The next issue I’ll be covering in the Pregnancy Decisions series is birth choices. First up is giving birth at home, rather than in a hospital or birthing center. Fewer than 1% of American births are in the home, so you may not know anyone who has had this experience.

I’m pleased to introduce Theresa, mother of nine children, six of whom were born at home. She agreed to answer some questions about her home birth experiences. If you’re pregnant and considering a home birth, or even if you’re just curious why someone would choose a home birth, I hope this post will be helpful and informative.

Would you consider a home birth?

• Yes
• No

View Results

 Loading ...

Last summer, Tate and I had a little morning routine of watering the garden together. Carrying him on my hip, I’d soak the vegetables before they could get blasted by the daytime sun.

This year we have the same routine, but Tate gets to participate a little more. Well, at least he’s not stuck on my hip. He’s gotten brave enough to walk in the grass (veering off the nice flat driveway was scary at first), and realized today how fun it is to stick your hands in front of the hose.

At Grandma’s house, though, he REALLY got to help. He could help her pour from the big watering can and we also turned an empty vegetable oil container into a Tate-sized can. 

Notice that he’s wearing 2 different “outfits” in the flower-watering pictures. That’s because my mom and I watched him pull the FULL watering can off the kitchen counter and onto the floor. Thankfully it didn’t land on his head! Either one of us could have stopped him in time but didn’t think he’d be strong enough to pull it down.

Now we know. And now her floor is clean, even under the oven drawer.

How do you get your kids involved in gardening?

I love our long and narrow birth announcements, reminiscent of a strip of photo booth photos. They have such a unique look. There’s just the right amount of room for the baby stats and a photo or two of your precious newborn. (Speaking of stats, why is it so important that we all know the baby’s height and weight?! Hmm…)

The even better news about this product is that the top 5 magnet designs are on sale now. Order by June 1 to receive a 20% discount on these designs.

Although the sale is limited to these five, remember that you can change the colors and fonts to suit your personal style. Click here for complete details on the sale.

Continued from Pregnancy Decisions: Strollers

I spent about an hour at Babies ‘R Us while I was pregnant, test-driving strollers, opening and closing them, clicking car seats in and out. I liked the Chicco best; everything just seemed to work more smoothly. All of my friends that have Graco models have been very happy with theirs as well.

As much as I loved the travel system for the first 8 months or so, we equally love our BOB Revolution now. With the big wheels, it handles easily over snowy paths, through grass and trails when we’re walking the dog, or even over train tracks on regular walks. It folds compactly enough to fit into the trunk of my Dodge Neon.

The one downside is that the storage basket is much smaller than I had in the travel system stroller. We’re in walking distance of our grocery store and Target, and I used to stash a lot more into that under-seat basket. All jogging/all-terrain strollers that I studied had smaller baskets. I think a larger basket adds too much weight when full, throwing off the balance of the 3-wheeler.

Tip: The Revolution is 20% off at REI several times a year, so don’t pay full price for one!

A category of strollers that I haven’t addressed is the simple umbrella stroller. They’re lightweight, inexpensive and fold compactly, making them popular with many people for out-and-about trips. For me, they’re simply too short to push comfortably, unless you choose a more expensive model.

I really recommend spending some time trying out the various options. Consider, as much as possible, how you’ll be using your stroller. Read online reviews, looking for others in similar circumstances, to get feedback on the qualities that are most important to you. Some things to consider are:

• Will you be using your stroller mainly indoors or outdoors? If outdoors, will you always be on paved roads/sidewalks?
• Do you want to use the stroller for jogging or just walking?
• Do you need to quickly fold up your stroller, for getting into cabs or trains?
• Does your stroller fit into the trunk/back of your vehicle?
• Is the handle height adjustable? (This is important if you or your partner are tall, or especially if one is tall and one is short.)
• Does the seat recline fully for a sleeping baby?
• Is there adequate sun/rain protection for your baby?
• Do you like the available colors? (This was more important to me than it probably should have been. :))

Finally, if you’re shopping for a double stroller, check out the comments on this Q&A at Baby Cheapskate. There’s a lot of good input from parents that have put them to the test.

So, share your wisdom – which stroller(s) did you choose, and why? Were you happy with your choice?

 Loading ...

As soon as you find out that you’re pregnant, there are soooo many decisions to be made. Even the small things can seem huge. The well-being and happiness of you, your partner and your baby seem to hang in the balance.

Today begins a new series focusing on some of the decisions encountered in pregnancy – anything from selecting baby products to making birth plans. I’ll share why I made the decisions that I did, but more importantly I’ll raise questions to help you consider which choice is best for you and your family. Sometimes I’ll invite guest authors to share how and why they made certain decisions. Please let me know if there’s a topic that you would like to see covered!

I’m starting out with the item that was most challenging for me to purchase – our stroller. For me, part of what made this one so tough was not knowing what my life would be like at home full-time with a baby. Would I be walking around the mall, navigating icy sidewalks in the winter, or constantly in and out of the car running errands?

Further complicating my choice (in a good way!) was that my husband’s parents offered to purchase a stroller for us. I suspected that an all-terrain stroller would be the best choice for us long-term. But after talking to friends, I also really wanted a travel system for the newborn stage.

The advantage of the travel system (comprised of a base that stays latched into the car, a stroller, and a carseat that easily locks in and out of both), is that a sleeping baby doesn’t have to be unstrapped from his seat. Newborns sleep so much, and are especially likely to fall asleep with the motion of the car or stroller. With a simple click, you can transport your sleeping child into the house or wherever your destination may be. This was invaluable to me.

Just writing about those days makes me nostalgic, since Tate has now outgrown his infant seat. He’s never been one to stay sleeping if we try to transport him out of the car seat. So if he falls asleep in the car, I just sit out there with him and read. Instead of keeping my magazines on the coffee table, they’re in the car now.

So there’s my bias- I’ll do almost anything to keep my sleeping child asleep. If that’s not a big deal to you, you can save money on a convertible car seat that goes from infancy to booster-seat stage, and then get whatever stroller you want. Keep in mind that a seat will get pretty messy over 7-8 years, and having more than one might not be a bad thing.

That was mentioned on a podcast I just listened to at Pregtastic about car seat safety – did you know that washing car seat straps in the washing machine renders them useless in a crash? You can wipe them down if they get dirty, but complete submersion in water stretches the fibers too much. If you’ve washed yours, or if your car has been in a crash, you need to buy new straps and have them installed by a certified technician. The entire car seat podcast is definitely worth a listen.

But this post is about strollers, so back to my story…I compromised and bought a travel system on Craig’s List, then when Tate was a little older, our in-laws purchased the jogging/all-terrain stroller. This also allowed me to gain some knowledge about our new life with a baby. The used travel system was in great condition and less than half the price that it would have been when new. In retrospect, this may not have been the wisest choice, since I couldn’t be sure that the seat hadn’t been involved in a crash, but I trusted the mom who sold it to me.

Wow, this post is getting really long, so I’ll finish it up tomorrow – stay tuned!

Photo Courtesy:
skeddy in NYC

After a too-long Minnesota winter, spring is really finally here. I’m sure many of you have been enjoying spring for months, and kudos to you for being smart enough to live in such a place. I guess the positive part about living in a frozen tundra-like climate is a greater appreciation for the months that are lovely.

Tate and I have been enjoying loooong stroller walks around the neighborhood and trips to the park. My favorite part is that all of the crabapple trees and lilac bushes are in bloom right now. While normally our walks follow a random course, I’m now purposely turning down streets that have lots of flowering trees, just so we can walk through their aroma.

Yesterday, Tate decided he was done with riding in the stroller while we were still many blocks from home. As I carried him along, we were busy noticing his favorite part of spring – the birds flying all around. Suddenly we came up to an enormous crabapple tree. Its flowery branches hung over the sidewalk, drooping down almost to our faces. I stopped and pulled one a little lower, asking if he could smell it. He obliged with a rapid in-and-out sniffing. Then a few houses down we passed a large, overhanging pine tree and he started sniffing again. So cute!

While I’m always trying to help Tate notice and enjoy things, he does the same for me. Seeing the wonder in my son’s eyes makes me appreciate things that have become commonplace. A squirrel scurrying up a tree, or a bird landing in our yard are events that make him absolutely giddy with joy. After reading my Passing Time post, a friend shared advice about cherishing simple moments. I’m finding that spring lend itself to that type of attitude.

 What are the best parts of spring in your area? Hope you’re taking time to smell the “roses”!

Photo Courtesy:
daryl_mitchell
daryl_mitchell

 Loading ...

Happy Mother’s Day! If you’re expecting or if you welcomed a new baby into your family this past year, Sunday was no doubt an extra-special day.

Three of my friends had babies in April- welcome Lucy, Stellan and Eliana! It’s always so fun to hear the news of a birth and to see those first baby photos. If you’re getting ready to make just such an announcement, here are some fun options.

Keep in mind that any design can be modified to match your baby’s outfit, your favorite colors, or whatever you want. Learn more about the Design Studio options and see some customized examples here.

Did you have a unique Mother’s Day celebration this year? What’s your favorite Mother’s Day memory?

Actually, “pregnancy flashback” is a little inaccurate, because the saga began at least a year before I was pregnant… Two of my co-workers were pregnant, and looking at some maternity clothes online (during lunch break, of course). Suddenly, I realized with dismay that someday I would have to find maternity pants. Being 6′ 2″, buying pants is challenging enough in everyday life. How would I ever find super-long MATERNITY pants?!

When the time came, I discovered that both Gap and JCPenney had tall/long maternity pants. I just did another search now and found RG Maternity, which has pants and jeans with 36-37″ inseam. Wow, that’s actually TOO long for me, but I’m glad they’re available now for those that need them. Or for those that are coordinated enough to wear very high heels while pregnant.

For those of you looking for regular maternity clothes, I recently read a post at Spilt Milk Moms, featuring Isabella Oliver. Her clothing is pricier, but beautiful- really classy looks. Plus, their spring sale is going on right now through May 10. I’m forcing myself not to buy this top, even though it’s 70% off and my favorite color, because, oh that’s right, I’m not pregnant! 

The week after I wrote about pregnancy blogs for dads, I found Pacing the Panic Room – it’s written by a photographer/writer/dad-to-be. The language isn’t always family-friendly, but I love his “belly series“. Each week, he does a photo shoot with his wife and combines the pictures with captions describing that week of the pregnancy. They’re amazing. Also amazing is the fact that his wife is not actually wearing maternity clothes, and manages to look better than most non-pregnant women. If you’re lucky enough to be this type of woman, check out American Apparel, the maker of all of her photo-shoot outfits.

What are your favorite sources for maternity clothing?

 Loading ...

Our Japanese guests left this weekend, so now I’m catching up on the rest of my life, including blogging! Thanks for your patience while I’ve been “away”.

There’s not a real theme for today’s post; I’m just going to throw together all my final stories about the visit. Please excuse the lack of smooth transitions. Just pretend you’re in Minnesota and there’s a can of cream of mushroom soup to tie it all together. Throw some french fried onions on top and we’ll call it Homestay Hotdish!

Before our homestay guests arrived, I was nervous about whether they’d like our food, especially Baby Riku. I shouldn’t have worried- Riku is a MUCH better eater than Tate. This picture shows him encouraging Tate to eat, or at least that’s what we thought. Maybe he was trying to steal some of his breakfast. Riku’s favorite “American” food was Golden Grahams cereal- he totally loved it, as did his mom and grandma. We went through 2 boxes of it.

Midway through the trip, Megu asked when she could eat a hot dog. She thought they’d be served at every American restaurant, but neither McDonald’s or Burger King (we’d already gone to both, since I’m such a good host) had any hot dogs. I typed ”stereotype” into her electronic dictionary, and she said “oh yes, like thinking that Japanese women wear kimonos all the time!” I told her that hot dogs were eaten most commonly on camping trips, at picnics and at baseball games, but promised to find her one. That very afternoon, she spotted them at the IKEA cafe, for just 50¢ each! Then we grilled some at a barbecue too, for good measure.

Riku kept trying to hug and touch Tate, who wasn’t really returning the affection. He kept persisting, so that it was usually closer to a tackle than a hug. Overall, Tate was pretty good about having another kid around, sharing his toys, etc. That is, however until one day when Tate was helping me unload the dishwasher and Riku tried to join in. Big mistake- Tate pushed Riku away and pulled his hair, bringing a quick end to the unloading project!

When I lived in Japan, I quickly became used to bowing and being bowed to. Seeing a 15-month old bow, however, is about the cutest thing ever. Riku bowed when he was asking for something, saying “sorry” or “thank you”. Towards the end of the visit, Tate also started bowing, following Riku’s example. And Riku learned the sign language sign for “friend”. I wish I had captured both things on video – so sweet!

We remarked over and over again how similar the boys are. Both preferred to fall asleep in the car rather than at home, during normal naptimes. With both in the midst of separation anxiety, there were tears whenever one of the moms left the room. Both utter a frequent refrain of “uhh, uhh, uhh”, accompanied by pointing to the desired object.

When I lived in Japan, Kyoko took me in as if I were her own daughter. My experience would have been much less positive without her family’s help and hospitality. I’m thankful that our friendship has endured, and that we could spend this time together. Hopefully, as Tate and Riku grow up, we’ll have more opportunities to do so- maybe next time we should meet halfway, in Hawaii!

Does your family have any friends from other countries? Have you travelled abroad with your children? Please, share your stories with us!