Monday, August 30, 2010

Blowout survival - cloth diaper cover does its work

It's all about the gussets - the extra layer of elastic that tucks inside the leg holes of the diaper covers. At 6 weeks old, our little pooper finally did a business worthy of the extra tucks.

Thirsties Duo Wrap Snap, Blackbird, Size One (6-18 lbs)This is my second  child using cloth diapers. It's hard to convince moms that it's easy, but really it is, especially with the modern products available today. My stash:  half a dozen unbleached india prefolds; a few wool covers; and the highly circulated Thirsties Duo Wrap. These covers have gussets! I also occassionally use snappies to hold the cloth diapers in place, more with the wool covers.

I've come to like the snap design - velcro closures can lose their grip after many washings.

And the Duo Wraps fit great at the newborn stage - and look like they'll keep fitting as she grows.


Monday, August 23, 2010

Walking in Savannah

Dear Little One:
You fix on the tree tops and  sky with your far-off gaze, you're  swaddled close and tight: hot bodies walk under dark green leaves. You smash your nose against me.

My legs are getting stronger from all this walking. We circle blocks and allys. I flex my back muscles too as I hold the weight of you in swathes of stretchy pink jersey.


I wear athletic shoes, and while you napped I squatted a few times to stretch. Plump children need a strong mother.  


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I've never worn the shoes that are supposed to recreate the muscle action of walking on sand. I'd like to find them cheaper than a cnote though. Or relocate to sand.


This is baby carrier/sling I use. Mostly in the "kangeroo" hold. It's a dreamy spot for a newborn.



Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Wild child

I like Anne Hart's blog: SouthernMamas.com. She always has the scoop on things to do in Savannah for families, and lots of other relevant content for moms. For example this post: Skidaway Island outdoor activities listed for this week.

Thanks, Anne, we're overdue for a trip to a state park - great listing!

I'm jump at an excuse to go in the woods, long ago realizing that city kids need their nature-time scheduled. Though it does feels odd to me, the same way playdates felt like an awkward way to socialize. But here in Savannah, we have no kid neighbors or cousins, and all our friends with children live in far-off areas of town. So we schedule free time for running around and playing pretend. And we schedule for trees and dirt.

Luckily, Savannah is tucked between a lot of wild environments. The beach landscape is a festival for the senses no matter how many times you experience it. And the marshy forests that bridge the barrier islands are dramatic and fertile. Skidway Island State Park has a trail we love to trek for our dose of moss-draped palms, muddy crab homes and a cycle of blooming brush.


It's too hot for the newborn and her milk supply to attend the events this weekend;  but a springy, muscle-growing five-year-old is soon going to spend his days in a kindergarden classroom, now is the perfect time for a wilderness visit with dad.

Related:  Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder   if you're not already inspired to make sure kids you know get their regular diet of nature, this book will remind you of the importance of spending time under the trees.

Monday, August 16, 2010

We just had a new baby

And I sing hazzahs to midwifery. What a pleasure it was to be well cared-for during my gestation and delivery. My husband and I also hired a hypnobirth instructor about two months before my due date.

Intense, hypnotic, therapeutic concentration changed my life. I was so relaxed, free of fear and able to gently bring my girl into the world. I hope someday I can share this magical process with another pregnant mom so she can enjoy her birth as much as I enjoyed mine.

And the perfect book for post-delivery bliss: The Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife by Peggy Vincent. This smartly-written account of a California nurse-turned-midwife was a love story to babies and birthing mamas. Vincent's prose is sharp and readable, and her stories of attending births brought me to tears and swelled my heart with pride and awe. It's a page-turner, and a great book to have beside the glider while the new baby latches on.