Baby Things I Love: The Baby Carrier (Comparison: Moby Wrap, Snugli, Heart2Heart Sling)

If someone asked me what is the ONE baby item I think every mother should have, it is a baby carrier.  Baby wearing is beneficial to both mother and baby because in increases skin-to-skin contact, it is relaxing to baby, mom gets to snuggle, mom can get a few things done while also holding baby, it's easier to carry than a car seat, etc. etc. etc.

I have three different baby carriers (two were gifts, and one I bought for $10...amazing, right?).  I have a Heart2Heart sling, a Snugli, and a Moby Wrap.

The Moby is by far my favourite.  It can be a little difficult to put on at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's easy as pie.  Also, it is SO COMFORTABLE, and pretty easy on the back.  If I know I will be carrying her for a long time, I always bring the wrap (actually I usually wrap it on at home, then just wear it around for the day taking Peanut in and out as the day goes on).

However, I also like the Snugli.  I keep this one in my car because it is really great to have when I want to stop at a store and don't want to lug her around in her car seat.  It is fairly easy to get on quickly without the straps dripping into the mud (like the Moby Wrap tends to do).

I do not generally care for the sling as it makes my back hurt because the weight distribution is lopsided.  I do keep it in the closet at home though for those times when I only need to carry peanut around for a few minutes.

See the chart I've made below comparing my experience with each of these carriers*.

The first time Peanut went in the moby wrap.  Yes, there is a baby in there - see her sleepy little head on my chest?

	Moby Wrap	Snugli	Heart2Heart
Ease of Use	Easy with some practice	Easy once you know where the straps go	Very Easy
Comfort	Extremely comfortable.  Does not dig in anywhere.  “Straps” can be spread out to evenly distribute weight on back, shoulders and hips.	Fairly comfortable, but over time can dig into shoulders and make back sore.  Weight is distributed fairly well over shoulders and hips.	Somewhat comfortable for short use, but made my back hurt over time.  Weight is unbalanced over one shoulder, making posture lopsided.
Versatility	Extremely versatile.  Can be worn on front, hip or back.  Baby can face in or out when on front.  Can also be used for hands-free breastfeeding (though I have not figured out how to do this, and Peanut does not seem to enjoy this a whole lot).	Quite versatile.  Can be worn on front or back, and baby can face in or out when on front.  Cannot be used on the hip unless you get that specific version (and Peanut LOVES the hip hold).  Easier to get onto the back than the Moby, but less comfortable.	Not versatile.  Can only be used slung over one shoulder.  The baby can either be held in the cradle hold or upright position, but there is little room for shifting from front-back-hip.  However, I do like using this one at home when I know it will only be for a short time and I just want to carry Peanut on my hip for a few minutes while I put some things away or vacuum.
Peanut likes it	LOVES it!  She is always content when in the Moby, no matter what position she is in.  If she is grumpy, she will calm down, and if she is tired, she will fall asleep within minutes.  When she was a newborn, this wrap was a gift from heaven allowing me to get some rest in the recliner while Peanut had a nap in the wrap.  LOVE LOVE LOVE.	Likes it.  She enjoys riding around in the Snugli while we are doing errands around town.  However, when she is tired it takes her much longer to fall asleep and sometimes she does not sleep at all.  I think it is because there is nothing to hold her head in place, whereas with the wrap I can tuck her head in against my chest.	When she was a newborn she DISLIKED the sling a LOT.  When I would put her in it, she would just cry.  However, now that she can hold herself up, she enjoys riding around on my hip at home.

Peanut is so cozy in the wrap.

*Note: I am NOT PAID by any company.  Everything I say here is based on my own personal experience.

UPDATE: Peanut is now 11 months old, and I am still using all three wraps for different reasons.  The Moby Wrap is still definitely number 1, simply because it is SO comfortable.  However, I have learned that stretchy wraps are NOT SAFE to be worn on the back, which means that I can't do things like cooking with her in the Moby.  For that, I use the Snugli - once you figure out where the straps go (and baby has good upper body strength), it's like carrying the baby in a backpack!  I love it!

Meatless Monday - Fettucine with Creamy Mushroom and Bean Sauce

We had company over for dinner, so I decided to use them as "guinea pigs" for this recipe.  Unfortunately, I was so caught up in conversation that I forgot to take a picture.  But let me tell you, this meal was DELICIOUS!  I served it with the Chick Pea Salad from a previous post.

I got the recipe from one of my FAVOURITE cookbooks: "Gourmet Vegetarian: The Vegetarian Recipes You Must Have" by Jane Price.

Reasons why I love this cookbook:

1. The pictures are beautiful and inspiring.
2. The recipes are interesting.
3. Everything I have tried so far has been delicious.
4. Even though it is says "gourmet", the most of the recipes use ingredients that I can buy at a small town grocery store.  There are some things that you would need to get in the city or at an Asian market, but most of the ingredients are pretty easy to find or can be easily substituted.

Okay, here's the recipe:

Fettucine with Creamy Mushroom and Bean Sauce

Ingredients:

• 280g (10oz) fettucine
• 1/4 C sundried tomatoes
• 250g (9oz) green beens, trimmed
• 1 onion
• 250g (9oz) mushrooms
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 125ml (1/2C) white wine
• 310ml (1 1/4C) whipping cream
• 125ml (1/2C) vegetable stock
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp chopped basil
• 100g (2/3C) pine nuts, toasted (see NOTE)
• 50g (1 3/4oz) shaved parmesan cheese
• sprigs of fresh herbs (optional)

NOTE: toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until they are golden brown and fragrant.  Watch carefully as they will burn easily.

Directions:

1. Cook the fettucine in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente.  Drain, return to the pan and keep warm.
2. Cut the sun-dried tomatoes and beans into thin strips.  Chop the onion and thinly slice the mushrooms.
3. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan.  Add the onion and garlic and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, or until softened.  Add the sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Add the wine, cream and stock.  Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl.  Stirring constantly, add a little of the cooking liquid.  Pour the mixture slowly into the pan, stirring constantly for 30 seconds..  Keep the heat low because if the mixture boils, it will curdle.
5. Add the beans, basil, pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes and stir until heated through, then season to taste.
6. Serve the sauce over the pasta.  Garnish with the parmesan shavings and sprigs of fresh herbs, if desired.

Baby Sleep - Is my baby normal???

Little Peanut is 5 1/2 months old now, and is a pretty good sleeper in general.  She sleeps really well through the night (usually 11 hours), and she usually goes down easily for naps.  Her naps, however, are rarely over 1 hour (1 hour in the morning, 1-1.5 hours in the afternoon, and 30 min around dinner).  I've always heard of these babies that sleep for 2-3 hours, so here are the questions I've been struggling with lately:

• Is my baby normal?  (I think all mothers ask themselves this question about pretty well everything)
• Is she getting enough sleep?
• How many naps should she have each day?
• How long should each nap be?
• If she wakes up before I think her naptime should be over, should I let her "cry it out" until she falls back to sleep or until the time is up?
• Should I trust that her instincts will wake her up when she has had enough sleep?
• Do I enforce a napping schedule, or do I just go with what her needs are?
• and many many more questions...

1 week old - Peanut slept about 13 hours per day for the first few weeks.  This was definitely NOT enough, and I was one tired mommy.

Anyway, thanks to my Aunt L who sent me this link http://www.babysleepsite.com/, and some other research I've done, I have discovered that Peanut IS in fact NORMAL!

1.5 months

What I've learned is that babies 6 months and younger need 11-12 hours at night, and 3-4 hours during the day in 3-4 naps.  Babies 6 to 9 months need 11-12 hours at night, 2-3 hours during the day in 2-3 naps.    So, Peanut is right on schedule - 11-12 hours at night, with 3 naps that total about 3 hours (usually).

3.5 months - she was sleeping about 8 hours at night at this age, and "sleeping on demand" throughout the day.

Because I thought she wasn't getting enough sleep, I was trying the "cry-it-out" approach, but that didn't seem to be making either of us any happier.  She went from waking up somewhat grumpy, to being nearly inconsolable, and this just made my heart BREAK (yes, I know I will have to be stern and let her cry and be frustrated at times, but I don't think this is the time for us).  Besides, she is usually a content baby, so I'm not really sure why I thought she wasn't getting enough sleep.  Also, I tend to take a more child-centered approach to parenting, and I believe that babies have instincts that help them get the amount of sleep that is right for them.  It's my job (at this point) to recognize what those needs are.  Now, you may disagree with my philosophy, and if you do, that's totally fine by me.  You need to do what works for YOU and YOUR baby :)  But, I'VE decided that for now, I don't want to enforce a napping schedule that doesn't seem to be meeting Peanut's needs.

Her normal state of being these days! (5 months)

Anyway, that is my take on my own situation.  I am by no means any kind of expert, and I know that my way is not the only right way, but hopefully my experience will help someone out, or perhaps spark some discussion that will help someone out there!  Feel free to post comments about your experiences with baby sleep!

Oat Baby Biscuits

Peanut has been eating solids for a while now, but has had some trouble with going #2...so, we're trying to avoid rice for a few days to see if that helps.  That means she can't nibble on baby mum mums, so I decided to make some oat baby biscuits.

She tried them this afternoon, and they were a hit!  I like that as she gums them they get mushy, so not a big choking risk, but they can break off in pieces, so babies should ALWAYS be supervised while eating them (and while eating in general, of course!).

Here's the recipe!

Oat Banana Baby Biscuits

Ingredients:

1 c quick oats

1 c ground oats (grind oats and make a coarse oat flour)

1/4 t salt
1 t baking powder
1 c (~2) overripe bananas, mashed
1 t vanilla extract
3 T oil of choice
Directions:

Mix dry, mix wet, add wet to dry. Drop by the spoonful onto parchment paper or greased baking sheet. Bake 12-15 min at 350.

**Update:  Avoiding rice did not solve the #2 problem.  Even so, Peanut really likes the biscuits, so I will continue making them.**

Meatless Monday - Lentil Kale Soup

I did a bunch of batch cooking on the weekend: shepherd's pie, stuffed zucchini, cheesy "beef" noodles, stuffed pasta shells, and today's feature recipe...Lentil Kale Soup!  Look forward to enjoying some of the other recipes in future posts!

This soup is hearty, flavourful, and packed with protein and vitamins!  And it's easy to make!

Unfortunately, in all of my excitement over this delicous soup, I forgot to take a picture.  So, instead, here's a picture of my empty bowl (proof that I enjoyed it!).

Lentil Kale Soup (adapted from Today's Parent Magazine Sept 2012)
Ingredients:
1 small onion (chopped)
2 carrots (peeled and chopped)
2 stalks celery (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 tbsp paprika
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 C green lentils (dry)
8 C low sodium vegetable stock (I used epicure) (could use chicken stock)
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
4 C chopped kale (stems and mid-ribs removed)
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp chopped parsley (optional for garnish)

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a large pot over medium.  Add onion, carrot and celery and saute for 5 min or until vegetables begin to soften.  Add garlic and paprika and saute for 1 min.
2) Stir in tomato paste.  Add lentils, stock, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil.
3) Cover pot, turn heat to low and simmer gently for 15 min.
4) Add kale and salt and simmer for 15 min longer or until lentils and vegetables are cooked through.
5) Sprinkle with parsley just before serving.