Bed Sharing....

This is often a topic I see debated: bed sharing.  Some people call it "co-sleeping" but co-sleeping could also mean that the child just sleeps in the same room as the parent, in their own bed. We practiced "co-sleeping" for the first few months of Vera's life. She slept in our room, in a pack and play. On her back. NO stuffed animals/blankets/pillows.  We are dead set against bed sharing for safety reasons.  This is one parenting decision we will not budge on. To us, our daughter's safety is worth much more than the convenience of more sleep/easier access to breast feeding.

I often hear that "if done correctly, bed sharing can be just as safe." And while your child MAY survive this (I hear that excuse a lot), it's not recommended. I understand that there are studies everywhere and that nearly everything you do as a parent, can be debatable. However, I personally think the three most important parenting topics (again, this is my personal opinion)... are: bedsharing, breastfeeding, and feeding your infants cereal/solids before the age of 6 months.

For now, I will just stick with an article I just read on bedsharing because I will need a new page to talk about the others due to the amount of knowledge there is to learn.

Bed sharing substantially raises risk of SIDS

Sharing the bed with young children is a common practice among some parents, but new research suggests it could be putting kids at risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The findings, published recently in BMJ Open, suggest that bed sharing raises the chances of SIDS regardless of other risk factors such as alcohol consumption or side effects from certain drugs. 

To measure the risk of SIDS - when children less than 1 year old die from no obvious cause - researchers looked at more than 1,470 cases from the UK, Europe, Australia and Asia. They found that 88 percent of SIDS cases where infants were sharing a bed with their parents could have been prevented. Researchers believe this should make people re-think the safety of bed sharing.

"We do not suggest that babies should not be brought into the parent's bed for comfort and feeding," they wrote. "This has been investigated in previous studies and has not been found to be a risk factor, provided the infant is returned to his or her own cot for sleep."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants under 12 months old. 

I found this article on the Once Upon a Child website and found it very interesting. This is only one of the VERY many articles I have read that have stated the same thing.

So please, PLEASE think about this before you take your infant (usually children 1 and under) into bed with you to catch more sleep or make it more convenient for breast feeding. I have a personal friend who has come in contact, through her job, with babies who have passed away due to bed sharing and no other reason. It's terribly sad and preventable, if you know the correct information.

I'm sure I will get a lot of differing opinions on this subject but I am literally stating facts.  ALL of my child developmental classes I took stated the same thing as well as the classes I must continue to take to keep my state license.

Organization Pride

Over the last month or so, I have been working to raise money at the shelter for homeless/abused/and neglected animals. Saturday, May 18th, we put on the annual Walk and Wag event which included a family friendly environment and you could bring your dog. They had a 5K run and another 5K walk. During the event, they had little shows within, tons of booths, food, information, and adoptable dogs walking around. The shelter raised over $221,000!!!!!!! I am absolutely amazed with the dedication from all the volunteers, those who work at the shelter, and the community. It's amazing what people can do when they get together and work as a team.

It was a refreshing experience and I am so glad I was able to be a part of it.  I walked around and admired those who have taken animals into their homes with loving arms and now provide for them. My dog was a rescue dog and although she can be a pain in my bum sometimes, she is SO loving and such a wonderful addition to our family.

My biggest struggle with the shelter so far, is trying not to be tempted to bring them all home =) The good news is, they are SO well taken care of, that there is no reason for guilt. 

thank you,  HSHV!

Slow it Down.... Or not?

I have been thinking lately about our incredibly busy lifestyles.  Some people think we're insane with the amount of activity we fit into a single weekend. I am bored very easily so the busy lifestyle suits me. Brett is more of a relaxed person and enjoys a relaxing evening whereas I love to pack as much as possible in. Our weekends are sometimes hectic, but I love it! I believe his mindset is starting to change a little as well.

I think our mentality sort of follows the "YOLO" theme. Although we don't take part in crazy and risky behavior, we do like to make the most of our days together. Our families are filled with illness, deaths, and sadness sometimes and it's all we have to hang on. We look forward to each day and feel accomplished when the day is done. It feels great to get things done around the house, get our shopping done, visit with family and friends, and spend precious time with Vera. I never feel bad about any of it but I do regret things if I can't fit it all in. I would rather do too much, than too little.

Now, this type of lifestyle does not fit everyone. Along with the craziness comes some stress. For those who don't like packing so much in such a short amount of time, they tend to be a bit more relaxed. That's how Brett used to be.

The bottom line, do what's right for you and your family. We all need those relaxing and lazy days to compose ourselves every now and again. I have those days. For the most part though, I love to GO GO GO. I'm interested to see what Vera picks up on and how she will turn out.

Recovered Chair

Earlier, I mentioned that Brett ran across a free chair...... he called it "the ugliest chair ever." I saw the potential in it and figured I could just cover it with a neutral type of fabric to use for photos and such. I have never done a project like this before so it is definitely not perfect.... but it works! Here are the before and after photos:

In this finished photo, the chair isn't completely done. I  still have to staple the bottom fabric to the wood on the chair but couldn't find Brett's staple gun.... so it will have to wait. You get the general idea, though. Can't wait to use it!

Butterfly Pots

For Mother's Day, we decided to decorate some clay pots. We used a few different colors of paint, glitter, hand and foot prints, and some paint brushes.

We started with the footprints as the butterfly's body and used handprints as the wings. I mixed some glitter into the paint so that we wouldn't get glitter all over the place. I painted her foot and stamped it onto the pot.  We did the same with the hands. For the hands, I used two different colors.

She had SO much fun with this project. I let her paint some paper, and her body once we were done =)

We have been obsessed with planting lately so we can't wait to add some dirt and seeds into the plants and watch them grow in this cute keepsake.

(Idea inspired by pinterest AND a few friends who suggested it)

DIY Monday!

I decided to make my own terrarium for my desk. I heard they were SUPER easy to maintain and you don't have to water them as often as other plants! 

I started with a little fish bowl I got for 50 cents at Goodwill.....

I then went to Lowes and picked up a "succulent" plant for $3....... it came in a tiny plastic black pot.

I then scrounged around and found the "fillers" I used at our wedding in the vases. We used rocks, little jewels, foam balls, and some shiny Easter grass. I placed a little rock at the bottom on the bowl to cover it. I then put the tiny pot into the jar and started filling the sides around the pot.

To finish it, Vera insisted on putting a little decor on it! It was a SUPER easy project and I enjoy it every single day on my desk!

You can also use other succulent plants and combine them in one container... but the small container I chose did not allow for anymore to fit.

Refreshed

When you're stuck in that "funk"... it's SO hard to climb your way out. Sometimes, all it takes is a weekend with family and/or friends. This is something I have discovered recently. Not only can being with family brighten your mood, but it can help you to feel renewed. Sometimes all it takes is just doing something new, unusual, out of the norm, or unfamiliar to you.  Change can often be scary, but usually, it's for the best!  I have found myself taking small (healthy) risks lately and it has really helped develop a better attitude in me.

This weekend, I spent some time with loving and supportive family who let me do something I love, take pictures. I know that I am no pro at it, but since I was little, it seemed to be a stress reliever. I'm not sure what it is about it.... perhaps it reminds me of painting and creating art. I loved art and I love oil painting every now and again. To me, it's relaxing. I'm thankful for all of those people who challenge me, push me, support me, to do what I love.  I love that people give me a chance even though the results seem less than flattering at times.  It's the simple things like allowing me to talk about something I love, to share about it, to ask about it, and to care. I can't thank these people enough for putting up with my crazy ideas and obsessions all the time!

Anyways, I have done a few crafts and things since my last post that I would love to share.... so that's up next!  Just wanted to post about how refreshing it can be to surround yourself with people who love you rather than those who bring you down.

Ahhhhhhhhhh (breath of fresh air)

Here are some photos from this weekend:

Upcoming.....

Well, here are a few things I plan on posting about in the near future....

1. Brett found a free chair that would work well for photos.... so I plan on re-upholstering it.....  already bought the fabric! I have never done anything like that before so this should be interesting.

2.  Got a new camera so I will be practicing with it and sharing some shots I take.

3.  I will be participating in the Color Run this weekend with a great friend and we have quite the idea in place. VERY excited!

4. I have a new diet plan that I'd love to try. And when I say "diet" I just mean, "eating healthy"..... which we do already, but I'd love to start sharing some recipes, ideas, and have a place to write it all down, if anyone is interested.

5. A Cleaning list! Doesn't that sound fun??? I plan on making a list of typical chores that are done around the house... and I want to make a sort of "schedule" where I can break the tasks up into several days to make it easier.

6. Volunteer. I have some really neat volunteer opportunities coming up that I would LOVE to share!

7.  DIY projects. (terrarium, mother's day crafts, gardening,etc.)

I think that's it for now! This is just a way for me to organize my thoughts. SO GET ready!