Our "Raw" Truth

The past couple of weeks have been a roller coster of emotions for me, as I have been debating on this Raw Milk thing. It's crazy, how decisions, beliefs, and concepts are put to the test when you have your own children. You think you have your mind made up and then... it's your own children at stake and suddenly you are rethinking EVERYTHING. When will my head stop spinning and is this normal? I hope that it's normal and common, for new parents, if it isn't, there are much bigger problems than rather or not to go Raw, or Pasteurized.

Goat Milk that is.

My girls were born very early and for those of you that don't know, the digestive system is one of the last things to fully develop. Long story short- they have been spitting up their entire life. I am not talking a little spit here and there, but massive amounts on a daily basis. Somedays are better than others, but nonetheless, our rugs and carpet are ruined.

I have taken them to the doctor about his issue, a few times, to hear nothing but "They are just spitting babies." Of course, they want to put them on Acid Reflux medicine and if you know me, you probably know it would be a cold day in h*ll, before I would knowingly and willingly place toxic chemicals/heavy metals into my infants. Especially, when they are thriving, aside from the spitting. Aside from meds, we tried many formula's (except soy- not a believer in soy as a healthy alternative) and nothing worked.

I had heard of infants being given raw goat milk, but to be honest, I was a little skeptical. I consider myself pretty informed, when it comes to nutrition and such, but I had never looked into raw milk. So, what did I do? Well, I was sick of seeing my babies puke all the time and worried that they may/may not be getting the nutrition they need for brain development/physical development (not that formula and the gross stuff they are made of is that nutritious anyway... but I didn't know of a better option), so I did what I always do and researched the heck out of it.

I learned the in's and out's of raw milk properties and how to get the good stuff. It basically comes down to what the goat's/cow's are fed (grass, leaves, weeds, and NO GMO's) , how the farmers do their jobs, packaging/handling, and most importantly- as close to organic as you can get.

In my research, I learned that raw goat milk is the next best thing to human milk, when it comes to digestion (20 mins to digest!)  and nutrition. I also learned that you have to add a few things to the raw milk, to make it comparable to the nutrition of breast milk/formula, for the first year.

Great recipe for raw goat milk formula:

https://to.www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/319-recipes-for-homemade-baby-formula.html#vgmf



Here are some GREAT links on raw milk/ where to find it and what to look for when choosing your farm:
http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/
http://www.roseofsharonacres.com/raw_goat_milk_benefits (scroll down on this page to the chart that compares breast milk to goat milk, awesome!)

Where can you find raw milk? This website will tell you where to find it in your area, but ALWAYS research the farm/supplier for yourself.

http://www.realmilk.com/where2.html




Careful not to be mislead by uninformed people. Raw milk can be REALLY bad news, as with any pasteurized milk product. You can get very sick from raw milk, if the cow/goat is carrying an illness or bad bacteria that is not treated or acknowledged. With that said, cow's and goat's are not made to carry these illnesses, actually, their body's are made to NOT carry them. Learn and understand how/when the mass production of food/dairy created sick animals, therefore sick people.


Needless to say, the twins are thriving on raw goat milk. They are spitting up very little, almost not at all. It has made our life with them, so much more enjoyable.

As with anything I research, I never take anybody's word- I learn the facts myself. So, don't take my word for it either:) This blog is for informational and recreational purposes only;)

Yet again, listening to my gut feeling, questioning the doctors, researching the facts, and continuing to follow my own truth, has lead my family to a place of peace and wellness. I hope you too can enjoy the benefits of feeding your family, one of the most nutritional and healing foods on Earth. Raw Milk. 

"Mom! She took my face!"

Some fun facts about Monozygotic twins, A.K.A. Identical twins:


-The term "identical" does not describe how the twins look, but how they form in the womb. This is why they often don't look exactly alike.


-Identical twins have the exact same DNA, but their fingerprints are different!


-Because identical twining is caused by a single egg splitting, it is considered a "malfunction" of the reproductive process. Pretty darn cute malfunction!


-Identical twins are not hereditary. Although, we have 6 known sets of identical twins in our family's... all girls on my side... hmmmmm.


-Identical twinning is not usually the result of fertility enhanced drugs or in vitro. Therefore, the birth rate of identical twins has remained the same over the years, all over the world, despite race, or maternal age.


- The odds of having "natural" identical twins is about 3 in 1,000, whereas the odds of all twinning is about 32 in 1,000. 


Needless to say, we feel very blessed to have these two! Eight months have passed and I still have to do a double take, when I see these little babies rolling around on the floor.


The most common question lately is "Are their personalities similar?". Well, you would think that would be the case, as they have the exact same genetic make-up, but I would have to say "Nope. Not this week!".


Miss Everlynn is a little character. At about 21 pounds now, she is all smiles, belly laughs, and noises we could never mimic. When it's time to eat, she has little patience, but is constantly distracted and plays with her food (yes, she was the one in the video eating the avocado and doing the hand jive). She is a pro at the "Army crawl", rolling, and scootin' everywhere. She is on all fours, rocking away... God help us! Her tongue is the craziest thing I have ever seen. I swear she doesn't stop moving, rolling, and folding that thing!

Everlynn little buddy, the Robot from Mama's and Papa's! 

Our little Vivian may be the same weight as her sister, but is pretty much the opposite when it comes to personality! Don't get me wrong- she is ALL smiles and silly expressions, but we don't hear as much from her. We call them "silent smiles". I sometimes wonder, if she hears Ever and thinks it's herself making the noises. She is a little more serious, her voice is a higher pitch (sweeter sounding), and she is much more patient at meal time. Overall, a little more emotional and maybe a bit more sensitive:) She chooses to hang out and watch her sister do all the scootin'. She is in no hurry and that is FINE by us:)

Vivian loves her Mama's and Papa's stuffed duck! 

We are loving are solid feedings this month, as we have moved on to our proteins. I am still making the twins food from scratch and continuing to use all organic. I am not afraid of food allergies, as I have studied them and learned that they either have them... or they don't. So, I won't be waiting to introduce fish, eggs, nuts, etc.


Some of their new favorite "num num" include:
- brown rice, chicken, and apple
- Cod with carrots and broccoli
- mild pot roast with potatoes and carrots
-Apple, banana, and mango puree

Tonight, they gummed on rice cakes and celery, while Kyle and I enjoyed the first half of the Super Bowl... or should I say "The Big Game";) at Buffalo Wild Wings. They were little angels at the restaurant, sitting in the big girl high chairs!


I have also starting supplementing with Fish Oil, Vitamin C, D, and Probiotics. I put these in their meals and/or bottles throughout the day. I am supplementing to support their immune systems, since I am no longer breast feeding:( and of course, the Omega's for brain development.

We are dedicated to helping the girls find their own identity and individuality, although it's interesting with identical twins, because you're able to compare certain habits that you would not compare, with fraternal twins. Lately, we have been observing their sleep habits, as we separated them into different rooms. The crazy thing is, they are still waking up at the exact same time during naps. For instance, one will sleep 25 minutes and the next thing you know, the other is waking up in the other room at the same moment. If one naps for 45 minutes, the other does too. We use white noise, so it's not possible for them to hear the other in another room. Granted, I have them on the same sleep schedule, the duration of the nap cannot be controlled.


I guess they really are naturally "tuned in" with each other... at least with their naps:) I'll take that! More quiet time for mama and "Dada"( that's Ever's new word:)


What I know for sure this month- this twin thing isn't, "Going to get easier." At this point, Kyle is baby proofing on the weekends and we are nervous for these two becoming mobile! Thankfully, the girls are still virgins to a cold, flu, or ear infection. They are sleeping 12 beautiful, uninterrupted hours! We are pretty well rested these days and with SLEEP, anything is possible... including 3 play dates a week, as I joined 5 mommy groups! Thoughts of summer are hard to avoid...  itty bitty baby bikini's and floppy hats by the pool... MARGARITAS and more margaritas! Salt please. A girl can dream...