DIY Crochet Nursing Necklace

 With the little one on the way, I started thinking about breastfeeding. Remembering all the wonderful memories I made when I was still nursing Laila. I also remembered the scratching and constant repositioning as my curious 6 month old would become distracted by literally everything! I remember wanting a crochet nursing necklace because I had read and heard soo many mamas talk about how great they are to keep your busy baby focused on the boob at face. (hehe) Those suckers are expensive! So...I just did without and she would usually not finish eating and I would walk around with an engorged boob all day. No fun.

Over the past year, I have started crocheting...alot. I finally decided to price it all and see what it would take for me to make my own nursing necklace. Not bad! I finally got it done and am very pleased with the results. I'm working on a Halloween and a Christmas one now. Here is the DIY info on how I made mine. (Thanks Ashley, for helping me get the pattern just right for those big balls!) Let me know how yours turns out if you make one!!

What I used (All purchased at Michael's):

• one pack of Lion Brand Bon Bon yarn (they have all colors) -$8.00
• I used a size F/5-3.75mm hook - $2.00
• Tapestry needles - $2.00
• Pack of untreated/unstained/unglazed wooden beads size 25mm -$5.00
• pack of untreated/unstained/unglazed wooden beads size 1/2 inch -$3.00
• yarn for the necklace - $2.00

costing a grand total of:  $22.00 ( I am making # necklaces for the price of one!!)

Here are the steps:

• (Row 1) Make magic ring and crochet 6 sc into the ring (6 stitches)
• (Row 2) 2 sc in each stitch around the ring (12 stitches)
• (Row 3-5) 1 sc in each stitch around (insert ball after row 4) (12 stitches per row)
• (Row 6-end)  1 sc decrease after every 2 sc stitches ( continue until closed)
• Sew lose end back into stitches with tapestry needle.
• String beads in order you want onto braided piece of yarn or ribbon
• tye knots in between each bead so they cannot move around

necklace should be long enough to reach the top of your breast

Enjoy!!!! 

24 weeks with my giant baby

 

24 weeks!

(Little profile and a big foot!)

Sunday marked my 24 week point in pregnancy. We visited the midwife yesterday and got to see the little cherub, squirming and kicking with all her might. She was puckering her lips and kicking the camera. Kid has huge feet. We found that she is not only still measuring pretty big, but that according to her size, my due date is 12/24. (Christmas baby anyone?) The ventricle in her head (we thought it was her heart that they told us about before, but we were told yesterday it was a ventricle in her brain) has caught up to the rest of her brain and is no longer needing to be monitored. WOOHOO! They said if baby is still measuring this huge at around 37 weeks, that they may look into having me try and start drinking raspberry leaf tea, and other natural techniques to encourage labor to start. She is head down and I am hoping she remains that way or at least returns to that position by the time she's due.  I had my blood glucose test and got to drink that yummy sugar drink...bleck!!!  

In other news, we are pretty sure we have a name picked out. Not making anything official until we meet her. We have been trying to do more on the weekends before I am so huge that I can no longer walk. Laila is getting excited about the thought of a baby sister. She enjoys baby shopping and looking through clothes. She always wants to know when we are going to the "docker" (doctor) to see the "baby sitter"(sister).

Be back soon with more recipes and stuff.

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That one parent.

Laila and I went to the park yesterday. It was so nice out. A cool breeze and sunshine were our pals for the day. We collected leaves and saved a big fat yellow caterpillar from some other toddlers that were playing. I was sitting there, soaking it all in. I noticed a cute little boy playing all by himself. His mother was lost in her cell phone. I even saw her take a few "selfies".

"Mommy! Watch me!," he would yell to her over and over, and not once did she look up from her phone. She would just mumble "Oh wow," or "Good Job!", under her breath as she obsessively scrolled her feed. The little boy looked sad and unhappy every time he would think he got her attention, just to find she was staring at her phone.

She sat next to me on the bench. I couldn't help but glance over at her phone to see what could be more important than watching her beautiful boy play. Facebook. She was scrolling feeds. I always try my hardest not to be a judgmental person. I am human, though.
  
Laila wanted to swing, so we started to swing. The little boy followed us over to the swing set and called for his mom to swing him. After about 5 minutes, she wandered over, never looking up. She pushed him one time, still scrolling somehow (mad skills yo)..and then his swing lost momentum and he asked her to push him again. She didn't even notice he had spoken to her. She walked back over to the bench, while the little boy just sat on the swing, trying to get it to go by himself. I wanted to push him so badly. She called for him to leave a few minutes later. Not even making sure he looked both ways before crossing the street. I felt sad.

I've seen this many times before, mommy and daddy in cell phone land, while their children desperately call for their attention. Kids aren't stupid. They know when you are actually watching and listening. These moments in time are so brief and fleeting. Why anyone would choose following other individual's moments while losing site of their own is beyond me. I know this mother may have just been "caught up" in the moment...but her little boy was there at the park to be with his mom...and she couldn't even give him that. I hope at home she plays in the floor with him, that she chases him and builds forts.

I am that mom...in the moment with my child..soaking in her innocence and silliness. I want to remember these days forever. They will be over with soon. For now, she is my baby. These days I make less time for friends and more time for family. It doesn't drive me crazy...it makes me happy. Some days I do have to go in to another room and breath deeply, or take a long shower and empty my mind. When I signed up for parenthood, I didn't pretend it would be perfect. Being a parent is a selfless act and I know this.

There will always be "me time" when my children are grown and gone. For now, I am in this moment with my family. Being the mother I signed up to be.