The Gift of Warmth
>> 1.08.2010
May God grant you always...A sunbeam to warm you, a moonbeam to charm you, a sheltering Angel so nothing can harm you. Laughter to cheer you. Faithful friends near you. And whenever you pray, Heaven to hear you.
Irish Blessing
After I posted about the new online publication Rhythm of the Home, Lindsey from Memoirs of a Housewife fell in love with it just as I did. However, Lindsey actually has some knitting skills so when she saw the pattern for the newborn cocoon, she did not have to simply gaze longingly at it, while jabbing herself repeatedly in the index finger with a knitting needle, bleeding, and mumbling incoherently about the unfairness of the right-handed world. (If you cannot tell... I am having a bit of trouble getting my knitting ball rolling, so to speak- although I can cast on like you wouldn't believe...over...and over...and over again.)
Well, Lindsey took pity on my little one and his un-crafty Mama and did the most wonderful, beautiful thing; she sent Liam a cocoon!
I have been wanting to get him down to his diaper and show everyone how precious he looks snuggled in it, but I have not had the time for a genuine photo session; these more practical pictures will just have to do.
We have been using the cocoon like mad. We swaddle Liam in a receiving blanket and then stuff him inside. It is just his size! He looks like an adorable little caterpillar and it keeps him so cozy and warm.
He looks quite content, don't you think? With Liam being such a little guy, keeping him warm is a top priority. Cold stress can make preemies very ill, very fast. In NICU, the babies are swaddled (sometimes with 2 blankets) and then layered with two or three cozy blankets on top. Obviously, because of SIDS... this is not an option at home and we have been struggling to find a balance between keeping his crib clear of blankets and keeping him nice and warm. The cocoon is our answer. Liam stays warm and Mama stays sane.
What a little peanut!(Please kindly ignore the fact that the cocoon is inside out. Diaper changes in the middle of the night rarely include a thought coherant enough to fix things like this.)
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Also, thank you Lindsey and Toni for the blog awards. I have not had a chance to pass them on, but I do appreciate you taking the time to recognize my blog and I will get on it as soon as possible!
11 comments:
OH MY GOSH!!! He looks so adorable in it and I'm sooooooo soooooo glad you guys love it so much!! I can't wait to post pictures of Hunter in hers. Yay for baby cocoons!!
This is really amazing! I've never seen a baby cocoon, but would have loved it when Maddie was smaller.
And, Liam looks so warm and cozy inside it! :)
What a sweet gift. Liam looks great in it all bundled and warm.
I just have to say THANK YOU for posting about preemies and needing to stay warm and for showing Liam in a hat! I got raked over the coals just yesterday for keeping Elisa in a hat and risk of suffocation (she had managed to pull it down over her chin) and my explanation of keeping her warm wasn't good enough. Supposedly she should be able to hold her temp now...well 8 hours later I FINALLY got her warm enough after attempting no hat for 8 hours.
And I love love love the cocoon! Wish I were crafty enough to knit something like that!
Hey Lisa- the hat we keep Liam in is his hospital hat- it is knit fabric and breathable so it works great. (Although, he constantly wiggles out of it and we have to keep putting it on.) We keep our house at 72 degrees and if Liam's hands are out of his swaddle for more than a few minutes, they get pale and icy. I am so paranoid about it after hearing about 5 lbers having to return to the hospital because of hypothermia in JULY. It is a real challenge to keep them warm!
I've felt it in person - it's SUPER SOFT and cozy. And Liam looks so comfy in it!
you'll probably like fabric cocoons better - all cotton and no over-heating. Cozy Cocoon started all this no-wrap wrapping stuff (www.Cozy Cocoon.com)
Hi Michelle,
Yeah, she does the same. The one she managed to pull over her chin was a hospital one! She's been maintaining her temp fine, until I took off the hat! I'm just as paranoid, so I am just going to keep her in a hat that is too short to pull down over her eyes even.
I am going to have to try to make one of those cocoons... aprox how big is it around the top?
I am not entirely sure because I can't knit worth anything- I am still working on my first swatch and it sits feeling neglected and alone in the corner- but I know that Lindsey knitted this one a bit small to fit Liam's little body.. so the pattern on the website will be for a bigger baby.
oh my! that last photo got my heartstrings!! little liam is sooo precious - he looks like a wee doll, but with soulful eyes! our poppy girl was born 3 weeks early (seems like nothing compared to your story! but she seemed tiny to us nonetheless!) she had severe jaundice and we had to put her on home phototherapy to clear her system - so i too remember what a struggle it was to keep my little 5-pound biscuit warm. this cocoon is the perfect thing! and it's darling as well. so glad to see your new family home and safe and doing well. i hope the new year brings you all the happiness in the world. cheers!
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