Homebirth

An article on homebirth:

LA Times Article

Most people don't know this, as I haven't said much. My birth experience was way more medical than I wanted. I was induced, which I did NOT want. I pushed for 2 1/2 hours because the first 2 hours I couldn't feel half of my lower body due to the epidural I had. It wasn't until the epidural started to wear off that I made progress with getting my child out. I was stuck on my back in a bed...which is exactly the WRONG position for giving birth. The thing is, I knew this going into my son's birth. I'm still scratching my head as to why I allowed the "authorities" to take over my son's birth when I knew that I didn't want to be induced, I didn't want to be hooked up to a monitor the entire time, I didn't want to be flat on my back in a bed, and I didn't want to be overmedicated. My child slept for days on end and had a really rough time getting going with breastfeeding. I believe all of the medication really influenced this. Of course I can never know for sure, but that is what I believe. It also didn't help that the nurses in the hospital gave my little one formula without my prior consent or knowledge.

I loved watching Rikki Lake's documentary, "The Business of Being Born" and felt very empowered that I could actually have a homebirth someday. Something that I initially thought was only for those "really out there" people seems so logical and well thought out to me now. I guess I'll just add this to one of the many ways in which I've changed over the last few years!

Dr. Seuss for Nursing Mommies

Dr Seuss for Nursing Mommies Would you nurse her at the park? Would you nurse him in the dark? Would you nurse him with a boppy? And when your boobs are feeling floppy? I would nurse her in the park. I would nurse him in the dark. I'd nurse with or without a boppy. Floppy boobs will never stop me. Can you nurse with your seat belt on? Can you nurse from dusk til dawn? Though she may pinch me, bite me, pull, I will nurse her til she's full. Can you nurse and make some soup? Can you nurse and feed the group? It makes her healthy strong and smart, Mommy's milk is the best start! Would you nurse him at the game? Would you nurse her in the rain? In front of those who dare complain? I would nurse him at the game. I would nurse her in the rain. As for those who protest lactation, I have a perfect explanation. Mommy milk is tailor made It's perfect food, you need no aid. Some may scoff and some may wriggle, Avert their eyes or even giggle. To those who can be cruel and rude, Remind them breast's the perfect food. I would never scoff or giggle, Roll my eyes or even wiggle! I would never be so crass or crude, I KNOW that this milk's the perfect food! We make the right amount we need, The perfect temp for every feed. There's no compare to milk from breast- The perfect food, above the rest. Those nursing smiles are oh so sweet, Mommy milk is such a treat. Human milk just can't be beat. I will nurse, in any case, On the street or in your face. I will not let my baby cry, I'll meet her needs, I'll always try. It's not about what's good for you, It's best for babies, through and through. I will nurse her in my home, I will nurse her when I roam. Leave me be lads, leave me be ma'am I will nurse her, MOM I am. I'm not sure who wrote this. I got it from one of my yahoo groups that I belong to. Enjoy!

Wined and Dined

Well, if you're a drinker of wine in the Galesburg area and have not paid a visit to Vintages, you're missing out! Last night I attended a girls' night out event. I'd been wanting to go for some time, but seeing as I don't have any girlfriends in the area that enjoy wine-tasting, I've never felt like I could go. Well Julie, the owner, encouraged me to come on my own. T was home in time to watch Boo so away I went. And I'm so glad I did!

The night started with a glass of wine from the selection set out by the owner. Then we headed next door to the wonderful shop "Toys & Teachers." It's a lovely shop owned by a very personable and friendly woman. I must admit that I take Boo in there quite often to drool over the things I'd like for him to have. In the end I selected a couple of books as well as a gift for an upcoming birthday party. Here's a link to the shop.

Toys & Teachers

Then we went back to Vintages and drank more wine (of course) and filled our plates with tantalizing food choices. A pastry that combined pear with applejack cheese was probably one of my favorites. There was also some bruschetta that was fresh and wonderful. Many of the ingredients came from Julie's farm (yes, she's very busy) and Julie prepared the food herself! There were pears poached in red wine that were absolutely delicious. I know that I'm forgetting some wonderful menu items, but my memory fails me.

Towards the end of the night we got to taste this lovely concoction (the name escapes me). It was a mix of Champagne and french vodka. It came in a beautiful bottle that resembled a perfume bottle. Julie will be stocking this in her store and I plan to purchase a bottle to take to our friends' Christmas party this year.

One thing I love about Vintages is that Julie is always friendly and helpful. I certainly don't think I'll get the level of service that she provides asking for help at the Hy-Vee liquor store or some other such place. When she has helped me pick out a wine to take somewhere, friends have never been disappointed and neither have I!

Here's a link to this wonderful store and if you haven't made it in, well, you simply must not put it off!

Vintages

Gentle Parenting and NO SPANKING!

I added a link for those interested in christian parenting that uses a gentle, grace-based approach.

Gentle Christian Mother Website

I haven't read through the entire website, but there's some great information about grace-based parenting and methods of discipline.

Here's an article about interpreting the whole "spare the rod, spoil the child" verse that many use as a justification for spanking.

Rod v. Shebet Article

I think most people who know me know that I don't believe in spanking. I've at least hinted to it. I'm probably not as forthright with it as I should be because I'm so afraid of "stepping on toes" and the like. But, the reality is that I don't believe in it. I think there are far better ways of guiding children. My point in stating this is not to isolate any friend who chooses to use this as a discipline method. But I quietly listen to everyone who says they spank and why and I feel that I have a right to speak my mind also. So there, I said it. I DON'T BELIEVE IN SPANKING. Ah - I feel much better.

Editing to add another

The Spanking Files

Attachment Parenting - The ABC's

Well, I've mentioned attachment parenting (AP) quite a few times and you may have noticed that I've got a few links to sites here on my blog. But in updating my profile I've realized that I've never really discussed attachment parenting in much depth. So, I've decided to write a little ditty today about what attachment parenting looks like in my family. I've decided to do an ABC format as I thought this would make for a fun writing exercise. So since my ankle is sprained and my parents took Boo for me, what better way to spend my time?

Disclaimers

This is going to have more of a personal focus, so I won't be quoting research and such. That's easily accessed by a google search.I'm also not going to waste my writing defending my choices. Maybe in another post. So, this post will probably be best received by those who practice AP or are really interested in the ideas of AP, not those who would like to debate. If you know you're not AP and not interested in AP, this post might just piss you off. That's not the intent of course. But I've noticed that sometimes we as moms get defensive and pissy when our ways are different from someone else's. So, this post isn't meant to be an attack on those who choose a different way. But as I've already said, this will be well-received by those who practice AP or are really interested in learning more about AP. I am also not trying to imply that everything I've listed is part of core AP theory/philosophy. This is what it looks like in our home.

A - Attachment - my days are spent letting Boo know that his relationship with mama is secure. One example is that I'm his attachment object. A lot of times this might be a blanket, a pacifier, a stuffed animal, etc...Right now, it's mama. Boo has no special relationship with any other object. He goes to mama for comfort. And I'm more than happy to provide this.

B - Breastfeeding - I continue to nurse as this promotes a close relationship. There is something about holding Boo physically close in this way that is very bonding.

C - Cosleeping - Sleeping at night is very cramped and squished as we all pile into a full-size bed...and I wouldn't have it any other way. I get to turn over and see a sweet little Boo all cuddled up next to mama and sometimes cuddled next to dadda.

D - Demanding - Boo is allowed to demand my attention. When he wants to be held in the middle of my fixing supper, cleaning, etc...I put him in a wrap on my back and we're good to go.

E - Effort - I have to choose every day to put forth the effort in maintaining AP principles. Sometimes it's easier to use a harsh "No" than redirect my child. I can do that while sitting on the couch. Redirection usually involves my getting up. Bummer. But,it is worth the effort.There's no doubt in my mind.

F - Feeding on demand - Boo knows the sign for milk and lets me know when he's hungry or thirsty. He's very adamant about it and makes sure that mama notices his sign!

G - Gentle - Discipline is gentle. Boo has recently discovered the sadness of leaving the swing behind at the park. Redirection/songs/tickling are all gentle methods that work. Last time we were at the park, the grass was a great distraction. He thought pulling it out was sooo fun!

H - Happy - Boo is a very happy child and I think part of that is definitely his nature, but I think having his needs met and feeling secure also have something to do with that.

I - Immunity - Boo is allowed to build up his own immunity, rather than being subject to the onslaught of childhood vaccinations.

J - Juice - I'm pretty anti-juice. Boo gets water besides breastmilk. He occasionally gets whole milk if I'm not around for some reason (date night, mom's night out, etc...). I look for natural ways to feed my child and that means trying to keep processed sugar out of his diet as much as possible.

K - Kindness -Boo is very kind. He gave me a hug yesterday when I was crying. In the same way I try to be empathic to his feelings by acknowledging his feelings and that they're valid. Ex - "You're so sad (mad,happy,frustrated,etc...)."

L - Listening - I try very hard to respond to Boo as quickly as possible. And when I can't get to him right away I often say, "Yes mommy hears you" or "Mommy's coming" so that he at least knows I'm listening to him.

M - Maternal Instincts - Do I believe everyone has them? No. I think sometimes people who grow up in extreme dysfunction do not. However, I think most moms do. And these instincts involve listening to the heart instead of to the "experts." My maternal instinct tells me to get Boo when he cries for me. Boo has never had to "cry it out."

N - Nice - Boo is very nice and likes to pet my head and say "nice". This is how he's been redirected from pulling hair. He still lapses into pulling hair sometimes, but is getting much better at being "nice".

O - Open-mind - Since I'm choosing to raise Boo in a way that is different from how I was raised, it's important to keep an open mind as I explore alternatives.

P - Parenting to sleep - Boo is allowed to cuddle and nurse to sleep (gasp). Some nights we're in bed when this happens. On weekends it's not too uncommon for T and I to be watching a movie together with Boo nursing to sleep on my lap.

Q - Quack - Boo's favorite animal says quack. Getting to know Boo's likes/dislikes and favorites is so much fun.

R - Reading and Research - I'm constantly reading and researching parenting topics. As AP is different from how I was raised and different from how most do things, I'm constantly trying to learn and this does take a fair bit of effort on my part.

R - Respect - I felt there had to be a second "R" for this. At the heart of AP is respect for the child. One way this is done in our home is the way that Boo is fed. He gets a little bit of everything we're eating (and he has since he was six months old) and gets to try what he wants and leave what he doesn't. I don't try to shovel in something he doesn't like. I respect his choice to eat what he likes. I continue to expose him to a variety of healthy choices. Baby-led weaning has helped with this.

S - Silly Comments - This may not be a positive aspect, but I feel that it's a reality. I feel that I must bite my tongue often. I'm subject to comments about "he's getting too big" for the wrap and "it's probably about time to move him to the crib" and other such silly comments.

T - Touch - Boo is very affectionate and likes to be cuddled and held. I hold him when he wants to be held and put him down when he's all done being held.

U - Understanding - Boo is communicating all the time. Even tears of rage communicate something. I tell Boo "You're mad about (fill in the blank)." when he's mad so that at least he knows his feelings are understood.

V - Villify - Often I feel villified due to some of my choices. I'm "endangering" my child by letting him sleep with me. He's not going to learn to comfort himself because I don't let him cry it out. He's never going to be independent because I coddle him...and the list could go on and on. If anything, AP has helped me to have a thicker skin when it comes to insensitive comments of others.

W - Wrap - I have a woven wrap that I made for $16.50 by buying some clearance fabric at the craft shop. I love babywearing and I love my wrap. Boo has been in it while I've been cooking, mowing the lawn, walking downtown, you name it. He likes to sleep there too!

X - Xtra - Yes, I know I spelled it wrong, but come on, it's "X" for crying out loud! I feel like I must go the extra mile in being present with my child, actively engaging all the time. I'm not saying I succeed at this all the time, but it is the goal.

Y - Yahoo - This helps me keep my sanity. Likeminded yahoo groups.

Z - Zebra - We saw a zebra while we were at the zoo. Enjoying fun activities together helps to promote those feelings of love and attachment.


Whew - "Q" was pretty tough! Anyways, I think I did sneak in a few defensive remarks. Oops! I tried to keep them at a minimum though. I enjoyed creating this list of ABC's. I hope you enjoyed reading it.

Our Accident

We had an accident!

I went out walking and was sooo proud of myself for this by the way. I had decided that Boo wasn't getting enough time outdoors and that I needed to get up earlier and get him out of the house in the mornings after breakfast while it's nice and cool out. So today I was up early as I promised myself I would do. We got breakfast done. I put him in my homemade woven wrap (which I'm also very proud of) and headed out the door.

We walked. I pointed out trees and leaves and grass and let him run at a park. I felt very in touch with nature. Then I had to pee. I stopped by a friend's house that was close by. She wasn't home. No biggy. The church I used to attend is up ahead so I'll go there. I walk faster.

And then the unthinkable happened. I fell. My ankle rolled. I didn't trip. I just crumpled and Boo went with me. His head hit the concrete pavement. He was bleeding. My ankle was hurt. I laid there for a minute and then got up and limped to my friend's parents' house up ahead. It was about a block and a half. Boo was screaming and I was limping and it was all so traumatic. We got there and got cleaned up. I'm so thankful my friends parents were home. Boo is fine. A little banged up but fine. I have a sprained ankle, but I'll improve.

Anyways, I feel as though the babywearing was unfairly blamed for the fall. There were a few well-meaning comments that made me feel this way. Of course I didn't debate it. They helped me and I really appreciate it. I was kind of an emotional wreck showing up at their door with blood on my face.

Accidents happen, whether child is in a stroller or being worn, accidents happen. In fact, had I taken a stroller I think the accident would've been worse. Because Boo and I were about 40 minutes into the walk. He would've by then been "all done" with the stroller and I would've been pushing the stroller and carrying him when I fell, which means that he probably would've went flying and hit the ground. With my wearing him I actually took the brunt of the fall. But the momentum caused my body to roll to the side and that's when his head hit the ground.

It was a traumatic day and I'm glad it's over. But I did ask God to give me more patience at the beginning of yesterday. So now he's given me an opportunity to work on it. I need to be really careful what I pray for...LOL!

Extended Nursing Zone

So it's just now occurred to me that I've entered the "extended nursing zone". This is somewhere that I never thought I'd end up. In fact, while pregnant, my goal was nine months to a year. And here I am at 13 months and we're going strong. I've looked at a lot of information regarding breastfeeding and feel that a review of available information supports breastfeeding beyond one. In fact we're one of the few countries that ends so quickly. Other parts of the world breastfeed much longer and view that as NORMAL. We Americans are the exception. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding until the age of two, so that is my new goal. Breastmilk continues to provide nourishment to my child's growing body and it is also an important part of my relationship with my son at this present time. I plan to revisit this subject when I have more time and when I don't need to get to bed. But this is a little preview of more to come.

Pondering Early Morning

"Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."

- Benjamin Franklin

Well, I'm not sure if there's any truth to this phrase or not, but it's been in my head all day. As I seek to make positive changes in my life I notice that I've fallen into a bit of a rut. Staying up late, to be specific. I stay up and then I sleep in late and next thing I know we're eating breakfast at 10:00am. Hmmm...a little late. Then lunch at 2:00, and well, it throws off the whole day. And I don't feel nearly as productive as when I get up early. It seems that I'm twice as productive before noon as after. I wonder if this is true for a lot of people or just me? One could argue that staying up late could be just as productive if one wants to be. This is true. But how often when I'm up late is it because I'm doing something productive? Usually by that point I'm vegging in front of the t.v. or dorking around online. Whereas when I get up early I'm usually engaged in cleaning/organizing/laundry and the like. So, I'm wondering if I need to work on shifting my schedule. A scary thought for me because I detest morning. I do...always have. Ever since I can remember I've NOT been a morning person. I remember being in grade school and having a really difficult time getting out of bed for school. So, is it possible for me to make this change? I don't really know honestly. I like to believe that all things are possible if you want it bad enough. But this is like changing my very nature that I was born with. I don't know. I want to try though. T and I have talked about how nice it would be to have breakfast together before he takes off for work. So we'd really like to try this. So, we'll see. Anyways, that's all.

Cloth Diapering and Flies

I just thought that I would post a tip for anyone who is cloth diapering. I've found that fresh lavendar at the bottom of a diaper pail helps with the pail and keeps bugs out (flies are repelled by lavendar). Also, I'll take a fresh cloth wipe and put some drops of tea trea essential oil (antifungal and antibacterial properties) and some peppermint oil (repells flies). We've had a horrible time with flies in the house this summer. So after an incident of flies trying to reproduce in the diaper pail (gross I know) I researched natural ways to keep the flies at bay. And...you know I love aromatherapy...so that's where I went first. Just thought I'd post.

He Liked It

Well, T liked the scrambled tofu. However, he wasn't happy with me when I told him it wasn't egg. So it will be interesting to see if he eats it again.

Scrambled Tofu

That was the new food for today. It was so yummy...I loved it! When T gets home I'm going to tell him it's scrambled eggs though or he'll never try it. He told me the other day that he's "not going to eat tofu and other weird crap." This from the guy whose idea it was to become vegetarian. I think he's cheated pretty much every day by the way. I did have salmon a few days last week, however, I don't think I intend to give up seafood. It's just so freaking healthy. And honestly, for us vegetarianism is a tool to help us get healthy. I'm okay with people eating animals. No...I'm not okay with some of the conditions that these animals are kept in and I do think that animals should not be tortured or abused on their way to the slaughterhouse. I've done pretty well with this. I cheated one day. T and I went to Heritage Days on Saturday and ran into some family. So we ended up going to Taco Hideout and there wasn't much on the menu that didn't have ground beef. So I did cheat that meal. But after that it was back to vegetarianism. I'm also trying more Asian cooking...and really enjoying it by the way. I got myself an Asian Vegan cookbook. I made this chickpea stir fry that had broccoli and carrots in it and served it over brown rice. It was some pretty good eating. And T decided that he likes chickpeas. Boo really liked the chickpeas too! Okay, Boo is not happy right now. I guess I'll be back later.

Boo's Words

mama
dadda
bye-bye
more
water
ouch
uh-oh
nice
thank you
book
all done
ball
up
duck

Well, I think that's it. I just wanted to have a running list somewhere. I may have to add to this if I've forgotten anything.

Eating Veggies and Giving Up Ice Cream

Well, we've been doing okay with eating our veggies. It is work though as I really have to think outside the box for meals. It's so easier some days just to cook up a slab of meat, throw a veggie or two with it, throw the bread and butter on the table, and voila - dinner. Two nights ago we had a leek and potato bake thing. It was alright. I added some grated zucchini to it for some added nutrients. I thought T would complain about that, but he ate it and liked it. He liked this meal better than the stuffed peppers. I guess he didn't care for those after all. I LOVED them! When I asked him what he didn't like about them he said he liked the stuffing - he just didn't like the green pepper that it was inside. Do you see what I have to work with here??? So T has eaten meat for lunch the past two days in a row. And he came home last night and ordered a pepperoni pizza. I diligently picked all of my pepperoni off. However, despite these "failings" I am inclined to applaud him. No meat at dinner is still an improvement. I did end up having some salmon yesterday. I'm not sure that I want to give up seafood completely. I think it's pretty healthy anyways...so I'll probably have seafood occasionally.

Right now, we're in the lacto-ovo department (or trying to be at least) as far as vegetarians go. This means we allow dairy and eggs. I'm seriously thinking about going from lacto-ovo to just ovo. But I really like cheese! Hence my downfall. When I gave up dairy products for several months while Boo was breaking out the pounds started melting off. I wasn't worrying about what I was eating or how much other than just nothing with a milk product. I think I discovered something about my body then and I've been trying to get back to that ever since. For now I think if I could find a way to limit my dairy consumption that would help. I'm okay with giving up milk as I've become partial to rice milk and I'm really concerned about the cow's milk that we drink with homogenation and pasteurization and all, not to mention antibiotics and hormones. I found a recipe to make rice milk at home...so much cheaper than buying it all the time. So I'm going to try that. But anyways, I think maybe I'll just start with finding a way to cut back on cheese - perhaps only allowing it once or twice a week. I have cut out ice cream successfully in the past week or so. And rather easily I must admit. I bought lowfat plain yogurt and a variety of fix-ins and I've been eating that instead. So I'm still eating it most nights, but I figure a dish of yogurt every night is better than a bowl of ice cream. My favorite mix-in? Crushed up good quality dark chocolate! And it only takes a little bit of it if it's a good quality chocolate.

Our First Meatless Meal

I guess the title's a bit misleading. It's not like I've never had a meatless meal before, but I guess this was our first dinner that we intentionally didn't use meat. I got these green bell peppers through the local farmstand here. Originally I figured I'd make stuffed peppers with ground beef and the works. So, I wasn't sure what to stuff the peppers with now that we're officially meatless. Here's the recipe I found:

Pig in the Kitchen Saturday Night Peppers

They were so incredibly yummy! I LOVED them. T thought they were pretty okay too. Boo? Well, that's another matter. He threw it on the floor and refused to eat anything but fruit! Oh well...that's kind of the phase he's in right now.

Pass the Veggies???

Well, my hubbie informed me this evening that he is ready to go vegetarian. He's been mulling this over for some time and I have heard him mention it in the past. But he's decided we're taking the plunge. And when I say "we", I do mean all of us together. I'm actually okay with this. He's so much more of a meatlover than I am. I'm just concerned as to how well he'll do with this...I'm constantly hounding him to eat his veggies and try new things. So I guess time will tell. But...it's time to go grocery shopping and I'm not going to buy any meat or plan any meals with meat. So we'll see how it goes. I do love seafood and so I think I will have to partake in seafood now and then...which I know is not true vegetarianism, but hey, whatever...it's better than nothing. So...we'll see how this goes. And we're going to have to find ways to make wonderful grilled veggies as we have a grill that I bought Tom for his birthday! But both of us are concerned about health and living a healthier lifestyle, so I'm actually looking forward to giving this a good try.

Trying To Change My Ways

Change can be so hard...especially when you're trying to chip away at lifelong habits. One thing that I've been working hard on since before Boo was born is living more naturally and responsibly. I went from thinking Bleach wipes were the best thing since sliced bread to only using natural homemade cleaner in the home. It's much healthier for everyone's body. And by the way, it is cheaper and just as effective. I've been using cloth diapers to save the environment and put more natural materials next to my child's body. I've switched over pretty much entirely to organic produce - I also get produce from local farmers instead of the chain grocery store. I can't remember the last time that I've shopped at Wal-Mart. I use cloth bags when I shop (when I don't forget them at home or in my car). So all in all I feel as though I have some things to be proud of. I'm excited about the changes that have come about and look forward to progressing even further.

Here's some areas that I'm still working on. I still allow too much conventional medication into our lives. I've done pretty decently with Boo. But since I'm nursing him, he gets what I take. So I need to be more diligent about looking for alternative options when an antibiotic or some other prescription might seem to be a necessity. I have a couple of good books that have a wealth of information on the subject. Part of the problem is that there's no local supplier and I don't want to drive some distance or order something online when I'm sick now. So, I need to plan ahead and get a few things on hand that I know I'll use. I'm still working on the family's nutrition. I was actually doing pretty well with this one and then I fell off the wagon when I went back to work full-time. It's hard to find the energy to be creative and healthy sometimes when I'm in a hurry to get dinner on the table and overwith so we can all get to bed on time! After Friday this may not be as much of an issue as I'll be returning home. Granted, I'll still be pretty busy as I get my home childcare business up and running. So, anyways, I need to work on better meal planning and better variety. I think that less meat would be a good goal. I'd like to cut down to three dinners a week and go from there. Problem is, I know my hubby will say "Where's the meat? It's not dinner without meat!" LOL. I'd like to figure out the exercise thing. I've been going to yoga consistently every Thursday for a year now - YAY (I guess this part should have been above). But anyways, one day a week hardly cuts it as regular exercise. Soooo...I need to find a way to incorporate more movement into my daily life. T and I have been biking with Boo and that's helped, but we don't go every night. I've considered a jogging stroller. Perhaps a jog after dinner w/Boo? Perhaps it'd be an easy way to put him to sleep. I just don't know how I'd feel about jogging at the end of a long, busy day. Well, actually, I know exactly how I'd feel about it! Hmmm...this one I just am not sure about. Any ideas??? So I guess that's all for now. Those would be some of the big things I'm working on. Is anyone else working on changes that are hard or has anyone successfully made any difficult lifestyle changes? I'd love to hear about it.

I Made a Woven Wrap!

I "made" a woven wrap. Well, actually I went to the fabric store and bought fabric cut to the amount of yardage that I wanted and voila - a no sew wrap! No cutting, sewing, etc...These suckers are expensive if you try to buy them. I'm sure the fabric is nicer and prettier and blah blah blah, but I don't have $200 to spend on a baby wrap. I just don't. I bought some yellow cotton fabric. It's a little plain I'll admit...but I figure I can always make a fancier one later if I happen to come across some great fabric on sale or something. The bill came to $16.50 - yes, that's right, $16.50 for a baby wrap. Oh, I'm so good!