a woven wrap.

A woven wrap is the most traditional of all baby carriers and it never fails to evoke images of women throughout the ages with babies tied to backs while hands are busy fulfilling daily duties of life.  Strangely, it's the only carrier I've used that draws strangers to comment on how "those things" didn't exist when their babies were small.  Um, okay.  I'm pretty sure long strips of fabric have always been around. Just saying.

This was the only carrier I had when Henry was a baby and I certainly thought it was the best thing ever created.  Now that I have more options for babywearing with Liza, the wrap is simply not my go to carrier.  However, it seems that mamas who like woven wraps really really like woven wraps and feel they are far superior to all other carriers.  I certainly do appreciate the traditional and simplistic design and the fact that this one woven wrap is all I really need to wear my baby from the newborn stage to the toddler years.  

Introducing a woven wrap:

Can you tell it's long?  Different lengths are available depending on your body type and length needed for different holds.  My wrap is about 9 feel long and 18 inches wide.  The fabric is strong 100% cotton that is strong and durable, yet surprisingly lightweight.  It's long but it folds up tightly.  This particular wrap is a Girasol brand although I'm not sure of the weight.  It's pretty.  Right?  I love the contrast of the beautifully gender-neutral pink and yellow on the different sides.

There is a definite learning curve in wrapping your baby but no more than any other carrier.  Watch a few youtube tutorials over and over again, practice with and without your baby and you will quickly be a hands-free mama in the most traditional sense.

Have you ever wrapped your baby?

pre-dinner tradition

Liza is now big enough to join Henry in the 'eat raw veggies while Mama cooks supper' tradition.  Last night as I chopped fresh veggies to throw into a jar of yummy spaghetti sauce, Liza munched on white mushrooms and Henry ate more than half of a very orange and yellowish green bell pepper.

I am proud to announce this close interaction on the floor did not end with tears!  

A very big deal in this house...

500 posts.

Blogger claims this is blog post #500.  I'm not sure if that includes unfinished and unpublished drafts but nonetheless, this is post #500.  And, it's my birthday!  Yes.  You are welcome to give me adulations, cake and champagne.  I will gladly welcome it all.  

 

500 posts is a major milestone and has me ruminating the humble beginnings of my blog: 

My first post -- coincidentally, posted on Liza's birthday, two years prior -- was about our dogs.  The little dog went to puppy dog heaven the following Christmas and the big dog found a lovely new home with a runner the following spring.  Gone but not forgotten.  Seriously.  Not forgotten.  They have plenty of blog posts to  help me remember their sweet little selves.

Post #2 featured unborn Baby Henry's room.  "Thanks to Mama and Lizbeth, Henry has a pretty new crib which I plan on being fully utilized by a sleeping baby."  Yep.  This quote reminds me how my parenting styles have changed over the past two years.  Liza has been welcome to join us in our bed in the middle of the night for the past few months while cosleeping was not even an option in my mind during Henry's infancy.  

In Post #3 you can tell I have seriously changed my thoughts on childbirth since Henry's birth.  I was thoroughly pleased with my highly managed and very medicated birth.  It was exactly what I wanted at the time and was the birth experience I anticipated.  180 degrees from Liza's birth?  Yes.  Yes.  Yes.

500 posts.  2 babies.  2 dogs.  1 cat.  New jobs.  House bought.  Scooters bought and sold.  Vacations.  Sleeping.  Not sleeping.  Baby born at home.  Food cooked.  Big happenings.  Little happenings.  Thoughts and beliefs formulated and refined.  Our life.

Babywearing Daddy!

 Taylor figured out this version of the Secure High-Back Carry all by himself. 

Happy Dada.

Happy Henry.

Impressed Mama.

Apparently, it all started when I was at the thrift store with Liza and our Boba and Taylor was at home with a whiny and clingy HenHen.  Babywearing at it's best.  Seriously.

He's a cute babywearing daddy, isn't he?

a mei tai.

Remember the soft-structured carrier?  Well, basically, a SSC is the modern version of the mei tai.  No buckles, no snaps, no webbing on this carrier.  Just soft cotton and long straps.

I introduce you to a mei tai, aka Asian syle carrier, aka Babyhawk:

It should definitely remind you of the SSC but rather than the buckling shoulder strap you have two looong shoulder straps, rather than the big hip strap you have a shorter set of straps and rather than the sleeping hood you have a head support.

The shoulder straps:

See how loooong the shoulder straps are?  The shoulder straps do most of the work holding your baby tight in a mei tai.  With most carries, these straps crisscross your chest or back to create a hands-free hold. The top part of the shoulder straps are thick cushiony cotton to help distribute baby's weight evenly across your shoulders.

The hip straps:

Depending on what carry you choose, the hip strap will either tie across your hips (duh.) or across the top of your chest like in the secure high back carry.  With most carries, you start out by tying the hip strap like an apron so it dangles down.  That way, when you pull it up a comfy little seat is created for baby to sit in a natural hip-flexed position.  Or if baby is too little to sit with legs spread, she will simply sit in the seat with her legs in a froggy position.  No crotch-dangling, remember?

 Head support:

The head support is designed for little babies without neck control.  This is not a sleeping hood and it really wouldn't be very helpful if a toddler fell asleep in the mei tai.  It is solely designed to keep a little baby's head from flopping back.  A good thing.  A very good thing.

____________________________________

The best way to learn how to wear your baby in a mei tai is to watch youtube tutorial videos a million and five times.  I would link some good videos but my current laptop is 10 years old and doesn't support videos.  Yes.  10 years old and I'm proud of it.  Practice with an empty carrier, practice with a stuffed animal and finally, practice with your baby.  By the time you actually have you baby in your arms, it will be second nature to you.  And, don't be afraid of the back carries.  If I can do it, you can do it.  Seriously.

____________________________________

I bought this Babyhawk off Craigslist when I was pregnant with Liza.  I used it quite a bit when Liza was resisting the ring sling but not quite big enough for the Ergo.  I really like it and I appreciate the traditional design but it's not my favorite carrier.  For me, the biggest drawback is that storage is a pain.  I like things to neatly hang on our coat hooks but the Babyhawk just doesn't cooperate with it's long straps.  Actually, I've been thinking about selling it because I haven't used it in several months.  If you are interested, send me an email at lmd328 at gmail dot com and I'll send you some pictures.  The reverse side is a super sweet pink and brown damask so it is perfect for either gender.

This is the second post in a series all about babywearing.  If you have a question, let me know and I'll try to help you out.  Thanks for reading!

1. a soft-structured carrier.

Do you have a mei tai?

a soft-structured carrier.

Random women I don't know, several times a week:  What kind of carrier is that?

Me:  This specific brand is a Boba but the style is a soft-structured carrier.  Maybe you've heard of the Ergo; it's a popular brand.  It is just as easy to wear on my back and she usually hangs out on my back when we are home.  I love it.

______________________________

That's my current babywearing spiel in a nutshell.  And, seriously, I dispense my little nutshell on a regular basis.  Babywearing is not the norm around here -- unless you are my friend because I have great friends like that -- and these mamas have a genuine interest in learning how I wear my 7 month old with such ease.

If you are one of those mamas........

I introduce to you my much beloved and well-used Boba, a soft-structured carrier (SSC):

If you are thinking, "But my Baby Bjorn was so uncomfortable" think again.  Bjorns are crap carriers.  I said it.  They are crap carriers and in no way, shape or form anyway related to a good SSC.  Babies dangle from their crotches in a Baby Bjorn's narrow little seat but a SSC's wide base makes a comfy seat for baby to sit in a natural hip-flexed position.  Comfy for mama (or daddy!) and for baby.  Seriously.

SSC are good for babyhood through toddlerhood.  I am every bit as comfortable with Henry on my back even though he is 2 years older than Liza.  They might seem spendy at first but if you plan on wearing your baby at every chance, it is well worth the money.

The chest strap:

Can you tell the strap moves up and down on a little fabric track?  I really like that because the placement of the chest strap depends on whether Liza is on my front or my back.

The hip strap:

It's big.  And, that is a good thing when you wear a big baby or a toddler.  The hip strap is designed to sit on your hips which is key to evenly distribute baby's weight.

The sleeping hood:

 

When Liza was smaller, I questioned the necessity of the sleeping hood.  It seemed gimmicky and unnecesssary.  I was wrong.  Very wrong.  Now that Liza is big enough for her head to flop back while sleeping in the carrier, the hood keeps her little neck in the proper position.  It also serves to limit distractions in her line of sight as she falls asleep and is a signal to her that it is time for a nap.  Summer is breezing it's way into our area and the sleeping hood has done a great job of keeping the sun off her face on long walks.

*Please note this is not a review of the Boba, a company which has never heard of me or my blog and is is in no way affiliated with this post.  I am simply breaking down the elements of soft-structured carriers and I happen to own a Boba which has brought nothing but joy to my life.

This is the first post in a series all about babywearing.  Like cloth diapers, I think babywearing can be intimidating and the amount of information overwhelming.  Have a specific question?  Let me know and I'll try to help you out. 

Do you wear your baby or toddler?

please excuse the mess....

She really really wants to crawl.

Can you tell?

The food under the table is often a driving force in her motivation to get moving.

Pretty sure she *needed* that crumb.

And, it looks like she got it.....

planting our summer garden.

This weekend was full of indicators that spring is officially here:
I sweated for the duration of our morning walk.
The daffodils are in full bloom.
The fan stayed on in the front room and I was still hot.
I have already forgotten what it was like to be cold during the wintertime.
Liza's winter clothes are neatly packed away with her summer clothes organized in her wardrobe with Henry's closet reorganization coming soon.
My ridiculous number of winter jackets were jammed into a garbage bag and thrown into the workshop.

And, last but not least, Taylor and Henry planted our summer garden:

Henry eagerly anticipated the planting of these seeds for several weeks as Taylor tilled and prepared our little garden plot.  But, it was obvious he was clueless about the purpose of the garden when I told him these seeds were going to grow into vegetables we would eat.  The look on his face was pricelesss as he rubbed his tummy and said "mmmm!"  We certainly love our veggies in this house and I am so excited that Henry is big enough to appreciate and understand our little vegetable garden.

How to plant seeds with a two-year-old as your helper:

1. Discuss the "high and low" parts of the garden and repeat again and again "only walk on the low parts".

2. Demonstrate how to lay the seeds on the rows.

3. "Punch" the seeds down with your fingers.

4. Mound the rows back after the seeds are planted.

5. Attempt to ban the two-year-old from the garden after he stomps on the carefully planted rows.

6. Pull the two-year-old out of the garden a few more times.

7. Sit down and explain why you can't stomp on the carefully planted rows.

8. Give the two-year-old the responsibility of tightly holding onto a baggie of seeds.  Can you tell he is saying "seeds"?

9. Continue planting the seeds with a million reminders not walk on top of the planted rows.

This is my view of our backyard from the kitchen door.  Frankly, all this planting wore me out and I needed a glass of wine to wind down from the hard work of documenting the event and mentally planning out this blog post.  It's hard work being mama!

Quite the pair!

It was a big deal to get a picture this good of Henry.  Liza is easy.  Henry, not so much.

P.S. Too bad his eyes are wonky.

P.P.S. Be prepared to see this perfect picture of Liza in the near future with (hopefully) a perfect one of Henry.

P.P.P.S. I even have his shirt picked out so he will match Liza for the followup picture.

P.P.P.P.S. Be prepared to be blown away with cuteness.  Seriously.

nerf ball nose.

November.

Snotty nose.

Yellow.

Green.

Red.

Antibiotics.

February.

Snotty nose.

Yellow.

Green. 

Red.

30 days.

Antibiotics.

March.

Snotty nose.

Phone call.

ENT.

Columbus.

Today.

During naptime.

Blockage.

"Vacuum Room".

Brave.

Baby Papoose.

Headlamp like Dada.

Brave.

Vacuum.

Tears.

Snot.

Tears.

White.

Tears.

Hemostats.

Tears.

Foam.

Demolished nerf ball instead of nap.

Months ago.

Bloody.

Snotty.

Yellow.

Green.

Red.

Tears.

Stickers.

Liza passed to nurse.

Mama hugs.

Smiles.

Frozen yogurt.

M&Ms.

Food.

Friends.

Fun time.

Forgotten.

top 10 things I love about my son.

1.  His feet seriously pitter patter all over our hardwood floored house.  There is no missing his precise location even if he is not within eye shot.

2.  When he wants to listen to music, he says "I wanna dance."  And, he is serious business about his need to dance.  Slow songs do not make the cut.  He needs to boogie and he needs loud music with a strong beat to get him in the groove.

3.  He loves loves loves his daddy.  Seriously.  He loves his daddy.  Taylor can make everything right in Henry's world with a "let's play".

4.  Henry loves running down the sidewalk in front of our house pretending he is one of the millions of college kids who seem to get a kick out of exercising.  We'll be walking around sloooowly looking at every ant and crack in the sidewalk and then *bam* he is inspired by a runner and taking off down the sidewalk.

5. I might complain about him being too rough with baby sister but she is always on his mind.  He is still adjusting to the fact that she is eating food since I've been lecturing him since birth that Liza only drinks mama's milk.  But, he is obsessed with his new hobby of giving her one pea at a time on her high chair tray.  So sweet and willing to help.

6.  His favorite number is 2.  He needs two of everything.  The only catch is that he is rarely satisfied and always wants more so he begs for "two" when he really means he wants at least 5 or 6.

7.  He takes 3.5 hour naps every day.  Love it.

8.  Helping is a major hobby.  He loves pouring and mixing the best.

9.  I'm pretty sure we've created a reader which means a lot to his two reader parents.  The kids loves books and can attentively sit through a loooong story book.

10.  Henry has only gotten out of bed and walked into the front room once in the morning without alerting us to the fact that he was awake.  How did we know he was up?  We heard a *thunk* and a *bang* and then the sounds of our cat scurrying out the doggy door.  Henry was quite pleased to announce he "hit Jiji".  I chose to be glad he hit the cat so at least we knew he was awake and out on his own.

Yes.  He is 2.5.  Yes.  He frustrates me on a daily basis.

But, he is my first born baby and I love the little boy he is growing up to be.

vampire girl.

This little cutie just cut her 3rd and 4th teeth......and they are not her top two teeth!

 I'm hoping her top little fangs grow big and strong before her front teeth make their appearance.

Sweet little vampire.

more thoughts on blw AKA food for thought

Liza is 7 months old and eating real food.  Not purees.  Not mashed up food.  Real food.  As in, she picks up food off her tray and takes perfect little bites that are just the right size for her perfect little mouth.

A few weeks into solid food, she has tried and liked:

lentils cooked with garlic and dill -- possibly her favorite but her tummy wasn't very happy that night... peanut butter and jelly, banana, avocado, a boiled egg yolk, scrambled eggs, potato frittata, kiwi, homemade bread, hummus, orange, steamed carrot, sweet potato, spinach, green peas and probably other things I can't remember at the moment.

But, Laura, you are breaking all the rules.  You are introducing fruit before she tries all the vegetables.  You aren't feeding her purees on a spoon.  You didn't start with bland rice cereal out of a box.  You aren't giving her Puffs and MumMums as her first finger foods.  You.  You.  You.

Food for thought:  Maybe it's time these rules are broken. I want my kids to love whole foods not processed food out of a jar.  I want my kids to know that fruits and vegetables are a good thing and not just something you eat in order to get dessert.  I want my kids to stop eating when they are full not just because the bowl is clean and the spoon isn't coming their way.  I want my kids to know that snack time doesn't have to consist of dry crunchy highly refined grains out of a box or canister.

Can you tell I consider teaching my kids healthy eating habits one of my biggest responsibilities as mama?  You see, we live in Mississippi aka "the fattest state in the country".  My state proudly touts our status as birthplace of Elvis, William Faulkner and the Blues but we are also have the highest rate of childhood obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in the entire country.   

I refuse to let my kids become another number in Mississippi's dismal health statistics.  And, the more I think about it, the more I realize that baby-led weaning creates the building blocks needed for a lifetime of healthy food choices.

Okay.

Maybe she didn't really like the kiwi....

But, she gave it a try and that's good enough for me!

a non-overachiever bakes bread.

For the longest time I was convinced baking bread was solely reserved for over-achievers.

And, trust me, I am not an over-achiever.

I never once made straight A's in school.

Even if I clean all day, which I don't, my house is always a mess.
Henry's new thing is to sleep in his clothes and then wear them again the next day.  And, I like it.

As a teacher, I got to work at 7:30am and left promptly at 3:30pm. 

I was not one of those teachers with cute thematic bulletin boards.

I never do the dishes until the sink is completely full.

Seriously.  I'm not an over-achiever.

But, I do live in a family of carbotarians and I did not like the way hidden dairy ingredients in store-bought bread never allowed Henry's ezcema to fully heal.  Taylor's college career consisted of jobs in yummy bakeries around the state and he had plenty experience with various forms of dough to convince me that any fool can bake bread.  So I gave it a try.  My first few batches were decidedly not tasty but as each successive batch of bread became tastier and tastier I gained confidence to play around with the recipe and figure out what works for me. 

At first, I sat around in the house all.day.long waiting for the yeasty dough to bubble...waiting for the dough to double...waiting for the loaves to rise.  All that waiting made for long boring days in which I felt compelled to constantly monitor my dough's progress.

Then, I realized a watched pot never boils.  And, trust me, watched dough is never going to bubble, double or rise.

Now:  I start the dough first thing in the morning and leave the yeasty mixture in the oven with the light on.  Leave it and forget it.  A few hours later when I see the flour on the counter that I never did put up, I remember the dough in the oven.  It's big and bubbly.  Perfect.  If everybody is happy, I add the next set of ingredients and knead the dough.  If everybody is not happy, I stick the dough back in the oven and wait until naptime to get my hands sticky and doughy.  After the dough is kneaded, I stick the dough back in the oven with the light on to double in size.  A few hours later when the thought strikes me, I check on the dough and divide it out.  Since I double the recipe, I break the dough into 4 equal pieces -- 2 to bake and 2 to freeze wrapped up in foil.  The two loaves to freeze go in my glass loaf pans in the oven with the light on.  A few hours later, I remember to check the oven when I see the mess all over the counter from kneading the dough.  If the dough has risen sufficiently, I turn on the oven and bake the bread for 35 minutes.

Literally, I start the process at 7am and we have freshly baked bread right around Henry's bedtime.

I say all this to let you know that eating freshly baked bread from your oven is not just for over-achievers.  Even mamas who work can pull it off during the weekend because the dough is left unattended the vast majority of the time.  And, this is coming from a woman who was seriously fearful of dough.  I was convinced it was too difficult for a non-detail oriented person such as I.

Even though I feel like I am well on my way to mastering the art of baking a quality whole grain loaf of bread, I need to make sure you are firmly convinced I am not an over-achiever.  

This is a picture of my dining room floor right now.  See the specs all over the floor?  Yep.  Those were Liza's lentils from last night's dinner.  And that thing in the middle?  A sock Liza wore a few days ago. 

We might have fresh baked bread but the house is still a mess..... 

gentle love.

I won't lie.

Henry has been driving me crazy lately. 

 He is the prototypical 2.5 year old:

 Every question answered with a firm "no" even if it doesn't make sense in the situation.  Every rule broken.  Every boundary pushed.  Every sister hit numerous times a day.  Every carton of almond milk must be on the counter at all times, the fridge needs to remain opened and naptime is only acceptable if he has at least 4 cups of water next to his bed.

So what do I do?  What is my reaction to these behaviors?

Quite often, I choose to ignore the undesirable behavior.  Ideally, I guide him to a new activity and he forgets his defiance for the moment.  This works more often than not, especially when we are out and about.  As a teacher, I was a fan of the "if you...then you" statements and it is quite useful when dealing with a toddler.  "If you want to go outside, then you have to get your shoes."  "If you throw food on the floor, then you have to pick it up".  It's not a threat but a clear cut set of actions that Henry easily understands.  Timeouts in his room is solely reserved for hitting, biting or inflicting physical pain on one of us, usually poor little Liza.  Timeout always ends with a sweet little hug for the injured party and a funny acting out of his poor behavior choice that led to the timeout.   

You see, we have it all figured out....or maybe we don't have it all figured out at all.  I feel like all day long is a constant battle.  Yes, Mama, I realize I was the same way. It gets old.  Old for me as his main caretaker, old for Henry for rarely making the right decision, and surely it gets old for Liza being stuck in the middle of it for her entire life.

Last night, I reread a blog post by Code Name: Mama about the "Top 10 Ways to Avoid a Timeout".  I needed these reminders.  I needed to remember he is only two years old and he is constantly learning from our reactions to his behavior.  I needed to remember he is still a baby and a very emotionally charged baby at that.  I needed to remember it is my job to make sure I give him everything he needs so he can learn to make good decisions and learn from his poor decisions.  I needed this.

Henry's new favorite activity of hitting his mama and his sister started as soon as Taylor left for work this morning.  Instead of sending him to timeout, I sat Liza down with some toys, reached out to my biggest little baby and tickled him saying, "hugs not hits".  Let me tell you.  The kid lit up from the inside out.  I followed Code Name: Mama's rule #2  -- Find the need.  He needed a little loving attention.  I was glad to give him the loving attention he needed.

And, it made all the difference.  It started our day out the right way and with rule #6 -- Be gentle. -- echoing in my mind, we had a wonderful day together.

Seriously.

It was the best day we'd had in weeks.

Coincidence?

I think not.

We love BLW!

What's not to love about baby-led weaning?

It certainly is working beautifully for our little girl:

 a whole egg yolk

chunk of steamed sweet potato

handful of chopped spinach

slice of potato frittata - she loved the different flavors!

homemade bread

------------------------

More details about why we love BLW to follow in another post on another day.

meal planning 101.

Yesterday was a good day:

Grocery shopping.

Mardi Gras party with mama friends and kids.

Afternoon nap for Henry.

Afternoon nap for Liza in the Boba on my back.

Yes, grocery shopping made my "good day" list.

I love it all:

meal planning

list making

shopping

organizing my new groceries
cooking my planned meals.

This is how I use meal planning and careful shopping to stick to a tight grocery budget each month:

*General Guidelines*

- The goal is to only keep food you "need" in your fridge and pantry.

- Do you write a cash budget for each pay period?  If not, you should.....

- Homemade is better for your body, better for your budget and tastes better to boot.  As a stay-at-home mama, I have the luxury of time (did I really just write that?) to make almost everything from scratch by starting dinner preparations early in the day.

- Bulk is good.

- I do not compromise my family's health to save a buck.  I buy organic fruits and vegetables when available and I always check labels before choosing packaged food.

- This is a biggie - I don't buy snack food.  If Henry is hungry, he eats a piece of fruit, a slice of a vegetable or a sandwich.  You won't find goldfish, cereal or packaged granola bars at my house.  If I want something snacky, I bake it myself.  So yeah, I've become quite the baker because I often need cookies.

1. Look in your fridge and pantry.

Think of meals that use ingredients you already have on hand.

2. List meals and write needed ingredients.

I like to grocery shop once a week so I plan for 7 meals.  If I want to cook something for dinner that will use half a can of tomato sauce such as pizza, I make sure another meal is going to use the other half of the tomato sauce.  If we want spaghetti that week, I know that I'll use half a package of ground turkey so I need to think of another meal for the rest of the turkey.  I like to add fresh mushrooms to the jarred spaghetti sauce, I make sure there is a meal to use up the rest of the fresh mushrooms.  So on and so on.

3. Stick to your list within reason.

I always check if our staples (almond milk, flour, peanut butter, jelly, etc) are on sale even if they didn't make the list.  I am also very flexible with vegetables and fruit as I like to buy what is in season and reasonably priced.

4. Post your meal list on the fridge.

This seems like such a no-brainer but it is serious business.  If you stick to these rules, your fridge and pantry look pretty empty and it might be hard to remember what to cook just by looking at raw ingredients.

5. Make sure you give your toddler the list and the pen while shopping.

It is key that your shopping list and meal plan be as messy as possible and scribbled all over by your two-year-old to keep your head level with your newfound grocery budgeting techniques!

____________________________________

Do you meal plan?

Is your technique similar to mine?

homemade deodorant - 2 thumbs up!

Baking soda, cornstarch and coconut oil.....

where have  you been my whole life?

This stuff is the best deodorant I've ever used.

Seriously.

1. It is not greasy when you apply it to your armpits.  Not at all.  The coconut oil ensure it applies smoothly but the cornstarch and baking soda keep it from leaving a greasy mess on your shirt.  

2. Taylor prefers to use the deodorant dispenser but I quickly realized that I prefer getting a chunk of the mix out of a little tupperware container and applying with my hands.  I rub it under my arms and rub in the remaining bits on my hands like lotion.

3. And, if anybody has sweaty hands, I'm pretty sure this would be a solution to the problem .  It would be easy to keep a small jar in your purse to use like lotion throughout the day.

------------------------------------------------

Have I had any converts to the church of homemade deodorant?

How is it working for you?

If you haven't tried it, why not?

Does it seem crazy to you or are you waiting until you run out of your current stash?

I want to know!

Hold her, I will - pt.II

You can never spoil a baby by holding her too much.

I want to do everything in my power to keep my baby happy at all times.

She hates naps and I know sleep is guaranteed in the Boba strapped to my back.

I love a long walk on a pretty day and she quickly gets unhappy in the stroller.

Floor time always ends with a baby in tears and in need of mama cuddles.

Henry is often very needy after his nap and I know Liza is safe and happy if she is strapped to my back.

I need two hands to prepare breakfast, lunch, dinner.

I love grocery shopping and I can't imagine having a good time with my baby stuck in the carseat crowding my buggy.

I have a million reasons for wearing my baby.

But, really, they aren't even important.

She wants to be held and hold her I will.

friday playdate by the numbers.

3..........mama friends.

8..........kids in all.
1..........plan to let the kids run around the cemetery dashed by rain drops and stormy looking skies.
274......toys scattered across the house for the kids' amusement.
39........times I thought "wow, I forget how small our house is until we have visitors".
9..........pm aka Henry's bedtime last night aka the reason he was a sensitive crank with his friends.
1..........little one-year-old who thoroughly enjoyed the feel of a marble in his mouth.
19........times I turned off "Old MacVinko's" very annoying song.
4..........toddlers who couldn't quite get along this morning.
4..........toddlers who would have greatly benefited from a morning running around outside.
837......kernels of popcorn popped as a "let's get happy" snack.
1..........certain little Dearman child who thought it a good idea to dump.....
274......pieces of popcorn all over the floor of our house.
2.........baby girls who enjoyed sitting together and sharing toys so sweetly together.
1.........mama who feels so thankful for good friends to share a rainy morning!