Happy Love Day

Happy Valentine's Day to all. Just had to share these photos of my son I took yesterday, before taking him to story time.
Have a lovely day.

Love mom tattoo beanie made by me and is for sale in my etsy shop willowsgarden.etsy.com

9 Months Old Today....

Are you really! I can't believe it. I seems unreal that you were just a tiny helpless newborn and now you are starting to become an independent mobile infant.  You are all over the house and into everything. I dont mind though because I know that is how you are learning. You are taking in the world around you and it is so impressive to watch those little wheels turning in your head.

You are getting better at sleeping, but still havent slept through the night/ you can take the outlet covers out of the outlets/you can turn on your daddy's dvd player/ you can crawl all around the house on your belly/ you are pulling yourself to stand on every piece of furninture imaginable/ you still love dogs and go crazy when you see one/ you are celebrating your first Christmas this month/you can crawl on all fours now/you like to try to find yourself with the spoon/you are fascintated with the Christmas tree/you like to skype with grandma and grandpa/you like banging on the computer keyboard/you enjoy books/you like to open and shut doors with your feet/you get so excited when you see a dog/you said da/you like to come in the bed with mommy and daddy in the morning/you laugh a lot/you wave to everyone/you are not scared to go to people you dont know/u you love to be naked/daddy makes you laugh like crazy/you liked Santa Claus/you know how to pull the drain out of the tub when you are finished with your bath/you tried to paint with homemade finger paints/i love when you are sleeping in my arms/you are so inquisitve/you are like a wise old soul/you hair is two colors auburn and golden/you have such a little mouth/you still have clogged tear ducts/you like to dance/you try to play the drum/ you love music/when mommy wears her costume you are mesmorized/

We love you little Darwin Storm. You are my favorite little man, besides your daddy of course..

What we do after nap....

Here is another post inspired by sewliberated.typepad.com. What we do after nap. This was a nice calm activity. I took the blanket outside and we sat together and feed the ducks and birds. Darwin spent time looking at the trees, playing with his toys and trying to eat an orange, while mama worked on some crocheting for the store.

8 Months Today.....

You are  getting there. In 4 months you will be a year and I don't know where the time has gone. You are my favorite little man. I love you so much and would do anything for you. The last month has been a time of many discoveries and new learning experiences and I have enjoyed watching you learn something new everyday.

you sit so well by yourself/ you can stand holding on to furniture/ you can army crawl, but only when you want to / you have 7 teeth/ you still have not slept through the night/ you like sleeping on your mattress on the floor/ you love to bang on pots and pans/ you try to chew on wires (not safe, time to get baby proofing)/ you love splashing in the bathtub/ you are super observant of all the sounds around you/ you have been eating lots of solid food now/you tried blueberries,mango,pumpkin,plums,and much more/ you are still a skinny stringbean/ you make the cutiest sounds/ i think you have said ma/ you were an owl for halloween/ mommy took you trick or treating/ mommy ate all the candy of course/ you are always so happy and quiet/ love to chew on things even on mommy and daddy/ you like to give mommy bear hugs/ you like to pull daddys hair/ your hair is getting lighter/ yourr eyes are just like your dads/ u  try to feed yourself with the spoon/ you like making a mess like your mom/ you like to rip paper/ you laugh at all of daddys jokes/ you want mommy to carry you all the time/ you make me laugh daily/ you like to go out for walks/ you love the swings at the park/  you stil love your hats

You are such a big boy now. Can hardly remember when you were a newborn. I look forward to all the new things that we will learn and discover in the next few months.

To the park we go....

Took Little D to the park for the first time to go on the swings. Boy, did he love it. We only stayed for 15 mins just long enough for him to have a quick swing. He was super cute and I am sure we will be doing this weekly now that the weather here is getting a little cooler

(someone is a little obsessed with his shadow)

6 Months Today....

You have made it to half a year already. It's almost hard to believe that my precious tiny little infant is now an active and mobile baby. You have changed and grown so much in these short few months and I know that you will only continue to grow and change much more as the rest of the year progresses.  It's hard to imagine that only 6 months ago you were in my belly getting ready to make your entrance into this big world. For awhile there I didn't think you wanted to enter it. You wanted to stay softly bundled up inside mommy's belly forever, but you came none the less because you had too.  You have remained close to mommy since those early moments and I think you will always remain close to mommy. You do love your daddy too very much and he loves you more than he's ever loved anything (i think even more than mommy). I see it in his eyes every time he looks at you. You are the shining star in his life. His reason for living, as well as mine.  Well let's share what's been going on for the past month shall we.....

                                          (1 week old-Photo by Katrina Elena Photography)

you started to roll from your back to your belly more often/you started solid foods/ you like butternut squash/you're going to NY this month to meet the rest of your family/you meet your other grandpa this month/you reach for me to pick you up/you like to bang on everything/ you especially like to play the tambourine/you just like to be loud and noisy like your mama/you actually laugh when things are funny/you like when your daddy throws a pillow in the air/you're still skinny/you hair is getting lighter/you smile at everyone you meet/ you're very friendly/you are getting better at sleeping  at night/you like the crib/you like to watch mommy dance/you like when mommy sings itsy bitsy spider to you/you cry for daddy when mommy goes out/you still like to clasp your hands together/you like to drink water from a cup/you make the funniest faces/you still love mommy to hold you close/you love bathtime/you only cry when you are hungry or need diaper changed/you tried to play the piano for the first time last week/you have such creamy skin/you're still squirmy/you not too crazy about swimming in the pool/you like dogs/you love to pull on daddy's hair and face/you like when mommy kisses the palm of your hand/you still like to wear hats/you like to suck your thumb/you still use a pacifier at nap time/you like to spend time at your uncle's house/you like riding in the car

We love you so much DST. You make mommy laugh every day. You make mommy look foward to her life. You make mommy smile. You make mommy proud. You are my son and I love you so much. Happy Half Birthday!

This Moment

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. - inspired by soulemama.com

First time eating cereal.

Following your motherly instincts.

I recently came across a beautiful post the other day on http://www.lusaorganics.typepad.com called Reflections on Motherhood. It was such an inspiring post, especially as a first time mother about following your motherly instincts when raising your child, instead of following the advice that your are bombarded with on a daily basis.

I feel like it your are the only one who knows your child and their specific needs. For example my little one hasnt been a great night sleeper. My pediatrician told me to follow the ferber method by letting him cry it out. I know you are supposed to trust the advice of your Dr, but sometimes I feel that they dont always know what's best for your child.  I feel that if my Little man needs me to comfort him by breastfeeding him at 3 am, well that's what he needs, or if he needs to sleep in our bed to feel reassurance from us well that may be what he needs. It may not work for other people, but for our family that is what works.   I mean this is how it has been done for centuries. It wasnt until the past 100 years or so where things have changed. Women have always been close to their children whether it be during the day or at night.

I love the closeness we share when he is riding in his carrier, but there are some that want to stick in their two sense and say that it's not safe. Well if it wasn't a safe option then why are women in other countries all over the world practicing attachment parenting and we are not.

There is an interesting fact I read in Rahima Baldwin Darcy's book " You Are Your Child's First Teacher' (which I highly recommend) that says -"Americans are touch-deprived. Cross Cultural studies have shown that the United States has one of the lowest rates of casual touch in the world- about 2 x a hour- compared to Puerto Ricans who have one of the highest rates at 180x a hour"
This is a very sad statistic. I want to make sure I kiss and hug my baby as much as I possibly can. I want to keep him close to me for as long as I can, because one day he will be out on his own and wont want to be so close to his mama all the time.

 Another place that everyone wants to stick in their two sense is when you should feed solids to your baby. "It will help him sleep better they say", or "he needs to eat to gain more weight". I feel that I am his mama and I will know when he needs solids.I feel right now that breastfeeding him is all he needs, but if I decided to feed him solids at 3 weeks, 3 months or 6 that is my choice. I am going to wait until 6 months, because that is what I feel is right and what I think will work for my son.

Maybe you chose to put your child in disposible diapers ,because you felt like that was the right option for you, well I choose to use to cloth for my son, because that is what feels right to me. It is safer for him and better for the enviroment.

Maybe you choose to let your child play with plastic toys, because you like the way they look. or maybe you choose wooden and homemade toys ,because you like the way they look. It is your choice.

Maybe you chose to let your baby cry it out. That may work for you, but does not feel right for me.

As you see everyone makes their own choices based on what they believe is best for their family and their children. There should be no judgements.  I just believe that we have been blessed with a mother's intuition and that it should be followed.

Creating routine for babies

I am still here. Just had a busy few weeks with the visit of my mother (grammies), who hadnt see her grandson since his birth. We had a great time. I have just been trying to get back in the groove without her and been working on getting my little ones routine going.

I am a firm believer in routine and consistancy with young children. It makes their day and yours run a whole lot smoother. They really count on it and enjoy knowing what comes next. I have been a nanny for about 5 years and prior to that I taught preschool for 3 years. I have definately seen how routine can make or break your day.  Now that my little man has hit 4 months I am starting to establish a daily routine with him following along with the waldorf ideas.  I know that he may seem young to start on a routine, but I think the younger the better.

We have had a daily routine in place for a few weeks now, but we have been struggling with the bedtime routine. The routine was a little out of whack for a few weeks while grandma was visiting. You know how that goes, but now we are starting to work more on it.
This is a look at how our day plays out right now at almost 4 months...

Little D has been waking at about 7:30 am and he has his first feeding at about 7:45 am after a little play time in bed with mommy.
At 8 am we are up and I am getting him dressed. While getting him dressed I recite Waldorf inspired verse:
-"Good morning Dear Earth, Good morning Dear Sun, Good morning trees and flowers everyone, Good morning dear animals and birds on the tree, Good morning to you and goodmorning to me."

I usually get a nice big smile from him or a giggle.
After that I eat breakfast. Little D sits in his baby bjorn bouncy seat or on my lap while I eat. 
When I am done with breakfast we spend a little more time together before he takes a morning nap.
Morning nap happens about 9 or  9:15am. We go into his room for nap. I read a story to him, preferable the same one every day right now. I sing him a little nap song ,which goes like this
I love you Darwin o yes I do, I dont love anyone as much as you, expect for daddy I love him too, oh Darwin I love you.
Then put his lulluby cd on and he falls asleep within 10 mins.

After first nap I get him up, always with a smile, so he know I am happy to see him. Then I change his diaper and then give him a second feeding of morning at about 10:30 or 11 am.
Ususally after nap I will have a snack and then we will head outside for morning walk. We like to take a walk around the pond to look at all the ducks and birds, or we walk to library or this is the time we run our errands.

When we get back from our walk it is time for Darwin to have a little bit of tummy time on his sheepskin, which he does not like, but is getting better at. I usually put out a mirror for him to see himself and a few simple toys for him to try to grab. He especially loves his playsilks.
Tummy time lasts about 10 mins , then I roll him on his back for a little bit. At this point I try to let him play for a little bit on his own. I think it is very important that he learns to play on his own without always relying on me for entertainment.

I may also put him in the wrap to get somethings done around the house.

At 12 pm I make lunch Darwin sits with me again or in bouncy.  After lunch we hang out in his room for a bit. He has another feeding at around 1, a diaper change  and then I repeat nap time routine. Sometimes he is ready to go down by 12:30pm.

After 2nd nap which sometimes is usually an hour and a half to two hours, he wakes up and I have a second snack, while he sits with me. At this time it is about 3. We are getting ready for daddy to come home from work. Darwin has a feeding at about 4 pm before daddy gets home.

When daddy gets here Darwin is ready to see him . Together they have music time, which lasts about 10 to 20 mins, while I am getting dinner ready.

We eat dinner around 5:30. We have a verse we say at dinner as well. It is
Earth who gives to us this food, Sun, who makes it ripe and good. Dear sun, dear Earth, by you we live, our loving thanks to you we give.

After dinner little D sleeps for 30 mins in his bouncy seat. After waking he eats again usually at about 6:30 pm and then we take a nice family walk.

From about 7:30 to 8:30 he plays again on his mat, or hangs out with daddy again watching him work.

8:30 we start his bath. We are still putting him down a little later than I would like but he doesnt sleep very long at night so I try to give him last feeding at 9 or 9:15 pm.

Bathtime routine is bath, lay him on our bed sing some songs, give him a massage, and put on his pjs. Then my husband gives him a bottle (the only one of the day).
When he's done with the bottle I bring him into his room, close the blinds, read him a story, put on his music and turn out the lights. He will sleep usually only until 1 am. We are still working on his nightime, but he is breastfeed and seems to want to eat more at night.

I know that the routine can change and there are those days when things just dont work out this way. For the most part though they do and things just fall into place. It helps everyones day run a lot smoother.

This moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.-inspired by soulemama.com

A visit from Grandma.

My first Mother's Day....

Woke up yesterday morning to pancake breakfast by my wonderful hubby. He then presented me with a "handmade"( it was store brought, but looked handmade) Mother's Day card. He said it reminded him of me, which I thought was a nice gesture and thought. He then gave me a gift from the baby his inked hand and foot print, which we never got around to doing when he was first born. I loved it though and it was a nice surprise.

      (love how the foot print came out perfect, but he looks like he has an extra finger with the handprint)
 

                                                          
  
We then took a drive to our local nature preserve for a little walk around the boardwalk. Where we saw some alligators, ducks, birds and cute little bunnies

                            

Then we spent a little time with some friends of ours and after that we headed off to dinner. Little D did great at dinner. He slept in the stroller pretty much the whole time and woke up right at the end for a  few cute pictures .

He was mesmorized by a ceiling fan. This was the best moment of the day for me, seeing his big, beautiful smiles. They can melt a mommies heart.

This moment

                                                             This moment

                            (this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.-inspired by Soulemama


                

 

2 months old today

It's hard to believe that time goes by so quickly. Just 2 months ago you were safetly tucked away in the security of my womb and now you are here. I think you are finally starting to adjust to your life here on Earth and to being part of our family. I think you like it here ; most of the time.  Today I am celebrating your 2 month Birthday along with my 31st Birthday. How special is it that we get to spend a milstone together. This is my first Birthday as a mother. I will cherish these moments forever. You are such a special boy in our lives and you fit perfectly with us. We love you so much.

                                                        

You have discovered your hands/you are still having a hard time with daytime naps/your eyes are still gray, but your hair has lightened up/you get happy after you go to the bathroom/you smile now/you love to kick your legs around a mile a minute/you sneeze a lot/you're a fast eater/you have chubby hands and feet/you're growing fast/you love to listen to the book 'The Day You Were Born"/you like to ride in the elevator/you like to stare/you have a big cloth diaper butt/you like sharing the bed with your mommy in the morning/you like walking to the library with mommy/you like to listen to daddy play the guitar/you love when mommy and daddy sing and dance with you/you get mad when you are on your tummy too long/you are a great nighttime sleeper/you love hearing your grandparents voices on skype/you usually only cry when you are hungry/daddy still can't believe that your "his son"/you make mommy worry a lot already/daddy is so patient and gentle with you/you love eskimo kisses/you like when mommy blows in your face/you love to sleep in your stroller, bouncy seat and in the moby wrap/you like watching your daddy build guitars/we feel like you have always been here/you have a cute little chin/you like to work out with mommy/you are starting to coo/you still like to be swaddled/you like hats(for now)/you get frustrated when eating/you are strong/you like to scoot yourself around on playmat/you are like a wise old man/you have veins that pop out on the side of your head/you have a double chin/you still grunt in your sleep/you love kisses.

You are changing more and more every day. I love you my little bear.