Bargain Alert: Babywearing video

If you have been feeling like you’re in a rut with the carries you do with your child and you’ve been eyeing the Tummy 2 Tummy video, go over to Nature’s Child and get yourself a copy. They have them on sale for $10.

Read more about this babywearing instructional video here.

Off to the sacred postpartum land where no bad news enters for at least 6 weeks. (5 and counting)

Gearing up for cooler weather + misc.

More and more people are looking for babywearing gear for winter so I updated all the links on the babywearing coats post from last year. I’ve already taken baby 2.0 for a spin around the ‘hood in the Mei Tai and the Kinder vest. Don’t know if I’ll need a way to wear both my babies but I’m going to wait for now. Bilingual baby prefers walking these days anyway.

If you haven’t seen the trailer for Blindness, an adaptation from Jose Saramago’s book of the same name, check it out here. Read the book first, though. It’s a quick read but not to everyone’s taste. I’m reading (trying to, at least) the sequel called, Seeing. It’s part of our bilingual book club- currently on hiatus.

Did I mention I have the sweetest, most beautiful baby?

Bilingual baby has been insisting that she needs a motorcycle to go to her friend’s house. It’s sweet that she’s been really into signing “friend”.

Postpartum: 4 weeks

M is only 4 weeks old and still staying tethered to home with me. Good thing, too. There are lots of colds going around and I’d rather none of us get them. Today is the last day our friends are cooking us dinner- we’ve had hot meals delivered to us over most of the last 3 weeks.

I don’t want to complain of our lack of sleep cos it’ll make for a very boring post. I think I’d rather go and bake some cookies and see if we can keep big sister from completely losing it this afternoon (no nap).

Regardless, I’ve got a cute family.

Lost sleep

The first two weeks we had some easy nights. Both kids in bed and asleep by about 8pm, lots of sleep to be had, M sleeping up to 6 hours at a time. Now we’re definitely not sleeping as well.

But I try to remind myself that these days will be over sooner than we think. In haste, we wish they could talk, walk, and help out more. Our relationship will continually change and catch me off guard. What I wish I would wish for is to be open to the change that we are all going through. Our family is becoming one.

Post-partum: 3 weeks + a couple of days

I had no idea I’d be ec’ing our baby at birth but big sister insisted at day 3 and we’ve just run with it. We were holding M when big sister told us he had to use the “dodo”. We weren’t sure if we should bother but then I thought: Siblings have a connection parents don’t get. Also, M wiggles a lot before going to the bathroom which nakes it really obvious that he has to go.

Gotta get back to eating. We’re lucky to have friends who have been bringing us hot meals over the last couple of weeks. Yum!

change

If you read this blog through a feed reader, I’d like to invite you to pop on over to check out the new header.

Did unplugging the clock work?

Possibly. Last night bilingual papi got more sleep and was a little more well rested than the previous night. That’s crucial when he’s the one who’s with big sister all day. What about me? I’ve got some kind of a head cold or allergies and was uncomfortable all night. Bilingual baby also nurses at night like she’s a newborn so sometimes I feel like I’ve got twins. I still felt wasted when I woke up but not too bad. Nothing that hot milk with ghee can’t fix. (Yes. Ghee is butter. We are talking about whole milk with butter mixed in it. It’s very tasty. Cow’s milk can be substituted for almond milk.)

Unplugging the clock

That’s what I’m doing tonight after a long night last night of being awake against my will- mostly because of big sister being awake. We love our kids and wish for them a restful night tonight- at least.

Post-partum life

Here I am again with a little blogging energy and at a loss for blogging material. I really should keep a notebook near the bed.

The picture is of a Mei Tai I made my sister just before going into labor. It’s been shipped and is now in her hands as she prepares to welcome another child into their family (in December). If only I were closer, I could cook her yummy meals and bring her hot oily milk with ginger and cinnamon after she has her baby. I have found what has been helpful for me in these days and feel the need to fill the gap for other post-partum moms as well. Lucky me, I have a number of pregnant friends here in town.

I visited with one of our midwives yesterday. I told her I was on the fence about going out of the house and she recommended staying in as loong as possible. In I stay.

Postpartum: 2 1/2 weeks

Where do I begin? Every time I’ve nursed one of the kids to sleep I’ve thought of a myriad of things I could possibly blog about. Now that I’m here, with some time to spend on the blog, I’m drawing a blank. In a way, that could be good. It could be a sign that I feel settled in. I’m trying to keep to the suggestions of our postpartum doula (no t.v., no overstimulating conversations, no gossip) but the outside world has seeped in. I haven’t been out yet (except for a trip to confirm that everything was fine- a suggestion from my midwife) and I haven’t received many visits since giving birth. Total, it’s been maybe 5- maybe!

Labor was amazing. More on that later. Tandem nursing is challenging, but I’ve welcomed that challenge. I do need a team of supporters since I haven’t found one here yet. A band of women that completely support my nursing two kids, my constant thirst and hunger; women who will defend me when negative comments (even though the may be meant as a joke) come my way. It’s a little isolating being a new mom. Even more isolating to be tandem nursing. I hope it won’t be for long.

Basically, my day is swamped. I have to eat and drink enough (pause for a sip of water), sleep when I get tired and when my sweet boy is out, hang out with my family downstairs (exhausting but fun), get healthy (oily and warm) snaks to help with recovery and nurse two babies. By the end of the day, I’m wiped. Then comes nightime parenting. Sleeping with two kids is actually easier than it may seem. I’ve got three ways I can nurse, so far. Rotisserie (flipping from my right side to my left to nurse each child side-lying), cradle the little one and football hold big sister, and cradle little one and nurse big sister reclining on pillows next to me.

Big sister doesn’t eat much table food since my milk arrived. I refuse to be concerned by it or to believe anyone who says I won’t make enough milk for my little boy. Supply and demand! And my supply is eager to meet both my kids’ needs. Whenever I start to be worried that I have run out, I start to leak and just grin.

Hope even just one sentence of this makes sense.