Dear Ginger

Remember that hat you sent Stella?
She likes it.
Thanks.

p.s. Next time Elliott comes to town, come with him.
And bring your kids.

Counting Down to Super Tuesday

We love you, Mitt.

(I really want this shirt.)

Having a basement is rad.

Unless there's a big rain storm and it floods.
Then it's not quite as rad as it is soggy.

It's a good thing that
a. Mike owns a carpet cleaning business
and b. it rarely rains.

I was too busy to blog.

Too busy hanging out with this sister.

It was fun.
Now I really really hope she moves here.

p.s. Les, thanks for leaving your family, risking your life to fly here, cleaning my house, taking care of my kids, and telling me that you will seriously consider moving to Arizona. I love you.

The Lost Art of Swaddling

We can't go anywhere (ok, we don't really go anywhere, but when we do. . .) without someone pointing out how tightly Stella is swaddled. I like my babies swaddled, and I like them swaddled tight. Don't get me started on the benefits of swaddling new babies. I could go on and on.

Here's how I do it:

I learned my basic technique from my favorite newborn how-to book, "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Dr. Harvey Karp. It's definitely a must-read for all new parents.

To start, you must choose a blanket. I prefer one made from cotton jersey (t-shirt fabric). It is lightweight and stretchy. My favorite swaddling blanket for Stella is just a piece of fabric that I cut into a square (Squares work much better than rectangles. I use the width of the fabric squared.). It is hard to find a ready-made blanket that is big enough.

1. Put the blanket on a flat surface. Fold down the top point so that it touches the middle of the blanket. Put the baby on the blanket so that her neck lies on the top edge.


2. Hold her right arm straight at her side. Bring the blanket down (very tightly) over her straightened arm and secure under her back (It should look like half of a V-neck sweater).

3. Hold the blanket against her left hip with your left hand and pull the blanket next to her right side very very snug. This gets rid of any slack and makes sure it is tight enough on her right side.

4. Bring up the bottom point and fold under at her chest.

5. Now straighten her left arm against her side and bring the left side of the blanket down just a little bit (to complete the V-neck sweater). Hold it there.

6. Now grab the last of the free blanket very tightly and wrap it straight across her middle (like a belt), under her back and around to the front where it can be tucked. Make sure there is no slack and the blanket is as tight as it can be.


7. Ta-da! A very secure burrito baby.

A few swaddling tips:
*Don't let the blanket touch the baby's cheek. That can set off the rooting reflex. Keep the top of the blanket like a V-neck sweater on the baby's chest.
*I like a lightweight blanket so the baby doesn't get too warm. If I am going outside when it is cold, I layer blankets over the swaddle.

(Sorry that the pictures are kind of blurry. It is hard to swaddle a baby and take pictures of yourself doing it.)

I know I post a lot of pictures of Stella

but I just really love this baby.

She's like totally famous.

My sister, Leslie (who blogs here and here),
is the guest blogger at Design Mom this week.
Check it out.
And leave her a nice comment, please.

(Don't I have the prettiest sisters?)

My View For the Last 4 Hours

Isn't it cute?

I like my life.

It's nice.

A Blessing

Mike blessed Stella today.
He did a nice job.

She looked beautiful in the dress my Grammy made.

(Too bad we are the world's most unphotogenic family.)

It seems that I have had some time on my hands.

I have always enjoyed a good book.
Since I spend my days on the couch nursing my sweet baby,
I have had some time to read.

Here are my reviews:

These is My Words The diary of Sarah Agnes Prine 1881-1901, by Nancy E. Turner
Of the four books pictured, this was my favorite.
It was very interesting and fun to read, and definitely inspired me to write in my journal more often.
My favorite quote:
"I wonder if every new mother feels as if there is nothing left of herself. Every minute of my day and every last thing I do is tied to this little someone else."
I love that.
My "little someone else" takes quite a bit of my time, too.
5 stars (out of 5)

Thirteen Moons, by Charles Frazier

It's not as good as Cold Mountain, but it's worth a read.
3 stars

Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer
I had to see what all the fuss was about.
The story is entertaining, but the dialogue between characters drove me crazy.
I don't feel like I need to read the other 2.
I've had enough of vampires.
2 stars

Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett
I like epic books, and this is definitely an epic book.
It covers about 40 years and several characters.
I didn't think it was as amazing as Oprah did, but it was good.
4 stars

What should I read next?