Progressive Pioneer

The Only Reason I Get Anything Done

You know those days where you feel like you can't get out of your own way?  Dishes pile up faster than you can wash them.  You walk into a room only to forget what you came in for.  You're still in your pajamas at 10am.  And noon.  Okay, and maybe you never actually get out of your pajamas.  Those days seem to happen more when you have a two month old and a two year old. 

I have absolutely no idea what I would do without my wrap.  What do people do that don't use baby carriers?  I mean, seriously, I couldn't possibly get a thing done without packing Viv into the Moby and plugging along through my daily duties.  My normally peaceful and charming girl has been somewhat of a grump these last few days and it's amazing how cuddling her into the wrap and just walking a few laps around the house can instantly turn a miserable, howling babe back into the sweet, little snuggler I love.

I always go back to my observation while living in Guatemala, that I so rarely heard babies cry there.  And I also rarely saw a baby lying down by itself; they're always being carried, whether by moms, siblings, aunts, cousins...  It's funny how I'll often try myriad other things: bouncing, singing, distraction etc. before I put her in her Moby where she instantly calms down and I wonder, "Why didn't I try that first?"  It must remind them of the womb, being all snuggled in like that, warm and close to your heart beat and the rise and fall of your breath, lulled by the sway of your step.  And I must admit, I love having her so close, her tiny body all curled up close, her silky soft head near enough to kiss.  It really is the perfect arrangement for both of us.  Though sometimes on those all-day-pajama-days I wish someone would carry me around like that!

Doll Sling for Kids Tutorial

I love these sorts of simple projects that you know will get so much use and love.  Jeanine from Rosie Girl Dreams shares simple instructions for making a sling for your child's doll.  What a sweet way to encourage nurturing and tenderness in your youngest family members.  I bet Sam would get a kick out of having a sling to carry Piggy around in!

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This is a quick, simple guide to making a recycled or new Children’s Toy Baby Carrier. As I currently do most of my sewing without patterns, these basic instructions are meant to inspire and guide you.

Here are my two little ones…baby #3 due in just a few days. Ever since I’d made a baby carrier for my oldest when I was last expecting, I’ve wanted to make another. And finally, success! The baby carrier on the right took 45 minutes to make.

Mama footnote:
That was while
(1) husband was at work,
(2) during the mid-morning (which are our still-capable-of-productivity hours), and
(3) includes the time it took to take the not so wonderful, but hopefully useful photos that accompany.

So, if you’ve thought of it and decided a project like this is too hard, requires too much sewing, or too much time… think again. As usual, the hardest part is simply getting started.

By the way, although this is a great toy for any child, it would also make a lovely gift for a soon-to-be older sibling, as it allows for such endless, imaginative nurture-play. And if you are going the re-purpose/recycled route, you could use an old sheet or a plain colored fabric and give fabric paints or markers for the child to decorate on their own.

Time:
30 minutes-1 hour (depending on if you choose to hand sew or use a machine)

Materials:
* 1 piece of fabric/material (approximately 3-4 feet-ish long by 2.5-3.5 feet wide)
Re-purpose Ideas: Cut open two sides of a pillowcase down the long seams. Leave the bottom end intact. Now you have one long sheet of material. Or, old/thrifted sheets or light-weight curtains would work great.

* One 2 to 5 inch ring
Ideas: You could use an old belt loop, shower curtain hook (if it’s round, smooth and can be completely closed in place), or purchase something at a thrift or craft store. I used a thrifted wooden loop that I removed the decorative fabric backing from for this carrier.

* 1 larger needle (to sew through many layers of material where it’s folded at the ring)
* 1 spool of strong thread or embroidery floss (for sewing through the many layers)

* If hand sewing the hem:
1 needle (quilting or general)
1 spool of thread or embroidery floss

* Or, if machine sewing:
Fully loaded machine, set to go with whichever color thread you’d like

Directions:

1. Gather all materials.

2. Consider ironing your cloth/material (ironed material is easier to work with). This step is not necessary, as the baby carrier/sling will end up being a long swath of bunched up fabric anyhow.

3. Fold and hem all sides of the material that are rough-edged.

Optional: Consider using a decorative stitch on your sewing machine or embroidering the hem by hand.

4. Grab one of the long ends of the material and fold back and forth in a width that will fit through your ring.

5. Draw the folded material through the ring and use your large needle and thick thread/embroidery floss to pass through all layers of material to secure in place.

6. When you’ve sewn across the entire width of the fabric and feel the layers will hold, you’re done. (You may want to sew across the width twice.)

7. Now grab the other end of the fabric (the tail end) and pull it through the loop and drape. It’s ready to go!

A Time Drawing to a Close

Sam had been nursing less and less.  And then without me even realizing, he just gradually stopped.  There are still days here and there when he's feeling a bit under the weather or gets a major boo-boo and wants to nurse.  But they're getting fewer and farther between.  
This is a good thing, I know.  Babies grow up and turn into little boys that know the names of dozens of bugs, wear big boy underwear and say things like, "No problem!"  I'm certainly glad there's a new baby on the way though, so I don't miss those sweet, snugly moments too much.  Now I have to settle for quick hugs and kisses and he flies past from one exciting thing to the next.  And I treasure our early morning snuggles more than ever; he sneaks into our bed early in the morning and we snuggle and chat when we wake up. 
I'm glad that he was able to let go of nursing on his own.  The only time I really made him cut back was when I was first pregnant (you get kind of sore!), so we laid down some rules about how often he could nurse.  But since then it's been his own schedule.  I knew the end was in sight when he would ask to nurse, but once we'd sit down in the chair he would change his mind and want a book instead.  Nursing became much less about food and almost entirely about spending time with mom.  Luckily, we can spend time together, reading books and snuggling for as long as he wants!  I sometimes miss that downy-headed little nurser, but the little boy he's turning into is so delightful and exciting that I wouldn't change a thing!

Preparing for Baby: Books for the New Big Brother

Sam has known and been interested in the idea that there's a baby in my tummy for quite some time.  Though, to what extent his understanding extends, I'm not so sure.  I'm quite sure, however, that he doesn't grasp the changes that will occur in our home when a new little life becomes intertwined with ours.  To help prepare him for this, I've been checking out books from the library about babies, to weave into our bedtime story routine.  He loves them!  He likes looking at the pictures of babies and pregnant moms and talking about what's happening in the pictures, what the baby needs, and what the big brother is doing.  It's really a lot of fun.  A wordless board book about a new baby was tied with his favorite bug book for a few days as his preferred potty time reading material. 

Here are some of our favorites:

Our New Baby: I think that's the title, but I couldn't find a link. Sam really loves looking at the pictures and talking about them.  The pictures facilitate good conversations about what having a new baby will be like, and since there are no words you can adapt the story to your family's situation.

The Sears Children's Library: We got What Baby Needs and Baby on the Way .  We love these because they mostly represent our family with easy mention of baby wearing, skin-to-skin snuggling, breastfeeding, both parents being involved etc. 

Welcome With Love : This is a cool story about a home birth and a wonderful way to talk about birth as a safe, natural, normal event that is important to the whole family.

Hand Woven Fabric, Handmade Sling

I love my Moby and Clay swears by the Baby Bjorn, but I've been thinking about one of those simple, pea pod type slings for awhile.  You know the ones that are basically one big loop of fabric?  I found a great tutorial online and they really are as simple to make as they look. I've had this huge square of fabric that my Guatemalan mom wove for me when I spent a summer in Guatemala during college.  It was just like the ones all the women carried their babies in and she presented it to me, saying it was to carry my own babies in some day.  Unfortunately, I never could get the tying technique down, but I thought that turning it into a sling would be the perfect thing. The whole time I was sewing I kept thinking about Katarina's gnarled hands weaving the threads over and under, over and under.  The loom they use is called a back strap loom.  It's anchored to the wall at one end and wrapped around their back at the other such that they lean against it to keep it taut, sitting cross-legged on the dirt floor.  Katarina spoke little Spanish and I spoke only a few words of her indigenous Mayan language, but there was much communication in the simple acts of caring for each other; cooking, sharing our cultures' foods, she washed my clothes and I brought her back little treats from the market, and of course, much was said, if not in so many words, as she handed me this special cloth before I left at the end of the summer. You can read the tutorial for more details if you want to make your own, but the basic process was to fold a rectangle of cloth, trim one end so it's a bit rounded (this makes a cozier pocket for baby), sew the rounded ends together and hem off the raw edges.  Easy as pie! 

Even though this is really more to use with the new baby, I was pleased to see that it works so well for carrying Sam on my hip when I need both hands free.  It's surprisingly comfortable and he seems to like it as well.  Oh, and I couldn't help but make him a pair of matching stripey pants with the leftover material:)  The material is so sturdy, perfect for play pants.

Under the Weather

In addition to warm memories and handmade presents, we brought a little stomach bug back from the cabin.  Sam picked something up from his little cousin and has been sick in bed with a fever all day.  As much as I wish him well as soon as possible, I can't help but savor the quiet snuggles and slow pace of the day.  "Do you want me to hold you?" I ask as he stirs and wakes, a pained look on his face.  "Hold you," he affirms, and I wrap him up and we rock quietly as he falls back asleep.  Sometimes he tells me "sick" or "boo boo," and other times he heartbreakingly asks me to kiss the boo boo.  If only mama kisses were as effective on viruses as on goose eggs and skinned knees.  But, I'm open to the idea of a certain amount of healing power in a mother's kiss and so I oblige him and kiss his feverish head and his upset tummy.

Mostly we just let illnesses run their course.  We bundle up and resign ourselves to a day or two in bed with some good books.  Even Sam understands the drill and will sit quietly on his bed, turning the pages of picture books.  We drink tea (lemon and ginger for upset tummies, Sleepy Time for comfort), and use various oils according to the symptoms.  Sometimes Sam will even ask for oil or for a "rub," and as I rub his little feet he drifts peacefully back to sleep.

A couple days into the illness, after Sam's numerous requests to be held had started to be felt in my back, I remembered the Moby.  With Sam becoming so independent these days it's sat idle in the back of my closet.  But it was the perfect thing for a tired, sick boy and his mama who has nervously watched the laundry and dishes pile up around her.  He instantly relaxed and laid his head on my chest while I made dinner, did the dishes and folded laundry.  These are good days; despite the sickness and the mounting household chores, I'm tucking away in my memory the many hours spent snuggled up, nursing, holding, rocking and loving my little one.

D.I.Y. Nah Nah Hider

Sam and I are preparing for a trip (home to Maine for two weeks!) and one of the first things I packed in our carry-on bag was this nursing (aka as "nah nah," according to Sam) cover up that I made when he was small.  Sewing projects don't come any easier and I have gotten so much mileage out of it.  It's just a square of pretty fabric, hemmed on all sides, with the top folded over in a channel to run a cord through.  The cord is stitched at the sides and the middle third of the channel is left open so you can pull the cord out and slide it over your head.  The sides cinch up like a drawstring. 
When I first modeled it for Clay he said it made me look royal.  Now whenever I wear it I'm reminded just what a privilege it is to be Sam's mom.  Every mom should have something she wears or carries that reminds her what a treasured, invaluable role she plays; a pretty sling, an elegant bag, an exotic cover up.  It just makes you feel special. 
Having something pretty to use when nursing Sam gives me the extra little push I need to nurse him in public too.  I'm all for nursing anywhere and everywhere... in theory.  But when the time comes, I often get shy and would rather sneak out to the car or a back room somewhere.  But the longer I nurse (15 months and counting!) the braver I get.  The best place I've nursed in public has to be the waiting room at the mechanic's.  I must have been having a particularly fearless day because I didn't think twice about it, just hooked that hungry baby on like millions of women before me have done.  And you know, no one even seemed to mind; it seemed like the most normal thing in the world to do!  I felt so triumphant afterward, like I'd earned a new mama badge.  Where's the best/strangest/bravest place you've nursed your little one?
 

Natural Living for LDS Moms CONFERENCE!

I am so over the moon about this conference!  Of course LDS moms should be at the forefront of natural family living!  It's so exciting to see a convergence of these two worlds.  The conference is all day this Saturday, the 25th, which also happens to be my birthday; what a lovely gift!  Some of the topics will be about nurturing ourselves as mothers, gardening with little children, healing tips and tricks for moms, Christ-centered birth, attachment parenting and the connection between diet and health.  I will definitely be there the whole day.  It's being organized by Celestia Shumway who is also putting the finishing touches on her book about mothering and the tree of life.  You can go for part of the conference or even pick and choose which lecturers you'd like to hear. 
 

Co-Sleepers

Mothering magazine asked for pictures of families co-sleeping awhile back. And Sam and I made the cut! I've been so thrilled with the ease of co-sleeping; the fact that I get way more sleep when I don't have to actually get out of bed several times a night when he calls for me, the sweet snuggles, and the calm, confident nature that he seems to have developed, in part, I think, due to the security he feels from sleeping close to us.  It's tiny, I know. That's us in the upper left corner. Here it is blown up: