Babywearing Educator Certification Goal. Any help is appreciated Peeps!

Friends and Family:

Have you heard of babywearing?

 It is a practice that has gained publicity in recent years because of infant injuries and sometimes death. However, this is due to the incorrect use of carriers and the use of poorly designed carriers. When done correctly, babywearing can provide the perfect opportunity for caretaker and child to bond; allows premature babies and newborns to receive much needed skin to skin contact and helps them regulate their temperature.
Proper babywearing can also help parents to carry on their daily activities with ease and without any bulky equipment like strollers and car seats (outside of the car, of course) that when used too often can be detrimental to the development of the child.

I am writing this letter because as a new mom, babywearing was a lifesaver. I hope that I can help others to understand how important close contact with a baby is and I respectfully ask that you consider my proposal.

I am currently seeking support in raising funds to become a certified babywearing educator so that I can teach parents- new and ‘old’, grandparents and other caretakers to ‘wear’ their babies safely, in a carrier that is comfortable and meets all of their needs.  I am especially passionate about babywearing because as an infant I suffered from hip dysplasia, a condition that could have been corrected by the use of baby carrier that allowed proper spine and hip alignment, and a diaper-like brace.

 To think that my 3 surgeries may have been avoided by using a properly designed carrier is just amazing to me!

Becoming a certified babywearing educator will allow me to teach parents how to ensure that their babies are carried in the best possible way to avoid injury and protect the proper development of the spine and hips.

The class and certification will be offered through a partnership between The Babywearing Institute based in Utah, and San Antonio Natural Parenting.

The cost for the class is of $600; my proposal to you is that if you choose to make a donation to help me pursue this dream of mine, I will teach a babywearing class once I receive my certification to your friends, family or any others who may be interested. I think this can be a fun activity for a baby shower or maybe a private consultation with a mom to be or any mom. Also, keep in mind that babywearing is not limited to newborns. We have gone on many hikes and grocery trips with our 17 month old toddler sleeping comfortably on my or my husband’s back.

I believe that all families can benefit greatly from learning more about this practice and about the many benefits that it can bring.

The deadline for registration is Friday November 9^th.  If you are interested in participating, please let me know as soon as possible.

Should you choose to make a donation and I am unable to raise the full amount, I will return your contribution promptly.

I thank you so much for taking the time to read this letter; I appreciate your time and willingness to help. I look forward to speaking to you soon.

Best Regards,

Denise Mitchell

It's International Babywearing Week Ya'll!

Happy Babywearing Week!!!

If you haven't heard, babies are the latest fashion accesories. Things that may go out of style usually come back in style a little while later. Some of those fashion statements are so ill designed that I really wish they'd never come back, unfortunately even terrible things like high tops and crimped hair show back up.

In the case of 'wearing' a baby, this is a practice that has been done from the beginnings of time and it has only gotten better. 

I grew up in Mexico city and I remember seeing indigenous women with their babies strapped onto their back while selling knick knacks in Coyoacan. I became a mom 16 months and 3 days ago and I can now say that those indigenous women were onto something brilliant. 

My son didn't sleep for the first few weeks, I lie, he did sleep. Unfortunately, he slept at all the wrong times.

I figured out that he would sleep if he was on me though, and so I pulled the Moby wrap that I received as a gift and started wrapping. 

My first couple of attempts weren't so successful, he would cry even before I could put him in the wrap, so I followed the instructions and as long as he was fed and had a clean diaper before I put him in the wrap, then he was a happy baby for HOURS!!! Yes, you read right, HOURS!!!

This picture was taken with my phone when he was 5 days old. And so our babywering journey began.

We live in South Texas, so the Moby was just too hot if I wasn't in a place with AC at full blast, so when we went outside I used a stretchy homemade wrap, the fabric was a lot more breathable than the heavy knit of the Moby. This became our wrap of choice- he loved riding Kangaroo style on mommy. Grocery store, bank, mall, the fair, you name it, we were there. 

This was taken at the Comal Co. Fair in 2011 He was barely 4 months old in the picture. He was able to look around and enjoy the view. Using a stroller would have been nearly impossible, it was so crowded!

Now that I look back at pictures, I can see that the shoulder is not spread out quite right, live and learn... live and learn.

Once the kiddo started putting on the pounds these stretchy carriers were not the best option for us. They were getting uncomfortable, saggy.

It was time to move on to the big leagues. I didn't know what type of carrier to get so I asked one of the my friends from  the local natural parenting group. She was kind enough to meet me and let me borrow her Kozy. 

I loved that thing! It allowed us to keep moving and it was so much easier to use than the stretchy fabric.

I decided to get something else, but still appreciated the comfort and ease of the Kozy Mei Tai. 

We splurged and bought a Boba.

BEST 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY GIFT EVER!!!!

              

These pictures were taken during our family vacation. We went hiking in Tennessee and South Carolina and enjoyed some ice cream in Georgia. I even went bowling with my son on my back, unfortunately that didn't improve my score (although it didn't really hurt it either), but I can't find a picture. 

The pic at the bottom is epic, we were in a tunnel and it was super dark in there, that is until the flash went off. Look at my eyes!

I am pregnant again and I will soon be getting a wrap. My inlaws recently traveled to Germany and just happened to be staying about 15 minutes from the Didymos store. I will be getting my first wrap sometime this week, just in time for the babywearing celebrations. Am I a lucky girl or what?

This is a Peruvian manta that my boss brought me recently. This picture was taken last week, so even though my son is now a very independent 16 month old, he still likes to be carried by mommy.

So, yes, I have caught the baby carrier bug. There are some beautiful carriers out there, all kinds of different features. The most amazing thing about babywearing is not the fancy carrier, it is about having my baby close to me in a comfortable, healthy position for him and for me too.

Babywearing has been more than helpful, it has been a sanity saver, and I have no doubt that it has helped to forge that parent to child bond because our kiddo feels secure next to us while we out and about having adventures.

Today is Mother's Day

What? It isn't? Yes, it is... for me. Today, a year ago, a sweet baby boy was born. 4:23 pm weighing at 8lbs 5oz, and 20 3/4 in. long. Perfection!
I am perplexed at how fast time is moving, and delighted, grateful, for those lazy moments that we spend together, that seem to go so slow.
What can I say? It's all been said before, "a mother's love" this... "when you are a mom, you'll understand" that... And really, all I can say is that today I am grateful for you.
Dear Iker- I'm grateful for your silliness, for your amazing smile that brightens my day and the day of those around you. My heart melts when you start bobbing your head and dancing the minute you hear music. I love that you sing with me and love to play peekaboo. I am thrilled that you love your daddy, and you look for him the second he steps outside of your gaze. You are adventurous, and brave, and I admire that.
I can go on and on, but the thing I am most grateful for, is the trust that has been placed upon us by Heavenly Father to provide a loving home to you, to give you everything you may need- spiritually and physically.

I don't hope for time to slow down, I want to see you grow. I only pray that I make the time to savor every milestone you reach in each stage of your life. Thank you for making me a Momma.
Happy birthday 'sneaky boy'!
Love,
Denise


NOTE: I cannot believe that I didn't 'publish this post! Oh well.

10 years and counting

Yep, we made it to ten years. And as the name of my blog may suggest, in many ways we are still like newlyweds. We recently became parents to a super cool cat of a baby. He is 9 months old and soon we'll be celebrating his first birthday. Also, Donald is still in school. He decided a couple of semesters ago that dentistry simply wasn't his cup of tea. Honestly it wasn't dentistry that did him in, it was chemistry. He was working full time and going to school full time- taking all science classes. He is such a hard worker, making sure that we have a roof over our heads and food on the table. I managed to marry a great man! He is now focusing on finance and accounting classes and is doing great! Oh, and did I mention we are still madly in love with each other?
Life hasn't been a piece of cake these past 10 years, but I am really glad that it has been eventful. We have had it good, we have struggled, we have fought, but the best thing about our marriage is that we laugh all the time! We don't take each other seriously and he loves to annoy me, but he is the perfect man for me! Just like I'm perfect for him even though I don't cook every night and when I do, its not always good.
So today, we celebrated.
We celebrated by getting up early, going to work and then coming home to get ready for our first 'date' since our son was born. Not gonna lie, it was weird going somewhere without the kid.
So my sweet sister in law Tamara came over and watched him, while we went out to have dinner. We decided to go to Chama Gaucha, a Brazilian steakhouse here in San Antonio. I had been there before with the ladies from work, but Donald hadn't been there.
I fell off the no sugar wagon (I had been avoiding sugar for about 3 weeks and no soda since the new year) but it is hard to say no to a guarana soda and a few bites of flan for dessert.
The food was fantastic, the service was great, and the best part is that almost everything is gluten free, I can even eat the bread. We left wishing that we had worn stretchy pants, but it sure was good food.
Afterwards we went to Academy to look at a couple of things for Donald, it was nice to walk around and hold his hand. Maybe I'm just easily amused, but holding his hand was enough for me and I didn't really care that we were walking around a sporting goods store on our 10 year anniversary.
Let me tell you a little about our wedding day. We got married in the Houston Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. So 10 years ago, I had one of the worst hair days ever, I had a huge scrape on my right wrist and my chin from a piggy back race accident a couple of days before, I managed to forget bringing change for the toll roads, but I felt like the most beautiful girl in the world. So blessed and so lucky that a man like Don wanted to make me his wife.
I know that more good times are ahead, and just the same, I know that we will have struggles. I am hoping for many more decades with this man.
Happy 10 year anniversary Babe!
<3 Love,
Denise