The Attachment Parenting Carnival is up!

Feed With Love and Respect Blog Carnival

My post on "Feeding with respect: Stopping when they're full" is up there, as are, of course, a collection of other wonderful contributions, such as from Breastfeeding Moms Unite!, Authentic Parenting, Maman A Droit, Living Peacefully With Children, Happy Mothering, and more.

I won't put the specific links since I think the idea is to visit AttachmentParenting.org. So, go do that, and enjoy!

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Mikko has a fear-based obsession with Humpty Dumpty. I didn't introduce him to this rhyme, but he saw it somewhere or other — I sometimes wonder why we consider certain rhymes and stories appropriate for children. Mikko's obsession might have to do with his own propensity to clumsiness (I mean, he's 2!), but he's much taken with — and frightened by — the story of the egg that fell and could never again be repaired. Whenever he sees something fall or teeter, he turns to me and says, "Like Humpy Dumpy!"

Funny enough, though, his preschool teacher just told us that Mikko's balance is much improved. Such is 2-year-old development, hey? I have actually been encouraging him to walk along logs and parking curbs, but I swear we were not otherwise running him through an intensive balance-improvement regimen.

Mikko would probably appreciate it, though. You don't want to end up "like Humpy Dumpy."

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There is a pretty stinking cool cosleeping contest going on right now. It's open to writers who support cosleeping — bloggers and non-bloggers alike.

The creators of the book Are You Co-Sleeping? Me Too! are looking for some short "feel good" essays to head seven of the chapters. The essays need to be 250 words max (short!) and on one of these seven topics:

1. Oppression or negativity you've received (Mother-in-law, parents, media, doctors, general society).
2. How bed-sharing helped your parenting experience.
3. How it helped extend breastfeeding duration.
4. How you got better sleep.
5. A Dad’s perspective, written by a Dad.
6. How it saved your child’s life.
7. How you intended to use a crib, and chose not to.

The seven winning essays will be included in the book when it's released next month, and one grand-prize winner will receive a Humanity Family Sleeper cosleeping pad. I totally wanted one of those when I started cosleeping, but finances being what they were... It's a $200 value, so all in all, these are some pretty sweet prizes.

The contest is open internationally, and you submit the entry directly to them, so you don't need your own blog.

Go to www.CosleepingSurvey.com and submit your entry by Mar. 23.

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You know how I resolved to stop swearing around Mikko?

I don't think I've been doing too badly, but Mikko's still picked up the odd phrase here and there, which he delights in repeating — cheerfully and loudly.

Lately Sam's been helping him morph objectionable phrases into new, innocuous ones, which he will then repeat just as delightedly as the inappropriate version.

My favorite?

"Just a buck!"

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Well, I intended to include a couple more news items, but I was sorting through baby clothes to lend to a friend who's due this summer with her first, and a certain 2-year-old wanted to help me sort his old clothes and try them on his babies, and ... well, long story short, there are baby clothes everywhere.

Talk to you later!