Link Love Archive

I know he adores his baby girl, but occasionally, he still surprises me. The doting dad went on a nine-day motorcycle trip without his family. Along the way, he took his friends aside and said, “Don’t get weirded out if I grab you and kiss you on top of your head…I miss my baby.”

Flash Fiction Friday is brought to you by susiestheboss and is also hosted by g-man. Also, a blog was recently established, dedicated to hosting only Flash Fiction Friday 55’s.

A very good friend of mine is nine weeks pregnant with her first. Whether she remembers it or not she has told me several times that, she’s glad I went through it first. Apparently I’m her designated big sister (not that I mind the role), so here is where I get to tell her all the things I found useful during my pregnancy and she can choose to ignore me. It’s a win win situation really.

If you know anyone with their first baking in the oven send them on over. I’m going to be writing weekly posts about products and other tips I found useful during my pregnancy and Sophia’s newborn stage throughout my friend’s pregnancy.

A few months ago when I was looking for a local pool with an infant swim class I came across the Infant Swimming Resource. The the video on their website just amazed me. They teach infants as young as six months old to be able to roll from stomach to back in the water fully clothed! They’ve had a lot of news coverage including a news story from November 2007 in my local area. They don’t hide the fact that the babies are going to cry.

Her little-known program focuses on a child’s ability to self-rescue. Through repetition, instructors teach infants to roll on their backs and float – eventually calling out for help. Success requires resolve. Class is five days a week and there are lots of tears.

“Crying is their primary means of communication,” Patterson said.

Even though Sami seems decidedly unhappy, his parents say he’s making clear progress.

“You just want to have him as prepared as possible, so you’re willing to live with having him cry - he cries all the time anyway, so it’s okay,” said Marwan Dalle, Sami’s father.

Patterson says, because the training utilizes gross motor skills, the lessons are lasting.

“They’re going to retain it, the way they’re going to retain the ability to crawl or walk,” she said.

I know I couldn’t sit through the tears, but I think this class is a great idea. If I had a pool or water front property I think I would find a way to power through a class like that for Sophia, but since I don’t, I’ll settle for gently getting her comfortable in the water and watching her like a hawk!

I love the water and regardless of whether or not you choose to go through a self-rescue class with your infant or toddler I think it’s important to get them comfortable in the water for future swimming classes. The ability to swim is a great skill to have, so in the spirit of water safety I’m hosting a Huggies Little Swimmers Giveaway!

I am giving away TWO Huggies Little Swimmers fun in the sun kits^*. Each kit includes a pack of Huggies Little Swimmers disposable swim diapers (I have one pack size medium and one pack size large), Moisturizing sunscreen lotion (SPF 50), Mild sunscreen clear mist (SPF 50), Sun sensors (stickers that monitor UVB exposure by changing color), 4-ounce bottle of bubbles, a little bucket for playing in the sand, and a mini sand farming implement (rake or shovel).

Anyone can enter, but fellow bloggers will have an advantage. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. That’s it. Just leave a comment on THIS POST and you’ll be entered once^**. Bloggers, write a post on your blog about summer safety whether it’s sun safety or water safety - it can be a tragic story, cautionary tale, or tips and guidelines - and link back to THIS POST you will get TWO entries^***. The total number of entries allowed for a person is TWO^****.

Please indicate in your comment/post which size you prefer for the swim diapers (medium or large). The deadline for comments and posts is June 19th, 2008 at 7pm Pacific time. I’ll write all the email addresses/urls on a pieces of paper and have Kurt draw two out of a hat.

*Only one prize (kit) per household.
**Multiple comments do not increase odds of winning. Only one entry is granted for commenting regardless of the number of comments left by an individual.
***Multiple posts do not increase odds. Only two entries are granted per blogger for linking to this post regardless of the number of posts or links left.
****Combination of leaving a comment and linking to this post will result in two entries. Total possible number of entries is two. Two being the total number of entries, three entries is right out!
*****This is the last of the fine print, really, I promise

Oh and if you happen to have any first hand experience with the Infant Swimming Resource classes let me know how they went and if you would do it again.

Funny that today’s Heads or Tails is flower. Ok, maybe it’s only funny to me. Today I received two things in the mail. One was a new pair of Robeez shoes for Sophia.

The monkey and sunflower Robeez shoes are the ones she outgrew. Her sunflower shoes were her main pair. They match just about everything. The monkey shoes I couldn’t resist cause they’re just so damn cute. The peace shoes, which are HUGE on her are the new ones. I got them cause they aren’t pink and the blue is very close to her favorite Peep blue color and the orange in the middle is my favorite color.

The other thing I got in the mail today is a “convertible wristlet” which is a small clutch/handbag. It’s also called a Zippy Zipper Wristlet by Simple Sweet Cakes, the Etsy Shop from which I purchased my wristlet. It’s awesome! I love it. I’m not a purse person, but I didn’t want to carry stuff in my pockets through the summer. I like to go without a jacket on the hotter days and it’s uncomfortable to carry a cellphone in my jeans. This is the perfect small not-a-purse answer for me. I can wrap the strap around the stroller or fish it through my pant loops like a hip pack. I had mine custom made with an exterior zipper pocket for change and two interior pockets to separate my cellphone and business/store cards from the rest of the junk in my not-a-purse. The fabric I chose is called Turquoise Fleur. I thought it might be a little loud for me, but it’s not. I love it. It reminds me of tiles one might find in a Spanish kitchen. And the colors, Peep blue and Orange

Yes, that is a nasal aspirator keeping it propped up. No, I don’t keep it in my not-a-purse, but as of lately I probably should!

I wasn’t going to do a Heads or Tails Tuesday today. The topic wasn’t one that spoke to me, but then I read this post about keeping the peace within yourself. Basically to start with your own peace of mind because without that you can’t really make anyone else around you happy. - “Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.”

That information isn’t anything I haven’t heard before. Maybe I just needed a reminder and it just happened to reach me on the right day. I think I’ve made my decision. I think I know what I need to do to make myself happier. I’m just having a hard time taking the first step.

I found it amusing that the non Heads or Tails post was on this very Tuesday and the topic fell right inline with this Heads or Tails. It’s just a coincidence, but an amusing one. Ok, I’m the only one amused by it.

We went to Costco to buy bulk baby diapers and two forty-pound bags of dog food. “Here let me help you with that” She said picking up the box of diapers.

“Are you sure you can handle all that?” I asked sarcastically, “Don’t worry, I’ve got them all. I’ll help you with all the feathers.”

Flash Fiction Friday is brought to you by susiestheboss and is also hosted by g-man. Also, a blog was recently established, dedicated to hosting only Flash Fiction Friday 55’s.