Grandma knows best!!!!

 'A grandmother is a little bit parent, a little bit teacher and a little bit best friend.'- Author known

Hi all

So with Maya teething her sleep routine has been turned upside down as has her patience. She only wants to be carried in someones arms  or pushed  in her stroller. Big problem!!!! She doesn't like the 'commercial' baby carriers we got her. Miss Maya doesn't like to be 'tied' up, she likes her arms loose and free and her legs dangling.

So Grandma said why not try to carry her with a //hanis (Tribal name for a baby carrier made from cloth in the Damara/Nama which is a Namibian dialect).    

 This is how my mom and countless other African mothers carry their babies. On the back.

 Fun fact, I am both Damara and Nama, as is Maya.

Maya on my moms back

Happy baby

Then my mom decided to make her own baby carrier. My mom is a seamstress as well as great cook. And here is her creation. 

Beautiful  //hana with a pillow for Mayas head. 

The 4 straps are to be tied around the front. 

Maya on mamas back. 

Happy baby

Sleepy and tired baby 

Very asleep

Out for the count

All she wrote folks!!!!

Maya totally loved her  //hanis!!!!

Her legs and arms were free and she had room to wiggle and make herself comfortable. The pillow by her neck gives her great support and is comfortable for her to lay her head against.

As for me, with my back issues? This is the best thing ever. Can hardly feel my 6,425 kilos of Love on my back. I am able to do house hold chores and get in a bit of exercise since this is the only thing that quiets my girl. Not to mention all the swaying movement and walking makes Maya tired and she falls asleep very easily.

 All in all, Grandma truly knows best!!!!

Happy Baby, happy Mama.

Note: If anyone is interested in purchasing an Ethnic Damara/Nama //hanis, please feel free to contact me on my gmail address  - christina.nadezh25@gmail.com.

Peace, Love and Happy Baby

3 Months today

'The moment a child is born the mother is also born.  She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new.'- Rajneesh

Hi all

My Love is 3 months old today!!!!! These have been the most amazing 91 days of my life. Every day is a Blessing and a Gift. I am so happy and content in my life and Maya completes my heart. My heart beats for my little girl. My joy is her smiles, my voice is her kisses and my soul is in her stares. 

Below are random pictures we took over the course of the last 30 days. 

Getting her shots

At my midwifes appointment

Inside the room

My NonaBear

Bath-time fun

Sleep-time with her teddy

A protection necklace 

Naptime

Ready to shop

With her oupa

Picking out electronics

Park time side eye

I look good, so do you!!!!

After her shots.

Kisses for Mama

My favorite girl

At 3 months, Maya can
- Push her head up when she is on her tummy
- Talk on the phone
- Recognize faces
- Knows certain musical tunes
- Just started to grasp objects
- Has an even higher octave level (found this out at the mall - tres embarrassing)
- Sleeps through the night!!!!!
- Play in the bath water by kicking and splashing
- Babbles
- Laughs
- Smile at other people
- Took her first shower (did very good)
- Can hold a conversation filled with voice pitches, coos, breaks, laughs and smiles and sighs even. She has so much to say.
- Amazing facial expressions
- When I wipe her face after a feeding, Miss Maya can take the cloth and wipe away by herself!!!
- Almost roll over. She tries very hard.
- Started teething (not a nice experience)
- Is very fascinated when she goes out
- Loves car rides and the stroller. Doesn't like to stop.

All in all, am in total awe of my girl. Watching her grow and grow is a total wonderment to me and those around her. She is a Blessing in our home.

Peace, Joy and Kisses from Maya 

Cloth Diaper review

'We don't look backwards for very long.  We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things because we are curious.... and curiosity keep leading us to new paths.'- Unknown 

Hiya

I wanted to do a final review on cloth diapers. We are totally sold on them!!!! Seriously best investment ever. Saves time, money, environment and so cute on baby Maya. 

Our cloth diapers 

The liner that goes between tush and diaper (part that gets flushed away)

Insert of the cloth diaper (this also gets washed)

All three

Clip close the first button

Clip the last two buttons as suits the baby's size (not too tight)

All Done!!! Ready to be 'used'.

I would recommend Cloth diapering to any new mother. Just think about this - Maya uses up to 12 diapers a day, this is peeing as well as pooing, day and night. Imagine, 12 diapers being thrown away every day.

With the cloths, we have a pail in the bathroom  and every morning we put water in it (filled with baking soda which we use as a detergent and which is also extremely safe and in expensive) and just add the cloths to it as they are dirty. At the end of the day, we wash the cloths and hang them to dry  for the next day. We bought 28 diapers, so we always have left over.  They dry very well. No mess, no fuss. Not to mention these diapers can last well into toddler years. And even used for another baby.

So for cloth diapering, its a big Yes !!!!!!

Note:  The decision to Cloth diaper was made after seeing all the cost benefits, reading reviews and personal experience from my mother (myself and my siblings all were cloth diapered). This is not a paid advertisement neither negative report against disposables diapers. We have used disposables with Maya when she was first born. And continue to use disposables when we go out. However for the most part its cloth diapers for us. Please consider what is best for your child.

Peace, Love and Cloths 

Stockholm metro art: Universitetet

'The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things but their inward significance.'- Aristotle

Hi all

 Lets continue with our metro art theme. 

 This metro stop has beautiful artwork which depicts knowledge, science, quotes by botanist Carl von Linne and artist Françoise Schein. As well as Portuguese tiles which have inscriptions of the UN Declaration of Human Rights in Sweden. This stop is located in the middle of campus the Stockholm University and nearby the Museum of Natural Science. Onto pictures.

Tunnelbana stop

I don't really get it 

Still trying to figure this out

Black, blue and grey

Outline of Stockholm

Now you know.....

Really interesting

Coolness

Seriously nice

Love the colors here

Y and Z

Eye see you

Running Man.....

Joy, Peace and Science

Stockholm Metro art: Stadion

'True art is characterized by an irresistible urge in the creative artist.'- Albert Einstein 

Hi all

Here is my first installment of my sightseeing tours of Stockholm. Metro Station (Tunnelbana) Stadion. 

Stadion has  some seriously beautiful brightly colored sculptures and signs with an archway made from colors of the rainbow which is said to symbolize the Olympic ring. The tunnel walls are all lined in blue. This artwork was designed by Enno Hallek and Åke Pallarp in 1973 to commemorate the Olympics which took place in Stockholm in 1912. 

Stadion

North and South

Blue Walls

Rainbow

Emblems

This way

Gorgeous flowers

That way

More of the walls

 Leading out of the station

This is such a wonderful quiet station for me, every time I pass by here, its so still. I enjoy seeing the rainbow archway and the blue walls. Its very calming.

Come back for more Tunnelbana art!!!!

Love, Joy and Art