NATURAL REMEDY: FOR A COUGH

It's been a sad week at our house. Rosemary caught the flu, which then turned into the croup. Her coughing, coughing, coughing was unbearable. I held her for hours in the middle of the night, listening to her shuddering breaths and counting the minutes between another gasping, coughing attack. There was usually only about two to five minutes of rest before another one hit. She was awake, literally, for days on end because she could not fall asleep. My poor, poor baby.

Of course, after being coughed on for days and days, Timmy and I caught the same flu. So we have all been coughing ourselves silly. Not much can truly help an awful cough. But we did find something soothing, and I'm sharing it with you - in case you find yourself awake at midnight in a similarly unfortunate situation. 

 
Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Once boiling, add one generous tablespoon of oregano, thyme, and sage. Stir in and let steep for 2-3 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

FOR ADULTS:

Pour the hot liquid into a large bowl. Put a towel over your head and the bowl and inhale deeply. Try to keep it up for about ten minutes.

FOR BABIES:

This requires two adults. Pour the hot liquid into a large bowl. Put the bowl on the floor. Have one adult hold the baby in their lap, being very (VERY!) careful not to let the baby touch the boiling hot water. Have the other adult hold a large blanket over their heads and the bowl, making a "tent". All the steam will stay under the blanket. The baby will probably cry (mine sure did) but that's actually good because that makes them inhale more deeply. Try to keep them under for about ten minutes. The longer the better.

These herbs are antibacterial and antiviral and will immediately start working to clear up the cold in your throat and lungs. Cold viruses are sensitive to heat and the warm air will help to loosen congestion. We did this every night and saw a definite difference.

WILD ONES.

 When I met Timmy, he was wild. Marvelously so. He dreamed of climbing mountains and jumping off cliffs. He was loud and intense and passionate and unstoppable. I said "Oh no! Please don't climb that!" and I said "That's dangerous!" and I said "You're going to hurt yourself!" many, many times. 

When I look into my daughter's eyes, I see Timmy. She is wild. Beautifully so. She dreams of climbing the piano and jumping off chairs. She is loud and dramatic and passionate and stubborn. I say "Don't climb that!" and I say "That's danger!" and I say "You're going to get hurt." many, many times.

They still climb. And when one obstacle is conquered, they look ever higher to the next. And the next. When they are together all I hear is squeals and screams and giggling. 

And tears, of course, because I'm usually right with my admonitions.

But even still, I'm glad that our daughter was born with the heart of her father. She is brave and she is sweet and she is mine.

THE PROGRESSION OF A SMILE.

What makes Rosemary smile?

Daddy.

This song.

Bathtime.

Puppies.

Books.

Tickles.

Movies of herself.

Mirrors.

Coconut milk.

ROSEMARY: 16 MONTHS

weight // 20 pounds

height // 29.5 inches

wearing // 12 month size clothes

saying // mama, dada, guh (grandpa), uh-oh, dut (duck)

she can also roar like a lion, moo like a cow, woof like a puppy, and scrunch her nose like a bunny. Tim plans to teach her to "scream like an eagle" next…

 tricks // she knows where her nose, eyes, ears, tongue and belly button are. she also dances, waves, and blows kisses. she will pretty much mimic anything we say or do.

eating // her favorite foods are applesauce and sweet potatoes, we are also still nursing several times a day 

sleeping // rose takes one daytime nap from 11-2 every day. her bedtime is at 8. she will typically sleep until 6 or 7 the next morning, but does wake up a couple times in between. when she does wake up, a good back scratch is all she needs to fall back asleep.

playing // she loves books, tents, stuffed animals, and boxes. she screams with sheer joy whenever we go outside, and her absolute favorite activity is to dance around the living room naked. she likes to play peek-a-boo in the living room curtains. she LOVES to put on my shoes and shuffle around the house in them.

teething // she has ten teeth and is currently getting three molars and an eye tooth. which means we are currently getting not much sleep.


potty training // we are working on potty training and hope to have her completely trained by 18 months. 

This girl. She makes every day an adventure.