Kangaroo Kid

Memo to self: sometime soon or, if the opportunity does not arise until your next baby, by the time you have another baby invest in the material to make your own tiny human pouch sling. In the meantime, the one we have invented with the pink blanket will do. Thanks!

Is it normal for babies to never want to sit/sleep contentedly for more than 5 minutes without being held? Don't get me wrong, I love holding Lynlee and cuddling up with her and all, best part of my day! However, I can only so much with just one available hand and although that list has increased significantly in the short time our little one has been with us, sometimes you just gotta have both. So until the little Peach cares about playtime with her toys or nap time not on Mom's lap, Chris and I invented a helper!
Ok, we didn't actually invent it because it already exists, but I remembered it and Chris pulled out some fabric, found a video on YouTube about it, and helped me to implement this ingenious invention.
I used to smile and shrug off the idea of using a little baby pouch sling thing but now I sure don't! This wonderful creation allows Lynlee to be happy because she can hang out with Mom in her comfy little pouch and Mom is happy because the house gets clean in an afternoon (this may or may not have happened yesterday in my excitement)!

This was our first attempt with a strip of fabric that's the length of about 4 of me stacked on top of each other. We had to wrap it around just a couple times ;)

 

This was my second attempt with a softer, stretchier, much shorter blanket. I think it worked a little better than the first attempt...Look Ma, no hands!

My only complaint and reason why I'd want the material to sew a more legit one would be because of the huge knot I had to tie so it would actually hold the baby up. The knot itself I don't care about, it's moreso the pain in my shoulder after 20 minutes that does.

This morning we even got up and made some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies together! Well, she slept while I talked about the cookies and prepped them for oven entry. One day, give it a couple years, Lynlee will be in her own cute little apron helping Mommy for real :)
So there you have it, my whole-hearted recommendation for one of these things.
In the words and sing-songy tune of my brother-in-law Jeff, "She really likes it!"

The First of Many Daddy-Daughter Adventure Times

Exactly one month ago today Chris was making me a delicious double-decker grilled cheese sammich for lunch while I sat in our glider chair and began to time my contractions, which were 5 minutes apart and increasing in intensity. Eight and a halfish hours, no pain meds or epidural, and about 30 stitches in sensitive areas later and I was holding the most beautiful baby girl I've ever seen in my arms.
One MONTH ago! Time doesn't fly I've decided, it uses a time machine to warp speed itself about.
I've been hearing "having a baby changes everything" for years and I concur! This last month has been sleep-deprived and exhausting, but it's also been one of the most exciting and hilarious :) We've learned 3 different ways to bathe a baby and discovered her favorite (she likes the shower best, such a Daddy's girl!), come to the realization that onesies, or anything that has to go over the head, are really just torture devices for small children and their inexperienced parents, and that fresh air induces instant potty time.

Yesterday was the first time I went to all 3 hours of church since Lynlee came (Oh, how I've missed going to church!). I pumped enough milk for Chris to have 3 mealtimes with her, if needed, and when 8:50 rolled around I kissed my little family and headed out the door, anxious to be leaving them both but glad that Daddy and Lynlee could spend more time together. After the second hour of church I sent a quick text to Chris to ask if everything was all right on the home front and he responded promptly with a confident "Yep! :o)" so I went into Relief Society and found a soft chair to sit in and relaxed a little more as the lesson began. Little did I know, Chris and Lynlee's big adventure was about to begin...

When I got home I found Chris sitting with the baby on the couch, both of them looking just a bit more worn than when I left them a few hours prior, Lynlee ravenously consuming some lunch from her bottle. Chris looked up with his eyes wide and told me the following tale, by the end of which I was almost crying because I was laughing so hard:

"You texted me and, at that time, Lynlee was sleeping - she had been for the two and a half hours after you left. I got some really good [gospel] study time! When she started waking up (and I knew she'd be hungry) I thought about how great it would be to surprise you by having her bathed and dressed when you came home so I was going to do that and then feed her. I knew I'd have to hurry, so I went downstairs and got her all undressed and ready for her bath only to remember that I didn't prepare the water or anything before hand. Meanwhile, Lynlee was already crying and throwing her arms out like she was falling, not a happy camper, plus now she's naked so we're in danger of air-induced potty time so, after a brief discussion with her, we decide 'OK, let's do a quasi bath!' I take her into the bathroom and fill our tiny sink with some water and put the flailing baby in. I started trying to bathe her with one hand while holding her with the other when I realize that her head is at an awkward angle on the corner of the sink. Arms still flying every which way and with our cat trying to wedge his way between us, I grab a towel and put it behind her head and finish washing her. Then I realize she has to be rinsed off somehow so I turn on the water and put her under it then see that her face has soap on it still...under the faucet it goes! Only briefly, but she didn't seem to like that too much so I hurry and put her face on the towel to dry it off. She's face down, bum in the air, arms waving about but finally we're finished...except for the hair! I hurry and wash her hair then rush her into the bedroom to find an outfit.
'Ooh, this one looks cute, it's a little camping outfit!' I tell her and bring over a yellow onesie [recall the earlier statement about these creations], yellow socks, and a pair of brown and white striped pants. I struggle getting the onesie on over her head. I then notice that it looks backwards so I turn it around while it's still on her and slip her arms through with a fair amount of ease considering she still seems to think that she's falling and the arms are flapping about. Success! Except for now it is on backwards! I struggle with getting her arms back through the arm holes, rotate it once more, and pull them through again. Now, somehow, she now appears to be performing some awkward form of the disco...I adjust, pull on her pants and wrestle to get the socks on, swoop her up, and we make our way up the stairs to [finally! I'm sure Lynlee was thinking] eat - thank goodness I had already gotten the next bottle ready right before she woke up from her nap! It was sitting on the coffee table next to the glider chair, just waiting for us...but Zoë was occupying the chair and I didn't have a free hand to boot her off. I thought that's ok, we can work with this, and went and sat on the couch. D'oh! The bottle was still on the coffee table. I got up, grabbed the bottle and settled back down. Double d'oh! The Boppy pillow [amazing invention!] was across the room also. One more time up we go, snatch up the pillow, situate ourselves on the couch, and start lunch just as Mom walks in the door. Whew!"

Go Daddy! Not that he didn't already before, but especially now Chris has a great respect for women in the role of 'mother'. His face when I walked in was priceless! What an adventure my little family had!
And many more to come :)