It’s Listen & Learn’s birthday, but YOU’RE getting the presents.
My baby is hitting double digits! It’s hard to believe that this little website I started as a brand-new music therapist is still going strong 10 years later. Recording the songs, creating the materials, and writing the blog posts that fill up these pages brings me SO much joy, but what fills me up even more is knowing that they are benefiting YOU.
YOU are the reason that Listen & Learn Music is still alive and well today, and YOU are the reason I’ll be celebrating another 10 years in 2028. Every email and comment I receive detailing how a song was brought to life in a classroom or music therapy session, and how it helped a child to learn a new skill, provides the motivation to make this an even more valuable resource for you.
To properly thank you for your support, I want to give you a gift for every year of Listen & Learn Music. Starting September 1, I’ll be sharing one of my favorite resources with you from the L&L collection each day in yearly chronological order, all the way through September 10.
Our Biggest Giveaway Ever
And last, but not least, I hope you’ll participate in the GIVEAWAY I’m doing on September 10! One extremely lucky winner will receive a LIFETIME VIP MEMBERSHIP to Listen & Learn Plus, including all current and future CMTE courses.
All you have to do is help me celebrate by:
1) following Listen & Learn Music on Instagram
2) Creating a post about how you’ve used a L&L resource, or just simply sending a birthday wish
3) Tagging @listenlearnmusic on your post
4) Using the hashtag #listenlearnmusicturns10
Feel free to save and post this image and use the caption:
Wishing @listenlearnmusic a very happy 10th birthday! I’m joining in the celebration and hoping to win a lifetime VIP membership to Listen & Learn Plus! #listenlearnmusicturns10
Follow the steps above to enter as many times as you’d like between September 1 – 10.
Start from the beginning.
Each day, I’m writing a blog post recapping each year of Listen & Learn Music and announcing the resource gift for that day.
If you’ve entered your name and email address above, you’ll receive these directly to your inbox, and you’ll also have access to them (along with other cool stuff) inside the private Facebook group.
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More from Listen & Learn Music
{Parker Weekly} 15 Weeks Old
I have fallen behind in my blogging efforts, but this is my attempt to catch up and remember what happened two weeks ago. The days seem to whiz by in a total blur as I try to balance quality time with Parker, progress on work-related projects, laundry and keeping the house clean…all before I go to work at 3 pm.
I have always had lots of respect for stay-at-home moms, but now I can relate to how busy and stressful a job it can be. Same goes for working moms, since I feel like I fall into both categories. It’s a good place to be, but it definitely has its challenges!
As usual, I only have wonderful things to say about Parker. He is such an angel baby, and makes me smile SO much. He has been laughing a lot all of the sudden this week, so my new favorite thing is figuring out ways to make him giggle. A few things that never fail are patty-cake, tickling his face with my ponytail, kissing his ears, and giving him rides up and down on my knees.
Parker and I survived our first solo weekend when Zach went out of town for a few days, and it went very smoothly! Sadie rarely left our side, and especially enjoyed supervising Parker’s playtime :)
We definitely missed having Zach here (especially at 3 am when he usually handles diaper duty), but it was good practice for when he goes to Brazil for 10 days next summer. Again, I am very very lucky to have all of Parker’s grandparents here in town!
Our cousin Kim sent this adorable turtle hat for Parker. Clearly he loves it! I don’t think taking photos of this baby in cute outfits and accessories will EVER get old.
And here is the biggest event of week 15: Parker transitioned from the rock ‘n play next to our bed to the crib in his nursery. I wasn’t 100% ready, but Zach had been encouraging the move so we went for it. Night 1 was rough…he was much more interested with finding his toes than actually sleeping.
But we had a complete 180 on night 2, and ever since he has been sleeping like a lamb! He usually wakes up once a night to nurse, which is just fine with me. Eventually he will get around to sleeping through the night again.
{Parker Weekly} 14 Weeks Old
It’s finally starting to feel like fall, and we took advantage of the nice weather this past weekend. Zach had a soccer tournament on Saturday, so Parker and I cheered him on from the sidelines. Then of course we had to take a photo to commemorate Parker’s first soccer game:
Overall, it was a pretty laid back week around here. I’ve been pretty tired since going back to work, so most days we just hung around the house. We weren’t total homebodies, though: we did venture out to meet my friend Crystal for coffee on Wednesday morning, followed by mom-baby group at the hospital (we’ve been going since Parker was just a week old).
Zach left on Thursday for a bachelor trip in Las Vegas, so it’s been just the three of us — Sadie, baby, and me. Poor Sadie is such a good sport. She doesn’t get nearly the attention she did back in the old days of having “only child” status, so I have been making a conscious effort to spend more quality time with her when Parker is asleep. She makes a good snuggle buddy while Zach is away!
In other news, we did well with weight gain this week. Parker is creeping closer and closer to 12 pounds, which is still small for his age and height, but it’s progress. He’s been eating pretty frequently this week, which is definitely a good thing (albeit exhausting for me). I am loving the extra pudge on his cute little thighs…no more chicken legs for this guy!
Fall Freebie Alert!
If you aren’t familiar with Tuned Into Learning®, then there is no better time to hop on over and check out this amazing resource. Their collection of music for special education is unparalleled, and I am beyond flattered to have the opportunity to offer one of my songs as a free download today. Get the “Fall, Fall, Fall” mp3, instrumental mp3, and lead sheet here.
Tuned in to Learning® helps special learners ‘tune in’ through the powerful medium of music. They offer a wide range of special education songs and curriculum designed by an Autism Specialist and team of Board Certified Music Therapists. Their songs, books, videos and downloads help teach essential skills to students with autism, Down syndrome, Williams syndrome, brain injury, learning disabilities, speech disorders, orthopedic impairments, and other special needs.
It’s awesome to have so many high quality options when it comes to finding new material for my work with kiddos who have special needs. After you download my fall freebie, be sure to check out all that Tuned in to Learning® has to offer!
Three Months Old
Check out this big boy. Three months…that’s a quarter of a year! As sad as it makes me that time flies by so quickly, I love that Parker is becoming more and more fun and full of personality every day.
Along with the three month mark have come several milestones and changes. The BIGGEST milestone is that he slept through the night 3 nights in a row! Zach and I woke up that first morning (September 11, so I can add it to the baby book later) and were in complete shock — neither of us remembered what it felt like to get a full night’s sleep, since it hadn’t happened since around the 6-month mark of my pregnancy (thanks to all those trips to the bathroom). I had to take a picture of Parker after he finally woke up to celebrate this monumental event.
Another milestone is that Parker has discovered his feet. Whereas he used to be obsessed with looking in the mirror while on his playmats, now he just wants to grab his feet and try to put them in his mouth. He has actually succeeded in that a few times ;) He is like a little roly poly, even during his diaper changes, which is just too cute.
Speaking of roly poly, he has rolled over again (belly to back) but only once since the first time. Luckily Grandpa Alan was there to witness it. I think he is getting close to rolling from his back to his belly, too…and we’re pretty sure that he’s going to be an early crawler. He already can maneuver his body 180 degrees to get to me or a toy during tummy time using just his arms. For such a little string bean, Parker is super strong!
In general, Parker just seems to be a very happy baby these days. He has such a sweet personality, and that smile…oh man. My favorite is when he is in the middle of crying (especially when I start changing his diaper) and all of the sudden he stops and gives me the biggest grin. It is seriously impossible to have a bad day with this little boy in my life.
Life is good around here. Parker is still eating great, and I’ve been working on getting more calories and drinking tons of water in order to produce more milk — I pumped 6 ounces this morning, which is HUGE for me! He’s still on the (very) low end of the weight spectrum, but I’m hoping to see a big gain on the scale today when we go to baby group. Fingers crossed!
The Dolphin Song
I’m doing a little happy dance as I type this post, because I finally have a new song to share after a several months long songwriting hiatus. I can’t tell you how good it felt to go through the process of writing, recording, and most importantly, using this song in a music therapy session.
The Dolphin Song was written specifically for a student who is quite fond of these sweet mammals, though it could be easily adapted to feature any sea-dwelling creature. In the song, I pose the questions “where is the dolphin swimming to?” and “who is the dolphin swimming to?” because my student is working on answering “wh” questions.
When we sing the song, I use a stuffed dolphin to “swim” to different places and people, and then I ask my student to answer the questions posed in the song. There’s room for lots of creativity and endless verses, though in my version, I only included a few and left two blank for the listener to fill in.
{Parker Weekly} Twelve Weeks Old
All good things must come to an end, and in this case, it was my maternity leave. I feel so lucky to have spent the past 12 weeks at home with Parker, even if it meant an entire summer without my main source of income (one of the very few downsides of self-employment). But on Tuesday, I kissed him goodbye at 3 pm and was off to my studio for my first full afternoon/evening of work since May.
To be honest, I really loved it. Seeing all of my students again was so wonderful — they were excited to be back, and wanted to know all about baby Parker — and I remembered how much I enjoy the work I do. Knowing that Parker is only a few rooms away from me, and that he is in the care of his grandmas and our awesome sitter Greta, is what has made this transition manageable.
There were definitely times throughout the summer that I thought I would enjoy being a stay-at-home mom, but heading back to work has confirmed that this is what is best for our whole family. I get to spend the entire day with my baby, and then do a job I love from the comfort of home. Financially, it allows us to save more, pay off our mortgage quicker (we’re shooting for 40 — that’s less than ten years away!), and still have plenty of money after expenses to do the things we love, especially travel.
Anyway, enough about me. Let’s get to my favorite topic in the whole wide world: my beautiful baby boy! Unbelievably, he is turning 3 months old tomorrow. Each week, he seems to become a little bit more chill and is smiling so much!
He was so cute this morning when Zach brought him to me after changing his diaper at 6 am; I said “hi” and he had the hugest grin on his face. It was almost like he woke us up on purpose just so that he could see us! Luckily after I fed him, he went right back to sleep so that I could begin my 6 am routine of coffee, breakfast, pumping, and getting things done around the house.
Parker is getting much better at taking the pacifier, which is a big plus since he’s spending so much time away from me now. It comes in super handy when we’re out in public, like yesterday when I took him to Target and he started getting a little fussy. It made me cringe thinking back to a few weeks ago (before he got the hang of the paci) when we were at Kohl’s, and he had a complete meltdown in the Ergo carrier. Hopefully we won’t relive that traumatic experience again.
The one bummer about this week is that Parker still isn’t gaining as much weight as he was up until now. He is right under the 10% mark for weight, even though he is a good eater, and seems happy and satisfied after his feedings. He continues to grow in length like a week, so I’m just hoping that during his 3-month growth spurt, his weight catches up.
This blog post is getting ridiculously long, so I’m going to end with a video of Parker’s first dip in grandma’s pool last weekend. He loved it!
So Long, Summer: Back to Reality
I could try to explain just how wonderful this summer has been, but words would never do it justice. My sweet baby Parker was born just a week after ending the spring session in my studio, and I’ve had the past 12 weeks to soak up every minute with him. They flew by so quickly, and now it’s time to leave him for a few hours every day so that I can work with my students.
Parker will be in wonderful hands while I’m busy working, and I know that once I get started, the hours will go quickly. But until then, I have to admit that I have butterflies in my stomach. It’s a mix of nerves and excitement (mostly the latter), and in all honestly, I’ll be glad to have this first day “back to reality” under my belt. I’m sure it will only get easier from here!
{Parker Weekly} Eleven Weeks Old
This week brings lots of mixed emotions, because it is my LAST week of maternity leave. On one hand, I am totally excited about seeing all of my students and their families again, but on the other, I am sad that I won’t be with my baby 24/7 anymore. I am going to miss him so much! But then I remember that I get to spend the entire morning and early afternoon with him, and I feel a little better.
Mornings are my favorite, because Parker is almost always in a good mood when he wakes up. I absolutely LOVE unwrapping him from his swaddle and watching his arms go up to stretch, not to mention the adorable smiles he gives me:
The weather was super hot this week, so we didn’t get out of the house too much. We spent a lot of time in Parker’s two favorite spots: the kick ‘n play piano mat and bumbo chair. So much time, in fact, that I made a little video. How cute is this:
I’ve also been putting Parker on his tummy a lot more lately, and he seems to hate it less and less. He’s getting so much better at pushing up and holding up his head, as you can see:
As you can see, I went a little video crazy this week. Of course it would figure that the one time I didn’t have my iPhone in hand, Parker rolled over from his belly to his back for the first time! He had just taken his bath on Friday night, and we had him on a blanket in his nursery. Grandpa Steve was here taking some pictures, and asked Zach to put Parker on his belly for a few shots. As he was checking out the photos on his camera, Zach, Grandma Libby and I watched him roll over all by himself. I couldn’t believe it, but Parker didn’t seem the least bit fazed! So cool that we got to witness this first big milestone.
That was an awesome start to Labor Day weekend. We’re spending the rest of it just hanging out and relaxing before my first big day of work on Tuesday. I get butterflies just thinking about it!
{Parker Weekly} Ten Weeks Old
Oh my goodness, we have reached double digits! I have such mixed emotions as the weeks fly by: on one hand, it’s so much fun to watch Parker grow and change, but on the other, I know I am going to miss these tiny baby days so much.
During the first few weeks of Parker’s life, he slept on me all the time. He would fall asleep nursing, and then be perfectly content just lying in my arms for hours. After his last early morning feeding, he would usually sleep on my chest for an hour or so, and words cannot describe the sweetness of having my baby boy right up against me like that. Nowadays, he sleeps so well in his swing and rock ‘n play that he doesn’t spend nearly as much time on me — and I miss it!
But the next best thing is when he falls asleep in either the Moby or Ergo carrier. I put him in the Moby today (using the “hug” hold since his loooong legs are no longer comfortable being froggied up inside the wrap) while I did some chores around the house, and he was asleep in no time. After I finished my chores, I just sat on the couch with him up against me in the wrap and enjoyed those precious moments.
Speaking of precious moments, I have been lucky to capture quite a few on camera this week! On the left, Parker is modeling his new outfit from our friends Sally and Enrique, who we saw in Florida last week. Bonus points that it matches his nautical nursery! And on the right, he makes his career aspirations known ;)
The past few days have been pretty chill around here, after our whirlwind vacation. A bit of a routine is emerging, which I’m hoping will continue in the weeks to come. That will really help when it comes time to return to work (in just a little over a week!). During Parker’s morning nap, I’m able to eat breakfast, pump, do some work on the computer, and tidy up the house so that I can fully enjoy his awake time. We fill that up with story time in his new bumbo seat, making music on the kick ‘n play piano, stroller walks, and tummy time (though this is Parker’s least favorite activity).
One last notable happening in week 10: buckets and buckets of drool! This baby is seriously a faucet all of the sudden…might this be an early sign of teething!?
{Parker Weekly} Nine Weeks Old
Parker is looking less and less like a newborn and more like a little boy every week :( Where did my tiny little baby go? He crossed the 10-pound mark, but it turns out that he is only in the 7th percentile for weight. He’s still measuring super long at 24.5 inches — that’s 84th percentile! — so we are hoping that his weight catches up with his height soon.
This was a BIG week for Parker: he took his first airplane ride to see his great grandma in Naples, Florida. Everyone’s advice was to nurse him at takeoff and landing so that he’d sleep for most of the flight, and that was exactly what happened! He did have some awake moments on the way there, which we captured in photos.
It’s a good thing Parker is such a great traveler, because we do a lot of it. In fact, we are already planning a trip to somewhere warm this winter. Dominican Republic, perhaps? Luckily, Parker also loves the beach and ocean.
But of course, the highlight of the trip (and the reason for going) was Parker meeting his great grandma — my “Grandma Florida”. We brought along the blanket she made for him, which is one of his very favorite things.
We were only in Naples for a few days, but they were action packed. We went out to eat lots, took two day trips to the beach, visited with our friends Sally & Enrique and their little boy, Ricky, and just enjoyed each other’s company. Oh, and Parker is getting the hang of the pacifier as a result of this trip (we figured it would be a good idea to have one along in case he got fussy in the airport/on the plane/in restaurants).
Now that we’re home, my days of maternity leave are dwindling. I return to work two weeks from today, which is a bittersweet feeling. I will miss the lazy days of summer, hanging out with my baby boy!
The Final Stretch
It feels like just yesterday, a whole summer of maternity leave stretched in of me. Parker was born one week after the end of my spring session, so I’ve had an incredible 10 weeks to do very little else than enjoy my sweet baby boy. And now — cue the sad trombone — there are only 2 weeks left.
But before you start to feel too sorry for me, I have to say that when I do go back to work, I have it pretty good. I’ll be home with Parker from the time he wakes up until 3 pm, when I’ll make the “commute” to my home studio (just a few rooms away). While I’m with students, my mom and mother-in-law will take turns coming over to stay with the baby until my husband gets home from work, and then I’ll be finished no later than 8 pm each night.
Even though I get to spend most of the day with Parker, and I don’t have to leave the house to go to work, those 5 hours away from him will still be tough at first. I’m pretty sure all moms feel this way at the end of maternity leave; I’m just glad that I have a job I love and is worth the time apart.
Overall, I’m really excited for September 3rd…but I’m not counting down the days just yet. Tomorrow we head to Florida so that Parker can meet his great-grandma. A few days of family time in the sand and sun is the perfect way to wind down what has been a beautiful summer.
The Body Song
I’m currently on maternity leave, and some of my colleagues have been kind enough to share their expertise through guest posts throughout the summer. The following comes to you from Michelle Erfurt, MT-BC.
This is the “Body Song” from Psalty’s Singing Song Book. Just like the name implies, the song talks about the purpose of a few body parts… the eyes, brain, heart, arms and ears. In this video, I share the song and an activity tip.
Listen to the recorded version here.
Michelle holds a B.S. in Music Therapy from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania as well as nationally recognized Board Certification. Michelle has also completed specialized trainings in Neurologic Music Therapy and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Music Therapy. She currently provides music therapy clinical services at Treasure Coast Hospice. Michelle also serves as the Membership Committee Chairperson and Student Advisor for the South Eastern Regional chapter of the American Music Therapy Association. Michelle also shares her tips for other music therapists through her blog, Music Therapy Tween.
Parker’s Pad
Well, we finally got around to finishing the nursery…and it only took two months after the baby was born! Actually, we started working on this room way back in April (here’s a sneak peek I posted) and SLOWLY added furniture and decor as the weeks went on.
Fast forward to 10 pm last night, when Zach and I were arguing over which wall to put the anchor decal on — I won that battle ;) Up went the canvases above the crib, and we called it a night. I posted all the photos on Facebook, which you can see here.
I have to admit that Parker got the best room in the house, and it is the most decorated of any room, too! I’m not known for my interior design skills, but I hope one day to work on those (right after I develop my cooking skills a bit more). I feel like I need to be better at both of those things, now that I’m a mom and therefore, a true grown-up.
{Parker Weekly} Eight Weeks Old
As you can see, Parker wasn’t thrilled about having his picture taken last week. But we like to keep it real around here; this probably won’t be the first weekly photo featuring tears and a red face from crying!
We kicked off week 8 with a fun day at Henson Robinson Zoo for the World Breastfeeding Week walk. I provided music for the second year in a row, and it was fun to participate with Parker this time around. My mom and Zach also came and we all had a great morning.
Parker continues to love napping in his swing (for hours at a time!) and is sleeping really well at night. He still wakes up to eat anywhere between 1-3 times, but he goes back to sleep easily afterward. He’s usually in a great mood when he first wakes up in the morning — my favorite thing is unswaddling him, because he stretches his arms in the air and makes the cutest face like he’s saying “I’m free!”
I made an awesome discovery this past week: Parker LOVES hanging out in the bathroom with me while I take a shower. I’m pretty sure it’s the sound of the water, since he loves the white noise app so much and they sound very similar. He will sit happily in his rock ‘n play as long as the water is running, but the minute I turn off the shower, he starts fussing. Watching me put of my makeup and do my hair just isn’t quite as captivating ;)
Other 8 week happenings: Parker’s first trip to the grocery store (he slept in the Ergo carrier the entire time), his first public meltdown while shopping at Kohl’s (that was NOT fun), attending another birthday party (our friends Nico and Amanda’s little boy, Luka), and lots and lots of smiles and cooing. He is becoming so much more interactive, and he is so curious about the world around him.
Another Beautiful Day
I’m currently on maternity leave, and some of my colleagues have been kind enough to share their expertise through guest posts throughout the summer. The following comes to you from Wade Richards, LCAT, MT-BC.
“Another Beautiful Day” was a song improvisation I created for one of my groups consisting of young adults with special needs. It was just after lunch, everyone was trying to keep cool in the air conditioning, while the weather outside was sunny and hot. I noticed that some students seemed to have that “I have a headache” kind of look going on. You know, not as perky as usual, squinty eyes, hands over ears, insisting on putting their sunglasses on, or heads down on the lunch table.
I decided to lower the sensory bar a bit, so as the students came into the group, I turned off the lights (only letting in the lights from the window, and doorways to come through), picked up a frame drum, and decided we would work on a chant where each student would add in their own phrase about what they like to do outside when it’s a nice day. This was a great way to work on expressive language skills.
Throughout the song I encouraged participation by singing vowel sounds, taking breaths, and incorporating some tension/relaxation exercises. Each person was given a turn to play the drum softly and sing their line about what they like to do outside. After going around to 3 people, I would ask the group questions about what each person liked to do. This was a great way to bring attention and focus to each person in the group during the experience, and also work on memory skills. Using a simple drum pattern to accompany the voice is a great way to chill out on a hot day.
Another Beautiful Day
Another beautiful day.
Another beautiful day.
Let’s go outside and swing on the swing.
Let’s go outside and swing on the swing.
Another beautiful day.
Another beautiful day.
Let’s go outside and walk through the park.
Let’s go outside and walk through the park.
Another beautiful day.
Another beautiful day.
Let’s go outside and swim in the pool.
Let’s go outside and swim in the pool.
Another beautiful day.
Another beautiful day.
Let’s go outside and play in the backyard.
Let’s go outside and play in the backyard.
Another beautiful day.
Another beautiful day.
Wade created “What a Rainy Day” as a follow up experience to “Another Beautiful Day”. Members of Listen & Learn Plus! can read on to hear the song and find out how it can be used to address expressive language skills.
Wade Richards, LCAT, MT-BC received his Bachelor of Science degree in music therapy and applied voice from S.U.N.Y at Fredonia. He completed his internship at the Broome-Tioga Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) in Binghamton, New York. He has been providing music therapy services in the Greater Rochester, New York area for close to 20 years.
Wade has served as Chair of the Music Therapy Department and Orff-Schulwerk Department at the Hochstein School of Music & Dance, and Program Director of the Trinity Assistance Corporation Blue Ridge Music Therapy Center. Currently, he is an instructor in the Music Education Department at the Eastman School of Music. Wade has pursued additional training in Orff-Schulwerk, Neurologic Music Therapy, and Performance Wellness.
{Parker Weekly} Seven Weeks Old
I kicked off week 7 of Parker’s life by watching The Happiest Baby on the Block DVD, which had been sitting on our dining room table since he was born. Why I waited so long, I have no idea…I could have saved myself many hours of frustration.
I knew the basic principles outlined in both the DVD and book (which we also have in our possession), but it was what I didn’t already know that saved naptime. Prior to watching the video, we had been repeatedly trying to put Parker in his swing either on the lowest setting or just keeping it still. BIG mistake. I learned that babies like the FASTEST setting best, so armed with that knowledge and the new “white noise” app I downloaded, I tried the swing again. Lo and behold, he loved it. And most importantly, fell asleep almost right away.
No more refusals to nap anywhere but my arms; now he’ll sleep up to 3 hours during the day in his swing. I feel like a new woman now that I have the time and freedom to get things done around the house and on the computer. I also feel a little bit guilty, not holding him as much as I did before, but I know I shouldn’t — he is a much happier baby overall since he sleeps so well in his swing!
Week 7 also marks Parker’s first celebrity moment. I entered his photo in a contest for People Magazine, and it was one of 15 that was chosen to be featured on their website. Really, though, how could they not have chosen it?
Our baby is famous! Haha. Zach and I are still playing paparazzi with all the photos and videos we take of him. Here’s a video I sent to Zach this week…it’s so fun to see Parker getting interested in his toys and playing more as he gets older.
I can’t believe that Parker will officially be 2 months old in just a few days. I feel so lucky to get to spend every day with him, even when I go back to work next month. Zach and I agree that he is the best thing that ever happened to us!
The Sewist Behind the Stretchy Band
I’m currently on maternity leave, and some of my colleagues have been kind enough to share their expertise through guest posts throughout the summer. The following comes to you from Bear Paw Creek owner Janet Stephens, who creates many of the wonderful movement props I use and love.
As a child, my dream was always to be a wife and mom. I got married while living in Alaska in 1997 with a baby soon to follow in 1998. My husband and I wanted to raise our family in the “Lower 48,” so the fall of 1999 found us moving to Missouri.
Part of my dream was to be able to stay home with my children. Shortly after our move, I was trying to figure out a way to bring in some income. Enter my big sister with an idea. She was a self-employed music therapist and discovered a need for movement props and endless quantities of fabric bags to stay organized–my sewing business was born.
I started creating and sewing stretchy bands, bean bags, Q Chord cases, tone chime cases, puppets, and tote bags. I started on the sewing machine I purchased in high school but soon found the need for my first of several industrial sewing machines. Those were the days before YouTube had tutorials on how to use industrial machines. It has been a continual learning experience.
In the spring of 2012, I took Kat Fulton’s fantastic Online Zenn Course and started working on building my web presence. My favorite outcomes of the class are the connections I made and “meeting” some of the people that actually use what I sew. It’s a pretty humbling and awesome experience to see and hear first hand how they are used.
While my sister was visiting last year, we were able to do a video shoot showcasing the stretchy band. Rachel Rambach wrote a fantastic song especially for the event. Here is one of the long awaited videos.
We also have a new and exciting Stretchy Band “cousin” going to be released soon. Can you imagine a stretchy band that can be used in a straight line and then connected together, combining different sizes for your needs? Watch for the Connect-a-Band™ coming out soon! Come get connected with us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+. You’ll be the first to know about our new products and sale events.
As always, our products are proudly made in America. So are all seven of my children–my dreams being fulfilled!
The First Days
When I was in the throes of labor, I wasn’t exactly thrilled to see Zach capturing it on camera. But now that it’s all said and done, I have to admit that it’s pretty cool to have Parker’s “birth day” documented from start to finish. Watching this video brings back all the excitement of those first hours and days of his life, and it will be so cool to show it to him one day.
{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 :)
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