Adventures in Babywearing

Where all my words went.

2009-11-03T16:46:00.000-06:00

I get this way, when I let time slip in between my thoughts and writing them down and when I go to write them down, they are gone. And I don't bother to look for them.

I think sometimes there can be too many words. When I have so many words it gets crowded in my head and in my mouth and I trip over what should be said and what should be left unsaid.

I am a library mouse, scampering about in this unfamiliar noisy life. Where are the books? Where are my words?

A couple weeks ago on my way to therapy (yes, I go to therapy and it's a good thing) I was awestruck of a beautiful sunset and how it singed and stained the sky and stretched out across all the land, and the clouds made patterns...

and it really made me feel very, very small.

I've thought about that night often since then, and the best way I can describe it is just "Bigness." Have you ever lied in bed and felt like everything was giant around you? Something like that, only not scary.

I mean, I know the world is big, but in that moment it felt infinite and like the sky had an unimaginable depth, with a world inside it that just kept going on and on.

And here I was with my [small] problems and my [small] life and my [small] words making a too big deal out of it all.

Just who do I think I am? And what am I going to do with myself?

[to be continued...]

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One Year And Seven Weeks of Ivy's Cheeks

2009-11-03T02:06:00.004-06:00

I still pinch myself every day.

Photo with Daddy, November 08 by Beth of Beth Fletcher Photography

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The First Of November

2009-11-01T15:58:00.004-06:00

happy new month.

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Pumpkin

2009-10-31T15:12:00.002-05:00

[real life.]

[baking.]

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Moose & Peanut: Then and Now

2009-10-30T09:33:00.004-05:00

fall 2006

fall 2009

Xavier came for a visit yesterday and I caught them doing a secret hand-shake-high-five thing that friends do.

Remember that?

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The Sakura Bloom Triathlon: Round One Winner!

2009-10-29T17:35:00.003-05:00

Each one of the Triathlon contestants submitted and/or posted their answers to three questions asked by Lynne at Sakura Bloom for Round One of the Babywearing Triathlon.

Every single answer was unique and wonderful to read. I encourage you to read them all. Lynne from Sakura Bloom, Summer from Fawn & Forest, and myself have chosen our winner....

Sara Sophia!

Be enchanted by her answers to questions one, two, and three.

Sara Sophia wins a $100 gift certificate to Fawn & Forest.

The contestants' second batch of slings are shipping out now. Stay tuned for Round Two!

What is the Sakura Bloom Triathlon?

Visit our contestants' blogs:

Marvelous Kiddo
DGVE Law
8 year olds & Babies
Crooked Eyebrow
Crunchy Yuppie
tout-est-des-roses
4 little men & girly twins

[Also, I've been a bit behind on adding links to the Babywearing Blogroll but will be working on it tonight. Please email me or leave a comment if you've added the button and would like to be included in the blogroll!]

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Leaving.

2009-10-28T21:59:00.001-05:00

[shufflerustleshuffle.]

[yellow.]

[red.]

[collected.]

[a leaf bouquet.]

You Capture: Autumn

More of our Washington St. photos and how I long to live there.

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Washington St.

2009-10-28T17:56:00.004-05:00

Every time I drive down Washington St.,

my heart makes its wish

and I say a prayer...

and imagine my family all big and grown...

coming to visit with plenty of rooms to spare,

in one of the homes on Washington St.

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Things Are Good

2009-10-27T15:36:00.000-05:00

(The view from here.)

I had a moment just sitting here, I didn't realize how low I must have been lately because in the past few days, I have been feeling very good.

Like, I forgot how this felt. And I don't want to forget ever again.

Oh, and we took the scenic route today.

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Monday Afternoon

2009-10-26T14:23:00.004-05:00

Hubby set up a tent in the playroom so the kids could campout last night. I was going to let them stay up late (and hope that they sleep in late!) but Noah decided he wanted to go to bed early so he wasn't going to stay in the tent, but was too lonely to sleep by himself in his room. I need my brothers with me.

My heart smiled so big it squished any guilt I had about them having to share a room. They wouldn't have it any other way.

They all three ended up in their own beds and were up niiiiice and early.

It's fall break here and there's no school today. (Neighbor kids came over. Tents do not cause children to multiply.)

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On Sunday Morning

2009-10-25T10:28:00.002-05:00

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How I do it all.

2009-10-24T12:20:00.007-05:00

I just made this: Chipotle Black Bean Chili and am going to sit down here for a moment to write out some things while I eat it.

I'm thinking about going vegan again. I can't decide.

We were supposed to try a new church tomorrow, but Ivy's been sick. It seems like just when we finally get back to life and on a roll, someone gets sick and we are set back again. Thankfully she'll nap all day long on hubby and I can do some things around the house.

Something I'm emailed a LOT by people: How do you do it all?

Answer: I don't.

If I've got a good thing going in one area, it means there are probably a bunch of other things being severely neglected in another area. I try to find the balance but...

Things gets so behind, and I find I am just taking care of what's on the surface and under my feet at that moment. So everything else in the corners and against the walls and behind the doors piles up and up.

I have four tiny (loud) voices wanting to tell me stories or to ask me questions or to just say Mommy Mommy Mommy Mommy Mommy Mommy over and over and over again while I make their meals and wash their clothes and nurse the baby and try to sneak in a little work (stuff to write) and sometimes what gets me through (aside from the caffeine) is the promise that after they all go to bed, I can finally sit down with quiet and eat dinner or watch a show and do some knitting or cross-stitching or reading or writing and you know what?

When they finally are all in bed and I look over them, pray over them, my heart filled to over-flowing, I forget about lots of the earlier stuff and hope hope hope they do, too.

Then I usually collapse, exhausted, close my eyes for what seems like MINUTES and awake to another day to do it all over again.

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Inside Looking Out

2009-10-23T11:00:00.002-05:00

The boys are off school until Tuesday. It's dreary and raindroppy and cold outside, so we're in for the day.

It's warm and peaceful and smells like coffee inside, so we're not complaining.

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A Clone Trooper, Dorothy, Football Player, & Dinosaur Pirate

2009-10-22T20:02:00.000-05:00

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The Great Rescue!

2009-10-22T07:17:00.000-05:00

Grayson's beloved doggy slipped from his hands while walking along the bridge above a fast-flowing creek. You could hear his broken heart as he screamed for his doggy being swept away in the stream.

We ran along the creek to see if we could find a low place to grab it. Next thing I knew, Lovelyn had her jeans rolled up and was in the water.

Doggy floated by and she scooped him up, rung him out, and saved the day!

Bystanders cheered. We all sighed in relief. And went on our way.

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Bunnie

2009-10-21T13:51:00.002-05:00

A rocket has to go 25,000 miles an hour to get into orbit... that's a lot of force, keeping us right where we are.

So, go ahead and tell your daughter to reach for the stars. Just, give her a break if she falls a little short.

(As heard on an episode of Samantha Who?)

Originally posted October 22, 2008.

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the new yarn.

2009-10-20T08:04:00.000-05:00

This is the dress I made with the new yarn.

For those who were asking about the pattern, I posted it on Ravelry.com (I'm BabywearKnittery if you're on there) - the pattern is Little Girl's Sundress or Jumper by Diane Soucy and I found it to be super easy, especially if you already know how to make a sweater or hat.

You can see more of my knitting projects at Ravelry or at my old knitting blog- And She Knits... guess I should update it a bit!

I took the boys to see Where the Wild Things Are this past weekend and posted my thoughts about it at Real Moms Guide. See below for all of my most recent articles there if you would like to check them out.

Also, the winner of the necklace from Uganda in support of Lovelyn is: Kalee

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If you want to throw a vote my way

2009-10-19T12:15:00.005-05:00

*Updated below.

I have been nominated for a Mommy Blog award at thebump.com and wasn't going to post anything but I guess I wouldn't mind a couple votes so that I get a little something more than the ZERO % I have going right now LOL.

I don't mind. It truly is flattering just to be nominated and sounds like it's a complicated contest to win. But if you'd like to click over and vote for my "stay at home Mom blog" (apparently it ends today and you can vote as often as you wish) then it might be kinda cute. Let's see if I can get a % or two!

Smoochies.

*The contest has ended and I think I did make it into the 1% all thanks to you! :)

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On finishing what you've started even if it's pretty messed up.

2009-10-19T07:53:00.007-05:00

A couple weeks ago I was having one of those ~~lives~~ days and mentioned that I knitted up a dress for Ivy that I didn't like so I started over with a new yarn. Robin commented and encouraged me to finish the one I didn't like. That it might be good for me. Groan.

So I did. And even though it looks kinda nice on the Internet, if you saw it in person it has many flaws, but it did turn out quite beautiful anyway.

Maybe tomorrow I'll share a photo of the "new yarn" one. I'm very proud of both.

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Comes A Time

2009-10-18T07:57:00.001-05:00

Comes a time, when you're drifting

Comes a time when you settle down.

Comes a light, feelings lifting.

Lift that baby right up off the ground.

Oh, this old world keeps spinning 'round.

It's a wonder tall trees ain't laying down.

There comes a time.

You and I, we were captured. We took our souls and we flew away.

We were right, we were giving.

That's how we kept what we gave away.

Oh, this old world keeps spinning 'round.

It's a wonder tall trees ain't laying down.

There comes a time.

There comes a time.

-Neil Young, "Comes a Time"

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She pointed to his picture and said this is my baby brother.

2009-10-16T09:52:00.004-05:00

Yesterday we had a playdate at Lovelyn's home. Ellie immediately showed ~~her future husband~~ Gray a photo book of pictures, pointing, "This is my baby brother."

Soon, Clayton won't just be in her picture book. He'll be in her home. He'll be in her arms.

I feel honored to call Love a friend. If you aren't familiar with her story, please catch up here.

Love has been selling t-shirts and beautiful necklaces from her trip to Uganda to help raise funds for the adoption.

I purchased two necklaces yesterday. One for me, and one for one of you.

Just leave a comment below to be entered to win. Open to anyone, no matter where you live.

Today is actually Love's birthday! Wish her well! Follow her- she's letlovegrow on Twitter.

And then leave a comment here if you'd like to win one of her necklaces that helps to bring Clayton home.

I'll choose one winner at random from the comments below sometime after 11:59 PM (CST) Monday October 19, 2009. (following Love on twitter is not a requirement, just a suggestion!)

Contest has now ended. The winner is Kalee.

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A Fall Day

2009-10-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

You Capture: still life

More about our day (what a day) yesterday.

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Sakura Bloom Triathlon: Round One

2009-10-14T14:06:00.008-05:00

A special message from Lynne at Sakura Bloom!

Welcome Triathletes! from Lynne Banach on Vimeo.

Helpful instructional videos:
Putting on and adjusting a ring sling
Tummy to tummy hold in a ring sling

Lynne will be working on more instructional videos throughout the challenge weeks, so if you have any demonstrations you'd like to see, please let us know in the comments!

And now, the first challenge of the Sakura Bloom Triathlon, three questions for our seven contestants:

What first interested you in babywearing?
How is your personality reflected in your parenting style?
If you could spend a year traveling with your family, where would you go and why?

Sakura Bloom Triathlon contestants have until October 28 to submit the answers to the three questions, via email or a post on their blog. One contestant will be recognized for her answers and awarded with a $100 gift certificate to Fawn & Forest.

Meet the contestants.

Play along if you'd like! Leave your answers to the questions in the comments below or link to your post on your blog so we can check them out!

More information about the Sakura Bloom Triathlon.

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I can't

2009-10-13T22:49:00.003-05:00

stop thinking about this photo.

From when Ivy was less than one day old. Was it all a dream? She was really that small and tiny and new?

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Babywearing Triathlon: Meet Brittany

2009-10-13T14:00:00.001-05:00

Brittany is Mama to 4 wild and crazy boys... Grayson- 9, Vance- 7, Gavin- 5, Ozzie- 2, and beautiful identical twin girls Eliza & Nolia- 1. Their home is in the midwest but they are slowly making a new home on the family farm in the great plains. Brittany chose Spice from the Sakura Bloom Pure collection as her first sling for the challenge.

"I've been babywearing for 9 years. I wore a horrid suggli with my first, a pouch I couldn't figure out with my second, my arms with my third, and finally discovered the amazing world of real babywearing with my fourth."

Favorite song (right now): Your Hand In Mine by Explosions In The Sky.

Favorite quotes: Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have. -Unknown

In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity. -Albert Einstein

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. -Lao Tzu

Brittany blogs at 4 Little Men & Girly Twins.

The Sakura Bloom Triathlon officially begins this week. I'll be introducing each contestant through today. Watch for a very special announcement tomorrow.

Meet Leigh Pennebaker
Meet Marcela Beatty
Meet Danielle G. Van Ess
Meet Sara Sophia
Meet Donya
Meet Becca Speer

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