Sakura Bloom Sling Diaries: Style

Sakura Bloom Essential Sling in Aubergine Fig

I Love Me Ring by Be Well with Arielle

6 months minus 1 day

My belly about 2 weeks before P was born

6 months ago I was restlessly walking around the East Village, pausing to get through my contractions and bargaining everything I had with the universe to help get this baby OUT. On the eve of Phoenix's half birthday, I'm happy to report that life on the other side is better than I could have imagined on that day. I'm sure I will feel even more grateful and emotional on his one year birthday but 6 months is nothing to frown at. And what a six months it has been...

My pregnancy was pretty wonderful. Every weekend in the ocean, not much discomfort until the very end. I had about two weeks of sciatic pain and of course the enormity...oof. It's difficult to bring myself back to that place. Even though it was only 6 months ago, it feels like a different life time. I know a lot of people say that they can't remember their life before they had children. I don't believe this is true. I don't mean that in a selfish way. I love my child and my life now but it is just different.

As my due date approached, the reality hit me that this person was mine to take care of forever. That is a huge statement. All of a sudden, nothing was good enough. (Of course it wasn't.) Our apartment was crap, we didn't have enough money, we should be more prepared!!! What were we thinking??!! Ah!

I spent a lot of time going inside myself and searching for the strength to embark on this journey. My whole pregnancy, I was so focussed on growing the baby, keeping him safe in my belly, and taking care of myself that I forgot that he was eventually come out. Crazy, huh?

After my water broke (three days before I went into labor) I felt frozen. I mean, I was excited to meet him but terrified of not only this crazy, nondedicated, home birth that I agreed to (What?!! Can we still talk about that epidural???) but also to the beginning of this new role, responsibility, and chapter in our lives. Was I ready? It didn't matter. This baby chose us and he was ready to meet us. Ready to meet the world and begin his own journey, write his own birth story.

These thoughts feel so scattered now, but as I sit here writing this all out I'm in awe of how much my life has changed in such a short time. When I wrote that life is different, I mean, how could it not be? You're thrust into this new version of your old life with a couple hours (maybe a day's) notice. One second you're contemplating another cookie and within several hours you have this impossibly tiny (so tiny!) person with a beating heart and breathing lungs and all they need is you. And to be honest, having a partner is essential in the way of support but in the beginning, all that little person needs is you. In an alarmingly, overwhelming way.

But all at once, that little person is 6 months old and you are left to wonder how this bubbly, funny, little baby came to be. Where is the newborn who was hungry every 45 minutes? The tiny (did I mention tiny?) little koala who slept on our chests more than half the time...the little sack of potatoes, as I so sweetly referred to our sleepy son. He is a different baby. He laughs every minute and has a giant gummy smile that will melt your heart. On the worst days he can bring my heart to light and on the amazing days it feels like they should never end.

6 months ago today I was about to embark on a journey that I was completely unprepared for. I would go to sleep wondering how much more time I had to endure the oncoming contractions and how bad the pain would be (ha!). I was about to find out that even though the easy part was over, the best was yet to come.

Teething Giveaway Winners

via 

I did a drawing on random.org and the winners are "Jeremy and Brooke" and "Belle." Congrats friends! Please email me with your mailing address and I will get your teethers out to you.

Munchkin Meals: Saag Paneer

Since Phoenix has been eating solids for a few weeks now, he has become more curious with what we are eating as well. Often, if I am feeding him while S and I are eating, he is not happy staring at our "regular" meals as he is eating his baby food. Now, I've been making all of his food from day one and intend to continue but I realized in the past few days that if I don't kick it up a notch I would have a jealous/cranky/protesting bebe. I have been incorporating a bit of the baby led weaning approach but definitely wanted to start him off with somewhat pureed meals. Well, he's pretty much ready to move on.
So when I was making one of my favorite Indian inspired meals last night for Scott and I, I made a baby version for little P.

I use Heidi's flawless recipe (really, aren't they all?) with the curry blend and all. The only adjustment I made was use very minimal salt during cooking (since I knew it would be for babe) and then I added more to taste for myself after. I didn't have any paneer but since it is a curd cheese (with the water pressed out), I used cottage cheese. Also, we had some kale that needed to be used up so I mixed that in with the spinach. I blended mine as well to make it more "saucy." Yum.

Now let me tell you what's great about this meal:

• It's green! That's right, bebe is eating spinach AND kale. Awesome.
• Buttermilk: It's got tons of beneficial bacteria (just like yogurt). Good for the belly.
• Cottage cheese: Protein! Plus, a new texture.
• Garlic and onions: Alliums (as they are called) have antibiotic properties. Good for babies sticking everything in their mouths. Ugh....
• Ginger: Helps with baby's digestion and um..trouble digesting also.
• Butter: Fatten that baby up! Whole, natural fats are important for not only brain development, but also to aid in absorption of important vitamins and minerals. 
• Curry/Spices: It's important to help your baby develop a taste for different flavors. Exposure to many different herbs and spices will shape their palette and (hopefully) lead to a more adventurous eater. 

So there you have it, baby's first Indian. No surprise, he LOVED IT. I say no surprise because this kid eats everything. So far, there is nothing he dislikes. Hopefully this trend continues. 

Try making this meal for yourself and baby! I ate mine over rice but you can also feed it to your baby with rice, if they are eating it. 

If you haven't yet, enter the Teething giveaway. I will announce two winners tomorrow!

Teething + A Giveaway

(It's a crappy photo photo but it was just too cute)

Oh teething...you are no joke. For months little P has been drooling and gnawing on everything in sight while everyone exclaims, "OH! He must be teething." I was guessing, well maybe and that I was so lucky I had a happy teething baby. Not like those horror stories you hear of inconsolable babies and night waking. Not my P...
Enter baby tooth #1.

He has caused Phoenix so much distress and mama (and papa) so much heartache. Just seeing our little nugget struggling to settle down and wake up screaming in pain is terrible. While we have been giving him some homeopathic drops and helping him chew on everything, including us, our poor little man is so unlike himself these days. Yesterday we headed out for our daily walk with a few friends and P cried almost the entire time. I had to hold him, sleeping, almost the whole way. Even the swings failed to cheer him up much. And while I'm crushed about him having to be so uncomfortable, I feel even more emotional about the fact that he actually has a tooth. Every time he clamps down hard on my finger and I feel that sharp piercing of my skin, I feel both proud of him and a little sad that my tiny gummy baby is growing up. It never ends.

While nothing can truly take away the pain that is the teething monster. There are some things that help. We have been using two popular homeopathic teething drops, Vibrucol and Boiron. They are life savers at night. During the day we just do things to keep our minds off of it: take walks, go to park, play, play, play, sing, chew on e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. You know...
And while P loves his Sophie (finally), we were also gifted a lovely wooden teething ring that he is more than happy to gnaw on as well these days. I think the hard, smooth surface feels good against his sore little gums. JL Wooden Toys makes beautiful handmade wooden toys and teethers. They are a local business and are really reasonable too! I can tell you that we already bought the train and while P can't actually play with it yet, he likes to stare at it lovingly on his toy shelf and also pick it up and drop it. Baby success.

JL Wooden Toys has generously given me two beautiful cherry wood teether to give away here! All you have to do to enter is "like" JL Wooden Toys on Facebook and leave a comment on this blog (Facebook comments cannot be entered, unfotrtunately). I will randomly choose two winners in a week from today. For extra chances to win:
1. "Like" Paper Hearts & Cranes on Facebook
2.  Follow PH&C on Twitter

Good luck and happy teething :)

Sakura Bloom Sling Diaries: Love

Chocolate chips & Sakura Bloom

I ate chocolate chips this morning straight from the freezer. That's the kind of morning I'm having, in case you were wondering. Last night was rough. I think Phoenix is teething, which resulted in every-half-hour wake up cries. But so it goes. Most nights are not as restless. In moments of absolute delirium I have to remind myself that he needs me. This time is short lived and his needs are greater than sleep....and then I eat chocolate. Not even actual chocolate. Frozen chocolate chips. This is real life.

But all is not lost. We are waking up (kind of) today still basking in the glow of our fantastic weekend as well as on the cusp of a warm spring week. Lush.

On Friday, I went out for the first time sans baby and husband. Well, for the evening that is. I made plans to meet a girlfriend just down the street for a beer. We thought about a few other places but I thought it would be wise not to stray too far. It's a good thing I didn't because halfway through my beer husband called with a sad baby in the background. Turns out baby wanted more milk than I left at home. Bummer. So I booked it home the three blocks and nursed baby boy back to sleep. Poor little guy. He was so upset. Sweetly, husband decided to push us back out the door for another drink. So we popped around the corner to a neighborhood bar for one more beer. The whole night was much needed and so much fun. As much as I love my new life and little P, I do miss having to freedom to ocassionally pop out to meet a friend in the evening. This was nice.

The rest of the weekend was spent celebrating with my parents for my mom's birthday and finding treasures at the Brooklyn Flea market.

Last but certainly not least...I am so excited and honored to be a part of a new photo project from Sakura Bloom and organized by Leigh of Marvelous Kiddo. (Who just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl today. Congrats!) I've been reading Leigh's stories since she was pregnant with her second baby and have been inspired by her effortless style in baby wearing her two boys as well as her gentle approach to mothering. Her posts about home births were a great source of inspiration for having my own. Thank you for picking me! I am truly so inspired and grateful to be included. My first post goes up in just a few days. (In these photos I am wearing the Essential Silk Sling in Eggplant/Aubergine.)

(From Marvelous Kiddo)

WHAT ARE THE SLING DIARIES?

A photo-documentary chronicling the art of babywearing in the lives of thirteen families. Over the course of six months, contestants will compete by creating their own Sling Diary with a series of wordless entries interpreting a unique theme given to them each month.

WHO ARE THE SLING DIARISTS?

They are thirteen women with creative, unique voices, great style sense, and a passion for babywearing (plus thirteen of the cutest babies in blogdom!).

HOW, EXACTLY, DO THE DIARIES WORK?

The Sling Diaries will come to life with an emphasis on beautiful photography and creative interpretation of six different assigned themes. Contestants will create one blog post (diary entry) per month featuring photos of themselves wearing their Sakura Bloom sling. Each month, the curatorial team at Sakura Bloom will select photos from each diary entry and these images will come together on The Sling Diaries Pinterest page. When all entries are complete, our panel of three judges will select their favorite Sling Diary from the project and the winner will receive a $500 Sakura Bloom gift certificate.

WHERE CAN I KEEP UP WITH ALL THIS BABYWEARING AWESOMENESS?

The event will be hosted on the official Sling Diaries Pinterest page, with updates and giveaways happening right here on Marvelous Kiddo. And of course, you can also follow along by reading the blogs of our thirteen contestants! 

So that's it. Make sure you check out the Pinterest page as well as the other amazing participants' pages. Oh, and don't miss the giveaway on  Marvelous Kiddo!

5 months

photo via my pal Nicole

Guess who turned 5 months old yesterday? This little bunny. We don't have another well visit until he is 6 months but I'm guessing he is getting close to 20 lbs. Huge.

When P was only about 6 weeks old, we went to Thanksgiving dinner at my friend Lisa's. There was a sweet 6 month old baby there and he just seemed so big to me then. I couldn't imagine my little tater tot ever getting to that point. He was so teeny, just snoozing and getting passed around loving arms then.

Now he is an active little person. He constantly wants to be exploring, squealing, singing, laughing, and enjoying the amazing world around him. Music really moves him and you can see his little arms and legs bouncing around as soon as he hears the rhythm.

Currently, we are trying out some different solids. Exciting stuff. Once this guy had a taste of sweet potatoes, there was no denying that he loved food. He had been eyeing our forks for weeks but we got the go ahead from his pediatrician after his last check up so we went for it. Needless to say, he's a happy eater.

Currently, life at 5 months is pretty great. It feels like all at once we've crossed over from newborn-ish into real baby territory. Our days are becoming longer and so much funner. Our sleepy nugget has woken up and is ready to take on the world.

Waking Up

I read recently that after getting through the first few months with a newborn it's like pulling your head out from under the covers and waking up. I would say that's about right.

I have written several posts the past few weeks about this and that. Blah blah. Just because I felt I should. Obviously I didn't post them. None of them felt right. I love writing but these days I'm finding it such a challenge to balance wanting to write everything down to remember every moment versus living that moment. It seems like every little smile, milky breath, and sweet snuggle and going by me in a flash. All around me I keep hearing, "Enjoy this time, it goes so fast." And so I try to soak up as much squishy baby love as I can, every day and night.

In the beginning, when I was walking around in a cloud of sleepiness and anxiety, my sister in law told me, "The days are long but the years are so short." That struck such a chord in that moment. After she told me that, I try to always keep that in perspective. Sometimes my heart aches at the thought of sweet P being anything other than my little babe, but every day he is growing more into a little person.

These days we are truly coming into our own as a family of three. We wake up every (early) morning to sweet baby giggles and shrieks. Even the sleepiest of us (papa) doesn't mind opening his eyes to see baby boy rolling from side to side, chomping on his hand, and giggling at the light coming in. After Phoenix has his breakfast, we all shuffle to the living room where one of us plays with P while the other makes coffee. We usually have some breakfast together and then papa is off to work, down the hall. P and I are extremely lucky that Scott works from home. Even though he's super busy all day, it's so nice to be able to walk by his office to say hi or ask him to take a 10 minute break so I could shower/clean/eat. We don't take this for granted.

Usually at this point P and I have an outing. We are still getting to know our new neighborhood so we go exploring whenever we can. This also gives S some quiet time to work. Most days we have an errand but if not, we still  go walking. P loves it. For some reason he was never fond of his stroller until we moved to Brooklyn. Go figure. Mostly I wear him on me, but if we are grocery shopping or going for a really long walk, I change it up with the stroller.

After almost two weeks of living here we have been to story time at the library, which he loved, and dined together a few times. Usually I get a coffee and croissant while he people watches. Sometimes I make up stories about the people walking by. I tell him where they are going, who they are, their names. It's like improv story time.

In any case, I feel like I'm finally taking my head out from under the covers. The warm light is shining all over my face and I'm soaking it up. Phoenix has more or less created a schedule for himself. We never forced one on him or made him cry it out. When he was a newborn, he didn't go to "sleep" (ha!) until 11 or midnight, just to wake up in a few hours. Then, magically after a few weeks he was basically sleeping through the night! Oh sweet sleep, how I missed you. But, as it goes with these things, a few weeks ago he began waking up again once around 4. I can't say I mind too much as I know this is pretty good, all things considered. And as a bonus, he is down every night between 7 and 8 so we get a good amount of "adult time" in the evenings. But this said, his schedule definitely makes everyone happier. I've never been a scheduling person and for this reason didn't want to force one on him, but in the magical world of baby he managed to figure out what works best for him. And now we are all waking up together.