5 Months Update (Levi)

My baby boy is five months old! He's still in 9m clothes and we moved up to size 3 diapers. 

Levi is always on his tummy reaching for his toys. He loves hanging out on his blanket at the playground, playing with wood chips. Thankfully he isn't coordinated enough yet to put them into his mouth. He also got to sit in the swing for the first time. 

12 ways to eat Seafood

Tony went on a fishing trip to Canada a few weeks ago and came back with I don't know how many pounds of fish. Sockeye salmon, rockfish, lingcod, halibut. I had to give things away to make room in our freezer before he returned home and it was completely stacked with fish. Him and Noah have also had luck with shrimping and crabbing this summer, so we've been eating lots of seafood lately. Before then, even though we both enjoy eating fish, we only very rarely cooked it at home. I had no idea what to do and started looking up recipes for inspiration. We now eat fish about twice a week and are really enjoying it. I didn't think I'd say this, but I'm looking forward to him going on the trip again next year. 

Baby Wearing for Beginners - A Practical Guide Part II

In Part I, I answered some of the basic questions about baby wearing and listed a few resources. In Part II I want to share my personal experience with the different carriers I own. I might refer to some other ones that I would love to try, but for the most part will try to stick to what I know.

There are different types of carriers: ring slings, wraps (stretchy and woven), buckle carriers, and mei tais. This website has a great overview of the different types and their pros and cons: https://www.carrymeaway.com/learncenter/baby-carriers-101/

I started my baby wearing journey with a baby k'tan, which falls in the wrap category. When Noah got older and no longer enjoyed being snuggled up in it, maybe at six or nine months old, I purchased a used Ergo carrier, which is a buckle (or soft structured) carrier. Spoiler alert, the ergo is my favorite option and is getting used the most in and around this house.

Baby Wearing for Beginners - A Practical Guide Part I

I don't consider myself a baby wearing guru. I don't follow the latest trends, don't have all the accessories, and as much as I am sure it's true that baby wearing fosters bonding and helps form trusting parent/caregiver - child relationships, I never wore my kids with that being the primary goal.

Having said that, baby wearing is such a super practical choice, I sometimes wonder how parents do it without a baby carrier. Just a few examples where it has been a true life saver: at the airport with three kids, car seats, and luggage; when taking an older sibling to bed with a cranky baby; on long walks with all three kids; on the airplane with an overtired screaming toddler refusing to go to sleep until she was strapped on to me; at the grocery store (there's not enough room in a standard size shopping cart for a baby car seat and groceries for a family of five); at the playground, the kids museum, the park; on trails through the woods that even our all terrain jogging stroller can't handle; trying to get dinner ready with a baby in tow that wants nothing but to be held; etc. 

I don't even think about it anymore, but I'm pretty sure Levi has been in one of the carriers at least once every single day since he was five days or so old and Ava at almost two years old still enjoys it sometimes. So, I have some experience and tips to share I think. I've also owned four different kids of carriers, so I'll review those options here. 

Let's start with some tips, thoughts, and starting points. 

Where to start? 

Here are some links to get you started. Babywearing International (https://babywearinginternational.org/) is not only an informative website, but includes support options. 

Levi's Style - Baby Boy Fall Outfits

Fall is officially here (oh how I've missed the rain!) and it's time to box up our summer outfits and make room for fall clothes. Most of my kids' clothes are hand me downs, items I've received as gifts through my local Buy Nothing group, but at the beginning of every season, a few basic staples are usually missing. And let's be real, I enjoy clothes shopping for the kids, especially when it's only a few additional things I need and I can spend a few extra dollars on quality items that will last a while. 

Let's start with Levi's closet and some of our baby boy fall styles. 

Everyday Style 

Onesies. I'm not picky when it comes to basic bodysuits, as long as they're basic, ha ha. Multi-packs from Carter's, Target, KOHL's, H&M, and Burt's Bees are all great options and hand me downs are really easy to find.

1 - Target

2 - H&M

3 - PACT

4 - Amazon

5 - Amazon

Sleep Training Update - Combining Bed Times

This will be the last update in this series of sleep training, though I am sure it won't be too long before I will be revisiting this topic. After all, we will eventually have to get Levi used to his crib and out of our bed. But for now, let's talk about Noah and Ava. 

Here's what I've covered so far:
Preparing for Sleep Training covered our sleep goals, current routines, and our sleep training strategy. A month later, I shared an update on our goals (We've Made Progress) and how sleep training went with Ava. In this post, I will talk about what bedtime has been like since Noah came back from his stay on the farm in Nebraska.

Goal #3 was for Noah and Ava to go to bed together. They share a room and it was always hard to keep them separate during bed time, yet when we tried to put them to bed at the same time, they would distract each other and not go to sleep. To be honest, I had serious doubts that this would work and was prepared to try for a few days, but didn't think we would have much success. Well, I am happy to say that I was wrong!

4 Months Update (Levi)

Levi is already four months old and continues to change and grow so quickly and I am still trying to soak up every moment.

Here's his 2 months update: http://lifewithmylittlekraut.blogspot.com/2017/06/2-months-update-levi.html

Most of the notes I took when he was three months old are still true: He still isn't on any kind of schedule or routine. On some days he naps for hours, on others for no more than 20 minutes at a time. Levi is happy most of the time and smiles a lot. He giggles when he is being tickled or when Ava is being silly with him and laughing.