Olive loves to be swaddled. She sleeps so well for me when she’s tucked in tight. Which helps me sleep better. Which helps me to be a happier mommy. Which has brought us such luck and fortune that we now swim around in a vault of gold coins.
Just kidding. That last part is not true. Plus, can you imagine how dirty that would be? Ew.
However, I was not always a swaddle-wise mother…
Back-story time! (Anyone else’s kids watch Phineas and Ferb?)
A day or two after Olive’s birth, one of my midwives recommended the book, The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp. Unfortunately for me and my sanity, I didn’t immediately pick up a copy.
A few years before that, I read a blog post by Stephanie that was all about swaddling. It sounded interesting to me at the time and I decided that, with my next baby, I would give it a shot.
So, once Olive arrived, I revisited Stephanie’s post and gave swaddling a try. In re-reading her post, I noticed that she mentioned the same book that my midwife had recommended to me. Still, I didn’t rush out for a copy. Why, Holly? Why?
Even with Stephanie’s step-by-step instructions, my swaddling efforts weren’t quite working. Olive kept wriggling down into her blanket, which would cover up her face. This left me feeling uneasy every time she napped. I’m not the only mother in the world that checks to see if her napping newborn is still breathing, am I? I knew the blanket-over-the-face napping was not going to cut it long-term.
At my six-week check-up, my midwife again brought up the book Happiest Baby on the Block and swaddling. Finally, it sunk in. That same day, I reserved a copy at the library. I noticed they also had a DVD, so I put both on hold. Don’t judge me because seriously, I do not have much free time these days. And if I did have a rare free moment, and in that free moment, I started to read, I would fall asleep immediately. Plus I’m not a great reader, despite all my efforts and desires that I have to be a great reader. I’m actually jealous of my friends that read a lot (Brooke and Melissa, I’m talking about you. Oh and Courtney, you too.).
So, (luckily) the DVD arrived first. Dave and I watched it. In AWE.
The author/pediatrician has a few tricks up his sleeve to calm crying babies, and swaddling is just one of them. Now, don’t get me wrong, Olive has been a really, really good baby for me. But it would have been a much smoother transition after birth if I had followed these techniques.
So, for those of you who are pregnant, who plan on being pregnant, or who are about to get accidentally pregnant, read this book. I’d recommend reading it (or watching the DVD–I won’t judge) before baby actually makes his or her debut.
Look at that face! Is there any doubt that she loves the swaddle?
Anyway. It’s taken me longer to come around to the swaddle than it should have.
A lot longer.
But now, finally, I’m a beliver.
As I drove over point of the mountain into SLC, my eyes spied something WONDERFUL. What has been gray concrete for the past year or so is now a gorgeous blue and yellow building.
After the announcement a year and a half ago, they are getting ready to open their beautiful doors on May 23rd. Blue and yellow have never looked so good.
If you are in need of a really good lower body workout (and happen to be in or around Provo) you should hike the Y, or as Nezzie calls it “the BYU mountain.” If you want a more intense workout then you can carry an additional 15 lbs on your back. If you are a crazy, die hard workout person, you can also carry a 35 lb. child in your arms for portions of the hike as well—although, that wasn’t optional in our case. What I find to be the real mystery though is that I was more sore (for three days) than Dave, and all I carried were two Nalgene bottles of water plus snacks.
Upon starting our hike, and I mean RIGHT after we passed through the gate, Nezzie said rather emphatically, “I’m tired.” Dave and I had a good laugh at her expense because little did she know what was ahead of us. We made a few stops along the way to drink our “hiking water” and eat food for energy. And our little three-year-old was quite a trooper and also admired by fellow hikers. One man even called her “iron girl.”
Overall, it was fun and like I said, a REALLY good lower body workout. This will probably be our new Saturday workout because I am too lazy to do squats and lunges. Although for the most part, our future hikes will probably not include the girls.
For those of you out there that haven’t already made the switch, you are quickly running out of reasons not to make your next computer a Mac. Holly and I made the jump a couple of years ago and after an admittedly frustrating couple of days (getting used to a different way of doing things), we haven’t ever looked back.
For us, the benefits that come with owning a Mac have far outweighed the drawbacks. While they are more expensive than the average PC, Macs are much more user-friendly (again, after a day or two of adjustment), safe (zero viruses!), and beautiful. They come standard with a bundle of fun and easy-to-use software that lets you organize and share your photos (iPhoto), record and play with audio (Garageband), edit your home movies (iMovie), create DVDs (iDVD), and even design your own websites (iWeb). iMacs even come with a built-in camera so that you can hold video chats and get crazy with family snapshots.
Again, Macs are more expensive than a lot of the low-end PCs that you can find these days, but—like they say—you get what you pay for. No viruses, no downloading drivers, no random third-party software just to be able to open up a zipped file. Macs just work. They make using your computer fun and stress-free. We can’t recommend them enough.
We know it’s a big jump, but next time you are in the market for a computer, don’t forget to think a little different.
If you are having a craving for a little something sweet, here is what you need: The Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich.
I’m not a big fan of the name. It reminds me of the Dress Barn. But they are low-fat and actually tasty little guys. Costco has the best deal on them—a pack of 20 (ten vanilla and ten chocolate) for only $10. I don’t have all the nutritional facts on me, but they are only TWO weight watchers points. In comparison to that evil cake from Costco, you could eat four boxes plus one individual skinny cow to equal the same weight watchers points value that the cake had. That’s 81 skinny cow ice cream sandwiches!! Pretty crazy. Anyhoo, vanilla is my fav. I highly recommend them. Go buy one and enjoy.
My sister Carol turned me onto California Baby products a few years ago by way of some sunscreen that I used to protect my then chubby baby Nezzie’s tender white skin. Back then I had to order it online which was fine, but I really hate to pay for shipping if I can avoid it. So imagine my excitement as I browsed the baby aisle in Target and spotted California Baby products right in front of my very eyes! I got the calming shampoo & conditioner, and now I love to wash my squirmy little three year old’s hair. It smells so good and her hair is super easy to comb through because of it. I simply Iove it, highly recommend it and am in no way affiliated with this company.
we LOVE these books and this show. it is so cute, and their british accents make it even more charming. we highly recommend them.
