Baby Sister Birth Story: 12/30/2017

I was having a hard time feeling her movements Thursday night and Friday morning (12/28 & 29), so one of my midwives, Alice, sent me over to another clinic for a fetal non-stress test. The external monitor had a hard time picking up the movement, but the ultrasound said she (at this point, we didn't know whether we were having a girl or boy) was moving fine. The OB recommended induction, so Alice stripped my membranes around 2p, and we decided to reevaluate other natural induction methods in the morning if nothing happened. Labor picked up almost immediately.

By 3p I was starting to recognize contractions, but not necessarily needing to cope from them. At about 3:45, contractions were pretty consistent, and Alice told me to lay down and rest--which I did for about an hour before I got ansty and couldn't lay down anymore. We intended to go walking, but we never really got out the door until I decided I was craving beef. We (Mario, the girls, my mom and me) all loaded into the car to go to Masa, so I could eat their steak tips. Last minute we decided to go to Golden Corral, which was in the same parking lot. Let me tell you, that was the best Golden Corral if ever had! It was a Friday/weekend, so they had steak and ribs and pot roast, and several other meats, too. I ate A LOT!! And I don't think I've ever had that much meat and potatoes in one sitting. 😅

After dinner, we went back home, I took it easy, took a bath and tried--and failed--to get some sleep. Around 9p I had some hemorrhoids that were really bothering me. 🤪😲 After taking care of those, we put the girls to bed. Around 2p, I think, contractions got really close together, so I called Alice to see when she wanted me to come in. 

Between midnight & 1a Mario and I got to the Birth Cottage. I got checked in, and pretty much climbed right in the bath. I stayed there until I started to get cold, since I'm really sensitive to temperature changes. Through all of this, Mario was amazing about giving counterpressure, and helping me cope as labor became more intense. After I got out of the tub, I laid on the bed, and decided I was still cold. I sent Mario to warm me up a cup of chicken broth from the kitchen. 

Baby Sister in her first outfit

Pretty much as soon as he left I started pushing. I called out, "help," in a virtually silent voice. I finish the push to my water breaking. At this point, I had voice to holler, "I think my water just broke." Amanda, the student midwife, came to check on me, and things/time started blending together. At some point between Amanda coming in and my next push, Mario and Alice came back in. 
Starting with the push for my water to break, I was on my hands and knees. I didn't consciously move to my knees, it just sort of happened instinctually. My next contraction after Mario and Alice came in, I pushed again, and baby crowned, then got to her shoulders. The next contraction was another push, and she was born.  I don't remember if it was during the last contraction or in between contractions, but at some point between her crowning and birth, I said, "I can't do it; it hurts!" Alice responded, "the head is out. You've already done it; you're almost done!"

She was born at 2:34a, and I was pretty tired afterwards. For a couple minutes, I stayed on my knees, and Alice just laid her in the bed below me. The two things I remember saying after she was born was that she was a girl, and, "I did it without the epidural." (Though I don't remember in what order.) 

At some point I delivered the placenta, which I was tired and didn't want to push. 😅(I've added a photo of it, below--it's pretty cool, but feel free not to scroll down if you're squeamish.) 

Afterwards, she latched, ate well, and we both fell asleep. I'm not sure how long I was asleep, but when I woke up I got in the shower and prepared to go home. We were done and home before 6a, and it was super nice to sleep in my own bed, rather than being trapped at the hospital. (For Bigger Sister, she was checked out first thing in the morning, but I want checked out and allowed to go home until 2-3p--so about 5-6hrs later--not pleasant.)

It was really cool to just sort of do whatever felt right, and not be fighting for what I wanted--like with Biggest Sister--or to have the epidural so handy, that I just gave in, even though I still had a supportive nurse--like with Bigger Sister. Other than that, I'm never quite sure how to respond when I'm asked, "So, how was the birth?" or "What did you think about your birth?" It just sort of flowed, and happened. Almost nothing was intentional/planned. I was just able to do what felt right in the moment. Now, I have a gorgeous 1 month-old daughter, and it pretty much feels like she's always been part of our family. Sure, she's a newborn--and that comes with it's ups and downs--but overall, she's a really content baby, and we're blessed to have her in our lives!

Mario with Baby Sister in her first outfit

Baby Sister today--1 month old

Keep scrolling for photo of the placenta.

Placenta after birth 

"If You Were Me and Lived..."

I received If You Were Me and Lived in... the Middle Ages free for this review, but everything below is my own, honest thoughts and opinions.

I contacted Carole P. Roman, the author, a couple of months ago because I was interested in reviewing If You Were Me and Lived in... the Middle Ages; she not only sent it to me, but also sent me If You Were Me and Lived in... Viking Europe. Both are part of her "If You Were Me and Lived in... Ancient History" series, which is a sequel to her "If You Were Me and Lived in... Countries Around the World" series.

This was a couple months ago. A couple months! I can't believe it has taken me so long to get this written! I have absolutely LOVED reading If You Were Me and Lived in... Viking Europe and If You Were Me and Lived in... the Middle Ages to my girls! The girls're a little bit young for the books, since I would estimate them geared for ages 7-10, but that just meant we took longer to finish the books. We read probably 2-3 pages at a time before one or both girls were ready to do something else.

Both books are written directly to the reader, in a "you are" form, and while educational, the narrative is easy to follow. Carole P. Roman did a good job at keeping me interested through the story, and I was surprised that I even learnt something while reading her books. I liked that she included a glossary and pronunciation guide at the end of each book, as well as defining the words in context; however, her pronunciation guides don't follow any standard guide I've used in the past, so I was a bit thrown off by some of the words. But it is geared towards elementary school students, so perhaps the phonetics are ones I've forgotten or are more intuitive for the target reading level.

If You Were Me and Lived in... the Middle Ages and If You Were Me and Lived in... Viking Europe are the most recent books in the "If You Were Me and Lived in... Ancient History" series, and I'm excited for when my girls are a little bit older to get the whole series! I'll post a list of all the books in the series, as well as a few of the "If You Were Me and Lived in... Countries Around the World" series, after the sample images, below. Honestly, the biggest demerit I've run into about this is that Carole P. Roman published directly through Amazon, and her website doesn't organize anything other than linking directly to her Amazon author page, so it's been kind of difficult to find the rest of the series.

If You Were Me and Lived in the... Middle Ages cover artwork
[Image description: nearly square paperback book cover with series, author and illustrator names (Carole P. Roman and Mateya Arkova, respectively) in white, and installment name in red; pastel artwork  shows a girl in a simple but traditional red dress, with yellow trim on the square collar and wide sleeves, from the Middle Ages. She is wearing a garland headband and her hair in a long braid that appears to be blowing in the wind. She is standing on a grassy hill and her arm is outstretched towards a brown bird and tree that is barely visible. In the distance there is a second hill with castle and a winding dirt path. All is backed by a nearly clear blue sky, with a single white cloud behind the castle and tree. There is a vertical red stripe just to the left of the title.]

If You Were Me and Lived in the... Middle Age sample page
[Image description: two-page book spread with the same traditionally dressed girl from the  cover, her braid laying gracefully over her right shoulder and her hands clasped in front of her. She appears to be standing on a grassy field just a bit off of a traditional town. Between her and the town  is a a bridge and a waterway. Near the bottom right corner is a single, small cottage, isolated by by trees. On the left-hand page, backed in white, are 4 paragraphs of text describing possible girls' and boys' names, family name and race. All text is addressed to "you" as the reader., for example, "You were called Norman because your family came from Normandy..." The lower outside corners display page numbers 12 and 13, and the book is held open by a ringed hand.]

If You Were Me and Lived in the... Viking Europe cover artwork 
[Image description: nearly square paperback book cover with series, author and illustrator names (Carole P. Roman and Mateya Arkova, respectively) in white, and installment name in yellow. Pastel artwork shows a Viking or Scandinavian boy wearing dark blue, long-sleeves  with a long, lighter blue tunic on top, that is cinched with a brown belt; all over green leggings and mid-calf brown boots. He is holding a bow, with a quiver and a few arrows slung over his shoulder. He is standing on a rocky outcropping, with waves of the sea crashing on the rocks. He is looking away, over the water towards a Viking sailboat and another landmass, which has a dock, a path and 3 cottages. The sky is cloudy, starting white near the land blended to a light teal. There is a vertical yellow stripe just to the left of the title.]

If You Were Me and Lived in the... Viking Europe sample page 
[Image description: two-page book spread with the same traditionally dressed boy from the cover, with one hand on his hips/waist, and the other holding his belt. He is standing next to a traditionally dressed girl with a red dress, white sash around her waist, and yellow or gold chain accents around her neck. She has long, curly reddish-brown hair that comes to her waist, and she stands about as tall as the boy's elbow. They are standing on a grassy plain, with cream sheep, the teal ocean, and blue sky behind them. Off to the right side, there is a green hill, a small cottage with a green roof, a path and a fence in the background. On the left-hand page, backed in white, are 3 paragraphs of text describing possible girls' and boys' names, and family name designation. The lower outside corners display page numbers 10 and 11, and the book is held open by a ringed hand.]

As promised, the "If You Were Me and Lived in... Ancient History" series (numbered by publication date, from oldest to most recent, since her volume numbers don't match the publication order):

1. If You Were Me and Lived in...Ancient Greece
   
2. If You Were Me and Lived in...Elizabethan England
   
3. If You Were Me and Lived in...Colonial America
   
4. If You Were Me and Lived in...Renaissance Italy
   
5. If You Were Me and Lived in...the American West
   
6. If You Were Me and Lived in...Ancient China: The Han Dynasty
7. If You Were Me and Lived in...the Middle Ages
8. If You Were Me and Lived in...Viking Europe

The complete (to my knowledge) list of the "If You Were Me and Lived in... Countries of the World" series (also numbered by publication date, from oldest to most recent, since her volume numbers don't match the publication order):

1. If You Were Me and Lived in...Mexico
   
2. If You Were Me and Lived in...France
3. If You Were Me and Lived in...South Korea
   
4. If You Were Me and Lived in...Norway
5. If You Were Me and Lived in...Kenya
   
6. If You Were Me and Lived in...Turkey
   
7. If You Were Me and Lived in...India
   
8. If You Were Me and Lived in...Australia
   
9. If You Were Me and Lived in...Russia
   
10. If You Were Me and Lived in...Portugal
    
11. If You Were Me and Lived in...Greece
    
12. If You Were Me and Lived in...Peru
    
13. If You Were Me and Lived in...Hungary
    
14. If You Were Me and Lived in...Scotland
    
15. If You Were Me and Lived in...China
    
16. If You Were Me and Lived in...Italy
    
17. If You Were Me and Lived in...Egypt
    
18. If You Were Me and Lived in...Brazil
    
19. If You Were Me and Lived in...Poland

Disclosure: I was compensated for this review, and this post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commission on purchases. For more information, see my Disclosures page.

#Lebice Popsicle Molds

I received the Lebice Popsicle Molds for free in exchange for my review, but the thoughts here are my own honest opinions.

I've had this ready to write for almost 2 weeks now, but I just haven't been able to bring myself to sit down and WRITE. I'm not really sure why, either, so far, these Lebice Popsicle Molds are my favorite product I've had the chance to review! Call it writer's block, if you want, but it's not that I haven't had ideas, it's that I haven't been able to bring myself to get those thoughts into written text.

But, I'm here now, and as I said above, this has been my favorite product to use and review to date! It's been a lot of fun to mix together juices, smoothies and fresh and frozen fruit to make our own "Popsicles." The best part: since I know EXACTLY what goes into these popsicles, I don't mind letting the girls have (nearly, since they'd eat all 6 in one sitting, if I let them) as many as then want. (It probably also helped, that popsicle stick molds were another product that was already on my shopping list, that I was able to review for free. 🤗)

4 sides of the Lebice box (bottom right cut off the leak resistant, FDA approved, BPA free and dishwasher safe circles) 

Right off the bat, the Lebice Popsicle Molds sport a bright, festive, summery box featuring fruity colors of oranges, strawberry/raspberry pinks and a kiwi green. I totally didn't realize the fruity-ness of the colors until sitting here trying to describe them. Talk about subtle/sub-conscious marketing! 😉😊 My first impression was how bright and summery the box is. Definitely indicative of a great summer treat--or really anytime in our local, Florida heat.

Also important to note: the molds are leak resistant, FDA approved, BPA free and dishwasher safe. I can't believe I didn't realize until now that I cut these points off when I took the picture. Of course it's just AFTER I decide I don't need the box anymore and recycle it. [Facepalm]

Opened Lebice box with all contents individually wrapped

My first disappointment came when I opened the box. Part of the reason I wanted reusable popsicle molds is because I was tired of buying and throwing away the popsicle sticks and wrappers--though we usually bought Outshine bars or Chloe's Soft-Serve fruit bars rather than Popsicle brand. While I know 9 little plastic baggies are insignificant compared to what we were doing, the individual wrappers still seemed unnecessary.

Closed Lebice box, individual wrapping removed, and popsicle molds assembled

Once the plastic was removed and disposed of, the Lebice Popsicle Molds looked a lot higher quality than they did in the baggies, which look tacky to me. (Probably because I think it's a completely unnecessary waste.)

Lebice mold picture instructions

I just thought it was too funny that there were instructions at all, seems pretty simple: add juice/fruit/whatever to mold, freeze, eat. but it was nice to have the picture that suggest warming the edges to removed the frozen popsicle easier.

Juice and fresh and frozen fruit ready to blend in Vitamix blender

The next several photos are the process of making the smoothie I used as the first sample of popsicles. The instructions came with a couple of recipes and a QR code to more recipes and video instructions, but I just sorta made my own thing. For the first try, I used fresh and frozen strawberries and frozen pineapple, mango and papaya with orange juice and a touch of honey, blended in our Vitamix 5300. (If you want my review of the blender, check out my 30 Day Vitamix Challenge.)

Vitamix on and contents blended into a smoothie

Vitamix pitcher removed from base next to prepared lebice molds

First Lebice mold filled using collapsible funnel

When filling, the funnel filled 1/2 to 3/4 of the way left just about a half inch from the top of the popsicle mold. In future popsicles, I filled them just below the top ridge, but in this first sample, I used 1/2 to 3/4 of the funnel as a measurement.

Filled Lebice molds with 3 yellow and 3 green sticks/lids in place; lebice logo visible

Filled Lebice molds in the freezer

Frozen, ready-to-eat popsicle with mold removed and in background

With the gap left in the popsicle mold, there was a subsequent gap from the lid to the edible portion of the popsicles. When I filled the molds to just under the ridge, there was virtually no gap between the lid and fruity/edible portion, but, of course, I forgot to photograph any future popsicles we made.

Overall, I would totally recommend the Lebice Popsicle Molds to anyone who wants control over the ingredients in their popsicles and/or anyone who wants to limit their waste from traditional popsicles--even though they did come wrapped in the unnecessary individual wrappings, just keep that in mind. They are easy to fill, easy to wash, easy to remove, and my girls LOVED getting to eat popsicles that they helped make.

Disclosure: I was compensated for this review, and this post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commission on purchases. For more information, see my Disclosures page.

#AmazrockMuslinSwaddle Blanket Review

I received the Amazrocks Muslin Swaddle Blanket free in exchange for my review, but the thoughts here are my own honest opinions.

We absolutely LOVE Muslin swaddle blankets. Ever since we were given an Aden and Anais for our Baby Shower for Big Sister--I can't believe it's been over 3 years already!!--we've been collecting all the muslin swaddlers we can get our hands on, so I was thrilled when I saw the offer to review the Amazrocks Muslin Swaddle Blanket!

Amazrock Muslin Swaddle Blanket in box and Amazon packaging

If you've read my past reviews, you know I'm a fan of simplicity when it comes to packaging, and I am reminded of this again with the Amazrock packaging. Very cute, simple and gender non-specific.

Amazrock Swaddle Blanket box back with swaddle instructions

I remembered to get a photo of the back of the box without the Amazon packaging, which shows the swaddling and care instructions (again, nice and simple), but not the front of the box without the extra plastic.

Side-by-side of open Amazrocks Muslin Swaddle blankets

Right out of the box, the Amazrocks Muslin Swaddle Blanket feels thinner than our Aden and Anais, It's also much stiffer than our Aden and Anais, but that is likely because the Aden and Anais has been washed, used and "broken in" (as my babywearing side likes to say) for the past 3 years. The Amazrocks Muslin Swaddle Blanket feels about the same thickness as a couple small muslin swaddle blankets we got from Ross.

Big Sister and Baby Sister claimed the blankets right away

Even though the blankets were unwashed, Big Sister and Baby Sister had a blast playing with them. They even insisted I took pictures of them right then and there. (So don't mind the mess behind them; this is real life.)

Swaddled Big Sister (age 3)

Since they are SWADDLE blankets, I had to see how they handled swaddling. Since I worked at a early childhood education center (essentially an educational daycare) in the infant/toddler classroom for 4 or 5 years, I would have to say I'm pretty experienced with swaddling, and I'm comfortable swaddling with many different fabrics.

Unfortunately, Baby Sister would have nothing to do with being swaddled; fortunately, Big Sister was SUPER excited to be "mermaid swaddle!" One of the reasons I love muslin blankets so much, is for swaddling: it just molds to the child's body with very little effort. Big Sister, above, is swaddle a bit tighter than I would normally swaddle, but she wanted it super tight. The 48"x48" size made it ideal for swaddling a 3yo, and it would make the perfect infant swaddler--even with wigglers.

Having used the Amazrocks Muslin Swaddle Blanket as a shoulder and lap blanket, I can attest to it's leightweight warmth. Even though it's still averaging in the high 80's, low 90's, I have been getting chills from our air conditioning, and the Amazrocks swaddlers have been great at keeping the breeze and chill off, without making me sweat. Such a reassurance when knowing that the blankets are designed for infants, who aren't really able to regulate their own temperature, yet.

I would recommend these to anyone who wants an easy-swaddle alternative to the traditional hospital receiving blanket, that's big enough to be used for several ages. I'd also recommend it to someone like me, who's sensitive to changes in temperature, but also likes small, lightweight blankets.

Interesting side note: apparently Amazrock has their own site, and doesn't just sell on Amazon. It looks to be mostly an aStore (a website that has Amazon Affiliates and Amazon Shopping embedded and integrated directly into the site), but their brand makes the Amazrocks Muslin Swaddle Blanket as well as Amazrock Woodless Colored Pencils (which, unfortunately appears to be out of stock.)

Disclosure: I was compensated for this review, and this post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commision on purchases. For more information, see my Disclosures page

#EZHome_EMT_026 Digital Thermometer Review

I received the Easy@Home Digital Thermometer free in exchange for my review, but the thoughts here are my own honest opinions.

Our thermometer got dropped and broke the last time one of the girls were sick, and it's been on our shopping list since then. The theremometer's been one of those items that I always think, "oh, I'll get that next time,"  every shopping trip, and next time never really comes, so I was really grateful when I saw this review offer, it meant I never had to force myself to just buckle down and buy the new thermometer. (It came at a pretty good time, too, since there's an outbreak of Hand Foot Mouth disease at FSU, nearby, and it will be nice to have a working thermometer if the virus reaches us.)

Easy@Home Digital Thermometer box, front

My first thought when I saw the package is that is was a no-brand knock-off that didn't seem worth the $13 the company is asking.

Easy@Home Digital Thermometer box, back

The back of the box is still pretty simple, and I'm glad it listed the features, since the <10 second read time and fever alarm started to reassure me of the price.

Easy@Home Digital Thermometer in storage case

I was surprised at how accurate and full-size the photo on the box was, and ultimately the size of the display in hand. Our last thermometer got no taller (oriented as pictured above, top being top of photo) than this display screen total, making this screen about twice as tall. The digital display on the Easy@Home Digital Thermometer screen was also a little wider (left to right) than our past thermometer, but not nearly as noticeable of a difference than the thermometer height.

Easy@Home Digital Thermometer under arm test, with results

The instructions say, "from a medical viewpoint this [the under arm] method will always provide inaccurate readings. and should not be used if precise measurements are required.". For this test, a precise measurement wasn't really needed, and it was the only measurement Big Sister would tolerate so I could take a photo. The digital display was very clear, and large, filling most of the display area. You can't see it in the photo, but there was a small triangle under the green area, indicating it wasn't a fever. (Green for no fever, yellow for mild fever, red for high/severe fever.)

The large display and flexible tip surprised me by being very easy to take a measurement on my 3yo, who is normally fights having her temperature taken, even as an under arm measurement.

Easy@Home Digital Thermometer, no battery

I went to test myself for an oral test example, but I was disappointed to discover the low battery warning, after only one test. I pulled out the battery, put it back in, and then tried turning on the Easy@Home Digital Thermometer, again.

Easy@Home Digital Thermometer oral test results

It worked. I waited about a week, to try again, and I haven't had a problem with the battery, since. (And you can even see the triangle temperature indicator under the green area.)

Overall, I'm still a little shocked at the price, since our last one was a $5 thermometer, but a quick search on Amazon shows that $13 isn't too far off for the quick read, large screen, flexible tip, fever alarm, and temperature color indicator. I would recommend this especially for someone who needs the large display and multiple alerts, or someone (like me) who wants the super quick read and flexible tip to take the temperature of someone wriggly, like a toddler. The $5 version is probably sufficient for a single college student, or anyone who just needs a simple, accurate, thermometer with a 60 second read time. (It's amazing how 60 seconds feels like an eternity when trying to take a sick toddler's temperature.)

Disclosure: I was compensated for this review, and this post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commision on purchases. For more information, see my

 Disclosures page

Review: #TeethingDroolPadsandBib

This is my first compensated review, and I received these Teething Drool Pads and Bib (or what I would call "suck pads") by BabyPreferred for free in exchange for it; however, all thoughts are own, honest opinion.

My first impression when I saw this offer was, "Aw! How cute!" Seriously, I love the little bird pattern. I'm such a fan of classic, simple, non-gender-specific patterns and colors, and the ivory background and simple navy birds combination really hits that mark!

BabyPreferred Teething Drool Pads & Bib in a simple, cute packaging 

In person, it's no different. Even the packaging was simple: Sealed in a basic plastic bag, with a brown cardstock or paperboard wrapping. The logo actually caught my attention first. The bp looked a little like an elephant or a dragonfly to me, until I figured out it was the letters touching. The little hair wisp was an added touch, too. Just now, while fiddling with the wrapping, did I notice that the care instructions were on the back with the bar code: "Machine wash cold. Tumble dry low. Do not iron the back." Simple enough. (See, I like that. simplicity is great!) There was also a business card that I almost ignored in the package, but turns out it's a 20% off discount on one side, and the instructions on the other.

The 3 pieces included; Top: the bib; Bottom: 2 "wrap around drool pads," one of which has elastics to attach toys to

The bottom two pieces are what I would call "suck pads," but BabyPreferred calls them "wrap around drool pads." The snaps and rounded rectangles made it pretty clear how to attach to the carrier, but I had to look at the instructions to figure out how to attach the top, or bib piece. I also didn't know what the 3 elastic pieces (not well pictured) on bottom of the second/right suck pad were. Turns out the elastic is to attach teething toys with a clip or one of those toy linking chains.

Drool pads attached to Ethos ConvertiBu™, with the bib in postition + Baby Sister trying to steal the carrier.

The Teething Drool Pads and Bib are designed for an Ergo Four Position 360° carrier, but my carrier is a semi-custom from EthosBabywearing.com: Ethos ConvertiBu­­™ in charcoal twill. The drool/suck pads fit great, but the bib did not attach properly. On an Ergo 360°, there are buttons to attach the bib to, but the Ethos ConvertiBu™ doesn't have a froward facing option, nor buttons to attach to. I don't mind, though. Having Baby Sister forward facing in the front hurts my back, so I wouldn't ever use that feature, and thus wouldn't necessarily need the bib. I had planned on checking out an Ergo 360° from my local lending library, but I've been unable to contact them since Hurricane Hermine hit the area. I'll definitely update if/when I get my hands on a 360°! But I don't think it would change my review much.

Drool pads attached to Ethos ConvertiBu™ without the Bib

I didn't like the snaps against my shoulder, so I attached them facing the top, as shown in the picture below.

Baby Sister using the drool pads in the Ethos ConvertiBu™

Overall, I would recommend the BabyPreferred Teething Drool Pads and Bib to anyone with an Ergo 360° carrier, or any of the recommended carriers, as the product description says, "Designed for ERGObaby Four Position 360 Carrier, but also fits other carrier, car seat & stroller straps like Chicco, Jeep, Tula, Lillebaby, Beco, Boba, Babybjorn, Infantino, Evenflo & more." I also think the drool/suck pad portion will fit over almost any standard SSC (soft-structured/buckle carrier), and possibly over some Mei Tais.

If you want something to protect the straps of your carrier, I think these Drool Pads are great for you, and bonus, Baby Sister liked cuddling the bib portion that didn't fit our carrier.

Disclosure: I was compensated for this review, and this post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commision on purchases. For more information, see my Disclosures page

My Early Childhood Teaching Philosophy

I am going to start right off the bat by making my credentials (or lack thereof) clear: I do not have a degree or any other advanced certificate in easily childhood education. I did take a couple of practicum-type credits as a dual-enrollment option in high school, as well as a few early childhood prerequisite courses. But, my Bachelors degree is mostly unrelated, and not in Education.   I also worked in a state licensed and nationally accredited early childhood facility for 3 or 4 years, and attended and participated in the trainings that were required during that time.

However, in that time, I learned a lot about the importance of having a teaching philosophy, and, as I contemplate the option of homeschooling our girls, I just wanted to organize my thoughts, and perhaps share them for others to see. 

I believe that play and hands-on experiences are the best forms of early childhood (and, in most cases, lifelong) education. 

While experimenting with a few different systems over the past year with Big Sister, I have found that I can't teach "forced" lessons. One curriculum I tried was entirely focused on the letters. There was no overarching theme; and I felt like all were were doing was making a long, drawn-out letter book that tried to also incorporate numbers and shapes. Big Sister didn't enjoy it after the first few lessons, and I refused to make learning a fight. 

Recently, I've tried casually assessing what skills and knowledge Big Sister has developed in the past year, and I am surprised to learn that she already knows a lot more that I thought, just by having conversations, reading, and interfacing with her directed play. 

I believe that learning should be incorporated into every aspect of life, and, just as important, themes and lessons should be child-driven. 

One example just occurred the other day: I was cleaning out some of my supplies, and Big Sister found a coloring page with a picture of a pelican, to which she asked, "what's that?" Instead of just answering her with, "a pelican," we jumped on the Internet, found fun facts and pictures of pelicans, watched a video of how pelicans really eat, found a pelican to color/cut/glue, counted pelicans in the video and pictures, and compared which pictures had more/fewer pelicans. After finishing at the computer, we colored the pelican coloring page, and Big Sister tried cutting out the pelican pieces (for the record, this was her first real experience with cutting, so I roughly cut apart each piece, and she "trimmed" them.) She then glued the pieces together, and proudly put her pelican on the fridge. We then pulled out our foam letters to make the word "pelican." As the girls would pull apart and hand me letters, I'd name them, and we'd build other words. 

It was a very fun, mostly casual, but there were a lot of learning objectives and skills wrapped up in that hour or so. 

Another example of child-driven learning occurred yesterday as Big Sister was playing with a computer keyboard. We talked about how the keyboard talked to the computer and tells the it what to do. I then started tracing letters with my finger on our couch, and Big Sister looked for the matching letter on the keyboard. 

Both relatively simple to implement, but by being involved with her interests and play, they became much more meaningful. 

I believe that intellectual skills supercede academic skills. 

I recently read this article that gave me terms for something I've always thought: skills related to the current standards of reading, writing , and 'rithmetic (academic skills) are less important than the ability to question, explore, and reason (intellectual skills.) One thing the article pointed out, that I didn't already connect, is that unless a child has developed the background, foundational intellectual skills, attempts to force academic skill will deter any real learning, and may decrease/slow the child's ability to learn the rote memorization. 

My biggest role as a parent, teacher and/or mentor is to facilitate a life-long love of learning, as well as a desire to always improve. 

I love learning new things. If I'm not pursuing my curiosity and/or developing myself one way or another, I get bored and frustrated, and I think that's evidence of successful parents, teachers and mentors who have helped me realize that there is so much that I DON'T know, but I can get closer and learn whatever I'm interested in. 

If I can tool my girls with the ability to ask questions, and then know how to find the answers, they will be well on their way to passionate, meaningful learning.  

Review of Ethos Cascade Freakinpink: Hot, Humid FL Yard Sale Edition!

Update: this was originally published on July 6, 2016. It got bumped to most recent when I added the Personal Note.

Wrap:

Ethos Cascade Freakinpink 

Size 5

Freakinpink cotton warp

Soft gray BreatheBlend™ weft.

Wrappees=
Big Sister: nearly 3yrs, 34", roughly 28lbs
Baby Sister (primary wrappee): 1yr, 26", roughly 18lbs
(I just measured and weighed them last night, but the heights seem tall, even though they both just went through a growth spurt.)

Pictures taken using indoor, indirect sunlight; indoor, direct sunlight; indoor, artificial lighting at night; and outdoor direct sunlight 

My wrapping background:
I've been wrapping on and off for nearly 3yrs. (I think Big Sister was 2mo when I tried my first FWCC--front wrap cross carry--with a woven wrap.) Despite this, I would probably only consider myself an intermediate wrapper, because I have my two favorite carries (FWCC and Ruck tied Tibetan) that I use almost exclusively.

With the warning that Cascade can be diggy for bigger babies and toddlers, I was determined to try a variety (or at least several carries) to get a better feel of Freakinpink. In the past 24hrs I've had Freakinpink, both kiddos have been up, but Big Sister was only up once for about 10 minutes. We've tried ruck, BWCC (back wrap cross carry) DH (double hammock)--which I must add is my nemesis carry--with a freshwater finish, and both a basic and reinforced ruck tied Tibetan. All back carries so far, since I was prepping for, then running, today's yard sale, and I needed to be able lift/move things.

Yesterday, my first impression of Freakinpink was how light it was. I really shouldn't be surprised, since it weighs in at 215GSM (grams per square meter) and it's super thin, but I was. Baby Sister had first ups, after a very long wrapping sabbatical, so my BWCC still had too much slack, but that's OK. I'll just add to the #normalizemediocrewrapping campaign. But even with the slack, it didn't feel like I was wearing her at all! By the end of her ups, I started to feel her on my hips and lower back, but that was due to my sloppy wrap job, as I felt no digging.

Baby Sister in indoor Back wrap cross carry

Wrap Attempt 2 was my nemesis, DH, with Big Sister needing wrap cuddles. I cheated in order to get a perfect middle marker placement, but it was still a moderately sloppy wrap job, so I was feeling her after the 10 or so minutes she was up.

Big Sister in indoor, double hammock with freshwater finish

After that, I didn't pay conscious attention to Freakinpink for the rest of the day, as it was well utilized in final preparations for today's sale. In retrospect, that is a good thing. The passes slid nicely into place for both ruck tied Tibetan and a second attempt at DH, with Baby Sister.

Indoor, double hammock with freshwater finish

Today, it was totally a LIFESAVER! Baby Sister wanted to be totally involved with the yard sale, coming in and out of the house and demanding to be held. She was part of the "party," and I didn't have to wear my arms out. Plus, the shimmer was BEAUTIFUL! (Unfortunately, I never got a picture that did the shimmer justice.) So fun to look at in the bright sun! Definitely brought some fun to the "waiting game" portion between the early and late rush.

Look at that shimmer! Outdoor knotless Tibetan finished rucksack

One thing I can't say, that other reviewers of Freakinpink (or the other Cascade color ways) have said, is that we didn't sweat in it. The BreatheBlend™ DEFINITELY breathed. As a description of the BreatheBlend™, Ethos Babywearing said, "Three things make BreatheBlend breathe: woven microvents, a slim profile, and a specially designed blend of cotton and polyester weaving yarn (70% cotton, 30% poly) for the breeziest woven wrap around." I could totally feel the air movement! However, at 94°F and 61% humidity, you sweat in pretty much any extended time outdoors. There's no getting past that. But I could handle the heat even better than with my BobaAir (a nylon SSC, soft structured or "buckle" carrier) which, despite its nylon design, I find very comfortable, even in heat.

Overall, Ethos Cascade Freakinpink with BreatheBlend™ is a lightweight, thin, airy wrap. I didn't think it was diggy, but that seems to be the consensus of previous reviewers of Cascade. I found it moldable, and the passes glid perfectly into place, after a few ups to get back into the "feel" of wrapping. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants a cool wrap that's easy to keep in the diaper bag. This was a size 5 (roughly 4.2m,) and it was about the same size as a cloth diaper, once folded up.

Freakinpink is definitely a permastash here!

Mid-sale wrap nap

Successful Transfer

Personal Statement: I received no compensation for my review. All thoughts are my own, honest opinion.