Category Archives: Parenthood 101

drinking like a Montessori

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This week started out with me sniffling in the car while trying to distract myself with the book Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It: And Other Cooking Projects. Recipes for crackers, marshmallows, strawberry jam and even limoncello couldn’t quite make me stop thinking about my little birdie’s first (partial) morning at “school.” I knew she would be fine (well, at least part of me did) and I knew in my heart that she would thrive in the Montessori environment, but I still had a hard time leaving her. Someone could’ve handed me a million bucks and I still would’ve been sniffling in the car, checking the clock every few minutes until the two hours had passed. It made me think of what Wren’s Grandpa Jon likes to say about parenthood: once you have children, you wear your heart on the outside. Sigh.

So how’d she do? Well, according to her Guide, she did OK for the first hour and then another baby started to cry and that upset her. Babies. They can be so empathetic! So for the next (almost) hour, she was sniffling too. Never full on crying, trying to hold herself together, be a big girl and all. Egads, that didn’t make me feel any better. So she goes back again today for another round and with a work meeting on my agenda, I won’t have the opportunity to sit in the car and sniffle so things WILL be better, right? I’m not exactly sure what Murphy’s Law of Parenthood has to say about that logic, do you? Don’t answer that.

Two mornings a week didn’t sound like much, but it’s been weighing heavy on my heart. Eventually, I know she’ll love it and I’ll be sad because she’ll cry when she has to leave school one day. Can’t win, can we?

So in the meantime this week, we’ve been having a very fun, wet week with a cup. Who knew that learning to drink from a real cup could be so much fun!? At school, the kiddos only drink from real cups. No sippy cups allowed. But she’s only 13 months old?! Yes, a cup. It’s been amazing and hilarious to watch her progress this week with the cup. It’s empowered her; she is so proud of herself with a real cup just like Mamma and Dadda. In the beginning of the week, most of it ended up on her lap. Like a bath at the dinner table. But now, more of it ends up in her mouth. So very cool!

And how cute is a baby drinking from a real cup? SO CUTE. Right?

By the way, if you’d like to find a beverage option that’s suitable for all family members, I recommend to check this out!

I’m sending lots of good karma into the world today, hoping it will bounce back (is that how it works?) and make Wren a happy little birdie today at school. Will you send out some good karma too, dear readers? Pretty please? With a cherry on top?

I hope things are happy and healthy in your nests. Have you been enjoying the first real week of summer?

diapers

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A few people have asked me for my opinion on diapers lately so I thought I’d do a post about our experience. Even if you’re post-diapers or pre-baby or post-baby or not interested in babies at all (why are you here?) there just might be something you can glean from this post…

First things first. I am grateful to have a few great, what I like to call, “poop friends.” You know, the lovely people with whom you can easily talk about your child’s elimination. You? Diapers naturally come up in conversation with my poop friends. Most of them use cloth diapers and I’m proud of them. I’m a cloth diaper drop-out and I’m a bit self-conscious about it. There I said it. That’s the first step to recovery from deep green guilt, right?

Before I had Wren and had to change my child’s countless diapers, I was convinced (in a very ‘greener than thou’ way) that I would use cloth diapers on her (or his, we didn’t know) precious bottom. I started off using a combination of cloth and several different kinds of eco-disposable diapers and some Huggies that a friend graciously donated to the Wren elimination cause. The ratio went from about 60/40 to 50/50 to 40/60 to 20/80 to 5/95 in just a few blurry months. I just never figured out a good system for it. Why did it seem so easy for everyone else? Looking back on that time, I’ve concluded that the ratio kept leaning in favor of the eco-disposables because they’re pretty damn convenient. Duh. And I didn’t feel that bad about using them because they’re a bit better for the environment than traditional disposables. Or so “they” say. At least they make me sleep (a bit) better at night. I had a hard time with the Huggies…

Want to read more about the debate between cloth and disposables? According to Wikipedia,

an average child will go through several thousand diapers in his life. Since disposable diapers are discarded after a single use, usage of disposable diapers increases the burden on landfill sites, and increased environmental awareness has led to a growth in campaigns for parents to use reusable alternatives such as cloth or hybrid diapers. An estimated 27.4 billion disposable diapers are used each year in the US, resulting in a possible 3.4 million tons of used diapers adding to landfills each year.

The environmental impact of cloth as compared to disposable diapers has been studied several times. In one cradle-to-grave study sponsored by the National Association of Diaper Services (NADS) and conducted by Carl Lehrburger and colleagues, results found that disposable diapers produce seven times more solid waste when discarded and three times more waste in the manufacturing process. In addition, effluents from the plastic, pulp, and paper industries are far more hazardous than those from the cotton-growing and -manufacturing processes. Single-use diapers consume less water than reusables laundered at home, but more than those sent to a commercial diaper service. Washing cloth diapers at home uses 50 to 70 gallons of water every three days, which is roughly equivalent to flushing the toilet five times a day, unless the user has a high-efficiency washing machine.

Fast forward a year. I’ve tried a few different eco-disposables including Seventh Generation, Nature Boy & Girl and Nature Babycare. Our favorite is Nature Babycare. They’re chlorine-free, biodegradable, and sport a super cute simple green leaf pattern. I just can’t have my child wearing diapers with licensed characters, sorry…

They can be ordered (in cases is the easiest, most cost-effecive way) through Amazon.com, Diapers.com, Drugstore.com, and even Target.com. I can’t find them in a store in northern Michigan, but if you live in a more metropolitan area, I’m sure they can be found a few different places.

Dear readers, what kind of diapers do you like to use for you babies? Do you have a system for your cloth-diapering that you’d like to share with other readers? Share on, readers!

Need a laugh?

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Are you in need of a great laugh? Or looking for a good gift for a special Dad in your life? You’ve got to check out Awkward Family Photos, which is absolutely hilarious in a Schadenfreude kind of way. I’ve always loved looking at people’s family portraits. How ’bout you? I don’t think we ever had one taken. Are you in the same boat?

Here are a couple pics from Awkward Family Photos that make me laugh. A lot.

What a great gift at less than $10, right? Brilliant idea! Click here to order your copy of Awkward Family Photos now. Voila!

virus.

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Breaking news from our nest….

So I feel really bad now because Little Miss Fussy Pants has a really good reason for her visit, other than her pearly new whites. A virus! The blasted thing has her spiking a 102 fever. Poor baby Wren.

We’re playing the nurturing waiting game now. Lots of Wrest and Wrelaxation. And a few cookie bits.

Send some good antiviral karma into the world, will ya?

murphy’s law of parenthood?

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Brag and you will get yours. This may be the Murphy’s Law of New Parenthood.

I admit it. I bragged a bit about Wren cutting her first teeth without much of a fuss. I think these were my exact words (spoken out loud. to several people.) “She’s not even fussy AT ALL. Just wakeful.” I think I even bragged further about her having my pain threshold, blah blah. Over the weekend, however, Little Miss Fussy Pants showed up in our nest. And she’s still hanging around. Oof. Thanks, Parenthood 101. Lesson learned. Can we move on now?

The one thing for which I’m grateful with Little Miss Fussy Pants’ recent visit is that because she so rarely visits our nest, it puts our normal Little Miss Sunshine days in perspective. And I want them back. NOW. I just can’t will those teeth to come all the way through and move on with our happy-go-lucky life, can I? Just like I can’t will her to sleep for more than several hours at a time. Oh well.

Here’s another lesson learned just for you today, dear readers. Maybe attempting a detox (no caffeine, sugar, processed foods) at the same time you’re home alone for four days with a teething baby is not the best idea I’ve ever had. But I’m doing it anyway. I thought I would spare Chris the Wrath of Ashlea Off Caffeine, so I decided to embark while Chris is out of town. But I could reaaaaallly use a cup of something strong right now to perk me up after another wakeful night and cranky day. But instead, I’m sipping some herbal tea while munching on a bowl of carrot/ginger soup and a few slices of avocado. Mmmmmmmm. While the wee one sleeps. Aaaaaaaahh.

“No caffeine? Are you crazy?” Maybe.

I just want to be a cheap coffee date again. A cup of coffee meaning something. Sipping a hot mug of joe and really enjoying it. And after a few days without, I’ll feel that way, right? Anyone want to take me out for a cup of coffee next week to find out?

Confessions.

  • I’m so pissed at NBC right now. I thought for sure I could watch the Olympics online, but every time I try to even watch a replay of something that happened yesterday, they want me to register, blah, blah. How archaic is that?!
  • Orange is my favorite color today. Still is. Chris bought me a gallon of orange paint at Home Depot last week and I’ve got a few projects in mind for it. Dresser for Wren’s room and closet morphing into an office for yours truly… Coming soon…
  • When I was a kid I wanted to be an Esprit model. Those kids were really cool, weren’t they? Is Esprit even around anymore?
  • I was spoiled rotten for my birthday week. It was lovely. Thanks for all the birthday wishes!

best!

Sleepy songs.

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Although I’m not a huge fan of kids music, I do love singing and listening to lullabies. My favorite collection is one beautifully created by a friend of ours, Gretchen Eichberger-Kudlack. A big shout out to Gretchen for her creativity, beauty and artistry as these songs are great for sleeping and also a king bed size canada so you can sleep with your little ones  comfortably. And to sweet Gwen for being such an inspiration. “The idea was conceived after I gave birth to my daughter Gwendolyn,” said Eichberger-Kudlack. “The first half starts off with playful and happy songs, based around folk music, and it gradually winds down and relaxes, ending with a Bach piano piece.”

I’m clearly not the only one enjoying it… The CD was named an Honors Award Winner in the 2008 National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA). You can listen to the CD and purchase it here. Portions of the album’s proceeds will benefit music education programs in northern rural Michigan. Bonus! Why not buy several to have on hand for baby gifts?

Enjoy!

Tooth!

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Breaking news from Wren’s nest…

The wakeful nights mystery has been solved! Wren’s first tooth is breaking through and I think it might just belong to a shark. Ouch! Way to go, little birdie.

I realize it’s a little early to be thinking about the Tooth Fairy, but a tooth seems like it pushes a baby one step (err, crawl?) closer to being a toddler. So it got me thinking about tooth pillows and pouches. Of course, I hopped right on Etsy and found this adorable tooth pillow.

I also love this idea for making your own tooth pouch, found on the Purl Bee site. Cute and *sew* easy, right?!

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Dear readers, how does the Tooth Fairy work her (his?) magic in YOUR nest? What successful teething aids have you used? Whiskey? Frozen waffles? Cold washcloths? …

On a side note, I’ll be posting lightly in the next few days as Wren and I are hitting the road soon. Detroit 2010 Or Bust, Baby! While we’re on the road together, I plan on bouncing some blog ideas around, which made me think, what do YOU want to read about? I’m thinking of doing some taste tests – first one being something dear to my heart and belly. Windmill cookies. Something to look forward to, right?!

Happy weekend to all the birdies in your nest.

clearly not an expert.

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I’m sure you realize this by now. I may have strong opinions about child-rearing, but I really don’t know what I’m doing. Honestly, sometimes I just don’t really know what to do with a baby. Thank goodness for everyone involved, I have good intentions. Besides the obvious time-sucks–nursing, diapering, dressing, playing with toys, reading books, attempting to nap–what should I be doing to make Wren a fun-loving, wonderful, hilarious being who saves the planet and reaches enlightenment way early?

In my quest to figure out what I should be doing with a baby, I’ve been seeking out play groups and preschool enrichment offerings in our area. Our very favorite enrichment activity I have found so far is baby swim. Once a week we go to a local pool that is kept very warm and we polly-wog around together with other parents and wee ones. There is an instructor and her hair always looks really good. I’m not sure if this is good or not. It’s like seeing a skinny chef. It makes me equal parts suspicious and jealous.

I’m not really trying to turn Wren into a Nirvana album cover, but it’s fun to revisit the 90s, sort of…

Actually, Wren does swim a bit underwater and it’s pretty amazing. But mostly she likes to kick around and play with toys and try to gnaw on the chubby limbs of other babies. Did you know that the British are really into baby swim training? I’m not quite sure why this is. When I think of Olympic swimmers, I do not usually think of the British, do you? Well, this is probably because there is no correlation between baby swim and future swim success. That’s what “they” say anyway. Oh well, it’s a helluva lot of fun so I don’t care what “they” say.

Speaking of what “they” say, Wren is not sleeping through the night AT ALL and she doesn’t crawl. But she loves to pick up tiny bits of food with her peripheral vision and clap her hands, supposedly somewhat “advanced” for her age. Whatever. She’s sleeping right now so we’ve got that going for us since I’m totally exhausted and have a real-world “work” meeting to attend this afternoon so I better try to be my best bright-eyed and bushy-tailed self I can muster. Another cup of coffee is in order and a shower is probably a good idea too since I can still smell a bit of the chlorine from yesterday, yuck…

Dear readers, do you have some insights into what I should be doing with a baby right now? Should I learn some songs, or at least try and figure out what comes after the first two lines of the itsy-bitsy spider? I always get caught there. Help!

imaginary nesting.

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Wren’s only a touch over eight months old and right now her favorite toy is…

That’s right, folks. The wooden stacker – not the colorful rings, but the stacker pole part of it. Hours of entertainment. Well, maybe not hours at a time, but if you added the minutes spent gnawing, banging and investigating, it adds up. Needless to say, this was not expected given the more interesting toys that she’s been given. Lesson learned. So I hesitate to invest too much cash in any new toys for my little birdie because she gets so much enjoyment out of everything else. Spoons, empty yogurt containers from the recycling bin, tags, magazines… did I mention magazines? Wren would hate the Kindel or the new iPad. She knows the pleasure in turning, err, ripping, real pages.

That being said, I’ve been looking ahead to a time when imaginary play will occupy our time. I’m not sure when this is exactly, but I’m sure it’ll be here before we know it. And there are two DIY projects that I’m going to attempt. If I get started on them in the coming year, they might be done by the time she might be interested in them. (Did you see that the operative word might was used twice in that sentence? With reason.) Given my luck as a naive new parent, she won’t have any interest, but they look fun enough that I won’t be too disappointed if Wren thinks they’re really not all that. So here goes. Drumroll, please…

Doll house renovation!

I was inspired when I read this article about renovating an old doll house. I despise those plastic doll houses, but the really cool modern doll houses are expensive. So I’m adding this to my garage sale “hunt” list when the season begins again around Memorial Day. Can’t wait! Another item I’m adding to my “hunt” list is an old nightstand so I can attempt DIY imaginary play project #2…

Play kitchen!

This inspiring piece was converted from an old night stand. Check out the article with more pics to drool over here. Again, I’m really not into those plastic kitchen sets. Blech. Isn’t this kitchen so much cooler? Doesn’t it make you want to redo your OWN kitchen?

These are two ambitious projects, but I think I have about two years to get them done and with Wren getting busier and busier every day…, I’m going to need all the time I can get. With any luck, I’ll find the nightstand and old dollhouse this summer and begin work on them when the long dark nights set in again late next fall. I’ll keep you updated!

Confessions.

  • Wren has just discovered her diaper and enjoys ripping it off in the few seconds before I can get her clothes on. Yikes!
  • Orange is my favorite color today. Yes, but a friend of mine showed me the color “dill pickle” yesterday and I might be starting a new love affair.
  • It was 40 and rainy last weekend and I was complaining about the mildness. Now it’s 9 and snowy and I’m complaining about the cold. I’ve become such a winter wimp!
  • It worked! I had a bag of hardened brown sugar. I read that it’ll soften up again if you place a piece of fresh bread in the air tight bag. Two mornings later, the bag was like new.

best!