International Babywearing Week

Okay I know I am a little late on this but Sept. 21st-28th is International Babywearing Week! There are numerous benefits to wearing your baby.
It has been said that carried babies-

*get a better view of the world- babies pushed in strollers or in car seats only get to see the adult world at knee-level
*learn more- not overstimulated, but calm and alert, which is the optimum state for nervous system development
*become independent faster- when your baby feels loved and cared for then they are confident and trust that you will be there to meet their needs
*regulate their own physical responses -better motor skills, coordination, and sense of balance from observing you and listening to you
*are calmer - when you are close to your baby you can quickly respond to all of her needs
*cry less -less stress hormones from crying means your baby is happier and more peaceful

In honor of International Babywearing Week, I am sharing our on-going journey through babywearing:

The Snugli... (Didn't use too long since it killed my shoulders & back after Luke got over 15 pounds)



A metal-frame backpack carrier that I hoped would be more comfy (not so much...) But did use for hiking a little bit.

The SleepyWrap... (Loved this for newborn months...I honestly need to learn more ways to tie it now that Charlotte is bigger!)

The Hotslings (Loved front carry position before she could hold her head up well..perfect around 4 months. Also loved the pretty fabric! Now when we do the hip carry Charlotte seems to want to arch her back away from me...not sure why that is!)

And Finally the Ergobaby Carrier (This is my go-to carrier right now and I think it will be useful for quite some time now that Charlotte is getting bigger and even Luke can still ride in it. I didn't have the infant insert so 4+ months is when we started using it. Ergobaby also has a new Heart2Heart infant insert that looks more secure for younger babies to ride in this carrier.)

End of the Journey

For the entire month of June I have been using Twitter to micro-blog my mommy adventures and competing against 29 other very cool moms for a grand prize! To start the Sling and Swaddle adventure Hotslings supplied us each with our very own baby carrier and Miracle Blanket gave us two swaddling blankets. In return, we were to be tweeting and blogging about our experiences day to day with our newborns! I had never used Twitter before and wasn't sure how it worked. It was a little confusing and overwhelming to figure out how it works but now that I use it... I kind of like it... well okay Love it sometimes. :) I have been trying to keep up with my tweets and occasionally posting info. on this blog for the contest. Hopefully you all have enjoyed the information that I shared! I know at least the family loves seeing any new pics of the kids. I realized I have more pictures with Charlotte and I together than I do of Luke and I when he was a newborn and mostly that is because of this contest! So that's a great gift for us in the future. I also was just dipping my toes into the babywearing pool when I bought my Sleepywrap carrier. Now that I also have a Hotslings carrier and have been tweeting with other moms, there are several styles of carriers that I would love to try out! Seasoned babywearers say you can never have too many types! I find that when I am wearing Charlotte, her head is up close to me so I naturally talk with her while I am walking around and describe what we are doing. Great for speech and language development! She gets a good view of the world around her instead of being stuck in the carseat stroller...which by the way she usually hates to ride in! If I try to just carry Charlotte while I go in a store or play outside with Luke, I notice how quickly my back starts aching. The difference is amazing! Wearing her in the Hotsling allows her to be comforted and feel close to me while I am able to tend to Luke, clean, or shop! I love having two free hands when it gets busy around here. Babywearing is beneficial for baby, convenient for mom, and Hotslings makes it fashionable.

I definately have also seen the benefits of swaddling your baby. Dr. Harvey Karp lists it as one of the 5 S's for infant sleep solutions! http://www.colichelp.com/shop/happiestbabyontheblock.html
I never had any luck with the swaddling blankets that use velcro that you can buy at Target or Babies R Us. They never stayed tight and the velcro was loud enough to disturb the baby. The Miracle Blanket did look complicated at first when we got one for Luke, but once you get used to it, it literally goes on in seconds. Charlotte is still wearing hers and she has yet to wiggle any body parts out of it. I think I mentioned before that I love how it stays in place and I don't have to worry about blankets or covers coming up around her mouth. That takes a huge worry off of me at night when we go to sleep. Our little girl has spent all but one night at home swaddled in her Miracle Blankets. :)


I was a little skeptical of this Twitter journey at first but it has ended up being very fun. I have met so many great moms from all over the place that love to laugh, share, support, and offer advice on any subject! It's a great way to connect and not feel so isolated if you are a mom facing the day to day challenges with your kids. The hardest part is fitting what you want to say in 140 characters or less each time! Since we have our computer on most of the day, it has been fun to type a little message quickly as I walk through the dining room or check what other's have tweeted! I will be tweeting as Shera_Mama from now on, but probably not as often as I have been (JW will be glad for that! haha) I'm thankful to have met my new Twitter friends including the Sling and Swaddle mamas and hope to stay in touch as our babies are all close in age! This contest has offered a lot of new experiences and created some great connections! Thanks Hotslings and MiracleBlanket and all the sponsors!
www.hotslings.com
www.miracleblanket.com
www.slingandswaddlejourney.com

Still Hotsling-ing it!

I've been using the Hotslings baby carrier all this month as part of my Sling & Swaddle Journey! I am really grateful to be able to try a sling style carrier and love that the Hotslings come in really beautiful fabrics. I had the hardest time choosing my fabric pattern but that was part of the fun as well! I went with the Kyoto pattern and was a little worried it would be a little too colorful or clash with what I wear but I LOVE IT and have received several compliments on it! At www.hotslings.com you can find slings in solid colors, everyday patterns,reversible patterns, mens patterns, designer patterns, and even "Haute" silk designs. They also sell cute little detatchable pockets that match your sling, nursing tanks, nursing covers, and kids slings (so your child can practice babywearing with his or her own dolls/stuffed animals- too cute!). As you can see from the above pictures, children up to 35 pounds are able to be carried in the hip position. Luke really did enjoy this- he didn't want me to put him down! In the beginning, I wore Charlotte in the cradle carry but now she prefers the front carry so she can look out and see the world from an adult point of view. With two children in the household it has been a lifesaver to have two free hands some days! The SleepyWrap I have shown in other pictures is an extremely long piece of fabric that gets wrapped and tied around your body. Although it is comfortable, all the fabric will make it pretty hot to use in the summer. I also have found the Hotslings to be much easier and quicker for making trips to go out shopping. I just throw it in the diaper bag wherever we go, and it doesn't take up much room in the already packed bag!


If you are thinking of purchasing a sling style carrier I would definately recommend checking their site! www.hotslings.com

Today we went to the beach/park today because it was terribly hot and humid. Luke loved playing in the water and swinging. Charlotte seemed to enjoy the water and we just needed an excuse to put her in the little Nijntje swimsuit and sunhat from Tante Kirsten, Ome Marco, and cousins Luna and Senna! So cute!

Daddy and daughter, aren't they so sweet together????

Slingin' & Swaddlin'

As it has been nice weather outside, Luke wants to be out ALL THE TIME. Who can blame him right? It's not always easy though if JW is busy and Charlotte needs fed or held or whatever. The majority of the times that I have been using my new Hotslings baby carrier have been playing outside in the yard with Luke. I am able to play along with whatever he wants to do and she can peek out and watch or eventually fall asleep. I have also worn it grocery shopping since Charlotte doesn't appreciate being in her car seat for too long. When I needed to clean the house quickly before having guests over, the Hotsling was a lifesaver. It has come in handy when I need to have two free hands to get things done. Luke isn't a kid that just lets you sit in a lawnchair, sip a cold drink, and watch him play. Ohhhh no, you have to be actively involved in whatever he wants to play. If he swings, you need to stand there and there are no "pushing breaks" allowed. If I try to sit and look at a magazine, he brings me a stick and instructs me to fish. I love that he communicates so well and wants to play with me but sometimes mommies want breaks too! At least when I put Charlotte in the carrier he can have my full attention (just like the good ol' days for him I suppose!).
Daddy got home from phsyical therapy and took these pictures for us and let me take a few of him as well. He thought he would be returning to work but the therapists want to do some ladder work/practice and he has too many movement restrictions to return to his normal job. For now they told us it will probably be another month off. I think we both had mixed emotions about that! In one way, it is nice he is home to help, play with the kids, work on house projects. In another way, after 3 months being home all the time together we are getting a little sick of each other. :) I know he misses the routine and commaraderie of the workplace as well. Hopefully we will survive another month.





























































I also continue to use the Miracle Blanket, although I am starting to wonder how long it will be beneficial for Charlotte to be swaddled. One thing I like about it is that the blanket stays put all night and it doesn't come loose or shift- it stays at her shoulder level (I still freak out about SIDS risks). She is always swaddled in there securely and safely like a little straight jacket! It also keeps babies from being able to scratch themselves at night. Plus I worry that if I don't put her in it she will wake up halfway through the night! Now she sleeps until 6 or 7 and that's really a blessing! I'm not ready to risk giving that up yet! The Miracle Blanket company website was asking for people to post video on YouTube of your baby being swaddled and going from crying to calm. In return they will send you $150.00! Since I do this every night (although she isn't usually crying when I do it) I wanted to try to get it on tape. It took awhile to actually find a night she was fussy and have JW around to tape. Of course, Luke is alongside begging for a book to be read and then for marshmallows... haha but that is real life! Here is the video I posted on YouTube for Miracle Blanket...it works! A doctor recommended the Miracle Blanket to us when Luke was tiny, and I continue to recommend it to expecting friends and new mommies who aren't getting very much sleep! If you already own a Miracle Blanket check out http://www.miracleblanket.com/ for the $150.00 video info!

Sling & Swaddle Journey Begins!

For the month of June, I am using Twitter to tweet some adventures in mommyhood in a competition of 30 moms. Today our package arrived with the new Hotsling baby carrier (After much deliberation and consultation with every female family member, I chose the Kyoto fabric pattern!) and we received two new Miracle Blankets! Woohoo! I love free stuff! I knew I loved the Miracle Blanket and have already been using our old one with her since she came home from the hospital. I'm excited to have a pink one for her to wear since we like to girl it up around here now. I was curious about the Hotsling because I was secretly envious of every mom I saw in (mostly) Target wearing cool patterned slings. The Sleepywrap is very comfy but when the baby is little it is kind of hidden in there and so people aren't aren't sure what you have going on with your outfit! So now I can go to Target and feel like a hip mom- and that's VERY important. haha
I was a little nervous that I wasn't going to choose the right size of Hotsling, they have a nifty chart but it has a lot of descriptors and I wasn't sure if I fit totally in that category. I ended up getting a size 4 and I think it will work great! The neat this is that the sling can be used from 8 pounds to 35 pounds! Depending on the way you position the Hotsling it can be used to cradle a tiny baby or help lug the big kid on your hip. I have to try to get Luke in there, just for fun. He always follows me around in the morning saying "Mommy carry me!" I will share some fun pics of the kids in the Hotsling when I get more time to play with it!
Today JW continued to work on Charlotte's nursery. We debated on whether to get sage green or a pink for the walls. I opted for "Paris Pink" which reminded me of a peachy/pink ballet shoes color. JW agreed on it and said it was light enough- he thought if it was too dark then we would all look like we were glowing. So he got most of the room painted and announced that it looked like he had a bad sunburn! It is a little shocking to the eyes right now haha but I am hoping that once we get the big white trim up and the white crib/curtains/etc. it will tone it down a bit. I don't think he will want to repaint anytime soon so Paris Pink it is! Luke has been fascinated by the whole painting process and hovering outside the door to watch Daddy. He was hamming it up and I tried taking some pictures- enjoy! I think you will be able to tell which one is his classic "mean face" followed by a smile since I told him I would stop taking pictures if he smiled for me.


































Charlotte is turning into quite the big girl lately. I swear she grew overnight last night! She seems like a big squishy, cuddly, bundle of baby all of the sudden. The last two days she keeps holding her right arm out straight with a fist! If I hold something out to her and encourage her she really seems to try to grab it but it takes a lot of effort! She also enjoys hearing nursery rhymes and doing the little motions with them. I got a laugh today for "The Grand Old Duke of York..." and when I sang "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". She continues to sleep through the night and makes her momma proud!
She may be saying: "Do You Want a Knuckle Sandwich?"

Sling & Swaddle Journey

You may have noticed a little button on the right hand side of this page that says "Sling & Swaddle". I will soon be receiving a Hotslings baby carrier and a couple Miracle Blankets in the mail! I was chosen to be one of 30 moms who will use Twitter to micro-blog their daily adventures as part of a competition for more prizes. If you want more information you can click on that little button on their right and it will go to the website. I will probably figure out how to put a link that says "Follow me on Twitter" or something like that once I get my account password. I have never used Twitter to "tweet" so I am curious about how that will go!

I have some friends who own the Hotsling and really like it a lot. I am excited to try out a baby carrier that is a little more "stylish" than the Sleepywrap that I already own. I already use the Miracle Blanket on a nightly basis so I am loving the idea of having a couple more! I'm sure I will be posting pics and updates on the blog as well. If you are interested in either of these products than it may be helpful to see what some "real" moms have to say about their experiences.