So much for consistency.

I am such a slacker. I have some many things going on and so many ideas in my head. I want to write more but I never find the time to do it on a regular basis. So I will just be me and write when I find time.


Max turned 3 at the end of Feb. He is kind of a giant for his age at 35.8 Pounds (84%) and 39 inches tall. (81%). He pretty much wears 4t clothes all the time now. 


Andy says he sounds like me everyday. Gee when I am with him 24 hours a day I would only expect him too.


We just got back from our first family trip to Walt Disney World. Andy and Max had never been there before. We stayed at the Pop Century Resort. We ate so much food and did so much walking but had a wonderful time. 


Max eats all kinds of foods now but sometimes he gets on a few things kick. He loves fruit, noodles, chicken nuggets, bacon, and cheese. He is loving riding his tricycle in our back patio. I finally got him a bike helmet for when we ride in the Bike trailer with our bikes. But he loves wearing it so on it goes when we go out back. 3 year olds are so silly. :-)

Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan- Porter Beach

Max's first beach experience.

Totally scared at first, loved it in the end.

I love all of the off hours info available these days.

I am a baby wearing junkie.

I love IKEA. And I am quite the baby wearing junkie. IKEA usually has a higher than normal amount of baby wearing parents. Both moms and dads. There are still plenty of times I see parents using strollers, or buckets seats in strollers (ugh), and bucket seats perched on shopping carts (AHHHH NOT SAFE!!!!). If you don't use the stroller in the store, or baby wear, at least put your baby in the big part of the cart. Especially when the bucket seat does not fit onto the seat at all. I do not want to hear of any baby being injured falling off a shopping cart when they should not have been there in the first place. What part of your baby car seat instruction manual said it was okay to do this?

I feel for moms who don't want to even attempt to wear their little ones. Or at least keep them safe. There are hundreds of fall accidents in the US each year. Be a parent who keeps you baby safe. Don't put a baby seat in a unsafe place. Please do not use a bouncer on a table, or use a bumbo seat on a counter.

Try baby wearing, you will more than likely like it!

Natural birthing win.

Two weeks ago Andy and I had a nice conversation about if we have another baby how we are going to handle labor.

I am happy I have a healthy baby boy who just turned 2.

I did not like my labor or the manner of his birth. Drugs stink. Having medically enhanced contractions suck. My water broke on its own but that is about all my body did during labor. I tried to be on as little pain medications as possible and tried to move as much as I could. Had horrible back pain before any pain medications. Ended up on PIT, only getting to 5cm, having 2 epidurals, and having a c section. Also had a groggy baby who took forever to get the hang of nursing. Battled slow weight gain and a short time of supplementing with formula.

I told him of all the struggles I went through because of having medical interventions.

We agreed to, as long as my doctor says okay, have a more natural labor if we have another baby.

I will be getting a doula for birth.

Breast feeding should be easier having the practice.

If I still end up having to have a c section, it will be okay.

But I am going to try my hardest to get the labor I want.

Toddler wearing....

Yesterday, I did a Quilt Shop hop with my mom and 19 month old son. We drove to South Bend, Wakarusa, and Goshen. I have been baby wearing since I brought Max home from the Hospital. I would have never been able to do what we did yesterday trying to use a stroller. It would have never worked. Max slept though the whole first store in a Maya Wrap ring sling. Maya again in the next over stuffed store. By the time we made it to Wakarusa he was awake and onto my back he went in the Babyhawk OhSnap. At the final store for the day there was a toy area surrounded by a 4 foot gate. At first Max was interested in playing but not alone. So after my mom checked out she played with him so I could wrap up my purchase.

Fabric stores are wonderful magical places where imaginations can run wild. So much to see, touch, and explore. I can explore that with my little guy. Only with baby wearing can I let my child explore with me.

Babywearing is normal. Natural. Safe. A daily way of life. I would never change any part of it.

Viva la Babywearing!

Fair time 2010

Mom, Max, and I. It was unbelievably hot. Hopefully next summer will not be as bad. :-) But as you can see it is still easy with a sling.

Baby carrier conundrum

I love my Maya Wraps. I own 3. One in the house, and two in the car. I also have a Sleepy Wrap and a hand made Mai Tei. We also have 3 strollers. One umbrella stroller from my cousin (also lives in my car), one graco stroller that matches Max's original car seat (although I never used them together), and one very expensive Burley Bike trailer (that can hold up to 2 kids or 100 lbs). Max being 16 months old now I need to carry him safely and securely, but out of my way sometimes, as in on my back.

My husband thinks I am crazy. Especially in wanting another type of carrier. I wish money was not a concern.

I will find a way. It will be mine. I end carrying Max everyday. I will make it easier on me. :-)

Nursing...One year and going strong.

It has been a interesting year since Max's birth. I wish we might have had a better birth experience so to get off to the best start we could but, we did the best we could given the circumstances. I ended up using a silicone nipple shield for over 6 months and pumped every morning for almost 10 months. I was able to pump on vacation last summer to keep feeding the Max as we drove to PA. I had a painful issue right around Halloween that lasted a few weeks. Sometimes I feel like I have been through it all now, even though Max is only just over 1 year old. I carry Max almost everywhere in my Maya Wrap. Sometimes we use the strollers we have. We just bought a Burley bike trailer so Max can enjoy going for bike rides this summer. I am finally letting Max sleep in his own room. Alright, tonight is the real first attempt. We will see how it goes. Usually he is in the pack n play in our room.

I regularly attend our La Leche League meetings. I just love to listen to the other mothers issues with their children. Some days I know exactly where there are and other days I will have to find out in a year or so or more. I look forward to having Max get bigger even though it is such a short time in his life that he is a baby. I hope we are able to have another baby some time in the future. I hope Max is a good big brother.

I look to enjoy doing everything that we can together as a family.

YMCA

Alright, so we are new members to the Y in Valpo. The building is nice, staff are pleasant, parking is plentiful. That being said the place is a zoo after 2:30 p.m. There is not enough room in the cardio area and the Family locker room is absolutely nuts. We signed up to do the parent / child swim class which was fun. Justin, the instructor, was very nice and fun with the kids. The family locker room is made up of a bunch of individual bathrooms with showers, all tiled floors, and lockers for stuff in the hallway. The doors have locks but no outer sign that a room is in use. Very frustrating! Either you are walking in on someone because they didn't lock the door or once you are in one, other people keep knocking or trying the door. It would have made way more sense for someone to look at the lock on a port a potty and take notes. I have tried to get Max used to being around other babies and kids so putting him in the child watch area has not been too bad. He seems to enjoy playing with toys as long as no other kid bonks him on the head. Anyway, I hope to enjoy going to the Y as long as it is before all of the little middle and high schoolers get there.