How to make a Stroller Snuggle Sack

Ira has a thing for stroller walks - like a really big thing.  He hates being cooped up inside, and he will beg to go over to the front door and at least look out.  If you get the stroller out, he starts breathing fast and waving his arms like a Jack Russell terrier who just ate 15 pixie sticks. 

But with the weather getting cold, it's getting hard to take him out as often as he wants to go.  Because if there's one thing Ira hates, it's mittens.  And also being cold.  So we have a Catch-22 - the mittens and the hat and the clothes make him nuts, but he wants to go outside, and he hates being cold.  We usually wrap a blanket around him, but then he kicks it down in all of his excitement and you're rolling it through sidewalk smut or running over it and almost dumping Ira out into the street.

I saw a pin on Pinterest for a stroller blanket, but it just linked to a website where you could buy them, which was sold out.  But I started thinking...come on, how hard could it be?  It's just fleece!  Every 12 year old girl in the world can make a knotted fleece blanket - why can't we make a stroller snuggle sack out of fleece?  After searching high and low on the interwebs, we couldn't find a pattern or a how-to page, just some pictures of things that weren't quite what we wanted.  So I bring the great how-to-make-a-stroller-blanket tutorial, courtesy of my mom's excellent execution.

First, I highly recommend picking a fleece that doesn't have an "up side" and a "down side". I love the skulls and they face both ways so we didn't need to worry about which way was up!

You're going to be making a sort of sleeping bag for your stroller that is seen halfway up so that little toes don't kick off blankets and get cold.

Fold your fabric in half so that it's still long but half as wide - "hot dog style" as I would tell my 6th graders. Then, turn it inside out and

sew the edges together so that you're hiding the "wrong side." 

You will end up with a nice edge like this one. Thanks for your sewing and modeling skills, Mimi!

Now you need to sew a box around the top so that your stroller snuggie will stay on the back of the stroller seat. Put your fabric on the chair and leave 4-5 inches or so hanging over the back.

Then you just sew one line on each side of you snuggie so that it fits over the back of your seat, sort of looking like the closed end of a pillowcase.

Leave your snuggle sack on the stroller and fold the bottom part up to where you'd like the top of the blanket to hit.  I recommend leaving enough room so that it can be snapped up higher when your baby is taller, but still leaving enough length in the foot part so that he can use it when his legs are longer too.

We folded ours up and then sewed up to about ten inches from the bottom, so that the sewn part is just over the legs. We then attached snaps on the upper part to make it easier to get baby in and out, or leave it unsnapped and just have a lap blanket for warmer days. 

Finally, make sure your snuggle sack is snugly over the stroller seat just like you want it, feel for your stroller straps, and cut holes for them. 

Then either use your sewing machine to zig zag around the holes for reinforcement, or hand sew around them.

Then put baby in your stroller and get your tail out there in the cold!

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Happy 8 Months!

8 Month Stats:

Height: Unsure? I'm guessing it's about 27.5" inches this month though.

Weight: About 19 pounds by my best guess!

Clothing size: You pretty much have to have 12 month clothes all the time now. 

8 Month Highlights, Milestones, and General Happenings

You still fit in the Chicco, which we use when you ride anywhere but in my car.  Your feelings about it are as described above.

You still LOVE the swing!  It produces lots of giggles.  Sometimes you scoot too far down in it and have to be repositioned, but it's a big win overall!

You still really like teething crackers...and so does Peggy.

The stroller is another favorite activity.  You love to get out and see what's going on in the hood.

Daddy put up your swing outside, since swinging is so much fun.  You are a huge fan!

We had a mommy-and-me picnic in the side yard, complete with baby cheetos, which you were a big fan of!

We walked in the stroller to the playground at Coltrane-Webb because I felt like you might love going down the slide.  Of course you're not awesome at sitting up, so I went down with you, but you seemed to like it!

You also did some swinging with Mimi (who met us there).

I just can't enough of that sweet face!

Riding in shopping carts is another new fun thing that we do.  I have a shopping cart cover but it takes me thirty minutes to fool with that thing and I don't know that it makes much difference, so people just look at me like I'm a bad parent while you ride in the regular part of the cart.  You don't seem to care!

Mimi got you a wagon with a canopy and we went on a date with our friend B!  

"Hey girl...nice swingin'"

Whee!

And yes, that is a tampon in your hand.  You love to go through people's purses and find non-baby-appropriate items to play with.

That face just kills me! 

We pretty much went to the park about 20 times this month, I think.  You love for Daddy to push you in the swing!

Did I mention we like to take cute girls out in our wagon?

You sit up pretty well but sometimes you get tired and flop over, so I put you in the bumbo under the playmat while I get ready in the mornings so you don't hit your head on the doors.  If I sit you on the floor, I usually put a couch throw pillow on either side of you!

You got your flu shot and I was scared to death that you were going to cry and hate me forever.  What actually happened was that you made an Ira-sized hole in the paper at the doctor's office and then you did not let out one peep during your shot.  I couldn't believe it!

...But what should I expect, you're a tough guy, right?

You went with us to the beer festival in front of the Speakeasy and just chilled in the Ergo the whole time!  

You still don't sleep through the night - and in fact, you're usually up every hour or two wanting mama.  Oh my goodness it has been rough, and it's a good thing you're really cute.  You usually will still take 2-3 naps a day, but they're not really on a schedule.  If you're out and about, there's no way you're napping for the most part.

We are still nursing (yay us!)...mostly all night, but you take about  8 ounces a day from bottles while I'm at work too.  I have to pump about three times at work to keep up with you, and you take about that many bottles.

I feel like this is the month that food has really "clicked" and that you're actually getting more down than you once did.  

You still like your ring stacker and your play mat (though you don't like to be on your back to play with it, you like to sit up).  You like to sit in front of the couch with a pillow on either side of you and a toy, and you will play with a toy there for awhile by yourself.  You still like your exersaucer a lot and you have started playing in your bouncy chair a little too.

You absolutely do not crawl and hate being on your tummy entirely.  You don't sleep there, you don't play there, and you cry if I put you there.  Maybe one day?

I love those little cheeks, that giggle that you do, and those big sweet cheeks!  

Happy 7 Months, Ira B!

7 Month Stats:
Height: Not too sure, but I swear you've grown another inch!
Weight: According to my bathroom scale, you're 18.5 pounds.  Giant!
Clothing Size: 12 months still fit comfortably.  I think we will be in 18 months in the next month or so.

7 Month Milestones, Highlights, and General Happenings

We are still rolling along with Baby Led Weaning.  It's kind of hit or miss as to how much you'll really eat, usually depending on how tired you are.  If I wait until too late, or we go too long with no nap, all you do is growl at me and want to be held.  But if you're in the mood? Oh boy!  You will eat things that totally freak people out.  You've had hamburger, chicken, ribs, and pork chops.  And you adore meat in general.  You aren't a big fan of most fruit.  I've tried bananas, apples (cooked or not), and peaches, and you make an awful face and blow it out in a big raspberry. Speaking of which, you also despise raspberries.  About the only fruit I've found that you'll tolerate is orange.  I can get you to eat rolls, bread, or biscuits just about anytime.  You also love Plum Organics pumpkin/banana and apple/kale teething biscuits and you have a penchant for baby puffs (which I refer to as baby Cheetos.)  As far as vegetables, you'll eat carrots (your favorite) or green beans, and you also still love sweet potato.

Enjoying some hamburger on the porch at the lake.

Eating yummy roasted potatoes and ribs.

We love meat!

Like, we really love meat. It always produces a smile.

Avocado is another big hit - you'll eat a half of one at a time! 

You're officially big enough to sit in a big boy restaurant high chair!

And you do love some fajitas at the Mexican joint.

I've tried spoon feeding once or twice, just for science's sake...you will not have any of that.  You must hold and control the spoon at all times.  But you do like grits a whole lot.

You get your own seat in just about any restaurant we go to now (though you get annoyed about halfway through the meal and demand to be held, usually). 

You think your sippy is a fun toy to chew on, but then you remember it dispenses water, and then you remember that you hate water.

Peggy is a big fan of BLW.  Note the progression...she loves her some baby apple cookies.

You really love the $15 exersaucer that I found on craigslist that we put at the lake.  You especially like that Mimi got you an ID badge holder to attach to it...pretty much your favorite toy ever.

Mimi also got you a bubble machine and you love it!! You will chase those things as long as they're in sight.

I promised you we would take a "first day of school picture" every day until you're out of college!  It was so hard to go back and I miss you so much.  Don't get me wrong, I do love what I do...but I think about your little monkey butt all day long.

You still love all of the ring slings that Mimi made, and we wear them for quick carries out and about or around the house.

You also love your bouncy seat that I found at the consignment sale!

You like books a lot too.  I am a Bunny, It's Pumpkin Day, Mouse, Curious George's Halloween, and Mr. Brown Can Moo have all been recent favorites.  There are certain pages that you really like and you will laugh and turn back to your favorites.

I took you to Myers Park for the first time, and we have gone back a few times because you love the swings!  You giggle on the backswing, and you like to have your feet tickled on the upswing.

We took you to the fair for the first time!  You hung out with the animals, and chilled in the stroller.  

Even though you still technically fit in your infant seat, I moved you into your big boy car seat in my car.  You're super heavy, so I never move you in the infant seat anyway, and there's no point because you're a light sleeper and will wake up as soon as the car stops anyway.  You seem to like this better - there is a whole lot less fussing in the car.

I love that big, goofy grin!

We successfully did our first back carry in the Ergo...

But I still always do the front carry when we are out and about because we're not great at back carries yet.  It's also easier to snuggle your little self!

You can pretty much sit up with no support now, as of right at your 7 month birthday.  You'll still flop over occasionally, so I don't let you sit alone unless you're surrounded by pillows or on the carpet.  

You love the seat that our neighbors gave you - it's your favorite thing about Mimi's house.

We dolled up in our matching owl outfits and went to the Speakeasy for your 7 month birthday.  You nursed to sleep...in a bar.  I'm such a good mom.

You still aren't a great sleeper at night.  We usually start giving you a bath around 7:30, and you're asleep by 8:30 if it's a good night.  If it's a bad night (like last night), you aren't asleep until almost 11.  You usually wake up between 11:30 and 12:00 and nurse.  Then you wake up again between 2 and 3, and again around 5 or 6.  If I have time to lie down with you and really get you back to sleep, you'll sleep in until 8:15 or so.  If I don't, you just get up with me and hang out while I get ready for work and take a big morning nap later.

You loving grabbing handfuls of weenie dog fur, you like swinging at the park or in your new swing on the screened porch, you love to be worn, you love to inspect watches and ID badges, you love stroller rides, and you will smile on command (especially if there's a new person around).  

You hate having your clothes changed, the sound of the air hose in the garage (which makes you squeal like a banshee), having your nose suctioned with the Nosefrida, when I try to get stray bites of food out of your mouth that you pouch like a hamster, and when you wake up in a place different than where you went to sleep.

You can get up on your hands and knees with a little help, but you won't stay long.  If you're in the mood to be on your tummy, you'll tolerate it - if not, you'll scream like we are torturing you.  You'll roll back to front, but you never roll front to back since you hate being on your tummy.  You can stand and hold on to our fingers and do a pretty darn good job of balancing yourself!  

You have two (very sharp) bottom teeth, and I keep thinking more are coming, but they have yet to materialize.  You bite sometimes, and I have to try hard not to squeal, because that makes you laugh.  I usually pump about 9-10 ounces for you over the course of three pump sessions while I'm at work, and you eat right at what I produce. During the day, you sort of snack, but we don't give you "meals" with a lot of consistency.  We try to give you real food at supper, but sometimes it's a fail if we have supper too late and you're too tired to play with food.

You definitely don't fit in the Rock 'n' Play anymore, and so you sleep either in the Pack 'n' Play or your crib. You have to have a blankie to sleep (even though I know you aren't supposed to), and you really like your white noise machine.  

Nana keeps you one day a week, Daddy keeps you on his days off, and Mimi keeps you on Thursday and Friday while Daddy works his second job.  Occasionally, you cry when I leave for work, which in turn means that I cry.  You smile and laugh when I get home though, which makes the whole day worth it.  You also reach out to be picked up, and you snuggle in for baby hugs, which are the sweetest things ever.  You like to hold my hand while you fall asleep, and you still love to have the bridge of your nose rubbed to help you go to sleep.

Every age you reach is my new favorite - I have loved every single day with you, sweet boy!  I can't believe you've been with us for 7 whole months now.  Mama loves you, Ira B!