You might already know that I think bare feet are funner than fun. But did you know that they are also a sockortunity? Now you know! And how do we answer that call of duty? Each person has their own style ... you may use pants-that-are-also-socks, socks-that-are-also-pants or pick out a tiny pair from your baby sock collection ... or you may even use leg-warmers, if you count them as socks (??) and are doing EC in a cold climate.
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Yes, some baby sleeping aids also double as sock collecting devices, although they are not marketed that way. And some baby carriers, should, in my opinion, be marketed as sock loosing devices. The aforementioned products will be listed below. 1) The Swaddle: We liked the swaddle. We warmed towards its charms slowly as it proved itself by helping Yuval sleep more soundly as she got progressively used to it. We were not able to use large "Tetra" swaddling cloths as our baby would break free or loosen everything up almost immediately, even if the cloth was wrapped meticulously. A second hand swaddle with velcro that my Mom bought in the US, saved the day, or should I say saved the night, and all the nights until Yuval was three months old. At this point, the swaddle became too small and she would easily get her hands or a single hand loose, looking like she was ready for the rodeo flaying her arm about. Rodeo or no rodeo, the socks could be found at the bottle of the swaddle. 2) The Bigger Swaddle: The Bigger swaddle was full of promise. It came from a close friend, Hadas, who didn't need it anymore and it saved us from a few more "Rodeo Nights." But every night is so important when you are losing sleep as fast as a public laundry mat looses socks. I wanted that swaddle so bad that I picked it up from my friend's yard without even waiting to see her. Her husband put it out on their table outside right next to a chunk of meat they were apparently defrosting. Glad I didn't grab that instead! And, guess what, it was exactly the same as Yuval's swaddle but much bigger --and so was she-- so it was a good match. Apparently though, although it still calmed her to be swaddled (and we loved the immediate effect), during the night and during naps, she was just too active and we would find her escaping her loving entrapment, Socks though, calm and secure even if they fell off her feet. 3) The Sleeping Sacs: Sleep Sacs, that's where we are now. We use them now according to the weather and the temperature in the room in which she is sleeping. It also gives her a sense that night time is here. Honestly, we just started using them so I don't have a whole lot to say except that the direction is good. Also these wearable blankets protect me from my own concerns re: blankets loose in the crib. And socks ... well they end up at the bottom much more frequently since the baby is able to truly and fully kick about. Note: Re: My belief in no blankets in the crib is not a common concern in this country ... but in the US it feels almost like an unwritten law, at least in the literature that I read. 4) The First Snuggly: Our first snuggly looked like it came straight out of the 70's --and I think it actually did. Inbar Yosifoon of Shoemaker, gave it to us especially for use with a newborn. Even in July, she seemed a little eskimo wrapped up in its comfort. My one complaint is that it folded her up around my body and I always felt the need to support her back so that she could lie straight. No socks found their way into this device because she was strictly pants-that-are-also-socks at the time. 5) The Carrier: Definitely the way to roll. Especially, for me, when I was still a bit nervous about taking the baby down and up the stairs with the stroller+bassinet plus the dog all at once and all alone. This device helps you loose socks. It is especially good if you are trying to slim down your baby sock collection or are more interested in collecting lone socks and not pairs. It looks a bit intimidating before you figure out how to put it on. Everyone I introduced it to (my husband, grandmas and grandpas, and a friend) all got that glazed look in their eyes when I started to demonstrate how to put it on. It also took me a while to understand how to have it worn baby-face-forward without covering the baby's face, but the trick in the reversible snap at the top of the baby pocket is the bomb (once you figure out how it operates). Another plus-- Yuval loves to mouth the texture of this carrier. Maybe Dana Farber, who gave it to us after use with her two daughter covered it in sweetness! There are pros and cons to going secondhand on babygear, you get first hand info on what people already researched and chose, but sometimes you don't get the nifty booklets that come with the products to explain all their features. Its all give n' take and its really all give n' take. Btw, once I did brave those stairs with the stroller it was totally NAP (Not A Problem). The baby carrier then becomes another option of many (Bassinet, Pushchair, Carseat with Stroller Base ...). I think we will be using this carrier for a while to come, while minding our socks-- that's for sure!
Galya Galya Flint Rosenfeld, Sock Collector Extraordinaire As you may have guessed by now, this blog is only slightly about sock collecting and mostly about getting used to Motherhood. Collecting socks is about collecting moments and the memories attached to them. Tracking socks seems to trace the steps of my family members, even the most littlest member of my family, Yuval, who doesn't walk yet at age 4.5 months.
This blog is about what makes me feel cozy, what makes me feel protected and what makes me feel prepared. And in a way, this blog is about this blog. I love blogs and hate blogs as an outsider looking in because I have never started one before. Blogs seem tedious and full of navel-gazing to me most of the time, but blogs by other people have also both inspired me and helped me. About the navel-gazing, well for me it will be more about looking down at my own two feet, folded cozily on the couch before me. I hope that other people will find this open journal helpful, relevant and meaningful in some way, I hope I can make you smile and that you too will remember to look at your own two feet and feel grounded, never alone. Thank you for indulging me and giving me your attention ... Galya Galya Flint Rosenfeld Sock Collector Extraordinaire. When socks are also pants and when pants are also socks, it's a special phase in life and especially a special phase in the life of a baby and her family. My family is still in this Pants-plus-socks Phase and we don't even see the end of the tunnel. But we are also not exclusively Pants-plus-socks ... We too have options especially since we live in a warm climate. I especially like the 'sockportunities' that this affords us. After all, bare footsies are funner than fun!
Galya Galya Flint Rosenfeld, Sock Collector Extraordinaire. At this stage we were still counting Yuval's age in days. She was born with a full head of hair, naturally dark or just still coated in vernix, making it look black and stick-straight. We wondered why she didn't look like us at all. But, more importantly, she was born with something else that was full-grown ... Nails! To protect her face from the sharpness of her fingers, and because we were told not to cut her nails during the first month of her life, we promptly covered up her hands in socks. Snug as a bug, she was, looking like a little penguin, swatting around with pastel wings. Her black, matted and sleek hair, and especially her bird like shrills, all added to the magic -- I had just given birth to a penguin. It was clear. In the warmth of July, we were still dressing her in two layers of long sleeve tops until on one warm evening, my Doula came by. Anne-Valerie took one look at our bundle and said, "Socks for hands, come on guys!?" ... She needs to discover the borders if her own body, she needs to do that with her hands. She needs to discover her face. And that's when the Hand-Sock Phase came to an abrupt end. A few scratches later, at sbout one month of age, we stopped dressing her so warmly.
Galya Galya Flint Rosenfeld Sock Collector Extraordinaire. Yes, I collect socks. And I'm not the only one. Not special socks, regular socks, you know the ones that keep your feet warm, warmer, or cool and dry. After I decided that I wanted to delve further into this sock collecting habit of mine, I realized exactly how important socks are to me. I remembered that when my 3.5 months old daughter dropped a sock on one of our walks, I almost went all the way back to find it. Why? A simple pink sock. Well, it made the outfit. It made a drab, boyish look come alive with the contrast. And a few days after that, one foot dangled from her Snuggly, all bare and exposed to the breeze while the other was swathed in grey cotton. You guessed it-- I raced back to find the missing piece. Socks, to me are our most intimate, public accessory. They traverse, oh so quietly, straddling the borders between public and private. And those are just my daughter׳s feet! Mine enjoy the cozy comfort of a full sock drawer. Sometimes I don't dare done my favorite pairs and prefer the snuggly comfort of the tried and true, the loyal pairs that seem to never let me down. There are socks for sleeping, socks for sport and even those that take the beating of my shoeless feet while I trudge around my apartment.
My husbands socks, do I really need to tell you about them? Well, to cover all my bases -- there are two categories, the socks he had before we met and those seeped in the memories of choosing new ones together. Of course, once worn, socks are barely new, and in addition, I, frankly, have taught myself to detest new clothes, even the tiniest pair of machine knitted socks. What harm did they do? Well, the trouble is that I just don't know. Who made them and under what conditions? [More on that here...]. All of my daughter, Yuval's socks are hand me downs or gifts. What would happen if I lined them all up end to end? How far would we get around the house. And she still has a lot of growing to do! So, sock collector extraordinaire? Or just someone who folds the laundry like everybody else wondering "Where do all the lonely socks go?" Galya Galya Flint Rosenfeld, Sock Collector Extraordinaire. |
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