If you were going to have a baby . . . and I was going to give you another gift – it would be a ring sling.
(That is, in addition to an amber necklace.)
Nine months in and nine months out.
Like a stubborn mule, I have had to keep relearning a simple lesson -- motherhood requires a dying to self.
Successful and purposeful motherhood requires an almost continual abandonment towards discipleship and the dispensing of unconditional love towards the maturing littles before you.
Giving. Giving some more. Teaching. Re-teaching what you just taught. Holding. Letting go. Holding one second later. Up – down – up – down. Wiping. Lots of wiping.
I clearly remember saying, “I just want to get something done.”
Embarrassed that when the Engineer came home . . . there were dishes everywhere. I was still in my pajamas from two nights ago . . . and dinner was still at the grocery store.
And laundry? Still hanging up from when one of the grandma’s placed it there while I was in labor.
After that first baby was born it seemed like NOTHING got done. (Which I laugh at now . . . four children later. I had so much time on my hands back then.)
It’s not surprising that nothing got done.
I was a lactating mess who was trying to create unnecessary structure for an infant that just wanted to be held . . . because he had been held the past nine months.
I thought I might damage my newborn if I held him a lot.
Crazy.
And then I purchased a sling.
My mothering career took a new turn. I learned how to nurture. For some people this comes naturally.
For me . . . I had to learn.
I’m still learning.
I can be a very gruff mother bear.
But the sling, or rather baby wearing, opened my eyes and calmed my baby . . . Baby Asher.
My grandma gave me a sewing machine. I wanted other moms to know about baby slings and be able to afford them. Fruit of Her Hands, later renamed to The Cocoon Wrap Mama, was birthed.
A WAHM business. (Work-at-home-mom.)
I haven’t turned back . . . some 500+ slings later.
But there comes a time when a mom is called to something else. I’m not leaving my baby wearing behind . . . but I am passing the business on to someone else.
Someone who excels at baby wearing . . . delights in sling making . . . is passionate about providing a safe, not to mention beautiful, carrier for parents and caregivers to nurture their little’s in.
I wanted to be able to recommend someone to you who . . .
- homeschooled
- had an etsy site
- blogged
- tweeted
- was on Facebook
- was passionate
- used the same rings as myself
- homebirthed
- lived in Indiana
- and cared about safety or rather common sense
Basically . . . kind of like me. But not. Better.
And I found someone.
Not only that, but I told Beth, owner of BabyEtte, that I was seeking to find someone to recommend . . . as I was closing up my etsy shop, at least the sling making portion of it.
I wanted to recommend her.
She sent me a sling.
I adore it.
And in honor of my retirement, you can benefit. Beth has graciously offered to give one away in honor of my retirement.
So . . . enter to win ONE of the following:
Mandantory: Which of the above slings would you like to win? Go to the BabyEtte website first to browse and let me know!
Extra Entries (make sure to list each entry as a separate comment):
- Tweet daily, making sure to include to include @GranolaMom4God in your verbage (is that a word?).
- Subscribe to my blog, so that you can learn about my other baby must-haves.
- Like Granola Mom 4 God on Facebook .. . and share about the giveaway on Facebook.
- Become a Fan!
- Like BabyEtteBoutique on Facebook and leave Beth a kind comment! Link to her even!
- Follow @BabyEtteEtsy on Twitter
Contest ends: Midnight, September 9, 2011. Winner will be notified by email and given 48 hours to respond. Open to US only (sorry).
