I apologize for not posting much lately. Things have been a bit haywire. I am just now getting back in the saddle after Spring Break and having Mom visit. I have also been sewing a lot. I find that I prefer sewing to computer stuff, these days. Plus, Twilli has been super clingy lately. She only will calm down for me. I am not sure if it is separation anxiety, teething, topsy turvy routine, or ALL OF THE ABOVE.

Speaking of teething… Twilli got a NEW TOOTH! It is on the top, and the other top one is about to emerge.

She is doing well with solid foods. She likes everything we’ve given her. And she is so precocious! She insists on feeding herself. I mean we load up the spoon, but then she takes the spoon and feeds herself. This girl is scary! Watch a video of the Twilli baby feeding herself at 8 months on YouTube!

I never cease to be amazed by this baby. She has also started sticking her tongue out when you stick your tongue at her. It is too cute. And she makes a kissy noise. Though I don’t think she “knows how to kiss” just yet.

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT and let us know the awesome things that your kid or grandkid (or niece or nephew or whatever) can do!

It’s official. I am addicted the For Sale or Trade - TheBabyWearer.com Forums. I sold a couple of the carriers I was no longer using.

I got a great deal on a used BabyHawk Mei Tai carrier. I basically saved over $30, compared to getting the same thing new! And I really like it. It is reversible. Both sides are lovely Amy Butler prints. Hubby likes it too! I will post some action shots soon!

Babywearing Daddies are Hot!

Here is a photo of 21st Century Dad sporting the more gender neutral side of my DIY Scandi Mei Tai. Twilli LOVES her daddy!! And I love the fact that my “baby daddy” is cool enough to wear the baby! (She’s here with me right now, going CRAZY over this picture!)

New Line of Designer Mei Tai Baby Carriers

I’m in the process of making my next “Twilli Pie” Mei Tai… It appeals more to the tactile (although it has visual texture as well) than the last one. It is much more vivid than the first one. It should be complete by late tomorrow.

I’m loving this latest creative outlet!! I didn’t realize how much I LOVE fabric! And sewing is so much cooler since I’ve studied architecture. I appreciate the properties of the materials so much more now. I’ve gotten amazing response from local people who saw the first one… so we’ll see.

Joel Dewberry custom design Ring Sling

I’ve also been wearing my new handmade (not by me) reversible ring sling with lovely Joel Dewberry print reversing to solid chocolate brown! It is a wonderful size, with plenty of width in the fabric to cuddle Twilli nicely. The pleating at the shoulder is wide enough that the whole thing naturally cups the shoulder and is VERY COMFORTABLE! This is a relief because my previous ring slings had the tendency to slide off my shoulder and over to my neck, which causes pain. It also has a large zipper pocket that extends the full width of the tail.

It is made by an amazing WAHM who is due to have a new baby any day now. Her business is located in Puerto Rico. They are building their Etsy store. I will post a link to it as soon as it launches!

Check out this beauty!

I’ve been wearing my new fluffy Scandi-style MEI TAI for almost a week now and I really love it! There are a few edits I need to make, like a totally new sleep hood and the little loops for the hood to connect/tie onto. (I actually don’t know what I was thinking on this sleep hood! lol) And I’d like to have a utility loop on the belt, probably.

But in terms of comfort, I’m VERY happy! So without further adieu…

…by switching to POTTY — a continuation of Twilli’s Potty Update

2008.02.21

Yes. I can honestly say we are using HALF the amount of diapers than we were before we started the infant potty training journey! We are often able to “reuse” a diaper 2-3 times, since it is completely dry!

Even more impressive though is the fact that Twilli has been staying dry for 6-10 hours at a time, through the night. So not only does she sleep through the night, she stays DRY!

Can you tell I’m proud? (Just imagine how proud Daddy is!)

2008.02.12

OK. I admit, this is not a proper JOURNAL. (Thus the word “update” in the title now.) I was being so good and keeping a log of her potty successes. But it has been hard to keep that up. I have watched it enough to know some general tendencies.

Twilli is doing very well with it. She GETS it. But sometimes, we’re not as “on top of it” as we need to be. I just missed a poo a few minutes ago. I felt bad that she had to dirty her diaper. But she just smiled at me when I told her, “I’m sorry I didn’t take you to the potty in time.”

We are very pleased with her progress. I would say we’ve easily reduced the diaper consumption by half. We have had one dirty diaper each day, for the last few days.

I realize how unconventional this practice is. And I am trying to find a frame of reference for “normal people” to compare it to. The only other experience I have, or remember at least, is that of my son. But that was many years ago. All I remember is that I had a hard time traditionally potty training my son. And I was a single mom, so I couldn’t demonstrate “sinking the Cheerios”. My dad and brother were too self-conscious. :-/ I’ve heard it is so much easier with girls. I was watching JON & KATE PLUS 8 last night and the girls had been trained a full year before the boys!

This is a continuation of Twilli’s Potty Journal. Read the introduction here.

2008.01.28
I decided to give IPT/EC a shot when DD had just turned 5 months old (DOB 08/07). Even though we’re using disposable diapers, I guessed it wouldn’t hurt to “potty” her after diaper changes, etc. We had some immediate success. But holding her over the toilet wasn’t practical for any length of time.

We bought a potty seat to put over the regular toilet. We put her on it after she awoke from her nap and VOILA! She pooped within about 1 minute! I started taking her once a day, and had results everytime!

So a couple of days ago, I stepped up the effort and started taking her 1st thing in the a.m. (despite the convenience to snuggle and nurse more in our nice co-sleeping arrangement) and after her morning nap.

I’ve only had 1 to 2 occasions that I took her to the potty and she did nothing. She really seems to GET IT! And sometimes, when she’s nursing and stops to look around and fuss a bit, I’ve learned it means she needs to potty! She seems to be glad that MOMMY is getting trained!

——————-
2008.01.29
Twilli pottied 5 out of 6 times that we took her yesterday!! (No poop diapers!!!) And so far today, she’s gone 4 out of 5 times. (3 poops) Again no dirty diapers!

I’m starting to see more of a pattern that if she starts to really fuss (and isn’t hungry or sleepy) then that probably means she wants to potty.

I think she REALLY digs this no dirty diaper situation!:woohoo:

I’m still not brave enough to go diaperless. But we’ll see how things go.

——————–
2008.02.04
Last night we took Twilli to our friend Steve’s house, for a Super Bowl Party. She got a bit antsy so DH took her to use the bathroom. We didn’t have our toilet seat with us. So I wasn’t sure she’d be comfortable enough to use the regular toilet.

But she did great! She went twice while we were there. Everyone (mostly in their 50’s) was SOOOOO impressed! I guess they think she’s a prodigy. We agree. Of course the potty thing is just confirmation.

We’ve only had 1 dirty diaper in the last three days! Twilli can wait for several minutes, for us to take her to the potty, in order to stay clean and dry.

This is the first of an ongoing journal of our experience taking Twilli to the potty. So far, I’m absolutely THRILLED with her adoption of the method. Please leave comments about your experience!

[Originally written on January 23, 2008]

We just started to experiment with infant potty training/elimination communication last week.

I haven’t read any books or anything. But I’ve read a lot about it on forums, and read many testimonials. Now I shall add mine to the list.

Our DD is 5 months old. We bought the padded mini-seat that fits right over the regular toilet seat. We put her on the potty right after a diaper change, and lo and behold, she pooped!!

So far, we’ve taken her to the potty at least once a day since. And every day, she has managed to successfully USE THE POTTY!!

At this point, I’m a believer! Mind you, we still use disposable diapers. And I do not run around with a diaperless baby. BUT, this is teaching DD that the potty is the appropriate (and more comfortable) place to do her business.

Read Part 2 of the Infant Potty Training Journal.

Learn more about Infant Potty Training at Squidoo.

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The Holiday season has a way of scrambling my mind in a way that I can only barely admit, to myself let alone anyone else! I mean, my last NAME is HOLIDAY. I should be ALL ABOUT the spirit, festivities and jolly goodness of it all. But now, even though I have a stable and happy family life, a home of longer than 2 years (this is the longest I have stayed in one place in YEARS), and residence in a place where I can take a swim in December! But for some reason, I always seem to lose my head during the Holidays.

I have to tell myself that it is the endless string of activities. Except I have not attended NEARLY as many of these parties and festivities as I would have liked. Part of the reason was budget constraints. The other thing was Twilli. It’s an unfortunate fact that many of the activities to enjoy during this season happen during the EVENING. It’s dark. Twilli is tired, hungry and cranky. And it seems SO MUCH LATER than it really is!

A lot of that is attributed to Mother Earth. As December wears on, the days become shorter and shorter. Then comes the Winter Solstice! It is the “darkest day of the year”. And yet, it is officially referred to as the FIRST day of winter. Shouldn’t it be the climax of winter? Or the first day of spring? I consider the Solstice to be a time of rebirth. (But that could just be an egoistic self-reference for someone whose name translates literally to “reborn”.)

I can’t remember a time when birth and REBIRTH were more central to my existence. After the recent birth of our lovely daughter, the concept is clearer to me than ever before. And in our nursing relationship, I’ve learned more about unconditional provision and sustenance that I ever imagined possible.

So, just like a newborn, I feel as if I’ve been thrust into a strange land. (Although that tends to happen to most of us who live in South Florida.) And I’ve felt disoriented, disorganized, hungry and NEEDY. This teaches me exactly what I need to know to be the best parent I can be! A baby cannot verbally communicate her needs. But we can watch the non-verbal cues and fill in the blanks.

I am doing an experiment in the art of ALLOWING. I remind myself to LET GO and LIVE. I’m allowing my development to be mirrored in not only our infant daughter, but our teenage son. I will be discussing these parallels throughout the rest of the season.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

~r

We’re pleased to announce a new regular feature on the site: The Stealthy Nursling: Sightings.

It will document the times when moms (or dad) are seen babywearing around town. It’s a glorious thing to nurse in public, with privacy AND mobility. I love to watch people either try to figure out how to see baby, or see them TRYto ignore us completely. It’s about pushing boundries. It’s about rewriting the CODE to our lives, renewing the pursuit of HAPPINESS.

I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I just got back from a Walmart excursion. And I decided there’s no time like the present!

11/27/2007: Tuesday afternoon
Margate, FL - CiCi’s Pizza - Twilli was sleeping in her stroller for most of my meal. She woke up confused. I scooped her up, loaded her into the Ergo Baby Carrier (so far the Ergo is my fave carrier for outings), and went into the bathroom to fix my shirt, with a blanket cover, so she could nurse in peace.

NOTE: This CiCi’s does NOT have a changing table. Shame on them for promoting a “family environment” and omitting such a critical facility. *Please leave a comment about other chains w/o baby accommodations. We should start a petition.*

11/27/2007: Tuesday afternoon
Margate, FL - Walmart

After leaving CiCi’s, we walked to the other end of the mammoth shopping center, to Walmart. (Walking is not only exercize that I desperately need, it’s just so much easier than putting her in the carseat, latching her in, putting away the stroller, only to drive 1/4 mile and repeat the process in reverse!)

We went straight to the restroom to change her diaper. (Those restrooms are pretty gross! And the loud toilet flush echoes startled her each time.) As usual, Twilli wanted to SEE EVERYTHING. So she was alert most of the time in the store. Toward the end, she started to fuss again. So I went to the bathroom in the back (it was a lot cleaner!), changed her diaper, and setup the private, mobile nursing session, ala babywearing, once more.

Twilli (our new pet name for Ariana) is 16 weeks old. She just started teething, after a growth spurt. It started on Thanksgiving. We had guests for an informal dinner. And Twilli went from her normal, all-smiles disposition, to screaming in pain. (Read original post about it here.)

After a couple of days, I started to see the pattern.

• If she starts to get fussy, picking her up soon might do the trick.
• When that gets old, see if she wants to nurse (This is the magic bullet for Twilli. Thus it ranks high on the list.)
• Try cold teething toy
• Take care of other basics like diaper, burping, etc.
• Step and repeat

If, at any point, the conditions degrade to the point of her totally losing it, the effectiveness of all methods reduces drastically. We’ve gained new empathy for families who have colicky babies! It breaks my heart (and my sanity) to be so helpless while this innocent little thing screams and writhes in pain.

But today we tried something new. I went back to newborn/growth spurt mode of cluster feeding. So we’ve started nursing as soon as she showed any signs of discomfort at all.

So far, it has been quite effective. DH makes comments about the “magic boobies” more than ever now! lol

Unfortunately, the timing is awful. Our a/c is broken. (Yes, in South Florida you still need a/c in November.) And downtairs, where we have the office, dining room, kitchen, etc., is poorly ventilated. Incidentally, my saving grace method of babywearing in order to continue working while we nurse, is not ideal because DD gets TOO HOT in the carrier. I tried it the first day or two, since she usually drifts right off to sleep in the carrier, but she got all sweaty.
Furthermore, we’re having to watch every penny right now. So getting out and about is limited. I’m starting to go stir crazy!

Despite the potholes, I have found a way to be relatively productive through it all. I’ve visited many parenting blogs and message boards, via my Treo phone. This is teaching me patience. The speed — or lack thereof — makes dial-up seem zippy. And the 2×2″ screen doesn’t always allow the pages to be readable. And many websites are NOT optimized for PDA or cell phone browsing! (Amazingly, I composed this article on my Treo! Props to WordPress for being PDA friendly!)

Lest I sound like a spoiled snot, please be aware that I continue to count my blessings.

• I am grateful for a wonderful and healthy family
• I am grateful for the roof over our heads and food in our bellies
• I am grateful to have the opportunity to work at home, to be with my baby girl and teenage boy more
• I am grateful for fast computers (MacBook Pro) and broadband internet
• I am grateful for a PDA, on which I can surf the internet while DD nurses
• I am grateful to be able to be a resource for other parents
• I am grateful for everything that I have been blessed with!

Even though things always seem worse in the midst of challenge, I believe we’ll look back to this time and smile thinking of her still toothless smile!

When asked what hospital our daughter would be delivered in, we answered “A Birth Center“. We always got puzzled looks until we explained that it was a freestanding birthing center. (Duh! Doesn’t the name say it all?) Still few of our acquaintances knew much about how a birth center differs from a hospital. Then we proceeded to tell them that water births are available and it’s all about NATURAL CHILDBIRTH.

The faces froze. It took a while for them to realize that we’re talking labor and delivery WITHOUT DRUGS. Read the rest of this entry »