29 Years of Santa Photos

I can't even tell you how many times I have been tagged on Facebook as this story has gone viral:

Heartwarming Photos Of Two Brothers Who Have Taken A Picture With Santa Together For 30 Years

Why?

Because a lot of my Friends know our family are right there with these guys, on their tails and chasing them!!

They started in 1980, our first was in 1984. They are a family of two sons, ours has two daughters and a son.


Their photos are always together. Ours too - except the two years my eldest daughter was in New Zealand and she got her photos done separate to her siblings.

They have a jump on us with the next generation but we are all over them with including the incomers!

So, here is OUR take on the Santa photos:

1984 - Melissa aged nine months, calm after a fair bit of desensitising leading up to the day!

1985 - extremely hot weather and a slightly over it toddler

1986 - Mum had to be there, along with teddy!

1987 - two photos, two Santas - before we knew we wanted shared pics

1988 - the only tears we have ever had! Learned not to do it after the playgroup end of year party. She only lost it once in place, overwhelmed at the final hurdle.

1989 - tshirts hand painted by mummy!

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995 - Melissa has finished primary school

1996 - Santa "What have you got poking out of your shirt?" Melissa (mortified) "My bra!!!"

1997

1998 - first year of digital technology - printed on the spot!!!

1999

2000 

2001 - Melissa has finished high school

2002

2003 - it was around this time the challenge was issued - how long could they continue?

2004

2005 - At Home: Kaitlyn has finished high school  and ...

.... there is a new boyfriend! (decided to a separate photo, prevent awkward break-up issue!)

2005 - and in New Zealand: making mothers cry in the shopping mall!!

2006 - Boyfriend still on the scene so makes it into photo

2006 - another shopping centre in New Zealand for the back-packer

2007 - back together again and that boyfriend still around!

2008

2009 - Santa, look - we're getting married!! And Kieran has finished high school!

2010 - Sorry Santa, my HUSBAND had to work today!!

2011 - Sorry again Santa, hubby at work this year too!

2012 - Santa, Santa - we're having a BABY!!!

2013 - Santa, isn't she gorgeous?

2013 - Nice to meet you Santa, shall we start our own tradition too?

The visit to our city to queue and have the photo taken has become one of our strongest Christmas traditions. Working it around work shifts, travel and other commitments has been no easy matter. As mum, I have not insisted on this all happening - all I did was jokingly dare them one day that they couldn't keep it up until they had their own kids to be photographed with Santa. That accepted, met and bettered that dare! And are they ready to stop? No way - they are just getting started!!!

For the record, 29yo daughter and 22yo son are both single! Prospective partners really do need a good sense of humour! Applications c/- the North Pole.

Since the early nineties, the photos have been at David Jones, Melbourne. We queue up along with all the families with babies, toddlers, tweens and teens. The reluctant ones can barely contain their shock at the prospect of STILL doing this as adults and their parents think it funny to hold our family up as an example to follow. We occasionally meet another family with similar intentions but have not yet met another with adult children, their spouses and children taking part. Santa's little helpers think it is great fun ... as long as everyone fits in the room!!!

Merry Christmas!

How I made a babywearing demo doll

I wanted to make a demo doll to use at our babywearing sling-meets as it is by far safer for teaching and learning to use than a real baby. However, finding a tutorial on how to go about it wasn't the simple Google search I expected it to be! Eventually, I managed to piece together the process from various instructions I found (some quite vague!), so I thought I would try to pay-it-forward to the next person searching and create the tutorial I would have liked to find!!!

I "met" my first weighted baby at a meet a couple of weeks ago and was staggered by how heavy she was (granted, I didn't know she had arrived and she had identical siblings their, non-weighted, who I thought I was quickly grabbing!!) and learned that they do seem much heavier than a baby of equivalent weight - because they have no muscle-tone, they are a dead-weight! So even though the doll is roughly half the weight of my 8.6kg granddaughter, it seems heavier to hold! Once you put them into a carrier though, the weight is supported and feels like the 4kg baby it replicates. It's the same science that explains why your sleeping 2yo feels so much heavier to carry!

What you need:

• A toy baby doll - I got mine from Kmart for $15. As it is almost Christmas, they were in abundance. It is classed as a "Newborn doll" but I hope you never have to birth a baby that size and length!
• A pack of aquarium stones/gravel - I bought mine at the garden centre, a 5kg pack was $10.95

Tools:

• A seam ripper or scissors
• Kitchen scales
• A needle and strong thread
• Stockings or fabric to create pouches to hold the weights: I used some stuff that was packaging from shelves bought at Ikea, which I knew would come in handy! Almost anything will do

How long will it take:

You will need about an hour to complete the project. I suggest you do so without sensitive small children around - or adventurous older children who might follow your lead with said sensitive child's favourite doll!!

(I also recommend NOT listening to Rod Stewart's Christmas album in the background  - there is something quite disconcerting about hearing Silent Night while pouring stones into a baby's head! Just saying!)

Step One:

Using your seam ripper or small scissors, undo the seam between the doll's legs.

Step Two:

Pull out all the stuffing from the doll!!!!

 

Step Three:

Measure out enough gravel to bring the head of the doll to a weight of 350gms. I did this by first popping the head on the scales and adjusting it back to zero, then adding stones til it weighed enough. I don't think this is critical!!!

Step Four:

Pour the stones into the head! You could use a funnel but I couldn't find mine - wasn't a drama

Step five:

Stuff filling into the head to stop the stones coming out.

Step Six:

Prepare the pouches. I thought about sewing these and then decided I couldn't see why I should and tied them in bundles instead.

Roughly cut fabric into size

Line the bowl with the fabric

Add the weight of stones for that pouch

Tie knot A

Tie knot B

 I made four pouches at 250gms for the arms and legs and two at 500gms for the torso

Step Seven:
Working one at a time, push each limb pouch into place and add stuffing around and over it.

 Step Eight:
Fill the upper chest and shoulders but make sure the unsupported head can still sag when you hold it upright.

Step Nine:
Add the chest body pouch and stuff around it.

Step ten:

Add the last pouch in the area of the doll's bum and stuff around it.Keep stuffing until there is none left!

Step Eleven"

Double-thread your needle (thread and then tie the two ends in one knot) and begin stitching. If your doll has a seam reinforcing strip like mine, incorporate it to add strength. I stitched through mine on each pass.

Thankfully, my caesareans were not DIY!! The thread is blackend from dirt on the stones!!

Step Twelve:
Squish everything into place a bit more until you are happy or bored!

The head flops unsupported, with the chin touching the chest. This allows you to show how the airway can be blocked by incorrect wearing. Also useful to demonstrate breastfeeding position!

 Step Thirteen:
Dress your doll! Mine still needs a nappy. And a name!!!

This doll is not intended as a toy and obviously those stones could be a choking hazard if I child could get to them. Use and store your demo doll like a responsible adult. (And consider how others who don't know it is a doll will react if they see it shoved in the back of your car!!)

2013 Santa Photos - a new generation joins the fun :)

Suppori winner AND a discount for all!

Thanks to those who entered the draw for a free Suppori baby carrier. 

The winner is .... Tegan Barlow!!!

 Congratulations Tegan. Please contact me so we can arrange your correct size of Suppori to be delivered to you.

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Timestamp: 2013-12-15 22:00:44 UTC

Now, for those who didn't win, you still have a chance to have a Suppori baby carrier this summer.

Little M are giving my readers a 25% discount for THIS WEEK ONLY!

Simply choose the size and colour that you prefer and enter this code when prompted at the checkout Yvette13 and your 25% will be deducted! http://littlem.com.au/

Enjoy a fun summer :)

An appeal to actually make a difference this Christmas - family to family.

We met another wonderful group of refugee and migrant mothers and babies today.

One baby boy stood out: he is starting to crawl, to stand, to walk.
Again.
He is two.
He is so traumatised by what he has experienced in his short life that his development has regressed.

These families come from those countries you see on the news: Syria. Iran. Sri Lanka. Afghanistan. It is easy to experience compassion fatigue and not to think about the reality of life for women and their children, just trying to do what we all try to do: raise healthy, happy children. Their breastfeeding questions, asked through interpreters, are exactly the same as I have been asked by 100s of other mothers over the years.

We learned that there is one local barrier they have to frequently deal with - Melbourne's rain. It prevents them accessing some important services because they don't have rain covers on their prams. That is the only form of transport these families have and - understandably - the are reluctant to take their little ones out in a downpour.

This Christmas, we could actually do something practical - mother to mother - that can make a difference.

Buy a universal rain cover for a pram. Something like this. And donate it. Contact me privately and I will give you the details. There are 15 mothers in this current group. They don't know I am asking this and neither do their case workers, working with little to no funding.

Next Thursday is their final gathering for the year - a Christmas break-up.

Update: Easily donate via Paypal -

Melbourne's weather - as if they haven't had enought to deal with!

Product Review: The Suppori Baby Carrier (and a GIVEAWAY!)

We were recently given the opportunity to take part in the Suppori Memoirs project and road tested the carrier over a three week period. For your chance to WIN a free suppori, read on!!!

When I first saw the Suppori, I quickly realised it isn't a baby carrier as I would normally define one. This isn't a snuggly wrap for a newborn and it isn't a place for naps on the go. What it is though, is a support for hip carrying older babies and toddlers and that appealed to me.

As a 50 year old grandmother with chronic back, pelvic, shoulder and neck issues – I see a chiropractor twice a week! – I need to be very careful with how I use my body. Even five minutes of carrying seven-month old Charlie on my hip can throw my pelvis out of line and leave me in pain until the chiropractor or physio put it back again. So anything that helps me avoid that gets a thumb’s up!

At The Toy Library

At the supermarket

At Spotlight

The other appealing feature is its obvious water-friendly design. This was going to be fine in and around some of our favourite places to be – the beach, the local aquatic centre and the beautiful hot springs not far from home. Wearing lycra and carrying someone else wearing lycra on your hip is a challenge I well-remember from my days with my own babies!

Working out which size Suppori, to order was important and I did really well – when it arrived, I was confident I had the right fit. What I didn't count on was my daughter being just a little larger than I – the sling we had thought to share was too small for her. Luckily, Suppori, were exhibiting at the Pregnancy, Babies and Children’s Expo that same week and we were able to get her fitted in person. We organised for her to get the next size up but that turned out to be a little too big! I emailed and was told:

“We have experienced 'mid' sized people. There is approx. 5cm difference between sizes so it is possible.  With the 2L, you could tuck the sling deep under bub getting the sling right up to her knee area and then right up her back.  This could help. Yes, it is important to get the correct size and for those who do it is described as 'prefect' but such a shame for the very few who don't.”

We did as suggested and Kaitlyn was able to use the carrier with Charlie. There is a bit more of a gap between their bodies than with mine and Charlie’s.

I love the way the Suppori, folds up to about the size of my phone, meaning I can keep it in my handbag – our family sling library is split between Kaitlyn’s car and mine but occasionally we make the wrong call and just take the pram, without adding a carrier. Inevitably, Charlie doesn't want to miss out on the action – she loves seeing what we are doing – and she ends up in our arms. Whilst I love to carry her, my back doesn't  so having the Suppori handy means everyone is happy.

The Suppori, really came into its own at the swimming pool, and I think water is what sets it apart from other carriers. I found it easy to get on and off in the water, meaning we didn't need to exit the pool to do so. And Charlie loved being in it! We spent a good two hours at the aquatic centre, with Kaitlyn taking time out to have a spa while I walked in the warm-water pool with Charlie happily splashing and watching everyone else!

Wearing the Suppori, correctly takes some focus – you need to position the discreet strip in the fabric centrally over the spinal curve of the baby and correspondingly, on your own shoulder. Swinging the baby just that bit further round on your side takes practice and a helpful second pair of eyes until you work it out. Once there, you can make sure the fabric is going “knee to knee” to create a good seat and stretch the fabric right up the back: on Charlie, it goes to around her arm-pits. With the fabric correctly cupped over your shoulder, there is no digging in and the weight is balanced correctly – I was not tipping my opposite hip out to counter-balance, so my spine remained straight.

We attracted lots of interest when we had the Suppori, in action – people wanted to know what it is and where did we get it. This was especially so when we spent a day at the hot springs: other visitors were impressed. We could easily go from pool to pool and safely hold her without fear she would slip from our arms.

Not everyone found the Suppori, right for them: some of the mums in our babywearing group were not sure it would suit. In a straight comparison with alternatives like a ring sling, the Suppori, comes off second best – although you can have hands-free moments, this is not a completely hands-free carrier. The fabric does not reach as high up the baby’s back as most and it would be completely unsuitable for a baby without good torso strength. This is not a carrier to lull your baby off to sleep or to use for long carries. You need to get the position right – not always easy with a wriggling child. If you don’t get enough fabric under their bottom, you won’t get the knee-to-knee position, key to the desired “M” shape. Some babies who are “leg-straighteners” will need frequent adjusting. I wonder if some of the issues people have mentioned stem from the fact this is a Japanese product, designed for a different body shape to ours. I think the width of the seat fabric could be extended – especially for cloth-nappy wearers like Charlie.

Overall, I think the Suppori, is a great alternative to carrying on the hip. It is ideal in and around water and for short carries at home or out & about. Anyone only wanting/needing to carry an older baby or toddler occasionally will find this meets their needs. Those who practice babywearing on a frequent or constant basis, parents with babies under six months and those who use a carrier for more than short walks will find the Suppori won’t be for them. As always, it comes down to different options for different circumstances.

Want your own chance to try out the Suppori? One lucky Ramblings reader can win a Suppori in their size, with thanks to Suppori,.

To enter, simply comment below why you love babywearing! Entries close midnight December 15th and a winner will be announced on Monday December 16th. Ans if you don't win, stay tuned for a great discount offer!

The View From Our Pumps

Love this tribute to mothers who pump their milk for their babies :)