Links I Like: Kids Craft Weekly

Recently I have been interested in sewing and other crafty notions. I have only made one or two items so far. In my search for free craft ideas I happened upon this website: www.kidscraftweekly.com. This site has some great craft ideas from a stay at home mom. She actually has a weekly newsletter that you can subscribe to with craft ideas based around a theme. I haven't received one yet, but I did sign up today. So, if you are looking for ideas it might be worth checking it out.

Merry Christmas

We have been very blessed this Christmas season to spend so much time among our friends. I think this month we've attended about 5 different Christmas or birthday parties. In addition, we've been able to catch up with long time friends. We met our new niece last week, we also met up with two of my three bridesmaids and the friends who are like second parents to me! It was quite a trip and a great way to celebrate our 5th anniversary. When we got back home our friends from France stopped in for a visit.

All of this partying has helped me become a better cook (almost every party requires you to bring a dish.) However, it has not made me too interested in decorating our own home. We do have a Christmas tree this year - our first one since we've been married! We have more ornaments than I know what to do with. If you have any thoughts about other things to do with ornaments let me know. I am also looking for ideas about what to do with all of the fabulous family photos we get from family and friends during this time. I was thinking about making a "wreath" out of all of the pictures - but I'm not sure I'm that crafty.

Today both sets of parents are here to celebrate. We are so fortunate.

So thanks to family and friends for the abundant blessing that you are to me on this journey.

Long time, no blog

I wish I could say that I have been overwhelmingly busy - but that's not true. I am enjoying being a mother and have been reading and volunteering in my spare time. Some of my reading has been other people's blogs. I have realized that I enjoy catching up with their lives and learning from the things they've done. So, I have decided to keep up with my blog a little more.

Recently I have been reflecting on my "guidelines" of parenting from before I started parenting. One of them was to begin as you mean to go. Well, I have already learned a little about the wisdom of that one and the dangers of not being thoughtful beforehand. We were letting our little one take naps in a bouncer - which is really convenient and he liked it. However, I realized that he would one day outgrow the bouncer and would need to sleep in his crib. Well, lets just say that the transition involved quite a bit of crying and very little sleeping. I tried to use the "pat and shush" method from the Baby Whisperer - it means you stay with them while they cry until they fall asleep. Well I can't shush for 45 minutes straight. We burned out one blow dryer for the white noise our son liked, so we decided to use radio static instead. It is a much better option (for example it doesn't spark), cheaper than a white noise maker and can be found almost anywhere (even in the car!). I do have to say our little one is persistent and does try to resist sleep - but he does sleep in his crib now.

I guess that's enough for now. I have lots of other thoughts, but I guess that's why people normally write small amounts frequently. I am going to work on that!

Sleep and babywearing

Although I am not a convert to the attached parenting style, there is truth to the claims they make about babywearing - at least when it comes to sleep! A friend introduced me to the crazy world of babywearing recently. Some wear their babies as a matter of principle and it is almost an anti-establishment statement of sorts. I just wear him because its practical and he seems to like it so far. It's convenient because babies like being close to you and sometimes you need to do something other than hold them. In fact, as I write this my little one is sleeping in his wrap tied up to my chest and I have both hands free to type! Almost every time I put him in the new wrap he falls asleep. So far he slept through mom making muffins (Dad put the muffins in the oven - not to worry), a few meetings, a walk around the block and me typing this. I expect he will sleep through much more (I've only had it for a week).

There are four general types of babywearing devices.

• Ring Slings - These are long pieces of cloth that can be padded or unpadded that go through a couple of rings and are adjustable. I personally am not too interested in slings although they are very popular.
• Pouches - This type of sling or pouch is fitted to its wearer and is basically a piece of cloth folded over so that the baby can sit or rest in it.
• Mei Tai - (pronounced May Tie) This is a rectangular piece of cloth with four straps coming out of each of the corners. The bottom straps are tied around the waist, the baby sits and is supported by the rectangular piece of cloth and then the top straps are tied in a variety of ways around your body to keep the baby safe and secure.
• Wrap - This is a long piece of cloth (5 to 6 yards) either stretchy or woven that can be tied in a variety of ways to hold the baby. This is the type that I have and am loving it!

Almost all of these can be used in a front, side or back position. You need to be practical about what you can do while wearing your baby - but it does make it easier to read, type or eat. All of these can be purchased in a variety of fabrics and colors. You can also make them yourself if you have a bit of Martha in you. I don't expect to be "wearing" my child until he is three or four (like some people do). Nor do I think the stroller is of the devil. These soft carriers are different from "structured carriers" because they allow the baby to sit more in the carrier instead of dangling which is supposed to be better for their spine. It makes sense to me - plus they are more versatile.

So far I know that being a wrap comforts my little one and helps him to sleep - so I intend to use it as long as he enjoys it. If you are interested in learning more you should check out www.thebabywearer.com - they have tons of information about this topic.