Are you expecting a baby girl in the next couple of weeks? Look at these beautiful Valentine’s theme birth announcements!

Not that you can’t welcome your baby boy with a Valentine, but you should probably switch the pinks for red. He’ll thank you later!

The other great possibility would be sending out a personal or family Valentine. It could be just for fun, or in lieu of traditional holiday cards if you never got around to sending them out. 

Simply replace the birth details with a personal greeting or a list of your kids’ names and ages. How cute, as either a magnet or a card! View more options online.

Do you usually send Valentines to family and friends? I bet you like to receive them – think about it.

Living in Minnesota, you’d think we would go sledding all the time. Actually, though, we only got around to it once last year, on Christmas Eve. My plans for Christmas sledding this year were foiled by Tate’s refusal to wear a hat or mittens. We gave it a second try this week, though, with success!

You’ll notice from the photo that I mean success in going sledding, not in convincing Tate to wear a hat. A hood is better than nothing, though, right?!

With this crazy winter of snowstorms in the South, there are probably some sledding newbies out there. Or maybe some of you Northerners haven’t been sledding with young children. Therefore, today I am offering…

TIPS FOR SLEDDING WITH A TODDLER

1. Wait for the weather to be reasonable – for MN I’d say 30 degrees or higher; the rest of you know your climate-hardiness.

2. Don’t go crazy bundling the kid up – if you have a warm coat, you don’t need a heavy sweater underneath it; use lighter layers to avoid sweating.

3. Choose a small hill. First to avoid the chance of your child freaking out on a longer, faster ride. Second, to minimize the walk back up for both of you!

4. Be safe! Make sure the path and the bottom of the hill are unobstructed by trees, lightposts, other kids, etc. Even on a small hill, you can get going pretty fast.

5. Keep the child on your lap, with your arms wrapped around so he/she feels secure.

6. THE MOST IMPORTANT, MORE THAN ALL THE OTHERS: Leave while you’re still having fun! Don’t push it to the bitter end, or even close to that. We only did three or four runs before heading home. On the way back to the car we talked about how fun sledding is, and I’m sure he’ll be ready for more next time.

I can’t take any credit for that last tip – it’s an old Works For Me Wednesday idea from Kristen that I’ve applied in many circumstances. What has worked, or not worked, on your family sledding adventures? What’s your favorite style of sled?

Notes from the Nest was featured this week at About.com – how fun!

I’ve come across About.com when searching for things online, but didn’t really know what it was. Then I met Linda Lowen at the BlogHer conference last summer – she writes for their Women’s Issues section. As I browsed around the site, I realized that they have paid contributors that write on a huge variety of issues – if you are a freelance writer that’s passionate about a specific topic, click here!

Coincidentally, Apryl, the writer for the Stay-At-Home Moms section, has a similar story to mine. She left her long-time job to stay at home with her son, but then started blogging for her former company. If you’re interested in having your SAHM blog featured at About.com, sign up here. You can also share a picture in their family photo gallery.

Speaking of family photos, here’s a great one! It reminds me of my parents’ attempt to capture my four siblings and I, when usually at least one of us was grumpy. Apparently this whole family was in the dumps!

Would you ever be bold enough to use a shot like this on your Christmas card? Allison at Mrs. Fussypants keeps it real – I love it!

PS – I’m not being compensated in any way by About.com. Just wanted to share the info and a good mommy blog link!

Photo Courtesy:
Awkward Family Photos

Ah, the hospital bag. For me it was the first time I’d ever packed for someone besides myself, as well as my first time packing for a hospital stay. I ended up with everything I needed, but lots of things that never left the bag as well.

Since my actual labor time at the hospital was very short, I didn’t get to wear my cute outfit (yes, I had a laboring outfit planned, including shoes!). My husband ate the “laboring snacks” as we welcomed visitors to see the new baby.

But one of the frustrating things about pregnancy and parenting is the feeling that all the knowledge you’ve acquired may not be helpful in the future. Like once you learn to ride a bike or drive a stick shift car, you can transfer those skills to other bikes and cars. With pregnancies and babies, that’s not always the case  – every one is different!

There’s strength in numbers, though, so I asked friends who’ve recently had babies to share their bag-packing advice. Since there are lots of comprehensive lists out there, I asked for items that might be out of the ordinary. Could be what they wished they’d brought, or what was the most essential during their childbirth hospital stay. Thanks Cara, Mindi, Melissa, Sarah & Sarah!

• Extra pillows – for laboring comfort and for dad to sleep on. The hospital probably won’t provide these. Add an extra pillowcase to keep them clean in transit.
• Camera - don’t forget the chargers and a USB cord to download photos
• Journal or laptop, to record memories while they’re fresh
• Comfy pjs, socks and robe. You may want pjs in a dark color, in case of “leaks”. A hoodie is great for nursing access. Remember that you’ll likely have visitors, although you may or may not care what you look like.
• Headband or barrettes – whatever you use to keep your hair out of your face
• Nursing pillow (Boppy or Brest Friend) – save the plastic bag it came in, for transport to the hospital or any other time you’re travelling.
• An extra bag or box to carry gifts home – laundry baskets work great. You may also want to just bring one huge suitcase, so that you aren’t lugging multiple bags and boxes out to the car when you go home – allow extra room when you’re packing, for gifts.
• Snacks for dad, including beverages, so you’re not relying on vending machines.
• A preemie outfit for baby to wear home (from a mom of 8 pound boys, and I would agree, the newborn outfit was too big for my 8-pounder too). Bring a newborn size too, just in case – they don’t take up much room!

General packing tip: Keep a list of last-minute items to add right before you leave, if there are things that can’t be stuck in a bag for weeks beforehand.

General hospital tip: Double-check the hospital’s visitor policy beforehand. One family found out on the day of their c-section that their toddler couldn’t be at the hospital, and was scrambling for childcare. Rules have become more strict with fears of H1N1.

What were your hospital bag essentials? Or what did you bring that was totally unnecessary?

Photo Courtesy:
kona99

Interesting title, huh?

More interesting because my husband actually uttered these words to our almost-two-year-old son yesterday.

Okay, a little background…it was around 5:30 pm. I was trying to make supper and talk to my husband, both of which make Tate frustrated because they’re not completely focused on him. The last hours before bedtime are usually tougher anyway, so of course he was whining and asking to be held.

But he doesn’t just say “up” like most kids do; he says “huggy, huggy”. I don’t remember when he came up with this, but probably tried it once and realized how effectively it tugs at Mommy’s heartstrings.

My husband is generally very patient with our son, but that particular time he cut him off, saying “Tate, you don’t need a hug right now!”. I swooped down to pick up the poor kid and laughingly asked, “Did you hear what you just said?!”.

Later on, though, after Tate was in bed, we had a good parenting discussion. His concern is basically that our son has become our puppeteer. We’re catering every moment to what he wants: play with toys, sing a song, eat a snack, be held.

Being home with him full-time, I’m more guilty of this because frankly it makes my life easier. I’m not saying that he’s eating candy and watching movies all day long. But on any given day, I don’t really care whether we read books or play with play-doh first, so I let him call the shots. Likewise, I’m sick of throwing away perfectly good food, so I list lunch options until he agrees with something and then that’s what I prepare.

Certainly I know that I’ll end up with a monster if I honor his every whim. I really do say no to him sometimes! But I also admit that I could create some stronger boundaries. For example, he’s old enough to respect his parents’ right to have a conversation without throwing a fit because he’s being “ignored.”

My husband also pointed out then whenever a second child comes along, the world will no longer revolve around our firstborn. Tate will have to make some adjustments then. I’m concerned enough about sibling rivalry though; it would be great to start adjusting his expectations beforehand. 

Any suggestions for me? Do you just go with the flow on this or do you have specific areas where you make your kids toe the line just to maintain your authority? I’d especially like to hear from anyone with just one child, whether they’re still young or all grown up - how did you avoid a “the world revolves around me” mentality?

Photo Courtesy:
jenny8lee

Okay, now that most of my New Year’s cards have made it through the mail, I can show this to you. (Since I assume that everyone is like me and likes the surprise of pulling a never-before-seen card out of an envelope!) Sorry to make you squint at my terrible photography!

And here are the stacks of envelopes, all ready for the post office…

Please notice that the addresses are written in aqua fine-tip Sharpie that matches the return address labels. I love a coordinated envelope!

Disclosure of ridiculousness: I paid $17.99 for a 12-pack of fine-tip Sharpies at Michael’s because they didn’t have any single aqua pens, and I didn’t have time to go to another store. Ugh!

But the real point of this post is to shamelessly plug the fun online design studio options! The card that I chose was originally a fairly Christmasy design:

And although these shades of red and green are my among my favorites, the Christmasy look was too “early” for my put-off-until-the-last-minute card. It also didn’t match the aqua slide from which Tate is emerging in his photo. Presto-chango, make the green and red into 2 shades of turquoise, and we were ready to go!

You can either select colors from a palette of popular choices, or create your own custom shades. This is perfect if you’re trying to match something in your photo, or just have some favorite colors that you want to use. You’ll be able to see the colors right away, along with your uploaded photos and any text changes (like me changing Merry Christmas to Happy New Year!).

If you prefer to leave all of this up to the pros, on the other hand, our talented team of designers can set up your card or announcement and send you a proof for approval.

These design features are available not only for holiday cards but everything from shower invitations to birth announcements to birthday party invitations.

So, are you a do-it-yourselfer or would you rather let someone else pick what looks best?

For something a little bit different, I thought I’d share some of my favorite pregnancy-related blogs and blogs written by pregnant gals. Enjoy!

His Boys Can Swim is a blog written anonymously by a couple who found themselves accidentally pregnant, I guess you could say. “Tarzan and Jane” have already had their baby, but the archives are still worth a read, especially if you also happen to find yourself pregnant without any maternity insurance!

Kelly is journaling her fourth pregnancy at 5 Minutes for Parenting. This is one of my favorite posts of hers so far, probably because also I hit the spinach pretty hard when I was pregnant. Kelly also blogs at Love Well.

Don’t read Let’s Panic About Babies for advice, but rather for a good laugh. It’s completely sarcastic, so not for everyone. Sneak peak: Are You Sure You’re Pregnant?

Pregtastic is a series of pregnancy-themed podcasts, hosted by a panel of preggos (how’s that for alliteration?!). Listen on your computer, iPod, or whatever is convenient for you.

The Fit Pregnancy website has tons of great resources, including blogs written by a labor nurse, a foodie and a competitive runner. Turns out they’re more than just that magazine that’s always in the waiting room of my OB’s office!

What are your favorite online sources for pregnancy info?

Photo Courtesy:
mahalie

Last year was possibly the first one in which my Christmas cards were actually mailed before Christmas. It helped that I had a new job blogging about Christmas cards for my former full-time employer. Yes, at this moment you’re still reading that very same blog, but my old procrastinating ways have settled in again…

I did get my cards ordered last week, so they could get out before the end of the year. But it will definitely be before February begins!

Are any of the rest of you holiday card procrastinators? Don’t worry, there’s still time! Here are some classic designs that could really be sent at any time of the year – just change the Christmas greeting on the front and pick your favorite color combination.

Wouldn’t this one look great in turquoise? After all, Heidi (quoting Pantone) says that’s THE color for 2010!

In addition to folded cards, there are flat cards on linen paper or on magnets. Just find your favorite photo(s) from the past year and you’ll be ready to go!

On the third day of Christmas, our family sends to you…belated holiday cheer!

We’re taking our time, spreading out Christmas over the entire weekend. The historic amount of snow changed our plans a bit, so we just finally opened stockings this morning and are of course still eating cookies!

How was your Christmas? Did you do anything new or stick with the old traditions?

As I mentioned in my last post, we’ve been cooped up in the house because of Tate’s cold. To help both of us survive, I pulled out a bin of toys that have been packed away for several months. It’s part of the toy rotation plan that always gets stalled by my laziness – currently 3 of the 4 batches are upstairs because I never feel like sorting and packing up the old toys.

So Tate pulls out the Old MacDonald Little People tractor with glee, affirming the toy rotation theory. I am less gleeful. (Can I properly convey how the usually-annoying electronic singing and animal sound effects are even worse when the batteries are dying?!)

He starts saying something over and over (because he generally repeats a word until someone says it back to him, hopefully something he’ll outgrow before kindergarten). It sounds like “summer” and I’m thinking, “there’s no way you remember that we haven’t played with this toy since summer”. It takes several minutes for me to recognize that he’s saying “farmer”.

Really, Kara, you couldn’t pick up on the context clues there?! I wonder how many other times I’ve tried and tried to piece together what his word sounds like when I could instead just consider what he’s doing or holding.

I mean it’s one thing to over-analyze your child’s sleep problems or purchasing a stroller. That’s totally rational, right?

But then there’s the time that Tate’s pants had spots of water on them. I kept attributing it to him having crawled through some water on the floor or a leaky sippy cup. Then it occurred to me that I hadn’t changed his diaper in over seven hours and the super-absorbency was finally spent.

I tell these stories to my husband at the end of the day and he just looks at me and shakes his head. He’s probably mentally weighing day care options for our son. I’ll let him do the analysis on that one…