Avett Brothers Concert

So, the Avett Brothers came to town.  My sweet husband ordered tickets at the soonest possible moment and looked forward to it like it was Christmas morning.  Or better.

We dropped off the big kids with Grandma and Grandpa and headed into town.  Dates for us always involve a LOT of driving - usually at least 2 hours - which is kind of nice in a way because it's good talk time, but kind of not nice when it's late and you're ready to be home and you still need to pick up kids and take them home.  But we were super blessed because one of their aunts brought them home and put them to bed for us, since we weren't going to make it back until at least midnight, with a 8pm show, so that did make things a lot easier!


We planned on having dinner at a little pub that specializes in local foods, since we had a gift certificate, but sadly they had too long of a wait for that to work out.  So we walked around the corner and found a fun little Asian restaurant.  Levi chowed down on the stir fried broccoli off my plate, and I really enjoyed my sweet and sour chicken - very good!  I love Asian food and it's not something I'm good at recreating at home, sadly...we also enjoy Mexican food, but I've had better luck at making that at home.

Anyway, after we ate we headed over to the show, where the doors had just opened.  We ran into a friend and chatted for a while before heading inside and finding our seats.  Levi was just along for the ride in the ring sling, and very much enjoying all the new things to look at.  He is usually a pretty regular baby as far as sleep time, so I was unsure how he'd do at a super loud concert at bedtime. As it turned out, with the aid of a pair of junior earmuffs, he did GREAT.  He had a little trouble going to sleep in the seats, since he was watching the lights and enjoying them, but I knew he had to be exhausted so I took him out and fed him and he was out like a light snuggled up to me in the ring sling.  And he stayed asleep... even through the super loud songs, even through the teenagers behind us screaming for an encore, even through ME singing along and whooping.  I was so thrilled!  The reviews had me hoping that these would be the ticket to protecting his ears and keeping him happy and able to sleep, and they certainly delivered. :)

Plus now that we have them, I am sure we'll be using them again.  Maybe for taking in a movie?  Or another concert?  Or for fireworks that might scare a small one?

(Note: I am truly this weirdly enthusiastic about these.  This is not a paid review, nor was I given these by the company.  No, as strange as it may seem, especially to those of you who are not yet parents, I genuinely just am tickled pink to own a pair of baby ear muffs.  True story.  Although, yes, that is an affiliate link.  But beyond that, I am not profiting by extolling the virtues of these things.  They're just that awesome.)

Shelving the topic of the ear muffs, it was a truly fantastic show.  The Avett Brothers gave it their all and really put on a wonderful performance.  They are one of our favorites, and we frequently listen to their music, so I loved recognizing their songs and enjoying the extra dimension that a live performance gives. It was absolutely great being able to see them live and hear them do our favorites.  They even came out and did a very generous encore, even though they must have been absolutely exhausted from doing such a high energy show already.

On a funny note, the crowd was a really interesting mix.  Hipsters, college students, teens, older folks, parents with kids (we were definitely not the only people with a child there, although I think Levi may have been the youngest!) - it was a fun and varied crowd.  Although I'm not sure when I've seen more plaid shirts and Tom's shoes in one place before! ;)

We hit the drive through for some coffee on the way home, and finally fell into bed at 1.30am.  Unfortunately, this all happened to be the weekend of the time change. Hahahahaha. So we lost an hour the next morning.  All I can say is the next day involved a whole lotta coffee.

But it was worth it!

Nine (and a half...) months

(I am terrible right now at writing down milestones or making records of what is happening with my kiddos!  I document it in a fashion, but I'm not sure posting pictures to Facebook is going to cut it as fulfilling my role as family historian.  Maybe if I shove them all in a photo book later?  Let's go with that plan!)

Anyway, don't die of shock, but here's an actual update on our littlest person.

Levi is pulling up now, AND standing up in the middle of the room.  He triumphantly smacks his fat hands on the coffee table in triumph.  He also crawls VERY fast!

He is also getting pretty handy at this whole NOM NOM NOM thing.  See evidence of banana destroying abilities, to left.  Still totally variable whether/how much he's actually ingesting, but he's having a blast with it so his budding relationship with solid foodstuffs is going well. 

Favorites besides banana include green beans (frozen are fun too for the soothing feel on the gums), soft cooked squash Mama fished out of the soup, orange slices grabbed off the big kid's snack platter, roast beef pieces, and scrambled egg. 

(If you're curious about our approach to solids right now, it's a mish mash of Baby Led Eating and real food for babies.  Only, no liver.  *shudder*  If I won't eat it, he doesn't have to!)


We are really loving our used Didymos wrap we bought.  It is far and away getting the most love of any of our carriers right now.  Micah has always liked the mei tais best, but is very partial to the wrap as well.  He grabbed Levi the other morning to squeeze in some extra daddy/baby snuggle time while getting ready for work.

(Babywearing geeks, that is a back wrap cross carry with chestbelt.  Pretty much our favorite, although I am loving the rucksack carry more and more these days, especially when wrapping in public!)

Levi is a total joy right now - I forgot how much fun this age is!  He is a very happy baby and his funny expressions and giggles are beyond adorable.  I told Micah I think I am a babyholic - each baby seems cuter than the last and each babyhood seems more precious!   :)

Our Crazy "Not a Birth" Story

Today is my "due date" so to celebrate I'm posting this story from a few weeks ago that I finally got written up.  Hopefully I'll have an actual birth story eventually... ;)

So, a week ago last Wednesday morning, Nathan woke up at midnight throwing up and Micah went to check on him while I got up to grab towels.  Only, I got up & had a big gush of water... Micah heard it from Nathan's bedside and said, "What was that?"  Half awake and in shock, I informed him my water had broken.  I think his response was something like, "Are you serious?!"  ;)  At 38 weeks, we had been assuming we had at the very least another week!


After our midwife came, we found that baby was transverse.  We weren't able to get a positive reading on the amnio swab at first, but we did end up getting a positive reading from the puddle, so with the risk of cord prolapse, and with water broken so that obviously baby couldn't turn, we transferred for a c-section. 


It took us a short while to coordinate child care, grab the infant carseat out of storage, and pack a few essentials (as I supervised from lying on the couch), then we were on the road for the hospital.  It felt totally surreal... up in the middle of the night, leaving my poor sick kiddo in the capable hands of his aunts, and suddenly having a totally different birth before us.  As we drove we talked about what we'd ask for as far as c-section preferences... I knew that I wanted double layer suturing, skin to skin in the OR (ideally, on my chest right away, if not, skin to skin with daddy), no immediate swaddling or avoidable mama baby separation.  It was all surreal to think about and talk about.

We're about the same distance from three different hospitals, and I assumed initially we'd transfer to one of the two bigger ones, but we ended up heading to the small town hospital instead. They have a ridiculously high c/s rate (usually that would be a red flag, but it was what we were transferring for!), are a small hospital (nurses and doctors more laid back and likely to go along with our requests) and they handle a lot of the local Mennonite's hospital births so they're a little more used to natural birth moms and how they think and what they'll prefer.  

Since our midwife knew many of the staff, she called ahead and let them know we were coming in, so we skipped the ER & went directly up to L&D.  The nurse we had was nice and was even sympathetic about us possibly winding up with a csection instead of our planned homebirth. She got us settled into our room, directed me to put on the hospital gown, then strapped me into bed on the monitors.  This was all completely new to me, since I'd only even been in a L&D ward once, when visiting friends who had just had a baby.  (And can I just say that bed was the least comfortable bed EVER?)


This is when we got our first inkling that we weren't going to have a c-section.  The nurse palpated and frowned thoughtfully and said it certainly felt like a head down baby to her.  We all gaped at her, because both our experienced midwife and Micah and I (who, while not exactly trained in the art of midwifery, are on our third baby and can tell the difference between a baby that is up and down and one who is sideways!) knew that baby had without a doubt been transverse before transporting.  The nurse got amnio strips to test for broken water, and both of them came up negative.  She suggested that I'd had a "fore-bag" break and that although we'd have to wait for the ultrasound and the doctor to see us, we could probably go home if we wanted to and if baby was head down.


The ultrasound tech wouldn't be there for a few hours, so we tried to relax and process everything.  Mostly I played Words With Friends on my phone and distracted myself.  Our main concern at that point was that baby would actually be breech and that they would not discharge us or allow a trial of labor.  I was hopeful, though that even with a breech baby if I did not appear to actually be in labor or have ruptured membranes that they would let us go home.


Finally, the ultrasound technician wheeled in her cart and we got our first peek at our third little one... head down just like we were hoping!  Chubby cheeks, tiny fingers and toes, and measurements matching right up with our dates!  Although we had an overall good experience at the hospital, that was really the bright spot of the whole thing.


We waited a while longer to see the doctor on call.  She agreed with the nurses guess about it merely being a fore-bag break, and said that they really didn't consider that my membranes were ruptured, so we shouldn't consider ourselves "on the clock" as far as labor went.  She was fantastic and basically told us to go home and have a nice birth!


Still reeling, we checked out and headed to Walmart to grab an exercise ball (if labor did start, I knew I'd want it, but even if not I wanted it for good baby positioning) and other necessities, like fudge cookies and a mocha protein shake.  Our midwife went to take a nap, since we'd kept her up most of the night, telling us to let her know if anything happened labor wise.  We headed home and cuddled sick toddlers.  It was all very anticlimactic!  We were relieved and in shock and going home with an empty carseat and right back to wondering if we'd have a baby in a day or a week or two.  I'm so glad that we didn't end up with a c-section, but it’s hard going from thinking you're going to have a baby in your arms that day to going back to patiently waiting again!

On the plus side, you wouldn't believe how much of the "to do before baby" list we got knocked out that day! ;)

Calling all Babywearers

Every family has a story, and babywearing is part of ours.  After Nathan was born, babywearing entered our lives, and we are profoundly grateful for the connection, bonding, and ease of the babywearing way of life.  From chasing cows to coping with a child in the hospital, babywearing is an integral part of how we parent.

 Nathan's now 2 1/2, and most of the time much happier to be on his own two feet (which is fine, since he's also 30 pounds now), so he isn't being worn any more...but I cherish all the memories of kissing his sweet head while he was snuggled up securely in his sling or mei tai.

By the time Miriam came along, I'd found my babywearing groove, and was excited to be able to wear her a lot more than her brother.   Tandem babywearing  made our year of 2 under 2 much, much easier. When she  was born, Nathan had been walking for a week. There was no way he could toddle all the way across a parking lot, far less walk through a store.  And if you've ever tried to navigate a stroller through a crowded, treasure laden thrift store (start by getting in, the doors aren't automatic!), you'll understand why strapping 35 pounds of baby to your torso is comparatively easy.

 I didn't want to be home-bound just because I had two very small children, and thanks in large part to babywearing, I wasn't.  And I not only shed the baby weight pretty quickly (try squatting down to get a can on a bottom shelf at the discount grocery with 35 pounds of extra weight and you'll see why!), I enjoyed making fun memories with them at the same time.

When we found out #3 will arrive next spring, one of the wonderful things we started looking forward to was wearing a snuggly little newborn again!  My husband laughed at me when I said that... and then later said he's really looking forward to getting to babywear a newborn too!  He loved the Moby wrap, and this time around I'm trading another carrier for a pretty indigo Moby.  Can't wait!


I know I've been rather silent around here, between morning sickness, a horrific cold *achoo!*, and a broken camera, so you might be wondering what brought me out of the woodwork.

Babywearing is in crisis, and just as babywearing helped us, we need to turn around and help the babywearing industry stay beautiful, vibrant, and diverse.
While I've made many of my own carriers, not every mama can, and we need a variety of big and small babywearing businesses that can provide those families with the tools they need.  When I'm stopped on the street and asked about my carriers, frequently I say, "I made this one, but you can buy a similar one from (fill in the blank depending on the type.)"  Often that person will write it down or take one of my babywearing cards with more information.

Losing those businesses due to expensive testing, prohibitive regulation, or sheer bureaucracy is not acceptable. 

What if I can't refer them to somewhere they can buy a similar carrier anymore? Or if eventually even sharing patterns and tutorials for DIY carriers is curtailed because of regulation?  How will that harm babywearing?  I don't know and I don't want to find out.

The CPSC is trying to regulate the babywearing industry, and there's a risk more of our favorite carriers will disappear,  like Hotslings.  Babywearing is a parenting choice, and by restricting our access to carriers, the CPSC is going to limit our ability as parents to choose what we feel is best for our babies.  This is totally unacceptable.

Please go connect with the Baby Carrier Industry Alliance on Facebook to stay updated.  A recall of a major baby carrier (at the moment unnamed) is being forced through this week.  The Baby Carrier Industry Alliance states that this is a safe carrier and the CPSC is very much in the wrong to be forcing a recall.   More details here, please take the time to read and act.  If this can happen to one carrier, it can happen to them all.  All our carriers are in jeopardy.  

If you are represented by any one of the legislators listed here, PLEASE call and write them! 


Also, if you're a blogger, the Baby Carrier Industry Alliance needs you... please go here and read their call to action!  We need to be vocal right now about how important babywearing is to us! If you write a post, be sure to post it on the BCIA Facebook page AND add to the linky over at Adventures in Babywearing... one linky participant will win a Sakura Bloom ring sling!   And if you share your babywearing story and link up at the Wrapsody Baby blog you'll be entered to win a Gypsy Mama microfleece wrap (perfect for fall!)

Whether you wore your babies, would have wanted to, are a current babywearer, want to babywear someday, or just plain care about people having the right to make their own parenting choices without heavy handed government intervention, please take the time to act.  For the small businesses. For the parent's who need their hands back.  And for the babies... and their babies.

Babywearing

 If you know me, you  know that I frequently have a baby on my back.

That's how we roll - babywearing makes it easier to snuggle with my babies and get things done.

It was a lifesaver about a year ago when the cows got out into the road and we had to get them back in unassisted and I had to go in and out of ditches and open gates and move quickly, oh, yes, and the baby was hungry, too.  Babywearing means I could burn calories marching all over chasing cows, while breastfeeding at the same time.  ;)  What's not to like?  Oh, yeah, the cows were out...

Babywearing isn't just for mamas, though.  Micah babywears- one of the many things about him that makes me all weak at the knees. ;)

I think a stretchy wrap is the best newborn carrier of my stash.  There is a bit of a learning curve, but the incredible comfort is worth the effort.  A friend gave me a Moby wrap for Miriam and I loved it!  My second recommendation would be a ring sling.  They're great for shorter chunks of time when you don't want to put on the wrap.  Plus you can use it well into toddler hood for a hip carry! You can make one (my mom made me my two), or buy one.  I also love our mei tai and podaegi, and want to experiment with woven wraps.

Miriam loves being worn... and wearing, too! ;)  Here she is with her baby in a doll sling. :)

This post was written for the Babywearing Carnival hosted by Jami of Babywearing Videos.  Thanks, Jami!


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Earth Mama Angel Baby Milkmaid Tea Review

I recently received some Earth Mama Angel Baby Milkmaid Tea for review.* 

Milkmaid Tea contains herbal galactagogues like fennel, fenugreek, anis seed, and caraway seed.


I haven't had trouble with milk supply (except during pregnancy, and Milkmaid Tea is not intended for use during pregnancy), but tandem nursing means I am producing a lot of milk (moo!) and so sometimes it is nice to give my milk production a little herbal support.  If you're struggling with milk production, start with this page from Kellymom on how milk production works, and then check out this page with things you can do for your supply.

 The day that my tea arrived, it was pretty warm, and the idea of a hot cup of tea was just not my cup of tea.  ;)  But on the back of the box it suggested that it was good iced or hot, so I made some iced tea with it.  It was great!  It has a nice, mild herbal flavor.  Compared to the Traditional Medicinals Organic Mother's Milk Herbal Tea  I felt that the Milkmaid Tea had a milder flavor.  I think Mother's Milk tea has a  stronger, more licorice like flavor.  I like licorice, so I don't mind it, but I know some people don't like licorice...

The next morning it was cooler and I had a hot cup of Milkmaid Tea instead.  It was tasty, but I felt that it was a bit weak tasting, which surprised me since I had used one tea bag in a standard sized mug and made sure to steep it for 10 minutes (the box suggests 5-10).  However, I didn't squeeze the tea bag at all, like I always do with the Mother's Milk Tea (it says to in the instructions for MMT), so perhaps that was part of it.  The next time I made a hot cup I made sure to squeeze the tea bag instead and I think it seemed stronger.

And because this is a truthful review  - Micah didn't realize what kind of iced tea I was drinking and took a drink.  He did NOT like it, and refused to believe that it didn't contain his childhood nemesis, Slippery Elm Bark, until I read him the ingredients list out loud, at which point he began talking about the need for an ingredient audit!  So, *I* think it tastes fine, but just for full disclosure, that is obviously not a universal belief!

Thanks, Earth Mama Angel Baby!


______________________________________________________________________________
*I was sent a box of Milkmaid tea to review.  I was not compensated in any way for this post.  All opinions expressed are my own.  All links are Amazon affiliate links, so if you buy through them I have a few more pennies of play money.

Signing

We haven't ever done a whole lot of baby signing, but we've used some basics consistently...

milk (for nursing)
more
all done
thank you
please
sit down

I think it is incredibly helpful for the pre-verbal toddler to be able to express whether they're all done eating, or want more - and I think it cuts down on fussing, too!  We signed to Nathan for months and months before he started signing back (at around 14 months or so? I think?), but I know that he was understanding what we were signing to him long before he signed back.

I don't know whether we'll keep growing our vocabulary or not now that Nathan is starting to talk so much more, but I'd like too. :)

There are lots of online resources for signing... including youtube!  I've found lots of videos demonstrating signs, which is so much easier for me to copy than an instruction book.

Do you sign at all with your little ones?

Finally...

... I figured out that the cord wasn't working, and used a different cord, so these lovelies aren't trapped on my memory card anymore!

Helping... that is a child's rolling pin in his right hand, and hammer in his left.  Yup.  He's a boy.

Miriam woke up in the middle of getting the bread into pans, so she cuddled on my back in the podaegi while Nathan ate bread dough helped me.

The finished product...

Miriam has mastered pointing, and loves to point with both hands when excited... and I finally captured it!

And this handsome munchkin has a birthday this week... and a date with some scissors.  Those darling blond curls have never even had a trim, but he's getting pretty fuzzy, so that is scheduled for his birthday.  Hopefully he doesn't hate it...

We just got this loaned out mei tai back from a friend, and we're enjoying having an old favorite back to play with! :)  It is a minty, cheerful green... so perfect for spring, which seems to have actually (finally!) arrived. 

The daffodils have bloomed, the grass is greening up, and it has been warm enough for some evening walks.  I'm really looking forward to the kiddos getting to play outside more this week... it isn't any fun for anybody being cooped up!  Hope you're all having a great Monday so far...

Speaking of Podaegis

I'm guest posting over at Creative Madness today... hop over there to see a picture of the second podeagi that I made! I promise it shows more podaegi than the one of Miriam  in the podaegi above! ;)

Spring IS on the way!

It was warm enough last week to take the kiddos outside without spending hours bundling everyone up to go out and freeze for ten minutes, so we went out and enjoyed the sunshine!

 

Nathan started out holding my hand and walking sedately.

Then the wild grassy spaces intoxicated his boyish soul,

and he was off, trotting in erratic circles in the still brown grass,

 

exploring the daffodils that are peeking out.

 

And Miriam and I traipsed along behind, 

(she is in the new podaegi I made, which I love)

(post planned on that on Friday)

enjoying the sunshine and fresh air 

and chasing the small explorer with camera in hand.

 

  

My caption for this one-

"Mama, haven't you taken enough pictures?"

 

"I have to go explore tree bark, and sticks, and fallen walnuts, 

and then I have to throw them for the dog, and throw them at the tree, 

and wave and say 'bye!' to every truck or car that goes by on the road..."

Podaegi!

I made my first podaegi recently. What is a podaegi, or podeagi  (or "pod" for short)? It is a traditional Asian carrier that is similar to a mei tai. Pictured podaegi, below, is from Etsy, here.

Sew She Sews has a very cute one pattern to make a podaegi here, and Jan Andrea has one here. Mine was pretty close to that first pattern, but I chose not to use multiple fabrics for the outside.  I used a pretty decorator fabric for the exterior of the body, and lighter fabric for the inside.  I used duck cloth for the straps.  After it was finished, I was excited to play around with it, as I'd never tried one before.  At first I had trouble getting it right... the decorator fabric seemed too stiff, and the blanket seemed too narrow.  Once I got the hang of it, it worked well, though. It seemed even easier than a mei tai!  Sadly, I didn't get any pictures before I loaned it out, but I have another one in the works... this one will have a wider body.  Not a really really wide one like the Jan Andrea pod, but definitely wider than the one from Etsy pictured.  I think the narrow body design was harder to wear correctly... I am very comfortable doing a back carry with my mei tai, but it was a hassle getting the pod spread out when the body was so small.  Also, my understanding is that the blanket part of a podaegi isn't weight bearing, so it can be blanket type fabric, so I'll use lighter weight fabric which I think will be easier to manage.  Plus I'll be able to use fabric from my stash, instead of having to wait to buy some! ;)

Here is a YouTube video of a back carry with one...



And here is a front carry, although I have to note that she ties the straps in a bow, I would much prefer a square knot for safety.



(Related posts from Babywearing it Up!: pod sew along on TBW
and Wrap pod tutorial.)

Lets Talk About Cloth Diapers! :)

Recently I've talked to several different people about cloth diapers, so I thought I'd turn those thoughts and explanations about how I cloth diaper into a post. :)

Now, here is a disclaimer to start off with- I'm not a diehard.  I don't cloth diaper at night, because I *hate* waking up snuggled next to my baby... in a puddle.  I also generally don't cloth diaper on Sundays because we're away from home for most of the day, and because that makes it more of a day of rest for me.

However, I do usually cloth diaper at home, and this is how I do it...

My Fuzzi Bunz are what I grab first out of the diaper drawer.  I have 6 smalls (which Nathan outgrew before 6 months, but Miriam is still fitting into at 9 months), 12 sage mediums (which fit both my 9 month old and my 22 month old), and 6-10 large sized Fuzzi Bunz.

I think this is a pretty nice stash, but I only had to purchase the mediums, and we got a pretty good deal on Ebay.  The others were handmedowns from another mom (a huge blessing! Thanks Mrs. B!) and had already been through several kiddos.  I do not think that some of the larges will make it through another little one without having new elastic put in, but I may decide that is worth the investment as that would be less expensive than purchasing new.  On the other hand, Fuzzi Bunz now come in one size that has adjustable elastic so it can grow with the baby.  That would be nice so I may try out a few of those when these large ones finally kick the bucket.

Sometimes I run out of Fuzzi Bunz that fit Miriam before the dirty diapers are washed and dry again.  When that happens, I use prefolds with a Snappi , which I love.  So much easier than pins, and faster, too.   I started out using pins and plastic pants, and honestly I don't like either.  I much prefer the Snappi and my two Thirsties covers.  Thirsties are much easier when you have a dirty diaper, since plastic pants have to be pulled off, and Thirsties are really adjustable, which I like. Also, they have leg gussets, which REALLY cuts down on leaks! I have the medium size, and I think it will last Miriam for several more months.  They are a lot cheaper than Fuzzi Bunz, for sure, and if I had known how easy to use they were, especially with the Snappi, I might have just purchased them instead.  Plus, they're cute! :)  I have the sky blue pictured here, and a lovely aqua as well (decided against girly colors so whenever #3 comes along I won't need to purchase more, either way)...

As far as washing, it is really simple.  I'll shake dirty toddler diapers out into the toilet, but baby diapers and wet diapers just go straight into a dry pail.  When I'm ready to wash, I shake the liners out of the diapers, and fold the velcro over on the Thirsties.  Then I run a cold rinse, and a warm or hot wash with either soap nuts (not the best deal on them, but if you want to try them out the little starter pack is a low investment way to do it) or laundry detergent (usually this or this) if I'm out of soap nuts, as I am right now.  Sometimes if some of the diapers have been sitting a little too long, or were especially dirty, I'll run two cold rinses and then a warm wash, or a cold rinse/cold wash/warm wash.  Then I hang the outside part of the Fuzzi Bunz, and the Thirsties covers, either outside on the clothesline, or inside on a line I strung across our utility room.  I throw the prefolds and the inserts in the dryer, usually, unless it is a very sunshiny day in which case they do dry fairly quickly on the line.

Nathan, being adorable in the medium sage Fuzzibunz, last summer :)

So... any questions?  If you cloth diaper, what are your favorite diapers?  Did you start out using them or did you change to them?