Babywearing

I just love the feeling you get when wearing your bub. Having them all cozy and next to you, while at the same time being all hands free and accomplishing. During Levi's first year I regularly "wore" him when he was having an especially sensitive or restless day. He would fall asleep while I carried him about accomplishing laundry and house cleaning tasks.

We currently own three different means of carrying a baby.

Our most used has been the Ergo. It is quick, comfortable, convenient and our first son loved it. He slept like a dream in it, and always seemed incredibly happy while being carried.
Our one issue with it, came when we spent a month in Italy while our boy was in his eleventh month of life. We found that he was at a stage where he was highly curious and loved checking everything out. Unfortunately the Ergo does not allow the infant to face out, and when carrying the child on your back they don't sit quite high enough to get a good view of his or her surroundings.



Despite this, it is a fantastic little carrier for travel. It has a little zippered pocket in the front to hold a wallet, keys, pacifier etc. There are also little tabs which you can easily attach a small toy to. We used the infant insert in the beginning and loved it as well once we got used to it, and figured out how to comfortably set it in the carrier.


It just maximizes how much use you get out of this carrier. I noticed on their website they have updated the insert and it appears to be much more user-friendly. There is a hood which pulls out and over your babes head for sun protection, or just to create a more sleep friendly environment.

The second carrier I use regularly is the Stretchy Wrap by MamaKangarou.
It fits comfortably, babies dig it, but it is a bit of a hassle when you are standing next to the car trying to tie it around yourself, ends hanging in the slush, rain, dirt, or whatever. It's fantastic just leaving from home for a walk, but can be inconvenient when already out and about. This carrier feels like it provides your baby with such comfortable support, and it feels incredibly cosy for the wearer as well - bonus!

I just received the Little Star sling in the post and I LOVE it! I'm a huge fan of the fact that it is Made in Canada - New Brunswick - and I can order one without worrying about the surprise sum of customs and duty. It is convenient, folds up small to fit in your nappy bag, and is usable with your child of up to 35 pounds. Watch what size you buy, because they fit quite small. The company suggests going by your t-shirt size for a woman, and one size above your t-shirt size for a man.

This time around I intend to become an expert at nursing while carrying my little one. Had my first go today with very low success, actually let's call it what it was - a disaster. I attempted at being subtle, and it did not go well. Practise makes perfect though yes?...

Borax Conundrum

A friend's FB page brought this link to my attention regarding the Environmental Working Group's new stance on Borax.

I had really only just begun to make proper cleaning recipes using Borax. In the past my cleaning artillery consisted merely of baking soda, soap, lemon juice, tea tree oil, vinegar, and of course hardcore elbow grease, in various ways to get my house clean. With babies in my home now I felt I needed to get a little more serious and step things up a bit, so have been more regimented about making up more thorough cleaning products which include Borax and Washing Soda.

The idea that these products may not be quite so friendly for our environment throws a bit of a monkey wrench into my cleaning... Looks like I may be reverting back to my pre-borax cleaning ways!

Poking around just now led me to an article posted in February of this year by Mother Earth News which states some additional negative factors surrounding Borax, and lists a couple of alternatives.

*All in all, I believe borax and washing soda to still be better alternatives to commercial cleaners, but if a healthier and safer option is out there then why not choose that?

Blueberry-Apple Crisp

I've had some major sweet cravings lately, but too tired to make anything complicated. This recipe is super easy, and I was able to sit down while I made most of it - a definite plus!

I didn't get around to photographing it until I was just about ready for a bite! :)



Blueberry-Apple Crisp
4 cups sliced, pared apple
1.5 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
3 Tbsp Flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice

-Combine flour & sugar. Mix together with fruit and arrange in 8x8x2 square baking dish. Drizzle lemon juice over top.

Topping:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oats

-Mix all together and sprinkle evenly over top

BAKE 375 degrees F for 30 minutes
*Serve with Vanilla Ice Cream. Yummy!

Tongue Tied : The After

It's all done!
The doctor used a special pair of scissors along with a flat two-pronged tool which slides under the tongue and onto either side of the frenulum. She then did a couple of quick snips which I HAD to look away for. There was some blood - not loads, but when we're talking about a newborn baby any blood is too much blood!
With Levi when he was just a few weeks old I was clipping his sweet little finger nails and he had one of those crazy baby reflex things and I clipped the very tip of his precious little thumb. There wasn't actually blood, just a red blood like circle on his thumb, but that was enough to nearly send me into hysterics, while probably stressing him out more with my obsessive, and slightly aggressive apologetic snuggling - like I said, ANY blood is too much. Poor babes!

Owen cried only a minute. It was a pretty sad cry though, and because he also has a blocked tear duct he totally gets teary which is even sadder! Anyway, immediately after I brought him out into the waiting room and fed him, there was a definite change for the better.

I had never heard of this issue of being "tongue-tied" before, which is why I thought I should share. So anyone who hears this about their baby, it is not a big deal, and it's over and done with pretty simply.

Glad that's finished!

Tongue Tied : The Before

So, immediately after birth, our midwife spotted that Owen was what they refer to as "tongue tied". We were informed that it would eventually stretch, but if I was having difficulty nursing we could opt to have it snipped.
Tongue tied means the tissue that connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth comes too close to the tip of the tongue, or is too short, not allowing the baby to freely lift his tongue possibly causing breast-feeding difficulties, or complications in speech later.

The midwives did tell us it would stretch, but in the past week I have actually spoken with two people who had the surgery later in life, either recently or within their memory. This tells me that it does not always stretch. I also read that while it is a very simple procedure with infants it can be much more complex if needed later in life.

Anyway, Owen is gaining weight just dandy, and feeds happily, but for me it hurts like mad, so tomorrow we are having this procedure done. He has difficulty opening his mouth very wide, falls off the breast frequently, and because he isn't able to lift his tongue up for good suction he just clicks away in a fairly shallow latch and ouch! I am also wondering since he can't seem to stay awake while nursing for more than a couple minutes if it is a lot of extra work for him, and he just tires of it quickly.

It's meant to be quick, and they believe painless as there are no nerves in the frenulum (as it is called). I am also told I will immediately notice a difference in nursing. So we'll see how things differ tomorrow, and I hope it isn't too stressful for the little guy because whether it hurts or not they will obviously have to force his mouth open which will not be the most comfortable for him.

I'll let you know how it goes!

I'm In Love...

Isn't new life amazing???











How lucky am I to get to snuggle and kiss all these precious baby bits...

Amidst A Sleepless Night...

Between heavy bouts of tiredness from new baby responsibilities and a teething 20 month old, there are those really precious, beautiful moments that no matter how you feel you have no trouble stopping to notice.

After a long night of us going back and forth between two restless babes, I finally found myself staring at the clock and seeing 4:30am still with no rest, and yet - laying there with my nursing baby boy on one side, my sleeping slightly bigger baby boy on the other, and my hubby on the other side of him, everything could not have felt more right, more perfect, and just exactly where it should be.

Introducing...

Owen Geoffrey
Born March 13th, 2011
1:28pm
9 lbs 10 oz 21.5 inches

{This Moment}

{This moment} is inspired by Soulemama, and beautifully done by so many. It reveals a moment from our week that is special enough to stand alone, without need for expression, or explanation.

Baby Day!

'Tis planned! Unless by a little miracle sometime during this fine night (which I AM still hoping for), I will be meeting my little one tomorrow with a little encouragement (induction). I feel so funny about my little guy not choosing his own birthday, but alas I can feel him getting bigger each day and I wouldn't want to wait too long and risk something bigger than birthday selection!
So that is me signing off for a couple of weeks. Of course if I'm feeling up to snuff I will most definitely pop in for a little show and tell. So wish me luck, and I hope to see you around here when I get back!

One last pic as a family of 3!!



xo

Sittin' Here In Limbo...

As it has been a week since my last post I should pop-in and mention that I am still awaiting our new little bundle whom, might I add, is seeming much less little with each passing day.
At this stage it is tough to feel anything but total limbo. A little bit glued to the house, and though a walk would probably help, I'm just too tired to get off my butt. Alas, having my mind totally reeling with "When?when?when?" makes it a wee bit tough to engage ideas for blogging, but I am still thoroughly enjoying keeping up with postings on all my favourite blogs.

Needless to say, It has been a week of couch-bound handwork.





It has been enjoyable, but I am SO ready for my time to be packed full of baby goodness & cuddles, and I am especially anxious to see my sweet little boy meet his new baby brother though, as I have been warned, he may shed a few tears. :(

Special Delivery!!

No, not THAT special, meaning not a delivery from the friendly stork. I just received a delivery of another kind - a big old box of beautiful fabrics from Anna Maria Horner.

I had been hoarding some money I received at Christmas time and finally got up the nerve to spend it all... on Material. To some that may seem silly, but this is some pretty sweet stuff right here.

I bought a full half-yard collection of her Folksy Flannels, which are so unbelievably soft and awesome.





I also treated myself to a bag of her studio scraps, just for fun. What could be more fun than a surprise bag of fabrics??
I know! A BABY!!! Come on little dude, where are ya???

The Waiting Game...

While I wait for the little guy to join us in this world I may as well start on his blanket.

He'll probably be 1 before he gets it, so sooner rather than later is probably a good idea. :)

ps. if suddenly I disappear off the face of this blog for a couple weeks, don't be alarmed and don't give up on me either. It just means I'm having a little baby lovin' & recovery time! xo

Handmades

How lucky are my babes to have a Granny who knits and a Grandma who crochets!

These BEE-OOTIFUL handmades were gifted in preparation for our new little spud, so the brothers can be all matchy-matchy.
Love it!

Knit Pullovers





Crocheted Hooded Cardi's





Can't wait to see them both looking so sweet in these awesome sweaters. Thank you so much!! xo