Recent Projects, Part 3: Hybrid Ring-Sling

I'm a big fan of baby slings. When Eowyn was tiny, I used a ring sling. This type of sling, though it can be difficult and/or tedious to adjust, offers the most versatility in terms of positions you can wear your baby. Eowyn loved being curled upright against my chest in those early months, so this sling was quite a boon for those times when, for example, I wanted to use the bathroom or eat without incessant crying.

After Eowyn gained head, neck, and back control, I began using a pouch sling.The pouch sling accommodates fewer positions, but there's no adjusting so it's easy to slip on and off quickly. Eowyn sat in the forward-facing hold (also called the kangaroo carry) and then spent months on my hip with this sling.

But, I discovered such a thing as a hybrid ring sling. Like a normal ring sling, you can use it in all kinds of different positions. But, it has a curved seam sewn into it like a pouch does, so theoretically it takes less time to adjust than a regular ring sling. Rather than paying a gazillion dollars to buy one, I decided to make one myself. The UpMama site provides instructions on how to make one yourself. Online, I purchased three yards of bottom weight cotton sateen fabric and some sling rings. One length of fabric yields enough for two slings.

The most time-consuming part of the project, for me, was cutting the three yards of fabric evenly, and hemming it. It's a lot of hemming! On the first one I made, I rather obsessively ironed a half-inch hem on the entire length of the sling (that's six yards total) before sewing. The second time, I just rolled the hem in my fingers as I sewed. It saved a bunch of time, and the results are practically the same. As far as saving time on cutting goes, I think I just need more experience in that area to accomplish accurate and quick cuts. Does anyone have any cutting tips? I use a cutting mat and a rotary blade, and I still have problems with the fabric shifting.

One more tip, if you attempt to make this sling, is to make sure to take the extra few minutes to hand-baste and then machine-baste the fabric folded over the rings before putting in the permanent stitch. There's so much fabric sewn down in such a small area, that it's almost impossible to keep it lined up evenly otherwise.

The finished hybrid sling hasn't seen any action yet. I'll report back on its usefulness after Espen's been born and I've had opportunity to use it with him.

The finished sling

The Great Name Debate

The name of our son, whose arrival is imminent, has been decided: Esp*n Joshua Buhl.The only problem is that one small detail that we cannot agree on: the last vowel in his first name. I'm pushing for Espen, but Christian is adamant about Espyn.

I first encountered the name Espen in graduate school. A fellow classmate, married to a Norwegian, named her son this. The name struck me, and I've liked it ever since. I like how it's unusual, but not totally unheard of (at least, not unheard of in Scandinavian countries). For me, it evokes the trendiness of names like Ethan and Aiden while maintaining originality.

It also brings to mind the word aspen, a tree (and a city) found in the western United States, which will always carry special significance for me since I spent the first several years of my marriage beyond the continental divide. The meaning, "bear of God," seems pretty cool, too. I didn't think much about the similarity to the sports network ESPN until Christian told me that's what all his coworkers mentioned when they heard it. Granted, Christian works on a college football video game, so a sports link is unavoidable.

My reasons for wanting to keep the original spelling, Espen:

1. Names with alternate spellings have always bothered me.
2. The name Espen is already fairly unusual. Why make it more so by changing the spelling?
3. The "-yn" ending is often found on feminine names.
4. Googling espen yields actual men with this name. Googling espyn yields girl's myspace pages and the like.

Christian's reasons, as far as I can discern, for wanting to use the alternate spelling, Espyn:

1. For Christian, the more unusual and unique, the better (hence the name of our daughter, Eowyn).
2. Using "-yn" links it to Eowyn's name, which Christian thinks would be cool.

When I was shopping for wooden letters to paint and hang in Esp*n's room, Wal-mart had only one "E" available. They've been sold out ever since (that was a month and a half ago). Christian takes this as a sign of fate. As for me, I don't want to name our son based on Wal-mart's inventory, or because we're too lazy to buy another "E" and paint it.

We're both standing our ground on this. But the moment is fast approaching when we must finally decide.

Solid Food Adventures

My approach to Eowyn's eating has always been a bit unorthodox. Even now, she eats more food than I care to admit while running about the house. Often I'm just glad if she comes back to me for a bite or two before she's off running again.

This situation evolved out of a desire not to push food on her. I wanted eating to be a generally pressure-free, pleasant experience. Perhaps I was afraid of becoming a parent who must engage in all kinds of theatrical antics, cajoling and sighing in order to get her little one to eat. This fear, along with my initial participation in La Leche League meetings, led me to a "baby-led feeding" approach.

I started Eowyn on solids fairly late for our culture (around 7 months). From the beginning, I gave her finger foods that were firm enough for her to pick up and feed herself, but soft enough to mash easily between her gums, like strips of banana, avocado, sweet potato and very ripe peach. I never really did baby cereal with her, though I would make her oatmeal and cream of wheat later on. In all, I was happy with how this approach worked out. I never bought any baby food; I would just give her fresh fruit and soft cooked veggies that we had on hand and which she could feed herself. I also gave her very soft cooked meat, like chicken and pork, fairly early on. As a result, she became proficient at feeding herself, and didn't reject chunky textures as some babies do who are used to the smooth puree of jarred baby food. She progressed at her own pace, and I didn' t feel I was forcing anything on her (though I must admit that I did worry alternately that she was getting too much or not enough solid food).

Here are the websites I consulted the most for starting solids:
La Leche League: Starting Solids
Kellymom: Starting Solids

Of course, this approach is just one of many. Ultimately, you must do what feels right and healthy for you and your child.

Eowyn eating avocado at 7 months old