all about the children May 15, 2009

did you know that may is national foster care month? did you know that i spent approximately 10 years before staying at home with alex working with foster children in one capacity or another? needless to say, it’s a issue that is close to my heart. i think a lot of people are hesitant to foster because of the uncertainty of how long a child might be in your home, or a fear of being overwhelmed by the issues that have brought a child the the place of needing care. but i also know that a lot of children (and parents) have been kept from falling totally through the cracks by being part of a nurturing, consistent home for a season.

so, in honor of foster care month, here is some basic information to get you started in columbus, if you’re so called or inclined. and, wherever you may live (in the u.s.), if you have a calling or inclination for adopting the children who aren’t able to go back to their birth families, here is some information for you.

thanks for looking!

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teaching a baby to sleep May 12, 2009

according to a recent facebook quiz, i am a “kind of crunchy” parent, and it’s true – we definitely lean toward attachment parenting in our house, and i think that following one’s instincts is usually a good idea. we spread out vaccinations, alex has frequently been worn in the sling or the ergo, i plan on letting her decide when to stop breastfeeding, and we have been co-sleeping all of her life. (the true definition of co-sleeping is sharing a room, and she’s been in our room since birth, and has shared the bed more often than not since about four months.) overall, the sleeping situation has worked pretty well, but it’s become more clear over the past month or so that it’s time to get her out of our bed. she’s too active, we aren’t sleeping as well, and a lot of times it ends up just being her and me. i’m ready to share my bed with just my husband again, thank you very much! it was also getting more difficult for her to stay asleep after nursing to sleep, with frequent wake-ups, not letting me put her down, etc. so, after lots of deliberation and talking to friends with similar parenting styles and reading lots of reviews of the ferber method by otherwise attached parents, i decided to try it. some people call it “crying it out,” but it’s actually a lot more engaged method of letting a child cry than just sticking them into a crib and leaving them until they cry themselves to sleep. still, i was reluctant to try it. but guess what – she’s learning to fall asleep on her own, and it’s kind of exciting! the first night, it took an hour. the second and third, less than twenty minutes. sunday about ten, and last night less than five. is it too early to declare success? she’s still her normal happy and attached self during the day, and i’m learning that it’s ok to follow my instincts even if it means that i know about half of you are feeling sorry for my baby being kicked out of the bed, and the other half are wondering why in the world i didn’t do it months ago.

in other news, baby girl is 10 1/2 months old, and exploring her world with gusto! we’ve now officially entered the the stage of her moving non-stop when she’s not sleeping, and my chasing her around, since she can’t yet be trusted to not fall down the stairs or eat everything that she can find with her tiny fingers.

in a week and half, we’ll be leaving for our first plane trip in a long time, and alex’s first ever – hurrah! one of my sister-friends is getting married in new hampshire, and i’m so thrilled to see her start her life with her beloved – she’s waited a long time for him, and it’s very exciting. also – the wedding has a st. francis of assissi theme – how cool is that?

the girl is awake from her nap – time to go. happy tuesday!