Parenting: Babywearing

So, over the next few weeks/months I'm going to do a little series about parenting. 

I'm definitely no expert, and I don't think I ever will be, so everything I say is really just my personal take on how I (and my husband) parent and raise our kids. 

I'll be touching on a whole slew of subjects including: co-sleeping, extended breastfeeding, meals and baby foods, scheduling, "toddler-schooling", discipline and other personal parenting things. 

We really parent from the heart.

Some people think we're crazy.

Some people are on the same page.

And other people just couldn't care less.

Anyway, I decided to start out this series light and simple and begin with babywearing!

When Viv was born I didn't really wear her much at all. 

We had a Mody Wrap and an Ergo carrier but I didn't like either of them very much and it always just seemed easier to carry her. 

Shortly before Penny was born I did a lot of research into "babywearing" and all the different types of carriers out there. 

I knew that I would have my hands full with two little ones and I needed to get into the whole wearing my kid thing so that I could get things done. 

So after doing a lot of research and talking to a lot of friends I decided to go with a ring sling since I didn't care for the wrap or the hard carrier. 

When Penny was born I was gifted a Sakura Bloom sling and it was the best decision I've made!

It was the easiest to get used to and my newborn baby LOVED it. 

Viv was only 16 months old when Penny was born and so I didn't get a break at all. 

From the moment we came home from the hospital it was back to real life with a toddler. 

Being able to curl Penny up all cozy in the sling was like a dream.

I could still give my attention to Viv, while still being able to keep my new baby as close to me as possible. 

I never had to let Penny cry while I was busy taking care of Viv and I loved that.

Now that Penny is a few months old and a little bit more stable, wearing her has become even more fun. 

Where ever we go I'm able to just pull my sling out of my purse, throw it on, and carry her around - no stroller, no hassle. 

She's big enough that she can hold her head up and just look at me and look around at the world - she plays with my hair and touches my face - there's just so much love!

When I'm in the grocery store, I don't have to carry a bulky car seat around and have it take up all the space in my cart.

When she's teething I don't have to lay her down in her bassinet and cry while I take care of Viv.

If she's cranky or tired and I'm making meals, giving Viv a bath, or sweeping the floors she doesn't have to cry and I don't have to not get anything done. 

It's amazing how such a simple thing as a sling can be so life-changing and wonderful. 

I feel so bonded to my little girl when she's close to, looking into my eyes. 

As she gets older she's going to want to be more independent and not want me to be so close to her all the time. 

These early months are so special and pass so quickly. 

I'm so thankful for these close bonding times and all the love between my sweet little lady and I. 

I am in no way affiliated with Sakura Bloom...just a product that I LOVE.

Penny: 3 Months!

Now, don't get me wrong...I love the whole squishy newborn phase but once my kids hit 3 months old, it seems like things get a whole heck of a lot more fun!

3 months still seems so fresh and so new, and it is, but my kids like to grow up really fast and start doing things that they shouldn't. 

I wouldn't mind it if they stayed helpless and tiny maybe just a little bit longer...like maybe until 5 months?

But no, they think that they have to be independent and crazy when they hit that 3 month mark.

With Viv I was always shocked at how fast she completed milestones and how young, but with Penny I have come to just know that it's going to happen soon because she is so much like Viv in that aspect.

So, without further ado...here's Penny's 3 month list of accomplishments, likes and dislikes:

Accomplishments:

- Rolling over  

She is rolling over ALL the time. As soon as you set her down, she rolls. She rolls off her blankets and across rooms. She's super tiny so it's really quite weird to see - Josh still can't get over it. 

- Scoot-crawling

Now, believe me or not on this one, but this kid...this tiny, tiny human...she gets around. She rolls over onto her belly, puts that adorable little butt of hers up in the air and scoots forward! It's mind-blowing. Viv wasn't crawling until 4.5 months and even though this isn't really "crawling", it's dang close and I'm scared about having another mobile kid so soon!

- Reaching and playing with toys

She's been enjoying holding little toys for awhile now but just recently she started to reach her little arms out and grab them! When she's in her crib we always watch her roll to her belly and grab a couple toys. They keep her majorly occupied and I'm grateful for that. 

- Tasted her first solid food

Viv started on daily solids at 3 months - she was so ready. This little princess on the other hand, isn't really going to start yet. One exception though was the other day while Viv was eating a banana I told her that she could share a tiny bite with Penny is she wanted. Viv was beaming - so excited to show her sissy one of her favorite snacks! Penny just had a couple little tastes and didn't really know what to do with it but really loved the taste. I'm hoping to exclusively breast-feed until 5 or 6 months depending on how she's doing. 

- Started riding in the stroller without her carseat

This is probably my most favorite thing. Our friend gave us a gorgeous double stroller and Penn is finally big enough to ride in it! It was such a hassle to always have to have the right carseat with the right stroller...now it's simple and awesome. 

Likes:

- being snuggled super close

- laying on the floor/tummy time (freedom!)

- her sister (loves actually)

- napping in her crib (yay!)

- nursing constantly 

- baths (she laughs hysterically every time)

- going for walks in the stroller

- doesn't mind riding in the car (unless she's hungry, then you best watch out)

- being in her sling ( we use the Sakura Bloom ring sling)

- standing ( we just started using the Johnny Jump Up and Exersaucer) 

Dislikes:

- sleeping less than 12 hours a night (don't hate me)

- being constipated 

- shots

- not being held during (our) dinnertime

- being alone in a dark room ( I don't blame her)

- not sleeping next to Mommy at night

I really don't think we have any complaints about this sweet girl.

I couldn't imagine a better little person for our family than her - she's an angel.

She is a total Mama's girl which I love so much.

So blessed with such a sweet and snuggly girl. 

Life is good. 

Two Under Two: 3 Months In

Two kids under two.

Well, in my case it was two kids under a year and a half when Penny was born. 

I always heard people talk about how hard this is.

How I'll go out of my mind and not be able to keep up.

Honestly, people scared me a little.

While I was pregnant I was almost dreading what things would be like once we added a new baby into the already smooth flow of our family. 

I thought that life was going to be out of control. 

Now, I will say that things aren't perfect...and they're definitely not always easy.

But things are a whole heck of a lot easier than I thought they would be. 

Viv has really stepped into the role of "big sister" and I'm so proud of how much she's grown and matured.

Her patience and wisdom is astounding for how tiny and young she is. 

There are definitely moments when things get hard.

Times that I have to speak to her with a firm voice and try to explain things to her. 

Times where she just doesn't understand.

But I just keep reminding myself that my eldest is still a baby herself.

And that helps put everything into perspective. 

I guess it also helps that Penny is a really fantastic baby.

She has her moments of fussiness, but as her mom, I can figure out what she needs almost instantly.

She's a very easy little girl to read and doesn't require a whole lot other than milk and lots of close snuggles.

The hardest part of having two so young is going places without Josh.

Play dates, parks, etc are a breeze but when it comes to going into a store alone with them...forget about it!

I actually have only gone out with both of them to the stores one time - I usually just wait until Josh is home and just take Viv with me...then it becomes a fun little shopping date with my big girl.

If someone were to ask me if we wished we had waited longer to have a second child there would be absolutely no question about it.

Having two this close together is ALREADY so much fun and it's just going to get so much better as they get older.

It hasn't even been three months yet but I haven't had a day where I've felt tired or burnt out.

We pace ourselves and schedule and it makes life easier.

We lead with love and it makes life simple. 

Penny: 2 Months!

August 11, 2013

This month we enjoyed our tiny newborn so much.

She grew so fast but still stayed small enough to be squishy and new.

She absolutely loves going places and keeping busy.

I really have no complaints with this sweet beauty!

She is still sleeping through the night - 12-14 hours every night!

She takes a 2 hour morning nap after she first wakes up and eats and a few more throughout the day.

At her 2 month check-up she got three shots.

She weighed 12 pounds 4 ounces.

And was 99 percentile for height (24 inches).

She's a tall, skinny girl! 

She started rolling over both ways this month!

She loves to lay on a cushy blanket and look around for hours.

Tummy time isn't her favorite but she keeps her complaints to a minimum since she knows it won't last for long.

Her favorite person is Viv.

She lights up whenever she4s is near her (and same goes for Vivy too).

She loves to snuggle her mommy.

She loves when her Daddy carries her around.

Bath time is her very favorite thing in the world.

We've been bathing her in the sink (so much less work than the baby tub).

Every time her little body hits the water we get a huge belly laugh!

Her giggles are to die for.

And speaking of giggles...

This sweet girl is always babbling and talking...I mean always!

It's the most precious thing.

I could sit and listen to her for hours....

oh wait...I do!

Viv never really made many noises when she was a baby so we're really soaking up this adorable part of babyhood.

We are so over the moon in love with our sweet little Pen.

She is a perfect piece to our little family

A Summer Evening

My favorite place to go is the beach in the evening.

Especially in the summertime.

So, when my birthday came Josh knew without asking what I would want to do to celebrate.

A few things came up on the night of my birthday (aka: flat tire) so we had to wait and go to the beach a few days later.

We went on an evening that was about 85 degrees, humid, and cloudy.

I loved it. 

I still want to get back one night before the weather starts to cool down for a real fabulous sunset.

But this night was just perfect.

The water at the lake was as warm as bath water.

We didn't bring our suits but we swam anyway.

Vivienne is our little mermaid and has to swim wherever, whenever.

She's taught us how to be spontaneous and carefree.

These simple little outings with my girls and my Love are more than I could dream for. 

They make my world go round. 

xo.