sling tips + huge thanks

I wanted to share these two great diagrams that show some helpful tips for wearing your baby in a ring sling. By following these simple pointers, you will maximize the ease and comfort of wearing your kiddo in this style of carrier.

I also wanted to say a huge "thank you" to an amazing group of women who helped to make the Sakura Bloom Styleathon possible. These babywearing experts met with each of the contestants to give them a private, one-on-one introduction to using their new slings. Their help was invaluable, and it is my pleasure to introduce them to you:

Bianca and Joanna -- Metro Minis
Caprice --- The Art of Babywearing
Giselle --- Granola Babies

Kelsey --- A Woman's Work
Morgan/Heather --- Green Bambino
Susan --- Babywearers of Pheonix

Since these women have such a wealth of knowledge, we asked them to each share their favorite sling-wearing insight. Here's what they said (I love their thoughts and advice -- even after wearing my kids in ring slings for years I found this information to be so helpful!)

A ring sling is so much more than just a baby carrier--it is a nursing cover, sun shade, burp cloth, changing pad, blanket, and fashion statement! -- Kelsey

Before putting baby in the ring sling, make the pocket so you have just enough room to put in baby. This way once baby is in the ring sling you have little tightening to make. -- Giselle

When tightening your sling, grab the tail about 1.5-2" from the rings and pull the material *up* first, then diagonally away from your body, following the diagonal seam of the tail. (Pulling down on the tail to tighten leads to dreaded ring slippage!) -- Caprice

I love the ring part of the sling for hanging a toy/teether/pacifier from. It's fun to watch active babies reach for and play with whatever you have hung there, and it's a great distraction for cranky babies! --Heather

Choose a sling that is reflective of your personal style. It is your accessory, so pick a color and material that matches items you wear, regardless of your baby's sex.-- Susan

Put the baby on your body where you want them to end up, practice, practice, practice, and take a breath when you are done and relax your shoulders. -- Joanna

Are you an experienced ring-sling-wearer? What is your favorite trick, tip, or advice? Leave a comment letting me know!

drowning doesn't look like drowning

I just read this incredibly enlightening article about how to recognize the signs of drowning. I was shocked to learn how subtle yet specific the signs are, and felt I had to share. Please take a few minutes to read this. Someone's life could depend on it.

thought (and poster!) for your monday

"This is your life. Do what you love, and do it often. If you don't like something, change it. If you don't like your job, quit. If you don't have enough time, stop watching TV. If you are looking for the love of your life, stop. They will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love. Stop over analyzing, life is simple. All emotions are beautiful. When you eat, appreciate every last bite. Open your mind, arms, and heart to new things and people, we are united in our differences. Ask the next person you see what their passion is, and share your inspiring dream with them. Travel often. Getting lost will help you find yourself. Some opportunities only come once, seize them. Life is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them, so go out and start creating. Life is short. Live your dream and share your passion."

--The Holstee Manifesto, 2009.

Order the poster here.

Guest Post: Jora from Domestic Reflections on Health Food Store Beauty

Hi there! I’m Jora from Domestic Reflections. I’m so happy to be here at Marvelous Kiddo. It is truly one of my favorite blogs. I was thinking about all the products I love and use from Whole Foods (and other health food stores). I dare say I like it more than the makeup counter at Nordstrom or Sephora. Here are some of my favorites:

Egyptian Magic. This skin cream claims to heal just about every skin ailment. I can attest to that, but it is a wonderful moisturizer. You warm it up in your hands until it liquefies, and then spread it wherever you need a little hydration (or put it on scars, eczema, stretch marks, bug bites…the testimonials mention just about everything!). The ingredient list is awesome: Olive Oil, BeesWax, Honey Bee Pollen, Royal Jelly, Bee Propolis and Love.

Burt’s Bees Buttermilk Bath Soak. It’s not just for babies! True, you could make this at home, but I love the scent and who can resist the cute milk bottle packaging?

Nature’s Gate Herbal Shampoo. This is one of those nostalgia items for me. My mom used this for years when we were little. Then I “rediscovered” it during a brief hippie phase in high school. I miss the old packaging however.

Jojoba Oil. This stuff is a great all purpose moisturizer/makeup remover/hair conditioner/massage oil. I read somewhere that you can actually use it to cleanse your face as well. It’s sort of counter-intuitive to clean with oil, but somehow I don’t break out and my skin does feel, well, clean after I use it!

Sweet Orange and Ylang Ylang Essential Oils. I’m not much of a perfume person (although I’m still try to find my signature scent!). In the meantime, I love dabbing a bit of sweet orange or ylang ylang essential oil on. If you aren’t crazy about these scents, check out the essential oil section at your health food store. I promise you will find something you like!

Weleda Skin Food. I love this stuff for face, hands, feet, wherever. It has a really nice faint orange blossom scent that my husband always comments on, which is always a bonus in my book.

Rachel Perry lip gloss. This is another nostalgia item for me. I think it is the only “makeup” item I was allowed to have until junior high. I felt so grown up carrying it around in my Hello Kitty purse. I love the grape juice flavor.

What are your favorite beauty items from the health food store?

P.S. (From Leigh): Jora's blog, Domestic Reflections, inspires me to live more authentically and elegantly. She has so much style and an equal amount of substance, and she balances them perfectly on her blog. Go there!

Weekend Wonderful

This morning I discovered the most amazing Flickr photostream full of mama-goddess, birth-beauty, belly gorgeousness: Photographer Christy Scherrer's work just moves me to my core! Check it out, here.

I also was touched and inspired by a quote Christy posted on her photostream, attributed to Deborah Hudson, and I thought I would share it here.

Have a wonderful weekend, wherever you are!

Sister

The word that I offer you is courage.

It comes from the French word for heart, and from now on, your heart will be bound not only to your mate, but also to the child your love has created.

It took courage for you to decide to bring a child into this confounding world. It took courage to choose pregnancy. It took courage for you to bring your pregnancy this far. Your heart beats now and passes that courage on to your child.

Your journey from here until your baby's entry into this world will take more courage than you may think you have. But I promise you that courage springs from your beating heart. Know it is there, waiting for you to summon it.

You are on the threshold of the greatest mystery of life, that edge between the other world and this one. You will never be so close to the edge as you are at the moment you give birth. Have courage and drink in the power of this great mystery.

When you labor, open your heart.

When you bring forth, open your heart.

As your child grows, open your heart.

When your child gives you grief, open your heart.

When this child grows to adulthood and leaves your home for another, open your heart.

For it is when we open our hearts that we have the greatest capacity for the courage to be human, to be women and to touch the goddess.

Blessings upon you

copyright 2002 Deborah Hudson

Wellness

Photo: Twig Hutchinson, via Design Is Mine

I was dealing with a cold all last week, and although my symptoms were mild, it was the first time I had come down with something since becoming the mother of two. Dealing with even the slightest sniffle/sore throat got me to thinking about the paramount importance of staying healthy when one is outnumbered by children! Everything was harder and a bit miserable last week, even with such a mild affliction, and I couldn't get over fretting that I would make one of my babies sick.

Fortunately, further illness has been averted in our home for the time being, but I can't help worrying about the season ahead. Every time I turn around I hear about another friend or acquaintance coming down with H1N1! I am no fan of vaccines, so you won't see us lining up for this year's flu shot.

When I felt my symptoms coming on last week, I started to refrain from eating dairy and sugar, I washed my hands more religiously than usual, I drank lots of water, orange juice, and herbal tea, I consumed lots of brothy soup (my favorite: miso), and I took homeopathic remedies from Boiron.

Reflecting on my tactics for healing, I started to wonder about my readers: I'm curious, what do you do to stay well, or to regain wellness? Leave a comment on this post to share your wellness wisdom. Thanks!

How School Kills Creativity

Yum

So, my sister shows up and thinks it's ok to feed me her magical fresh baked Oatmeal Cranberry Toffee cookies.

But I was trying to avoid birthing a 15 pound baby!

Help!

Inspire Me

I'm lacking a bit for bloggy inspiration today...

...so I'm turning to you, lovely readers!

Inspire me with your fantastic ideas, lovely links, marvelous musings...

...leave a comment on this post, won't you?

Thank you a million times over, in advance!

Noisy Alphabet via ffffound.

Excellent Series on Preparing for Baby #2

I'm always discovering great resources and wonderful support on the API Speaks blog, and their recent series of posts on preparing for a second child is no exception.  I thought you might find it interesting, so here are the links:

Part 1:  What on Earth Were We Thinking?

Part 2:  To Tandem or Not To Tandem

Part 3:  Making Room for One More in the Bed

Part 4:  Soon They Are Best Friends

Read it and let me know what you think!  Do you have any insights on the addition of a second baby in an attachment parenting household?

Swimsuit Season Meets Belly Season

Since I'm not due until the end of August, my thoughts are starting to turn towards what I'll wear if and when I go to the beach this summer!  I've been looking around online and these are a few of the swimsuits I'm considering. Which is your favorite?

(From top)

1.  Twist Tankini from Isabella Oliver.

2.  Golden Mary Swimsuit from Bella Blu.

3.  Solid Eggplant suit from Modbe (not shown on a pregnant model, but marketed as a suit that will work for maternity because of the extra length of the top and the forgiving side ruching).

4.  Prego Black Solid Sweetheart Tankini from Pickles and Ice Cream.

5.  Carnival Flutter Halterkini from Tummystyle.

6.  Halter Maternity Tankini from A Pea in The Pod.

7.  Prego Black Dot Bikini from Tummy Style.

Love This

Via The Bedlam of Beefy.

The Internet Is A Truly Wondrous Place

Go here.  I dare you not to become addicted.  (Thanks for the tip, Corie!)

Awkward or Awesome?

Look at this interesting product that I stumbled upon last week:  The Kemby Sidekick is designed to function as a diaper bag and baby carrier in one.  Since I often find myself out on long treks around the city wearing the Kiddo, the idea of having a roomy, built-in bag slung around my hips sounds great in theory (only it wouldn't be for diapers -- I'd probably be stuffing my groceries in there!).  However, I can't stop thinking that it just looks downright uncomfortable and un-ergonomic.  I mean, that bag is HUGE.  Wouln't it awkwardly bump against the babywearer's leg when said babywearer is walking?  Doesn't the strap that goes around the shoulder look like it's riding way up on the neck?  Hmmmmm...

Have any of my babywearing readers tried this product, and if so, did you like it?  Even if you haven't used it, what do you think?   

Adventure Decor

I just had to share this image with you after discovering it on my friend Raina's blog, which has become a daily must-read for me.  Check out If the Lampshade Fits for more incredible, inspirational, supercalifragilistic stuff that'll make you drool.  

Thoughts on Attending Inauguration

Illustration by Patrick Moberg.

Lately, I've become a little obsessed with the idea of going to DC to see Barack Obama take the Oath of Office.  I'm still on a high from the election, and I just can't stop thinking about how historic a moment his Inauguration will be, and how amazing it would be to say that I was there witnessing it with my little family.  Yesterday, I was talking to my friend Liz, and we both got really fired up about the idea and decided to do it.  Now, I'm more excited than ever, but I'm also pretty sure that I'm out of my mind.  Not for wanting to go, but for thinking that the logistics of going will be manageable, what with taking the Kiddo, and it being in the middle of January, and everyone else on the planet probably converging there at the same time.  Which brings me to my first ever Marvelous Kiddo Poll, where you can weigh in on my level of Inauguration-related sanity:

Have a Glittery-Gorgeous Weekend

• Don't forget to enter by tonight at midnight.
  
• Enjoy the surreal, lunar beauty of these photographs.
  
• Take a gander at these awesome High Fashion Matryoshka dolls.
  
• Explore ancient Rome.
  
• Tell plastic bags where they can put it.
  
• Pretend you're a stylist!
  
• Stay warm and wear your baby in style.
  
• Delight in this imaginative and oh-so-pretty blog (where I found the above photo).
  

xoxo,

Leigh

Sleepless Nights

My husband, 16-month-old son and I were up for hours last night, something that has been happening a few times a week for the last month or so.

We have coslept since my son's birth, and for the majority of his life he has been an excellent, sound sleeper. It has only been recently that nights have become incredibly trying. Although the Kiddo is his usual happy self during the day and goes to bed easily, he will start screaming abruptly in the middle of the night seemingly without provocation. He will nurse rather fitfully, but for the most part spends hours tossing and turning and hollering at the top of his lungs. He becomes very averse to being touched or held, buckling his back away from me and DH, and flailing around in general. It is a very disorienting and disheartening thing to experience, and we hurt so much for him, knowing that whatever is bothering him is SO intense. Meanwhile, of course, we are left completely drained.

Usually after a rough night the Kiddo falls asleep at dawn and sleeps solidly for several hours (he is doing so as I type this). By the time he wakes up he's back to his old cheerful, playful self but I'm left exhausted and worn out.

I am not sure what is causing the issue, but I have a couple of theories:

1) Teething. Although most days pass without any extreme teething symptoms (i.e. fever, runny nose, fussing), it is hard to deny that the Kiddo has new teeth popping in like crazy. I can't help but think that this is contributing to his nighttime angst. Maybe the pain is there during the day as well but it intensifies at night? Or maybe it's just that DS is more distracted during the day, busy playing and engaging with the world, whereas at night the teething is front and center and impossible to ignore.

2) General developmental stage. I am amazed by how much the Kiddo is growing every day -- both physically and mentally. Every day is like an explosion of discoveries: language, interpersonal skills, mastering of new concepts. Plus, he's totally developing his own clear identity in a whole new way, with major new tactics of asserting himself and his desires. Every day I look at him and see the baby slipping away and a little boy emerging. It is amazing and exciting for all of us, but it must be quite taxing on him on a deep level at the same time. I've been thinking that the nighttime experiences could be a reflection of that. A kind of release of the tensions that come along with living inside a body/mind that is becoming something entirely new every day.

All that being said, I would love to get back to a peaceful sleep pattern, and soon! The only two things that have provided any kind of relief from the screaming so far are kind of impractical and disruptive in themselves (although preferable to hours of outright violent screaming!) They are:

1) Me getting out of bed and wearing the Kiddo in a wrap. If I do this while bouncing on our yoga ball, he chills out and goes back to sleep. But then, obviously, there I am wide awake, bouncing on a yoga ball, so it doesn't solve the problem of ME getting sleep. Occasionally I am able to lay him back down after a while, but often he just goes berserk again when I start to get him out of the wrap.

2) Last night we actually resorted to playing the Kiddo's favorite movie (Annie) on my laptop in bed. Extreme, I know, and not really a long-term liveable solution, but man did it reverse the agony! Almost instantly those tears were drying and the Kiddo was smiling through It's a Hard Knock Life. This was a desperate-times-call-for-desperate-measures kind of moment, but after so many sleepless nights I'm not really sorry we did it.

Anyway, I guess the bottom line is that I don't have any solid answers, I just felt like sharing and inviting people to advise me on how to cope with this difficult phase.  If you have insights, comment away!

Amazing Photo of the Day

By Heather Champ, Via We Heart It.

Gloria Lemay's Excellent Advice

One of my favorite birth-activist bloggers, Gloria Lemay, has a FABULOUS post up right now on her amazing blog.  I am so impressed by the usefulness of this information that I feel moved to repost it here and encourage my readers to act on her advice and pass it on.  And of course, you must read more of Gloria's excellent perspectives on home birth, breastfeeding, health, and wellness, here.  (Thank you, Gloria!)

The following was posted by Gloria Lemay on October 28, 2008:

AFTER THE BIRTH, WHAT A FAMILY NEEDS

“Let me know if I can help you in any way when the baby is born.” … “Just let me know if you need a hand.” … “Anything I can do, just give me a call.”

Most pregnant women get these statements from friends and family but shy away from making requests when they are up to their ears in dirty laundry, unmade beds, dust bunnies and countertops crowded with dirty dishes. The myth of “I’m fine, I’m doing great, new motherhood is wonderful, I can cope and my husband is the Rock of Gibraltar” is pervasive in postpartum land. If you’re too shy to ask for help and make straight requests of people, I suggest sending the following list out to your friends and family. These are the things I have found to be missing in every house with a new baby. It’s actually easy and fun for outsiders to remedy these problems for the new parents but there seems to be a lot of confusion about what’s wanted and needed…

1. Buy us toilet paper, milk and beautiful whole grain bread.

2. Buy us a new garbage can with a swing top lid and 6 pairs of black cotton underpants (women’s size____).

3. Make us a big supper salad with feta cheese, black Kalamata olives, toasted almonds, organic green crispy things and a nice homemade dressing on the side. Drop it off and leave right away. Or, buy us frozen lasagna, garlic bread, a bag of salad, a big jug of juice, and maybe some cookies to have for dessert. Drop it off and leave right away.

4. Come over about 2 in the afternoon, hold the baby while I have a hot shower, put me to bed with the baby and then fold all the piles of laundry that have been dumped on the couch, beds or in the room corners. If there’s no laundry to fold yet, do some.

5. Come over at l0 a.m., make me eggs, toast and a 1/2 grapefruit. Clean my fridge and throw out everything you are in doubt about. Don’t ask me about anything; just use your best judgment.

6. Put a sign on my door saying “Dear Friends and Family, Mom and baby need extra rest right now. Please come back in 7 days but phone first. All donations of casserole dinners would be most welcome. Thank you for caring about this family.”

7. Come over in your work clothes and vacuum and dust my house and then leave quietly. It’s tiring for me to chat and have tea with visitors but it will renew my soul to get some rest knowing I will wake up to clean, organized space.

8. Take my older kids for a really fun-filled afternoon to a park, zoo or Science World and feed them healthy food.

9. Come over and give my husband a two hour break so he can go to a coffee shop, pub, hockey rink or some other r & r that will delight him. Fold more laundry.

10. Make me a giant pot of vegetable soup and clean the kitchen completely afterwards. Take a big garbage bag and empty every trash basket in the house and reline with fresh bags.

These are the kindnesses that new families remember and appreciate forever. It’s easy to spend money on gifts but the things that really make a difference are the services for the body and soul described above. Most of your friends and family members don’t know what they can do that won’t be an intrusion. They also can’t devote 40 hours to supporting you but they would be thrilled to devote 4 hours. If you let 10 people help you out for 4 hours, you will have the 40 hours of rested, adult support you really need with a newborn in the house. There’s magic in the little prayer “I need help.”