Free Download: “Little Red Apples”
This is one of many counting songs I’ve written, which focuses on counting both up to 5 and down from 5. I created simple apple visual aides (using red construction paper and then laminating) which my students can then manipulate as we count.
Click here to download the mp3 and lyrics/chords.
P.S. If you want access to my entire collection of over 200 songs (mp3, lead sheet, and instrumental track), videos, tutorials, and visual aides, plus ALL new releases from Listen & Learn Music, consider joining me over at Listen & Learn Plus!
{Parker Weekly} Six Weeks Old
This has been a good week so far! The weather has been gorgeous, so we’ve been taking lots of walks around the neighborhood and in Washington Park. I also got back on my bike for the first time in 10 months, and I can’t even begin to describe how great that felt. My dad and I rode almost 12 miles, which is nothing compared to the 20-25 we usually did before I got pregnant, but I’m easing back in.
Oh yes, and then there’s Parker :) He’s up to 9 lb, 5 oz this week, my big boy! His personality is getting bigger, too. One of the things that makes his smile most is when I kiss him — his whole face lights up and he opens his mouth in a huge grin. It melts my heart.
Other things he loves: ceiling fans, the picture Zach took in Florence that is hanging above the couch, bath time, and riding in his carseat. We took our first road trip to St. Louis this past weekend, and he was a dream of a passenger:
As usual, there was no shortage of adorable photos this week. But my favorite would have to be the one we took for a photo contest at People.com in honor of the royal baby. My little Prince Parker!
Those faces are too much! Zach and I may be biased, but we both think that he gets cuter by the day I’ve taken so many photos that my computer memory is almost completely full (which won’t stop me from continuing to take at least 10 per day!).
Lessons Learned After Six Weeks of Parenthood
You can read all the books, take all the classes, and seek all the advice you want prior to becoming a parent, but what I quickly found out is that you can never be fully prepared. It’s all about “on the job” training and learning as you go. After 6 weeks, I’m getting to know myself as a mom and have already learned some important lessons. Here are but a few of many…
- Postpartum hormones are no joke. Several friends warned me that there would be lots of crying and emotional meltdowns in the days and weeks following the baby’s arrival, and boy were they right about that. I’m lucky that the hormonal craziness went away for the most part after a couple weeks, but I still have my moments.
- It’s possible to become a “baby person” if you weren’t one before. I never was, but just as I’d heard, it’s totally different when the baby is your own. I am so, so in love with my son and could kiss and cuddle him all day long.
- I have incredible respect for parents who don’t have family living close by. Honestly, if not for our parents, I’m not sure how I would have survived the first weeks of Parker’s life. Even now, my mom comes over almost every morning so that I can get a few things done around the house and take a shower.
- “Letting things go” is not something I’m good at. Everyone kept telling me to forget about doing laundry, cleaning the house, making the bed, etc. but if those things weren’t done, I might have gone even more crazy than I already felt spending so much time at home. When given the choice between showering and vacuuming, the latter will always win out.
- Typing with one hand is a skill that I have mastered. In fact, I’m typing this blog post with my non-dominant hand, because my other arm is indisposed while I feed Parker. Typing on the computer is a little trickier than the iPhone, which is where I do most of my emailing and Facebooking these days.
- Speaking of Facebook, I’m totally one of those people who posts pics of their kids on a daily basis (sometimes even multiple times a day). For this, I make no apology.
- Candy Crush Saga is addictive if you aren’t careful. I needed something to do on my phone during all those late-night feedings, so I thought this game would be fun and harmless. It’s fun all right, but I am getting a little too hooked for my own good. Not to mention that it makes me crave candy even more than I already do!
- Now that Zach is a dad, I see him in a whole new light. Never would I have guessed that he’d be willing to change diapers every night at 2 am, nor did I imagine he’d become a champion swaddler (it still counts if the blankets have velcro). I’m lucky to have such a wonderful husband and partner in parenthood.
- I miss working. I really thought that once Parker was born, I would completely dread having to spend hours apart from him when it came time to return to work. Don’t get me wrong: I’m loving my maternity leave, but I’m looking forward to seeing my kiddos, playing my instruments (I haven’t touched the guitar in 6 weeks…hope I remember how to play), and feeling productive. The fact that I’ll have the best of both worlds — spending the day with Parker and then working (at my home studio) in the afternoons/evenings — will definitely make for an easier transition.
- Being a parent really is the most amazing thing ever. 9 months of pregnancy, childbirth, sleepless nights, and dirty diapers are nothing compared to the joy of holding my baby and knowing that I get to watch him grow up. Cheesy, yes; but completely true.
I really could keep adding to this list, but my right hand is getting tired and Parker is almost finished eating. By far, the biggest lesson learned thus far is that I still have A LOT to learn when it comes to mommyhood. I’ll have to write a follow-up to this post in another 6 weeks…maybe by then my little guy will let me put him down long enough to type with both hands :)
{Parker Weekly} Five Weeks Old
The summer is flying by, and Parker is growing by the day. Everyone keeps telling me how soon I’ll forget that he was ever this little, so I am taking tons of pictures and holding him as much as possible.
The first month felt a bit like I was living someone else’s life; as much as I absolutely adore my son, I missed the way things used to be. But now we’re five weeks in and I’m finally getting used to life with a newborn — it feels, dare I say, normal. It helps that I’m feeling much better physically and emotionally, and we’re getting out of the house much more often. In the last couple of weeks, we’ve been to the park, shopping, and friends’ houses. I love showing Parker off almost as much as the change of scenery :)
The most exciting thing this week has been witnessing Parker’s first “real” smiles. I was lucky to catch a few of them with my iPhone, and they are by far my favorite photos of him up until now. Most of the time he looks so serious; his smiley faces are so cute and playful.
The most EXHAUSTING aspect of this week has been the constant eating. Parker’s going through what can only be a major growth spurt, and he demands food almost every hour of the day (and most nights, too). Luckily everyone tells me this is temporary, and soon we’ll go back to a much more normal eating and sleeping schedule.
So in the meantime, I’m just trying to enjoy the extra bonding we’re doing during all those feedings. Oh, and playing lots of Candy Crush Saga on my iPhone ;)
One Month Old
I had grand visions of spending my maternity leave blogging, writing in Parker’s baby book, writing and recording songs, organizing my house, etc. while the baby slept peacefully in his bassinet a few feet away. HA! The number one lesson I’ve learned since becoming a mom: don’t expect to get much of anything done with a newborn in your arms.
Parker has made it clear that in my arms is where he likes to be at ALL times. Sometimes if I’m lucky I can put him down in his rock ‘n play without waking him up, and he’ll nap there for awhile (which is how I’m getting this blog post written), but mostly I hold him, which leaves me with only one hand free. Needless to say, I spend a lot of time watching TV and playing on my iPhone.
This first month of Parker’s life has been mostly wonderful, with just a few hiccups along the way. I’m coming to terms with the fact that my job now is to care for and feed my baby, and that I have to let everything else go. It’s been a big adjustment, in all honesty. But when I’m holding him in my arms, watching him eat or sleep so peacefully, I feel like he is all I need in life.
This morning at his one-month checkup, we found out that Parker has grown two inches since birth and is in the 85th percentile for length! He is also gaining weight like a champ and the doctor called him “perfect” — we are so lucky.
And now, some photo highlights from this past month:
My kissy-faced angel!
Destined for superstardom.
Meeting his Uncle Josh and Aunt Jeni for the first time.
Chilling out after bathtime.
Isn’t THAT the truth.
Our little family.
Sensational Ideas for Working With Children With Autism (Part 1)
I’m currently on maternity leave, and many of my colleagues have been kind enough to share their expertise via guest posts throughout the summer. The following comes to you from Amy Kalas, MM, MT-BC.
I am constantly on the lookout for ways to improve my skills as a music therapist, aren’t you?
I find it fun and motivating to discover more and more effective ideas for engaging children in music therapy and connecting with them through music.
The children I work with at both my full-time job at UCP’s Early Beginnings Academy and in my private practice, Wholesome Harmonies, are primarily diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
One of the main things that enhanced my work with these children is co-treating with occupational therapists who specialize in sensory integration. Through these co-treatments, I began to learn about the unique sensory needs of children with ASD and brainstorm how I can address those needs in a therapeutic music experience.
In a session where I have children who are “sensory-seeking” (those are the ones jumping and crashing into things, seeking sensory input), I always ‘start with sensory.’I’ve found that if I “feed” that sensory need by providing the children with a sensory integration experience such as jumping on the trampoline or bouncing on the therapy ball, they are better able to attend to and engage in the subsequent music therapy activities.
Here is a video showcasing an example of one sensory integration experience I use in my sessions with children with ASD:
In this video, the children are receiving proprioceptive and vestibular input by bouncing on a therapy ball, while the music is organizing the whole experience. The lyrics cue the children to bounce and stop; and the rhythmic beat and tempo tell the children how fast to be bouncing. All these elements work together to create an experience that is appropriate and beneficial to the children.
This activity can be extended by having the children move in different ways on the therapy ball: they could lay on the ball on their stomach and bounce up and down, or they could lay on the ball on their stomach and roll front two back, using their arms and legs to push themselves back and forth (I hear a nice 6/8 accompaniment in my head for this one!)
The ideas are endless…why not meet with an occupational therapist and find out some other ways you can utilize the therapy ball in your music therapy sessions?
This is just Part One of a series I am starting on Music Therapy & Sensory Integration on my blog, Wholesome Harmonies. Want to stay up to date on the next installments? Click here to hop on the list!
Amy Kalas, MM, MT-BC is a board-certified music therapist with eight years of experience working with children and adolescents with special needs. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Music Therapy (2005) and Master’s degree in Music Therapy (2010) from University of Miami. Amy has been employed at United Cerebral Palsy of Miami as a music therapist, practicum supervisor, and internship director since 2006. She recently accepted the position of Interim Professor of Music Therapy at University of Miami.
Amy is also the owner of Wholesome Harmonies, LLC, where she provides music therapy services in the Miami area. She is the author of two E-Books: Tuneful Teens: Creative Ideas for Engaging Adolescents in Music Therapy and Sensational Songs & Ideas: Sensory-Based Ideas for Music Therapy. You can visit the website and blog for Wholesome Harmonies at www.WHmusictherapy.com.
Mommyhood Reality Check
It’s taken me at least four separate sessions spread out over two days to type this blog post, so hitting “publish” is going to feel like quite an accomplishment. Just like completing a load of laundry, making the bed, putting on makeup, and writing a thank you card all feel like big accomplishments these days.
Before I had a baby, I just couldn’t understand why new moms always say they’re lucky if they are able to shower on a daily basis — and now I totally get it. Caring for a tiny human being is a LOT of work, between feeding, changing, comforting, and just holding him while he sleeps.
I have an inbox full of fantastic guest posts by several fellow music therapists and bloggers, and although it was my goal to have them queued up and ready to post starting last week, it just hasn’t happened yet. Parker and I are still establishing a routine, and when I do have the opportunity to get things done during naptime, I usually resort to either sleeping (because not much of that happens at night!) or taking care of the basics around the house.
This blog post is anything BUT a complaint; I absolutely love being a mom and everything that comes with it (including the sleepless nights). It’s more of a reassurance that I haven’t dropped off the face of this earth, and that there’s some good stuff coming your way thanks to my colleagues…just as soon as I have the time and mental capacity (that darn sleep deprivation again) to post it. Thank you for being patient and sticking around during this hopefully short-lived blogging drought!
Zach’s First Father’s Day
I celebrated Mother’s Day as an almost-mommy, but Zach was lucky to get the full blown Father’s Day experience! He took this photo the morning of, as we were all relaxing in bed before starting our day.
We hung around the house for most of the day, and being the sweet wife that I am, I even dressed Parker in Cubs gear to make his daddy happy. Unfortunately for Zach, the outfit didn’t last long as Parker had a little accident while I was changing him later on — he might turn out to be a Cardinals fan after all ;)
We spent the afternoon with my parents and had a little cookout to celebrate the dads and grandpas. All in all, it was a really nice Father’s Day — just another “first” in our lives as new parents!
{Parker Weekly} 1 Week Old
It’s insane how fast the first week of Parker’s life has flown by. The first two days are a bit of a blur, as they were spent in the hospital where we were up pretty much around the clock and just learning the basics of caring for a newborn. Needless to say, we were excited to get out of there and come home!
Those first few days were a BIG adjustment. Parker is the new boss around here and dictates when we feed him, when we sleep, and when we find time to attend to everything else going on in our lives (which isn’t much nowadays!). Luckily, our family has been awesome and has brought us food, helped out around the house, and of course, held and changed Parker so that I can get naps in here and there. My mom has been here just about every day — she and Parker have become best buddies :)
Although most of our time is spent just hanging out at home, we have managed to get out of the house a few times. Parker’s first outing was a trip to Target, and then the next day we went for the very first spin in his new stroller. On Thursday he had his newborn photo session, and on Friday we took him to his first pediatrician appointment. Busy week!
It is so much fun getting to know this tiny little baby, and I have honestly fallen in love with him more with each passing day. Life is definitely much more complicated now that he’s here, but I can’t imagine it without him after just a week.
Introducing Parker Joshua Rambach!
I’m thrilled to share with you that my beautiful baby boy was born on Saturday, June 8th. He arrived at 10:31 am, weighs 7 lb, 5 oz, and is 20.5 inches long. He’s perfect!
After spending two days in the hospital, we were able to come home and settle into our new life as a family of four (that includes our golden retriever, Sadie, who is adjusting to our new addition incredibly well).
Although it’s only been a week, I can hardly remember life before becoming a mom. Parker has been such an incredible blessing to our lives already, and I know that life will only continue to get sweeter with him in it.
I’ll be writing about Parker and motherhood in general here at Listen & Learn on occasion, but for lots more about our baby boy — including the story of his birth — feel free to pop over to my family blog. Thank you for all the support you’ve offered as I embark on this new journey!
Due Date
Like his mommy, Parker likes to be early — he proved that by making his appearance 6 days before his due date! But after 30+ weeks of documenting my growing belly, we couldn’t let the series end without taking one final photo for week 40. And posing with Parker was infinitely more fun than doing so with any fruit or vegetable.
We spent the morning of Parker’s due date at his one-week pediatrician appointment, where he checked out perfectly! He has already gained back the few ounces he lost after he was born, thanks to being such a great eater. We both got incredibly lucky as far as breastfeeding goes; he took to it naturally on day 1.
I’m so happy that we were able to have this “bonus” week with Parker…I think I would have been going crazy with anticipation had I spent one more week pregnant!