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.