Giving thanks, for the little things
Posted by Amy on November 25, 2008
Thanksgiving has always been a holiday that I have looked forward to.
As a child, I recall waking up to the delectable smells of a turkey in the oven, stuffing in the crock pot and my mom’s homemade apple and pumpkin pies. I still think that Thanksgiving Day at my house, where I grew up in PA was the best. I miss waking up to those scrumptious smells and coming down the stairs to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on t.v. The sound of my brothers cheering on their favorite football teams and my nieces and nephews running around the house. When the evening rolled around, some would be napping and some would be heading out to the kitchen for leftovers.
I have lived away from home for almost 12 years now and have experienced many other Thanksgiving celebrations. Eric and I have hosted Thanksgiving at our house (I could never do as good a job as my mom preparing this feast). We also dined out one particular Thanksgiving. Not in “A Christmas Story” style - there were no “Fa ra ra ra ra’s” or anything like that.
No matter where I spend my Thanksgiving holiday, I will always remember why it’s such a special day. It’s a day that families come together, near and far. Doesn’t matter if I can make a mean turkey gravy like my mom can or not. What matters is that I’m spending it with people that I care about and I am thankful for that.
Our goal, as parents, is to make sure that our kids are cared for and taught to be thankful for the little things. We want them to grow up with a sense of family and with the importance of spending time together.
I can only hope that one day our kids will wake up on Thanksgiving morning, just like I did, to the same delicious smells coming from the kitchen. I’m getting hungry right now just thinking about it.
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Tags: family, holidays
Category: Blog, Hers
International Babywearing Week 11/12-11/18
Posted by Amy on November 15, 2008
My friend Stephanie over at Adventures in Babywearing replied to a text that I sent her last night telling me that it’s not too late to post about International Babywearing Week, November 12th-18th.
Regrettably, I did not wear my one and only child when she was a baby. I was intrigued by the babywearers in my mom’s group and online but just wasn’t sure if it was for me. In retrospect, that was a silly thought. Babywearing is for anybody . Most of all, babywearing is for your baby. To feel a mother’s closeness is safe and reassuring and that is something any baby needs. And for a mother, feeling her baby so close is sweet and heavenly, not to mention extremely convenient.
Don’t get me wrong, I dabbled in babywearing. I even own a sling, pouch, and wrap. I’m saving them to use with the next member of our family.
The first time that I tried to wear Hailey was somewhat disastrous. My first carrier was the Evenflo Snugli. When I say disastrous, I mean when I tried to lift her and place her into the carrier, I bumped her head on the chandelier above the dining room table. I cried and cried and felt like a horrible mother. I swore I would never use that thing again.
I know, it looks ridiculous. My mom and I laughed so much because Hailey was obviously too small to wear in this carrier. Honestly, the Snugli was so much of a pain with all of the straps, I would not use a carrier like this one again.
I also own a Rockin’ Baby Sling: The Ziggy Stardust Loves Nicole pouch (below). I’m actually just modeling it here. Truthfully, I just never wore her:
One carrier I wish that I would have owned and used is the Baby Hawk carrier. Here is my friend, Kerry, wearing her youngest at the park. Super convenient when you’re chasing after your toddler:
Wearing your babe isn’t just for women. A lot of men wear their kiddos too. I think it’s quite nice to see a man bond with his child like that. Here is Conor, the husband/dad of What to do, Poopsy Woo? wearing his youngest in a Wise Woman ring sling:
Now that I’ve been formerly introduced to babywearing and have a network of friends and acquaintances who do so, the next member of our little family will be worn. Because it’s a kind of bonding that I want to experience myself.
Stephanie the babywearer has a link-up over at her blog where if you post about babywearing during International Babywearing week and link up on her post, you will be entered to win either a Pop Nest Sling or a Sparrow Hatchling Sling from Nonny & Boo.
Even if you aren’t a babywearer, like me, I hope you take a moment to familiarize yourself with the benefits of babywearing. Celebrate Babywearing!
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Tags: babywearing, slings and carriers
Category: Blog, Hers
In the spirit of elections and voting (Generation Huggies)
Posted by Amy on November 9, 2008
Last week was a memorable one for all of us. If you voted, you did your job by making your voice heard. I have never been more excited and involved in an election race as I was in this one. One of the biggest reasons I became so involved is because I have a three year old and many of the issues at hand will directly affect her future. Becoming a parent has been an eye-opener in many ways for me.
On November 4th, Eric, Hailey and I bundled up and hit our polling place at 7:00 am sharp. We stood in line outside of fire station number 12 and eagerly awaited our turn to speak up.
We waited outside that brisk morning and our little girl was just as energized as the rest of us. I think she could sense the excitement in the air. The line moved at slow, steady pace and when we finally made it inside; we cast our votes and walked away feeling good about doing our part.
Here are some photos from our election day:
Since we’re on the topic of voting, I would love to encourage you all to take a look at the Generation Huggies site where the voting process is still going on until November 30th.
Recently, I spent three days in Chicago at various locations, speaking with local moms, grandmas and dads about what motherhood (and parenthood) means to them. You can check out my three days of coverage at The Motherhood. These local Chicagoans were out and about, probably shopping and enjoying the nice weather when they took a moment out of their busy days to record a video and reflect on their lives as parents. They answered questions like, “How has becoming a parent changed you?” and “How are you different than your own parent?” Many moms are submitting their videos online at Generation Huggies and answering these same questions.
Why is Huggies doing this? Because they are celebrating their 30th anniversary and they want to include all of us in the celebration. They want to hear our stories, laugh with us and cry with us. They know how important it is for us to express the wonderment of being a parent.
So, that being said, visit the Generation Huggies site and click on “Video Gallery” (You can view my video under the “Celeb Mom Spotlight” section). Take a few minutes out of your day to relax, watch and listen to what other moms like us are saying about their experience. If you are touched by what you see and hear, take a second to click the “Love It” button above the video and vote for your favorites. And, if you feel so inclined, submit your own video by November 20th no later than 5:00pm EST. Then, make sure your family and friends vote for you! Voting ends on November 30th at 5:00pm EST.
The top 100 videos with the most votes will qualify. Out of those 100 videos, 30 will be chosen to appear in a Huggies national ad campaign AND be awarded $300. The official contest rules are HERE. While you are there, you can also enter to win $30,000! I’d say it’s a win-win situation, wouldn’t you?
Leave us a comment if you submit a video - we’ll vote for you!