Nurse-In at Target

Did everyone have a great Christmas? I know that we did! The kids got lots of really cool gifts, I got the necklace I have been wanting for quite some time as well as a new pair of jazz shoes to replace my stolen ones. While there were some handmade gifts this year many came from one of our favorite stores- Target. But that store my be losing not only our business but the business of many other families due to their policies on breastfeeding.  Many mothers, including myself, choose not to use a bottle to feed our babies and have the legal right to feed our babies wherever need be. But many places do not obey this law and try to shame, threaten, and intimidate women into going to a bathroom or fitting room. It’s not right and something needs to be done. So there is going to be a nationwide nurse-in at Target stores across the country on December 28th at 10am. If you want to participate than there are many Facebook pages set up to get groups together, but even if you and a friend or two meander around nursing, it will help!

The more women who take part, the more people will see that nursing in public isn’t a big deal. It is meeting a basic human need whether for food, comfort, or bonding. And corporations need to train their employees to help make nursing easier for women by leaving them alone unless assistance is needed. Some babies need to nurse quietly so dressing rooms are a nice option. Personally Moira doesn’t care where we are if she is hungry and she definitely doesn’t put up with anything over her head!

So, if you are a nursing mama, head over to your local Target on December 28th at 10am and take a stand for your baby’s health and well being! In the meantime, here are some beautiful photos of nursing babies… (many of which have gotten removed from Facebook for indecency)… but that’s another story!

Normally, the day after Christmas would be a slew of photos, gushes about the excitement, and holiday wrap ups. But since the nurse-in is so close I decided that this was more important a cause.

I hope that even if you aren’t a nursing mom for whatever reason, you go just to show your support. Chat with a nursing mom and help spread awareness.

Thank you for listening and happy nursing!

**** UPDATE****

We went to the local Target, which was pretty empty of everyone and sat for almost 2 hours. No one bothered us or even really noticed us, but it was nice to feel like I was still making a little difference. =) Even though there weren’t many of us there, all across the country thousands of women took part in this demonstration to help show people that nursing isn’t a big deal.

Thank you to all of our supporters!

Baby, What’s Your Sign?

All of a sudden Moira has been trying to talk and communicate a lot more with us. She is pointing, laughing, and babbling away. Her word bank is building up daily but there are times when she gets really frustrated with us because she can’t get across what she wants- so she screeches at the top of her lungs. This sound is ear piercing and is made for a variety of reasons from excitement to just being pissed off, lol. So we decided to teach Moira some basic signs to help her talk to us easier.

One of the best websites that I have heard about and tried is Baby Sign Language.com. It is really easy to use, it free, and has a clean layout that I appreciate. They have a video of each word so you can see the sign in action as well as an illustration. Already Moira knows the signs for more, all done, milk, and eat. If I can teach her how to say help that would be awesome!

 

It is pretty amazing to hear real words coming out of Moira’s mouth though. She learned “pretty” and “caca” (aka gross, ick, nasty) last night and says both with a big smile. I don’t remember either of the other two girls walking or talking as early, but it is really nice to see all three interacting with each other and Moira’s pleasure at being understood and part of the action. Gabby and AJ are really excited to learn some signs as well… I think that it would be nice as a family to know sign language! Does your family know another language or want to learn one?

Happy 1st Birthday Moira!

How fast a year has flown by my little bear! A year ago we welcomed you into the world, on a beautiful snowy afternoon. A lullaby played throughout the hospital and the nurses cooed over your pretty face and calm manner. You have grown and changed so much, from a wee one who watched the world with big eyes to a lovely little tot who is into everything, copies everyone, and is full of laughter and mischief.Here are some of my favorite photos of you:

You love to be read to, any book from poetry to non fiction. One of your favorites to be read is a Dr. Seuss book and this is my favorite part of it because it is what I want for you.

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

Oh, the places you’ll go!

Happy birthday my baby, happy birthday!

Crying It Out and Why It Isn’t for Us

It breaks my heart when I hear people advocating this method of dealing with sleep issues. I think that it is cruel, unnecessary, and potentially damaging to the child/parent relationship. And let’s face it- no one likes to hear their children wailing, all alone, in the dark, for mom or dad. It is not natural to hear a baby cry and not do anything about it because babies cry for a reason. So why do parents still do it? Ignorance is mainly the culprit, teamed up with societal pressures and bad advice. Sure, in the end your baby will indeed learn to sleep on their own… but it comes at a greater cost than most people may be aware of.

Did you know that this method of sleep “training” is linked to ADHD, social disorders, and damages nerves in the brain? Not only are you teaching your baby that if she cries, you may not be there, but you are actually doing physical damage. This is not something I knew, but is horrifying now that I do. When Gabby was a baby, being our first and that we didn’t know any better, we let her cry it out one night because she kept popping up and was refusing to go to sleep. We would let her cry for about 5 minutes, go in to check on her, and then leave, being careful not to make eye contact or else she would see how much we hated hearing her cry. This went on for about an hour… a very very long hour. When I went to check in on her that final time she was whimpering in her sleep and I felt like the worst parent in the world.

One reason that our culture has a big following for this method of dealing with little one’s sleep is the fact that as a whole, most parents still put their babies in a separate room to sleep rather than co sleeping or bed sharing. So when your baby wakes up, it is an inconvenience to have to get up, walk to another room, and soothe them to sleep. We pride ourselves on our children’s independence, on their ability to be away from us for long periods of time such as at preschool, with little fuss. But, many parents are hurt and shocked when those independent children turn into teenagers who want nothing to do with their parents. Does anyone else see the connection? Being a parent is not a job that ends when the children are in their bed. It is one of those jobs where you are always on duty, whether you like it or not. And yes, sometimes it sucks to have to get up in the middle of the night… but that’s just how it is.

In cultures where babies sleep with their parents or at least in the same room their needs are met faster and they are actually more confident as they grow. They do not have attachment issues because they always know someone is there for them. Personally, I prefer my girls wanting to be with me and knowing that I will always be here for her than have kids who is indifferent to me and insecure. For Miss Moira, she is more than welcome to stay sleeping with me for as long as she wants. I will put a small bed in her sister’s room (they can’t wait to have her there too!) but more as an option, not an ultimatum. Her transition to a separate bed will be gentle and caring. I truly believe that she will not still be sharing a bed with me forever and that she will benefit from being with me at night.

There are many other gentler ways to help your baby fall asleep on their own, all you have to do is make the choice to not have crying it out be an option. Baby massages, reading, singing them to sleep, letting them tell you when they are getting sleepy… these are more beneficial and you won’t close your child’s door feeling bad about the whole thing!

Happy sleeping!

Let the Craftiness Begin!

Well it is the last day of November… it’s that time of year again. A time to celebrate the winter solstice, a time to cozy up inside while the blizzards go, and a time to get crafting!!! In my day to day life I have many people tell me that they aren’t crafty. The thing is-everyone is crafty in their own way! Whether it is hacking an IKEA product or sewing up a child’s wardrobe… most craftiness is born out of the wish to have something unique that can’t be bought (or shouldn’t be bought for the insane asking prices!) Remember that even the simplest canvas, painted one shade, has made its way into an art museum.

I am a crafter that doesn’t really stick to one type of art, it is all fair game. I make whatever strikes me as fun and typically prefer crafts that can be completed quickly, like the crocheted ankle bells that I am making tons of. However, next week I could be back to sewing or painting. You never know with me!

I love looking to expensive stores for inspiration, like Pottery Barn or Anthropologie. All you have to do is type in Pottery Barn Hack to get some wonderful crafting ideas. The best part is making something that is fit to your tastes and budget. Here are some projects that are on my project to-do list:

Kids Art Journal

Fabric BandAids

Tunisian Crochet!!!!

Baby Apron- perfect for painting with baby!

Zippered Box Bag

So there are just a few of the things that are in my project files…

I hope that you are feeling as inspired as I am!

Happy Crafting!