Thursday, February 15, 2007

Kittens & Snugglies

A couple days ago, Erik's sister Kristi came home with an adorable little kitten! For those of you who don't know, Erik and I live in a ground-level suite and his parents and younger sister live in the main part of the house. So, it's like a new pet for us, too!

I've always had a soft spot for cats and on our farm growing up we were always allowed to keep at least one cat in the house. Erik's family has also had cats for house-pets in the past, but the two that I've met have both been a little psycho. The first one, Jasper, gave me a rude welcome the first time I ever went to visit Erik's family in Calgary. I was up early and I went downstairs and decided to introduce myself to her - up to this point I had never met a cat I didn't like. Well, she didn't like me. First she cornered me in the kitchen, hissing and swatting mean paws at me and when I finally escaped she chased me all the way up to my bedroom where I stayed until I knew someone else was up in the house to protect me! Then there was Toby - the cat Kristi got when they moved here to Abbotsford. This cat was a little more friendly but incredibly hyper! When he was hungry he would chase after you and claw at your bare legs - so freaky! And he was a vicious killer - dragging poor little dead animals to our doorstep nearly every day.

So, now we have "Rusty". We are hoping that she will be a much more mellow cat than the last two... Micah hasn't had much experience with kittens or any pets at all, so it's fun to watch him. The best part is, we don't have to take care of the cat, but we can play with her anytime we want!


On another subject, I was forced to put Keziah in the front carrier for her nap this afternoon. She still naps in 45-minute intervals but is often still cranky and tired when she wakes up. When I try to put her down for the 2nd half of her nap she sleeps a lot more restlessly and I often find myself holding her just so that she can get enough sleep. So, finally today I figured I would use the carrier I have even though it's not really easy to use - nor is it comfortable. I'm still wearing her right now and my back and neck are killing me. Not to mention the fact that when she sleeps her head bobs back away from me and I have to cram blankets behind her so I don't feel like it's swaying side to side when I walk!


Several times I've debated investing in something a little more comfortable/easy to use, but each time I consider it I decide I can do without it. Will I use it enough? Will Keziah get so used to being "held" all the time that she'll never sleep on her own? Will she grow out of it before I can get my money's worth?

But, if I have any more days like today, I may have to look more seriously at the Coastal Sling website...

What do you all think?

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

do it! slings are awesome. I have a two year old and still use it with him (around the house, at church, the mall - not to sleep). He slept well in it when he was small but slept in his crib just as good so I never worried about him always wanting to be held while napping. you can definately get your money's worth as most can be used up to 30 or so pounds. They are so much more comfortable than the front carrier which i used for awhile too. Plus there are so many benefits for the baby, no reason not to try it. Hope that helps.

Bonnie said...

How cute!! You truly have adorable children.
Enjoy your new "pet!"
Oh, and check your email when you get the chance ;)

The Keowns said...

my kids would LOVE a kitting but Aidan is allergic, poor guy. Don't you just wish they would stay a kitten forever??
i remember debating the same thing about a sling with Liam, i was using a trekker, but when i decided to finally get one, Liam decided he wanted nothing to do with a carrier.

Anonymous said...

I have obviously not used one yet but I like the slings and I am also interested in the Baby Hawk Mei Tais that are also on the Coastal Sling website... they look comfortable and convenient to use as a snuggly in the front and a back carrier for when they are bigger...
Andrea

Renee Shaw said...

I had the same experience, didn't really like my Snugli too much. I've been thinking about getting a sling or wrap or something for my bext one. I've looked on e-bay and they are way cheaper. For me the best part would be for going out to the mall or for walks. Because Preston is just 13 months, he'll still need the stroller for outings, and I figure that a sling or wrap would be easier than getting a double stroller!
Hope you can find something that works for you! And if you decide to get something make sure and post it so I can know what you got!

Trev and Rebekah said...

Mom bought us a baby trekker. It looks complicated and not too comfortable for the baby. I'm not sure if I will like it or not.
I'm jealous of the new cat. I so badly want a cat in the house but Trev refuses. He hates cats and is allergic to them. So for now I enjoy my fish.

-Me- said...

My mom and I are both allergic to cats, and I have never been too much of a cat person...more dogs. I am in agreement with you about being unsure of a sling/carrier...I've wondered also if the baby will get too used to being carried all the time, if I'll use it enough, and so on. I checked out that sight, though, and I love it!!! Mom and DAd head out to Bc next weekend, too, so it was tempting, but I think I'm planning on waiting until the baby arrives before I decide for sure if I'm going to use a carrier. At the price that most of them are too, it would be a shame to spend so much and then not use it enough.

kelly ens said...

Well, I put my vote in for a sling from Coastal Sling (shameless advertising for my friend!!!). But I am so glad i got it. I have a bad back to start with, so my back did hurt sometimes when I had Taeya in the sling, but overall, it worked, she loved it, and it was totally worth investing in.
And thankfully, she got past "needing" it for her naps!!! :)

Drea said...

My friend used a zolowear.com sling for years.. she loved it for quick in and out times... but it does hurt your shoulder after a while (I know because shes letting me use it). Ive purchased a Moby Wrap which I LOVE! It took a few tries to learn to use... but its fantastic and is simple to me now. I wear Taite twice a day atleast!

I also recently purchased a Mei Tai from www.dreamcarriers.com the lady from there also makes ring slings ... shes fantastic and from what Ive read does great work! Her prices are reasonable as well. I will get my Mei Tai from her next week.. if you want ill let you know how I like it and send you some pics... its suppose to be really easy to use yet just as comfortable as a wrap.

The carrier your using looks like the one I used w/ Caleb.. it was awful! no contest .. the wraps rock!!!

Ej said...

I loved my baby bjorn - you can borrow it if you like - as they are pricey little things. J spent many days in there. It is fairly easy to use and I didn't have any problems other than wearing a 15 pound weight on my front ;-)

I want to get a sling when we have the next one too though - I have a gift from Lisa for you - but since we still haven;t rescheduled dinner I should just drop it off before Keziah gets too bug!

Unknown said...

I would really recommend that you look into a wrap. They are really great, a little more tricky to work at first but once you get the hang of it they have the most back support. I make slings and I deffinately think the wrap is the best. I can carry my 16 month old around in it. The MeiTei would be my second vote, the support isn't as good as the wrap but better than a pocket sling.

Drea said...

Hey Jaime,
Got your comment on my site. Figured I'd reply here since you may not read over comments :-) I know I have trouble reading over a lot of replies.. I forget where I comment at.

Any how. Yes the wrap is easy... it took a good week or two to get the hang of but its pretty simple. I think its just as simple as the sling. I am using a sling from www.zolowear.com and its easy... but like I mentioned its hard on the back and shoulders after a while. Its good for trips to the grocery store or at the airport because it is so easy to take off and on. But for long wearing I wouldnt recommend it... you look to be a small person like me so carrying a large child would be unhealthy for your shoulders and spine.

The moby though covers the entire back ... and its so soft. No pressure is really put anywhere. I wear Taite for hours and my back never hurts.

A friend told me once that having multiple baby carriers is like having multiple diaper bags :-) I am obsessed w/ diaper bags... but they all have their advantages. One diaper bag might be good for long trips.. but not good for every day use...

Same goes for baby carriers.
They each have their good and bad points :-)

The only bad point ive seen in wrapping so far is the wraps are long and im short. So the straps drag while you wrap it around you.. but once its tied its fine.

go to www.youtube.com and search for "baby wrapping" or "wrap carriers" something like that.. you may can see demo videos of how this is done. also... www.wearyourbaby.com has lots of online videos. I believe even sling videos. So does www.zolowear.com

Hope that helps! let me know what you decide. Remember www.dreamcarriers.com << she makes slings and other baby carriers for a much more reasonable cost and from her reviews on baby wearing websites shes awesome.

rachel joy said...

I just wrote a huge comment that got eaten up by Blogger. Grr.
Now I'll make it short. I have a Bjorn, as well as a pouch and Mei Tai from Coastal Sling. Loved the Bjorn for the front carry, didn't really get into the groove with the sling (kinda hard on my back/shoulder after a short while) and I'm not yet convinced on the Mei Tai, might sell it. I'm really wanting a back carrier that works well and am considering an Ergo (www.ergobabycarrier.com) from www.thebabyslingshop.com in Langley . My sister has one and LOVES it for her petite 1 year old and 35lb 3 year old if she has to carry him (if he'll let her!) No pain. I'm taking my two boys to Calgary via Vancouver, with no stroller, by myself, so I need a really good carrier. A good one is pricey and it can be hard to find the right one but I think it's so worth it! Okay so this ended up being long anyways ... :)

Anonymous said...

Hey Jamie! How often does Keziah nap? Or maybe it's easier to just ask what her current day-time schedule is like? James gets up between 7 & 8am, and then takes one short (1 hr) morning nap, and then one longer one (sometimes 2-3 hrs) in the afternoon. He sometimes will fall asleep in the evening, but we try to keep him awake so that he sleeps longer at night. He still seems to be doing a 5-6 hr stretch at night, and then her nurses every 3 hrs after that. Anyway, I like my Baby Bjorn, but it does make me sore too. I am definately thinking of getting a wrap.

Niki said...

Just reading your blog (via Kelly and Rachel's blogs) and found my name (or my business name at least)! I feel so special! :P

Feel free to come by and have a try with Keziah in a sling and mei tai, if you like. I even have a Moby type wrap you could try out, to see what works best for you. I'm just off Hwy #1 by Guildford Mall.

Anyhow, I enjoy reading your blog. We have the same family structure, so it is like looking back a year.