the DIY ring sling

After bringing you a post like the last one, it seems I should try to offer the world something of beauty too, and not just the crazy and the chaos and the mess.

Something of beauty being, of course, my kids.

And the ring sling I sewed to carry them around!

I made it with Ree in mind, for as much as I love my fabric wrap and my Ergo {and Nell always loved them both, too}, Ree wants to see the world, and is not as content to sit pressed up against my chest unless she is really tired and ready for some serious sleeping.  Awake and alert, she wants to face out.

It seemed like everywhere I looked on the blogosphere, mamas were carrying their babes in those gorgeous Sakura Bloom ring slings.  I did not, however, think I would be able to sell my husband on the idea of spending $100+ on yet another way to carry the babe around.  The solution, of course, was to make my own.

A lengthy cut of pretty grey linen, sturdy rings from slingrings.com, a tutorial from Jan at sleeping baby productions and a little extra info on doing a gathered shoulder, and I was in business.  Easy-peasy.  And I saved myself a lot of money.

Following the one-size-fits-all approach from the tutorial yielded a sling that is definitely longer than I need it to be, so I'm planning to trim and re-stitch the hem on the tail soon, but aside from that I'm quite pleased with it.

Ree is so snug and cozy in it, and can look around when she wants to or snuggle in close and doze when she gets sleepy.  And as it turns out, Nell loves it too!  She has a way of asking for "Mommy hugs!" just when I'm trying to slice oranges and scramble eggs for breakfast or put the finishing touches on dinner, and being able to pop her in the sling is the perfect solution: Nell feels hugged and close to me and is happy as a clam, and I still have my hands free to do what needs to be done.

Oh, and since the sling kind of disguised the all-important fact that the girls wore matching corduroy dresses to church on Sunday:

{A consignment find I'm pretty pleased with.  Every mother gets to inflict this kind of matchy-matchy scenario on her daughters at least once, right?}

Ree was kind of unimpressed by the whole phenomenon, but don't try to tell me your day hasn't been made.

the red letter day

Seeing as it has been almost a month since I last blogged, there are many things I could - and want to - write about.

In fact, the more time that passes, the more overwhelmed I get about all the little memories I'm failing to record, and the more overwhelmed I get, the less likely I am to blog.

A vicious cycle, see?

But if anything has ever merited blogging, I suppose that yesterday's events do, so here goes.

Yesterday evening, July was coming to a quiet and uneventful close as I stood in the kitchen dicing tomatoes for dinner.  Nell wandered past me, playing with her toy kitchen that stands beside my fridge. As she walked by, I said - as I so often do - "I love you, Nell."

Nell looked up at me and replied, quite unprompted, "I yuh you, Mama."

I can't quite remember it now, but however it came out, it melted my heart and I swooped her up into my arms.  My eyes must have been glistening, because Nell asked, worried, "Mommy yad?" (sad), then smiled with relief when I told her I was happy, oh, so happy.

I called Nathan into the kitchen to tell him what had happened, and he acted quite aloof and unmoved about the whole thing.  So naturally, I had to call his bluff, saying, "Oh please.  I know the minute I turn my back you'll be coaching her to say, "I love you, Daddy."

Picking up on this, Nell looked at me, then at Nathan, and said, "I yuh you, Daddy."

And then she looked to Marie, cradled in Nathan's arms at the time, and continued, "I yuh you, Baby Wee."

Well, what do you think of that.

It made for a pretty good evening.

{photo by Cara, who took some lovely family photos for us recently.  more to come on the blog soon, no doubt!}

Well, that alone would have made it a red letter day, but as bedtime rolled around and I was changing Ree's diaper, I bent over her to nuzzle her soft little belly with my face, and I'll be darned if that little not-quite-three-month-old didn't let out the sweetest, dopey-est chortle!  Her first laugh!

{photos snapped a couple of weeks ago at Uncle Andrew & Aunt Hannah's wedding, which should also be blogged}

So, these things will probably be on the front page of the Times or the Globe by tomorrow, but don't forget -- you heard it here first.