Rookie Moms

Brace yourself: The zero to ten scale

2010-03-12T19:52:08Z

The best advice Ryan and I got during our first days with Julian came from a source that I can no longer remember, perhaps the pediatrician who made rounds in the hospital. It was this:

Babies need to go from 0 to 10 on a daily basis. A sleeping baby is at 0 and may spend most of his day that way. At 10, loud and incessant crying, your baby is also doing his job. At 0, 1, and 2, you probably feel like a pretty good parent, while at 8, 9, and 10 you assume you are doing everything wrong, your baby is in terrible pain, and wish that someone, perhaps the real mother of this baby, would come show you what the problem is.

Remember this scale, rookie moms. Your own baby’s crying is surprisingly difficult to endure. And it’s not because you’ve been reinvented as the most empathetic person on the planet or because you are so completely bonded with your baby. It’s because the sound is blood-curdlingly horrific and you know that no one else is responsible. Whatever the problem is, it’s yours to solve.

There might not be a problem is the point, however. It might just be your baby’s daily visit to the number 10. Rock her, change her, shush her, swing her, feed her. Even put her down in her crib and leave the room. Hey, for some kids, that works!

Remember this tip, pregnant readers, so that when your baby is at 5, 6, or 7, you can maintain a little perspective and save some energy for the rating of 10 that typically arrives around 4 or 5 pm.

Toddler and preschooler moms, are you still reading? Here’s my advanced patented theory of parenting: Your walking, talking child also needs to go from 0 to 10 on a daily basis. That’s why he’s hyperventilating over a light switch that you flipped on when he wanted to DO IT BY MAH SELF! He’s just exercising his ability to get to 10.

Maintaining perspective for the preschool set: When your kid is bouncing off the walls with glee, rolling around in the laundry you just folded, and hurling plastic tractors down a slide toward other kids, at least it is a happy 10. Isn’t it more pleasant than a tantrum about getting in the car seat that forced you to brace your knee against your child’s torso while you buckled him in? What? I do this to my daughter on a regular basis.

Find some positive ways to help your child get to 10 every day, to run around like a maniac; to jump on a pile of pillows, stuffed animals, and scarves; to throw rocks into water; and to scream “HOORAY!” and “POOP IS FUNNY!” loud enough for the neighbors to hear. Then hope that you’ve bought yourself another day.

Does your child reach 10 every day? What tip have you passed on the most to new parents?

Committed outdoorsman: A rookie dad sleeps on the porch

2010-03-11T05:19:27Z

An exciting email recently circulated amongst my extended family. My second cousin Emily and her husband Will were going to be on Oprah. “Set your DVRs!” read the email. I’ve met Emily once and never met Will, by the way. (Our grandmothers were sisters.)

If you watch Oprah, and apparently bazillions of women do, you may have actually seen the segment they appeared on. If not, allow me to summarize.

The new Jerry Seinfeld show, The Marriage Ref, was being promoted on Oprah. Jerry appeared on Oprah and the two of them skyped with first-time parents Emily and Will to demonstrate how a marital argument should be settled by outsiders. Emily and Will each presented their perspective and then all of America got to judge them. (And now you can, too.)

So here’s the video that Emily and Will made describing their conflict. You’ll see where Will sleeps (on the porch) and learn why.

In an email, Will told me

My move to the porch was definitely inspired in part by parenthood. I moved out to the porch around the time that our son, River, arrived. Emily slept with him for the first few months, and I didn’t want to interrupt their sleep or their mother-child bonding. Whenever I would get up to pee, the bed would creak and Emily would get upset about me waking up her and the baby. So I humbly and graciously moved out to the porch and slept under the stars, with the sound of the creek lulling me to sleep. But now River is two-years-old and sleeping in his own bed, so Emily wants me back in the bed with her.

Thoughts?

Spend a week in Salt Lake City (with kids)

2010-03-08T20:05:17Z

If you’re in Utah and looking for some destinations that are just as fun for mom as they are for your kids (toddlers to tweens), Vanessa from INeverGrewUp.net and UtahsNaturalKids.com has got you covered with whole week’s worth — and then some.

{Still in your rookie year with a baby? Check out Vanessa’s favorite baby spots in the Salt Lake area.}

After growing up near huge cities like Baltimore, Washington D.C. and Boston, Utah was not her first choice to raise a family. But she admits Utah has grown on her, and she has found many incredible places to explore with her girls.

Monday — history
Start off your visit to Utah exploring History, Utah’s history as well as world history. The Utah Museum of Natural History is one of our favorite places that we just recently discovered. On the first Monday of the month admission is FREE and open late to 8pm. Kids under 3 are always FREE.

Vanessa's girls enjoy the Utah Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is one of the BEST places in the world for dinosaur bones! They put a lot of love and care into making the dinosaur exhibits educational, and we love it. The museum has hands-on exhibits including the rock & mineral hall (my girls’ favorite), bugs and creepy crawlies, and beautiful Native American artifacts. I can spend a few hours in this museum and not get bored.

If you’re not exhausted from all that natural history, This Is the Place Heritage Park is a great place to explore as a family to learn about Utah history in a visual and creative way. It is a giant step back to the pioneer days. The staff dresses in thematic clothes and lead tours of old-timey homes. There are puppet shows, craft demonstrations, and animals to pet. Also children under 3 are FREE.

The nearby outdoor Gallivan Center in downtown Salt Lake City has fun free activities on Monday nights. In the winter they have an ice skating rink and in the warmer months they have many outdoor free concerts.

Tuesday — hiking
When in Utah you need to take advantage of the FREE and beautiful landscape and explore the outdoors no matter what the season. We are very lucky to have numerous State Parks, Canyons and the very interesting Salt Lake. Look up a hike for the ages in your family in one of the many canyons here in Utah. I suggest Doughnut Falls up Cottonwood Canyon or the Nature Trail Hike up American Fork Canyon, both great hikes for younger children. Pack a picnic and sit by one of the many little rivers in the State Parks for lunch along with a field guide to learn about the plants. Then head on up to the Great Salt Lake, it is a must see, take it a bit farther in and visit Antelope Island.

Wednesday — gardens
There are many beautiful gardens to explore in the Salt Lake City area. The International Peace Gardens are stunning very rich in diversity, culture and beauty. And did I mention FREE?

The Red Butte Gardens is a botanical garden and arboretum, full of great educational programs and outdoor concerts. Lastly, the Thanksgiving Point Children’s Gardens is fantastic year-round but is a definite must-see in Tulip Season (re-opens for the season in March). Both Red Butte and Thanksgiving Point charge admission, but it is worth it.

Thursday — Provo
Provo is an easy drive from Salt Lake City, and worth the trip. Down at Brigham Young University they have a world famous ice cream shoppe, called BYU Creamery and many cheap or free museums.

Walking around the college campus is a leisurely walk, especially at a kid’s pace. Visit the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, another excellent FREE place for children, for weekly live animal shows, collections of unique plants, and invertebrate and vertebrate animals.

The Museum of Art at BYU has beautiful exhibits that are always changing; once we saw very religious paintings and the next time they had pieces of art made from trash. Best of all, FREE.

If you didn’t fill up on ice cream, you have to stop by the famous Sweet Tooth Fairy Shoppe to pick up some of the world famous cake bites and cupcakes for the drive home.

Friday — Liberty Park
Liberty Park is a fantastic area full of inexpensive museums and FREE areas to explore. The park itself is a fun place to hang out as a family. Our favorite museum is Tracy Aviary; it is one of only two free-standing aviaries in the United States and is over 70 years old. Admission prices are reasonable.

Liberty Park also has Children’s Garden and boating pond, playground, amusement park and snack bar, tennis courts and a swimming pool and also is a great place to bike. The Utah Museum of Folk Arts is also right there.

Afterward, you can head on down to Sugarhouse Park, another beautiful walk, and browse the Mom & Pop run shops.

Saturday — farmer’s market
Downtown Salt Lake on Saturday mornings is ALIVE during Farmers Market season! My girls and I spend a good 3-4 hours every Saturday morning at the Farmers Market. We eat breakfast and lunch there, stop to watch the entertainers and love to talk to the farmers and learn more about their products.

Once you’re fueled up from the market, you can head on over to the Utah Musem of Fine Arts which has very high-profile art exhibits and still manages to be family-friendly. My girls were able to see Monet and Picasso pieces in person on one of our visits!

Every third Saturday from 2-4pm the Utah Museum of Fine Arts has a special (and FREE) kids’ art activity along with FREE admission. At the front desk ask for one of the family exhibit backpacks to explore some of the interactive features of the museum.

The nearby Salt Lake City Library is fantastic; the library has beautiful glass walls and elevators, art exhibits, shops inside. My girls love it.

Sunday — temples
Being in Salt Lake City, Utah means experiencing and exploring the culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (also known as Mormons or LDS). You will notice the church buildings, conference centers, chapels, museums and temples wherever you go in Utah.

Downtown, Temple Square is open and FREE on Sundays. You can wander through the Visitor’s Centers, walk along the outside of the Salt Lake Temple, enjoy the beautiful gardens, tour the tabernacle, and perhaps listen in on a rehearsal of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. You might even get lucky and run into a free concert on the grounds.

Bonus: Our Favorite Places to Eat in Downtown SLC with Kids
– Caputos Market, an Italian Deli
– My Dough Girl Cookies
– Moochies as seen on Guy’s Drive Ins & Dives
– Kneader’s Bakery
– Red Iguana
– Blue Plate Diner
– The Mad Greek
– The Pie

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Thank you Vanessa for another amazing itinerary and the restaurant recommendations. Want more Vanessa? Check out her rookie mom tips for SLC, I Never Grew Up, Utah’s Natural Kids, or try to find her at one of SLC’s family-friendly restaurants.

Activity #560: Do It Yourself: the easiest ever baby shower gift

2010-03-09T00:09:43Z

My friend Deb is due to have a baby next month. It’s her first; she will be a rookie mom.

Since the gender of the baby is a surprise, shopping was more challenging than I had imagined. I settled on a Bumbo Baby Seat because I think it’s a clever invention, and because I appreciate that it is not hideously decorated with bunnies or neon colored fish.

I also wanted to add a handmade item to the gift because Deb is an exceptionally creative person and she believes that I am, too. I don’t want to let her down.

I have been reading online about freezer paper stenciling for quite sometime, but cutting an ornate pattern with an exacto knife seems daunting. Genius struck at 9 pm the night before the baby shower, however, and I realized that I don’t have to cut things out myself when I have craft punches.

I grabbed a circle punch and punched two, then three, then four circles out of some freezer paper. Placed the freezer paper onto the shirts, ironed, and painted. My design is simple, gender-neutral, and modern. I think Deb liked them and I heard someone in the shower crowd ask if they were from J. Crew. I’ll take that as a compliment.

The circle punch above is from Martha Stewart and is about $6 on Amazon. It’s my favorite toy.

Activity #173: Chase the garbage truck

2010-03-08T14:23:18Z

My friend Mike used to take his toddler Miles out for Garbage Truck Friday each week without fail. They did it for years. Their routine included picking up muffins from the local bakery and following the garbage truck all over Oakland for an hour or so. It was something that they both looked forward to.

I like this activity for all rookie parents but its especially fun as a regular father/son outing; it includes so many things that toddlers love:

~~Carbs~~Yummy breakfast
An easy excuse to spend time together
Quickie tradition (see Crock Pot Monday or Fearless Friday) to give structure to the week
Big vehicles (see scope out some big wheels)
A way to get someone small to willingly go to the car (ok, that one’s more a win for the parents)

No offense to the trash trucks in your town, but the ones in Oakland are sweet. They have long robotic arms that do all the work. If Mike and Miles had invited me, I think I would have happily joined in.

Yes I have two sons and they’re waaaaay into vehicles, but I think this activity could work for most toddlers. Let me know if it works for you!

Calling all single moms

2010-03-05T20:39:52Z

When I was a kid and my mom was single, she had a whole posse of single moms she hung out with. There were no online communities back then, so I’m really glad for her that she found nearby friends with whom she could swap dating stories and childcare.

Now that I’m a mom, I have a whole new understanding of the challenges single parents face. And that’s just the logistics. I can’t possibly understand the emotional and social experiences. But I’m seriously rooting for those folks.

I asked Rachel Sarah (pictured), a local bloggy friend and author of Single Mom Seeking: Playdates, Blind Dates, and Other Dispatches from the Dating World, to share a list of her favorite single mom blogs. (Since I started writing this post, I learned that a friend has recently become single, so I am especially glad to share this list.) I hope that some of you will find some support, humor, entertainment, and strength from reading these writers.

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By the time Rachel’s daughter was seven months old, she and her daughter’s father were over. He’d left the country to start a new life.

Eventually, it was time for her to start a new life, too. After two years of parenting solo, she decided to enter the dating scene again. But she wasn’t yet ready to dive in, maybe just splash in the shallows.

Along the way, she realized what really matters: family — her father, step-father, and sister step in all the time — and a fantastic group of friends. Rachel also went on to write a book about dating as a single mom: Single Mom Seeking: Play Dates, Blind Dates, and Other Dispatches from the Dating World (2007, Seal Press).

She launched her own blog in 2006 — Single Mom Seeking and has been listed as one of Babble’s Top 50 Bloggers in 2009.

She blogs about finding her own way: as a mom, a journalist, and a woman who has fallen deeply for a local goofball scientist.

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Here are the single mom sites I think are most helpful for new moms who are suddenly single (by surprise or by choice) who could use some community.

Singlemommyhood: Disclaimer… I co-founded this blog with Dr. Leah Klungness, a psychologist and the co-author of the award-winning book The Complete Single Mother. Dr. Leah is also known as “The Sanity Fairy”… you can imagine why.

CoParenting 101: Launched by an amazing mother and father who divorced and now co-parent: “After our marriage ended, we became the poster-children for divorce amongst our circle of friends and colleagues. We wished we could have been the poster children for successful marriage, but it didn’t work out that way…”

Ewokmama: Crystal, single mom of a son in S.F., engaged to “my amazing fiancé. I work at a software company (surprise!) and Jack attends the best daycare EVER when he is not spending time with me or at his second home with his dad.”

Momma Sunshine: Single mom of two lovely little girls, a dreamer, an unsuccessful wannabe vegetarian, a blogger, a lover of chocolate, a coffee addict, a runner, an eating disorder survivor, and a hopeless romantic who would rather let my heart make my decisions for me.” She often writes about her long-distance relationship with single dad blogger Canadian Bald Guy.

Solo Mother: Christina began her adventure as a single mother in late 2006 with four suitcases, $400 and a kid who would turn four in a matter of months. Today, she is a communications professional by day–and by night, a passionate writer about the life and times of single parenthood in all its forms. Short on sleep but long on interests, she finds time to throw pots (wheel, not wall) and pursue other dreams; housework can wait.

QT Mama :She’s hilarious! “I’ve been a single mom since November of 2006, and what an adventure it is. For the first time in my life, I take out my own garbage. I pick up dog poop. Okay, really? I pay someone else to do it because it makes me gag. I cut lawn, shovel snow, pay my own bills and have what I consider to be a kick ass life….Did you know that telling a man that I am a single mom, has for me, at times, been like using a spray-on man repellent?

The Quest for T: Another disclaimer: One of my real life blogging friends in Texas who recently reconnected with a guy from high school on Facebook… and has fallen in love.

She has two daughters and “great co-parenting relationship and friendship” with her ex-husband. “I am wordy, introspective, in-your-face, a little crazy, moody, painfully honest, weak, strong, positive, negative and everything in between.”

Me and my Monsters…. An adoptive mom. I’m in awe of this 30-year-old “single Christian African American mom” who “became a foster parent in Feb 2007 and adopted 2 biracial boys (known as Boogy and Destructo on this blog)… They are currently ages 3 & 5. I am currently in the research stage for adoption #2. I am determined to adopt an infant girl this time…. I am considering adoption from Ethiopia, Foster Care, Haiti and Jamaica in that order.”

Want more from Rachel? Read her book!

Parenting trends: hot + cool colors

2010-03-03T22:20:51Z

When I walked into the studio for speesees organic baby clothing last month, I was instantly enchanted by the color combos of the apparel on display. The proprietress, Rachel, was wearing a striking palette herself – a hot red sweater paired with a cool turquoise shirt. Over the next few weeks, I found this pairing all around me. It must be the new hottest (or coolest) thing. Is red the new pink? And aqua is the new blue?

I like it.

Pictured above:

Dragon onesie from Etsy
Horsie kimono-style onesie from speesees
Firetruck birthday invite from PaperCulture.com
Book: Hot Mama: How to Have a Babe and Be a Babe by Karen Salmansohn
Western Chief Infant/Toddler Cherry Print Rain Boot

Shirt and skirt from Noah and Lilah on Etsy.

Activity #571: Make an easy swaddling blanket

2010-03-03T20:41:35Z

DIY mamas-to-be and wannabes: This is one easy project that will give you bang for your $5.

When shopping for receiving blankets, it seems that there are 3 kinds of totally WRONG kinds of blankets: cute but stretchy, too small, or not square. Uggh! For a true Harvey-Karp-style swaddle, you need a biggish piece of flannel or muslin fabric cut in a square.

Excerpted from both our book, Rookie Mom’s Handbook and our real lives is this super fast way of making the best big-enough receiving blanket:

Activity # 11: Make the best (or worst) swaddling blanket

If making something with your hands is fun for you and having a well-rested baby is something else you like, then this activity is right up your alley.

Buy a 40″ by 40″ piece of flannel with a cute pattern and then finish (or hem) the edges. A perfect square makes the best swaddler, but any shape will do for a stroller blanket or play mat — so if it comes out deformed, everybody still wins.

Pay no attention to the couple piles of adorable flannel in my sewing pile… I swear that those are for friends and their future babies, and not cuz I couldn’t handle this project.

Related links:
Happiest Baby on the Block (dvd) – to teach you to wrap your perfect swaddle
Rookie Mom’s Handbook – to teach you how to enjoy becoming a mom
Activity #387: Make or buy a fuzzy, sassy, personalized baby blanket – to teach you how to make a totally cute stroller blanket

Rookie Moms nostalgia: a look at February

2010-03-02T04:37:49Z

Hey, if we haven’t thanked you enough lately, please know that Heather and I truly appreciate you guys reading our site.

Here are our most popular posts this month:

Make some easy kids pants
Newborn Shopping List: What to register for and what to buy
Go to a theater where crying is allowed
Decorate baby clothes with fabric paint
5 tips to stay sane when traveling with a baby
Sew a quick newborn hat from a tshirt
Make an easy swaddling blanket
About Us (!)
On being a sexy mama instead of just a mama
Test driving a Lincoln MKT (from here to Disneyland) and since that’s a giveaway post that is now closed (congrats to Amy who won $500!) I’m going to put a bonus link…
5 activities to keep your relationship strong

Also, we really appreciate the folks who link to RookieMoms.com.

Top 10 referring sites (excluding social networks) for February were:

TheBump.com’s FB page.
Allcrafts.net
AintNoMomJeans.net
CoolMomPicks.com
http://www.kostenlose-schnittmuster.de/ (I cannot understand a single thing on this website, but I gather it’s about sewing.)
CoolMom.com
BabyBunching
Babble.com
SewMamaSew.com
CafeMom.com

Thanks so much, guys!

If you have something cool to show us, post a link to a flickr photo or a blog post here. We love showing off cool stuff moms (and dads) are doing with their sidekicks.

Spend a week in Las Vegas (with a) baby!

2010-03-01T17:38:25Z

Vicky, a mom of toddler boy/girl twins, blogs at TheCityCradle.com. I’m not sure when she found the time to write up her favorite spots in Las Vegas for moms and babies, but I’m glad she did.

Vegas babies: Vicky's twins at Lake Las Vegas

Vicky tells us:
While Las Vegas doesn’t carry the reputation for being the most baby friendly city around, I find it to be filled with attention-grabbing baby activities. Living here the first year of my twins life forced me to get to know the more family-friendly side of this city. Here are a few of my favorite finds from my rookie year of momhood:

Monday: Experience the Springs Preserve
The springs preserve might be one of the best kept family secrets in Las Vegas. A beautiful 110 acre park filled with nature trails, a western-themed playground, live desert animal exhibits and a learning discovery center. The whole park is super baby friendly offering stroller rentals (even double!), and enough sights to fill your kid’s senses for the day.

A cafeteria style Wolfgang Puck restaurant with outdoor highchair seating offers you a chance to experience the gourmet chef side of Las Vegas in a kid-friendly atmosphere. Spend the afternoon just crawling around the grassy amphitheater, and stay for an evening concert in the summer.

Tuesday: Walk the strip
When you think of Vegas, you think of the strip. My favorite strip spot to take the babies is the Bellagio Hotel. One of the nicest hotels right in the center of the action, the Bellagio has very clean and extra large bathrooms that all have separate sitting (nursing) areas. You’ll wish your nursing area at home was just as lovely. Walking outside the singing and dancing fountains will capture a good 15 minutes of baby bliss for you. Inside there is a flower conservatory which changes each season and is an amazing display to enjoy. While visiting why not take a quick stroll through Tiffany’s and remind the hubby what a great job you are doing as a rookie mom!

Wednesday- Hit the gym
The Las Vegas Athletic Club (or LVAC) is a truly amazing gym. If you are looking for a relaxing yoga class or a week of workouts, this is your place. With each week (or year) membership you get two hours of childcare a day for up to 2 babies included. The kid’s play area has a gigantic play structure and very gracious staff who really seem to love on the kids. Most wonderful of all they have video and sound monitors that you can plug into at any machine throughout the club. It was perfect for me as a rookie mom to check in when I was nervous about leaving our babies. The club also has a full cafe and espresso bar so you can use part of your two hours to rest, read and sip a latte.

Thursday- Enjoy Town Square
Town Square is wins the “most valued baby outing” award. This outdoor shopping area has hundreds of my favorite stores, large sidewalks and good coffee. The outdoor play area has a water pad for the hot summers, a stage with real curtains for make-believe plays, and tree houses complete with toy kitchens. Plus the whole area is gated off- a major plus for rookie moms.

There is also a tall (perfectly manicured) grass maze for older kids to explore. After playing for a while, head to one of my favorite restaurants, Yard House, which has an amazing happy hour from 3-6pm, including kids meals. It is loud, cheap and has over a hundred different kinds of beer on tap making it a great place to take your somewhat fussy babies.

Friday: Explore a boutique
Sadly, Las Vegas doesn’t have many independent baby boutiques which makes Pattycakes that much more special. It is worth a peak into for its adorable baby lines with hand crafted and unique touches. It also has a lovely princess tea room in the back where you can schedule a mother/daughter tea party complete with jeweled crowns and fancy white gloves.

Saturday: Enter into a Western
A short drive from the lights of Las Vegas proper and you will find yourself in what seems like an old Western Movie. Bonnie Springs Ranch was one of my favorite outings growing up in this city. There is an old Western town set up where they do reenactments of old fashioned gun fights and hangings. There is a petting zoo and a handful of ducks you can feed at their outdoor pond.

Sunday: Head to the Lake
End your week with a jaunt out to Lake Las Vegas. This is a private lake with a beautiful shopping area. We love the wine and cheese tastings and there is a wonderful gelato shop right on the water. They have a huge grass area with large trees for shade and small hills for the babies to practice their crawling or new-found running skills. They also host a skating rink in the winter and movies by the water in the summer to enjoy together as a family.

Timestamp a monthly baby photo

2010-02-25T04:48:10Z

How cute is this series of photos from Hey Jen Renee? She created a printout for each month of her daughter’s first year and took a photo of her baby girl “holding” it.

At the end of the year, she printed the twelve photos and placed them in an accordion fold-style photo album so that they could all be seen next to each other.

And because I love YOU so much, I created a Word document that looks like Jen’s calendar page that you can use and update each month to fit the day that matches your baby’s birthdate. Download it here.

Create a toddler naptime playlist

2010-02-24T19:23:41Z

My friend and parenting expert, Julie King, had a rookie baby who would not sleep once he reached the toddler age. Once he figured out that better things were going on in the other room, he resisted.

Together with her friend and co-author, Joanna Faber, they created Asher’s Dance and Rest Tape to trick the savage toddler into napping.

Julie told me:

Joanna came up with the concept and then made the tape for me (and Asher) years ago, when I was having trouble getting him to calm down and nap (and I had his new baby brother to juggle). As a classical pianist who only listens to pop music when someone force-feeds me and have no idea what I’m hearing, I was at a loss when it came to picking actual music, so she came to my rescue.

It has about 30 to 45 minutes of music, and it goes from very lively dance music, to calmer dance music, to soothing, ending with Gregorian Chants.

I would always do it with Asher (or else he wouldn’t do it), and we would start off with wild dancing, and then get slower and slower, and by the time the Gregorian chants came we’d be lying on the floor on a blanket, and he would take his nap on the floor.

I’d love to put together a Rookie Mom’s Dance and Rest Playlist together. We’ll need fast songs (like the move it, move it song) all the way through sleepy songs or chants. Who’s with me?!