Slings, Wraps and Baby Carriers Oh My!

I don't know about everyone else, but my slings, baby carriers and wraps have been a lifesaver for me. I know every mom has something different that she couldn't live without, for me these are it.

I received my Pipallily sling as a baby shower gift, and have used it almost every day since Jackson was born.If he is tired and having a hard time going to sleep, the motion of me walking lulls him, if he is just fussy it calms him, and if he just wants to hang with mama and be able to see everything i can face him out so he can enjoy the view. With the sling you can have the baby in a cradle carry, or a hip carry only, and it does start to make my shoulder ache after a while because the weight is all on one side.

If i want to go on a long walk, i can pop him in the Snugli, and we can stroll forever. Now that we are finally getting some nice weather the Snugli will surely see a lot of walks. The downside of the Snugli is that he can  be in an upright carry facing in or out only. However it is more comfortable because of the weight distribution.

I am currently awaiting the arrival of my Moby wrap in the mail, and i can't wait, with the Moby wrap he can be in any position he darn well likes. I can even discreetly feed him in it! Oh i can't wait! Why does canada post have to take so long!!!! I'll take pics and review the Moby wrap when i get it. I hope it's tomorrow!

Quote of the Day

It was when I had my first child that I understood how much my mother loved me.

-- From "For Mother - A Bouquet of Sentiments"

A Photo Shoot with a (almost) 7 Week Old Baby

You can never quite get them to look at the camera...

Or put their beer down and sober up for one second....

You work tirelessly to keep them happy...

But it's all worth it to get a shot of that elusive smile !

Needless to say, don't expect much from a young baby if you are doing photos. I would recommend doing newborn photos when they are very young, and mostly sleep, or when they are 5+ months old and easy to distract with toys.

Quote of the Day

A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.

-- Agatha Christie

Becoming a Mother

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.  She never existed before.  The woman existed, but the mother, never.  A mother is something absolutely new."  ~Rajneesh 

Cloth Diapers

Oh i could o on for days. Alas, i only have a few minutes until poopey-doo wakes up.

I always planned on using cloth diapers, and when i found out i was going to have a baby i started the search for the diapers i wanted to use. I scoured the internet, trying to learn as much as i could. There are so many gd options! Prefolds, fitteds, all in ones, all in twos, pockets, flips.... They range in price from $2-$25 per diaper. The more expensive diapers sure are cuter, but are they necessary? Pre folds are the cheapest, but you have to either pin or snappi them to keep the diaper on, then put a diaper cover over the whole thing. Fitteds have velcro or snaps so they are easy to secure but you still need to put a waterproof cover over the whole thing. I discounted the all in ones/all in two's and pocket diapers from the beginning due to the price.We went with pre-folds from the start. We wanted to make sure we would actually use them before investing a boatload of money. Then you have to buy covers, and liners for extra absorbency (overnight etc) In total we spent maybe $100 to get started. We have enough diapers up until he is 18 months, or longer, depending on how big he gets.

I was also concerned about the extra laundry. Turns out its really not a big deal, 2-3 extra loads a week ( and they are medium loads) and a little bit of time to hang them on the line, and let the sun work its bleaching magic. All in all it maybe is one extra hour of work per week to wash and line dry them. I was never really concerned about the "gross factor" (putting poopy diapers in the washing machine), i figure if i'm having a baby there'll be a little poop to deal with. (and you shake any access poop into the toilet once they're on solids.)

The best part is the waste we are saving from going to the landfill. An estimated 27.4 billion disposable diapers are used each year (in the US alone!), resulting in about 3.4 million tons of diapers going into the landfill. I figure this earth has to be here for my kids, and their kids, and their kids' kids' etc.

If you are interested in using cloth diapers, give it a try! Don't be scared off by the people that say it's gross, or too much work. If they can't handle poop, and a little work, they shouldn't have had children. Plus a cloth diapered bum is so freakin' cute!

My son in a prefold diaper with a cover, at three weeks old.

The First 6 Weeks of Parenthood

No on can tell you what it's going to be like. Will you have an angel baby that only fusses when he's hungry, or a colicky baby. Will he breastfeed with ease, or will it be a struggle. Will you be a good parent, or have no idea what to do. That you'll feel guilty doing anything for yourself, and scared of making a mistake. The only thing i can tell you is that you'll love this little person that you just met, more than you can imagine. That you would do anything for them from the second they're born. That it's all worth it.

When you first come home with your baby, it is hard to believe that you will have any idea what you are doing. That it does get easier. That you will feel like yourself again. It is all true.

Who woulda thunk that i could figure out how to bathe a baby, cut his itty bitty nails, comfort him when he's screaming like a maniac. I don't know when or how it happened, but one day i woke up, and was officially a mother. I still worry "am i doing this right?" , " am i doing the best i can?". There's not instruction manual. All you can do is love your child, and try.

Being a mother is a natural thing, and you have to go with what you think is best. There can be alot of pressure to do exactly as you're told by the nurses and doctors. I'm sure they know what they are talking about, but only you know what is best for your baby. Don't give them a soother, don't let them sleep more than three hours, don't pick them up the second they cry. Rules that we didn't exactly follow, but we're doing what works for us. All to make this little poo-face happy.

(this is really not a great quality picture, but i caught his first smile on camera!)