Gardening with Infants?

[framing fowl]

Congrats on the cutie! Such big eyes!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

That's right, lwheelr, I temporarily forgot about the free labor aspect of older children. On my good days when I think I'd have another child, I tend to use that as my "pro" argument.

Of course that is why people used to have lots of kids . . . for help with the chores.

The first child is much harder to raise when you have a garden, livestock, etc. to tend to as well. Unfortunately the darn ducks do not pull their weight in helping to raise this little one.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Congrats on the cutie! Such big eyes!

Thank you!

 

[tortoise]

I would expect this summer to be easier than you expect. 4 months old I think is the hardest age to care for.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I would expect this summer to be easier than you expect. 4 months old I think is the hardest age to care for.

Thank you! Do you know how nice it is to hear that?

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

ADORABLE!!! i'm dying of baby envy here!
there is like a no baby zone here or something! used to babies all the time... no none! it's killing me!!!

as for baby i say the stake in the yard sounds good.
and pine needles are very nutritious!!! although i'm guessing it's an aquired taste and let baby play in the dirt, gotta build up that immune system!

as for the garden... MULCH!!! lots and lots and lots of mulch!!! mulch around plants, and mulch paths, mulch, mulch, mulch... cuts down weeding AND watering! and try some hardier varieties maybe. and you can try interplanting such as corn, pumpkins, and beans. beans give nitrogen to the corn, corn supports beans as a trellis, and pumpkins big leaves shade the ground to prevent weeds. plus if you mulch it i'm sure you will have like zero weeds. and interplanting means less space that you have to till and less space to water.

 

[Homemaker]

I would expect this summer to be easier than you expect. 4 months old I think is the hardest age to care for.

Thank you! Do you know how nice it is to hear that?

I would have to agree with tortoise. To me the first 3 months were hard. My girl spit up a lot so I was constantly changing her clothes, my clothes, the bed linens, you name it. And she couldn't occupy herself or play with a toy so when she was awake she needed ME and nothing else. And I felt like a nursing machine. Don't get me wrong I loved how small and precious she was and I was still enjoying the newness of being a first time Mom. But, looking back, I would have to say that it was hard.
Soon your baby will be able to grab things and explore them. And then once they start sitting up....oh, it's so wonderful. I can still remember being frustrated when we would go on car rides because my dd wanted me to hold her. My MIL kept telling me wait until she's old enough you can give her a toy to play with and a cookie. You'll be so happy.
Well she was right.
My dd is 9 months and she just keeps getting better and better.

 

[booker81]

My gardening saving grace was NAPTIME!!!

I would get the 4' garden stakes, stake them around the baby swing, and tie quits to it to make a roof, and if there was a breeze, then put sides on it of quilts, and start that swing going. It kept the sun off her, cut the breeze, but still gave lots of fresh air. She usually conked out in a few minutes.

 

[booker81]

Now that I can post pics

Our "tent"

 

[Denim Deb]

That's "cool". I didn't have a garden when my DS was little. And, when my daughter was little, I always did the garden b4 she was up. Or, I'd have her brother watch her. There's almost 6 years between them, so that worked well.