Oh. My. Goodness. Check this out! I love that this mama is able to bring her baby to work with her - and what important work she does!
Now tell me. If this woman can bring her baby with her to her job, why can’t a librarian? Or a server? Or a pilot? Or a customer service representative?
It’s funny. With Gwen, I found it so easy to carry her around everywhere in a ring sling or mei tai. With Gil, even wearing the mei tai was getting difficult! After attending a babywearing meeting last month, I was re-introduced to wraps - or simple pieces of cloth (SPOC). I tried out a friend’s Storchenwiege and was in LOVE with how comfy it was to carry Gil! I messaged her a few days later to ask her to send me some of the hot wrap deals on TheBabyWearer.com’s forums, since I am new to wraps and couldn’t wade through all the acronyms!
She promptly sent me a few wraps that were good deals and I hurried to get in touch with one lady who was selling a vintage Girasol wrap. I bought it a few days later and waited anxiously for it to be delivered! It came on Friday and is beautiful!
It’s so smooshy and soft and comfortable! What a difference a quality wrap makes for your back! I’ve yet to get uncomfortable wearing him in this!
And I figured out this weekend why it’s been so difficult to wear him and carry him around all day … my tub-a-lub is 18lbs! (Gwen was 17lbs 6oz at a year.) He’s wearing mostly 9-12 month clothes now, although the other day he wore an 18-month button-up shirt. The boy is a week shy of 4 months!
I know I ordered a chubby baby and all, but my goodness!
I never knew how intense being a mother could be until I experienced being solely responsible for two kids under two for 8+ hours per day. It’s intense! Most days are good … although I still don’t feel like I’ve got a “rhythm” yet. When Gwen was a wee babe, I’d found my stride by now, but two is completely different!
Look at this little guy’s rolls! Read the rest of this entry »
Time is a-flyin’!
And boy, is he cute!! At his 6 week appointment, he was 12lb 4oz - he’s gained a full 6lb since he was born! Read the rest of this entry »
Today, I ventured out to the park! I called around and made sure that a friend or two would be there first and then bit the bullet … and it went much better than I could have anticipated! Thankfully, it appears that when you’ve got a newborn, other people really help out with the toddler 
I’m falling more and more in love with Gil - all the while acknowledging that the newborn phase is not my favourite! Saying that out loud and being okay with it is allowing me to move past that guilt and move into a space of being with him more fully and more intentionally enjoying this time. Read the rest of this entry »
Gil is just over two weeks old. Although in some ways it feels like he’s fit right into our little family like he was never missing, in other ways, he is still very new, as are our experiences with him.
Gil has an almost constant need to nurse. Forget every 2 hours. Forget every hour. When this boy is awake, he is stuck like glue to my breast. When he sleeps, he sleeps hard - 1 or 2 hours at a time, minimum.
Gwen seems to be taking this in stride - most of the time, anyways. She seems to realize that “baby” needs mommy and needs to nurse. In fact, two days ago, Gwen was in my room with Gil and I while I was dressing for the day. Gil was propped up on a pillow on the bed looking around and Gwen was watching him. “Mommy. Baby.” She said. In Gwen speak, this means, ‘Mommy, I want you to hold Gil.’ I told her that just as soon as I was ready, I’d pick him up. “Mommy. Baby. Sling.” She said, again. I think I’ve got a novice babywearer on my hands! Read the rest of this entry »
… is about to get a whole lot more difficult!
The past two weeks, I’ve had some combination of Brad and my mom here with me. An extra set of hands to wrangle Gwen into her coat. A pair of hands to get a snack ready. Hands to hold Gil while Gwen and I enjoy our special time together snuggling down for her nap.
Sadly, I will be all alone tomorrow.
And I’m more than a little scared.
Gil is a very frequent nurser. As in, when he’s awake, he’s generally attached to the breast. The. Whole. Time. He’s hard to wear for extended periods because I’m frequently switching him from breast to breast. He’s very rarely awake and settled, happy to be carried around - his need to suck is great, and I’m happy to meet it. Unfortunately, that makes it hard to attend to Gwen’s needs as well!
I know I’ll survive - goodness knows other mothers have been met with more difficult challenges (ie. twins/triplets, two closer in age that mine, developmental disabilities, etc.) and survived - even thrived! Think of me while I find my way to mother another, would you please?
Happy one week, little man! Today you weighed 7lbs even - a full 4 oz over your birth weight! You seem to be gaining about 6 oz every two days … which translates to a LOT of time nursing you. I don’t mind much, although your big sister is a little jealous.
Here are some random facts I’ve learned about you in the last week:
Hey all! Stay tuned for an upcoming review of the documentary ‘Dive’. For now, I wanted to show you a few videos that I’m loving!
The first is the winning music video made for round 3 of the Sakura Bloom Triathlon @ Adventures in Babywearing. How creative is this??!
Second, a TED talk from Sir Ken Robinson about creating a school system that nurtures creativity in children … it’s a bit on the long side but is a FASCINATING talk.
Third, a trailer from the movie BABIES … I can’t wait to see this one!
And because I can’t possibly do a video sharing post without including them, here’s my favourite New Zealand folk parody band, Flight of the Conchords, performing their song Business Time.
Enjoy!
Wow. Can I say wow?
The Continuum Concept, by Jean Liedloff, is in my opinion, largely a social commentary. The writer spent a great deal of time living with and observing Native South Americans in their tribal communities and contrasts their methods of child-raising to our very different North American methods.
Basically, Liedloff postulates that these tribal humans live much closer to the natural human state (the ‘continuum’) than we “civilized” humans - a postulation with which I’m sure none of us would disagree. However, she also asserts that as such, their children (and adults!) are happier, more well adjusted, and enjoy a higher quality of life than do their Western counterparts. She stresses that we have come to rely so much on our intellect and so little on our inborn instincts that we miss out on much of the truly human experience. Read the rest of this entry »
