Letters to Nolan: 1/18/14

Dear Nolan,

You are eight months old and are in to EVERYTHING! You have graduated from belly scooting to full blown crawling! You can go anywhere and everywhere and literally nothing gets in the way.  You will crawl over, under, and through things to get what you want and where you want! Thank goodness we have gates! 

You have also started to try and walk when we hold your hands and you think that is really great fun! You will walk as fast as we will let you and I am not really ready for all of that!  You are really into playing with toys now and are trying to figure out what everything does and how you can make noise out of it.  Anything that you can clang or bang on the floor is highly prized in your eyes!

You are really settling into your personality now and you LOVE to laugh.  Clapping and squeeling is a daily occurrence and we all love it. You and your brother are really starting to play and entertain each other these days and I love seeing the two of you together.  You guys had a great Christmas and you really loved playing with the Christmas paper and boxes. :)

The latest "health' development that you have had is that both of your bottom teeth popped through this month! The all night nursing that went along with that was not particularly fun on my part but it helped you through it and that's what matters! You are still nursing every two hours or so during the day and will go about four hours at night.  Naps are few and far between here, just like your brother but if you are up in the wrap you will sleep! Needless to say most afternoons are spent with you on my back! 

Here's what you've been up to this past month: 

12/20/13: Started clapping today
01/02/14: Started walking when we hold both your hands
01/04/14: First night you wanted to sleep on your stomach 
01/06/14: First tooth (bottom right) 
01/11/13: Started to crawl on all fours 
11/17/14: Saw you dancing for the first time 
11/18/14: Second tooth (bottom left)

Momma and daddy love you to the moon and all the way back! 

xoxoxox,

Momma

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For more Letters to Nolan, click here! 

For Letters to Everett, click here!

Instacram: December 2013

I love being able to share my photos so easily with Instagram! Check out what I was up to this past month! Are you following me yet? 

Find me: NotSoAverageMomma

Top Row:  1.) Jedi in his happy place,  2.) Sweet Everett crashed out at Rae Rae and PigPaw's house,  3.) Cuddlebug 4.)  "Pants are Overrated!"  5.) Nolan napping in my arms

Middle Row:  1.) Our little guitar player,  2.) The train table that we made for the boys for Christmas,  3.) Nolan sleeping in the wrap,  4.) An attempt to get Christmas jammie pictures, 5.) Santa's Little Helper

Bottom Row:  1.) Video,  2.) Tyler, Nolan, and I at my work Christmas dinner, 3.) Throwback Thursday engagement photo of Tyler and I from 2006,  4.) Playing in traffic on 95 South,  5.)  Bath time! 

Top Row:  1.) Nolan hanging out in the wrap,  2.) The thinking man baby,  3.) My outdoor explorer 4-5.)  Got all dolled up for Tyler's work Christmas party 

Middle Row:  1.) Nolan has been spending a lot of time being worn lately ,  2.) E decided that Aunt Becca needed some company during her nap,  3.) Creepy sign at work,  4.) Merry Christmas, 5.) Nolan and Joey

Bottom Row:  1.) Joey a German Shepherd/Bassethound mix,  2.) Everett, Nolan, and I, 3.) Goodnight Nolan,  4.) Everything always goes right in his mouth,  5.)  Enjoying the "spring" day in December!

Top Row:  1-3.) I love this baby!,  4.) The island of misfit toys ornaments, 5.) Good to the last drop!

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For more Instacram posts click here! 

Thanks to Jess for the original inspiration for this post! 

Weekend Links

Hope y'all have a fun weekend! Here's some links to keep you occupied this weekend! :)

How cute is this?! Sleeping baby photos from artist Queenie Liao.  She posed her baby in different poses while he was sleeping. She says, “Everyday just before Wengenn’s nap, I would imagine him being the main character in one of my favorite episodes, and “paint” a background setting with plain clothes, stuffed animals, and other common household materials, just like how an artist would with her paint brushes.”

Photo found here.

The 7 Must Have Baby Products- I agree with all of these! They would be great items to add into a Baby Supply Kit! 

It seems like everyone knows someone who has autism or has encountered someone who has autism in their life.  But do you know what it feels like to have autism? (CAUTION: This video may be a trigger for those on the autism spectrum.)

Honey Boo Boo and her family are at it again! Check out their Kardashian inspired Halloween costumes!

Photo found here.

Cold season is upon us! Check out this link for DIY Vapor Rub

10 Tips for Getting More Done Each Day - I may need to take some notes from this one! 

The King of Pop still lives... 

• Here's a tribute to MJ from the Ohio State Marching Band- pretty sweet! 

• And last but not least an awesome video of Jess and her husband Danny paying homage to the King of Pop at his childhood home.  Make sure to check out her blog!

FBP: Keep 'Em Close

Everett sleeping in the Ergo

What is this whole "babywearing trend" and why would I want to wear my baby? In a nutshell babywearing is keeping your baby/infant/toddler close to you in a baby carrier or sling.  What are the benefits of baby wearing? Happier babies, babies who cry less, more confident caregivers... the list goes on. 

Read the full post here over on my blog at FredericksburgParent.net!  

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Have you liked my Facebook page yet? Please do!

When It Was Just Everett and I...

June Instagram Photo

I have survived the first few months of having two kids and it is really drastically different from how I thought it would be.  

When it was just Everett and I... 

I didn't have to worry about how much time I spent with him and whether or not I was spending enough time with him. He was my whole world and I have been so lucky to have spent almost every moment over the last two years with him. 

Now there is a whole new little dude in our lives and there is the little added stress of making sure that I am spending enough time with both boys. I want to give Nolan the same amount of attention that I gave to Everett when he was an infant but I have learned that it just isn't possible.  I did realize that the quality of the time I spend with the boys is what counts.  

When it was just Everett and I... 

I would always hold him or nap with him which was so lovely.  I could catch up on tv while he was napping in my arms or we would cuddle and nap peacefully together. 

Now, very (very) occasionally I am able to catch a nap with Nolan or hold him while he sleeps but usually I lay him down in the rock and play or in the co-sleeper so that I can spend time playing with Everett.  When If Everett naps, I use the time that he is sleeping to connect with Nolan and give him some personal attention with out his brother.

When it was just Everett and I... 

I wore him from time to time but not really out of necessity. It was really nice to be able to just have him with me all the time and wearing him was fun and I liked the ability to be "hands free."

Now I get more use out of my ergo then I ever did when Everett was the only child.  Since Nolan is big enough I can wear him in it and often do wear him throughout the day so that I can have him close and be attentive to Everett.  I can also wear Everett when he wants to be held but chores need to be done. 

There have definitely been some adaptations to our old routine but life with two kids is the "new normal" for our family and I am so happy.  I love having these two boys that will grow up together and (hopefully) be the best of friends like my siblings and I.  God has truly blessed Tyler and I. 

Letters to Everett: 9/22/13

Dear Everett,

You are transforming right before my eyes and I can't believe how much you have changed in just one short month.  You are coming out of your "afternoon tantrum" phase and that make daddy and I very happy.  We are still taking a break from "tia" and I think that is helping us a lot. Most days we don't even turn on the television and you don't really seem to mind or miss it at all. You do want us to hold you a lot still, so you spend a lot of time in the ergo or the sling.  It's pretty cute because you ask us to hold you by alternating between saying "hold you,"  "hold me," and (my favorite) "you hold you." 

Your vocabulary is really growing by leaps and bounds.  Instead of getting frustrated when you don't know what a word is, you really try hard to come up with a way to help me understand what you want.  You are able to remember things from weeks and months past and it is amazing to hear you talk about everything.   You like to announce what everyone is doing, where we are going, and you want to know what everyone else is doing too!  Some funny things you say include "cool dude," "nice to meet you," and "kapish." 

This month marked the first time you had a "wipe out" that resulted in a scrape with blood and everything! You fell down one brick step and crashed onto the cement when we were at Grandma's house and received a pretty nice elbow scrape.  You were a champ about it though and only cried for a minute or two.  You have gained half a pound and have grown an inch and a half since your two year check up! Way to go dude! We moved you into 2T clothes because you were too tall for 24 month pants.  

Momma and daddy love you to the moon and all the way back! 

xoxoxox,

Momma

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For Letters to Everett, click here! 

For Letters to Nolan, click here! 

Instacram: August 2013

I love being able to share my photos so easily with Instagram! Check out what I've been up to this month! 

Are you following me yet? 

Find me: NotSoAverageMomma

Top Row:  1.) Snug as a bug 2.) Nolan blowing bubbles,  3.) Daddy and Everett fishing,  4-5.) Nolan and I got all snazzy for Brittany and Kenny's wedding

Bottom Row:  1.) Brittany and Kenny's wedding,  2.) Everett cheesing it at the doctors office, 3.) Big boy in the stroller,  4.)Nolan cheesing it at the doctors office,  5.) Sweet shades 

Top Row:  1.) Throwback Thursday: The dad crew 2.) Pig Paw and Everett,  3.) Playing quietly at the train table,  4.)  View from the barn  5.) Is anyone home?  

Bottom Row:  1.) Climbing up the ladder,  2.) Video: Hello animals!, 3.) Video: Ahhhh echo!,  4-5.) Lazy afternoon 

Top Row:  1.) Uncle Scott playing with Everett at the pool  2.) Fresh picked blackberries,  3.) Making laundry soap,  4.)  Snickerdoodle anyone?  5.) Rest in Peace "Mo-Mo" 

Middle Row:  1.) "If I could only reach this...",  2.) Old town Fredericksburg,  3.) More baby wearing,  4.) Video: angry morning  5.)  Love that bed head

Bottom Row:  1.) Video: Happy morning,  2.) Backyard butterfly, 3- 4.) Love this face,  5.) Peek a boo Everett

Top Row:  1.) Everett playing around at a farm  2.) Sleepy Nolan,  3.) He is becoming more and more obsessed with trains,  4.)  A photo grid of Tyler, me, Everett, and Nolan  5.) An unwelcome visitor in our yard

Middle Row:  1.) The many faces of Nolan,  2.) Baby wearing,  3.) Say cheese,  4.) Backyard bliss 5.)  Sweet boy

Bottom Row:  1.) Brothers,  2.) "Time in" for Everett, 3.) Sleeping brothers,  4.) My happy boys,  5.)  Everett playing on his swing set!  

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For more Instacram posts click here! 

Thanks to Jess for the original inspiration for this post! 

Letters to Nolan: 9/18/13

Nolan, 

You are growing like a weed and it makes me a little sad! You really love to be in the middle of all the action and get fussy if you are by yourself.  You are still nursing every two hours or so during the day and will sleep for one longer six hour stretch at night.  You enjoy cuddling with me in the wee hours of the morning and will sleep late in the mornings as long as I am with you.  Your brother really likes telling you "good morning Nonnie" as soon as you wake up and you always respond with a big gummy smile! 

You seem to really want to be on the move already and I don't think I am ready for that. Anytime I lay you on your belly you get your legs going a mile a minute! You kick-kick-kick and have started to be able to move your body just slightly.  You haven't quite figured out how to get your arms moving but you do like to push up on them- no wonder you have such great "muscles!" 

One of your favorite things is to be snuggled close to me, so I wear you the majority of the time in the ergo (or sling) around the house and while we are out.  We also moved you out of the infant seat and into the convertible car seat and you seem to be more happy about that. You have really taken to a small light brown lovey blanket that Grandmother gave to Everett but you have claimed it as your own.  You pull it up next to your face and rub it next to your cheek and in about two minutes you are fast asleep! 

I am enjoying every minute with you boy! Here's what you've been up to this month: 

08/18/13: First time jumping in the jumparoo

08/29/13: Weighed 17lbs, first time riding in your big boy carseat

08/30- 09/06/13: First trip to visit Great Great Grandma Howerton in Rehoboth Beach, DE

08/31/13: Can sit up by yourself without support for 3 seconds

09/02/13: First belly laugh (GG Grandma Howerton made you)

09/04/13: First trip to Grotto's Pizza/Grand Slam

09/05/13: First time at the beach

09/08/13: Grew out of 3-6 month clothes (into 6-9month clothes)

09/12/13: First time to ride in the shopping cart, first time to sit in a high chair

09/18/13: Four month well check- 17lbs 4oz (90th percentile), 26" long (90th percentile)

Momma and daddy love you to the moon and all the way back! 

xoxoxox,

Momma

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For more Letters to Nolan, click here! 

For Letters to Everett, click here! 

Peanuts and Cracker Jacks

Tyler works for a really great company, so great that they take all their employees out to National's Park every summer to see the Nat's play! This is such a treat because both Tyler and I love going to baseball games and hope the boys will love it as much as we do. 

This was one of our first "big outings" with both of the boys and it went pretty great.  We took plenty of snacks for Everett and brought the ergo so that I could wear Nolan.  We took the stroller for Everett to ride in to/from the car and it was a nice place to put all of the junk that we have to have with us at all times. 

The boys made it through almost the entire game and Everett had a blast playing with Tyler's coworkers.  We were sitting in the President's box (behind home plate) so we had a full lunch buffet before the game as well as ball park style snacks during the game! Everett loved this because it meant as much food as his little toddler heart desired! 

Check out the photos from the day! 

Our (really hot and sweaty) family! 

We were so close!

Best picture of Everett EVER!!

Please disregard the chicken nugget I am trying to hide behind my back... 

Keep 'em Close

Everett sleeping in the Ergo

I have been thinking a lot lately about baby Flubber and how I am going to be able to continue on with my daily activities (eating, putting away dishes, working, etc.) and keeping up with Everett with a newborn! When I was pregnant with Everett I didn't really plan on wearing him a lot but I did have a moby wrap that I registered for on a whim and a Seven Sling (pouch sling) that I got for free.  After he was born I realized that I wanted to be able to keep him close to me but needed to be hands free at times so I started wearing him.  

This is exactly what I plan to do with baby Flub Flub- wear him. Everett, while growing  more and more independent by the day, still needs me to be in very close proximity and interact with him when he deems it necessary. I would also like to be able to continue working shortly after Flubber is born and will be able to wear him while I am at work.  I will also be able to nurse him in the wrap/carrier when he is hungry without having to fumble around with covers or blankets (it will take a little practice!) 

So what are the benefits of baby wearing? Happier babies, babies who cry less, more confident caregivers... the list goes on.  Check out these links for more information: 

• Benefits of Baby Wearing by Dr. Sears
• The Benefits of Baby Wearing by La Leche League
• Benefits of Baby Wearing by Baby Wearing International
• Why Baby Wearing? by Wrap Your Baby

So that brings me to the different type of carriers that are out there, but before we get started there are a few things to keep in mind when wearing your baby: 

• Babies should be carried (and held) in an ergonomically correct position 
• Note: I do not promote "crotch dangling" carriers. Here is what Mark from Mark's Daily Apple, has to say about carrying babies this way:  "Babies aren’t meant to hang ramrod straight. The only reason a worn baby’s legs would be straight is if he were only held up by his crotch without any butt or hamstring support. According to the International Hip Dysplasia Institute, babies with dangling, straight legs are at risk of developing hip dysplasia."
• There are dangers associated with baby wearing which can stem from improper use of the carrier.  Some of these dangers include suffocation, over heating, falling, and injury. 

Ring Slings

PROS: Slings are easy to use with some practice and can be used from infancy through toddler-hood.  The wrap is somewhat versatile as you can tummy to tummy carry, kangaroo carry, or hip carry with most slings.  

CONS: Ring slings can wear out over time and may need to be replaced.  Also, if not worn correctly you can put strain on your back, neck, and/or shoulders.  If you choose this carrier be sure to practice and read the instructions carefully. 

Instructions: Maya Wrap has a great set of instructional videos of the different types of carries you can use. 

Here are a few different brands: Maya Wrap, SweatPea, Snuggy Baby 

RING SLING
Photo found here

Pouch Slings

PROS: The biggest pro about this type of carrier is that there is no tying, threading, snapping, or adjusting needed.  Pouch slings are generally sized slings and are one piece of fabric that is already sewn into the form needed.

CONS: There are only a few types of carries that can be done in this type of carrier and I don't find them to be very comfortable to wear. 
Instructions: Click here

Here are a few different brands: Seven Slings, Slinglings

POUCH SLING
Photo found here

Moby Wraps
PROS: Once you learn how to use the Moby wrap it is a very comfortable wrap to wear.  I would put the wrap on at home before I left to run errands and that way I didn't have to fumble with tying it while I was out.  
CONS: This material is very stretchy and even though the weight recommendation is through 35 lbs you can risk over stretching the material and compromising the carry (i.e. your baby could fall out.)  I personally wouldn't recommend carrying over 20- 25 lbs in a Moby wrap. Another con is that there is really only one or two carries that you can do with this wrap so it is not very versatile. 

Instructions: Click here

MOBY WRAP
Photo found here

Woven Wraps

PROS: A woven wrap is similar to the Moby wrap in the fact that it is one long piece of fabric however a woven wrap is much sturdier and offers dozens upon dozens of ways that you can carry your child.  These wraps can be used from infancy through toddler-hood and offer a great deal of versatility.  

CONS: Like all carriers, you need to make sure that you are wearing your baby correctly. It is very important to practice tying your woven wrap while at home before you venture out with it. Additionally, there is a learning curve as there are a variety of different ways that you can tie this type of wrap. 

Instructions: Check out this link for a bunch of different video instructions for woven wrap carries. 

Here are a few different brands: Girasol, Ellaroo,  Ellevill

WOVEN WRAP
Photo found here

Mei Tai Carriers

PROS: This is a type of carrier that is blends wraps with structured carriers.  It can be used from infancy through toddler-hood however it is best to wait until your baby has proper head control to start using this type of carrier. 

CONS:  These carriers require the use of knots and tying rather than buckles, snaps, or rings and can take a little time to get used to.  

Instructions: Click here

Here are a few different brands: Baby Hawk, Mei Tai Baby

MEI TAI
Photo found here

Soft Structured Carriers 

PROS: These types of carriers are very easy to use and often times people new to baby wearing feel more confident when using something that is more structured.  These carriers feature snaps or buckles and allow the user ease of mind when it comes to wearing their child.  Some of these carriers allow the wearer to carry a child up to 45 lbs. 

CONS: Unless your carrier has an infant insert, you will probably not be able to carry your child in this type of carrier until they are 12- 15 lbs. 

Instructions: Click here

Here are a few different brands: Ergo Baby, Becco  

SOFT STRUCTURED CARRIER
Photo found here

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Time for some fine print/disclaimers... 

** It is important that you, as the consumer do as much research as you can before you purchase and use a carrier.  The information on this post contain my personal thoughts and are not to be taken as instructions.  Please read and follow all instructions on your carrier and use one at your own risk. 

*** I was not paid or perked by any company mentioned in this post.  These are my own personal thoughts.