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The 1st Birthday Party – 10 Tips for Hosting a Memorable Event without Breaking the Bank (or Losing your Mind)
When I turned one, my birthday party consisted of family coming over to enjoy some snacks and a homemade chocolate cake my mom lovingly decorated with Big Bird. There were some gifts, maybe a few balloons. It was not a big deal, just a time to celebrate with loved ones. But in this day and age, especially under the influence of social media, there’s an expectation of hosting an elaborate, themed birthday party for your little one. Spend five minutes on Pinterest, and you will become either inspired or discouraged by the intensity with which people plan for baby’s first birthday. A beautiful party is all well and good, but…
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Flowers for our Wild Flower – Lucy’s First Birthday Party
There’s something magical and crazy about your baby turning one. So much changes in one rotation around the sun, and that little infant that you nuzzled and worried about has become a tiny human with personality and skills and opinions. For me, it evoked a lot of sentimentality. I chose to spend Lucy’s birthday reading through the journal we began the day we learned of her existence and reflecting on her birth and life. Then, after a fun day at the zoo, a few small gifts, photos, and Lucy’s first ice-cream cone, the birth day itself was over, but the party was still to come. The First Birthday Party Before…
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Lucy – A Birth Story
Her birth was as all births are: paradoxically traumatic and beautiful. I remember laboring in the tub in the rosy glow of a salt lamp, my husband behind me, rubbing my back, whispering quiet encouragement in the dark veil of night. I remember the way the music echoed softly against the tile walls, the gentle swishing of water as I continually repositioned myself, the primal moaning that cadenced with each contraction. We were the only ones delivering in The Birth Center that night, and it was so peaceful and still, like we were the only people in the world who were awake. The midwife periodically snuck into the room, checked…
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Baby Wearing – Why this Simple Tool Makes a World of Difference
It is the one essential baby item I couldn't do without. My husband calls it part of my "mom uniform." I call it a lifesaver. I honestly don't know I would have parented our babies without it. It's the baby carrier.
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5 Alphabet Books for Little Learners
It’s hard to believe that it’s back to school season already! We are not sending Levi to preschool this year, but we are hoping to make every day an opportunity for learning at home. Right now, Levi is very interested in letters. He has mastered the letters “L” and “E” and enjoys pointing them out and writing them on any approved surface. His enthusiasm has led to us reading books about the alphabet quite a lot. Here are five alphabet books that we enjoy at our house. We’ve been reading them to Levi for years, and now Lucy will pick them up and plop them in our laps. Each one…
