Thursday, June 26, 2014

Baby Hulk ~ Two Weeks

I wish you could see what I see.

I wish everyone could know Arden like I do. To me he is not a special needs child. He is only as different as his big brother Nolan, who knew his entire alphabet at age 2, is different from Ephraim, who at age 5 still cannot write his whole name (it is a tricky one).

For almost two weeks my sister-in-law visited with her family, and at one point at the beginning of her visit I realised, I think Arden is a special needs baby to her. I don't remember what it was that made me think that, maybe she seemed uncertain or overly cautious, maybe it was nothing at all, but it made me think that she saw that he was different. Suddenly it stuck me. All my friends and family I have, I see often. They have seen Arden and have interacted with him regularly since his birth. They see him the same as I do. He is just a little ball of cuteness with fat little starfish fingers and potato feet. He is our beautiful boy with pretty soft curls. His lovely sometimes grey, sometimes green, mostly brown eyes. He is our sometimes ginger. He is Baby Hulk. We know him and we see him.

I was sad to realise that she probably didn't see what I saw, but of course she didn't. She had only met him once before when he was about 3 months old! This is how the rest of the world who hasn't been lucky enough to interact with him on a regular basis, will see my amazing Baby Hulk.

Luckily we had two weeks. Two weeks for Arden to show a family that he was only as different as anyone else. He doesn't need special treatment. He can play rough and tumble with his cousin and brothers. He is sneaky! He will throw your caramel coloured carbonated sugar water all over the carpet and make you look bad (he actually got my tea today). He is fast and wild and just like any other little boy.

I wish everyone could spend two weeks with him. Two weeks to see what I see.

Two weeks, to see what she saw.

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Babywearing ~ FWCC

I entered into a contest to "be a face for Calypso wraps." They wanted you to make a photo collage of the steps of an FWCC or a kangaroo carry. I went into it knowing in the end it would be a popularity contest, but I thought I would give it a shot! But then one person, who was in last place with 20something votes the first day, suddenly shot up to first overnight with over 400 I realised I was in over my head! I don't feel comfortable going further than my friends to ask for votes and apparently one person asked for votes in the big babywearing group of 28,000 members! And it wasn't even on a Spam Wednesday! But I love my entry and have decided to run with it. I want to make more!  I want to make them part of this blog! Starting with my competition entry! The Front Wrap Cross Carry or FWCC. And this way I can add written instructions as well!
Step 1- Find your middle marker and bring it to the center of your chest.
Step 2- Bring the ends around back and cross them making an X across your back.
Step 3- Bring the ends over your shoulders.
Step 4- Put your baby in the pocket you have, legs coming out the bottom (newborns can stay froggy if they prefer).
Step 5- Pull the back up to baby's shoulders.
Step 6- Create the seat pulling the fabric up between you and baby making sure it goes from knee to knee.
Step 7- Pull the ends coming over your shoulders strand by strand to get everything good and snug.
Step 8- Bring the end from your left shoulder across baby's back and under baby's left leg.
Step 9- Cross the other end over baby and under opposite leg.
Step 10- Secure ends by tying a square knot behind your back.

I hope I can find time, at least once a month, to make collages to show you different carries. I really enjoyed making these... okay... now that the contest is over... I totally didn't even make the collage my wonderful friend did. I just said "Oh yeah, I like that! Can you make that bigger? I love it!" Hopefully she loves me enough to help me take the pictures. Perhaps I can figure out the collage making on my own... perhaps...

Monday, June 9, 2014

Wait! Let Me Explain!

This blog was created so I could stop feeling like I had hijacked the blog  Hot Toddies of Washington   with posts about my chromasomally fancy son, Arden (aka: Baby Hulk). My lovelies, Buttons and Stitches had slowed down on their posting frequency and the blog was becoming nothing but Baby Hulk posts. The blog started as 3 lazy housewives and I turned it into a blog about Down syndrome! I took a few of my hair and makeup posts from the Hot Toddies blog and then I added a smaller side blog of mine documenting the shenanigans of my sleep-talking husband Russell (aka: Darling Husband. See what is happening here? With the pseudonyms it might get confusing if you go digging in old posts. There is also a Mr. Grey (my oldest son Nolan) and Lumpy (my middle son, Ephraim). So sorry for all the confusion.)
I am excited to add a section about babywearing, something I am pretty darn passionate about, and who knows what else will come of this! Wish me luck as I get this page up and running!

Corrie (the blogger formerly known as Pru)