big kid" stuff in April. It can be difficult to remember how far they've come each month because they are constantly developing mentally and physically and are ever-changing, exploring their world and language in so many new ways. Hopefully in this short post I can capture the essence of these vegan toddler/big kid extraordinaires known as Astral and Defy.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMUFKzssttrd4Q1YJEcGwLOjzQRyUuUvJaNTM1iiJryjRY0M3d1XktHogpQLjupESEctEaf1hPz19EMgStqJRBQeD3oO-hlAL6RecrCfNSvx1n3gzplBWDhN3jWBsWKZETOOeY_nyTrDP/s1600/pushups.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMUFKzssttrd4Q1YJEcGwLOjzQRyUuUvJaNTM1iiJryjRY0M3d1XktHogpQLjupESEctEaf1hPz19EMgStqJRBQeD3oO-hlAL6RecrCfNSvx1n3gzplBWDhN3jWBsWKZETOOeY_nyTrDP/s320/pushups.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The boys are still eating really well, but now they are starting to happily accept so many foods that they once disliked, such as hummus (I know, I know... All vegan kids are supposed to like hummus!), mushrooms and broccoli. They're using yummy vegan food for fuel so that they can keep up their exercise routines. Well, they don’t really have exercise routines, but they have been stretching, sprinting around the house from room to room, doing yoga-like poses (although they've never seen yoga... it must be a natural vegan thing!), chin-ups and attempting to copy daddy’s push-ups while he works out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmt4VKiv9ubbSoEEN3760T9S7SjYRG1RPAYlt9u1nZHbxBYUXtjvfyXoTmnCJS3rwztWi33jz17cAebdyeab1LOyAK7ZRa81kGRjPw1-c6k95HxHhZ-hgfK4-WU54F8Bn7JkRDcARDkOJ/s1600/periogies+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmt4VKiv9ubbSoEEN3760T9S7SjYRG1RPAYlt9u1nZHbxBYUXtjvfyXoTmnCJS3rwztWi33jz17cAebdyeab1LOyAK7ZRa81kGRjPw1-c6k95HxHhZ-hgfK4-WU54F8Bn7JkRDcARDkOJ/s320/periogies+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNvM52eL0K4dUZK58qxpvKCr1j6luSgbXURZvzCmb8pigukHnMXWYhqnduwIXq2Y50nplsGZXlQzNoiJNUhvyb1tDJfmz0UZRyOTMuQnD1strTbItGpjNCYjXvH-g_bZ1dgNzq-AKbVa9/s1600/periogies+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNvM52eL0K4dUZK58qxpvKCr1j6luSgbXURZvzCmb8pigukHnMXWYhqnduwIXq2Y50nplsGZXlQzNoiJNUhvyb1tDJfmz0UZRyOTMuQnD1strTbItGpjNCYjXvH-g_bZ1dgNzq-AKbVa9/s320/periogies+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DnA really love imitating us and participating in whatever we do. They love pretending to cook and are so excited when they can help us out in the kitchen. They helped us roll dough for periogies a few weeks ago and it was so fulfilling to see how simple experiences in life can make them so joyful. Afterward they used their dough to make frozen dough cubes in an ice tray in the freezer. Turns out that's not very tasty, but they were so proud, and it was all about the experience. They always want to sprinkle nooch and spices on their meals as a way for them to assert their independence.“I do it, mommy... I dooo iiiit”... Such big boys!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMvP9ZBlab2z9pq4-9PqV88k8MFjeZZxKq8pb76pGLljsziDn7H6CL0sZ24DNQ_OyRDwC1QLsmvu29gRmmIGBuZhwbjN1XFs9T1KfOXI6jiKgsFAfDF85jZ8GBhYpf5nngcJLHYwO6TKk/s1600/081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMvP9ZBlab2z9pq4-9PqV88k8MFjeZZxKq8pb76pGLljsziDn7H6CL0sZ24DNQ_OyRDwC1QLsmvu29gRmmIGBuZhwbjN1XFs9T1KfOXI6jiKgsFAfDF85jZ8GBhYpf5nngcJLHYwO6TKk/s320/081.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We often mention the new things Astral and Defy say, but they are full-time talkers now. They spend a lot of time demanding and commanding, but, hey, they’re two! They can recite the alphabet, though it’s not always in order or complete. They can count to about 15, though sometimes that gets all mixed up too. They make full sentences and can say almost whatever they want. Daddy or I can get out an animal picture book and name the animals, and DnA will remember every single one and proudly identify them when asked. They even know the difference between an Emu and a Cassowary. Do you? The transition was super fast, but all of a sudden they just seem so grown up in their use of language and in their physical presence. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqnx15AZ8xYzbVPc_Jc0oN6ECgpSG005Aee1ZzfCoyil9f76-pS3airK_M5lbsBS8UvjiwC2gWZaRxs9bJrEDl8Y1aojdPVq0MZYQPyfexjCgTpff3Unb_I_BkHSKSpoLPE6LZzWFn6W9/s1600/098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqnx15AZ8xYzbVPc_Jc0oN6ECgpSG005Aee1ZzfCoyil9f76-pS3airK_M5lbsBS8UvjiwC2gWZaRxs9bJrEDl8Y1aojdPVq0MZYQPyfexjCgTpff3Unb_I_BkHSKSpoLPE6LZzWFn6W9/s320/098.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Astral and Defy love shouting, "ALL ABOARD" when they ride the train!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiUvXzdyir6cs39NpN2_4GqczsiJBOKc_1pVH9be9wRXZzCs17_Pmg-qCpwE-zQwuV2xZC9ZjnE-upPPGqju9-BELEks2vc_EA3Zru_BbESJi3TullQ-B-GGFsskylxbDHHHqjcuI2ZD9/s1600/557962_10150679798413964_504943963_9467988_888556705_n%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtiUvXzdyir6cs39NpN2_4GqczsiJBOKc_1pVH9be9wRXZzCs17_Pmg-qCpwE-zQwuV2xZC9ZjnE-upPPGqju9-BELEks2vc_EA3Zru_BbESJi3TullQ-B-GGFsskylxbDHHHqjcuI2ZD9/s320/557962_10150679798413964_504943963_9467988_888556705_n%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipUCRByLaqTNXHBRlT46XJas50_zPaydkUBUnFQNp3oTsYoKk8T0970eSKRCMs7Q0k3V34MjJ8i9R31BbprobiS9oCI_K9QBC4dIc5By2aB9E4drw6A52877jxaOi4a_z7xL3fTC-TOrzm/s1600/train1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipUCRByLaqTNXHBRlT46XJas50_zPaydkUBUnFQNp3oTsYoKk8T0970eSKRCMs7Q0k3V34MjJ8i9R31BbprobiS9oCI_K9QBC4dIc5By2aB9E4drw6A52877jxaOi4a_z7xL3fTC-TOrzm/s320/train1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1aVQk-h6O9thdhNqKknVWq6_bInV7C2QNu9APMIZHCIBzE4gT7OnUzRt1jlHBPOHq_mr1LtZGu_u0BgchywU44KZ6MiRoOvN7gaFZ3GMVtZZ4VncqpA2zI1sqgD4fuxB8Fi3r1-JBIK2w/s1600/222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1aVQk-h6O9thdhNqKknVWq6_bInV7C2QNu9APMIZHCIBzE4gT7OnUzRt1jlHBPOHq_mr1LtZGu_u0BgchywU44KZ6MiRoOvN7gaFZ3GMVtZZ4VncqpA2zI1sqgD4fuxB8Fi3r1-JBIK2w/s320/222.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYro76KmUaZJPUak5sQZUtgTv26cZoMuJrGN8p3i0g6_Wx_qBQh69sF_cJAhBxoZP-erzlcQzp29PFFCaG74_si01pbHnUUCYIl9XFVaRCOxnQ2D_sFTVxSsAi3xguyOw_0a92gJFEIoHO/s1600/333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYro76KmUaZJPUak5sQZUtgTv26cZoMuJrGN8p3i0g6_Wx_qBQh69sF_cJAhBxoZP-erzlcQzp29PFFCaG74_si01pbHnUUCYIl9XFVaRCOxnQ2D_sFTVxSsAi3xguyOw_0a92gJFEIoHO/s320/333.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQvFsZaOiTh5liQVwMQPSSynycZVPfwAzXCSWlRaaPPvOc9cAOpoZmFwAmKbi1pLJgeh6DZLnUsh2X5bF5A8MQhmUOSAmQE3d6ZWabAgqahG7FYYY83yujuF4ZhrD91UZ-3HWScNt4EAK/s1600/555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQvFsZaOiTh5liQVwMQPSSynycZVPfwAzXCSWlRaaPPvOc9cAOpoZmFwAmKbi1pLJgeh6DZLnUsh2X5bF5A8MQhmUOSAmQE3d6ZWabAgqahG7FYYY83yujuF4ZhrD91UZ-3HWScNt4EAK/s320/555.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQ_odVwX6iv1HSsZDShv7R8CjkwPy1b1pTEdDVVPYwEw1LdO1x7s-WJ7-HdBviPp-sNL-zWHBYtsOcFhJdjtHsB7S0FdEU1OlS3KEbeYz2LhvKecLtOy3WpMLRAX5dtTzLLIlxaqLfgKz/s1600/666.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQ_odVwX6iv1HSsZDShv7R8CjkwPy1b1pTEdDVVPYwEw1LdO1x7s-WJ7-HdBviPp-sNL-zWHBYtsOcFhJdjtHsB7S0FdEU1OlS3KEbeYz2LhvKecLtOy3WpMLRAX5dtTzLLIlxaqLfgKz/s320/666.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HdqI0ljp1RBw3kx8Tj1PsTXIy67gBlfQk78n258NDTwdMNJwNpH4Q7xTS-oCGPhNB5lommRCEP20xPPYDxzto5lb4l0MjsFvvuEejm_PQYBuGIlMDlJZK1X8kBppJU-aXfFXFQ_cptAB/s1600/777.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HdqI0ljp1RBw3kx8Tj1PsTXIy67gBlfQk78n258NDTwdMNJwNpH4Q7xTS-oCGPhNB5lommRCEP20xPPYDxzto5lb4l0MjsFvvuEejm_PQYBuGIlMDlJZK1X8kBppJU-aXfFXFQ_cptAB/s320/777.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_kg92oNqVGJ6uIgEGnh7YrE1a_UVMDQOlJ-1b2QWpPlVR8vmMUg4DxSTH2_GxpZt3wWc2f6PevM6F9aAUuvQm-E9KjPHljK0a-6eND_andTOFf4ojAtqAzYkkjDbyBoevXuapOLyuPAs/s1600/888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_kg92oNqVGJ6uIgEGnh7YrE1a_UVMDQOlJ-1b2QWpPlVR8vmMUg4DxSTH2_GxpZt3wWc2f6PevM6F9aAUuvQm-E9KjPHljK0a-6eND_andTOFf4ojAtqAzYkkjDbyBoevXuapOLyuPAs/s320/888.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclAyEReJnCfU2HLB6AGwlPTkE6ROxPXt5eg9MJEHwfrsZP1YucllSUmBc0G7ZkQ8G7S7XSNhpBABWOyKb_XT7J9yWzGZZ8OQi3m_SvA9U9Py2uzR1NGFOO_SkS5p9qdox2xspBoZBX_kL/s1600/999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclAyEReJnCfU2HLB6AGwlPTkE6ROxPXt5eg9MJEHwfrsZP1YucllSUmBc0G7ZkQ8G7S7XSNhpBABWOyKb_XT7J9yWzGZZ8OQi3m_SvA9U9Py2uzR1NGFOO_SkS5p9qdox2xspBoZBX_kL/s320/999.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So this is a short post, and I won’t make any excuses besides laziness. I just wanted to get this April post posted. Overall the boys are doing great and are so healthy that even Nina Planck would have to acknowledge how well they're doing being raised as vegans...<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
Some Things Our Vegan Toddlers Eat</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(along with a big fat kale or collard smoothie)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKALyxOmn7CRjvtLZjNY5eOdI8ODI7Di2GawJel2kqi2fHZ0WtF1p8tS6YSxkqSE0rktgWwzLIF-PFk0QU7Zd4dWILyjpivh-lRi4c2Z-1Bo_PX-N6pmH6ZeS4HB7m9xnkPMn0siVUZmRW/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKALyxOmn7CRjvtLZjNY5eOdI8ODI7Di2GawJel2kqi2fHZ0WtF1p8tS6YSxkqSE0rktgWwzLIF-PFk0QU7Zd4dWILyjpivh-lRi4c2Z-1Bo_PX-N6pmH6ZeS4HB7m9xnkPMn0siVUZmRW/s320/001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
barley crusted seitan, green beans, and cheezy noodles</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvK3dIt1AYbFQ8DPq-QagFGewh5lo9eZOqkNV_ZDAbhW2N7pqBv9dVAF5jSP97faTFXZz_rrMjdQ1rOd8mLZUdYifJXmfAbKTDKEGzgSA2t7pK7gJe1hCOHLdkX1w-V0451ML8YIa-wuYw/s1600/027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvK3dIt1AYbFQ8DPq-QagFGewh5lo9eZOqkNV_ZDAbhW2N7pqBv9dVAF5jSP97faTFXZz_rrMjdQ1rOd8mLZUdYifJXmfAbKTDKEGzgSA2t7pK7gJe1hCOHLdkX1w-V0451ML8YIa-wuYw/s320/027.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
brown rice and lentils</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNqd9PlV5Mq4gwLyII7BjIRfGvTXH_ddaoQyynwfwq1ogC1_43v8O3WSpPa7IttZPRwnfo81SlvEsVH2wxMBW_6kZQbS2EySPjvcDhIx-hLoshtLFizr9jDyiNEKsIs4q08dLAwfSBlP5/s1600/040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNqd9PlV5Mq4gwLyII7BjIRfGvTXH_ddaoQyynwfwq1ogC1_43v8O3WSpPa7IttZPRwnfo81SlvEsVH2wxMBW_6kZQbS2EySPjvcDhIx-hLoshtLFizr9jDyiNEKsIs4q08dLAwfSBlP5/s320/040.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
tempeh fingers</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggi-GtMHOb8_qOvWIBSovtpNQxQTZb1eZ1B-LtfMhGvIRhFM6ONxsMgKzmkEyxxviRE5EGoOGhvNMT_MzxBkx9qs93kRV49nqnzanefy2hXt1CCk3_OMQHG08gdnvwypfnYqS29KvN5fxJ/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggi-GtMHOb8_qOvWIBSovtpNQxQTZb1eZ1B-LtfMhGvIRhFM6ONxsMgKzmkEyxxviRE5EGoOGhvNMT_MzxBkx9qs93kRV49nqnzanefy2hXt1CCk3_OMQHG08gdnvwypfnYqS29KvN5fxJ/s320/020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">baked tofu, hummus with veg, salad</span></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihe6lPXhsZlIlE6SlGe9Z7HUTiOMvUWKJU5P9T09XHx0xcTo3nwGa3q5V6mymF0Rs0vLrTAGUREDrNJY9PRC3dUyJvQ_hPryMlvSSGlSdKS1HbZfne0MMMYqUARwbCSUI2kkLolHtpGoSq/s1600/out+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihe6lPXhsZlIlE6SlGe9Z7HUTiOMvUWKJU5P9T09XHx0xcTo3nwGa3q5V6mymF0Rs0vLrTAGUREDrNJY9PRC3dUyJvQ_hPryMlvSSGlSdKS1HbZfne0MMMYqUARwbCSUI2kkLolHtpGoSq/s320/out+1.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiUOHHI8kl_yHWO5by8YqBczb9PNN1T7Pu69NU2ZulYVUAx1HL93HxDg2olzkqySIxZiYWtYEDjHeh2tHIsLzBbbwsehfYswxKEEbEokKIlEkwadqIWnsZrpZVQvKpprzNoYNMJg0CGhd/s1600/out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkiUOHHI8kl_yHWO5by8YqBczb9PNN1T7Pu69NU2ZulYVUAx1HL93HxDg2olzkqySIxZiYWtYEDjHeh2tHIsLzBbbwsehfYswxKEEbEokKIlEkwadqIWnsZrpZVQvKpprzNoYNMJg0CGhd/s320/out.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
All photos are of Astral Defiance and Defy Aster at 25 months old!</div>Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-18261525883853635062012-03-31T19:32:00.014-07:002012-04-02T18:37:06.405-07:00Birthdays, Blood and Boo Boo Doctors...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8LgbfWQT4C3GssdyNawariv_jVmfIe2lK82pX04UdxmOUExBWT5H4M0MPRWqKvlQ5a95ZCkr4JeoPhI7EJSK2YnemG9gDdLzErWcuPOswdzPhWsJ1LIHMTDj2csAELKTtaz9Bidgi958/s1600/030.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726256216526389842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8LgbfWQT4C3GssdyNawariv_jVmfIe2lK82pX04UdxmOUExBWT5H4M0MPRWqKvlQ5a95ZCkr4JeoPhI7EJSK2YnemG9gDdLzErWcuPOswdzPhWsJ1LIHMTDj2csAELKTtaz9Bidgi958/s320/030.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbdol1RxdqurtwufGgztYiMuwwuQ8W0L8ShgdFX-bj7wjrIgGrzqkEQwBTxs_LIRpyBNXxzh4Ezs_OBxn-6JzPD5nbKuAfs35I8ywyQoAsiRcMQobnWoK7qDAuL-FeXV8t08Z2EMCn7lAo/s1600/029.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726256204874797954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbdol1RxdqurtwufGgztYiMuwwuQ8W0L8ShgdFX-bj7wjrIgGrzqkEQwBTxs_LIRpyBNXxzh4Ezs_OBxn-6JzPD5nbKuAfs35I8ywyQoAsiRcMQobnWoK7qDAuL-FeXV8t08Z2EMCn7lAo/s320/029.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXmx5HaOyy2xDeWR8Sa8GFNWBAGn3qIL4cLl_B7BQSBAQ5daYCw1izBGnQAwU3Npxj1CuJoddiyKsGNYxBz6fejUZtfn-EQ6lqR4jhBeOIRbrnWoRFezLJX4-Rm6dF1cpweazaN7yryTN/s1600/020.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726256194381462802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXmx5HaOyy2xDeWR8Sa8GFNWBAGn3qIL4cLl_B7BQSBAQ5daYCw1izBGnQAwU3Npxj1CuJoddiyKsGNYxBz6fejUZtfn-EQ6lqR4jhBeOIRbrnWoRFezLJX4-Rm6dF1cpweazaN7yryTN/s320/020.JPG" /></a><br /><br />It’s official! We have two two-year olds. Astral and Defy celebrated their second birthday earlier this month. They really seemed to enjoy receiving and opening presents for the first time and would scream WOW as they opened each one. I taught them the happy birthday song for Lucas’ big 30th birthday at the end of February, so they were excited to have it sung in their honor a week later.<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqT3IbQk8_y-_NiD6W5_LxJ96A0gX3GwnDtFSwYcgNv7Mqb_Ks0UTc0S9D9HUTzTeGzN3x3U8T_d3EcB-qn78N3pjv28Ylu8OWVp2IuXul0liOzLhfBxC_MR4OczDDbFMl1e1z2Glm3cTM/s1600/040.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726257086394925666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqT3IbQk8_y-_NiD6W5_LxJ96A0gX3GwnDtFSwYcgNv7Mqb_Ks0UTc0S9D9HUTzTeGzN3x3U8T_d3EcB-qn78N3pjv28Ylu8OWVp2IuXul0liOzLhfBxC_MR4OczDDbFMl1e1z2Glm3cTM/s320/040.JPG" /></a> free the horsies! <br /><div align="left"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726256232097236210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YttAGYmET_Kf5Per93IAUTXGSImdfaR0YwjleVojsb0rbHrTeQTdmatAJcJAOwSMTfD71vH1AUiNXHAw-KEQ5Ljl0u0EbUm5ltDax-oKW0115SnQPq4OduG6iIelkEq6IGp3_OWqCl-3/s320/035.JPG" /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi60thHgT9_-VlA8sRBNFdAL2LHtQ7u3L1L2oJY-pjje0o2WCWaNLXyfZJTO_nKzL4BMmy7A0ltPaC5MuDNWw56O6zKX0VkvvR1OIt9A143YJoZSOUN3p5fA7dl_NbG74zEAciOPcnV5Cn/s1600/034.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726256224183792386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi60thHgT9_-VlA8sRBNFdAL2LHtQ7u3L1L2oJY-pjje0o2WCWaNLXyfZJTO_nKzL4BMmy7A0ltPaC5MuDNWw56O6zKX0VkvvR1OIt9A143YJoZSOUN3p5fA7dl_NbG74zEAciOPcnV5Cn/s320/034.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Astral and Defy decided to make their first month as two year olds very memorable for mommy and daddy. The boys were playing on a kiddie slide we have inside and they decided to push it across the room toward the treadmill for reasons unknown (actually because they are total dangerous thrill seekers and I’m pretty sure they were going to jump from one apparatus to the other). I was a couple of feet away, ready to get the boys from atop the slide when Defy fell and hit the back of his head on the bottom corner of the treadmill. I immediately scooped him up, as I cupped his head in my hand, I felt the most awful feeling of wetness. When I looked at my hand it was covered in blood! He was screaming and crying, and I became hysterical. In a panic I screamed for Lucas to call 911. I had no clue what the damage was, but I reacted like it was the worst case scenario; you just can’t take chances with head injuries. I wrapped his head in a clean white towel (bad choice in color) which also ended up covered in blood. The ambulance was here in a matter of minutes, and I ran out to meet them carrying a bloody little Defy.<br /><br />By the time we got into the ambulance D had completely stopped crying. The emergency workers quickly examined his head, and to my relief informed me that it was just a small scrape. Apparently head and face injuries tend to bleed a lot but are not always all that serious. My heart was still beating faster than ever, I could barely believe what they were saying. Here was my sweet little baby who had a just hit his head, was covered in head blood, and now according to EMTs, was completely fine! I was just so happy that he was okay, but still in total shock. They advised me that I should follow up with the doctor even though it was such a small abrasion. Since it was after 6pm they suggested we go to the ER, just in case. There, the ER doctor cleaned the area and put a tiny dot of antibiotic ointment on it. Thankfully he didn't have a concussion and no stitches, no shots, no radiation exams, no blood work, no follow up or aftercare necessary. She said it was smart to bring him in despite the all-clear from the EMTs. You just can’t chance it. She asked Defy if he liked popsicles. I told her that he's never had one (at least not the kind they would’ve provided) and that he loves fruit. She laughed and asked if I had any fruit with me, jokingly exclaiming that “this is a hospital we don’t have healthy things like that”. Of course I had three mandarins, a banana and an apple in my purse (this is how vegan moms roll). She wanted him to eat the fruit before we left and then 30 minutes later we were free to go.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgco6jhd-G7Pnz1GVal5C2dIkhWkp7MWNFEtL4Fjg6exitDyk7ydWZfBZ_qk5Qhbm4M8ArWybEfAlj89XsYJTVvLorqjZclwLA-wYEmqN-u7pMzunDxvKCyLLNU2z6cS_1VEpazayLVaMdy/s1600/077.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726257120091994786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgco6jhd-G7Pnz1GVal5C2dIkhWkp7MWNFEtL4Fjg6exitDyk7ydWZfBZ_qk5Qhbm4M8ArWybEfAlj89XsYJTVvLorqjZclwLA-wYEmqN-u7pMzunDxvKCyLLNU2z6cS_1VEpazayLVaMdy/s320/077.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VRUNI9V89JLN2-80ff_WSq4LEEARj_KFyi7CyYCX_EmwPt6qLKyRJoAvglVgJcXP0AIyhQhcb2d4dSmTCGGDEKvuB3jzekzx99NWm3Rp9Sq7I2NI9bLulqT2DZX2Ps1RjPIzx7AwtP90/s1600/088.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726257110456782178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VRUNI9V89JLN2-80ff_WSq4LEEARj_KFyi7CyYCX_EmwPt6qLKyRJoAvglVgJcXP0AIyhQhcb2d4dSmTCGGDEKvuB3jzekzx99NWm3Rp9Sq7I2NI9bLulqT2DZX2Ps1RjPIzx7AwtP90/s320/088.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_jF2WrXVeOdyDIokcDb7DjVrX495lCeKC3JT4oL2SQn935fuuifiPGlJLo-C0c7c8nNM4PR0oohQAPwph9-wmPP21EaVgprEW2PJjIVvlRKmTyf_2XwkBiLvz5-X2QOeM7KS8vzKvqae/s1600/226.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726257095909542386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_jF2WrXVeOdyDIokcDb7DjVrX495lCeKC3JT4oL2SQn935fuuifiPGlJLo-C0c7c8nNM4PR0oohQAPwph9-wmPP21EaVgprEW2PJjIVvlRKmTyf_2XwkBiLvz5-X2QOeM7KS8vzKvqae/s320/226.JPG" /></a><br />As first time parents we are often extra cautious, but accidents do and will happen. I have learned a lot from this experience. If a similar situation occurs in the future, I will try to take a second to breathe and assess the situation before totally freaking out. I was too frightened and panicked to examine Defy’s head closely, but even if I had I would have probably still gone to the ER, just maybe not via ambulance. We can laugh about the ridiculous situation now, but at the time it was far from amusing. It was really touching to see how much empathy Astral showed for his injured brother. He seemed very concerned, and before we left in a rush, he handed Defy his favorite little plush turtle friend to bring along for the ride. Hopefully this is learning experience for EVERYONE. The boys have been discussing the “boo boo doctor” often since, so they have not forgotten. And of course the slide has been put away until further notice (forever).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCEd2l7eWG66G6zTBGonOKlWWAT_BmPLBwGduSuuL4RRZgcTD4hqkuAchu74-xmcnh-LnsrFX4vEkGPJ8K92B-hHBBV-Y-o4Z5cT5cgMnkG-Kh3p5MHYGdooc3_ZycqmpJCd7Zp7G7sF7/s1600/197.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726258496302061586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCEd2l7eWG66G6zTBGonOKlWWAT_BmPLBwGduSuuL4RRZgcTD4hqkuAchu74-xmcnh-LnsrFX4vEkGPJ8K92B-hHBBV-Y-o4Z5cT5cgMnkG-Kh3p5MHYGdooc3_ZycqmpJCd7Zp7G7sF7/s320/197.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="left"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726258482475067762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWuP2naccGeAn9ZgJQBIesqefz9aiRJuhyny6Im9TSy2ohyZRFyOpBCG26TYmxV4VI_97CWCS5xX3M4guKsHB2k42QgDgnM48_JGBLhih7uE2B_GPNhg1ah73SEgheDzer9CRXnSgvgK0z/s320/170.JPG" /><br /><div>The spring weather has been super beautiful (slightly eerie) for most of the month, Astral and Defy would live outside if we let them. They love digging in the dirt, picking wild flowers, playing in leaves and exploring/examining trees and their bark. The boys often prefer collecting sticks, burying themselves in leaves or climbing on stones and fallen logs over playing on playground equipment. It’s a rare occasion that we are able to come inside without directing them straight to the bath tub.<br /><br />DnA had their two year old check-up, where they totally impressed the pediatrician with their speech, size and agility (she said so herself). They are sometimes reserved in unfamiliar environments, but for some reason they were happy to answer questions and show off their distinct personalities this go around at the doctor’s office. They both weighed in at 30lbs (Astral was a couple ounces heavier) and Astral came in at 37 inches tall and Defy was 36 ¼ inches. Astral and Defy are both in the 90-95th percentile for height and the pediatrician said that from charting their growth so far they will both be well over 6 feet tall! That’s much taller than both mommy and daddy! We have some tall genes on both sides of our family so it makes perfect sense. Their weights are both in the 75-90th percentile. These statistics don’t matter much to us (as long as our boys are healthy, we are happy), but I wanted to post the figures as proof that vegan children are not - as some sensationalistic anti-vegans would like you to believe - necessarily skinny, weak, unable to grow/thrive, or cognitively or physically deficient in any way. Never let anyone tell you that it isn’t possible to raise healthy vegan children…</div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zMe1ivbpyl1l45Hn01o7aT9cRGhN119CWj9QyvLoeDj7ZNfebNM8P6LeCNqEGFbsoblavqKCE4vKvuRW-OKkVC3GFtXevDBxcHqIrZJRG58jNkCxhBKGz7EOehTVkqMYAWKE7El4DSDm/s1600/480.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726259374452309618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7zMe1ivbpyl1l45Hn01o7aT9cRGhN119CWj9QyvLoeDj7ZNfebNM8P6LeCNqEGFbsoblavqKCE4vKvuRW-OKkVC3GFtXevDBxcHqIrZJRG58jNkCxhBKGz7EOehTVkqMYAWKE7El4DSDm/s320/480.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi008QjS8Lx-Wc6dnuKniciD7pulW6yGgSHEbBK4blymtL2VzznkrIBKHjifAGG2-lzpZplt892TEZRxKt2vPrWSc3PzSxpB-kxKfGMn_qRs8jzpOqO129noddf9fpRcujHBCzLpHX78xpT/s1600/478.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726259360548166786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi008QjS8Lx-Wc6dnuKniciD7pulW6yGgSHEbBK4blymtL2VzznkrIBKHjifAGG2-lzpZplt892TEZRxKt2vPrWSc3PzSxpB-kxKfGMn_qRs8jzpOqO129noddf9fpRcujHBCzLpHX78xpT/s320/478.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxJxKG7ZhgxWH9dmxLTK2kXUu9qqUkOOB8pkEAm6BQ4A3oFk4YfXoaB-D3u67YOGFziM7GjC6Js-pD0iRzA57wxlIqcdPRncqgu-ck9v8HEH1VSemVa848-jWE8chYHpYxajqg-md4YKY/s1600/435.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726259347474119106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxJxKG7ZhgxWH9dmxLTK2kXUu9qqUkOOB8pkEAm6BQ4A3oFk4YfXoaB-D3u67YOGFziM7GjC6Js-pD0iRzA57wxlIqcdPRncqgu-ck9v8HEH1VSemVa848-jWE8chYHpYxajqg-md4YKY/s320/435.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggoerpr2CP3B4T3s3imjimnBeoYtW1-zx_BbSXpj7ePpWs5kGIvihAZkA0hk_NMe0WXkO-2hJsqwCeVbxxHCflqLxbUI1phlADESjf27ZLTRU72e7nh4jq8p9_9LNYtl7Xy7dHk8jj-F8T/s1600/402.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726259340325088802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggoerpr2CP3B4T3s3imjimnBeoYtW1-zx_BbSXpj7ePpWs5kGIvihAZkA0hk_NMe0WXkO-2hJsqwCeVbxxHCflqLxbUI1phlADESjf27ZLTRU72e7nh4jq8p9_9LNYtl7Xy7dHk8jj-F8T/s320/402.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="center">all photos are of Astral & Defy at 24 months </div>Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-1430784201730862002012-02-28T17:57:00.021-08:002015-10-20T00:17:11.805-07:00Daddy Time and Nursery Rhymes...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjoUFgeZv11xf7wsriKwROQGrqrdeiaXEVnMuQolN4KUUnVPzYGyJzwFe4ruBxp3nw289YH19c8YmBUIdKSA5JTguFvqtwxyGM-qRa6oHZP1IwFCG5tDQGH_lBqpeOFLbVT9CUOy2kwpu/s1600/002.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714379794856551586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjoUFgeZv11xf7wsriKwROQGrqrdeiaXEVnMuQolN4KUUnVPzYGyJzwFe4ruBxp3nw289YH19c8YmBUIdKSA5JTguFvqtwxyGM-qRa6oHZP1IwFCG5tDQGH_lBqpeOFLbVT9CUOy2kwpu/s320/002.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 274px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<div align="left">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpFEBIkwpYdaZMUszKfj1X_7Iv9qecIxIrfd3rh5vr7d8yNuoISF3eBZIxk5FU8PFCh9jEAEmliDLFavK3wMyr4dvzWqPk0Mv7UO9kJXkc8-ExWnFm2b5xhx37Ct8k7yBeaRxpF70LC8Y/s1600/005.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714379620949878450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpFEBIkwpYdaZMUszKfj1X_7Iv9qecIxIrfd3rh5vr7d8yNuoISF3eBZIxk5FU8PFCh9jEAEmliDLFavK3wMyr4dvzWqPk0Mv7UO9kJXkc8-ExWnFm2b5xhx37Ct8k7yBeaRxpF70LC8Y/s320/005.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 270px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5qGGYpehOJse_X1DS9YX1S8l43W6Cu134JIkPcYUCUvQhhsGhYzSUDJO1PQh5zNq83sQCQJYPtoAPCAx0TD2bJgGnq9i-GkHytRNMl7yohaTmjBvx7MGjziGs1_QLYBZiHqJKy71EUSU/s1600/041.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714379619842936674" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5qGGYpehOJse_X1DS9YX1S8l43W6Cu134JIkPcYUCUvQhhsGhYzSUDJO1PQh5zNq83sQCQJYPtoAPCAx0TD2bJgGnq9i-GkHytRNMl7yohaTmjBvx7MGjziGs1_QLYBZiHqJKy71EUSU/s320/041.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRk-lWWiFS8HS1_guFDpmb_yKq8UZaZJ861Sh3nGudN43Sg_IrRR38fDuwg8sQoF4-hud3w9L-l1Cxmx0lfn76ZbbzfBTdcNPoKa623jqozR44VJ5dLYclZJw5wd46gmOxt5M83mg3_dB/s1600/049.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714379603137130402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRk-lWWiFS8HS1_guFDpmb_yKq8UZaZJ861Sh3nGudN43Sg_IrRR38fDuwg8sQoF4-hud3w9L-l1Cxmx0lfn76ZbbzfBTdcNPoKa623jqozR44VJ5dLYclZJw5wd46gmOxt5M83mg3_dB/s320/049.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_69i1NPLXRZc0DvPAlPMgTXmE2sGldG43jFAuoC2eEdngHKXOHHG42a7vdp9NPfVCc-te0UW7DS-v3oCCEN3jmseRduciNAOyJbG49tIF-4lSwO01ABtloGuguWiCu7UiOcuupWUSSB4c/s1600/052.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714379595349048194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_69i1NPLXRZc0DvPAlPMgTXmE2sGldG43jFAuoC2eEdngHKXOHHG42a7vdp9NPfVCc-te0UW7DS-v3oCCEN3jmseRduciNAOyJbG49tIF-4lSwO01ABtloGuguWiCu7UiOcuupWUSSB4c/s320/052.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoDrHfE_vHkMl6odRY-hyTAXSwsB1TFCW7mArIu-PIK0QDdjqviQ2tyvWl7KU5b51H9tm_bN4tm2lMyVphk8oyfq5yLc4LLUtQD5pSPj6uPXIleonsPVguXLKum1VDotQkBdr4kHePdDw/s1600/057.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714379583388508402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKoDrHfE_vHkMl6odRY-hyTAXSwsB1TFCW7mArIu-PIK0QDdjqviQ2tyvWl7KU5b51H9tm_bN4tm2lMyVphk8oyfq5yLc4LLUtQD5pSPj6uPXIleonsPVguXLKum1VDotQkBdr4kHePdDw/s320/057.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
Damn, I never contribute to this blog anymore. I have a valid excuse though - I'm busy as hell! Who would have thought that raising twin human beings would be so much work and take up so much time? It is and it does! In fact, it took me about thirty minutes to type those last four sentences because I had to 1.) break up a fight 2.) clean up urine on the floor 3.) clean urine out of a toy bucket full of wooden toys 4.) wipe crayon off the wall 5.) stop Astral from unlocking and opening the front door three times (yes, he can do that now!) and 6.) tickle Defy's belly and armpits. Ok, so I didn't have to tickle D, but it was oh so hard not to.<br />
<br />
Can you believe that DnA will be turning 2 on March 3rd? I know, right? I'm going to risk annoying many of you by pulling The Parent Card and telling you that time flies when raising children, like it's all been one big dream. I had always heard that, and it's so true. What most parents won't tell you is that this is actually the result of living in somewhat of a hypnagogic delirium for many consecutive months. A beautiful and magical hypnagogic delirium of course!<br />
<br />
Anyways, I've just recently been getting a sufficient amount of sleep to allow my brain to function somewhat normally, and the boys can chill and play without my assistance much more now, so hey, why not help Mama out with this month's posting by sharing some random vegan parenting/at-home daddy stuff?<br />
<br />
As you've read in recent posts, Astral and Defy have come a long way in the last couple of months. They are saying more words than ever and their vocabulary expands daily. They're putting words together and forming small sentences. They seem so proud of themselves when they say something correctly. Never mind that everything they say sounds like it's coming from a cross between kung fu movie voice over actors and slightly disgruntled lollipop kids; they're still saying a lot of shit and proud of it, dammit! They've picked up one adjective in particular that they love to use to describe any and every thing. That's the word "big". Big kid, big bite, big step, big jump, big book, big trike, big tower (when they are stacking blocks), big banana, big booger, and big poop (my personal favorite), everything is BIG. <br />
<br />
The boys are also very physically active, more so than ever. They can climb all kinds of playground apparatuses with little difficulty and enjoy jumping off really high platforms. Honestly, they scare the hell out of me on a daily basis. At home they are quite the little daredevils. They are not satisfied with simply riding their tricycles or playing their xylophones. No, they have to stand up on the middle bars of their tricycles and flip their xylophones upside down and try to ride them like skateboards (see adorable photos above). One day, I had finished doing something in the kitchen and then walked into the living room to find Defy standing on the couch readying himself to jump. I didn't realize that he had positioned his tricycle in front of the couch to try to land on it. Before I could act, he jumped and landed with both feet on the middle bar and then the trike flew out from under him! I ran to pick him up only to find that he was laughing hysterically along with Astral, who also thoroughly enjoyed the stunt. Then Defy tried to put his trike back into position!<br />
<br />
They also enjoy much less dangerous activities such as drawing, dancing, singing, stacking blocks, knocking over stacked blocks, re-stacking blocks, fake-sleeping, watching squirrels, and pretending that they're cooking and eating. No need to have the television on because they have no problem entertaining themselves.<br />
<br />
There really haven't been any social problems so far with Astral and Defy being raised as vegans, although I expect there to be in the near future once we start encountering more involved social situations. The only issue I've encountered is having to turn down snacks offered by other parents, guardians, or nannies when at a park or at playgroups, but that's fine because it gives me an opportunity to talk about veganism. Surprisingly, no one has ever responded negatively when I mention that the boys are being raised as vegans. I don't think I've even been asked about where the boys get protein, probably because they're so freaking huge. From what I read online, there is this idea out there that babies raised as vegans are small, weak, slow developing and listless, but that's obviously bullshit. Of course, people, babies included, come in all different shapes and sizes, all with unique personalities, and all children develop at their own pace. My point is that a vegan diet, in and of itself, clearly does not stunt growth or development no matter how many times some asshole from the Weston A. Price Foundation claims otherwise.</div>
<br />
<div>
<br />
<br />
On many occasions I've taken the boys to story and song time at the library, and every time I feel the need to change up the lyrics of nursery rhymes and folk songs. There is a lot of animal exploitation in nursery rhymes and folk songs and, well, we can't be havin' that. For us, Old Macdonald doesn't have a farm; he has a sanctuary (sometimes it's a veganic farm). Baa Baa Black Sheep most certainly does not have any wool to give to humans. And when she comes around the mountain you can bet that she'll be riding a fucking bicycle, and we will definitely not be killing an old red rooster to eat his dead body. No, we'll happily share our chickpeas and dumplings with him! I mean, these are supposed to be children's songs, right? I met a vegan mother of two young girls at a storytime when I overheard her doing the same kind of thing over "Thanksgiving". A story about "turkey dinners" was being read and this mother kept telling her daughters that turkeys are their friends and that they love them so they don't eat them. How awesome is that?<br />
<br />
I recently joined a local at-home dads’ group that has weekly play dates at one of the members' homes. The boys and I have been going and it's really cool. It's important to talk to other adults during the day, and every dad I've met shared this sentiment. Also, the boys get to hang out with other kids, so that matters too!<br />
<br />
It's difficult to cram twenty-one months of at-home daddy moments into one blog so I'll just have to leave it at that. Since I take the boys out into the non-vegan world every day, I'll try to post about being put in more non-vegan situations and how we handle them. That is, if/when I can find the time...<br />
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczyAFNuRhSmrw4TUiGjjJXI4jMLGfPpL5SbvHjFAoia1QsPFfzUDqVg3faawtyCv-BNHGGA06DglF3v59HA7pic5547w9d8AmGl71SWaHypp23M9YeROsCfox9Rlmt5PRpGjF0FxyB93c/s1600/423382_10150558690088964_504943963_9050393_1085146140_n.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714378799078933362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczyAFNuRhSmrw4TUiGjjJXI4jMLGfPpL5SbvHjFAoia1QsPFfzUDqVg3faawtyCv-BNHGGA06DglF3v59HA7pic5547w9d8AmGl71SWaHypp23M9YeROsCfox9Rlmt5PRpGjF0FxyB93c/s320/423382_10150558690088964_504943963_9050393_1085146140_n.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWV4vm1Nqqtc3wnlqN1qyIECPMIQT0ZNZyWL7prZY-zMVbOI3b7J07qW2wPRaVLS42kwDnfCP4lPVBQxvIgWcf08LoR0K-9hXQKp0AFzdZIYeHTnwLOMF5-Pm73Kfd6aVRVOpzVglvVuzY/s1600/017.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714378794366618706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWV4vm1Nqqtc3wnlqN1qyIECPMIQT0ZNZyWL7prZY-zMVbOI3b7J07qW2wPRaVLS42kwDnfCP4lPVBQxvIgWcf08LoR0K-9hXQKp0AFzdZIYeHTnwLOMF5-Pm73Kfd6aVRVOpzVglvVuzY/s320/017.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEcu6S6qXXGNURZtgh-r7-ZQL62Y5iyFV50yCWpLpNJ8gc4vv-2k7ekztEVSqams_A2SWjuVMJMMvk93RqNim9GLZDqGTsCEp11gBfiQNynHyJSovs8TbPN8pBfTV9A6QM5hFH-Mc9TZNH/s1600/016.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714378789196754146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEcu6S6qXXGNURZtgh-r7-ZQL62Y5iyFV50yCWpLpNJ8gc4vv-2k7ekztEVSqams_A2SWjuVMJMMvk93RqNim9GLZDqGTsCEp11gBfiQNynHyJSovs8TbPN8pBfTV9A6QM5hFH-Mc9TZNH/s320/016.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9qOWi0N9NQDu54fhNl5Hg-D-okjh67774COh2qXlADUS6I7VDXPh2d8Vy0g5vGOZ51E8yfSjThkwCycFQYS7WljlMEuUd4ufRAgr3BlfUB_qgQOygeob-8v2h7EZAEXR8uDII6-98kq-f/s1600/421974_10150558694008964_504943963_9050396_1531323433_n.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714378778379822818" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9qOWi0N9NQDu54fhNl5Hg-D-okjh67774COh2qXlADUS6I7VDXPh2d8Vy0g5vGOZ51E8yfSjThkwCycFQYS7WljlMEuUd4ufRAgr3BlfUB_qgQOygeob-8v2h7EZAEXR8uDII6-98kq-f/s320/421974_10150558694008964_504943963_9050396_1531323433_n.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8QxPjN6MzmUKYyk2bDzRMjmDEy7kqvW2njHMyKb2juHCI7M7pSlVb8OnePpj4EPqc2Jd_WvHxdYKYZqlKnRJakLh-Y0c0jJe7g7OcwwIXmhMOS-ga-n3Z5C4slHSa7HAH3R1BfzuOLdnP/s1600/417114_10150558648093964_504943963_9050338_861457195_n.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714378779515187714" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8QxPjN6MzmUKYyk2bDzRMjmDEy7kqvW2njHMyKb2juHCI7M7pSlVb8OnePpj4EPqc2Jd_WvHxdYKYZqlKnRJakLh-Y0c0jJe7g7OcwwIXmhMOS-ga-n3Z5C4slHSa7HAH3R1BfzuOLdnP/s320/417114_10150558648093964_504943963_9050338_861457195_n.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>all photos are of Astral Defiance and Defy Aster @ 23 months<br />
<br />
<div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-27495092480769251222012-01-31T18:42:00.000-08:002012-01-31T20:01:48.452-08:00The Fountain Effect...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIG4pIxt_V7m8XJKzwEWvtwn9pbwjd8LF0J-8Ac8mAX4FeUrZIsILQrEOJrI5gm3H-mC7ssZjfJGZh35B4EvzIlS_-jw4rDwChttD2uL0mChtM6dzs03yk2cQo0ExjC2MeaPZuM__HM1Z7/s1600/3333333333333.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704000986122138994" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIG4pIxt_V7m8XJKzwEWvtwn9pbwjd8LF0J-8Ac8mAX4FeUrZIsILQrEOJrI5gm3H-mC7ssZjfJGZh35B4EvzIlS_-jw4rDwChttD2uL0mChtM6dzs03yk2cQo0ExjC2MeaPZuM__HM1Z7/s320/3333333333333.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JZfgc_k4N77QauFTENg5doOnV5tviNeNXjY24UtH0W-DUkajCUSzp5tDRok6kkDzmKv4z1m-6blOQVj648-8OehLeTJkhqAcSWQ_sl-mEelvhdIDqpAn4HO0JPwDd6Ab7f6QtN0O6tLh/s1600/2222222222222.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704000988823118610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JZfgc_k4N77QauFTENg5doOnV5tviNeNXjY24UtH0W-DUkajCUSzp5tDRok6kkDzmKv4z1m-6blOQVj648-8OehLeTJkhqAcSWQ_sl-mEelvhdIDqpAn4HO0JPwDd6Ab7f6QtN0O6tLh/s320/2222222222222.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4iMNMAr43hn8InngUFlDhKU699BUe90hF-LbrlIj3A_rAVnpwpaLvVF23lFWcLkwXAElh5X_LeMIRmsxai-wLH_nQUGmODkZq8ETvN3gy7TYzeZEPQOeUag2o-R2t2BQlH2WvsRBi2Z-l/s1600/11111111111.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704000985434054306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4iMNMAr43hn8InngUFlDhKU699BUe90hF-LbrlIj3A_rAVnpwpaLvVF23lFWcLkwXAElh5X_LeMIRmsxai-wLH_nQUGmODkZq8ETvN3gy7TYzeZEPQOeUag2o-R2t2BQlH2WvsRBi2Z-l/s320/11111111111.jpg" /></a><br /><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704000791349981138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgasjqd1IOJ79tkwIoYLPMwTFB1lASUdWfHHUpUX1gBHPa5Iu4BF-ln2zn861gGwjiRAEuUvaJHDoYMbRq4_5GINm5j3q0pkKpyGwl8TGyLBuq-1L3ejqe_jFzpkYS2j2Wh-hMNoe1MD3vI/s320/043.JPG" /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewBWMGP2wujmETXUsMONyb4q9idhE_AVrM8bGZVUwMcDCWz_GfiWKHU9Exh2t6aauFI9hWArItvBbcit7Cn6W2Jn5awX-PwOuDQupaFkRsgTsYD_hWgUKPbc-aEB4kBBo7jnjb1fpPzWj/s1600/046.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704000427668755602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewBWMGP2wujmETXUsMONyb4q9idhE_AVrM8bGZVUwMcDCWz_GfiWKHU9Exh2t6aauFI9hWArItvBbcit7Cn6W2Jn5awX-PwOuDQupaFkRsgTsYD_hWgUKPbc-aEB4kBBo7jnjb1fpPzWj/s320/046.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiAI2I9mKHZs-bUyYXQx709cBakpOoUrDP8GgRayOmGAuzo2jqeChv8zB6oYBmmregqA1pQB7DptVjPuaN3UasGGIUY92rnOGtC9KIihwkQJjttdGKpmJwXUlGQFgukedBeZFlxskYRdiK/s1600/049.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704000423028988818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiAI2I9mKHZs-bUyYXQx709cBakpOoUrDP8GgRayOmGAuzo2jqeChv8zB6oYBmmregqA1pQB7DptVjPuaN3UasGGIUY92rnOGtC9KIihwkQJjttdGKpmJwXUlGQFgukedBeZFlxskYRdiK/s320/049.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_3JzKm3LpeZUanzSu_pRr7FfLcUA1rd3VkRststz1vxIjLf0Q4EnNG5ocna4LKpVGIFaiFM7XwvT7J5ZV1YcfesZV0UsXTLLQ67QeTWUZC6JKtvE8Xi_5JmUUzg905nuWNwQ9yNEagrN/s1600/ababababa.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704001397967361314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_3JzKm3LpeZUanzSu_pRr7FfLcUA1rd3VkRststz1vxIjLf0Q4EnNG5ocna4LKpVGIFaiFM7XwvT7J5ZV1YcfesZV0UsXTLLQ67QeTWUZC6JKtvE8Xi_5JmUUzg905nuWNwQ9yNEagrN/s320/ababababa.jpg" /></a> <br /><strong>Lucas taught Astral and Defy to toast! Cheers to the kale juice!!!</strong><br /><br /><br />January has been a month of many new adventures in the lives of Astral and Defy, our 22 month old big boys. With the promise of a new year we expected many changes, but not this fast. Within the past month our guys have started making sentences and communicating more clearly. We have always been conscious of our behavior and actions in front of them, but now we realize that even little things that we say are being totally absorbed. For instance, whenever the boys eat a meal Star and Sunny, our canine companions, wait to gobble up any food that is dropped. We have no problem with that, we love them being instant little vacuum cleaners. Sometimes they get overly excited and jump up on the chairs and scratch at the boys’ legs and feet to try to get a hard-to-reach morsel of delight. I have found myself saying “go away” on occasion and had never thought anything of it. Well…until a couple of weeks ago when Astral and Defy started saying “go awaaaaay”. Where the hell did they learn that? They don’t watch television, go to daycare or a babysitter. After thinking about it, I realized it was me! They picked it up from the mealtime chaos of two toddlers and two doggies! I now try to choose my words even more carefully,no matter what the situation.<br /><br />Along with clearer speech and an extensive toddler vocabulary Astral and Defy absolutely love to sing! They are seriously entertaining and really feel the music. They try so hard to carry the tune. I think we might have two little singers on our hands! They also love to dance and have the best and most randomly creative moves ever. They just need one more member to form their own little punk band…<br /><br />Potty trainings is going very well. We introduced the potty early on to make them feel comfortable and to ease the transition. Astral and Defy currently wear diapers during naptime, bedtime and when they go outside. They use their potties the rest of the time. We have a bunch of organic training pants, but realized that they posed a problem, a problem we’ve coined as the “fountain effect”. Astral and Defy pee standing up and daddy taught them how to pull down their training pants to go to the potty, but sometimes they have a problem with pulling them down properly, so we end up with pee going straight up in the air. Not a fun clean up but worth a chuckle or two after the fact…<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPQX2D7dcmJkMaHAstEdbB6h-dSgBhyphenhyphen57P1-3lycj-C5T4KG_0-it0TyGHyRrkpWBuf9EZRDLSE8690KwX6kpFzIPvnxwUr2zeaP_SF5FGYDUuHlPvPXOdfmcCQBM1AE_GiyDUm1StDw7/s1600/dddddddddddddddddd.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703999571020449010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWPQX2D7dcmJkMaHAstEdbB6h-dSgBhyphenhyphen57P1-3lycj-C5T4KG_0-it0TyGHyRrkpWBuf9EZRDLSE8690KwX6kpFzIPvnxwUr2zeaP_SF5FGYDUuHlPvPXOdfmcCQBM1AE_GiyDUm1StDw7/s320/dddddddddddddddddd.jpg" /></a><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79JJT_O7ZT16cWN1GTmninErDupydW9WUmQLyHHOVyNMOWUYQbiC7F6HD8pZGM8x-nwv3xxTZLn7sLKz2sWs9H32uZp0SKfZm720DSCRaM8PetEhxm-4u1sEvZwn7HSjmzTSFT0GImemm/s1600/eeeeeeeeeeeee.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703999566309853298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79JJT_O7ZT16cWN1GTmninErDupydW9WUmQLyHHOVyNMOWUYQbiC7F6HD8pZGM8x-nwv3xxTZLn7sLKz2sWs9H32uZp0SKfZm720DSCRaM8PetEhxm-4u1sEvZwn7HSjmzTSFT0GImemm/s320/eeeeeeeeeeeee.jpg" /></a><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgulTloG29eQRwPZCjCrEGw1tABLdvHgBrWsklxj5vV1uYWvwr96jntrs2WfGFrzfefUE_eb8swQH6I3Wh7CgNf27nglBTN8DwZLyBxZ3MgKGDLapEf2fpce9gd9oKk1OAs-9FjmR9SR4GK/s1600/aaa.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703998860035455074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgulTloG29eQRwPZCjCrEGw1tABLdvHgBrWsklxj5vV1uYWvwr96jntrs2WfGFrzfefUE_eb8swQH6I3Wh7CgNf27nglBTN8DwZLyBxZ3MgKGDLapEf2fpce9gd9oKk1OAs-9FjmR9SR4GK/s320/aaa.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWloMSAnuODs89p-IZ9XBtEqS-mMxKlCt3pRNiDfR5r7xnO2DSj8K-A6e16NkwjRFSGv2YYKIooV9EKr5n5ciIbGTEu9O3bV-udDQag9-NTo3ugFCXsmqcJuk-RFAanLfq9yBr_V1geSw7/s1600/dddddddddd.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703998849691039650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWloMSAnuODs89p-IZ9XBtEqS-mMxKlCt3pRNiDfR5r7xnO2DSj8K-A6e16NkwjRFSGv2YYKIooV9EKr5n5ciIbGTEu9O3bV-udDQag9-NTo3ugFCXsmqcJuk-RFAanLfq9yBr_V1geSw7/s320/dddddddddd.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6MEofqxAy-8xv476eMxg-CjsKjxd3d6QvSRpDyDR3AvQ0HWYsytPOvSjvZKCR9YY5q-IEeDlXqUsQy6k5dKtPQQIH3gt63E35GvD-9xGFy3GCrVzH7gAZ2RGMvBxPS9mmq-CTnA0UDZG/s1600/cccccccc.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703998844657548098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib6MEofqxAy-8xv476eMxg-CjsKjxd3d6QvSRpDyDR3AvQ0HWYsytPOvSjvZKCR9YY5q-IEeDlXqUsQy6k5dKtPQQIH3gt63E35GvD-9xGFy3GCrVzH7gAZ2RGMvBxPS9mmq-CTnA0UDZG/s320/cccccccc.jpg" /></a><br /><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703998839887382546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiEFFtRpYT7Kf0bcb7WZhZhgkFwjzWziFZgj_ufvRYmPqonaNtCJzkyQVl7zRBK-V7FW5ih0qrRtn3n2tCfFoyxIQTzFO7EujoFm7fW5_bxyy5y6gYH-NYDdEypoaEp2p93Ykn-6YXOssk/s320/bbbbbbb.jpg" /><br /><br />The cutest thing happened two nights ago. Lucas went in to check on the boys during the night. He didn’t see Astral in his bed and after looking around for him in the dark, he found him cuddled up in Defy’s bed. It was super adorable. We knew this would eventually happen. We’ve read and heard many stories from other twin parents about their sets sleeping together. We wonder if they will choose to sleep together often; they haven’t since that first time.<br /><br />Over the past month we have had our fair share of the usual bumps and bruises that come along with twin toddlers. Astral scraped his back after falling from the handlebars of our treadmill. They are always scaling something and I always tell them when they are at the top of a rock climbing wall at the park or any appropriate climbing apparatus that they are “AMAZING”. I turned my back for like one second while in our bedroom and I hear “AMAZING” in the sweetest little voice and then a big CRASH! Again…they are such sponges! Thankfully he was okay and there was no permanent or severe damage. They are such stealth little danger twins. Lucas and I need another pair of eyes in the back of our heads and an extra hand or two each. EVOLUTION…<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DEczpbDE9orh3SXq00ZUWW0PUxtyKtY_a_b2FUkgs1-AlP0Bj8eWvTM4xku2Ud_14h9p97HStqqMyhAvc0h1-ClY-iXcI2UK27vJMTgAn7b2-wvtjzaZSgxsTHbfJnKaegrg66Yf10tF/s1600/019.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703994981160465906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DEczpbDE9orh3SXq00ZUWW0PUxtyKtY_a_b2FUkgs1-AlP0Bj8eWvTM4xku2Ud_14h9p97HStqqMyhAvc0h1-ClY-iXcI2UK27vJMTgAn7b2-wvtjzaZSgxsTHbfJnKaegrg66Yf10tF/s320/019.JPG" /></a><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhneMWt6twYI-XXAPC8tHhwGrQehyphenhyphen3NJsLP9kQ44QMrXCcznrP9ldwXbZn7nKIffvj1r-0nMZ8UpZIKA1stjI0zNoyaRlLIGF_AACfFjSKNvw_0i3yDPjtGnw8gRs4MM9a5I9PK1TfRjMOW/s1600/013.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703994970078843266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhneMWt6twYI-XXAPC8tHhwGrQehyphenhyphen3NJsLP9kQ44QMrXCcznrP9ldwXbZn7nKIffvj1r-0nMZ8UpZIKA1stjI0zNoyaRlLIGF_AACfFjSKNvw_0i3yDPjtGnw8gRs4MM9a5I9PK1TfRjMOW/s320/013.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqFDvvFREupgk4UIKKA__gVXl8bDTyjTZ4thmqCxQtlWlN9SVxZwm6H8FEUUNJKtVjWdq-AXo1JOMC-E9Sw8vzEUYZJVBv8YWRX0yVd6PehoxZghQTBs_wlqvJRqy_2T7oXE2fLslxxFj/s1600/015.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703994962556785154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqFDvvFREupgk4UIKKA__gVXl8bDTyjTZ4thmqCxQtlWlN9SVxZwm6H8FEUUNJKtVjWdq-AXo1JOMC-E9Sw8vzEUYZJVBv8YWRX0yVd6PehoxZghQTBs_wlqvJRqy_2T7oXE2fLslxxFj/s320/015.JPG" /></a><br /><div><br />Lucas took the guys to their first stay-at-home dads’ play group yesterday. There were around 30 dads and many children. It was such a great opportunity for Lucas to mingle with other dads that understand and can relate to his lifestyle. He’s come along with me to a couple of the mommy playgroups I belong to, but I rarely get to attend since I work outside of the home fulltime. He had been hesitant to go to them without me because he just wasn't sure if the moms would feel comfortable with some dude hanging around, cramping their all-mommy style! We are very fortunate to live in an area with plenty stay-at-home daddy support. Now if only we could find a vegan stay-at-home dad playgroup. Ahhh vegan parents can dream, can’t they…<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoq7-3p3RXYiqDx_eOrEEIAMrZNfWoeIL6qEMjdxtFXkvnRPudpBpQ4epm59WOW3JeBhFGzBf5D49nFURYiOlUxK2F-y6QtzdENWNylr_shJqcUO7oY1uSWGGBikniSknelE2uiKjrILQW/s1600/333.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703993786089832354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoq7-3p3RXYiqDx_eOrEEIAMrZNfWoeIL6qEMjdxtFXkvnRPudpBpQ4epm59WOW3JeBhFGzBf5D49nFURYiOlUxK2F-y6QtzdENWNylr_shJqcUO7oY1uSWGGBikniSknelE2uiKjrILQW/s320/333.jpg" /></a><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxAD8EdqlhvKY2BJnOCMbZpXr13iP-kRA_0q02knH6LPCrg_CShYuKjlKjtiYNyektVkx6KgLjcnUq6kdRggmWmeHpVfvHMVl30PD4308UNG3GWHYGV01pT732bEF4ur3dP3cY491HJKvp/s1600/222.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703993771425752594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxAD8EdqlhvKY2BJnOCMbZpXr13iP-kRA_0q02knH6LPCrg_CShYuKjlKjtiYNyektVkx6KgLjcnUq6kdRggmWmeHpVfvHMVl30PD4308UNG3GWHYGV01pT732bEF4ur3dP3cY491HJKvp/s320/222.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI8WZc9LbxXQNwohmDAnbq02TXWTgguPc-soLz3NRb_gfVFmCy8jMtsE9G4fmy4YzXeJgHD8Hj1Kjj0TeOTKnbXKO6WJn5d4zhvNyq_Yu17AFefoFIIotmaOHIryYhc_ZrT8NtKtgMxded/s1600/111.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703993766606989154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI8WZc9LbxXQNwohmDAnbq02TXWTgguPc-soLz3NRb_gfVFmCy8jMtsE9G4fmy4YzXeJgHD8Hj1Kjj0TeOTKnbXKO6WJn5d4zhvNyq_Yu17AFefoFIIotmaOHIryYhc_ZrT8NtKtgMxded/s320/111.jpg" /></a> all photos are Astral Defiance and Defy Aster at 22<br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-39631044821236185882011-12-31T18:22:00.000-08:002011-12-31T19:11:58.864-08:00The Writing Is On The Wall...<div align="center">21 Months<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JfYzicvgvDae0fOuMZLp7Db5AcvzWSf4N-UUB_ATXdcicrVeaTuel48FStyy4tjdjf8UR6gdaSn2Vz_RILwDhyphenhyphenslky5Owos1Z7gs6jzS6whCA4HfjfPpuQlER7peipSzdx2JYAmmBdGo/s1600/p6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692485377501326482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JfYzicvgvDae0fOuMZLp7Db5AcvzWSf4N-UUB_ATXdcicrVeaTuel48FStyy4tjdjf8UR6gdaSn2Vz_RILwDhyphenhyphenslky5Owos1Z7gs6jzS6whCA4HfjfPpuQlER7peipSzdx2JYAmmBdGo/s320/p6.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZv98tCgH40-pUq3KrGdYbpQ8u4k9eFurfqwmXdQxWZmtBdxCP5RCofsXOaR58jASq8uQx2VLhocdapCSd14YZxAqG0LqshrKM_HMbV9g2wD53ETPgUwZI-1haeWR56RxdSmNBHTgY0Ez/s1600/p7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692486799693029938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZv98tCgH40-pUq3KrGdYbpQ8u4k9eFurfqwmXdQxWZmtBdxCP5RCofsXOaR58jASq8uQx2VLhocdapCSd14YZxAqG0LqshrKM_HMbV9g2wD53ETPgUwZI-1haeWR56RxdSmNBHTgY0Ez/s320/p7.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2X6OtQ2d9Ffg1aR-HEv1K5oqvsuZihbHPySjwctIDyTXLyhqBJWqSYejx1wZb58htBnw4IDhZZl8CPv3_Uku45W4VhKL7IJ7wdd-uvPBw4WDgq16VRuIMHGAS-NyJGGquWqubcIONp5A/s1600/p5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692485248377736098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2X6OtQ2d9Ffg1aR-HEv1K5oqvsuZihbHPySjwctIDyTXLyhqBJWqSYejx1wZb58htBnw4IDhZZl8CPv3_Uku45W4VhKL7IJ7wdd-uvPBw4WDgq16VRuIMHGAS-NyJGGquWqubcIONp5A/s320/p5.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirl01kxaCsIsepuCtBsLo3swsaS7wnN96xim0oXdkZjwzlSs3L6Ro2ad_6FatG1mk8Z5en87QB1QdDl12LuMyXt0Y5lSLt-5mcb_wD1W7SY2ulltguDl1OhK2Roa5ajZ4oQV55FS4BcBDC/s1600/p4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692485246478808706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirl01kxaCsIsepuCtBsLo3swsaS7wnN96xim0oXdkZjwzlSs3L6Ro2ad_6FatG1mk8Z5en87QB1QdDl12LuMyXt0Y5lSLt-5mcb_wD1W7SY2ulltguDl1OhK2Roa5ajZ4oQV55FS4BcBDC/s320/p4.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbMARg7KSDmPgEPOV9cMNXnGZ-uyAWZxHPIAQGviOaRrKonGUIPqLC2vDd8Dk-ICBlTqY4YaZZ7TvXGrKI1k6NFRH0Hr_n5p3yvuU_c9XmeAdb4pC3Q5OFoObHuL838SCLGr7APVT-lBD/s1600/p3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692485240933744690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbMARg7KSDmPgEPOV9cMNXnGZ-uyAWZxHPIAQGviOaRrKonGUIPqLC2vDd8Dk-ICBlTqY4YaZZ7TvXGrKI1k6NFRH0Hr_n5p3yvuU_c9XmeAdb4pC3Q5OFoObHuL838SCLGr7APVT-lBD/s320/p3.jpg" /></a><br />We are moving toward a new year and our future as parents of two, two year olds. Our little guys are quite expressive artistically and love drawing and coloring…especially on walls and other surfaces not quite meant to showcase the work of a toddler! We always redirect their creativity to paper (to their joint disappointment), but they always try a sneak a scribble or two on a wall, cabinet, or piece of furniture. Maybe they are just budding graffiti artists!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlX9Bak3STaNHDJBAjzZDsmnBDadmeXtizOQmhjDwlDDH8PwVpIKoN0cgQnyPEot2Zo6QDaOunFqADaW0yGWFCLxqDbYxYRXGPyJg2hyphenhyphengjcslK9SBUPjYkAsjPfa5RL9HPxZyBZwa1k-fU/s1600/p+1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692485227768258450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlX9Bak3STaNHDJBAjzZDsmnBDadmeXtizOQmhjDwlDDH8PwVpIKoN0cgQnyPEot2Zo6QDaOunFqADaW0yGWFCLxqDbYxYRXGPyJg2hyphenhyphengjcslK9SBUPjYkAsjPfa5RL9HPxZyBZwa1k-fU/s320/p+1.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="left"><br />Their language skills are developing rapidly. They try to repeat what people say much more and have eased up a little on the baby talk. Recently, we pulled out the camera to take a picture of them and asked them to smile, and they both kept saying “my-allll”. They say it all the time now, usually coupled with an over-the-top, tooth-filled smile. They are now calling out for one another by name, especially if they are in separate rooms and often when one wakes up from sleep and the other is still snoozing. So sweet!<br /><br />Every once in a while, when the weather is not suitable for outside play and when daddy can stomach it, he takes the boys to an indoor play area in a huge nearby shopping mall. Daddy is usually a little grumpy when he has to venture into a church of hyper-consumerism, but this play area gives the boys a chance to meet other children and expend some energy, so he tries his best. Recently, there have been live musical events for the holidays so daddy has taken them a little more frequently. On previous occasions Astral and Defy have refused to dance in public, but those days are long gone and they’ve been thoroughly enjoying showing off all their amazing dance moves. Clearly vegan babies are the best dancers!<br /><br />Astral and Defy are eating really well and growing strong. They still love their green juices and smoothies, especially ones with avocado. Last week I made my first batch of homemade granola with oats, buckwheat flour, walnuts, raisins, coconut flakes, and maple syrup, and it was a big hit! They (daddy included) ravenously devoured the first batch and whined for more.<br /></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJg1u9rDxN7yt6KWlFMQ9bhX7dAf0T_IKn5b1lOvDw2lSkIcc9v3l1cqSOgElpT6KwWGvI3PhmTGjsE8t5uO_GOd5nnZI3NyN0-m_Y7riZPiCre7flLk_jGTq4RBnnTgWbxi8jLhjj-wET/s1600/p+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; height: 320px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692485231283711058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJg1u9rDxN7yt6KWlFMQ9bhX7dAf0T_IKn5b1lOvDw2lSkIcc9v3l1cqSOgElpT6KwWGvI3PhmTGjsE8t5uO_GOd5nnZI3NyN0-m_Y7riZPiCre7flLk_jGTq4RBnnTgWbxi8jLhjj-wET/s320/p+2.JPG" /></a>granola made with vegan love</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="left"><br /><br />We wanted to get one more post in for 2011! Short and sweet! I can’t believe it is going to be 2012 in a few hours. Having children seems to make the time fly by faster than ever. Hopefully the new year has great things in store and more people will be inspired to end animal exploitation and become vegan!!! Happy New Year...</div><div align="left"> </div></div></div>Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-29804241461547286792011-11-30T12:00:00.000-08:002011-11-30T18:09:17.074-08:00The Perfect Circles…<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfSpVZ9Q_WmmmFXhkRFazvHGwXUEauCXHTLnWOM1rGLu6fpKAx9CBvQzP0mdR1WxUvQ5oV2tuQRz77YmtAaGj-vGCI2OKqkDtKVaqwFH2h_GWNlhyphenhyphenMbyB_N4Py_1atWGjN07KYgNmvDM1J/s1600/b1.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680895765294584354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfSpVZ9Q_WmmmFXhkRFazvHGwXUEauCXHTLnWOM1rGLu6fpKAx9CBvQzP0mdR1WxUvQ5oV2tuQRz77YmtAaGj-vGCI2OKqkDtKVaqwFH2h_GWNlhyphenhyphenMbyB_N4Py_1atWGjN07KYgNmvDM1J/s320/b1.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_AsITSDS9f9XWneE4YASpTPOQcrtlN1LAkiqLoKxDRATuDji9tbIXWb4GRKfIZcoubm5cZ-LdrT5o-CKTNULFsSgUs_xpWBuoWmw3wAFPxNbhwb3BVEFkPzeYIFqzL2CWtdK5JxFJsEWq/s1600/A4.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680895757311997666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_AsITSDS9f9XWneE4YASpTPOQcrtlN1LAkiqLoKxDRATuDji9tbIXWb4GRKfIZcoubm5cZ-LdrT5o-CKTNULFsSgUs_xpWBuoWmw3wAFPxNbhwb3BVEFkPzeYIFqzL2CWtdK5JxFJsEWq/s320/A4.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8s9VAAUeTiV6RdMs8A0yRap32UvUjvK5o7s584B7zIYXD4WdLPatlQ63aDUit8ez58MaNbMLW_dwr19n1laiIywMZDx5omK2CPg2h4yMj2KJorruLiiKH1lJhlX0-d5qzMi_3TDyd5kUZ/s1600/d1.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680895737529877122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8s9VAAUeTiV6RdMs8A0yRap32UvUjvK5o7s584B7zIYXD4WdLPatlQ63aDUit8ez58MaNbMLW_dwr19n1laiIywMZDx5omK2CPg2h4yMj2KJorruLiiKH1lJhlX0-d5qzMi_3TDyd5kUZ/s320/d1.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-fDyr9SsbzBP8JN4SBZIh7Exi5cnHbrbzM35v5dVIUyscX9n226z-OgKOWtF4NNOC4l2wN8K9cgPBf7DZcToayrLVgfHIzbvIJNYqb7DvyYyV28icaCYoIMelZZXTgg6cjtwcV2Bes7X/s1600/A1.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680895736207702482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-fDyr9SsbzBP8JN4SBZIh7Exi5cnHbrbzM35v5dVIUyscX9n226z-OgKOWtF4NNOC4l2wN8K9cgPBf7DZcToayrLVgfHIzbvIJNYqb7DvyYyV28icaCYoIMelZZXTgg6cjtwcV2Bes7X/s320/A1.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxc3in4XB5EOWlwja5luF98oguSiBA3k4Qc6VDnC97iiZU8OmSWZsrpCwM3d-ObomV8cGvC-kwoFlDCCmfoSdTrESHMcIs03Y0VOwi5TsLlZ7QyVCeVbtZplBrgS5yiuM9f8S7WkhLRDs/s1600/D2.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680895736636487506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxc3in4XB5EOWlwja5luF98oguSiBA3k4Qc6VDnC97iiZU8OmSWZsrpCwM3d-ObomV8cGvC-kwoFlDCCmfoSdTrESHMcIs03Y0VOwi5TsLlZ7QyVCeVbtZplBrgS5yiuM9f8S7WkhLRDs/s320/D2.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The so called “terrible twos” are fast approaching, though at times it seems like this stage already started a while ago! Astral and Defy will be 21 months in a couple of days and they are constantly entertaining and terrifying us at the same time. They are super funny and already show promise of great senses of humor. They are also little dare-devils and seem destined for a future of professional skateboarding (daddy would love this) or stuntmen! There is no holding these two little guys down. They know how to get out of anything that confines them, including tightened car seat straps and booster seats. One minute they’ll be eating at the table and the next they will be standing on top of the table dancing. Super cute, but super dangerous as well!</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lUutG9DrY21Fn1O25RcTPQOoOmA0uCmi1f8OscW1fKQD1fgynhD0ut2XAjerVaY7C4zhpGe6nSs_Yo4Oy53eJBpJHKTDDlJ9MEbF-tv7tEpVt0wM_QVh_9k2qcOALWxVb_CDpZUUtbFC/s1600/tttt.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680893206371041970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lUutG9DrY21Fn1O25RcTPQOoOmA0uCmi1f8OscW1fKQD1fgynhD0ut2XAjerVaY7C4zhpGe6nSs_Yo4Oy53eJBpJHKTDDlJ9MEbF-tv7tEpVt0wM_QVh_9k2qcOALWxVb_CDpZUUtbFC/s320/tttt.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFESFYGZOQD2iEFq4aqHXcxJoO4Uz2Izb9N1FdaCIDnlBPOg2klKKSpw6TmILoD2DLKb3pX1lCNZsGqxLXa47PlDOAdubJ8h3_vEdrtpccIdrjYTSOOweW0ShX-biDoXZoQXznJ_xHr2g/s1600/5645.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680893191174634562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNFESFYGZOQD2iEFq4aqHXcxJoO4Uz2Izb9N1FdaCIDnlBPOg2klKKSpw6TmILoD2DLKb3pX1lCNZsGqxLXa47PlDOAdubJ8h3_vEdrtpccIdrjYTSOOweW0ShX-biDoXZoQXznJ_xHr2g/s320/5645.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQpjAaSr43EnHTLoyRy4bolbfKShRjfOV7kVMvcqKf1-RueTLtlVQdoKwtuXBcdLp_0kI0N23mmBlo_tEH83UtDHfycsekTyB2CZ9MK13-ArzbL9tfYq6VwPr6De-teE4N9nRFwClHym3y/s1600/1111.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680893188489800674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQpjAaSr43EnHTLoyRy4bolbfKShRjfOV7kVMvcqKf1-RueTLtlVQdoKwtuXBcdLp_0kI0N23mmBlo_tEH83UtDHfycsekTyB2CZ9MK13-ArzbL9tfYq6VwPr6De-teE4N9nRFwClHym3y/s320/1111.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6EAO5YgWF6V1cWvB_ZjQ6vx5B7jUEw3QdHoZzatOzvClrZVSw6skNNyRPv-7y0B_z93j5zLuY5Aj7qyWm5nFzX9yt3vGrs1HzrHLhIOagFNdBy6tgb9CAVdicdPpr0v5QZC8w4USDf-Q/s1600/yyyy.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680893184885939986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6EAO5YgWF6V1cWvB_ZjQ6vx5B7jUEw3QdHoZzatOzvClrZVSw6skNNyRPv-7y0B_z93j5zLuY5Aj7qyWm5nFzX9yt3vGrs1HzrHLhIOagFNdBy6tgb9CAVdicdPpr0v5QZC8w4USDf-Q/s320/yyyy.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXg9ql9rGBOFlyA-KXA9u5XA0fgVXUiGfimSKc8XDBl4Y6z6eZC7mYJ3aGHLx9CtDjHfN4apfmjb1qD2w2elQZdlYyduXxHPBB22p1YnvFwGR1o9GP6FRZCkViwjK3Mnf-4cszouIYb0OY/s1600/iii.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680893208923570066" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXg9ql9rGBOFlyA-KXA9u5XA0fgVXUiGfimSKc8XDBl4Y6z6eZC7mYJ3aGHLx9CtDjHfN4apfmjb1qD2w2elQZdlYyduXxHPBB22p1YnvFwGR1o9GP6FRZCkViwjK3Mnf-4cszouIYb0OY/s320/iii.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We have two budding artist who proudly know how to say and indentify all of their basic colors and shapes. They've recently moved on to drawing perfect little circles and they’re working on hearts and straight lines! We have some pretty strong "artist genes" in the family so maybe they will inherit the talent.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CCFoneW-si4OZEZHB8kYLpR1bRnoD4grdvMHIWHW3LFZI03ffRQ-UlVBkx_yowJsHxQeu4G6nl1Q4km3stcVJVYjpkWcsCauLl4RHkUtlG5v_ffEDdKvFy8xVCcdmLglMSlrD_nFEicX/s1600/ooo.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680896879442782818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CCFoneW-si4OZEZHB8kYLpR1bRnoD4grdvMHIWHW3LFZI03ffRQ-UlVBkx_yowJsHxQeu4G6nl1Q4km3stcVJVYjpkWcsCauLl4RHkUtlG5v_ffEDdKvFy8xVCcdmLglMSlrD_nFEicX/s320/ooo.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeL2o3hAjMcz06e6rMR95bTg8VJ9lCla8vGuvNXtggErf5yT2KPivm5au9VBOsubuexJlHhP6f5-phEV2pi6qsST0jGvUrbSeYCELj2pUtoWy23MZna4AajSS1j2FWpTqKdCO5_7E7WRap/s1600/ddddddd.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680896870760572946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeL2o3hAjMcz06e6rMR95bTg8VJ9lCla8vGuvNXtggErf5yT2KPivm5au9VBOsubuexJlHhP6f5-phEV2pi6qsST0jGvUrbSeYCELj2pUtoWy23MZna4AajSS1j2FWpTqKdCO5_7E7WRap/s320/ddddddd.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgenJ2KSeXu8aHEqT3CuriTM_g8w9D7PGDL0MpYX_USq5xvnNHjr_7U7XCtjow8OjbGU4R1oSPGAG4N9ZatD2IgajUBdUuSyDht1nVELxzEA7TC2_z9p_H18opyZywf6g2sL8ZAwwKbr-u/s1600/fffff.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680896856124780402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgenJ2KSeXu8aHEqT3CuriTM_g8w9D7PGDL0MpYX_USq5xvnNHjr_7U7XCtjow8OjbGU4R1oSPGAG4N9ZatD2IgajUBdUuSyDht1nVELxzEA7TC2_z9p_H18opyZywf6g2sL8ZAwwKbr-u/s320/fffff.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxxsx_8oc84DE-bseVteyY7e2fZIaWYkJnweEt7B-gXYDFgTKDCe9qaH2mW5J_bbBHB4d8QblK2L5XFUQ3zWjLyXzI015J8HKkcLTkk-ukNOnFF3WOHlVFyf4FEpZL2KXRUOYKncLgDMw/s1600/dddd.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680896852141581234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxxsx_8oc84DE-bseVteyY7e2fZIaWYkJnweEt7B-gXYDFgTKDCe9qaH2mW5J_bbBHB4d8QblK2L5XFUQ3zWjLyXzI015J8HKkcLTkk-ukNOnFF3WOHlVFyf4FEpZL2KXRUOYKncLgDMw/s320/dddd.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPLQ2qGDYHOIJnpPQGhS3lceToPEFsi3Tje0mK9Mq42imSpiIH5TN3EaOBOaJP6pAoSZV3Px-Lc9XC0jJc9NI0glBEcN_HV-RzkEoJ2bJSa0MDVneraJKmzzGgFyfRdXsKbHvjGBAYhnT/s1600/aaa.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680896845469757714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPLQ2qGDYHOIJnpPQGhS3lceToPEFsi3Tje0mK9Mq42imSpiIH5TN3EaOBOaJP6pAoSZV3Px-Lc9XC0jJc9NI0glBEcN_HV-RzkEoJ2bJSa0MDVneraJKmzzGgFyfRdXsKbHvjGBAYhnT/s320/aaa.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">They continue their love for books and can sit and listen intently, completely engrossed by a story. Their attention spans are great for their age. They enjoy going to the library, and as soon as we walk in the doors they are so excited they can’t help but scream, “BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS!” while running toward the shelves. They don’t even wait to get to the kiddie section, sometimes they choose the most ridiculous non-children books! So cute!!!</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMmna0SBm7rKG7WQka3CU91TJ_QwJYkuuT_Z-hRMulcUvdI_cyIfIyq4uIqhkNb8CAVZ6cvwH9IdaVxRRYVJB_y34eypn-WcjvnDhfjLNTudOtTmZmBofzz5apfpnT-UuBzM9sVi5a5no/s1600/cccccc.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680890710495668178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMmna0SBm7rKG7WQka3CU91TJ_QwJYkuuT_Z-hRMulcUvdI_cyIfIyq4uIqhkNb8CAVZ6cvwH9IdaVxRRYVJB_y34eypn-WcjvnDhfjLNTudOtTmZmBofzz5apfpnT-UuBzM9sVi5a5no/s320/cccccc.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXIbwyEvqeHD7FfmCTbwvd6Hsv9QunYIWUoF3_UNSRRnpzwa1xmc6UT4HT9YZjPS0fLKEXVz4sQ42JuTaYrUrS83LMZs-57dvUETJV2ayrSCVbEH73ViK5oarMeRM4pJsXf7RhTrTjEwd/s1600/xxxxx.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680890695637010850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXIbwyEvqeHD7FfmCTbwvd6Hsv9QunYIWUoF3_UNSRRnpzwa1xmc6UT4HT9YZjPS0fLKEXVz4sQ42JuTaYrUrS83LMZs-57dvUETJV2ayrSCVbEH73ViK5oarMeRM4pJsXf7RhTrTjEwd/s320/xxxxx.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8jdXCo24_IQlpnjqOYXcZItqRFKDyNwJ17Wu0GkyxRSM1PhfjRUHtVCfDGSQu1ZWzFFro6Ghw8372yuqeRZr7BH96jYqwpI2UFjcPDiCARoGttOT0LOiJzF7G3CzwGW2PwpM77KNX1qG6/s1600/zzzzz.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680890694413414530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8jdXCo24_IQlpnjqOYXcZItqRFKDyNwJ17Wu0GkyxRSM1PhfjRUHtVCfDGSQu1ZWzFFro6Ghw8372yuqeRZr7BH96jYqwpI2UFjcPDiCARoGttOT0LOiJzF7G3CzwGW2PwpM77KNX1qG6/s320/zzzzz.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The weather has been really nice and has allowed lots of playtime outside with just hoodies and not big bulky coats. I am sure that will be ending soon, but we are thankful while it lasts. Astral and Defy have been having so much fun playing with leaves this season. They love to roll around, bury themselves, gather and throw all the beautiful fallen leaves. Snowsuits are ready to be broken in with the first big snow, which will be a new adventure for our little boys.</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8uMS8UDSY5lxHr7diFBT91dOJn-lGAtFE8wYxwFXb1RVJ9Uu3Op-iiKDZ132Zp5jwgES4yM3No2Gg5PMPhe05_iRmUNtUHKEoJQUeCyZl_6sEK2ZEWQtwREAifsUZGUIG6gIiQn5cWiC/s1600/ggg.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680894693214050706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8uMS8UDSY5lxHr7diFBT91dOJn-lGAtFE8wYxwFXb1RVJ9Uu3Op-iiKDZ132Zp5jwgES4yM3No2Gg5PMPhe05_iRmUNtUHKEoJQUeCyZl_6sEK2ZEWQtwREAifsUZGUIG6gIiQn5cWiC/s320/ggg.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXVGcX3YEdGxN2_r4ITa98rYgdoiGFQk5bU9GIEdbfezIx6E7AbAblk3h7Nt2J09e06EsZnfXjx9jMpu57BRxMuudYIdUE946ApmUNjakalOQYQgT-QfZWKBwK1I3F7BLgMcJ2K6VGtUW/s1600/lllll.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680894680155049906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSXVGcX3YEdGxN2_r4ITa98rYgdoiGFQk5bU9GIEdbfezIx6E7AbAblk3h7Nt2J09e06EsZnfXjx9jMpu57BRxMuudYIdUE946ApmUNjakalOQYQgT-QfZWKBwK1I3F7BLgMcJ2K6VGtUW/s320/lllll.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmX6zp0AAluw059vlIB9mXT7zYRjEVdzcFEbocHhXMc3kpKSW8OEeptsOnU8dassTfrBgA5eY4Zfc45CkF30xPUH62OJug8xFpaq1Osjei5A_omuMtv75CtKMA1OXu5rcu7HEgowg1XZf/s1600/kkkkk.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680894675814761186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmX6zp0AAluw059vlIB9mXT7zYRjEVdzcFEbocHhXMc3kpKSW8OEeptsOnU8dassTfrBgA5eY4Zfc45CkF30xPUH62OJug8xFpaq1Osjei5A_omuMtv75CtKMA1OXu5rcu7HEgowg1XZf/s320/kkkkk.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Potty training is going great at full speed ahead! We are researching organic training pants right now for the next phase. We are so ready to retire their cloth diapers because cleaning them is every bit as pleasant as it sounds. Astral peed standing up last week, which they both have been doing for a while, but this time (GASP) he didn’t get any pee on the floor, it all went right into the potty. Totally perfecting his aim! LOVE IT!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The boys continue to eat pretty well and are still devouring their green juices and smoothies. Their favorite snack right now is nori (seaweed). They can’t get enough of the stuff. We love pulling out their healthy snacks at the parks and play dates and telling people about our vegan family.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCj-_DOJR-07SM5v74uj8X8ofegG4Q6BeSZzC4ILJKNlj1Yxhk2yWm5J6qFaLWFmf0KsU6WkjxYt69Mh-UL8tF15c5qwBSNjxOg4sbD6jJrXeZX_gIFXVNxGFe4aikjyEOdFvRv55fEj6b/s1600/seaweed.JPG"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 320px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680888495829325922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCj-_DOJR-07SM5v74uj8X8ofegG4Q6BeSZzC4ILJKNlj1Yxhk2yWm5J6qFaLWFmf0KsU6WkjxYt69Mh-UL8tF15c5qwBSNjxOg4sbD6jJrXeZX_gIFXVNxGFe4aikjyEOdFvRv55fEj6b/s320/seaweed.JPG" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The 20th month of Astral and Defy’s life, like every other, has passed by in what seems like a blink of an eye. Every time we meet another twin mom or dad, they always say the same thing: “it gets easier”. Just last week a mom was jogging by at the park and she yells out without stopping, “It gets easier…I have 7 year old twins”. Raising twins hasn’t been easy, but it isn’t as hard as people make it seem. Maybe because we had twins in the first round and we don’t know how easier the experience would be with a singleton. I think it gets easier for all parents as children grow and mature. Having twins may actually be easier at times because they have a fulltime partner to play and laugh with. They can entertain one another while lunch is being whipped up or while the floor is being swept. Even if it does get easier, I don’t really care, I’m all about relishing the now. Even when there is a tantrum and bodies fall dramatically to the ground, I cherish every second. I know one day Astral and Defy will be grown up and I will wish I had just one more love-filled toddler cuddle or high-pitched, squealing tantrum. When we decided to have children the last thing we thought was that it would be easy…</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgormiXQubKecwJ0d8e5rYFymF1NYu_co65sG2jUDcLBXTFEw7oVsIBoMFtALmLFp3i8dSO2ARljigddMX4ZUDhcB1dpiwVYIPooDqlQan12ZMDjXAdTzhhQUACj3MXpLVxCelu3IO9ZlSh/s1600/cart.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 320px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680888527475633746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgormiXQubKecwJ0d8e5rYFymF1NYu_co65sG2jUDcLBXTFEw7oVsIBoMFtALmLFp3i8dSO2ARljigddMX4ZUDhcB1dpiwVYIPooDqlQan12ZMDjXAdTzhhQUACj3MXpLVxCelu3IO9ZlSh/s320/cart.jpg" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr7MxIOYlCB2blJneT_g-9bpIA-ZAr30YU9UGNvEP5dwv9O1tbqFvxWdM3skLl5JkUWWi641-icjSvxCTMPO74kutVodTiPjx2WrMWcLmzXfdXAcYixDhLrkGWIiJ6btmwPgG8NSjWQiju/s1600/5555555.JPG"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 320px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680888514865162658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr7MxIOYlCB2blJneT_g-9bpIA-ZAr30YU9UGNvEP5dwv9O1tbqFvxWdM3skLl5JkUWWi641-icjSvxCTMPO74kutVodTiPjx2WrMWcLmzXfdXAcYixDhLrkGWIiJ6btmwPgG8NSjWQiju/s320/5555555.JPG" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJet1cvrPP2-6v0EUHRnA1B_rUbnQFdJvFglHrKcuQTBt921sN3zLbeKYCuWDmItDtG2DgcXDfAbWxI1ryTTz7iFODWtcHExZY2ONIivzZp5Fit6amgcam1c0LSGRNLpYE32bKiqL7_srW/s1600/1000000.JPG"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 320px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680888504367485986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJet1cvrPP2-6v0EUHRnA1B_rUbnQFdJvFglHrKcuQTBt921sN3zLbeKYCuWDmItDtG2DgcXDfAbWxI1ryTTz7iFODWtcHExZY2ONIivzZp5Fit6amgcam1c0LSGRNLpYE32bKiqL7_srW/s320/1000000.JPG" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFZyx6vrTCzn9Fbxr-XUOKGNzSfX9FSfWUU2M-oTBl5bx5nGTdsfCJHhh-83HTlcTYvGlMHRYhTJeYVjI4f-sHDLuX9nLTLxfjgHlLpXJLgFBh9yfUsU5aXnFFZsz7lqxcXc9AanHOxpy/s1600/9999.JPG"><img style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; width: 320px; display: block; height: 320px; cursor: pointer; " id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680888501776163138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFZyx6vrTCzn9Fbxr-XUOKGNzSfX9FSfWUU2M-oTBl5bx5nGTdsfCJHhh-83HTlcTYvGlMHRYhTJeYVjI4f-sHDLuX9nLTLxfjgHlLpXJLgFBh9yfUsU5aXnFFZsz7lqxcXc9AanHOxpy/s320/9999.JPG" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">All photos are of Astral and Defy at 20 months old</div></div>Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-54192112598052793362011-10-31T17:52:00.000-07:002011-10-31T19:26:02.649-07:00Our Happy Little Helpers...<span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9VN8fq3fly9aV5C6xd6d5_CwY5-vDcHpg3ksL61hCwI2KdqA-QrwPUgHb4FulbJQwTa9OcLRdtwEIxk0wbjeZjp0DFYZtemeubIf3mPrllFXcm_k_1zoGm8o5ETSonvCDMzUie4h-K2R/s1600/photo-9.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9VN8fq3fly9aV5C6xd6d5_CwY5-vDcHpg3ksL61hCwI2KdqA-QrwPUgHb4FulbJQwTa9OcLRdtwEIxk0wbjeZjp0DFYZtemeubIf3mPrllFXcm_k_1zoGm8o5ETSonvCDMzUie4h-K2R/s320/photo-9.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669838582873454418" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">riders...</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFL8u33wGyp807kKnBFsbs4OboAW896BFQUO8V5-hh2BqBo10-LEZn5K3qs6dpRttwBLtjUrejwOazUvfvTEF_GxBYaJJSYroQt_TWnEhKfgvcWAqgHdMeKoVMh5eXxoDCFA2xJU0FvUgG/s1600/GEDC5968.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFL8u33wGyp807kKnBFsbs4OboAW896BFQUO8V5-hh2BqBo10-LEZn5K3qs6dpRttwBLtjUrejwOazUvfvTEF_GxBYaJJSYroQt_TWnEhKfgvcWAqgHdMeKoVMh5eXxoDCFA2xJU0FvUgG/s320/GEDC5968.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669836777319407250" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDIGXXr4yJU6zVVROzIkF8AdWIsBRa2Z89w4DzNh9Lce07Si31wb6sNOqswwZJlhewkF3X44Ofy9ia8XJTnWZ8jHjtkEIYQnhyphenhyphennhayzr2ro3cSdJSDIx7xMW9BqPLr-yAFj9L7YJjGRGY/s1600/GEDC5963.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDIGXXr4yJU6zVVROzIkF8AdWIsBRa2Z89w4DzNh9Lce07Si31wb6sNOqswwZJlhewkF3X44Ofy9ia8XJTnWZ8jHjtkEIYQnhyphenhyphennhayzr2ro3cSdJSDIx7xMW9BqPLr-yAFj9L7YJjGRGY/s320/GEDC5963.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669834845224049970" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJeArh8ObeCJobblbwtEopKBBbHIRABpfi-v4YgTM6lPzq-SRCT_ls9p58Yu2Dmw7TbazacQKHtDkVQN-lMUhuHi-BSPrPpXT7UEcXbNFvqzF-BwR1w1bPEpw0hf3Ol5Zy9Jwnw_W-OIz/s1600/GEDC5919.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJeArh8ObeCJobblbwtEopKBBbHIRABpfi-v4YgTM6lPzq-SRCT_ls9p58Yu2Dmw7TbazacQKHtDkVQN-lMUhuHi-BSPrPpXT7UEcXbNFvqzF-BwR1w1bPEpw0hf3Ol5Zy9Jwnw_W-OIz/s320/GEDC5919.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669834839582572018" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">watching the planes take off from National airport at Gravelly Point</span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We are entering the 20th month of Astral and Defy’s lives full speed ahead (in only 3 days)! Our shining twin stars are becoming quite the little helpers. They follow direction so well (when they want to) and really enjoy helping with little chores around the house. They love stuffing the laundry into the washing machine or drawers, sweeping, loading the dishwasher, wiping things down with a cloth and picking up their toys/books. We sing them a little clean up song for motivation, which they're totally in to. They often put all their books back on the shelf and all their toys where they belong only to throw them all back on the floor upon completion. They seem to get more joy out of destroying a room than cleaning it and I’m sure that will continue for some time...</span></span></span></span></span><div><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Astral and Defy do occasionally fight over a book or toy but mostly they cooperate with one another and help each other out. If one guy has a toy or book he wants to make sure the other one has a toy or book too. If one of them is upset then the other one will often try to make him laugh. I mentioned in the last post that they were sitting on booster seats at the dining room table and that they could already unlatch themselves and get down. Now when one gets down he will unlatch the other guy so that he can "escape" too! Talk about brotherly love...</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gxq6kLnie2kuj4GLlZDBvn3jlzIWTrif2TnJSS13ES1Wq_NV2xJkMvyLxWcY_F2qmUDKSq9JvbxkMgJDSfYT6mhopiSMIOen4aHrnpSDQtzZKo7wd6pCNmzEMI3usmyAE2WAkL1Yh3_g/s1600/GEDC5812.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gxq6kLnie2kuj4GLlZDBvn3jlzIWTrif2TnJSS13ES1Wq_NV2xJkMvyLxWcY_F2qmUDKSq9JvbxkMgJDSfYT6mhopiSMIOen4aHrnpSDQtzZKo7wd6pCNmzEMI3usmyAE2WAkL1Yh3_g/s320/GEDC5812.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669832487337186802" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFumA55CC8c62jzoNUqO-tTiIbYspH_uVyVvkCeaXdGzx79BHbGCrWpqy9wY4y6en4PHHrseZWyFKQuayGSzogEXkH37xsv65PksoBr8xLEpTqHMrSbjm7CqDhufEdsMHuEahS1U4EclJ/s1600/GEDC5801.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFumA55CC8c62jzoNUqO-tTiIbYspH_uVyVvkCeaXdGzx79BHbGCrWpqy9wY4y6en4PHHrseZWyFKQuayGSzogEXkH37xsv65PksoBr8xLEpTqHMrSbjm7CqDhufEdsMHuEahS1U4EclJ/s320/GEDC5801.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669832469750529234" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHvF9PbfhJPVeDR3ntSQNQQdW5ZlPLJ9e-4qhop52HWSD3qUstwly8VEdIrBZXhF1HIxymb6uAOksyDxzG6mgmEUFfJIuJiF1yWZmuxaQy9bBursBsWI0v04vAu7CRf0dnNbqTCyULspn3/s1600/GEDC5783.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHvF9PbfhJPVeDR3ntSQNQQdW5ZlPLJ9e-4qhop52HWSD3qUstwly8VEdIrBZXhF1HIxymb6uAOksyDxzG6mgmEUFfJIuJiF1yWZmuxaQy9bBursBsWI0v04vAu7CRf0dnNbqTCyULspn3/s320/GEDC5783.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669832444706543634" /></a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Astral Defiance </span></span></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcS8sMcYSoh9zFXUGQt8Julp-XM1q3akuOAjc-FO_Tos5p19LJwIND57W1VRHQTZFhp0VtHxvNE4QBT8d_A1DS5SlVWsyzM6VquPBOgueyyk55LufR9zzYjttesQ1tbx6fWbs8NiFJWw7P/s1600/GEDC5782.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcS8sMcYSoh9zFXUGQt8Julp-XM1q3akuOAjc-FO_Tos5p19LJwIND57W1VRHQTZFhp0VtHxvNE4QBT8d_A1DS5SlVWsyzM6VquPBOgueyyk55LufR9zzYjttesQ1tbx6fWbs8NiFJWw7P/s320/GEDC5782.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669832438447592706" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Defy Aster </span></span></span></div><p></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Observing their evolution into little people is just indescribable. I could call it amazing, astonishing, remarkable, but none of those words do it justice. Watching their development is a lesson in humanity and reinforces our choice to live a vegan life and share this vegan life with them. Human children are so compassionate, empathetic, and seem to naturally love animals. Most parents nurture that love even as they set a piece of nonhuman animal flesh or a cup of stolen mammary secretions on their children’s highchair trays, beginning their lives as unwitting animal exploiters. Astral and Defy really do love animals. They absolutely adore our companions Star and Sunny, although we are not sure the feeling is always mutual. They also love all the animals and insects they see in nature and are so interested yet gentle when they come across them. They thoroughly enjoy matching animal noises to pictures of animals in their favorite books. I just can’t imagine them making cute piggy noises then letting them shove “hot dogs” down their throats at lunchtime. So many people claim that it is, or would be, “hard” to raise vegan children, but to us it would be so much harder to outright lie to them and break their trust after encouraging them to “love” animals.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0Pwo9zz9J0QBPfer8hq69BVUHF7q466dtCC0QoDUsJqE7ROM-ACvAU-QLU5kUGNqy3saGquZ4LYbCDw1EFPaK0Vuv4FiMGblDqyEh9x_rIuK9yq89AWkOvT6Rd5BXnZeHijM8RRml5rM/s1600/GEDC5720.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0Pwo9zz9J0QBPfer8hq69BVUHF7q466dtCC0QoDUsJqE7ROM-ACvAU-QLU5kUGNqy3saGquZ4LYbCDw1EFPaK0Vuv4FiMGblDqyEh9x_rIuK9yq89AWkOvT6Rd5BXnZeHijM8RRml5rM/s320/GEDC5720.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669831343869683538" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMaMY6-yOQ8Wx34267_w5wZytR25Acfp1exGJ3puZPT3pVztiVYirGYBnEEq_Hct5i21Jy__Q9H4v42oWFQuDmmoerN4vWp1n5YX6wXvHyzw2CtrBauhIud2LBeFj85tgQMsj6VRgrMHSJ/s1600/GEDC5725.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMaMY6-yOQ8Wx34267_w5wZytR25Acfp1exGJ3puZPT3pVztiVYirGYBnEEq_Hct5i21Jy__Q9H4v42oWFQuDmmoerN4vWp1n5YX6wXvHyzw2CtrBauhIud2LBeFj85tgQMsj6VRgrMHSJ/s320/GEDC5725.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669831325309643234" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOApCeSKLi_R_aUPhzE35-0B-_PekKUMks1YnHufgLSDZ_HfBGewNTgEPDcdGe2lalAy6dthyphenhyphenYGwcOsLEUY-6qB27riqnAothfc3fY-KsIMWbgy2uMNvcFQIXUvAvSdGe257OElYVCB9jF/s1600/GEDC5735.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOApCeSKLi_R_aUPhzE35-0B-_PekKUMks1YnHufgLSDZ_HfBGewNTgEPDcdGe2lalAy6dthyphenhyphenYGwcOsLEUY-6qB27riqnAothfc3fY-KsIMWbgy2uMNvcFQIXUvAvSdGe257OElYVCB9jF/s320/GEDC5735.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669831318705114466" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyOD_-Nb0LTg1v2XLrBijFye7F8D_1EvgMbLMeFHeu0JRjrQZTXboYAh-lWMypIZfygqNgM1GKK0KRBfrdER6bvU-Z4KIp6tsxBQnRDPychUI3hyphenhyphenXlLDZltQM3LjVRgeoifEyJOF5F-Gs/s1600/GEDC5733.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyOD_-Nb0LTg1v2XLrBijFye7F8D_1EvgMbLMeFHeu0JRjrQZTXboYAh-lWMypIZfygqNgM1GKK0KRBfrdER6bvU-Z4KIp6tsxBQnRDPychUI3hyphenhyphenXlLDZltQM3LjVRgeoifEyJOF5F-Gs/s320/GEDC5733.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669830453796986162" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZZrv7WX6zh15aDd7rfBj-MnjaV-6FLvA6G2pB_2HkWOTT0enR37ZZq2wifLKifnfUco6thIgayjpj_hAHAgt-4vR7I3a2pdXqclrMjNm2o_PimICug00ljSzZdjPdmP10z6zKFC832wv/s1600/GEDC5764.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZZrv7WX6zh15aDd7rfBj-MnjaV-6FLvA6G2pB_2HkWOTT0enR37ZZq2wifLKifnfUco6thIgayjpj_hAHAgt-4vR7I3a2pdXqclrMjNm2o_PimICug00ljSzZdjPdmP10z6zKFC832wv/s320/GEDC5764.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669830437124669970" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWj56KvvfW2R2HqeMxLFZ3KLUCuEYBQ7Lq3q73WvyUWbDNa9jUBGR1UNV957Euw_bgIdH55t4Nr2LtcG3HHBdBbiFoOn_Cz-d7j84d6Xd0rgVspGSioRjEHTtXEefO9J2WDD9id_ONZSFx/s1600/GEDC5718.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWj56KvvfW2R2HqeMxLFZ3KLUCuEYBQ7Lq3q73WvyUWbDNa9jUBGR1UNV957Euw_bgIdH55t4Nr2LtcG3HHBdBbiFoOn_Cz-d7j84d6Xd0rgVspGSioRjEHTtXEefO9J2WDD9id_ONZSFx/s320/GEDC5718.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669830428060896866" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> The fall weather has been extremely beautiful, but is quickly becoming quite cold and crisp. We had our first snow this past weekend. It wasn't much, but it marked the beginning of brisk and cold bundle-up weather. Astral and Defy are still getting used to their winter coats and aren’t quite fans yet. Virginia is so beautiful in the fall and we’ve been taking advantage of the spectacular scenery. I’m so excited for them to play in the snow this year! They are going to love it!</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6D6__fJdvrOc5OoPTXX96lsjQ7I7Tc_XCABoq2VqJNP1YwG1oyLOwdS9JQW09uTODzmPnuG-nksCaLHGeOWXFdSam7u9eZtS-UMCNYp-y7Js84ykgBlsWtFQBxm0cFl_9NApgQ7rLWT-M/s1600/GEDC5709.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6D6__fJdvrOc5OoPTXX96lsjQ7I7Tc_XCABoq2VqJNP1YwG1oyLOwdS9JQW09uTODzmPnuG-nksCaLHGeOWXFdSam7u9eZtS-UMCNYp-y7Js84ykgBlsWtFQBxm0cFl_9NApgQ7rLWT-M/s320/GEDC5709.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669830416176722594" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVc7ryu4NMOun7TyVXJPTH4J1anp2h1kO24fhc5J39xeyX9aP_8qfwl0T4QCMuuEc3_MqrDKuWyqrul7KY3HeGDN9EHO6g7mGCf7EU2vkvOOSrkOMaiMY06ARQd-c6Kfemno5S0mpKlNk/s1600/GEDC5687.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVc7ryu4NMOun7TyVXJPTH4J1anp2h1kO24fhc5J39xeyX9aP_8qfwl0T4QCMuuEc3_MqrDKuWyqrul7KY3HeGDN9EHO6g7mGCf7EU2vkvOOSrkOMaiMY06ARQd-c6Kfemno5S0mpKlNk/s320/GEDC5687.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669830412582977794" /></a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Great Falls </span></span></span></div><p></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">They are doing quite well with potty training and they are “going” in their potties a couple times a day and sometimes more (and sometimes less). They are still sleeping in their rooms alone for the most part. Their speech is getting clearer and they are adding more words every day. They are learning their colors and shapes and surprise us every day with what they know. </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3l-XCo_Cuu53Ks4ig1Q13pX_E4OLvIT9WXt97CFrSrNm-luyf2lA1ctf1XCbEzpaJGdeG7fGrRCJrbcfa2pK-2nQm_Hj94-m6zZChaLUnYF1-Y0e7gOPVtJ0DM9wxmwi6O6bjKCNKbF8/s1600/photo-9.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3l-XCo_Cuu53Ks4ig1Q13pX_E4OLvIT9WXt97CFrSrNm-luyf2lA1ctf1XCbEzpaJGdeG7fGrRCJrbcfa2pK-2nQm_Hj94-m6zZChaLUnYF1-Y0e7gOPVtJ0DM9wxmwi6O6bjKCNKbF8/s320/photo-9.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669828856704418866" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"></span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">kamut and corn puffs with bananas, kiwi and raspberries</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div></span><p></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Astral and Defy’s hair is really growing in now. It’s so curly and cute; they might actually need a little taming trim soon. Astral’s hemangioma on the back of his neck is going down (involuting) a lot, which we were told would probably start to happen around 18 months. Their appetites and bodies are growing like weeds, their favorite shoes are getting too small and they are wearing 24months-2T clothing. </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Astral and Defy have taken us on quite the adventure for the past 20 months. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has always been wonderful despite the lack of sleep and endless responsibilities that come with the territory of parenting twins (and parenting in general). Hopefully they will continue to have a desire to help out in life. Each day we try to ensure that they will continue to be creative, imaginative, and intelligent little people. Our lives have changed so much, but we have yet to experience anything as rewarding as being their parents. We used to be on our own time and could be completely selfish if we chose to be. We now know the true meaning of being self-less…</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_R2hPxapBzW8ilVE6TYEu9iMhyytI2bF3Dpzc7dskxs7g97clqBUhzhOyIK_AjhV04JAXhyphenhyphenWMXlHRHYhfvS-igjEwy2N4voabQoWxdx9e45AE9pJPeP3mmv8EKufEufgkBe32DixqDwl7/s1600/photo-12.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_R2hPxapBzW8ilVE6TYEu9iMhyytI2bF3Dpzc7dskxs7g97clqBUhzhOyIK_AjhV04JAXhyphenhyphenWMXlHRHYhfvS-igjEwy2N4voabQoWxdx9e45AE9pJPeP3mmv8EKufEufgkBe32DixqDwl7/s320/photo-12.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669828852904931026" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">after nap fist bumping </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU1OY7nwr2LVcA9St8-bqkLqNTnSbVDt5x9v-StPupguvA8GfiRw5q6Y_cxNSQ1lKm1xsVV5QlWGLDikEjDqxGhLBXfuMYfTwHFNeBvtlxj_FcrYQTtb3fqn2VjhCwloxQy6N0Q6PyZwb7/s1600/photo-13.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU1OY7nwr2LVcA9St8-bqkLqNTnSbVDt5x9v-StPupguvA8GfiRw5q6Y_cxNSQ1lKm1xsVV5QlWGLDikEjDqxGhLBXfuMYfTwHFNeBvtlxj_FcrYQTtb3fqn2VjhCwloxQy6N0Q6PyZwb7/s320/photo-13.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669827576570539522" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">LOVE</span></span></div></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7O7iPHgdLz08_XTjOjnezeD0K_AcpaqHp2Ih8MOpGkBIxvKnFsnFnMtmbk8ven5zmTFjrK4Nsu6dVyX0KglfGXm1GopdPwO6pgBodD_YtBiSIaqHmBihYaxl4DL2a02o-y1LqGKEFBxrr/s1600/photo-11.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7O7iPHgdLz08_XTjOjnezeD0K_AcpaqHp2Ih8MOpGkBIxvKnFsnFnMtmbk8ven5zmTFjrK4Nsu6dVyX0KglfGXm1GopdPwO6pgBodD_YtBiSIaqHmBihYaxl4DL2a02o-y1LqGKEFBxrr/s320/photo-11.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669827563946495282" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-45126343592490582862011-09-30T07:36:00.000-07:002011-09-30T08:28:22.631-07:00Protein, Potties and Peaceful Sleep...<div style="text-align: center;">18 month photos</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1BOEObuEBOPMXrbf0eyElSPn3dg-mW7r-52Z2hjgMs6-KrMwSgbxcWHSlZI1dWUTxuH_kjRriAJVLm_JiUtVv52tzTFlpun9lOCh5kcXJ5L0BGLLZbxh7OPqLWCHDniCH4tfdB_nGohVC/s1600/photo-9.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1BOEObuEBOPMXrbf0eyElSPn3dg-mW7r-52Z2hjgMs6-KrMwSgbxcWHSlZI1dWUTxuH_kjRriAJVLm_JiUtVv52tzTFlpun9lOCh5kcXJ5L0BGLLZbxh7OPqLWCHDniCH4tfdB_nGohVC/s320/photo-9.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658167032565398402" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvUdaXgS_yPYMyckaRGRskBd2s8rZRHZFe_kGBUk4TAWurO2JeUIxDXeaJSL_mzKEluu1yqXFNeCdYf1GK-FUz1ncYw147CslZBbZKq_dLoh6xBM1PdCh9xqKoqSH2VW4uYT_U0-CWM_V/s1600/photo-14.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNvUdaXgS_yPYMyckaRGRskBd2s8rZRHZFe_kGBUk4TAWurO2JeUIxDXeaJSL_mzKEluu1yqXFNeCdYf1GK-FUz1ncYw147CslZBbZKq_dLoh6xBM1PdCh9xqKoqSH2VW4uYT_U0-CWM_V/s320/photo-14.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658167030916248786" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xKgM0n82fnJgrUTiFVEXTmnQ2ILROROe5o60XBdre_M6yPYz9iLvHhoVkHGfSrhFG-9uCF7s3LI0aUPKhTT83uWadNkVWYq-_7MzrynV9sIIj00_hrc2PCuIBOS8S5VXP726L6izlarB/s1600/photo-15.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xKgM0n82fnJgrUTiFVEXTmnQ2ILROROe5o60XBdre_M6yPYz9iLvHhoVkHGfSrhFG-9uCF7s3LI0aUPKhTT83uWadNkVWYq-_7MzrynV9sIIj00_hrc2PCuIBOS8S5VXP726L6izlarB/s320/photo-15.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658167026126284674" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzuNPATytqeVXYuCNX_bJBoP4oqn-0ifsoHLF1Q0IHhsO1ow295IbrtagXvFR1b8zP2K8ONNTpPqjEusDiz7kruWJWWtRNA0DbQdbBMIPWSXRaPyZYCU0WCsDduFDNKVWh7eZGWnkFJUZ/s1600/photo-17.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzuNPATytqeVXYuCNX_bJBoP4oqn-0ifsoHLF1Q0IHhsO1ow295IbrtagXvFR1b8zP2K8ONNTpPqjEusDiz7kruWJWWtRNA0DbQdbBMIPWSXRaPyZYCU0WCsDduFDNKVWh7eZGWnkFJUZ/s320/photo-17.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658167025653030978" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdU9rSAn547rZM4dG_W2oPIMk_HFryE_wHESWJMyheu0QfIOBH2u5TA5jiHDM3JJb8pIocau9Tz1VurZHVZjudwX6sBJYxKuPbxV6lCtzxCQRFavLSiLYKhpRZBOiQdZKvxqLl43YWQ2S/s1600/photo-16.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdU9rSAn547rZM4dG_W2oPIMk_HFryE_wHESWJMyheu0QfIOBH2u5TA5jiHDM3JJb8pIocau9Tz1VurZHVZjudwX6sBJYxKuPbxV6lCtzxCQRFavLSiLYKhpRZBOiQdZKvxqLl43YWQ2S/s320/photo-16.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658166147388441202" /></a><br /><br /><br /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Another whirlwind month in the journey of raising vegan toddlers! The boys are 18 months old for another couple of days, and there have been many exciting transitions during this pivotal month.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Astral and Defy had their 18 month well baby check up (their first visit to the Dr. for any reason since they were 12 months). Their pediatrician said they were doing EXCELLENT! I had been worried because they had not been eating as much as usual, but the doctor said they were both really healthy weights and there was no reason to be anxious. Pediatricians aren’t nutritionists, and as supportive as our doctor has always been of raising the boys on a vegan diet, she never ceases to amaze us with her questions and concerns. While discussing all the nutritious foods the boys eat she asked, "so what are their protein sources?" Lucas and I just paused a second, shot each other a quick look, and continued slowly naming all the foods they eat. It seems like most people just automatically assume you can only get sufficient protein from animals and their bodily functions, and doctors are no exception. I mean seriously, FRUITS, VEGETABLES, BEANS, NUTS, LEGUMES, SEEDS, GRAINS (virtually all plant foods) are all sources of protein, people!!!!! </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><b><br /></b></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"><b>What Astral and Defy ate for dinner one night this week:</b></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">adzuki bean cutlets</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">mashed red skin potatoes</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">kale, bok choy, romaine hearts, flax seed oil smoothie</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">coconut milk yogurt with fresh strawberries</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">banana slices with peanut butter </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Does this meal lack sufficient protein??? I think not!!!</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">And every visit she brings up concerns about B12 although we tell her every time that the boys receive a weekly oral methylcobalamin spray supplement in addition to all the fortified coconut milk and nutritional yeast they consume daily. She seems to think that just by being vegan they are at risk of B12 deficiency. Nope, they're no more at risk than anyone else, thank you! We're happy she's concerned but it is getting rather annoying.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">Astral weighed 27 lbs 13 oz and Defy weighed 26 lbs 11 oz, they were both in the 50-75th percentile for weight (not that we give a flying crap about those statistics, but just to give people out there an idea they might be able to relate to). As for height I don’t remember off hand how many inches they were, but the pediatrician said they were very tall and the exact same height, coming in at the 90-95th percentile. They’ve come a long way from those delicate little infants that we could hold in the palms of our hands. We don’t go back to the doctor for another check up until they are 2 years old.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">I have been so excited to announce that DnA officially sleep alone in their rooms in their own toddler beds!!!! We started by weaning them off of night nursing (so emotional for me) with Lucas going back to being the one that comforts them during the night if they wake. Once my boobs and I were taken out of the equation the boys started sleeping better and for longer stretches of time. It has been about 2 weeks, and every night gets better. If they happen to cry out during the night Lucas goes into their room and rubs their backs until they go back to sleep. At times he still ends up falling asleep in there with them for a little while, but mostly they are on their own. They sleep at night from around 9:30pm until about 8:30am. Nice! </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">So now that we have our room and bed back Astral and Defy have decided that their nice afternoon naps of about 2.5 to 3 hours should be slashed to a short 30-45 minute nap. Lucas would use that time to get things done around the house, wash the cloth diapers, exercise, read, prepare food, and on the rare occasion relax, but now he basically has no time to do anything. Hopefully, this is just a phase. These kids just have so much powerful energy.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">As far as nursing goes, I am down to nursing the boys once a day during the week and twice a day on the weekends. I usually nurse them right when I get home from the office. I still cherish that mommy/baby time with them. I don’t know when I will completely wean them, but I am pretty sure I will just let them naturally lose interest as they are already beginning to do. </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">They are doing so awesome with potty training and already try to pee standing up! They have a new thing they do where they refuse to keep their diapers or pants on. We let them run around naked when it is time to try to use the potty, but they want to be naked all the time. I wouldn’t have a problem with nakedness, but it equals pee and sometimes even poop on the floor and that just gets to be a big stressful mess! I don’t know what other people have done about their own diaper bandits, but any advice is appreciated. We’ve tried the backwards diaper thing and keeping pants on them, but they still know how to rip off the diapers and the pants! One day this past weekend I think I put their diapers back on almost 15 times in like 5 minutes. Talk about DRAINING!!!</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8S44XX6uAUWKFUsMb9hQ0UtT8Kj177uOBFk6gqLaYSsqcGbDva4KxfbTppzMaDGR0OGDwKZ04uuI-uICMg2Dbs-PLqVwB71BYbkXiroEv0Aw453t4N8GlmS76DA66BRrVRJIl-kdfDGVO/s1600/photo-13.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8S44XX6uAUWKFUsMb9hQ0UtT8Kj177uOBFk6gqLaYSsqcGbDva4KxfbTppzMaDGR0OGDwKZ04uuI-uICMg2Dbs-PLqVwB71BYbkXiroEv0Aw453t4N8GlmS76DA66BRrVRJIl-kdfDGVO/s320/photo-13.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658167314246948706" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrTwMGireaXKsTIK_tzurrOFI5_CP_xsJBq4VqzNxe8T3VmKnQdfyB9FMaHUiHDs2CtYK9r5jZt_nLqHL5KVEQmjCSV4iWVHOjyBNk3iiDN-QCfJbm-_GH-ZpH_XG-mhp1KGzV3bsZvhZ/s1600/photo-12.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrTwMGireaXKsTIK_tzurrOFI5_CP_xsJBq4VqzNxe8T3VmKnQdfyB9FMaHUiHDs2CtYK9r5jZt_nLqHL5KVEQmjCSV4iWVHOjyBNk3iiDN-QCfJbm-_GH-ZpH_XG-mhp1KGzV3bsZvhZ/s320/photo-12.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658167310515429266" /></a>Another messy but less annoying change for the boys is that they are now sitting at the dining table with us. We are so thankful that their appetites seem to be back on track. They joined us at the “big kid table” only a few days ago and they seem to really love it. Their highchairs have been retired as highchairs. Not only are they made of recycled materials but they also transition into little toddler desk/chair sets, so they will still be of use. Astral and Defy have already figured out how to break free by unstrapping themselves from their booster seats, so keeping them distracted during meals is very important. They are still the most dangerous tiny twosome around. Sometimes we feel like we are watching a toddler version of the show Jackass with the gnarly stunts they pull, only Astral and Defy are actually interesting and fun to watch. They play off of one another jumping, rolling and swinging off of anything and everything. </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial"><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFV-6kUpZvBJGcIEyDPJrNHfyK3OXUezKhIu_OQIbJl9Tz5Qgf0f-Il4WGU0bG3xdJozPHq3VvjKE-8coFdmSj2BuRf-n2yNv4dKNTGT8fUCrGsHJUi716dJrOl74TdlqtLsYLfgvC1IY7/s1600/photo-18.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFV-6kUpZvBJGcIEyDPJrNHfyK3OXUezKhIu_OQIbJl9Tz5Qgf0f-Il4WGU0bG3xdJozPHq3VvjKE-8coFdmSj2BuRf-n2yNv4dKNTGT8fUCrGsHJUi716dJrOl74TdlqtLsYLfgvC1IY7/s320/photo-18.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658166143925585138" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2FDJV92OZVCFqeBOAVhE5ALUzhEetVxJsxW1Cn18bh4pmwH2sU4l1m8uHKat2YB_O5sBV2dKBsxIYsQwTdPM1XSWqleDGyX1mwH1wsPv1XmKea1PkjeOfiEk467mmPqhT5sMW7X_S-aQ/s1600/photo-19.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2FDJV92OZVCFqeBOAVhE5ALUzhEetVxJsxW1Cn18bh4pmwH2sU4l1m8uHKat2YB_O5sBV2dKBsxIYsQwTdPM1XSWqleDGyX1mwH1wsPv1XmKea1PkjeOfiEk467mmPqhT5sMW7X_S-aQ/s320/photo-19.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658166141109695986" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FEusi_sLy-XBi5vXz2rbRjHj270VmjQVVd9BsA85GwCCcyZee3M2xIuPieKCXL3PQFkHT7lhus4y5ilbYhyphenhyphenrM7b7sh3kqD1WCYk_bu-zpPmgrMkHmeAsdRXBT52gLHLxSknR8RrKdmd4/s1600/photo-20.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9FEusi_sLy-XBi5vXz2rbRjHj270VmjQVVd9BsA85GwCCcyZee3M2xIuPieKCXL3PQFkHT7lhus4y5ilbYhyphenhyphenrM7b7sh3kqD1WCYk_bu-zpPmgrMkHmeAsdRXBT52gLHLxSknR8RrKdmd4/s320/photo-20.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658166137654967490" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_YazDntDlDRPCNKlqPem9SnSmuRTtRLRMT4pS-tTNlvjwtvIocdTi_rUnpb-URKUdNs9Jli5roO7OEsvrJZb5dcAdew60otPynsFHBe7RKnuWNYIRHCNasMRh5yhSHj7PSfK3KBaZMyI/s1600/photo-21.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_YazDntDlDRPCNKlqPem9SnSmuRTtRLRMT4pS-tTNlvjwtvIocdTi_rUnpb-URKUdNs9Jli5roO7OEsvrJZb5dcAdew60otPynsFHBe7RKnuWNYIRHCNasMRh5yhSHj7PSfK3KBaZMyI/s320/photo-21.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658166135024609298" /></a><br />Our guys are continuing to add more words to their vocabulary, this week they both said Tofu in their adorably angelic little voices! They are learning to indentify objects by their colors and to point out the numbers 1-5 in pictures. They are perfecting their fine motor skills and really try hard to use their fingers to represent the numbers, but so far have only mastered 1, 4, and 5, though 2 is right coming along.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial">We continue to be thankful every day to have the opportunity to witness these two phenomenal beings grow into the people they will become. We learn so much from them and for them every day. Being a parent can be the most challenging and the most beautifully rewarding part of life at the same time. We still think back to when we thought that we were having one child. We had no clue what the future had in store for us at that time, and the same is still true…</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Arial; min-height: 15.0px"><br /></p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5U8ElOkDiiwmSDzrSVYP-FtmOiv0t5dNnIajNwM1tOCUDdkK-VafWbYh-luEsnWMdJxJhyphenhyphenJF-o2nyZ6OWudgkJs3hNT2FCmNxrEwV35x0NG8QpzoErhX_P47YA0ClD9ggz1wuW-NEGF7D/s1600/photo-22.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5U8ElOkDiiwmSDzrSVYP-FtmOiv0t5dNnIajNwM1tOCUDdkK-VafWbYh-luEsnWMdJxJhyphenhyphenJF-o2nyZ6OWudgkJs3hNT2FCmNxrEwV35x0NG8QpzoErhX_P47YA0ClD9ggz1wuW-NEGF7D/s320/photo-22.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658165388395099474" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwjpw9e3AjOzQrcazst59mIQ3wKShga27MgIRi-FjlhntJB0ZQvD2FDV-r_Y0Y9UNhhUKw8IQcu17keZPefTa60nU1cAxwXuJ-fxkprG7pX4jnHBy_FmyLcX0bqDtD9mUl0KvwoiKhDUh/s1600/photo-23.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwjpw9e3AjOzQrcazst59mIQ3wKShga27MgIRi-FjlhntJB0ZQvD2FDV-r_Y0Y9UNhhUKw8IQcu17keZPefTa60nU1cAxwXuJ-fxkprG7pX4jnHBy_FmyLcX0bqDtD9mUl0KvwoiKhDUh/s320/photo-23.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658165383381630658" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUca8d0ivmqKXTD1Ws96wCDMDspWZxBnWfuNmAh-dbxkGtQ_3MTLJrh-_oTTntxiuHxx5BNFHQGrfvQxIVa03s789YoHxTw2uDAc5fNZnDdeUVFbh5gXyqUDxKfMyLC793slmmpDUNuX7c/s1600/photo-24.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUca8d0ivmqKXTD1Ws96wCDMDspWZxBnWfuNmAh-dbxkGtQ_3MTLJrh-_oTTntxiuHxx5BNFHQGrfvQxIVa03s789YoHxTw2uDAc5fNZnDdeUVFbh5gXyqUDxKfMyLC793slmmpDUNuX7c/s320/photo-24.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658165165988916162" /></a>Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-86491463623962816802011-08-31T19:20:00.000-07:002011-09-01T09:00:11.477-07:00Natural Disasters, Kisses and Fist Bumps...<div align="left"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRZMV-U2-3h6Fd9rSFPZlZsIuqa4ptAcjNf6x-mSKDbbUOoHRsvmW4Qb5AYFZusHfy-m9NnaJK3Ic4nm-GOGLKXj6iFJ3itjuS6Swjhdgv7oT5qLN1RxcnwXMf5m212TbneYdciMjQtFK/s1600/photo-9.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 239px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647225144100877922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRZMV-U2-3h6Fd9rSFPZlZsIuqa4ptAcjNf6x-mSKDbbUOoHRsvmW4Qb5AYFZusHfy-m9NnaJK3Ic4nm-GOGLKXj6iFJ3itjuS6Swjhdgv7oT5qLN1RxcnwXMf5m212TbneYdciMjQtFK/s320/photo-9.JPG" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_1pIXULEsZ3Yx9Ski7UnR_kJfOYb6Hcm1Wa0aDkXHeEsehQ6-v5y4znXnVq-2HAeyfhzaQ5ukoOFoiJmJ_gmvx_cg9Hv7ptSIWCgqyNQyrSFVvZsoiUt7IOfEfBEdn0fXqCjtFFK-9nJ/s1600/GEDC5153.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647220980376392034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_1pIXULEsZ3Yx9Ski7UnR_kJfOYb6Hcm1Wa0aDkXHeEsehQ6-v5y4znXnVq-2HAeyfhzaQ5ukoOFoiJmJ_gmvx_cg9Hv7ptSIWCgqyNQyrSFVvZsoiUt7IOfEfBEdn0fXqCjtFFK-9nJ/s320/GEDC5153.jpg" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqIkDVc9jQROcW67nKBSajtj1joNirlgBZ9qZask_ZagFGZwpuFJXTTIJ1SP-ZR3njbwTOnhJrLhhAQms1RB4HHoo9Rf6DA7T74uwfu6GTsBvTDKUMdksky84pVyqZs2LUgbcYFgZmZx_/s1600/GEDC5148.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647220975986717250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqIkDVc9jQROcW67nKBSajtj1joNirlgBZ9qZask_ZagFGZwpuFJXTTIJ1SP-ZR3njbwTOnhJrLhhAQms1RB4HHoo9Rf6DA7T74uwfu6GTsBvTDKUMdksky84pVyqZs2LUgbcYFgZmZx_/s320/GEDC5148.JPG" /></a>
<br />
<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left" align="center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKM68UW6XsPe_smhywEjXx0vlPfoyg6x_vsBMxQ414uiAJGOyOqzz_z1uOLZ2KEx_X_hk29X0EzQSvFRq_A1PJJijIFXDC5ugQRUG455zIrSRrBRa4ZopyOosbY4ZJ04S7QT0d0DZIXqyL/s1600/GEDC5137.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647220285218743410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKM68UW6XsPe_smhywEjXx0vlPfoyg6x_vsBMxQ414uiAJGOyOqzz_z1uOLZ2KEx_X_hk29X0EzQSvFRq_A1PJJijIFXDC5ugQRUG455zIrSRrBRa4ZopyOosbY4ZJ04S7QT0d0DZIXqyL/s320/GEDC5137.jpg" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikKv85TFQt-qmbacllVzTAJQ-PacVpQOlHcy9vqhrDj7rq92PxJT-vDYgCwwnh8nnZdqrg65oZ_7bJJFqoRJf2EI5hdKiflTb0xeCqXbbFldtEzQpnh2M02YXpgLDtZlN24bjhE7j8uWxU/s1600/GEDC5116.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647220277377971570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikKv85TFQt-qmbacllVzTAJQ-PacVpQOlHcy9vqhrDj7rq92PxJT-vDYgCwwnh8nnZdqrg65oZ_7bJJFqoRJf2EI5hdKiflTb0xeCqXbbFldtEzQpnh2M02YXpgLDtZlN24bjhE7j8uWxU/s320/GEDC5116.jpg" /></a> 17 months old
<br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Wow…that was fast! It’s almost September which marks the half birthday of our teeny-tiny twosome Astral and Defy! The boys will be 18 months old in a couple of days! That’s a year and a half and also only 6 more short months until they are 2…</span></div>
<br /><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 13px Times New Roman"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">This has been quite an exciting month. We’ve had family visit from the Midwest, an earthquake and a hurricane of sorts. Astral and Defy would have slept through the earthquake if it wasn’t for daddy yelling an expletive when the house started shaking. They went right back to sleep though and had no clue what was going on. Fortunately everyone was fine and only a few things were broken from falling off of shelves, etc. I was at lunch with a colleague in Arlington, and it actually took a while before we realized it was a natural disaster rather than a man-made one. People in the DC Metro area are somewhat paranoid…talk about PANIC. When we got back to the office, the building had been evacuated and people were just beginning to roll back in. </span></p>
<br /><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 13px Times New Roman"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">This past weekend hurricane Irene made her debut, but didn’t really hit our area badly (yeah…no coast here), but since the media hyped it up people were running around, frantically clearing grocery store shelves, and preparing for the apocalypse. We had a lot of rain, some high winds but thankfully no power outages in our neighborhood. Tree branches were everywhere, but besides that no other sign of a hurricane.</span></p>
<br />
<br /><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 13px Times New Roman"><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre-wrap" class="Apple-style-span"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNpHaOs8IXb0HSUV5mn8GbRnrytURccfhjVEFZdgoyjkErCTgvwxd_amaHeTT6xUg_PJgjxgQ3S-RMxoKt0S_f4MdcRzxdyHLPUERoo-07EsQgPjrpy6dQWFtfHXimvxptHk8kKX0c1YV/s1600/GEDC5497.JPG"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647221361242376098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNpHaOs8IXb0HSUV5mn8GbRnrytURccfhjVEFZdgoyjkErCTgvwxd_amaHeTT6xUg_PJgjxgQ3S-RMxoKt0S_f4MdcRzxdyHLPUERoo-07EsQgPjrpy6dQWFtfHXimvxptHk8kKX0c1YV/s320/GEDC5497.JPG" /></span></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUb_GUrqFL0iNUfGD1BU7YWEOmg91cX6lnoad6S7FayGb2cbU5vg7XIuywTyg7Oj3AqQkvOskHFDyimgVkoATW09MayWD-wL6DyF9_34geV1hJH5Q3I0plijbHbGbwHxCH-DeQvkwlj9fE/s1600/GEDC5483.JPG"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647221355980839042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUb_GUrqFL0iNUfGD1BU7YWEOmg91cX6lnoad6S7FayGb2cbU5vg7XIuywTyg7Oj3AqQkvOskHFDyimgVkoATW09MayWD-wL6DyF9_34geV1hJH5Q3I0plijbHbGbwHxCH-DeQvkwlj9fE/s320/GEDC5483.JPG" /></span></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYZEkGaR4wuo3EfDghSwEY9x0fMjXJ_dIs0oeWnTJuQHzFZzgV93uRRsfZ-gdzyEY4gIqiUW_T6LSt4UDYdFt0H3ksMTQTmiwW5qGN1HJZ_IMV-yE0puk1W87QzZRQToiZhklyOJC5SwE/s1600/GEDC5478.JPG"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647221353611327554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYZEkGaR4wuo3EfDghSwEY9x0fMjXJ_dIs0oeWnTJuQHzFZzgV93uRRsfZ-gdzyEY4gIqiUW_T6LSt4UDYdFt0H3ksMTQTmiwW5qGN1HJZ_IMV-yE0puk1W87QzZRQToiZhklyOJC5SwE/s320/GEDC5478.JPG" /></span></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDWOMDkqS5Zu6FZT51U2NpD9segy1-_lJb4l3rs6vq_7JG1H5Dqb33HfsdMvr7SaifLiN5j3FvDXAnaveENRE_h9ZZeQ1pOcfy0iymZAi7MV2wp9RdlEA7uYARlT01PA1tiCAsXX7JvEH/s1600/GEDC5457.JPG"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647221348506456722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDWOMDkqS5Zu6FZT51U2NpD9segy1-_lJb4l3rs6vq_7JG1H5Dqb33HfsdMvr7SaifLiN5j3FvDXAnaveENRE_h9ZZeQ1pOcfy0iymZAi7MV2wp9RdlEA7uYARlT01PA1tiCAsXX7JvEH/s320/GEDC5457.JPG" /></span></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKizEXHUfCO8-R_CT8fbqE2MHPrwceniLsIuBhayCr7Wv2PvhUarzA6Py__J1SSmx789oimj6bdY9llqmRNTrd995sh_1C-eWWi30KiD51d9u9_fTrTiO-WqlD0ChFH375kRN5TPUDgPBE/s1600/GEDC5448.JPG"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647220983669522546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKizEXHUfCO8-R_CT8fbqE2MHPrwceniLsIuBhayCr7Wv2PvhUarzA6Py__J1SSmx789oimj6bdY9llqmRNTrd995sh_1C-eWWi30KiD51d9u9_fTrTiO-WqlD0ChFH375kRN5TPUDgPBE/s320/GEDC5448.JPG" /></span></a></span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 13px 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">Cafe Green - Duk Bok Gi, Jobche , Quinoa Burger, Chocolate Shake and Spicy Green Juice w/ Organic Vodka</span></p>
<br /><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 13px Times New Roman"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">Lucas and I have been together for almost 10 years and this month celebrated our 5<span style="FONT: 11px Times New Roman"><sup>th</sup></span> year of marriage! We worked together when I was an undergraduate and our first date was a keg party the day after Valentine’s Day. After that one night we were inseparable! We celebrated a nice dinner out with just us for the first time since I was hospitalized for strict bed rest at 28 weeks pregnant. It was so weird not having the boys with us, since we’ve chosen to do a more attachment style of parenting. Lucas' family was in town and took care of the boys while we were out. We dined at this great 100% vegan restaurant in DC, Café Green. The food was ridiculously delicious! </span></p>
<br /><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 13px Times New Roman"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">Astral and Defy aren’t eating as much as usual right now. We’ve been assured that this is a normal phase that many toddlers go through. They will eat all the fruit you can put in front of them, but are pretty picky with their other usual favorites. Thankfully they still love their smoothies and green juice, so we pack them full of green veggies, legumes, seeds, flax oil and other fats like olive oil or avocado. I am still nursing, and they also drink about 20 plus ounces of enriched coconut milk a day. Star and Sunny are enjoying this phase because they get all the rejected food that Astral and Defy throw on the floor, but mommy and daddy aren’t quite as happy about it!</span></p>
<br />
<br /><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 13px Times New Roman"><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre-wrap;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARxpWwOUgIzJBTygBaGHmFh8-EqUY7NdQIWw7YxQrXlGcJCHOKNIv6U-9HDOpv8IoF3fQhrZalKIdnpIC_HsMlRj6wCMojrRvA7JLPz10cwVQz0cNys52ThHD9wVmMkg2rMXCEGDGQtGe/s1600/GEDC5556.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647227109008110882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARxpWwOUgIzJBTygBaGHmFh8-EqUY7NdQIWw7YxQrXlGcJCHOKNIv6U-9HDOpv8IoF3fQhrZalKIdnpIC_HsMlRj6wCMojrRvA7JLPz10cwVQz0cNys52ThHD9wVmMkg2rMXCEGDGQtGe/s320/GEDC5556.JPG" /></a></span></p>
<br /><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 13px 'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">the tofu scrambles they took a few bites of and then fed to the pups</span></p>
<br />
<br /><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 13px Times New Roman"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">They are talking so much more now; they basically mimic whatever we say (if they are in the mood) in their baby talk language of course. It is so cute to hear their little vocal cords at work. They are starting to say the names of people which is totally heart melting. </span></p>
<br /><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 13px Times New Roman"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">They’ve recently mastered the fist bump. A few weeks ago a cousin tried to give them a fist bump instead of a high-five. No one had tried it before and ever since they’ve been fist bumping. Defy just holds his fist out to everyone he meets. It is super freaking adorable. I am sure there’ll be many secret handshakes in their future.</span></p>
<br />
<br /><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 13px Times New Roman"><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre-wrap;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKq-niE8mweMq1EzPD_-fk-piT_lhQrThWThGcPYHPoeY5qiMmb_YHrED42IhvV3ZbmyJTscznW0i7c63pWMahu15PlSjvjBgRi-EhgyOzRa_OY5c4RYL_Q9HoqU2-YopFDYtpDBcZdg86/s1600/photo-6.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 239px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647225402581494386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKq-niE8mweMq1EzPD_-fk-piT_lhQrThWThGcPYHPoeY5qiMmb_YHrED42IhvV3ZbmyJTscznW0i7c63pWMahu15PlSjvjBgRi-EhgyOzRa_OY5c4RYL_Q9HoqU2-YopFDYtpDBcZdg86/s320/photo-6.JPG" /></a></span></p>
<br /><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 13px Times New Roman"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">Astral is our stubborn boy and really won’t do anything by request right now; they’ve traded personalities yet again. He will look just look at us like, "yea right", and continue doing whatever he was doing (so like mommy). Defy will shower us with kisses, but a kiss from Astral is a rare and beautiful little treat. Defy actually kisses everything from the phone while talking to one grandma or another to illustrations in his books. Speaking of books, they are such little book worms! Sometimes when you walk into the room they will just be sitting right next to one another, each with a book on their lap. They’ll be side by side, intensely eyeing the pages like they are reading about some complicated theory, then all of a sudden they’ll switch books and continue "their studies". It’s just too much!</span></p>
<br /><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 13px Times New Roman"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">They also love to draw, color, throw balls, run from one end of the room to the other (sometimes high-stepping), and ride their tricycles. Their feet can almost reach the pedals on their tricycles. The packaging said they were made for 3 years and up, but I think they’re almost tall enough to get cruising on their own.</span></p>
<br /><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 13px Times New Roman"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">Timing is always a challenge with multiples when there is one parent on duty, but today everything ran smoothly and Lucas was able to take them to their first baby concert this morning. They love music and dancing so we thought they might enjoy it. They weren’t at all thrilled with it; Lucas enjoyed it way more than they did. They didn’t dance as expected and Astral only clapped once. Yes, just one single clap. Defy cried a bit and they hung really close to daddy the entire time. They are off and on when it comes to large crowds. They each seem to prefer their brother over any other playmate, which is normal with identical twins.</span></p>
<br /><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 13px Times New Roman"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">Astral had his first splinter on Sunday and we had to remove it with tweezers. It was a two person job and was just awful. Astral is also the same little guy that a couple of weeks ago took a spill down some concrete steps out in the neighborhood and scraped his little nose and upper lip area. It was so terrible! It bled a little and then looked raw for a week or so. It is healing up nicely, but is still pinkish. This happened while I was at the office, but if I was there at the time I’m sure I would have panicked and unnecessarily rushed him to the ER (another reason Lucas is a great choice for the stay at home parent). This little injury happened as a result of a new found independence. He wanted to hold the handrail on his own and walk down the steps like a big boy. It is super hard to know that letting go may equal falling down at times, but we realize that we just might have to let go in order for them to go for IT…</span></p>
<br /><p style="MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 13px Times New Roman"><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre-wrap;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" class="Apple-style-span" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Y-CGoShuSReFbcHWY5J590iULPGAZufkQuFb5Z04_UYs7gnKnNwO6_DwSUjXCYPzjXA_v_MMb6mbU2_h9ixNb3IaUaCwtXMPOk9vYSFdP8ZUrsMqlZrA5PIVtcM9yl3v41q9j_fAO5I2/s1600/GEDC4975.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 285px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647245550265446706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Y-CGoShuSReFbcHWY5J590iULPGAZufkQuFb5Z04_UYs7gnKnNwO6_DwSUjXCYPzjXA_v_MMb6mbU2_h9ixNb3IaUaCwtXMPOk9vYSFdP8ZUrsMqlZrA5PIVtcM9yl3v41q9j_fAO5I2/s320/GEDC4975.JPG" /></a></span></p>
<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:times new roman;color:#0000ee;"></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5iNaQd3FLaQZ6OqTMONDjnW8MINxE7duR2uu2DY4RSX-EQNtKCaQ_OZEBi1aTHZ2CZ77jXo51Xm41Qo1J_3wL9GiKgSG7aRg3Getd52hCdDgNvR5F5Ymv5bSppEzaD0hdV8Q57e-_hFk_/s1600/GEDC5113.JPG"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647220271431099650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5iNaQd3FLaQZ6OqTMONDjnW8MINxE7duR2uu2DY4RSX-EQNtKCaQ_OZEBi1aTHZ2CZ77jXo51Xm41Qo1J_3wL9GiKgSG7aRg3Getd52hCdDgNvR5F5Ymv5bSppEzaD0hdV8Q57e-_hFk_/s320/GEDC5113.JPG" /></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-MrrWUL3D7OTrGSLFYXgLhnYrDwQ0t8RT9XCJCwMVn56GffppRtqZOShjF6AOdS-i84sOLfcx3p6QaMuYn_MEDbt1mp2nlN5RYxqy4TtU_guiIBA2hydIzD3fvRvR9tl7_NBcN81Z8_o/s1600/GEDC5080.JPG"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647219704785665890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-MrrWUL3D7OTrGSLFYXgLhnYrDwQ0t8RT9XCJCwMVn56GffppRtqZOShjF6AOdS-i84sOLfcx3p6QaMuYn_MEDbt1mp2nlN5RYxqy4TtU_guiIBA2hydIzD3fvRvR9tl7_NBcN81Z8_o/s320/GEDC5080.JPG" /></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> </span>
<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgUBqh0Jwo9U_dbtkyWGbYzlSPVyBCyWTYK-Dpx9IAyokfGAdWrCWQaiuWaWv-irFDKT-JAqPuTw71SkGasO6T1MICcggiEX_9bK1j_nSdOUa75KCvJvncfFaoLZYxnHesIOEpg7G5v2f/s1600/GEDC5077.JPG"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647219694857295522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgUBqh0Jwo9U_dbtkyWGbYzlSPVyBCyWTYK-Dpx9IAyokfGAdWrCWQaiuWaWv-irFDKT-JAqPuTw71SkGasO6T1MICcggiEX_9bK1j_nSdOUa75KCvJvncfFaoLZYxnHesIOEpg7G5v2f/s320/GEDC5077.JPG" /></span></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGG0yDmDlGoaeEJ_ByhV-YU9JTOjD6pd52GRv3kypRZYx47eBzcTiSzFhp8iB98tq_quABhngmx9p2hMqsDCJ-52QNzIk9eXo2J2uwe63uH5KmEYUPlAx-RUlcwhK3j85-kgzq5QMmU3FC/s1600/GEDC5103.JPG"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647219199151271250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGG0yDmDlGoaeEJ_ByhV-YU9JTOjD6pd52GRv3kypRZYx47eBzcTiSzFhp8iB98tq_quABhngmx9p2hMqsDCJ-52QNzIk9eXo2J2uwe63uH5KmEYUPlAx-RUlcwhK3j85-kgzq5QMmU3FC/s320/GEDC5103.JPG" /></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPXnLJ840F7OByCmiax-4MugkttA3pdKXvsl17WgIwRVHEs40ag38q60DNTuXp9DeyM960BrUFP5N3lnCZYP70wquUrpRnrDtH7sPjPLDWQfR4qU44r1bwxGpSUipthcICeznRMNyEFat/s1600/GEDC5093.JPG"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647219186456322178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPXnLJ840F7OByCmiax-4MugkttA3pdKXvsl17WgIwRVHEs40ag38q60DNTuXp9DeyM960BrUFP5N3lnCZYP70wquUrpRnrDtH7sPjPLDWQfR4qU44r1bwxGpSUipthcICeznRMNyEFat/s320/GEDC5093.JPG" /></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8IwMj0BzJEztbYGWov3eUIBs2cXB9CHGVtIzIXM-3j09gLnUQIe0TWkZZ6XiVihFE2TmWIV3M3HqLcE45Asz_SzrcsTA-vaU2ffYriglbvRSJh_ZLSM9VMebAmkHh_OjfXQcTWdim3siE/s1600/GEDC5095.JPG"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647219184834445522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8IwMj0BzJEztbYGWov3eUIBs2cXB9CHGVtIzIXM-3j09gLnUQIe0TWkZZ6XiVihFE2TmWIV3M3HqLcE45Asz_SzrcsTA-vaU2ffYriglbvRSJh_ZLSM9VMebAmkHh_OjfXQcTWdim3siE/s320/GEDC5095.JPG" /></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqQMrGPT8vbW7ZVM5lY4dSKI3vF7jXtV0D7T39wqYVJy7IDWdhg-3SCGK88Tb9_8pS_T9iQzPj1kf-aYnhtKMAFzJBPhZq7SjhGw3b6ZpQm9CKeZEpzeCufXRZSxF83zi2Ctvbre7d5fy/s1600/GEDC5087.JPG"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647219179933658914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqQMrGPT8vbW7ZVM5lY4dSKI3vF7jXtV0D7T39wqYVJy7IDWdhg-3SCGK88Tb9_8pS_T9iQzPj1kf-aYnhtKMAFzJBPhZq7SjhGw3b6ZpQm9CKeZEpzeCufXRZSxF83zi2Ctvbre7d5fy/s320/GEDC5087.JPG" /></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> </span>
<br />
<br /><div align="center"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHI_42xvnGqIttsaHT3HcctZKR6_-dbGmzpDojyO2tRrxsBF52gojk4cnVxKv1Bykgr5m_YJhl1ixcWnK13RBt_zD3gP8RPD77bObPSaGOcNIwRvf30RBP2vDvGiCUZBbzl5ydOYv6BgCr/s1600/GEDC4996.JPG"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647219685925815858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHI_42xvnGqIttsaHT3HcctZKR6_-dbGmzpDojyO2tRrxsBF52gojk4cnVxKv1Bykgr5m_YJhl1ixcWnK13RBt_zD3gP8RPD77bObPSaGOcNIwRvf30RBP2vDvGiCUZBbzl5ydOYv6BgCr/s320/GEDC4996.JPG" /></span></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MoT6z9661-3IvS7YyO8RHfzr_BvR6-Ns61Ipa5VDcEpHlSbLqI-OoLh5_EUydwJNsflz6uNdMRp-RxBoh5GeQjJxFzlvaQMzRbr5lhbYwv8zTdSu1fBqURl1ggfeiBps_Pr5O71-7X9N/s1600/GEDC5112.JPG"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> </span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">16 months old</span></div>
<br />
<br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span></div>Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-66726005562144140852011-07-31T16:09:00.000-07:002011-09-30T08:24:56.348-07:001,2,3 JUMP...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBAs0jyRCMLa5bO5P-Ne7TZQBOO-dq7TNbaiF3-RzvNNyF9iPhJqTHpyL0ZPhgrm3yeOTDNkuMf-KcAXWuexIKRTLMwkyGbrdqf-eOigPLkjErGDToC7AkMwFd0MRp3-VqriZZKEEoDoh-/s1600/GEDC4901.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBAs0jyRCMLa5bO5P-Ne7TZQBOO-dq7TNbaiF3-RzvNNyF9iPhJqTHpyL0ZPhgrm3yeOTDNkuMf-KcAXWuexIKRTLMwkyGbrdqf-eOigPLkjErGDToC7AkMwFd0MRp3-VqriZZKEEoDoh-/s320/GEDC4901.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635717909696332370" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCn9Kz32CgxPPcyCd14h1PhbL0RQFDafmlQkcAZZoRs8ACNRzSWCZdS4g8_kkSKqeLRi8sk8Rth5ADDDMBUXF2s8aWEVIuIsnfbEANT-AkeT3VpgCYcjcV0hO7ta5ccUKeDPMjHPO9IFb4/s1600/GEDC4899.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCn9Kz32CgxPPcyCd14h1PhbL0RQFDafmlQkcAZZoRs8ACNRzSWCZdS4g8_kkSKqeLRi8sk8Rth5ADDDMBUXF2s8aWEVIuIsnfbEANT-AkeT3VpgCYcjcV0hO7ta5ccUKeDPMjHPO9IFb4/s320/GEDC4899.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635717906636618338" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8SPZISKVjXnyIJUhhOdfNp5DrFlzzbLNvYU6meaQsoYZh-uhFbcsmc01Q1ytxS62bV8yS4tcE06gVmdwmNCbqZY3Fq0thX_SKm82y6i32tddoXK9K6S_fPQmUGyfEaE9bTlnfLwzW6Y58/s1600/GEDC4879.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8SPZISKVjXnyIJUhhOdfNp5DrFlzzbLNvYU6meaQsoYZh-uhFbcsmc01Q1ytxS62bV8yS4tcE06gVmdwmNCbqZY3Fq0thX_SKm82y6i32tddoXK9K6S_fPQmUGyfEaE9bTlnfLwzW6Y58/s320/GEDC4879.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635717610378380946" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis-EgHn6JI1En14DNeYxmMOxnJGrrnWD4edUq8DGHR1MXL0n-U9b3ULzO_x4Eb0-yOteJI3b9UAqt1FDySJ5Fp9njUsetOiAAfX5Bj8YbbzPJ60JtZMhZm4J5DRB0Ige5IBSgo3PAv67qk/s1600/GEDC4887.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis-EgHn6JI1En14DNeYxmMOxnJGrrnWD4edUq8DGHR1MXL0n-U9b3ULzO_x4Eb0-yOteJI3b9UAqt1FDySJ5Fp9njUsetOiAAfX5Bj8YbbzPJ60JtZMhZm4J5DRB0Ige5IBSgo3PAv67qk/s320/GEDC4887.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635717606868284402" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXYKiGuhCLzRFkXk_pBN8iDZB_CDrxffi3U-vidfmt9yOC-HBp_8k56JvcX3dFQbpL8ROJfZNYbm3iBu3G3hUlSWyr3MSASWBsxbd4W3Iatjr0xSF3cNH3NosIlYSPvw8Q0iC9uK5YwxG/s1600/GEDC4723.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXYKiGuhCLzRFkXk_pBN8iDZB_CDrxffi3U-vidfmt9yOC-HBp_8k56JvcX3dFQbpL8ROJfZNYbm3iBu3G3hUlSWyr3MSASWBsxbd4W3Iatjr0xSF3cNH3NosIlYSPvw8Q0iC9uK5YwxG/s320/GEDC4723.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635717602868646130" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKzNs4ambxgXQlc1sivc2EY8U4GHQUUubT7wzX8mF2IWZSdppPimN1v39jcjlP0sBdCvycMGKKEZBFX3JWUiYTb4RwJ5EP9NnsMsPMaStADG0adqhwo9A-RuvVhWsQKhnajY35V4QUlPd/s1600/GEDC4625.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKzNs4ambxgXQlc1sivc2EY8U4GHQUUubT7wzX8mF2IWZSdppPimN1v39jcjlP0sBdCvycMGKKEZBFX3JWUiYTb4RwJ5EP9NnsMsPMaStADG0adqhwo9A-RuvVhWsQKhnajY35V4QUlPd/s320/GEDC4625.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635717597920338610" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEike4tEqGUI1oj8HcwilJOUyhT5WuBCi_h2kz-a_1fo4TOTBMJxH965HdcpKcvKamdceILp7NlvbfqqU3IZKdjNjRrOg2o-8Q72o_TXkVP0Vp3Ys5hSThR5FotxDelJSH-qWZzzaun0X1oo/s1600/GEDC4611.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEike4tEqGUI1oj8HcwilJOUyhT5WuBCi_h2kz-a_1fo4TOTBMJxH965HdcpKcvKamdceILp7NlvbfqqU3IZKdjNjRrOg2o-8Q72o_TXkVP0Vp3Ys5hSThR5FotxDelJSH-qWZzzaun0X1oo/s320/GEDC4611.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635717594265095714" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPgqdMumRxyxQtRa3GqwS099tGDopzabWPfZltvny0AYInfvfoJnFidlDlL4aFNGlfPaokOe4Ke0DmDz1DPbB78DiC6rwMOzHqEwEQvWQUrgNieJxnVC8tuYwwqjsfB-7hlkypb0MiN-u/s1600/GEDC4559.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPgqdMumRxyxQtRa3GqwS099tGDopzabWPfZltvny0AYInfvfoJnFidlDlL4aFNGlfPaokOe4Ke0DmDz1DPbB78DiC6rwMOzHqEwEQvWQUrgNieJxnVC8tuYwwqjsfB-7hlkypb0MiN-u/s320/GEDC4559.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635716919598382322" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcOe8BtV9KnzSr8SpUHnXBhyphenhypheniWnnCrlKL8aqhLLpUZ-wagWx-qO6x4nF_jS1GtFCnqH2XUu84HtoFigefjY0ku9XLtK8oYGA6DUS3ifxWbTHuXNoSUPdUDCrld6OHssFJzlhN3qJ38SOj/s1600/GEDC4518.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcOe8BtV9KnzSr8SpUHnXBhyphenhypheniWnnCrlKL8aqhLLpUZ-wagWx-qO6x4nF_jS1GtFCnqH2XUu84HtoFigefjY0ku9XLtK8oYGA6DUS3ifxWbTHuXNoSUPdUDCrld6OHssFJzlhN3qJ38SOj/s320/GEDC4518.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635716914068914034" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTcNGZm_KOXF7qqO-ON5ZQy4wSsorrtejV6u7LtqnRa-wxHcb-2iXSlG-auiK_rbjcIWZubm8NkJix_83iuBExYBbwU4ZSl9qapGykBSW4Lex0Q0ti3Q0m_IuacncYhKs4Hu0vD151Euv/s1600/GEDC4449.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTcNGZm_KOXF7qqO-ON5ZQy4wSsorrtejV6u7LtqnRa-wxHcb-2iXSlG-auiK_rbjcIWZubm8NkJix_83iuBExYBbwU4ZSl9qapGykBSW4Lex0Q0ti3Q0m_IuacncYhKs4Hu0vD151Euv/s320/GEDC4449.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635716903639832978" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">16 months old</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVDso-_uAPYeplIqbe94l8d9tUuYdPY9ZyxFZ_0MonLZniRpZeX_pMXZxZOvkeuLTYyd3dJrAdFz_Cv6BQHtM3eIPocRn4t9YzWDTSesIuHhONUPqnnnme4FVIhpE9zju7Go6Px3RnIWF/s1600/GEDC4040.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVDso-_uAPYeplIqbe94l8d9tUuYdPY9ZyxFZ_0MonLZniRpZeX_pMXZxZOvkeuLTYyd3dJrAdFz_Cv6BQHtM3eIPocRn4t9YzWDTSesIuHhONUPqnnnme4FVIhpE9zju7Go6Px3RnIWF/s320/GEDC4040.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635716902080582290" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3YunzH90_5BZx795OOQEBPJShSTAPC_v5E8SAIepYMJXxnFtmgSqCvoghnfPYiz-53cJyXoCM_KyFY3ZKrMXt-TOTER2sPspNa6h70BF9A3S3ptpU4abqD9uAEm1Dxv_0mGStjTO0pOr/s1600/GEDC4072.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3YunzH90_5BZx795OOQEBPJShSTAPC_v5E8SAIepYMJXxnFtmgSqCvoghnfPYiz-53cJyXoCM_KyFY3ZKrMXt-TOTER2sPspNa6h70BF9A3S3ptpU4abqD9uAEm1Dxv_0mGStjTO0pOr/s320/GEDC4072.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635716895064805538" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">15 months old</div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Yes, the neglecting blog guilt has set in and I am racing the clock to get a July post done. The boys just settled off to sleep after a wilder than usual bedtime routine of dancing and jumping off of beds like the little daredevils they've come to be. Needless to say their bedtime seems to be getting later and later with the sudden burst of joyful energy that happen in the evenings. They wear us out, but we enjoy every second of life with Astral and Defy. Thankfully I have a few moments to spare to catch you up on our lives, with the hopes of more time in the next week. </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">So Astral and Defy are now 16 months, though in just 3 days they will be 17 months old. Since our last blog we flew out to the midwest for a visit with Lucas' side of the family, when the boys were still 15 months. It was a wonderful trip and it is always great to spend time with our loved ones that we don't get to see as often as we'd like. The flights there and back were quite awful to say the least. </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Everything started out well on the way there, until we were in the air for a while and both boys started to cry hysterically at the same time for what seemed like the longest 15-20 minutes of our lives. The guy sitting next to me got up and walked to the front of the plane while rubbing his temples. Nothing worked to soothe them, holding them together or apart, snacks, toys....NOTHING! We had totally become "those people" times 2!! Then suddenly they just stopped and were happy little guys the rest of the trip. </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">On the way back the entire trip was horrendous. We got stuck in a longer than usual security line and DnA cried the entire time. Lucas and I were both sweating and almost in tears by the time we finally got through. They didn't fuss much on the plane, but of course the unthinkable happened upon arrival back home. THE AIRLINE LOST OUR FREAKIN' LUGGAGE. Of course we didn't know they lost it at first, we waited forever at the baggage claim and as the minutes passed Astral and Defy became more and more agitated. Who could blame them, we were all exhausted and ready to be home!!! Once I realized it was never going to come around on that damn carousel we went to make a report . Of course, they had no explanation as to why our luggage hadn't arrived and promised to have it delivered within 24 hours. That 24 hours turned out to be more like 48 hours, but oh well at least we were home. Traveling with twin babies or toddlers in no easy feat and we hope to avoid it for a while. While we planned to travel to Europe with the boys before they turn 2 to visit family, that plan has been totally scrapped for a couple of years AT LEAST! We need to keep our sanity...</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Lucas assembled the boys' cribs into toddler beds a couple of weeks ago and we are transitioning them slowly but surely from co-sleeping. We are currently sleeping in their room with them while they get used to sleeping on their own. They are so cute in their big boys beds. </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Astral and Defy have a new skill: JUMPING. They love to jump off of things, especially their toddler beds. It is so scary how dangerous they are, but they will stand on just about anything and jump off. While amazing to watch, with each landing bump I think I lose a year off my life. </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Their communications skills are fabulous and improve every day. They can say many words new words, the newest being airplane and bunny rabbit. While we are cherishing every stage of their life, this has to be the most exciting. Being able to communicate through language will bring our fun to a whole new level! </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">The boys are eating everything now. If it's vegan, organic and a whole food they've probably tried it! Their most recent favorites are cherries and nectarines. </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">The summer is in full effect here and days have been filled with parks, pools and play dates. Some days are so hot that Lucas has to find indoor activities to keep the boys busy. They've been enjoying the library, though last week when Lucas took them to their first story-time (children's book reading) they absolutely hated it. Perhaps it was the non-vegan story about cooking eggs. You just never know with toddlers... </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p>Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-20645821230619377262011-06-03T09:37:00.000-07:002011-06-03T09:55:08.727-07:00Happy 15 Months to Astral and Defy…Today Astral Defiance and Defy Aster turn 15 months old. They’ve come a long way since they were born at 5lbs 13oz (D) and 6lbs 8oz (A). We have their big 15 month check up next week. We can’t wait to see how much they’ve grown in the past 3 months.<br /><br />After reading my last post I started remembering things that I failed to mention about the guys, so I thought I’d do an additional quick post. Wow…I know, 2 posts in 1 week!!!!!<br /><br />I stopped pumping about 2 weeks ago. I started it off with a trial run the first week to see if I could get through the day without too much pain, pressure or leaking and it all went very smoothly. I nurse the boys in the morning, right after I get home from work, at bed time and during any times they wake up in the middle of the night. Thank goodness everything seems to be working fine. I love the connection I share with Astral and Defy when nursing and I don’t intend on stopping any time soon, but I am so glad that I don’t have to carry that bulky pump around with me anymore. They also get plant milk, water and green juices throughout the day. Their favorite plant milk is fortified coconut milk and their favorite juice mix would probably be a toss up between kale/strawberry and broccoli/peach. I can’t ever imagine giving them cow’s milk or sugary processed juices.<br /><br />We introduced the potty to the boys at 10 months shortly after they both started walking. After 4 months of them using the potty on and off when we put them on it, they both went to their potties at the same exact time and peed in them on their own. We were beyond thrilled, though after they stood up from their potties they both simultaneously peed on the floor. We sometimes let them run around in just a t-shirt to air out and see if they will take the initiative to use the potty. I know we still have a long way to go, but the fact that they did it on their own was stellar and brings us one step closer to not having to clean their cloth diapers…<br /><br />As far as other milestones go during month 14 they perfected the art of self feeding with a spoon and learned how to get down the stairs on their own fairly safely. Climbing up the stairs was easy and mastered quite early on, but getting back down safely was a little harder. They are also getting really good at removing their own shirts and almost able to put them on as well.<br /><br />We are so proud of our twin tots and all of their accomplishments. I love when people ask us if we are raising them vegan as they are living proof that vegans of all ages can be happy, healthy and vibrant...Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-77838396625383629282011-05-31T13:05:00.000-07:002011-06-01T07:11:43.683-07:00To All a Goodnight…<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaFiucNDAl5Q0mB5sAV7hOOcLuMk-mDysd3oczMDzNX_5zzXMgNO5c9em-BjHj0H41fh7GNHmnqM5xvn0__JRnlg0vJ92xWM9fTY9U_aPvxEmg5-I756VylEeLh3qCOv2SMT7Vo4iTSG8/s1600/GEDC3980.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612981341969332738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaFiucNDAl5Q0mB5sAV7hOOcLuMk-mDysd3oczMDzNX_5zzXMgNO5c9em-BjHj0H41fh7GNHmnqM5xvn0__JRnlg0vJ92xWM9fTY9U_aPvxEmg5-I756VylEeLh3qCOv2SMT7Vo4iTSG8/s320/GEDC3980.JPG" /></a> <br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHldVzlKolvm-nCju6PRwvF7CfBNgoDJSCSQOaxI9s0BIYg6iIEe-xZ31Oyp9-vlQ7x_0N7sasxYMloSPXrZfr6E_6OwwhU_315udldmM5hugukSPqPntUxWR4HR5g-nUz7X-l48nvrq1b/s1600/GEDC3975.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612981338266209010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHldVzlKolvm-nCju6PRwvF7CfBNgoDJSCSQOaxI9s0BIYg6iIEe-xZ31Oyp9-vlQ7x_0N7sasxYMloSPXrZfr6E_6OwwhU_315udldmM5hugukSPqPntUxWR4HR5g-nUz7X-l48nvrq1b/s320/GEDC3975.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZPWOUXJ9Xj0Z7qa3tsR7ZQvHxUrLx1BK5KSrZXtU7wYfRNFfzN9stJGuqzZyEpkyEWJ47UkxXU0agWk_jGjPl1Sz34Be08kD3b6cArTiv5uzyi_mZDBqWOUJmNbdBiAINOrA2z1PFTxkj/s1600/GEDC3970+2.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612981336574489778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZPWOUXJ9Xj0Z7qa3tsR7ZQvHxUrLx1BK5KSrZXtU7wYfRNFfzN9stJGuqzZyEpkyEWJ47UkxXU0agWk_jGjPl1Sz34Be08kD3b6cArTiv5uzyi_mZDBqWOUJmNbdBiAINOrA2z1PFTxkj/s320/GEDC3970+2.JPG" /></a> <br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxrEQ8UsHsT3YxjXJvc5Xt8_bMvGmxNYE3O-jR-LUVEAvW_a1I5cu1DAaru6wHBqiEj5GwNVBWKKe_BV1QihwoP8CA1hfKXwOw6F_A7uEWqAFWK2h_ouBtYByRj7t741F3HxbhlAAH9LU/s1600/GEDC3930.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612981332075274322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAxrEQ8UsHsT3YxjXJvc5Xt8_bMvGmxNYE3O-jR-LUVEAvW_a1I5cu1DAaru6wHBqiEj5GwNVBWKKe_BV1QihwoP8CA1hfKXwOw6F_A7uEWqAFWK2h_ouBtYByRj7t741F3HxbhlAAH9LU/s320/GEDC3930.JPG" /></a> 5/29 14 months old<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHO525Vqq4RLOKaDL9KQaa65hxhpYXKfxSCgC04fCyK8kAMwtROlOlP7ZtprloMhEyLCyhg8W6e6wioN6KYQcrKVPRLih0Yl0taW7B-JQ24l0_wo3yKp3VFhBalw0e_NHmu4vrCZgq51fx/s1600/GEDC3926.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612980846542879506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHO525Vqq4RLOKaDL9KQaa65hxhpYXKfxSCgC04fCyK8kAMwtROlOlP7ZtprloMhEyLCyhg8W6e6wioN6KYQcrKVPRLih0Yl0taW7B-JQ24l0_wo3yKp3VFhBalw0e_NHmu4vrCZgq51fx/s320/GEDC3926.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFI0ZBPmNlTietBr6z7Nq-R74k8G6OTk5Ms4J2OyliY6FDmDpl5LoXYCS4C2mIK1-FHd2Zd6p1YRAyG_jrtyC3J-xVdyKNTPFMgMn3jKtjc52-1GgiozJi5vfPi6ENEyeM8H7S7BTjIh7Y/s1600/GEDC3887+2.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612980840583295842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFI0ZBPmNlTietBr6z7Nq-R74k8G6OTk5Ms4J2OyliY6FDmDpl5LoXYCS4C2mIK1-FHd2Zd6p1YRAyG_jrtyC3J-xVdyKNTPFMgMn3jKtjc52-1GgiozJi5vfPi6ENEyeM8H7S7BTjIh7Y/s320/GEDC3887+2.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJM4vh85oXBzj59bFjLSwny71jT6YwI46IKlH0TKpFzWrrSvRDWtZYWQF9jd2gC3T1_YMmWIC8Xo1q4eo4FqPc-CFlvy6KPb8RilzewfhDmN39SFasAMEvjT-vnV-75WguzzmpO9nfyM0z/s1600/GEDC3803.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612980829326744034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJM4vh85oXBzj59bFjLSwny71jT6YwI46IKlH0TKpFzWrrSvRDWtZYWQF9jd2gC3T1_YMmWIC8Xo1q4eo4FqPc-CFlvy6KPb8RilzewfhDmN39SFasAMEvjT-vnV-75WguzzmpO9nfyM0z/s320/GEDC3803.JPG" /></a> <br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmPMQrR8bxu6e-GnGEENdDX12kX_NvQd895l253Sz14aIgeCgJNkmsKQucTetur7f7pXc5aFtLzoWUn1MYhRCCFyWhgtR_yr02hglH9_zz3z8Wxb_8rTHCwS5CfWmU7g99Bybc1D1ZpYhl/s1600/GEDC3796.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612980824051732834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmPMQrR8bxu6e-GnGEENdDX12kX_NvQd895l253Sz14aIgeCgJNkmsKQucTetur7f7pXc5aFtLzoWUn1MYhRCCFyWhgtR_yr02hglH9_zz3z8Wxb_8rTHCwS5CfWmU7g99Bybc1D1ZpYhl/s320/GEDC3796.JPG" /></a> <br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjNHVYi7TUEgrI-mJsr2iWpJyHB9L-DNLd_9Z0i2swG2nihUYdHUo3NGlzARuEiFZJcy4YYA5h8Qor4BrqwnSzHTH681T3OVINqoPCGS79yjvuQf7O2l0R7dNc0pJkzJBaHhtkJt4eXFK/s1600/GEDC3777.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612980254512500338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjNHVYi7TUEgrI-mJsr2iWpJyHB9L-DNLd_9Z0i2swG2nihUYdHUo3NGlzARuEiFZJcy4YYA5h8Qor4BrqwnSzHTH681T3OVINqoPCGS79yjvuQf7O2l0R7dNc0pJkzJBaHhtkJt4eXFK/s320/GEDC3777.JPG" /></a> Defy Aster<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOIsZ951noPWTGSNhIciMOUU5ulJjFgfswHvUXH5DHxS_Vrp4M5s_FW7j-5EkkQ9azCXQQkwq5E-yM18H9TvxaQDUwNHSYrL2ZjnT9fNrxWwz_LsCliBj_MW7pqN-KXLOfIrCusDXutoT/s1600/GEDC3773.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612980249795279282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOIsZ951noPWTGSNhIciMOUU5ulJjFgfswHvUXH5DHxS_Vrp4M5s_FW7j-5EkkQ9azCXQQkwq5E-yM18H9TvxaQDUwNHSYrL2ZjnT9fNrxWwz_LsCliBj_MW7pqN-KXLOfIrCusDXutoT/s320/GEDC3773.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowxuDDWqKAueneWSPqk_24P7M6aNscyKFCyiUh9EfCKvZRRB4SzC4YJ9EqBz2EBtnEPexInsBznLEyl9nmDbR0UTKY64pMGGcgjYpbSBkbL_714rWCbgChMMzQkc7PYhrAJ0MRC4-ulpI/s1600/GEDC3770.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612980247781573586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowxuDDWqKAueneWSPqk_24P7M6aNscyKFCyiUh9EfCKvZRRB4SzC4YJ9EqBz2EBtnEPexInsBznLEyl9nmDbR0UTKY64pMGGcgjYpbSBkbL_714rWCbgChMMzQkc7PYhrAJ0MRC4-ulpI/s320/GEDC3770.JPG" /></a> <br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTdRlpYokec48e6JIO2h9sJtYlF0O1iK1aN-gsW8upooVAuCI8De8pCfMKWKjSajazhWq-2fXCdMYC6jq2XHjPxVtBbQE9GVv-PsGkpFs-THIzuXNgrrMcSRiv0amNBGtG9r_PK1JejvD/s1600/GEDC3766.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612980242705133714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTdRlpYokec48e6JIO2h9sJtYlF0O1iK1aN-gsW8upooVAuCI8De8pCfMKWKjSajazhWq-2fXCdMYC6jq2XHjPxVtBbQE9GVv-PsGkpFs-THIzuXNgrrMcSRiv0amNBGtG9r_PK1JejvD/s320/GEDC3766.JPG" /></a> <br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYaExph4mo1UsT04CzvjyvSDwVW_Ep4iVQGxNSUUPDYy70szjdam7tlQOwcKZUKoCvLWnakThi43irEYXm7hULYiJgfJAe41SpjqC0JhwxT0EJKm_DyCCkLkUEMtpw0wfYzLuXo_LYvkX/s1600/GEDC3731.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612980231671979362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYaExph4mo1UsT04CzvjyvSDwVW_Ep4iVQGxNSUUPDYy70szjdam7tlQOwcKZUKoCvLWnakThi43irEYXm7hULYiJgfJAe41SpjqC0JhwxT0EJKm_DyCCkLkUEMtpw0wfYzLuXo_LYvkX/s320/GEDC3731.JPG" /></a> <br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3MarTaXIUvi2ddlx8ZQ5b0X0vpASDVI_vmTSFj5NmxPizjTLtNEwlcdy74VBa9UAn-VwiG1H7Eb7zkh_HTfhdGrC9dkuB4jpXz6cBEISxhOsO_eyeQ3Fsn4kxFvpFEWNxEH2Ch70mctAX/s1600/GEDC3725.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612979600911014434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3MarTaXIUvi2ddlx8ZQ5b0X0vpASDVI_vmTSFj5NmxPizjTLtNEwlcdy74VBa9UAn-VwiG1H7Eb7zkh_HTfhdGrC9dkuB4jpXz6cBEISxhOsO_eyeQ3Fsn4kxFvpFEWNxEH2Ch70mctAX/s320/GEDC3725.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfz728hB8uRHW-IV1LzwIoo3Hirxz552hgvAHm2GjDUBdHq2xx9ta3ltwtD1JAnG7DtT2Bo1T2sFC9yEq9G_fa4Lh_ugMYwBoSjwC1x0jVHpMm-Ccf_0F1DCTUOZDXnHhyphenhyphenB5Z_BZ_T1tI/s1600/av4.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612979597654756514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfz728hB8uRHW-IV1LzwIoo3Hirxz552hgvAHm2GjDUBdHq2xx9ta3ltwtD1JAnG7DtT2Bo1T2sFC9yEq9G_fa4Lh_ugMYwBoSjwC1x0jVHpMm-Ccf_0F1DCTUOZDXnHhyphenhyphenB5Z_BZ_T1tI/s320/av4.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75WeF8z-LuqVdIJuwYrwNLAhsQ0EKjM-1N3zhHCLJJdYuVN-24VdgiycH8Z-RTMVfXUuGWgP-9EwDojkvQ0QbosjR2H3-AdFZpEKiu8Q_w-mllXlwdvolREN8rNpTCcY-a8zMUPKPSgEQ/s1600/53.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 238px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612979589426290530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg75WeF8z-LuqVdIJuwYrwNLAhsQ0EKjM-1N3zhHCLJJdYuVN-24VdgiycH8Z-RTMVfXUuGWgP-9EwDojkvQ0QbosjR2H3-AdFZpEKiu8Q_w-mllXlwdvolREN8rNpTCcY-a8zMUPKPSgEQ/s320/53.jpg" /></a> Astral Defiance<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqdVST3jCNr2bTzaAsbUjxlXq_MA_XK37_tq68UsmmzYDEWSGqJCdyjVbKPHMR6t3Nk9wND0ul4FqV3XaJHiNVVftrHp0rWMNYqUCelgVUJQJxfliDXijogNZH_54sZ8hhHa_hX4l7LwU/s1600/52.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 238px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612979589466026498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqdVST3jCNr2bTzaAsbUjxlXq_MA_XK37_tq68UsmmzYDEWSGqJCdyjVbKPHMR6t3Nk9wND0ul4FqV3XaJHiNVVftrHp0rWMNYqUCelgVUJQJxfliDXijogNZH_54sZ8hhHa_hX4l7LwU/s320/52.jpg" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVK-jSmH6t8IaWBk2EVZfUAUs8gfRuIQljxtZXdkypvqV5bxnHPPipet321pByKSDbxeuLDlUEdCBWV4WnlkRnUhdpb03QdxgY4sjY6XSzi855idr9RF1OlXBj9jmkA3i_WmwjkZUQ_JZ/s1600/51.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 238px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612979579892638562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVK-jSmH6t8IaWBk2EVZfUAUs8gfRuIQljxtZXdkypvqV5bxnHPPipet321pByKSDbxeuLDlUEdCBWV4WnlkRnUhdpb03QdxgY4sjY6XSzi855idr9RF1OlXBj9jmkA3i_WmwjkZUQ_JZ/s320/51.jpg" /></a> 14 months old </div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">Whew…This month has flown by. I struggled all month to get a post up, but I REFUSE to let a month go by without updating this blog at least once. There are so many reasons I strive to keep the blog going, but the most important reason for this blog is to combat all the misinformation out there about veganism. Vegans can easily have healthy pregnancies, healthy children and healthy lives. Astral and Defy are proof of this. They are the best examples, times two!<br /><br />There are a lot of people who read this blog from all over the world and every time I check the stats I feel an ever-growing responsibility, even with limited time. Almost every time I find a new vegan parenting, family or pregnancy blog I am disappointed with what I read and see. I just want to find consistent vegan, no-compromise messages out there, but there are few and far in between when it comes to children, pregnancy and families.<br /><br />As I write my eyes are red and itchy from being outside in the 100 degree, pollen filled air at lunch. As I have said before, I hope Astral and Defy DO NOT inherit mommy’s allergies. Maybe this can be my excuse for ranting a bit. I never usually use this blog as a platform for complaints, but sometimes you just have to let it out.<br /><br />Breathe out…<br /><br />Our little guys are now 14 months old, though they will be turning 15 months in 3 days. Astral and Defy continue to learn new things at record speeds. The amount of objects, animals, people, etc they can identify is amazing. In addition to constantly pointing out things and explaining what is going on around them, we use flash cards and books to teach them new items. I think there is a lot to say for the no television rule. These kids are always engaged and never pacified by the magical branding machine. For 14 month olds they have a great amount of patience and are very observant. The boys are still a little shy at first with new people, but they are warming up faster and faster as time goes by.<br /><br />With the scorching temperatures comes pool season! The boys have been thoroughly enjoying outdoor water play. They love playing outside, going on long stroller adventures and walking around the neighborhood with daddy. Recently walking indoors and out has morphed into very fast, reckless running which has led to various minor injuries. In one week we had a busted lip and chin. For the lip debacle I totally panicked and almost drove to the ER, but Lucas always the voice of reason calmed me down and everything turned out fine. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the bumps, bruises or scrapes… </div><br /><br /><div align="left">DnA continue to eat an amazing vegan diet and have added even more new foods. I’m sure I’m forgetting something on the yummy new foods list, but here goes:<br />Swiss Chard<br />Cantaloupe<br />Sugar Snap Peas<br />Watermelon<br />Cucumbers<br />Grapes<br />Tahini<br />Black Strap Molasses<br />Papaya<br />Tamari<br />Canola Oil<br />Romaine Lettuce<br /><br />We are gearing up for the second plane trip with the boys in the next couple of weeks. NOT EXCITED. This time we don’t have business class seats with the extra room. The boys were just learning to walk the last plane trip so obviously now they are way more mobile. We will be bringing lots of snacks and distractions. Wish us luck!!!<br /><br />Astral and Defy are obsessed with the children’s book we read to them before bed. We both read the book out loud to them in unison in silly singsong voices. The very last page reads “Goodnight!” so now of course every time we get to the last page the boys say, "GUH-NIE". They are so adorable greeting the mornings with "hehwo wohd" and ending the nights with "guh-nie". Little things like this make all the bathroom totally drenched after bath-time, oatmeal in your hair and on your clothes right before you walk out the door to the office, random cry fest in the middle of the store moments of parenting so worth it… </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-23815211738161588812011-04-30T18:39:00.000-07:002012-06-26T09:25:54.655-07:00Spring Bees and Scraped Knees...<div align="left">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnq0G9yCMaU3oOE3yBGG0Drm_rVCr7OXOM0DJ0cKsSSfEULVcqwUE8UX1oY8w72xqxvXTfbLUKrTvn9rm4DVZp8nWABWzNWMM6yuurA6Zjnd-qqdq2c9TN-15D9ibDJcCXICvBZEFww9oL/s1600/GEDC3504.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601573580312000578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnq0G9yCMaU3oOE3yBGG0Drm_rVCr7OXOM0DJ0cKsSSfEULVcqwUE8UX1oY8w72xqxvXTfbLUKrTvn9rm4DVZp8nWABWzNWMM6yuurA6Zjnd-qqdq2c9TN-15D9ibDJcCXICvBZEFww9oL/s320/GEDC3504.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyt3FfE5NtxzJKtyWJF3DKhFXhKMFiwvkbJ9hE0xxNuXF4ciXGDljceK8YHSTCybYUsb02mgZAiie3rzFy3GJV_bWnCfcxb-MMf0wuN_E-qGVgi55ba9fxThdmeMvTsF62XUGDXoVqAKoU/s1600/GEDC3445.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601573578457940082" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyt3FfE5NtxzJKtyWJF3DKhFXhKMFiwvkbJ9hE0xxNuXF4ciXGDljceK8YHSTCybYUsb02mgZAiie3rzFy3GJV_bWnCfcxb-MMf0wuN_E-qGVgi55ba9fxThdmeMvTsF62XUGDXoVqAKoU/s320/GEDC3445.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEqSO1FjR8cZ9C3hNcK6-uORimyJZ5POctL_FYg_2IBPuwJmleNXzz-m4PuwC7fuh5CvIy4bLZClzn3krncWBWTJfxd4Af6zTLuutNM9vQAtViS3dLvrBeUBEdrtlbAhCZA-BQm-7-jqY/s1600/GEDC3439_2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601573573128534002" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEqSO1FjR8cZ9C3hNcK6-uORimyJZ5POctL_FYg_2IBPuwJmleNXzz-m4PuwC7fuh5CvIy4bLZClzn3krncWBWTJfxd4Af6zTLuutNM9vQAtViS3dLvrBeUBEdrtlbAhCZA-BQm-7-jqY/s320/GEDC3439_2.JPG" style="display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 282px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pAA6wg-YcnK1PtAAb357QTm20frX10L3RdrRdow-zalYyjyCfjJiZ-KEfc0O1nXeLxMLbIy3FyjogPjmjO8DfMNx3PCfP_6IDXbADQl5WdUVJaJKDNnF0UbnTfnSVD__ve_hoEzJBmkH/s1600/GEDC3452.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601573566299596338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pAA6wg-YcnK1PtAAb357QTm20frX10L3RdrRdow-zalYyjyCfjJiZ-KEfc0O1nXeLxMLbIy3FyjogPjmjO8DfMNx3PCfP_6IDXbADQl5WdUVJaJKDNnF0UbnTfnSVD__ve_hoEzJBmkH/s320/GEDC3452.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0uCK6eibfyRoB1c4uSef_2_UFVEEdp-FnCcnB16fVuCqueN03VblNcmaEwa_MHRgoVb64QSabH9e5W7NUxC0rrbKWAyHOTi6_qI-KSl3bZcbclSSBpoZJD-j75shYAa6etBJ5v9LTu3Q/s1600/GEDC3430.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601573040557958914" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP0uCK6eibfyRoB1c4uSef_2_UFVEEdp-FnCcnB16fVuCqueN03VblNcmaEwa_MHRgoVb64QSabH9e5W7NUxC0rrbKWAyHOTi6_qI-KSl3bZcbclSSBpoZJD-j75shYAa6etBJ5v9LTu3Q/s320/GEDC3430.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGqLtNJpZbgF6_4L-W9i_qsrULfm4YR1XZE0PrnoKkqUPHFyTAX35ffP7jEb99LMHesTA-EcOJae4Cpz9bNmq-aVI9UlV43qAy187WIGkACsJwfOtbIEKT6M3ihZekAb6w9OdYhxOaWOt/s1600/photo-9.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601573035631134498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibGqLtNJpZbgF6_4L-W9i_qsrULfm4YR1XZE0PrnoKkqUPHFyTAX35ffP7jEb99LMHesTA-EcOJae4Cpz9bNmq-aVI9UlV43qAy187WIGkACsJwfOtbIEKT6M3ihZekAb6w9OdYhxOaWOt/s320/photo-9.JPG" style="display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 239px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLDBiUiKZ_4PEOkyiO6QRtw6XmFI7wm706VVZGCvevXVSYedpsrKgOGhuoh3omIDh__yJVRQEtBPbjJuw99ca6Luo1Fawi9mu2KWOvuEbz4_9p0QTSvA6pGF6pfDiBI9vbCiHtQgVGzZ4/s1600/photo-11.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601573033881455154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLDBiUiKZ_4PEOkyiO6QRtw6XmFI7wm706VVZGCvevXVSYedpsrKgOGhuoh3omIDh__yJVRQEtBPbjJuw99ca6Luo1Fawi9mu2KWOvuEbz4_9p0QTSvA6pGF6pfDiBI9vbCiHtQgVGzZ4/s320/photo-11.JPG" style="display: block; height: 239px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwiLony51p5OR5Edxn9TnyUldjtpuyOzmJmWo5BWj9y_niIcQ7Iu9DLuJK9DUYcL-wSxl1gkIrwPwCGQnuchGuC7JDGst60MRt43_3Y9O7LLn1TPhNZkrZ1QvTi4mKWzSEnjd4-yJqgFj/s1600/photo-7.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601573024534360082" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwiLony51p5OR5Edxn9TnyUldjtpuyOzmJmWo5BWj9y_niIcQ7Iu9DLuJK9DUYcL-wSxl1gkIrwPwCGQnuchGuC7JDGst60MRt43_3Y9O7LLn1TPhNZkrZ1QvTi4mKWzSEnjd4-yJqgFj/s320/photo-7.JPG" style="display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 239px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLRHTsA8Thrc8vfqaryzka8G6tWcXeyGltVdeuWhBFebCwwY5C78y0VvjJJLxGRmXCda7EKhuxaRAeQggrBcNu6SVcIa6oZ-0J3DrW6kRV0_SYT_i7En4GjPcMjKhd8qbkEXOH7RmFh74/s1600/photo-6.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601573019743633234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLRHTsA8Thrc8vfqaryzka8G6tWcXeyGltVdeuWhBFebCwwY5C78y0VvjJJLxGRmXCda7EKhuxaRAeQggrBcNu6SVcIa6oZ-0J3DrW6kRV0_SYT_i7En4GjPcMjKhd8qbkEXOH7RmFh74/s320/photo-6.JPG" style="display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 239px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENzrfrBCahL8QMGSMhsvqdGjZwDksNbnRBM6Y2ajwUL-SnrQM-UL68qr0YazgGmGH4FFFTJ4Qd6t76WYhODAzky0pkVe1c0ImVZ7Y2M2WDFDC2sv_tX1lRucdkSWeka14CPPHWDJxyxKU/s1600/GEDC3398.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601571075401848306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENzrfrBCahL8QMGSMhsvqdGjZwDksNbnRBM6Y2ajwUL-SnrQM-UL68qr0YazgGmGH4FFFTJ4Qd6t76WYhODAzky0pkVe1c0ImVZ7Y2M2WDFDC2sv_tX1lRucdkSWeka14CPPHWDJxyxKU/s320/GEDC3398.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZl5pYpp9aE8cDcrLc9cCXUs_M9Fco2_ODXjyGavMBVZS70DaJT44pKDcsDJo7pY7JOn3f1a2c-RFBxDNVj5H-nlDDvkFVuwroVQxwdU-_AGqHJJkn3Ak9hNwFtYFP1RqV87om_ZV5en2/s1600/GEDC3410.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601571068090894706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZl5pYpp9aE8cDcrLc9cCXUs_M9Fco2_ODXjyGavMBVZS70DaJT44pKDcsDJo7pY7JOn3f1a2c-RFBxDNVj5H-nlDDvkFVuwroVQxwdU-_AGqHJJkn3Ak9hNwFtYFP1RqV87om_ZV5en2/s320/GEDC3410.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jE1At7APvN00kkYua2dldnxenfCpIRGf7Py_ofxX6J7gdSaFFeq50SrU0tC3socu4zTQN7-5H9_vu_74qX2bY-65tH9ydTXXQxNhVV-ctPDMBZ7e35MHiNxIfYWQWbaVjUfSyMrpi-UV/s1600/GEDC3426.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601571064997142114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jE1At7APvN00kkYua2dldnxenfCpIRGf7Py_ofxX6J7gdSaFFeq50SrU0tC3socu4zTQN7-5H9_vu_74qX2bY-65tH9ydTXXQxNhVV-ctPDMBZ7e35MHiNxIfYWQWbaVjUfSyMrpi-UV/s320/GEDC3426.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJK7WdIbzSeewNoFJsPCPHrIuWSo0QtR5E2-1RmXCA1wjSFfEYpX-oiTlWd4IKxHWWrUoGg0TYm6_pjvUpJHih_pXEESLO7acyZgRjKaf_4NOTL8t62BTDF-I8jBXDjgmUy7hSnta12Tp9/s1600/GEDC3378.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601571058851427922" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJK7WdIbzSeewNoFJsPCPHrIuWSo0QtR5E2-1RmXCA1wjSFfEYpX-oiTlWd4IKxHWWrUoGg0TYm6_pjvUpJHih_pXEESLO7acyZgRjKaf_4NOTL8t62BTDF-I8jBXDjgmUy7hSnta12Tp9/s320/GEDC3378.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyco3fqFWvSJhiRxT4B1oqouNvWzOeEmlopyZc-MdM9dQ3qNu51fGUITA9YLs_95NvljIAdT1Z_J-keEVYS-YwAWsd1ATBDTpJNHeU8VfcAIfpbBWvankGeoeUimiAoJnI5CN_PP9xYP4m/s1600/GEDC3366.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601571051303334594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyco3fqFWvSJhiRxT4B1oqouNvWzOeEmlopyZc-MdM9dQ3qNu51fGUITA9YLs_95NvljIAdT1Z_J-keEVYS-YwAWsd1ATBDTpJNHeU8VfcAIfpbBWvankGeoeUimiAoJnI5CN_PP9xYP4m/s320/GEDC3366.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> Astral Defiance and Defy Aster @13 months old (nice undies daddy...)<br />
<br />
<br />
<div align="left" style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
Spring is officially upon us and the boys are enjoying the beautiful weather. Astral and Defy are leaving the stranger anxiety phase behind and for that we are totally grateful. They quickly become acclimated to their new surroundings and seem to enjoy interacting with others outside of our immediate little pack. </div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
We are constantly running after these guys, they are attracted to anything and everything that could possibly hurt them or get them into trouble. Defy fell outside while playing and had his first scraped knee, he didn’t cry but I almost did. I know this is only the first of many scrapes. Keeping track of them is definitely a full time job! Baby proofing is a never ending when you have two toddlers.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
With Spring now in full effect I hope DnA don’t inherit my pollen allergies. Thankfully Lucas doesn’t have allergies, so maybe they’ll luck out. I really just need to stop over-analyzing every sporadic sneeze. They are enjoying their time outside and all the animals and insect friends they are meeting. They watch the squirrels play in the trees and have met some big buzzing bees for the first time. Our boys have such great attention spans for 1 year olds. </div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
Astral and Defy just love when we sing <i>I’m a Little Teapot</i>; they do the motions with us. Their favorite part is the “tip me over and pour me out” motion. These little sprouts catch on so quickly and their comprehension is through the roof. They are constantly learning new things and pointing to objects they find interesting. They seem to be saying “wa dat” (“what’s that”) as they point to specific things. We aren’t sure if that is what they are saying, but we act like it is and engage them. They now say their own versions of dog, girl, baby and ball as well. Again, these guys are so in sync with one another and so are their milestones. </div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
They might not look exactly alike, but every day we are still blown away by their actions and interactions. They still fight over toys sometimes, but they love one another so much. They hug and kiss and make the other laugh uncontrollably, which totally makes up for the fighting. It must be so awesome to have a permanent partner in crime to do everything with. Whenever I see a kid playing outside alone I am reminded that twins may be double the work of a singleton, but they have a built in playmate and soul mate.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
Being parents to twins is extraordinary. The approach to parenting two children at the exact same age is very strategic. We are very laid back people, but we do live by scheduled naps, feeding times and bed time routines. We find peace in our schedule and I think the boys do too. It makes the day flow easier. Lucas stays home with the boys and has established a great routine with them. He takes DnA outside to play and on walks in the morning and then again in the late afternoon. It is perfect, because they all get to release some energy (super veggie power), get a bit of exercise and some good old vitamin D. He has them on a really nice nap schedule where they sleep around 2 hours (sometimes even 2.5 hours). </div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
Astral and Defy’s molars are really coming in and they are also getting (the same ones of course) 2 new teeth each in the bottom front. With their new teeth they will be able to eat more coarse textured foods. More organic and vegan fun feeding adventures are ahead. Recent additions to their diet have been:</div>
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
Raisins</div>
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
Apricots</div>
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
Peanut Butter</div>
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
Walnuts</div>
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
Collard Greens</div>
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
Garlic</div>
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
Onions</div>
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
Pure Maple Syrup</div>
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
Nori</div>
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
Lima Beans</div>
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
Navy Beans </div>
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
Kidney Beans</div>
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
Red Chili Beans </div>
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
Barley Flour</div>
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
One of their biggest and messiest new skills is spoon feeding. They are able to feed themselves with their baby spoons. Everything is happening so fast!</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
I love writing and I feel a sense of obligation to continue documenting the healthy existence of our vegan twins. All of the disinformation out there on vegan pregnancy and raising vegan children must be combated. When I peruse other “vegan” pregnancy blogs I am astonished by the number of people that think exploiting animals during their pregnancy is okay. Vegan pregnancy isn’t hard and neither is raising vegan children. Though I was hospitalized due to a shortening cervix, my pregnancy went extremely well especially for carrying identical twins that shared a placenta. Now our babies are almost 14 months old (next week) and are vibrantly healthy, happy and eat plants…yup PLANTS! Yes people babies can survive and thrive with no animal bodies, no animal secretions or other bodily functions (and no television either)!!!</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 16px/normal Times New Roman; margin: 0px;">
I wish I had more time to blog and expand my subjects and posts, but as you know time is limited. It won’t always be this way, but it is for now and we’re cherishing every moment of them needing us and wanting us. Hopefully in the future I can expand my blog and express all of the great ideas I have floating around in my vegan mommy brain…</div>
<br />
<div style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 13px/normal Arial; margin: 0px;">
</div>
</div>Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-56032876248498797502011-03-31T11:42:00.000-07:002015-10-19T23:55:19.150-07:00Hello World...<div align="center">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXiWyZDSXAP_W64sjCvKC40WPfQERZVUgVNbPOTFXD7nf48DXYc6OaqjwnKVucPix2J7PKtm91O0BWnRaYhnJmm3gFnwPOxd2egA5e_byaS5ETPP55AOHqnosZaODGuHgkCR-xaBFcE9q/s1600/dna5.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590317749889321858" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXiWyZDSXAP_W64sjCvKC40WPfQERZVUgVNbPOTFXD7nf48DXYc6OaqjwnKVucPix2J7PKtm91O0BWnRaYhnJmm3gFnwPOxd2egA5e_byaS5ETPP55AOHqnosZaODGuHgkCR-xaBFcE9q/s320/dna5.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> Our 4 Babies</div>
<br />
<div align="center">
Defy, Astral, Star and Sunny</div>
<br />
<div align="center">
</div>
<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfIda9SEalbvTyFYiIKsC7Lq3dPcofa-dxqGymOfVUp5nLr0nhRHryLEp0oxF48mayvcJfCluoDh2A4P-ZB4B_0rknyNc0XUCwPwMo26kp_PKOysysTg1ib32EWB3D1UZAxMKpIZek5Tp/s1600/cake.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590317616821995234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfIda9SEalbvTyFYiIKsC7Lq3dPcofa-dxqGymOfVUp5nLr0nhRHryLEp0oxF48mayvcJfCluoDh2A4P-ZB4B_0rknyNc0XUCwPwMo26kp_PKOysysTg1ib32EWB3D1UZAxMKpIZek5Tp/s320/cake.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivC1GQGxOTXE3K6OFqAW3EbRr4uOtTsxkFmlKbcF9HTynei8rKmWLEFWpWU9vlwDjHdFp4dzdinHCS7ejKIQfagz5WxQm8ubA_K0eAyDatJYv3SHqXYpTxJkZKrRtECYI26lFIFMPBsJLL/s1600/cake4.bmp"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590317610544022210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivC1GQGxOTXE3K6OFqAW3EbRr4uOtTsxkFmlKbcF9HTynei8rKmWLEFWpWU9vlwDjHdFp4dzdinHCS7ejKIQfagz5WxQm8ubA_K0eAyDatJYv3SHqXYpTxJkZKrRtECYI26lFIFMPBsJLL/s320/cake4.bmp" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PqS6zHEad6Af_a55KSQVdmBNkgkBPOn22qbZQVWhVtVDjnDzqZkwMAUsoGDHgmK_iDY0fZQZHUc6kgAdB-j14rYl7tA4y0iPyYOoquRrr9R9MPFZJtpGzoG3bLl5_uDxc33ix01cgU6k/s1600/cake5.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590317607493859330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PqS6zHEad6Af_a55KSQVdmBNkgkBPOn22qbZQVWhVtVDjnDzqZkwMAUsoGDHgmK_iDY0fZQZHUc6kgAdB-j14rYl7tA4y0iPyYOoquRrr9R9MPFZJtpGzoG3bLl5_uDxc33ix01cgU6k/s320/cake5.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pE8PmE9T3Rvyyk8Vnl5ATcqg0ndH06gFgtldh77QO4DS2mQfn0xAKjky87_3ryMbvFTP4mfaLD-NzjYH5_W3A4DTol1ncIB3-UpBv9wvourM8L2rnTAl3sDnrSdgxjASj8U-q_VmwvqY/s1600/cake6.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590317604069344290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pE8PmE9T3Rvyyk8Vnl5ATcqg0ndH06gFgtldh77QO4DS2mQfn0xAKjky87_3ryMbvFTP4mfaLD-NzjYH5_W3A4DTol1ncIB3-UpBv9wvourM8L2rnTAl3sDnrSdgxjASj8U-q_VmwvqY/s320/cake6.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> <br />
<div align="center">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3y_ZF5mFVj5jm6oj6dlap6Q-8DY-7CJrzH2MwIr4FoyAbqbKKZrFRbEhyM5EBKP6yy9n4C6IRsCP0Y7qJ_Evd3Ql_OnxFit3-R1qC0LmXKv_T9pGrvq_pI5uT2pGAUSurInigONmzUb1u/s1600/dna8.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590317307093668498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3y_ZF5mFVj5jm6oj6dlap6Q-8DY-7CJrzH2MwIr4FoyAbqbKKZrFRbEhyM5EBKP6yy9n4C6IRsCP0Y7qJ_Evd3Ql_OnxFit3-R1qC0LmXKv_T9pGrvq_pI5uT2pGAUSurInigONmzUb1u/s320/dna8.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> Blueberry Snack Time </div>
<br />
<div align="center">
</div>
<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqdDKprxMAbFg1rEuygBRBGmB_onedyrLwNHEgwvtnavKV7M0VPwk1OyY71Gjd3jIwFFDsIik8-VBF9vbNizLvVRtKNY4imDPutTLzCwDbB1sAcWf70cGKl_IEoWivfUOhLu6N4rehWtqP/s1600/dna3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590317300341268530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqdDKprxMAbFg1rEuygBRBGmB_onedyrLwNHEgwvtnavKV7M0VPwk1OyY71Gjd3jIwFFDsIik8-VBF9vbNizLvVRtKNY4imDPutTLzCwDbB1sAcWf70cGKl_IEoWivfUOhLu6N4rehWtqP/s320/dna3.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittlNPtYClze6hbWgXV6hR9l6NLYD0NSKRAFr-0u8BKN1RRlGhFm1CN0OQ2e6RGmG5c5_mH75m9xFCvLpsS2-hNVBo_BPN9hRZ10DftlT5SSIdZpZcgDz3ZnjwrA6IAh8rM8YZVwu1n7pI/s1600/dna2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590317295301331618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittlNPtYClze6hbWgXV6hR9l6NLYD0NSKRAFr-0u8BKN1RRlGhFm1CN0OQ2e6RGmG5c5_mH75m9xFCvLpsS2-hNVBo_BPN9hRZ10DftlT5SSIdZpZcgDz3ZnjwrA6IAh8rM8YZVwu1n7pI/s320/dna2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouF1OkeO7GxX-QowrYY1ZKBh9yHyCZBilnpOL4tQ_ah4nk7o9jTuTPCUQHONnBFwtjL7HHYBwKP_5MSc5s19L0ZIIZIjcd7SFchL9ZcKW-qGJT3n_wQ_-EZ4MQTppVGdS1zWERWZ_zbpE/s1600/dna7.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590317293594586722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouF1OkeO7GxX-QowrYY1ZKBh9yHyCZBilnpOL4tQ_ah4nk7o9jTuTPCUQHONnBFwtjL7HHYBwKP_5MSc5s19L0ZIIZIjcd7SFchL9ZcKW-qGJT3n_wQ_-EZ4MQTppVGdS1zWERWZ_zbpE/s320/dna7.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHiZk4jmnGJxiLgG165OALP0tjSzq1W0IDjcVhm6B2hSdwetiwvuaAQWKlHaVZCu3OYFSRCKH0IxYHprpQsuYER_SCDjLcfTb4jQh6LAKW-sYdRKIUTUZjUTOEsV219hbKoOc2DxjJOzm4/s1600/breakfast2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590317290216674274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHiZk4jmnGJxiLgG165OALP0tjSzq1W0IDjcVhm6B2hSdwetiwvuaAQWKlHaVZCu3OYFSRCKH0IxYHprpQsuYER_SCDjLcfTb4jQh6LAKW-sYdRKIUTUZjUTOEsV219hbKoOc2DxjJOzm4/s320/breakfast2.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFFNl8d5LKHYPgv2qWTyesIeDDj4PswqZsX4wewfOo6Jd36EsjWL0Fmzs6EzNET8WvI-dcK9_kyW8qRlds-KkzKZY9-vNuSyfk7BAOORrpsPi6IWFEuVnDa8_Ld2Tn_UQPGo8-7KnSUlb7/s1600/breakfast1.bmp"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590316979861273202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFFNl8d5LKHYPgv2qWTyesIeDDj4PswqZsX4wewfOo6Jd36EsjWL0Fmzs6EzNET8WvI-dcK9_kyW8qRlds-KkzKZY9-vNuSyfk7BAOORrpsPi6IWFEuVnDa8_Ld2Tn_UQPGo8-7KnSUlb7/s320/breakfast1.bmp" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> <br />
<div align="center">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmKZjRFQ-Pn_gl8C4fq9Mx9a_2fJUjWEMLEJ2Etjjz5Edwe8Y62O-YmIHeHFDmwI4yREPXGtPlFfGr9BFxHUJ2Wtafk9Bff04VJ9hmEGCAXZyWnQPN3PenIWEygssiaC7pdW1M_sza1fX/s1600/dna9.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590316974481375042" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmKZjRFQ-Pn_gl8C4fq9Mx9a_2fJUjWEMLEJ2Etjjz5Edwe8Y62O-YmIHeHFDmwI4yREPXGtPlFfGr9BFxHUJ2Wtafk9Bff04VJ9hmEGCAXZyWnQPN3PenIWEygssiaC7pdW1M_sza1fX/s320/dna9.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> Astral Defiance - 1 Year Old <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-YnPe2I_ieVSshI-FvZTXe0RkZ8TeIAPsJ0t16L4PH_UyoLKwY4i-Xhe0wu9AR-cx0rQoEivVyJv5lf9GvDEwg_9TSbmZ06WHHGPA6bmy3joOagTFT8FM9m3NRrQ7LYokE0CjFwEJnzX/s1600/dna9.jpg"></a><br />
<div align="center">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhYKtfQuhFW_hg8ogw1G_evYWnWjB4GNvGCAjLYU3-iRY8wkBvniP38VaKh8OLQVHVchAWVb-Qe2jMEAPa0lchSjyPqNbuJgKEw7EyihLt7rFRWKysNzPof3j7JvBtUufDD1ANqmS95IH/s1600/dna10.bmp"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590316969225527394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhYKtfQuhFW_hg8ogw1G_evYWnWjB4GNvGCAjLYU3-iRY8wkBvniP38VaKh8OLQVHVchAWVb-Qe2jMEAPa0lchSjyPqNbuJgKEw7EyihLt7rFRWKysNzPof3j7JvBtUufDD1ANqmS95IH/s320/dna10.bmp" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> Defy Aster - 1 Year Old </div>
<br />
<div align="center">
</div>
<br />
<div align="center">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2CMjwHrZdB6hVXEVMAvdHFjPkNv1lJT461isMS-OfdbpQk2k25jQLn45oUZiVw4yk-abldH03xtm1ZBT4W7C7RHYow3w4uWAs0qxh9wN3mAu4inHVta0zATsSpijQ4dUX77PDmT6aZVXR/s1600/dna11.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590316966441555778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2CMjwHrZdB6hVXEVMAvdHFjPkNv1lJT461isMS-OfdbpQk2k25jQLn45oUZiVw4yk-abldH03xtm1ZBT4W7C7RHYow3w4uWAs0qxh9wN3mAu4inHVta0zATsSpijQ4dUX77PDmT6aZVXR/s320/dna11.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 291px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a> 12 month old photos </div>
<br />
<div align="center">
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
We have toddlers! Two toddlers!! Two healthy beautiful VEGAN toddlers!!! Their immense love of discovery and learning has rejuvenated our fascination with the world and life. Everything is new and amazing to them and getting down on the ground and viewing the world from their level is such a truly inspiring second chance at the most wonderful thing about childhood; ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES. <br />
<br />
Astral and Defy turned 1 on March 3rd. We aren’t traditional people. We will never be traditional people. For some traditions like birthday and “holidays” we will do our own version of what we feel is important on those days. At other times will we just act like that “holiday” or whatever doesn’t exist, because honestly it doesn’t for us. But hey, birthdays are GREAT in many ways, they celebrate your birth and there is nothing wrong with that. We do find problems with the commercial aspect of birthdays and other holidays, but as the boys grow older we will teach them that on your birthday you should also spend time helping others and giving of yourself and that is the best gift! <br />
<br />
We didn’t have a traditional birthday party for the boys on their actual birthday, but the following weekend my parents threw them a birthday celebration when Lucas’ parents flew in from IL. It was a double set of grandparents extravaganza! We wouldn’t have picked the gender specific decorations or any of the character specific balloons (sometimes grandmothers forget on purpose), but the boys won’t remember any of that stuff. The most important part was both sides of the family coming together to celebrate the birth of these two amazingly bright little boys. <br />
<br />
We are abhorred by many because we did not let Astral and Defy tuck into neon frosted, artificially colored, sugar infested pieces of cake. That may have made a cute photo op, but we are not ruining the palate of our 1 year olds for the sake of a photo. These boys eat the best food and are so vibrant and healthy, so I just went with that and made these sweet little fruit face cakes. They were cakes made of all organic fruit: pineapple, mango, blueberries, kiwis, strawberries and raspberries. The boys each enthusiastically ate their entire fruit cake piece by piece (except the pineapple, because it wasn’t ripe enough). They didn’t know the difference and certainly didn’t feel like they were missing out on anything, BECAUSE they weren’t. Only the best for our guys… <br />
<br />
The boys are little vegan eating machines. We’ve introduced a bunch of new vegan and organic foods that are listed below. The pediatrician still recommends spacing introductions and holding off on nuts and nut milks. Feeding them is super fun and we love making random mixtures of healthy foods for them. Watching them eat is so special, messy but special nonetheless. Each bite receives such great expression (sometimes good, sometimes bad), their eyes sometimes describe what their little taste buds must be experiencing. They’re still picky and for instance one day will love oven roasted seasoned potatoes with olive oil and then the next day they will chew them up and spit them out in disgust on the floor or try to feed them to the doggies. You just never know, so we just move on, but try again at a later date when they’ll most likely be into that particular food again. <br />
<br />
New Foods: <br />
<br />
Coconut Milk <br />
<br />
Soy Milk <br />
<br />
Tempeh <br />
<br />
Raspberries <br />
<br />
Kiwi <br />
<br />
Sprouted Grain Bread <br />
<br />
Whole Wheat Seed Bread <br />
<br />
Whole Wheat Tortilla <br />
<br />
Durum Wheat Semolina Pasta <br />
<br />
Quinoa Pasta<br />
<br />
Coconut Butter <br />
<br />
Spinach <br />
<br />
Seasonings/Spices <br />
<br />
Kelp <br />
<br />
Olive Oil <br />
<br />
Orange Juice (only oranges) <br />
<br />
Apple Juice (only apples) <br />
<br />
Oat Milk <br />
<br />
Blueberry Jam <br />
<br />
I was reading about identical and fraternal twins and found out that identical twins usually follow right behind the other with milestones and progress at the same speed, while fraternal twins have similarities that are merely comparable to siblings born at different times and tend to have milestones at significantly different times. It is really interesting because from their teeth, to crawling, to walking and to talking these boys have done everything just days after the other. Even their hair grows at the same speed. They sometimes sleep in the same exact position and then move to adjust positions at the same exact time as well. While they don’t look exactly alike their mannerisms and physical characteristics are shockingly identical. <br />
<br />
The boys are getting some of their back molars and their gums have been so swollen lately. Last week for this first time since they were born Defy was inconsolable one night because of the teething. I tried everything and nothing worked, he eventually cried himself to sleep in my arms, it was just awful. I hope not to experience this with Astral or Defy ever again. Talk about heart breaking… <br />
<br />
At their 1 year well baby check up Astral weighed 24 lbs 4 oz and Defy weighed 23 lbs 12 oz. They are both in the 75th to 90th percentile for height and weight. Everything was perfect. Astral still has the hemangioma on the back of his neck, but it hasn’t gotten any bigger which hopefully means it will begin involution if it already hasn’t. Their next appointment isn’t until they are 15th months. <br />
<br />
DnA are really intrigued with books right now. They destroy these board books we get them in no time, they are really rough on them and love breaking the bindings. Though most of their time is spent figuring out the quickest way to destroy these “toddler proof” books they do spend a lot of time looking and pointing at the pictures and "reading" them while they are turned upside down. They have also started coloring with these great non-toxic vegan friendly crayons we found and they are getting pretty good at it. At first they didn’t really get the concept of crayon to paper but now they’re becoming pros. We still have to remind them constantly that the crayons are for drawing and coloring and not for eating. <br />
<br />
The boys have learned even more body parts and objects around the house. They are mimicking us and one another. Astral and Defy have watched Lucas every morning open up blinds around the house. As he opens them he looks out the window and animatedly greets the day with “HELLO WORLD”, the boys just love it, so now they both say it ("hehwo wohd")! Astral started saying it first and then a week later Defy started saying it. It is absolutely the sweetest and cutest thing ever! Just hearing the sound of their little voice is just heart melting. They are ready for major exploration this spring and to start making their mark on this wohd… Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4259351659022454735.post-70217175866656704292011-02-24T13:39:00.000-08:002011-02-25T08:21:22.557-08:00The Last Week of Infancy...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiru6MTHPISVn2yvQgzI2lEFWcSX3e-RrnvQM91fA4B_pU2X0cydWM6JPRwvZj9EzIk_1gRHs0MaX0SGmsdtttZi9ytTB4L8dx23buq4Qt8g_IWHylXJcdeSDUUt7gYNc9ekcdwkSFmw74E/s1600/Astral666.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577378944520927762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiru6MTHPISVn2yvQgzI2lEFWcSX3e-RrnvQM91fA4B_pU2X0cydWM6JPRwvZj9EzIk_1gRHs0MaX0SGmsdtttZi9ytTB4L8dx23buq4Qt8g_IWHylXJcdeSDUUt7gYNc9ekcdwkSFmw74E/s320/Astral666.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnwfR-pa26SJgTFoN7TicoIonSEt9uiEt_L5ngYZNT_mQD2DMvHjkLByHOtZg4wDncEgMTlGfhp0WW09PNavgYzEPRVZNJMx3mKgncFdpTFvfJFyOY6QpARo4KFLAITH124Rnr0Z_qhxS/s1600/astral555.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577378474155133650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnwfR-pa26SJgTFoN7TicoIonSEt9uiEt_L5ngYZNT_mQD2DMvHjkLByHOtZg4wDncEgMTlGfhp0WW09PNavgYzEPRVZNJMx3mKgncFdpTFvfJFyOY6QpARo4KFLAITH124Rnr0Z_qhxS/s320/astral555.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGahoGxNEvEunyNE0t3TxiU9la8FeBcHeWXvqD5RYe9BWXTfdeZ-v5WBC4JPrNYyh74uX03DalPvh341raTPVNzARh52CH7GuC0EGG9HKpa_JM3w7OTTDeO4lnTOsncocyf8cDWPlq93AU/s1600/astral111.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577378471558648098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGahoGxNEvEunyNE0t3TxiU9la8FeBcHeWXvqD5RYe9BWXTfdeZ-v5WBC4JPrNYyh74uX03DalPvh341raTPVNzARh52CH7GuC0EGG9HKpa_JM3w7OTTDeO4lnTOsncocyf8cDWPlq93AU/s320/astral111.jpg" /></a> Astral </div><div align="center"><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEsGSrHZkLY7vfBYu03yECLbPDCoDNHxxmLnlj9nAH_21mdTRUSZ2xyfoA8Mk-q-WBzag_b-oferMB1v_7mo2z6IKkcO6UwHejKPL9dHU3_OsFzMZw0umYHP4eOVG-UImWqrSAYULJlan/s1600/astral333.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577378463901213346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEsGSrHZkLY7vfBYu03yECLbPDCoDNHxxmLnlj9nAH_21mdTRUSZ2xyfoA8Mk-q-WBzag_b-oferMB1v_7mo2z6IKkcO6UwHejKPL9dHU3_OsFzMZw0umYHP4eOVG-UImWqrSAYULJlan/s320/astral333.jpg" /></a>Defy<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53JiK6Z8U1i1LxBw6On3ihyphenhyphenCutiK26-rBIox393I2aKbUeqg1T4MzalMEvph5hI-QIuwrU23YZ4EF8aexLzQ6a_txK3GKYSq9FGAuLaNV3rsQoBkEfML14kzdxbIHKHyo8mvE-d6fHbFc/s1600/astral222.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577378460340008802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53JiK6Z8U1i1LxBw6On3ihyphenhyphenCutiK26-rBIox393I2aKbUeqg1T4MzalMEvph5hI-QIuwrU23YZ4EF8aexLzQ6a_txK3GKYSq9FGAuLaNV3rsQoBkEfML14kzdxbIHKHyo8mvE-d6fHbFc/s320/astral222.JPG" /></a>49 weeks<br /><br /><div align="left"><br />The boys have entered their last week of infancy! They are 51 weeks and in one week they will be one year olds! My sweet little munchkins…<br /><br />They are rapidly progressing and doing so many new things and perfecting things they’ve been doing for a while. They are responding to simple requests very well and will point to many different body parts when asked. It seems like every day I come home from the office Luke has taught them a new body part to point to. They both say mama and dada but Astral is now saying “bye-bye” while waving!! When daddy counts from one to five and gets to four, Defy holds up four fingers. They also can open doors with great ease (ugh). I think my absolute favorite thing they do is blow kisses!!!!! Such smart little guys…<br /><br />Astral and Defy love to climb and have us living in constant fear that they’ll fall and hit their heads. Watching them climb up on the couch is absolutely horrifying at times, but so far so good. At times I wish we had carpet downstairs instead of hardwood. We retired “the cage”, or the large play pen and the soft baby mat. This thing was a great while they learned to crawl and walk and were always falling. It also helped us keep both of them entertained in one safe place. Many parents of multiples have the same set up. Those carefree days are long gone. Defy started climbing over the gate and we knew it was time for it to go. He is the expert climber and if it can be climbed he will climb it. DANGER!!! We now use the “cage” as a “fence”…<br /><br />These boys are VERY strong and will do pull ups on different pieces of furniture. We watch in awe as their feet dangle while they support all their body weight with their arms. I’m not sure if babies are supposed to have this kind of upper body strength, but Astral and Defy definitely do.<br /><br />We are still co-sleeping in the family bed…all six of us.<br /><br />DnA are feeding themselves quite well and eat a variety of organic, healthy foods. They love all the random mixtures we make for them. Daddy will throw lentils, strawberries, ground flax seed, kale and mushrooms into the blender with some amaranth and they’ll eat every bite. When they turn a year we’ll start using the juicer that grandma bought for them to make nutritious juices every morning. As they enter their 2nd year of life we know that they will be getting most of their nutrition from solids so we are very excited to come up with fun vegan meal plans for them. We will soon introduce plant milk, though I plan on nursing for at least 6 more months.<br /><br />Astral and Defy’s most recent additions to their diet:<br /><br />Puffed Kamut<br /><br />Whole Wheat Pasta<br /><br />Puffed Corn Cereal<br /><br />Sunflower Seed Butter<br /><br />Bok Choy<br /><br />Edamame<br /><br />Broccoli<br /><br />The weather is getting nicer and daddy and the boys are getting to enjoy the outdoors a bit more. We all can’t wait until spring has settled in and they can enjoy outdoor playtime every day! They are two tiny walkers with a ton of energy.<br /><br />This year has flown by and we are excited to enter a whole new realm of vegan parenting. I love that our little guys are growing up, but sometimes I’d like to keep them all little, sweet and perfect for myself. Right now I am the center of their universe and completely flawless in their eyes. (Lucas finds it amusing that I wrote that since he is the stay at home parent, but he doesn’t have boobies so I remain the center of their universe!) I know this will not be the case one day, but I’m cherishing it while I can. They will always be my beautiful babies that I carried for 37 weeks and three days, that I laid in the hospital on bed rest for nine weeks with and that I dreamt of my whole entire life.<br /><br />Love had a new meaning once Astral and Defy entered our world! We hope that we will bring them as much joy as they bring us… </div></div></div></div></div>Our Vegan Pregnancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01916261232889989391noreply@blogger.com0