Baby won't sleep? Try a Lovey Blankie!

I know its been a while since I last posted, but if you read my last post I'm sure you understand my reasoning.  Looking after a 2 1/2 yr old, a 1 year old, and being pregnant is exhausting! 

This is why I LOVE nap time :)   Right now the only noise I hear is the distant sound of my daughter's classical music echoing from her room and the rhythmic sound of the rain outside, its so peaceful.  But if you have small kids at home nap time and bedtime may be a challenge for you.  I totally get that!  My daughter came home from the hospital wide awake and very alert. I thought  babies were supposed to eat, sleep, and poop. 

Mine didn't sleep.

After 4 long months of sleep exhaustion I asked our pediatrician if he had any advice to help her sleep.  He suggested sleep training (which I HIGHLY recommend), a consistent routine, and some sort of lovey (small toy or blanket) to transfer attachment away from me.  It was genius!  After just a few difficult nights our daughter was sleeping peacefully in her crib for most of the night (and I was a very happy mama). 

My daughter and "Mr. Giraffe"-her lovey

When we brought our 2nd baby home from the hospital I knew I would establish a routine right off the bat.  And although our son seemed to get the whole sleeping thing on his own, I still decided to give him a "lovey" when he was around 5 months of age.  My daughter's lovey (that she still sleeps with) is a little pink giraffe.  His neck was the perfect size for her little arms to hold.  My son however did hot have any nice cuddly stuffed animals that would make suitable lovies, so I took matters into my own hands and made his this adorable little blankie:

Lovey Blanket measures 14" across

 

I gave him his blankie to hold every night as I fed him and prepared him for bed.  He soon began to associate his blankie with bedtime! 

 

 

 

My son is now 13 months old and totally adores his lovey blanket.  Sometimes he crawls up to his crib, reaches his chubby little hand through the bars and grabs his blankie as a means to tell me that he is ready for bed.  Its a wonderful thing!

 

 

He also loves playing peek-a-boo with his blankie!

 

 

Whats not to love about a lovey??? But it gets even better.  In a parenting magazine I read that experts suggest a "transitional object" for your child around 6 months of age to help with separation anxiety. A Lovey Blanket from Gouldthreads is the perfect solution!!!  So what are you waiting for?

 

email gould.threads@yahoo.com to place an order or visit me on facebook

Spring has Sprung!

Spring is finally here after a looooong cold winter (for those of us in Western PA anyways).  Nothing is more exciting than the first warm day of spring followed by signs of new life popping up all over.   I think my hyacinths are my favorite spring flowers.  Their fragrant smell greets me each time I walk up the steps to my front door. 

 

dafidilles are pretty too :)

 

 

Speaking of new life....

 

its a little hard to see but the yellow egg on the end says "baby #3"

 

My husband and I are expecting our 3rd child!  The initial shock is finally wearing off and we are starting to get excited about this new addition (our oldest is currently 2 1/2 and my baby just turned 1 so things are about to get pretty busy over here!) 

 

The baby is due mid October which happens to coincide with my busiest time of year!  That being said, I'm not sure what this will mean for GouldThreads.   Feel free to start fall/Halloween, winter/Christmas orders now!   I will keep you updated on the status of my business.  For now I plan to keep crocheting away :) 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of crocheting.....

 

I have been working on some orders again (now that my energy has returned) and am totally in love with my newest creation:

 

 

Isn't this little bumblebee hat adorable!  This was a custom order to be given as a gift for a bee-keeper.  Its for a little girl so I added a scalloped edge and flower for a feminine touch but it could be made without for a boy as well! 

 

Another fun spring accessory for little girls is the large flower headband.  I wore these on my daughter a lot in her first year before her hair had much length 

 

 

They are pretty on older girls too though!

 

 

 

As always, if you would like to place an order please email me at gould.threads@yahoo.com or find me on facebook.