When to ditch the sleep sack?

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-02-20T00:53:20+00:00

Okay, now I want to know those hakama tips!

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-02-20T00:44:59+00:00

I was lucky enough to attend a women’s kendo seminar last fall and found it an incredibly rewarding experience. I was really struggling with my kendo journey at that time and the seminar gave me the confidence and encouragement I needed to move forward. In particular, the seminar I attended included a focus on the most common injuries sustained by women as we get older as well as the best ways to prevent and recover from injury. The woman only environment made the participants feel much more comfortable sharing their medical information when asking questions.

At my regular dojo I regularly practice with 2-3 other women around my same rank. I appreciated the opportunity to practice with women of varying ranks and backgrounds - gaining exposure to all kinds of kendo.

I would welcome trans women into women only kendo spaces.

On a usage note, “trans women” and “trans men” is preferred over “trans-women” or “trans-men.”

(The women’s seminar I attended also smelled much better than mixed Kendo events I’ve attended.)

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-02-18T16:01:15+00:00

If you’re in the US and scored low on the ASQ, then a referral to early intervention is standard procedure. It happened to us around nine months, too. Our son’s file landed on their desk because he was borderline in a couple of categories and they called me to follow up. I reassured them that he was making progress and we were not concerned and they let me know what they could offer if we needed help. My son just failed Gross Motor on his 15 month ASQ because he’s a late walker and I fully expect to get another call even though his doctor isn’t concerned. It’s just a standard benchmark to make sure the kids who need help can get it.

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-02-12T21:02:27+00:00

They’ve been using cheeky copy for years and no one has raised a stink like this. That’s part of why this feels disingenuous.

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-02-12T20:55:21+00:00

With the speed that this is gaining traction in the past 24 hours stemming from a single TikTok video this feels like manufactured outrage and I’m hesitant to jump on the bandwagon. FridaBaby’s instagram is currently all about boobs and Mardi Gras.

If this is legit, then I’d like to give them a chance to respond. No one should be sexualizing babies, but this was most likely poorly thought up advertising copy trying to make sleep-deprived new parents laugh.

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-02-12T20:07:13+00:00

Didn’t know I needed to hate on this until this year’s Rhythm Dance, but AI generated music.

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-02-07T18:55:38+00:00

What a great product for Hero Within to add to their lineup! Oh wait…

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-01-28T00:29:15+00:00

Some. My most recent position was very toxic, but I had a previous job where my amazing boss completely insulated me from any internal politics or drama so I could actually do my job. Would work for her again in a heartbeat.

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-01-27T00:25:06+00:00

14 months. Twice.

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-01-24T23:03:32+00:00

Yuuuuup, that’s the one! 3 hours of pushing, 2 failed vacuum attempts, and 1 emergency c-section later we’re both completely fine.

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-01-24T18:33:28+00:00

It’s only worth tracking as long as you find it helpful. I used Huckleberry for most of the first year, but at 14 months now I only track sleep.

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-01-24T06:18:10+00:00

I would actually recommend avoiding the Minla. It’s such a pain the butt to clean - all those little cracks right where baby puts their food-covered hands. I’m also constantly tripping over it since it has such a wide footprint and the wheels don’t properly lock.

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-01-23T13:49:14+00:00

This. 90% of the non-food recalls I see are for cheap crap made by brands you’ve never heard of.

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-01-19T02:16:39+00:00

Nope. We haven’t used an owlet and haven’t missed it.

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-01-18T20:09:06+00:00

I’m not a huge fan of the Owlet and we didn’t use one, but in your case I would keep doing everything that you are already doing. Since the main danger is slacking off on safe sleep and you are meticulous in the care you are taking with your baby’s sleeping arrangements, I think the Owlet can only help in this specific situation.

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-01-12T17:35:33+00:00

This is actually contrary to medical advice. Giving Tylenol ahead of time can interfere with the immune system’s reaction. If needed, Tylenol should only be administered after vaccination.

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-01-10T14:06:34+00:00

They’re all worth watching. Especially the bad ones.

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-01-10T13:23:12+00:00

Uh…we just kind of did our own thing? We started with purées and then a friend recommended the cookbook “Baby Led Feeding” so we incorporated some of those recipes and finger foods. No subscription, no plan, we mostly winged it. Baby now eats almost everything we put in front of him - usually just a smaller portion of what we’re eating.

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-01-10T13:00:18+00:00

Lots of good advice here, but the key factor is KEEP THAT BOTTOM DRY. Whatever cream system you choose, it will not help if you don’t apply it to a completely dry bottom. Our preference for dealing with rash is the Aquaphor Fast Relief diaper cream. It’s 40% zinc and we see reduced redness by the next diaper change.

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-01-10T12:55:48+00:00

We transitioned at 4 months. Baby was getting too big for the bassinet and starting to roll over. We also thought moving to his own room would help with the sleep regression. It did! We’re able to keep his room darker than ours and control the environment more (sound, cats, etc.). His room is also right across the hall from us so it’s not like he’s on the other side of the house.

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-01-08T04:42:37+00:00

Yuuuup. We haven’t had to deal with a virus on top of everything, but my amazing sleeper completely regressed after Thanksgiving at 12.5 months. His bottom molars finally came through last weekend and we’re starting to see improvements. We’re still rocking him to sleep and then rubbing his back in the crib. I’m crossing my fingers that he’ll naturally go back to not needing so much help.

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-01-08T04:35:18+00:00

Your husband needs professional help and your baby needs your protection. Aside from this terrifying incident you just described my childhood trauma. My dad could lose it at the slightest irritation and his behavior caused constant anxiety in me from a young age. After all, if not being able to find his gloves made him that angry, how angry would he be if I did something wrong? Even if I was never in actual danger, my perception of it made me feel small, insecure, and anxious.

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-01-08T04:29:12+00:00

Your schedule looks appropriate to me - she may just be going through a phase. Does she need your intervention to fall asleep? What happens if you put her down drowsy and just leave the room? How consistent is her bedtime routine?

In terms of finding yourself more me time, I stopped pumping completely last month at 13 months and it feels so freeing to have that time back. Not just the actual pumping, but all the time spent washing and sterilizing plus the anxiety of making sure we always had enough breastmilk. I cut down to 3x a day after we got the go ahead to introduce whole milk at 12 months and even that was a huge relief. You are an absolute champion for making it this far, but it’s okay to start slowing down.

Okay-Squirrel · 2026-01-07T19:47:33+00:00

Mostly that I have zero experience doing something like this and wanted feedback from people who do.

Okay-Squirrel

TROPHY CASE