"all done"

I heard it a few days ago, but I wasn't really sure he meant it. And then yesterday when I was helping the kids out of their car seats, Brett and Lydia were saying their usual "all done, all done, all done" (in other words, "Hurry up, Mom"), and from behind me, clear as day, comes another "all done" - from Reggie! Reggie's first undeniable "word". No surprise, considering he hears it all the time from his brother and sister! (I have heard some "mama's", but it was definitely questionable if he was referring to me.)

Lydia's first word was "cat", and Brett? Well, his first word was also "all done". I have a couple of impatient little boys!

benefits of babywearing

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There are often reports in the news that I want to blog about, but by the time I get around to it, it seems like it's pointless. Even though this story hit the headlines in March, I am still going to post about it. What frustrated me about this story (not the particular one posted) was that babywearing in general got a lot of bad press (rather than just the specific products being recalled).

If you have been around me much in the last 2.5 years, you have probably seen me wearing a baby. I wore Brett a lot his first few months to promote bonding. For a baby who has become familiar with the rhythm and sounds of one mother in the womb only to be placed in another mother's arms after birth, it is particularly valuable for the new baby (and Momma) to bond in this way.

Baby Brett in The Ultimate Baby Wrap

Then, of all my babies, Lydia was worn the most because she was an incredibly high needs baby. Her first 3 months of life, she was being held 22 hours a day, and we had a 1 year old to take care of as well. At that point, it was a means of survival and keeping my sanity. One day, my wrap was lost, and I had a meltdown because I knew I could not make it through a single day without it. We had to go out and buy another babywearing option that same day! I purchased a snugli soft frontpack because it was inexpensive, and it worked out great for quick, short wears with a light baby, but I still preferred my wrap for longer wears as it was much more comfortable. I was still wearing Lydia on a regular basis when we adopted Reggie! And Reggie has loved being snugly wrapped to me as well. On the day of our homecoming, Reggie stayed close to my heart as I flew home from Georgia. Reggie has since become too heavy for the Ultimate Baby Wrap I loved using with all my babies, but I was not done wearing him! Because, with him, the biggest benefit (in addition to bonding) is it gives me a place to keep him close while I keep up with two busy toddlers. It is also a place for him to be when we are out shopping because there is no more room in the cart!

So, I did some research, and invested in two more babywearing options that would work with heavier babies. The first is another wrap, but it is not stretchy like the Ultimate Baby Wrap; it is constructed of a woven gauze material that gives baby and Momma more support. There are many different ways to wrap the baby to you. Reggie likes to be wrapped tummy-to-tummy, while Lydia likes to be carried in a hip carry. Similar to the kids' "Sunday shoes", I call this my "Sunday wrap", because I think it is so pretty!
The second is an Ergo soft supportive carrier. It's faster to put on than a wrap. We've all heard that you get what you pay for. Well, I've found that to be true with baby carriers. And this product was worth every penny! It can be used as a frontpack or a backpack. Due to his weight, I can only wear him about 15 minutes in the front, but I've worn him on my back for a couple hours no problem! And I have done everything with him on my back from hanging clothes to dry to literally crawling through the "ant hill" with Lydia at the children's museum! He never fusses when he is in there. He is always perfectly content next to Momma.

Bryan also does a lot of babywearing. He prefers backpacks and often wears a baby while doing yard work. This weekend when we went to the farmer's market, he wore Reggie and I wore Lydia, each in a backpack, and Brett got pushed around in an umbrella stroller. That was way easier than trying to maneuver a triple stroller or keep track of a toddler in a crowd!

No, I could not have survived the last 2.5 years without babywearing. And it's not babywearing that is dangerous. Babywearing has been around since the first mom had to multitask! It is a few products and some unsafe practices that are dangerous. I had a sling when Lydia was a newborn (that has not been recalled) and I was never comfortable with how scrunched she was in it, so I stopped using it. Just like with anything else, we must understand how to use the product safely and be aware of it's limitations.

a day on the farm

It seemed a bit silly to PAY for our kids to tour a farm when Bryan and I both grew up in the country, but times have changed. And our kids are city kids, but that doesn't mean they can't appreciate the farm. So, on Tuesday, my friend, Bonnie, and I took the kids to a local farm that gives tours to kids in the spring when they have lots of cute farm babies!

First, the proper attire: (no, we didn't take the sling shot with us!)

The kids got to jump in the hay.Then we learned about the auger and got to take hand fulls of corn...

...to feed the cows.

Brett really loved the baby pony.

We also got to go on a hayride.

Lydia's favorite part of the farm was the hay, the rocks...

...and the kitten.Yep, these turkeys should be ready by Thanksgiving!

All that farming worked up an appetite!

anniversary

Since we celebrated our 7th anniversary this week, on our way back from Garret's graduation, we stopped at the park where we held our reception for a McDonald's picnic and some time to stretch our legs from the long trip. We had not been there since our wedding day. Brett ate his BBQ sauce with his spoon.

Then we checked out the waterfalls.

Lydia may have a future in tourism.