BabyLegs are great for covering those few inches of bare leg between socks and pants.  They are also great for making a pair of outgrown pants last a season longer. 

Today, Finn is 6 weeks old.  It is crazy to think that I am now a parent.  A mom.  His mom.  That 6 weeks ago, I was just Lizzie.  A pregnant, crazy, loud lady that was also a wife. That I was fantasizing and freaking out.  And now, I’m a mom.  My most important job in my whole life.  Everything has changed.  And nothing has changed.  It’s an interesting paradox really. Everything has changed because it has to.  Because I’m no longer able to just think about myself or Dan.  Because now I have to think/worry about a little person.  Nothing has changed because I’ve always worried/thought about him.  I didn’t know who he would be, but I always thought about him.

Our birth story starts pretty interestingly.  I had been having contractions (some that I couldn’t feel, some that I could) for about a month.  The docs were “worried” because I was also dilated to a 3 with my contractions, but my water hadn’t broken so they weren’t scared, just worried.  They said it was normal what I was going through, but they had to monitor me closely because of the gestational diabetes.  I would go in for what they call non stress tests twice a week, where they would hook me up to a fetal monitor to make sure he was OK, which he always was.

We were getting pretty close to my due date and Dan and I were getting pretty antsy.  We just wanted to meet him.  We were told that most first babies come late and that labor would be long, hard and draining.  So, we were preparing ourselves for that.  We went to our hypno birthing classes, we read our one book (thank you Melinda!), and we were trying to sleep and relax together as much as possible.

The week before Finn was born I was having some very painful contractions and cramping.  Sleep was pretty impossible, as I couldn’t get comfortable at all, and if I could, I would have to pee as soon as I was in a good position (next time, I’m getting a catheter inserted… seriously.)  But, despite this, work had to continue, as did everything else.  I went to work and Lisa, my boss, was taking bets on when I would deliver. We were worried that it would be early in September when we were at our busiest and Dan would be back to work already.

THe day before Finn was born, my contractions were at their worst! But, I thought it was because I was tired and I may have dehydrated myself a little. (Which, in all actuality, was impossible because I was drinking – by midwife orders – 6 nalgenes of water a day. Yes.) Dan and I had a delivery for a wedding, then we went to my brother in law’s sister’s daughter’s 1st birthday (did you follow that? ) It was great fun, with wonderful food and some good distractions from what was going on in my body.  When we finally got home, we got to rest, then Dan had to go back to pick up all the items from the wedding we had delivered earlier that day. He got back home at 12:00 am, and I was still trying to fall asleep.  I just couldn’t.  I had so much pressure and pain in my pelvic region, my lower back and my thighs (who knew!). I knew he needed sleep, so I slept on the couch and let him have the bed (I’m actually a very nice wife.)  I finally fell asleep for a couple of hours on the couch.  I woke up around 5 am to go to the bathroom.  I sat down on the toilet, peed and felt like I need to poop (TMI, sorry, but it’s how this happened) and when I tried to push, I heard a very loud POP and felt A LOT of fluid fall out of me… like a really really scary waterfall. Now, it was 5 am, I was severely sleep deprived and in a lot of pain.  So, I sat there for a full two minutes trying to understand what had just happened.  So, naturally, I freaked out when I realized that my water had just broke and ran into the bedroom and turned the lights on and started beating the bed so Dan would wake up.  He did. And he looked like someone had just broken into our house.  I “calmly” told him I thought my water had broken and we needed to call the midwives and get the bag packed.  And, my husband, the calm and collected man he normally is, started running around the house aimlessly, but with intent, in his underwear.  He immediately went to feed and water the cats, then started packing our overnight bag with anything he could throw in.  I was trying to breathe through the contractions, and asked him to call the midwives for me.  He did and the midwife on call told him to have me labor as long as I could at home.  To try to relax, take a shower and breathe.  So I did.  I got in the shower while Dan called our parents and finished packing our bags and getting himself ready.  My contractions had slowed down, and we were getting ourselves ready for a long couple of days of labor.  I got in the shower, washed my hair and that’s when it got interesting.

My contractions came back with vengeance. I could barely stand up.  I called for Dan to help me get out of the shower so I didn’t fall.  I looked him in the eyes and said we have to go NOW! So I got dressed, he called the hospital to tell them we were coming in and we left. It was the longest 5 minute drive I have ever experienced.  Luckily, it was at 5:30 am, so no one saw the horribly ugly faces I was making, and they didn’t hear the primal grunting noises I was making.  (Oh yeah, I gave new meaning to primal grunting.)  We arrived at the ER at Rose Medical center to check in, and luckily, there was a nice EMT there that offered to get a wheelchair for me, since walking at the point was pretty difficult.  By this time, there was no talking and there was no smiling.  I was in the zone of determination and pain.

We finally made it up to the room where I would meet my son. Inside, I was going through SO much. THere was fear, there was pain and there was a lot of anxiety.  I got dressed in my gown and went through the rigamarole of getting ready.  They checked my cervix and I was dilated to a 5.  They told me to expect a few more hours of this pain and that once I was past my 20 minutes on the monitor, to make sure the baby was alright and not distressed, I could get in the jacuzzi tub, use the birthing ball or do whatever I needed to do to get past the contractions and ease my pain (Field of Dreams reference there…).  So, I waited, but the contractions got worse.  THe nurse said that was very normal, but I knew something was going on, and that everything was moving very quickly.  I asked her to check me again, and she did and I had progressed to a 7, in 20 minutes.  At that time, the midwife, Aimee, came in and was telling me what was going on, and that everything was totally fine, I was just progressing very rapidly, which was good!  I hadn’t opened my eyes throughout this whole process because the pain was so intense and I was trying to focus.  I was also not breathing, and had to have the nurses and the midwife keep reminding me to breathe.  You would think that would have been the most natural thing for me to do and I would naturally just do it… but it wasn’t and I didn’t.  I started to feel very nauseous and light headed to add to everything else I was feeling.  So, once they talked me through everything, the breathing commenced and I felt much much better.

Dan and I had discussed, at length, how I wanted the delivery to go.  I wanted no medication, at all, under any circumstances.  I wanted a completely natural childbirth.  And my dear husband, followed my requests.  However, after an hour of being in labor, I said I couldn’t do it.  I needed the drugs.  I needed them badly… When my midwife checked me, I was still at a 7 and I said I wanted the epidural.  She talked me through what that meant, and Dan, being the great man he is, said we needed to talk about it. Well…my darling husband has never felt what it feels like to have a child the size of a watermelon trying to come out of a hole the size of a fist.  Nope.  I grabbed his arm and said I was getting the GD epidural and he followed my lead – no questions asked. (Good man.)  So the anesthesiologist was summoned, and I continued to labor, to grunt, to scream and to make very unnatural noises that I didn’t think any human was capable of making.  Once the good man with the good drugs arrived however, I was checked and had progressed to a 9.  THat meant that a baby was imminent. My midwife, who was the calming grace throughout the experience, said that they would give me the drugs, but that since I was at a 9 already, that meant that a baby was almost here. So, the plan changed again, and I skipped the epidural.  It was a good choice.  After that, I needed to push.  And it wasn’t a “well, I guess I could push” feeling.  No, it was a ” I’m going to push and you can’t stop me from pushing” feeling.  I have never felt an urge that deeply. Ever. They told me I couldn’t, that I would tear if I pushed too early, and I told them that I couldn’t help it and that I was going to push.  So, that warranted being checked again and low and behold, there was a tip of a head to be seen.  So… I pushed.  I pushed so hard.  I breathed, I had to be reminded to breathe. I wanted so badly to cry – but the tears wouldn’t come.  I held onto Dan and my nurse so tightly that I’m sure they both had bruises the size of Montana on their arms!  It felt like I pushed forever!

But, after only 20 minutes of pushing, Aimee said, “one more big one!” and there was my son.  My perfect, beautiful, HUGE son! There was so much relief.  Relief from the pain, that he was alive, that he was perfect. They laid him on my chest and he cried and got cleaned and then calmed. I had created life.  There are no words to express this feeling. Moms know what I am speaking of.  It doesn’t matter how your child comes into the world – whether you push them out, they are taken out by c-section, or you get them later on in their life through adoption.  When you hold that child that you have wanted for so long for the first time, you realize what completion is.  You realize how strongly love can actually be felt.  And I was complete.  I was a mom.  Dan and I decided on doing delayed cord clamping as well – which means they don’t clamp and cut the cord until it stops pulsing – and that was such an intense sensation as well.  To know that my child was out of me, yet still connected to me, whoa. I mean, WHOA!  Dan cut the cord, and I have never loved my husband as much as I did when I saw his joy and jubilation at seeing his son, our child, for the first time.

Finnegan Hawthorne Lutes was born at 7:16 am (1 hour and 45 minutes after my labor began) weighing in at 8 lbs 12 oz. and 20.5 inches long.  He has the sweetest face, the perfect lips, and the most beautiful eyes ever.  He looked exactly like his dad, and I know that he will have the best of both of us.  He is sassy, he is observant, calm and cuddly.  He loves to stare at everything and take it in.  He loves to move. He is the best “craft” I could have ever made.

Until next time!  XO

I still have the comforter. Charlotte has been using it on her bed now that nights are getting a little chilly.

On Friday I came across the matching pillow case, top sheet, AND fitted sheet (I almost typed shitted feet LOL) at Value Village. I didn’t even know the comforter was part of a set! I grabbed them up like a boss. They are all in fantastic shape (in way better shape than my comforter, it’s kinda faded) and everything was only $6.99!

The most amazing thing is the fitted sheet. Old top sheets are pretty common. Fitted ones seem rare. Makes sense, they get used more, and wear out quicker.

I’m pretty excited.

Best of all, Charlotte is pretty excited about it, too!

Can you see the tear in his eye? The poor guy lost the contest because of unsportsmanlike conduct. Apparently he pinched one of the other entries, I think this one.

See the look on her face?  I sent him to his room without supper.

Now the good news.

The monkey quilt won best in show.  Who knew? Here’s a better look at it.

I think it’s time to make a Tennessee monkey quilt.

Today I decided to count up how many kid’s books we have.

364!

In short… a crap load of friggin’ books. To our credit, we do keep them picked up and on their designated shelves most of the time. Hoarders are usually messy… right?

Our entertainment centre has become consumed.

Even Grover is overwhelmed by all the books.

Of course I counted the Little Golden Books. Final tally: 56. Not too shabby!

The good news about all this, is that Charlotte LOVES books. She has loved books long before she could even talk. Now at 2 1/2 she will often “read” independently, book after book for a half hour or longer at a time. She has enjoyed a great many of these books at one point or another. Most of them, really.

But the truth is, as I was counting, I realized that we are still holding on to a fair number of books that she has outgrown, a few doubles, and some that are damaged. A few that she’s never looked twice at, even. I love finding awesome vintage kid’s books… but eventually, something’s got to give. We are not planning on opening a library, after all. Space is limited.

B and I go through toys fairly regularly, and donate any Charlotte doesn’t play with anymore. We’ve never done this with books.

I think it’s time. Gulp. I hope to tackle them this weekend… wish me luck!

All the time spent selecting fabric, cutting, sewing, piecing, sandwiching, quilting, binding…It’s all worth it when you receive pictures like these.

Isn’t he the sweetest little man?

A big thank you to his momma for allowing me to share him with you all.  

Daria it was my pleasure!

A cousin had a baby boy mid-August and requested a sweater, black, with red or blue…..chose to do black with red.  Knitting with black is quite intimidating with old eyes!  I thought it turned out cute – decided it needed a matching hat. Then found these crocheted booties that look like high top tennies!  Hope Nicholas likes them!  I’m one second cousin behind in gifts and he turned 1 already…hang in there Austin, your turn is next.

Quick shot of just one bootie….

This Saturday is Costa Rica’s Independence Day.  Friday night there is a children’s parade, with lit lanterns that they make signifying how people got around in the dark before electricity.  We went last year and it was so cute!  Some really creative ones and then there were some purchased ones.  Reminded me of Halloween in the old country – where they are some creative homemade costumes and some purchased ones!

Pura Vida…

It’s only 77 degrees out – I’m sure within the next half hour, Mark will come in and put on socks and long pants! LOL The Wuss!

I told her that when it gets closer to Hallowe’en, we’ll make a pumpkin grinner, and then we looked up some pictures online. She was very tickled. So tickled, in fact, that I decided we should go ahead and make some pumpkin grinners early. The kind that won’t be rotten and smelly and attracting fruit flies long before October 31. Paper pumpkin grinners.

I got some orange construction paper and cut out a bunch of pumpkins, and then gave her a black marker so she could draw the faces. She had a blast!

That’s one apprehensive-looking pumpkin.

We made a bunch of them, and then stuck them up in the living room window. I thought to take a photo AFTER they were all stuck up there, and unfortunately the glare made this difficult. Here’s the best one I could get.

Happy (foolishly early) Hallowe’en!

 By now you’re asking yourself how was I going to get all these wonderful things to Turkey?  I do get two free checked bags, but those obviously weren’t going to fit all my purchases.  Luckily my FIL “knows” someone at a well-known shipping company who could help us maneuver the costs.  Wahoo!  I continued to shop.  It must be noted that I asked multiple times my limit on number of boxes and the size of boxes that I could ship.  Each time I received the same answer, “whatever you want.”  Well with that answer I continued to shop. So a few days before my return trip I went to buy the boxes; I needed some really BIG boxes. The largest box could was similar to a coffin for a short person. I packed in all my baby goodies, filled out the paperwork for customs (yes of course the value of all these items is only $100), and taped them shut.

Just a bit of the loot

 My extremely kind father broke his back carrying the 50+ pound boxes to the nearest shipping store and I headed back to Turkey.  I was so excited to get the boxes that I stalked their every move on the Internet.  Finally they arrived!  Nothing was lost in transit and I had totally outsmarted the extremely overpriced Turkish baby stores! Or had I?  As the boxes arrived in Turkey our connection at the well-known shipping company decided that coffin sized boxes were a bit over his “hook-up” limit.  We were now faced with a 3,000 something Turkish Lira bill.  OH NO, OH NO, OH NO!!!!! Luckily my FIL came to rescue, after all I had asked multiple times about my shipping restrictions . . .

Here are a few of the amazing items I can’t live without for Baby Willy Wonka!  It’s time for some product promotion!

Halo SleepSack Swaddle

Why did it take me until Willy Wonka was five weeks to purchase the Halo sleep sack?  It keeps him asleep and therefore gets me more sleep! My parents think he is going to be an Irish dancer because his arms are always pinned down to his sides. Riverdance here we come! 

Mommy’s Bliss

Gripe Water or in our house we call it “magic water.”  Yes it’s helpful for gas and hiccups, but it also works wonders for crying fits.  Just one squirt and Willy Wonka instantly calms.  I dribble one small drop on his pacifier and he settles.  He also loves the taste. 

Woodours Toy

This is one of my favorite toys.  I like the fabrics and colors, and there isn’t too much happening on one toy.  I’m the crazy mom who uses this toy to teach her 10 week old son about the food chain (actually his Grandma started it.)  It goes something like this, “the fish eats the cracker, num num, then the bear eats the fish, num num.”

Froggy Mat 

This froggy mat is so soft.  Whenever I put Willy Wonka on it he knows it is time to play.  We do tummy time (which Willy Wonka loathes), practice our vowels, and look at our toys on it. 

LeLuni Elephant Clock

This elephant clock is one of my favorite elements in the nursery and one of my post popular pins on Pinterest.  Check out the website, there are great clocks.  

-The nursing bras I’ve found in Turkey are NOT good.  They are so unflattering and you can’t wear them with any stylish tops.  Here are three I love from the States:

Lamaze Cotton Spandex Sleep Bra

• My nighttime bra.  It’s so easy and comfy.

Bravado Seamless Nursing Bra

• This bra was perfect for the early days of nursing.  Because it comes in S, M, L you don’t have to worry about a specific size and therefore can buy it before the baby comes.

Le Mystere Women’s Sexy Mama Nursing Bra

• This bra has an underwire!  It offers lots of support and it isn’t difficult to nurse even though it has an underwire.

I just love books too much.

Without further ado:

I find Modern-day Barbie books irritating. This one is from 1974 and just too good to pass up.

This one’s from 1968.

They don’t make ‘em like they used to, folks!

Now to find out what Charlotte has to say about our new acquisitions. That’s all that really matters, after all!

First your going to want to cut your fabric and place them right side in. (I always iron mine too, I don’t know maybe it’s OCD)(Sure doesn’t look ironed!) Then pin it, and sew all the way around leaving an opening on any side about 4-5 inches. After you sew it, trim the edges. Then turn it inside-out and sew all the way around it, closing up the opening. And that’s it! Easiest ever right!?Grayson already has the bib to match but wouldn’t that be a super cute baby shower gift if you made a few!?
The tutorial I used to make the bib is here if your interested. Let me know if you try either of these and how they turn out! xoxo j.

It’s been neat watching her drawing skills develop. Now, she loves to draw animals (pigs and bunnies seem to be her favourite), and other objects, but hasn’t started to put these things together to make a whole picture. That’s where I come in.

Charlotte and I have been creating construction paper art for a few weeks now. She draws animals and objects on different colours, I cut them out and then we arrange them on a background together. A little double-sided tape (the best stuff ever invented) and voila!

Here’s a pig holding a balloon. We added some little bees in there, too.

I taught her how to write “HI” lol.

After watching me draw the speech bubble around her “HI” in the above photo, she wanted to draw some “Hi balloons” too.

More bunnies, bees & balloons.

Here’s the first one we made, a pig of course!

I love Little Golden Books. I loved them as a kid. I love them as an adult. We have a lot of Little Golden Books, almost all of them vintage. Vintage Little Golden Books is where it’s at, people! Especially since they are pretty easy to find at thrift stores for 50 cents or a dollar.

Little Golden Books have been around for a long time, since 1942. Most of us have fond memories of these books. Two billion Little Golden Books have been sold over the years, after all.

I can distinctly remember marking off the Little Golden Books I had read on the inside back cover. Was I the only one in the world who did this? Of all of the Little Golden Books we have bought at thrift stores (easily 30 or more over the past 2 years) not one has a mark on the list at the back. Maybe I was the only one in the world who did that!

How many of these LITTLE GOLDEN BOOKS ® have you read?

Though I suppose that 30 or 40 books of 20 billion isn’t a very accurate sampling.

I love finding Little Golden Books that I had when I was a kid. We’ve purchased many that are entirely new to me as well, but somehow feel nostalgic all the same. I also collect Little Golden Books illustrated by a certain special illustrator. I’ll post about that later.

The best part about our Little Golden Book purchases is that Charlotte already seems to love them a lot. It feels good knowing that you are instilling the same fond childhood memories in your own child.

Little Golden Books: I ♥ ‘em!

It is not surprising your mind will certainly be occupied with child things if your little one is coming soon or you are nurturing a newborn. There are certainly lots of infant things that you will require or want when you have a brand-new born or one who is soon to arrive. After all, an infant will certainly need to have just about everything from a place to sleep to garments, bottles, and a huge selection of other child things. Thankfully, finding infant stuff and child supplies you will need ought to be very uncomplicated. Not just will many people most likely want to offer your new infant presents, however many chain store and neighborhood retail stores deliver a selection of fantastic infant things.

For each of the baby things you need to gather, it can be helpful to make a listing and begin acquiring a couple of the essentials throughout your pregnancy. There are numerous very dependable infant brands to select from, however speaking with additional parents and checking out online assessments can assist you make good decisions regarding the greatest baby brands, child brand names and infant materials for your baby.

Baby crib Tops The Child Things List

Another crucial item in your list of infant things to have is a baby crib. Lots of people opt to make use of a crib that is handed down from household or pals; nevertheless, before you choose to let your infant sleep in an older design crib, ensure to evaluate the CPSC website to ensure that it is safe. Lots of older baby cribs have actually been recalled due to security threats. In fact, checking with the CPSC for any utilized baby supplies you anticipate utilizing is a great idea. It is constantly much better to err on the side of caution, especially when it comes to the security of your brand-new baby.

Car Seats As Essential Child Things

Of course, one of the very first child things you will wish to get is a child seat. The seat you select ought to particularly be created newborns and ought to be capable of being set up in a rear dealing with position. This is among the baby needs you will certainly want to purchase brand-new. An infant seat that has been in an incident may not offer the security your baby requires, even if there is no noticeable damage. Once you have your car seat, you must additionally invest some time engaging in putting it in and out of your car; when your child is in it, you will definitely be happy to have a little experience under your belt.

Child Stroller

Though a stroller is not a downright requirement, it is just one of those infant things that a lot of parents would not want to skip. Whether you getting it while shopping, to take walks or also around the house, a stroller is extremely handy. For a newborn, you may want to consider one that can easily convert into a pram or a reclined position that will certainly allow your little one to nap comfortably, even when in the stroller. Additionally, there are some baby brands that make car seats that will certainly snap right onto the stroller. This is a wonderful convenience when running errands with your baby. You can take the child seat from your auto, snap it onto the stroller and keep going without ever before having to bothered your resting child.

When it concerns discovering the baby things you need to have, ensure to first think about the most crucial items, then add on some of the luxuries or products that would be nice to include. It can be very easy to obtain carried away when buying things for your baby, but keep in mind, many of these products will be things that you do not really need to have. Additionally, when buying some infant things, such as diapers and clothing, your infant will rapidly outgrow these things. It is difficult for a new moms and dads to understand simply exactly how quickly that little infant will grow out of all those charming clothing. They just outgrew their clothing before they got around to using them. In addition, your infant will certainly invest a large amount of time sleeping, comfortable clothes that is uncomplicated to look after is very important. Finally, choose wisely and spend with care.

Preparations for winter: knitting sweaters. Del models.

Like his parents, Del Giacomo is a book lover.

And a word lover … or at least a magnetic letter lover. But I am pretty sure he will be a Scrabble genius eventually.

This is what Zach  and I wake up to most mornings.

We took the train to New York, where we visited The Museum of Modern Art with your adopted uncles Mat and Kim. They also took us to Harlem, where we ate pastries and you consulted Kim on all things fashionable. We stayed with Jordan and Amanda, and Amanda took this picture of us, which I love.

I love his sweet face!

Crawling!! Lord help me.

And like all good children’s books, inexplicably, this post ends with a sleepy baby.

This summer was so full and busy it left very little time for me to “play”.  I posted about my Dad’s book, an ironing board cover and Marin, my Olympics project…that’s it.  My last BLT was July 15th!  You have no idea how frustrated I’ve been.

But in the last couple of weeks as the temperature has cooled a bit (although the heat from yesterday made me feel like I lost brain cells) and my summer house guest has returned to school I’ve begun to play again and I can’t wait to share it all with you.

My amazing aunt Dianne, who lives much to far away in CA. posted this beautiful comment yesterday and I’d made me feel so great.  She posted it to the Marin post.

This shawl is Absolutely Magical. ABLOODYMAZING!!!!!!! How do you do it?? I would love to know that I could make one of these someday. Your blog is so inspiring. You are loved and appreciated.  -DF

My blog stats are very humble and I don’t have tons of readers/followers but the few I have I adore and love to share things with.  So please join me in kicking off September and this fall season with the presentation of a gift.

I started this quilt about 4 months ago when one of my readers mentioned in a comment that she was having a baby.  So we started chatting over email, she said the baby was a boy, mentioned his nursery colors and that she loved quilts but had no patience to make them.  Well that was all I needed to hear.  Here’s Henry’s quilt!!

I made this up as I went along.  Yes, there are a bunch of things I would do different next time but I will listen to the wise words of my mentor and not point out the flaws but show off the successes.

The quilting was done in an echo pattern around the H.

and subsequently over the patchwork on the back…

I alternated the binding between a light and dark fabric just to experiment and I really like how it came out.

The pieces of the H were appliqued to the cream fabric in a soft green.  I wanted it to stand out but not be too bold.

When I saw this fabric I thought PERFECT, it has all the colors from the nursery and is so darn cute!!

It’s the Forest Friends Fat Quarter Bundle  from The Fat Quarter Shop.

The funny part was when I ordered the fabric I was so caught up with finding the right colors that I totally missed that the fabric was flannel…oops!

I have to admit that flannel is not my favorite medium but it makes for one super snuggly quilt.  I really worried too about putting it in the washing machine, fearing it would get fuzzy but nope.  It’s now washed and being packaged.  I don’t think I can get it in the mail today but my little friend will have it next week for sure.

Happy 4 month birthday little man.  And a  great big HI!!  That was a fun surprise! It was not really my intention to put in the “I” but when I turned the quilt there it was…

Not a bad way to start my favorite month and time of the year!!!

Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday weekend.  Enjoy!!!

I will never forget the first time I went to Toys R Us as an adult to check out the baby section. Over a decade and a half had passed since entering those doors, and my mind just about went into overdrive trying to take it all in. I don’t remember it being so cluttered and busy as a kid. And I don’t remember there being so many toys. Maybe because the vantage point I had at three feet tall vastly differs from the one I have now at over six feet tall; and those shelves are stacked high with everything a kid could possibly dream of owning.

The sailor and I went a few weeks back to check out strollers and car seats..(stay tuned for my stroller post!!) We ended up buying a convertible car seat because it was on sale for a ridiculously low price and we knew we would need one eventually.. A family friend is supposed to be giving me her old infant seat that she used for her daughter last year so that will save some money. And if that falls through, I don’t have any plans to purchase my own. Mentioned that little tidbit on a December Mommas board and was just about burned at the stake! Everyone wondered how I would function without the “ultimate, take everywhere baby carrier” for the first few weeks.. And that got me thinking how spoiled everyone is by their infant car seats.

I know it will be so weird having an infant and trying to get out and do normal things like grocery shopping or going to the gym while the sailor is deployed. Was thinking even if we get the infant seat, I’ll probably need a baby carrier for grocery shopping…. and the same infant carrier can be used to go on walks and to eat out at a restaurant should I choose to do so.. It seems to me that everything an infant car seat can do outside of the car, a good baby carrier can do the same, so I got my research on this morning!

Do you know how many types there are? I had no clue until I started searching and there’s the moby wrap, baby k’tan, mei tai, a vast assortment of ring slings.. I don’t even know where to start, but for right now I’m going to focus on cleaning up the house and finishing baking cookies for all the sailor’s people to make the day they leave a little sweet. That day is literally right around the corner and I’ll have plenty of time to read reviews and research in the coming weeks.

While pregnant with my daughter, a friend of mine arranged for two of her friends to give me baby clothes.  I went to visit with one of her friends while she sorted baby clothes.  I asked her if it was nice to give all these clothes away and free up much-needed closet space.  Her response:  It was bittersweet.  I didn’t really understand what she meant until recently.

We have a son and a daughter and decided that our family is complete.  So I began the task of sorting baby clothes.  And with sorting came giving away and selling baby clothes and baby equipment that we no longer have a need for.  So slowly, over the past couple of weeks, baby items moved from our hometo many other homes.

Last week I sold my son’s crib bedding and 0-3 month clothes.  I almost cried handing these things over.  And now I understand that this experience really is bittersweet.

It’s bitter because my kids will never be a baby again.  They’re growing up (they seem to do this quickly).    We’re closing the door on one phase of our life but looking forward to many new adventures.   So it’s time to look ahead and make memories that will last a lifetime.

I think I’ll take some time to just enjoy my children the way they are.  And look forward to the sweet things ahead for Punkin and Baby Girl.

(Next week, I’ll be posting my knitting swatches and a couple of more recipes.  So keep reading)!