little flower baby

december update

2009-12-22T13:17:00.000-08:00

Life has been so hectic with the holidays (little flower's busy season) and getting ready for the baby that so much has been put on hold. I somehow was able to clear all of my things out of her room which allowed for my mr. to paint and repair the floor - it took a long time to get past that stage but now we actually have a room for her. Her crib is set up, we just need to make her bed, which I believe is just to put a sheet on the mattress for now. I've been washing all of her wee things, then sorting them by size to put away. Baby sizes are a mystery to me. Newborn, 0-3, 3, 3-6, 6, etc. So we'll be winging it for a bit. We're not sure if we have the right clothes to start so we may need to do a little after christmas shopping for some warm sleepers and a pram/bunting. We over looked that a baby snow suit for our winter baby would be a good idea! We have alot of blankets and I've been ordering various cloth diapers to try out. All of this prep happens just a little each day as my energy is very low. We're all doing well, healthy and happy, she's strong and making some amazing waves on my belly. My skin is somehow holding up but my lungs would like more room, I get winded from doing so little and then tired soon after. I'm still working, maybe 6-8 hours each day but spread out from morning to night. Miss Marley is being so good, we haven't been able to go for a good walk but she's happy if I just take her up and down our street and will run all over the back yard if I cheer her on. Somehow she understands. My mr. is also exhausted, hopefully some time off for the holidays will help, we need some time as a couple to just hang out and enjoy the quiet. I'll post some picture of her room soon, I still need to make window shades and some bedding. 'tis all in baby land!

a list!

2009-11-12T07:55:00.000-08:00

It's so hard to not just go out and do a super baby shopping spree, I'm feeling better and just want to get everything in order before I get bigger and maybe won't want to do so much. Also, I'm moving a new and disturbing (to me) slower pace so everything takes forever! Anyhow's this is my personal list of baby must haves, not including what we already have which is really an insane amount of baby clothes (thanks Jenne and Sean!!! we have their daughters hand me downs, all in amazing condition!) an awesome stroller and a few blankets.

Naturepedic Organic Baby Crib and Toddler Bed Mattress - Classic 150
organic changing area set
to put on top of maybe an ikea dresser, a vintage one has not been found
crib - to be ordered tonight!!!
cloth all in one diapers really, really, really need! we're going to try out a few types until we get it right!
the car seat so we can bring her home and keep her safe!
moby wrap an every day essential?
baby soap
a baby tub (still figuring this out, pod or tub??)
and all the ointments and baby safety things that are recommended!

I think the essentials are; clothing, bathing, sleeping, transporting, diapering and of course nursing! But nursing I have covered ; ) The rest we'll have to figure out as we go, and hopefully she will let us know what she likes. For now I better get back to work, someones gotta provide all this! xo, Linda

how we're doin'

2009-11-09T05:46:00.000-08:00

This week I'll be 7 months along and 28 weeks. We need to take a belly picture because I'm huge! ok, I'm not waddling and I can move around fine but seriously, I'm comically big! The Mr. is in great shape, he doesn't seem the least bit freaked out about being a dad, in fact he seems pretty confident. I do too, but I have some worries of the little flower variety. I'm going to need a baby sitter and a studio assistant, yikes! People to manage to keep it all going, and hopefully one of them won't mind running the vacuum and maybe sweeping the walks.

We went to the hospital run birthing class yesterday, an all day affair. It was good to hear more about the hospital and the birth experience they provide. I was happily surprized to hear that they don't push a zillion drugs on the mom, and that they ask you key points about your birthing plan and try to help you through it. My goal is zero drugs, to stay home until I'm just about ready to push and hope that the hospital doesn't push me around. By that I mean, scare us into changing our plan, rush us, or give us one of those nurses that wants to pump you full of every drug they can. The Mr. is ready to stand hard on that, especially after seeing some of the videos yesterday. We still have 2 more classes at the yoga studio, we missed the one I really wanted to attend because I was so sick, but the upcoming 2 are wonderful with one concentrating on the actual birth using breath and yoga techniques.

Anyhow, we're a mess here at home - trying to empty our office/guest room to make room for the little miss. The baby things we already have are in the dining room and our bedroom. My crafty things are now in the studio as well as the office things - which fit quite nicely and will make my life easier. We decided our house is just too small, when running a business from home it is hard to have room for a hobby (sewing and drawing) or an extra desk and filing cabinet. So the house hunt continues. We need an extra room or 2 and an extra bathroom. But if I told you our true list of needs and wants for our next place you'd understand how we just don't seem to find it! But we have the nicest agent helping us with the task and feel she'll come through for us when the time is right.

Other than the day to day of work, work and more work (the holidays are coming and little flower designs overwhelming at this time of year). We're cutting it close to get ready but everyone is healthy and we know that if the house isn't ready we'll get by. We just need a few more baby things, we already have the love waiting.

preparing for the yuckiness

2009-10-27T09:12:00.000-07:00

The one thing I'm not totally prepared for is all the yucky things that come out of babies. I've been told it's different when it's your own child but, um, yucky is yucky - I've been pretty grossed out by myself, especially with this virus (almost gone!!!) Anyhow, we have to get this under control quick for my own peace of mind and my mr's weak stomach. So now we're finally back on choosing diapers. And we're going for cloth! Pictured above are the snugly looking and absorbent Kissaluv's fitted diapers. They have great reviews on all the sites and a friend recommended these as her favorite. I do believe they need a cover which I'm still figuring out. Anyhow, we definitely want to give these a go but will try some others as well. A few of the older mom's I know don't get the cloth thing when we could just go disposable. But for me, I just can't load up the landfill like that - it would weigh too heavily on my mind. It's not that we won't ever use disposables, I completely believe there is a time and a place for just that. But since I work from home and can give this ago without daycare rules or a huge mess while out, I think it is the right choice for us. Now, about the disposables, we did decide on the ones from Seventh Generation, they are non-toxic and chlorine free. So when we are on a long outing we'll most likely use these.

bedding and decorating

2009-10-23T15:34:00.000-07:00

The fun part about planning for our little lady is the decorating. I've searched high and low for bedding and my main obstacle is me! I have it in my head that I want to make it. So I bought some supplies and the rest will come from my fabric stash. First a crib quilt, then some curtains and a dust ruffle (which won't be too ruffly) Since some friends and family have asked about the bedding we need, I'd say we need crib sheets in any color! The items I'm making will be various primary colors combined with a natural linen. We also welcome handmade quilts and blankets, as well as knitted and crocheted especially in natural fibers. I am in love with cotton yarn, and wool yarn is soft but has the added bonus of being water resistant. The lanolin in the wool is also a natural anti-bacterial, meaning that if our lady leaks onto a wool blanket, we can simply air it out and it will dry quickly and essentially disinfect itself, nice! This goes for wool diaper covers which I'm going to have to try. But the bedding and decorating are not quite the top priority right now. A friend gave us her bassinet to get us started, so our little miss will be trying that out, my plan is to put her right next to me so I can nurse or comfort her during the night. So her room, while plans are in the works will be mostly functional to start. But maybe we'll try out napping in the crib to see how that goes. It's not long now, just 15 weeks, unless she chooses to join us sooner. She moving around alot now, and I think we might be communicating by tapping back and forth but I might be imaging that!

birth, yoga, winging it

2009-10-09T06:14:00.000-07:00

I've been researching birthing classes in our area and to be honest, I'm so very disappointed. I just can't find anything that fits our views. I was sold on the Bradley Method until I spoke to the teacher, it turns out it's too anti hospital for me. We are planning to head over to Abington Memorial Hospital for the birth, at least that's the plan for now. We still have to do the hospital tour. I'm not opposed to birthing at home but there's quite a few "just in case" reasons we prefer the hospital. Also AMH has private birthing rooms where I suppose it will be just me and my mr. until our little lady is ready to come out. Which is fine with me! But I still need to feel prepared. I've been reading a few books on birthing and keeping up with my daily-ish yoga practice and of course walking Miss Marley. Also, my day is maybe more active than most working mama's, being in the studio, running up and down the stairs a zillion times, chasing Marley around the back yard (tires her out) and just my general hectic schedule. So I'm in pretty good shape so far and feel like I'm maybe cruising thru this, the 6 month mark is just under a week away, pretty good! So, now that I'm so close to the actual birth and have no birth plan in place, I'm forming my own. For everything in my life for the past 10+ years I've turned to yoga. I always knew yoga will prepare me for birth but now I'm researching how it will help me during birth. I believe breathing can get me thru it and not that panting Lamaze breath which I found out is based on watching dogs give birth (whah? dogs don't have sweat glands, hello insane birthing method) anyhow. I'm going to buy a book, oh this pregnancy is generating quite a library in my house. I guess I just can't get thru anything in life without a big pile of books! I found a few about prenatal yoga and child birth, I also found a class! I wanted to share this because I was in a panic about getting caught up in the healthcare system just because I want high tech care available if I need it. But I truly want a non-drug, natural birth, I'm tough and it's natural so if I can just breath, I'll breath her right out and into my arms.

how to carry the baby!

2009-10-05T05:58:00.000-07:00

After doing quite a bit of reading about babies, baby care, parenting and baby items I think I'm going to do a form of attachment parenting. Working from home, I think this is a terrific option, also, who doesn't like to have a nice warm baby snuggled up on them? Also, the benefits for our wee lady will be so great that I just have to give it a go. So this post is about how to carry the baby! I thought I would want a fancy sling but now think that's just not very ergonomic for me so I've been eyeing up the 2 options below. The first is the moby wrap which is essentially just a long strip of fabric used to secure the baby. There are various ways to tie the wrap and even a way to nurse covered up with it on. I think this will be my go-to carrier for everyday. Now, my mr. will want something with more structure and less girly looking! But I'd like something that I can also use. After researching carriers, I feel the ergo carrier is the best for us. It can be worn on the front or back, is sturdy, and will hold the baby from the time she's born until she is a toddler. It has some nice features like a hood and storage pocket.

Both of the carriers come in organic and non-organic cotton's. I do prefer the organic, we try to buy organic where we can. And since with most baby items it is either hard to find organic items or they are priced way out of our reality, I am happy to have found these 2 great items.

My world has been beyond busy the last few weeks, so we've been putting off getting ready for the baby until I get thru a larger than ever expected work load. This is not a bad thing! I just wish I could keep up my old hours to get thru all the making and firing! This week I'll be 23 weeks along - almost 6 months!

handmade baby

2009-09-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

Oh how I wish I could make or buy everything handmade for the little lady. There's just something so special to me about an item that was made by a real person, that does not come from the big box store but right from the maker. I've been adding items to my etsy favorites that we would love for our girl. There is no way to actually register for these items but I'd thought I'd share what the etsy favorites is all about! As I browse the various makers shops on the etsy website, I can click "add to favorites" then all of the items I love are saved for me to share or purchase at a later time. Right now I am looking at the handmade diapers, so many mama's are making them, also the handmade quilts!!!! I will try to make one for her but oh my, the quilts are beautiful, then those wood teethers and handknit/crochet in soft 100% cotton or even better, organic cotton! I barely even got into toys but there are so many wonderful options for her to love. I truly hope she has our instincts and leans towards the handmade items. I know she'll meet lots of makers as I plan to keep up my little flower antics well, forever so she'll be immersed! and for those who don't know my mister, he's a maker, inventer and amazing do-it-all-er! It's gotta be in her genes! Anyhow's check out my etsy favorites to see some amazing handmade baby goodness - then click around the entire site to shop for yourself! It's addicting!

registering/10,000 baby items

2009-09-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Last night was phase one of registering for baby items, our little girl only has a stroller, a couple of blankets and a basket of thrifted onsies and misc. clothes so far. Oh and the rug and prints for her room. So walking the isles of the monster baby store made me feel so ill prepared and uneducated (monitors for $250??? wah???) We went into it thinking we'd only zap the necessities and that's what we did but we didn't get far. Then some things were so expensive I wondered if it was wrong to register for them. Anyhow's now I know I really need to choose a breast pump, a monitor, bottles/nipples, bathtub (huge issue in our house as we only have a stand up shower). Right now choosing a car seat seems simple compared to all the tiny items we'll use on a daily basis. I'm hoping to keep it simple, so is my Mr. who is equally into all this baby stuff. Between clearing space for her and choosing things for her I'm wondering if 4 months is long enough to prepare and should we register for clothes?? I think I'll take a break from all this prep today and hide out in the studio where I am trying to meet some fast approaching deadlines. Happy weekend - and please send tips if you have any!!!!

decorating

2009-09-17T17:41:00.000-07:00

I've been looking around the house for things we have on hand that can be better utilized in our wee girl's room, oh!!!! We're having a girl! Just found out yesterday!!! I realized how perfect the carpet above will be. I bought it a few years ago in the ikea scratch and dent room, a total score! The Mr. and I both like bold colors and love the idea of giving her a fun place to hang out, since that seems to be what babies do! So, flooring - check!

Over the summer I did an amazing swap for the 2 butteryfly prints below, hand screened by Brainstorm, a super nice philly printing couple. I know I will fill the room with many handmade items from my fellow crafters and will be sure to make her some special things too. How can I not!

baby furniture

2009-09-15T06:17:00.000-07:00

This week we are trying to figure out where the baby will sleep. I am also trying to unload my giant craft closet and clean out our office - which holds the giant craft closet so that when we find a crib we will have a place to put it. The office will soon be the baby's room. The challenge in the crib decision is deciding what we really need. Style wise I like boxy and simple in a dark wood - Pictured above is a version of the crib style I like, I also like the changing dresser but would prefer it in the espresso - not white. It's a bit pricey for 2-3 years of use. The Mr. is eyeing up craigslist where there are more "barely" used cribs than we could have ever imagined! There are the convertible cribs which convert from a crib to a toddler bed then to a full size bed (if you buy the conversion kit) I just wonder how long we'll really want that crib - can it make it until our wee one goes off to college? Will he/she think we kept them in a baby bed forever? What if he/she wants a different style at some point? I wouldn't be surprised! We decided to skip the bassinet and instead will keep the baby and crib in our room until we feel comfortable being a little further away at night. Less is more when being green in a tiny house. We have about 3 months to decide, just 4ish months until my due date but we want to be ready a month before. Or even sooner - just in case!

skin stuff

2009-09-11T11:06:00.000-07:00

It's funny the things people ask you or tell you when you are pregnant, the most recent has been questions about what I'm putting on my various parts to prevent stretch marks, thanks for the embarrassing questions and tips! So, this week I've been researching everything that goes on a baby and an expectant mama's skin! Feeling that I've been blessed with pretty resilient skin with no sign of stress yet, I've been opting for Avalon Organics Lavender Body Lotion. But after doing some research I decided I'd better step it up a notch, you know, just in case! So, after researching the many options I decided on Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Stretch Oil. The first use was a little weird, it didn't spread or even seem to absorb - but today I am much happier - I shook the bottle like a crazy fool and then it acted more like oil. In my research I needed to fulfill a few requirements and this is for the baby too! So here's my list:

no animal testing
organic or natural ingredients (as few hard to pronounce chemicals as possible)
a zero hazard rating on the Skin Deep Cosmetic's Safely Database
a nice smell

It turns out that all of the Earth Mama products fulfill my requirements and they are easily found at the local Babies R Us, I don't mind ordering online but I'd rather be able to smell the products before I commit - especially when the 4oz bottle is about $25. I also looked at their baby products and couldn't be happier to try them on our wee one. There are a few other brands that looked good, Weleda's calendula oil smells like a good massage oil and has a zero hazard rating and some of the California Baby items can work for us. I am so relieved to have figured this one out. Now onto choosing a crib, my Mr. is choosing the car seat.

first big baby item!

2009-09-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

Last night we made our way to REI for their Labor Day sale because the Bob strollers were on sale. This stroller is AWESOME!!!! We looked at strollers at the regular baby stores and were so very disappointed. But this one is truly a great one - all the parts are sturdy, it's easy to push and adjust. It also feels well made, especially in comparison to the others we looked at which seemed like they would fall apart. We only want to buy one stroller (being green) and this one will hopefully do the trick. I'm a walker and maybe after the baby is born I'll jog off the baby weight because it's super fun to run while pushing this stroller - it even has a leash break in case I trip or somehow let go - nice! So now to practice walking Marley while pushing the stroller! Oh! we know it looks like a boys stroller - the good ones aren't too gender specific so if we happen to have a girl, I'll tuck a girly toy in the little mesh pocket so there's no confusion. Hooray for our first and most awesome baby purchase! ps- I just registered for Bob accessories at REI!

Getting Ready!

2009-09-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new blog! I am a designer and maker of nature inspired pottery, lucky to work for myself running Little Flower Designs. I'm 18 weeks pregnant with my first child, a bit overwhelmed with everything baby so I'm starting this blog to sort it out and welcome you to follow along. My mister and I have decided to raise our baby green, but we are still defining what that means. I am searching out products that are safe for our wee one as well as friendly to the world - and the less waste the better! Feel free to recommend items or leave tips. I am also happy to answer questions as I educate myself on all things eco-friendly baby.