Thursday, October 13, 2011

Happy International Babywearing week!!


Its Babywearing Week!! People are always asking me about my baby carriers, I have an Ergo baby carrier and a Moby wrap. Both of them still get used a ton, even at 13 months! I'm going to post some information about Babywearing from the Babywearing International website. My hope is that more people become aware of how important holding your baby is. They are only little once and I promise, you will never, ever, ever regret the amount of time you spend holding and carrying your baby....
From Babywearinginternatinal.org..                                  






Benefits of Babywearing

"Medical professionals agree that infants thrive through touch; “wearing” your baby is another way to meet this need. But the benefits of babywearing don’t end there … babywearing offers many other advantages, some of which include:

 Happy Babies. It’s true … carried babies cry less! In a study published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers found that babywearing for three hours a day reduced infant crying by 43 percent overall and 54 percent during evening hours. (1)
 Healthy Babies. Premature babies and babies with special needs often enter the world with fragile nervous systems. When a baby rides in a sling attached to his mother, he is in tune with the rhythm of her breathing, the sound of her heartbeat, and the movements his mother makes—walking, bending, and reaching. This stimulation helps him to regulate his own physical responses. Research has even shown that premature babies who are touched and held gain weight faster and are healthier than babies who are not. (2)
 Confident Parents. A large part of feeling confident as a parent is the ability to read our babies’ cues successfully. Holding our babies close in a sling allows us to become finely attuned to their movements, gestures, and facial expressions. Every time a baby is able to let us know that she is hungry, bored, or wet without having to cry, her trust in us is increased, her learning is enhanced, and our own confidence is reinforced. This cycle of positive interaction deepens the mutual attachment between parent and child, and is especially beneficial for mothers who are at risk for or suffering from postpartum depression. (3) (4)
 Loving Caregivers. Baby carriers are a great bonding tool for fathers, grandparents, adoptive parents, babysitters, and other caregivers. Imagine a new father going for a walk with his baby in a sling. The baby isbecoming used to his voice, heartbeat, movements, and facial expressions, and the two are forging a strong attachment of their own. Baby carriers are beneficial for every adult in a baby’s life. Cuddling up close in the sling is a wonderful way to get to know the baby in your life, and for the baby to get to know you!
•Comfort and Convenience. With the help of a good carrier, you can take care of older children or do chores without frequent interruptions from an anxious or distressed infant—which helps to reduce sibling rivalry. Baby carriers are also wonderful to use with older babies and toddlers; you can save those arms and go where strollers can’t. Climbing stairs, hiking, and navigating crowded airports all can be done with ease when you use a well-designed baby carrier!"

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Fuzzibunz!

As a cloth diaper addict, I had to grab up the new Spearmint and Black colors by Fuzzibunz. Holy size difference!! I was debating getting him the size large, but I'm super glad I went with the Mediums, I can't imagine him ever needing the larger size! 





Sunday, September 11, 2011

Chicken and gnocchi soup



2 cups rotisserie chicken thigh meat 4 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons flour
1 quart half and half
2 14 ounces can of chicken broth
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
2 minced garlic cloves
1 cup carrots, finely shredded
1 cup onion, finely diced
1-2 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon parsley
Salt
Pepper
Grated Romano cheese
1 pound potato gnocchi

Saute the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent. Add the flour and make a roux. Let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 1 quart of half and half.
Cook gnocchi according to package directions.
Into the roux, add in the carrots and chicken. Once the mixture becomes thick, add the chicken broth. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasoning;, simmer until soup is heated through.


Monday, August 8, 2011

How we change as Parents...


My oldest turned 7 last weekend. When I think about Haley's infancy I think about all the books I read and the (although misguided) pressure I felt to "get it right" as a new Mommy. I religiously listened to the advice from my Mother-in-law, Mother, Grandmother-in-law, neighbors, random strangers, Doctor's and Nurses and did everything they told me to do (NOT saying don't ever listen to Doctor's or Nurses, but also follow your own instincts). I can't remember all the advice I was given, but some include;
"Put the baby on a nursing schedule"
"Do not feed her more than once every 3 hours"(Didn't happen)
"Do not let her nurse for comfort" (I still did)
"Use formula when you're out, don't breast-feed in public"
"Never put her in bed with you"(Didn't happen)
"SUPPLEMENT"
"Cry it out"
"Start solids now"
"Wait to start solids"
"You need to sleep train her, or she'll be spoiled"
"Don't carry her around, she'll get spoiled"
"Don't run to her every time she cries, she'll be spoiled"
"Put her to sleep, on her back, in her own room, or she'll be spoiled"
 people seemed to always be worried I was going to spoil my baby girl. What's a new Mommy to  do? I tried,  I really did, to be the Mom I thought I was suppose to be, but something just didn't feel right. I always felt like I was failing every time someone told me to do something differently.
It took me almost a year to realize that parenting isn’t about being right or wrong, it’s about constantly learning and discovering what works for you as a family, even if it's different from what everyone else does. My parenting has changed a lot in 7 years. When it came to our second daughter, I still heeded the advice I was given, but followed my instincts more. With this baby I am confidently parenting the way I want to parent and I know it's what's right for our family and best for my kids. Now...
~We cloth diaper. It's just the better choice for us all around.
~I wear my baby, when we are home or out and about, he can nap, feel secure, and hang out with me while I clean or cook...I don't believe you can spoil a baby.
~We co-sleep. We ended up co-sleeping with Haley and Lindsey too, but I never told anyone, because "Babies are suppose to sleep in cribs". Now I believe my baby is suppose to sleep near me, able to breast feed  and cuddle easily.
~I BREAST FEED in PUBLIC (gasp!) Rusty has never received formula and i've never been hunched in a dirty bathroom stall or sitting in a hot car nursing my baby. He nurses in the Ergo or under a cover, usually no one even notices he is nursing.
~Rusty did not have solids early on and we practice baby led weaning.
~I'm not self-conscious about my parenting anymore. I do not compare myself to other Mothers and I don't compare my kids to other kids. I've never asked what percentile someone else's baby is and honestly, I'm not sure what percentile Rusty is in right now.
I'm sure there are other things we have tweaked and do differently now. We are still learning and evolving as parents as well and that's OK.
All in all, I feel like I am a better Mother, because I'm more relaxed and confident. My kids are all well adjusted, smart, happy little beings.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

First cloth diaper

I had no idea people even cloth diapered anymore, until my Dad suggested it when I was pregnant with my 3rd baby, and to be honest, I thought he was insane. Until after the 4th time he mentioned it and I did a Google search on cloth diapers. Holy crap!!! There is a whole big world of cloth diapering Mama's out there and tons upon tons of options. I started my "stash" of cloth diapers with 24 newborn green mountain pre-folds and 6 Thirsties covers.



After a few weeks I got my first Fab-fitteds. I was hooked. I couldn't believe how easy cloth diapering was. 

At about 3 months, he out-grew the covers we had, so I ordered our first pockets. I got 6 Thirsties Duo Diapers, but frankly, I wasn't all that impressed with them. I turned to Fuzzibunz and ordered a bunch of their one-size diapers and a few perfect size. 

Uh! LOVE! I'm a Fuzzibunz addict, they should make a support group. If there is a new color I have to have it. It's  a problem. I have added to our stash over the last several months...2 Flip covers, 6 inserts, a few BumGenius 4.0's, 6 Dinkledooz, and a mix of others. In all seriousness, I love cloth diapering. I try to show them off without saying to every person I meet "Hey! Have you heard about modern cloth?!!". My husband often makes fun of me for putting two cloth diapers on top of my purse in the grocery store in hopes someone will notice (and they do every time:)).