Life

Titus waiting for his turn in the tub:



Brotherly love:



Silas discovers he has pockets:



The crocuses don't realize it's January:

Babywearing

I've jumped on the babywearing bandwagon in full force with Titus. And, to avoid paying retail ($50-$65) for baby slings and carriers, I've made a few of my own. I borrowed my mom's sewing machine, bought some fabric at JoAnn's 50% off sale, and made these for less than $10 each.

This is a Maya Wrap. I like it because it's adjustable, although this particular one will only work for people shorter like me because I squeezed it out of 1 3/4 yards instead of 2 yards like you're supposed to use. I just loved the fabric and couldn't pass it up so I bought what was left on the bolt and made do. That tail is supposed to be about 9 inches longer, but I have tugged on it and jumped with Titus in it, and it hasn't budged. This sling is also great for nursing.


This is a Hotsling. It isn't adjustable, because it's made to fit the mom perfectly. I bought one of these off ebay before attempting to make my own, and I put Titus in it when he was one day old, using the cradle carry. He fell asleep within two minutes. I like this sling because you don't have to fiddle with adjustments, you just drop the baby in there, and as your baby grows you use different positions, so that he still fits in the little pouch. The downside of course is that because it's not adjustable, I can't share. However, now that I've figured out how to make them cheaply, I could make a larger one for Matt. Ha! Can you see Matt with a babysling? :)

Both these carriers have the same great advantage - hands free! I use them while grocery shopping, walking to the mailbox, or sometimes even just hanging around the house. Titus likes to be close, and this way I can hold him and still get stuff done. As an added bonus, after 14 years of having my mom standing over my shoulder, I have finally figured out how to sew on my own!
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Titus: 4 months

Weight: 17 lbs
Length: 26 inches
Accomplishments: Eating rice cereal, sitting up for 10 seconds, playing with toes

Congratulations Nathanael and Rebekah!

A quick shout out to my sister and her boyfriend who got engaged up at Mt. Hood over the break:

Mmmm.... baby.

In one of those moments I blame on mommy brain I forgot to change Titus' diaper before his nap, so when he woke up three hours later (thank you, God!) he had soaked through his outfit. I didn't want to go into the room where his brother was sleeping to get a new one, so he played naked for a while. I think he enjoyed it; and I thought you all might enjoy those cute rolls of baby fat:

Silas is one and a half!

Weight: 25 lbs
Height: 2 ft, 8 in
Favorite Words: mama, dada, baby, gramma, yea!, "o-pee" (open, said most often while pointing at the refrigerator), "up-ah" (up), "way" (said immediately after you've picked him up, as he points in the direction he wants you to take him), and of course, "bob."
Favorite Foods: bananas, apples, blueberries, cheese, yogurt, bread, pizza, spaghetti, lasagna (anything tomato-based, really), and ice cream.