Tag Archives: reading

Why you want to win this Book Owl giveaway

Giveaway Book Owl

I think by now we all know that reading to our offspring is incredibly important. It boosts vocabulary and language skills, is important for bonding, and helps with literacy and education for life. I asked for books at Harley’s baby shower, and when people ask me what I want for her first birthday, I think I will ask for more books, or subscriptions with The Book Owl. That’s why I’m very happy to be able to giveaway one month of The Book Owl to a lucky reader.

I first heard about The Book Owl over on Pregnant in Cape Town & Ever After. It sounded like Loot Crate, but for books for little ones, which it pretty much is. Last week, I decided it was time for me to give it a whirl, so I signed up for a one month trial box. Kirsten, the genius behind this service, wrote to me to find out Harley’s name, interests, and which books we already have to avoid duplications. But there are so many more reasons to love The Book Owl. Continue Reading

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25 Comments Geek, Giveaway, Parenting

Activities for baby development – 0-3 months old

development milestones

I am determined to give Harley the best shot at life, wanting to give her all the mental, physical and social advancements possible to help her in her later life. I already knew I wanted to read to her as part of my plan to hopefully raise her to be a book worm. However, at this extremely young age, reading is sort of difficult – her attention span is really short and she’s barely even able to focus on the pretty pictures. I still like to read to her, but it doesn’t feel like it’s doing much to help her develop.

Thankfully, the massage class I started going to with her actually gave me tons of other ideas for activities with her. That, combined with reading a bunch of articles about really early childhood development, means that I’ve sorta learned how to develop her various skills until she reaches the point of being able to grab her toys or focus on pictures when I read her books. Continue Reading

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8 Comments Child Development, Geek, Parenting

The irony of the Sound of Silence

Growing up in New York City, I never had an issue with noise. In fact, an oft cited story about me while growing up was the fact that I fell asleep in a bowling alley as a child. I don’t need quiet or darkness to sleep, although obviously it is preferable, and in general I’m used to having sounds around me without getting distracted. As a result, I never really appreciated the sound of silence until I procreated.

Harley makes noise. Not a little bit, a lot of noise. Pretty much if she’s awake, there’s a sound. It’s not just cries and screams, sometimes it’s gurgles and moans, although those can become screams if she doesn’t get the attention she needs fast enough. It means that I adore the times when she’s asleep – I can gain use of both my hands, I can go to the bathroom or grab food, or I can just enjoy a quiet moment in my own thoughts (like right now). Continue Reading

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7 Comments Parenting, Rambling

Redefining a good night’s sleep

Last night, I got a pretty good night’s sleep. Now, before you get jealous, let’s qualify that statement. Harley went to bed at around 10 after being a fussy nightmare from 5 in the evening. She slept until 2am, when I woke up and nursed her, getting her back to sleep by 2:30ish. She woke up again at 5am and went back to sleep at about 5:30, giving me ten minutes to lie back in bed before my alarm went off.

As little miss 8 hours sleep, I never would have believe 6.5 hours of interrupted sleep would ever feel like a glorious night of rest, but it seems that my body has adapted in the month since getting Harley home. In fact, I don’t even feel like I need a nap today (although I may reconsider this evening), and I feel full of energy. Maybe it’s all relative, though, and I feel so well rested as compared to what some nights have been like, but I think there are a few factors in that. Continue Reading

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6 Comments Breast feeding, Parenting, Rambling