The Mom Crowd

Last week, I took the kids to have their Christmas pictures taken. The kids woke up that morning without runny noses and with limited scratches and bruises on their faces so I called Portrait Innovations to see if they had an opening that day. I have heard good things about Portrait Innovations, so I was excited to give them a try.

We had a wonderful experience! Not only were they able to book me a same day appointment, the waiting area was comfortable, clean, and had a Lego table for the kids to play at while we waited. The employees were warm, inviting, and extra friendly. We walked out of there with our pictures in hand, spending what we would have spent had we gone to Target like I’ve done in years past. They do not charge a sitting fee, and their $9.95 package has no catches…except that you can only chose one pose for the package. However, you’re probably going to LOVE a lot of other shots they take and want to order more more more!

There were many things I appreciated about Portrait Innovations.

• I loved that the photographers had hand-held digital cameras. Our photographer was able to reposition herself a lot more easier than constantly readjusting my 3 year old and almost 1 year old! She moved with them! At Target and other commercial photography studios, the cameras are stationary.

• I also loved that the kids weren’t placed on a table. For the most part, they were on the floor and this freed me up from having to make sure they didn’t fall to be able to help with the circus acts required to get Connor to smile! Darah’s smile wasn’t hard to get that day, but Connor was a little nervous about all of the attention.
• The photographer had an assistant who’s job was to get my kids to smile. She had some of the neatest tricks I’ve ever seen! More than just the fake sneeze I usually try to get them to smile.
• The photographer paid extra attention to drool, snot, and flyaway hairs on the kids and pointed them out to her assistant and myself. I really appreciated the extra attention to these details!
• I got to keep the c.d. for free! Whenever I want to reorder anything, all I have to do is bring the c.d. of all of the pictures they took (including shots I didn’t order) and have them print them in the store. I am also able to share the pictures with friends and family. The photographer told me that if I wanted to print some of the pictures from my home computer, that would be fine as well! Very very cool!

I really can’t share anything negative about our experience, except that Connor didn’t want to take his hand out of his mouth during the shoot. The only other thing that is somewhat of a con is that they do not keep any pictures in the store. If you lose your c.d., then you are out of luck if you ever want to reprint any pictures. Other than that though, I strongly recommend Portrait Innovations!

Are you a baby wearer?

Since Ewan’s birth I have become a consumer of baby carriers. Someone from our Bradley class introduced me to the idea of having a sling to carry the baby in. Of course everyone knows about the Baby Bjorn and we got one of those but there was something appealing to a more non-Western way of holding and wearing my baby. I have to admit that when I first learned about it, it seemed like the cool, hip thing that naturally minded folks do. Now that I have 3 kids I love the benefits and versatility of wearing the little munchkins around.

When Ewan was born I bought the Native Baby Carrier. He didn’t like it too much as a newborn but did like it when he was about 4 months old. We used it quite a bit as well as the Baby Bjorn. The Baby Bjorn wasn’t as helpful once Ewan got older. He was too heavy to carry comfortably and we used the Native Baby Carrier on occasion.

When Isaac came along I carried him around ALL day in the Baby Bjorn because he had to sleep upright due to reflux and that he did not want to sleep apart from me. He also did not like the NBC as a newborn.

When we moved to Dallas I was more interested in trying some different kinds of slings. One of my friends in the neighborhood made (and still does) Mei Tai slings. They are great! Of course Isaac and Ewan were already 2 and 3 years old but it didn’t stop me from using it. We took it to Canada and used the sling to carry the boys in while we went hunting for frogs and hiking. The Mei Tai can be used to carry babes on your back or front and the boys loved riding in it.

Once Isaac reached 35 pounds the Mei Tai was harder to use and was more uncomfortable–only because carrying 35 pounds is hard no matter how you slice it. I wanted to try a wrap sling that could do a hip carry. I decided to wait until I was pregnant again to purchase an Ellaroo wrap. These slings can also do different holds–hip, back, front, newborn depending on what size you get. I was interested in a wrap length that would do a hip hold. I was very excited about my sling but discovered once Graham was born that the length I chose was not long enough to do a newborn carry. I have to wait until he is older so I can do a hip carry.

One of my friends from my small group here in Pittsburgh was given a Moby Stretch Wrap. She let me try it and I was sold just by looking at all the different carries you can do from the directions! Not only that but cost wise, it is the least expensive sling and you can wear the baby in so many different ways. I hear from others that it is good until the babies get to be in the 20+ pound range because once the baby gets that big it stretches out easily. For now I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this sling! It is so easy to use–although it looks intimidating at first. Graham loves it. He usually falls asleep in it right away and stays warm and cozy. Jon even likes wearing it and can put the sling on and stick Graham in it all by himself!

The benefits of baby wearing are that it makes it easy to get some things done especially when babies like to be held so much. Baby wearing makes it easier when you have a fussy baby. Babies cry less when they are held and baby wearing even helps stimulate/boost your milk supply, and of course it promotes bonding with your baby.

I can’t wear Graham around ALL day because I start to go crazy but it works awesome for grocery shopping, running errands, going for walks etc. My kids never liked being in their car seats and I have always hated lugging the infant car seat around everywhere. It is bulky and heavy and makes you contort your body in ways that you aren’t supposed to. We leave ours in the car and I use the sling to carry Graham around everywhere when we are out and about. I find that people also tend not to touch my baby when I am wearing him because it invades my personal space. When the babies are in car seats it is very inviting for small kids and adults alike to spread their germs on your baby. I am a little sensitive about that so it works well for me.

I am now a huge fan of baby wearing. Some women have figured out how to wear their babies and nurse at the same time. I haven’t got there yet but if we can figure that one out it will make grocery store excursions a lot easier! Another cool thing is that baby wearing is great for taking baby out for a walk. You carry around the extra weight which also burns more calories. Say good-bye to that extra leftover baby weight.

I think the hardest thing about baby wearing is choosing the right one. Common stores like Target or Babies R Us don’t carry all the different kinds of slings and wraps. If you are interested in baby wearing see if you can find someone who will do a presentation and let you try on their slings to see which one you like the most. It is definitely worth it!

Do you hate lugging your car seat into places? Even if you carry your child in to the store you still have the pleasure of wrestling arms and straps in that easy-to-get-in-and-out car seat. Two words: Curbside Service.

I wanted to pick up a fancy lunch to celebrate with a friend on our play date and was willing to splurge a little on lunch. I didn’t want drive-thru. We decided on some pizzas from California Pizza Kitchen. My friend agreed to go online, view the menu, and email me her order. When I went to their menu online I saw that they offered curbside service. I thought how perfect! I won’t have to drag Ace in with me, fumble for my wallet to pay, and carry my order back to the car.

I called the order in before I left my house. They asked for the make and model of my car and told me it would be ready in twenty to twenty five minutes. It usually takes me that long to finish getting Ace and myself out the door.

I pulled up to one of the designated parking spots appropriately on the curb next to the restaurant. Within minutes a waitress comes to my car and gives me the receipt. I pay her and she says that she will be right back with my order. She gave me my order and I was off! It was so great.

I really appreciated the curbside service. It was a nice splurge on a delicious lunch.

Here is a list of popular restaurants that offer curbside service:

California Pizza Kitchen
Carino’s Italian Grill
Ruby Tuesdays
Outback Steakhouse
Cheesecake Factory

Do you know of any other restaurants that are not on the list that offer curbside service? Have you had any bad experiences with this service?

I bought my nursing cover from Rosanna a few weeks ago and I love it! I have used the cover a few times in public and it works great. I am not one of those suave mothers that can whip their boob in and out before you even know what happened. I am clumsy and modest; I need security that I am not going to flash all of Ikea.

The nursing cover is large enough to conceal everything. The ring in the strap is adjustable. The best part is the wire at the top of the cover that forms an opening for me to watch Ace and for her to see me. She doesn’t seem to mind being under the cover. The material is not very heavy. There is a terry cloth corner that weighs the material down and can serve as a burp wipe. I have not tried to wash my cover yet, so I don’t know how it comes out in the wash.

Rosanna has many beautiful prints to choose from. You can’t beat the price at $25 each. She only charges $2 for shipping. Most covers I looked at were $35 plus. When you buy from Rosanna you are supporting a local mom and not a corporate chain. Rosanna was prompt to answer my emails and ordering was easy.

Next time you need a beautiful and functional nursing cover for yourself or a new mommy check out Nursing Covers by Rosanna.

Regardless of your own theories about sleep and children, every parent can learn something from Dr. Marc Weissbluth’s ‘Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child’ (HSHHC). You don’t have to agree with the author on every point to learn something about healthy sleep habits for your child. This book is great resource book to read and keep on your shelf.

As the title suggests the book is about creating healthy sleep habits, so your child can be a happy child. I know I am that I am a much happier person when I get all the sleep I need. It makes sense. The book goes on to explain how to put your child to bed without crying, how much they should be sleeping, their quality of sleep, and what time they should go to bed. All things a new parent wants to know.

I learned how my child could get to an overtired state, if I don’t put her down right when she gets sleepy. It is when she reaches this overtired state that it becomes difficult for her to fall asleep on her own and she usually cries. I love it when I can find that magical moment and put my daughter down for her nap with absolutely no crying.

The author describes the cues that your child is moving into the sleep zone: becoming drowsy, decreased activity, slower motions, less vocal, sucking is weaker or slower, quieter, calmer, appears disinterested in surroundings, eyes are less focused, eyelids drooping, yawning.

The fatigue signs that your baby is entering the overtired zone: becoming overtired, fussing, rubbing eyes, irritable, and cranky (p.63).

The book also explains how many naps your child should be having and at what age. I honestly didn’t know that my daughter should have three regular naps a day. It seems like three naps a day is common knowledge among moms, but I didn’t know that. Also, the author suggests being diligent about protecting those nap times. He really encourages parents to respect their child’s sleep schedule, no matter what. There can be exceptions, but they should not be the rule.

One of the biggest lessons I learned from the book is to put my baby down to bed earlier. I tried it and it worked! The book explains that sleep begets sleep. The earlier you put your child to bed, the later they sleep. It dispels the myth that you should put them to bed later, so they will sleep in. It is hard, because my husband does not get to see much of our daughter in the evenings, but we know it is for her good. Our baby getting good sleep is just as important as her getting enough food.

The author suggests that bedtimes should be consistent and have a routine. We now have a routine with our daughter. She knows that after she gets her kisses, she is going to be laid down in her crib. I like the author’s theory that my baby cries, because she wants to play with me rather than being in a boring, dark room. It makes me feel good that my child wants to be with me.

Readers may not agree with Dr. Weissbluth Pro-Cry It Out stance. He gives parents two options to crying it out, one is gradual and one is cold turkey. The method is to correct any unhealthy sleep habits and to help establish routines. The cold turkey method could be really hard to, but supposedly has the fastest results. I am not sure if I could let my daughter cry and wail for an hour. I think you just have to know what you and your child can handle.

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