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Amy, I hope you have a wonderful time with both Olive and June during this time!!! Oh, and Michael too. :)  - Lindsey M.

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Congratulations Amy! God Bless you and your beautiful family wishing you lots of love and rest in the coming weeks! 

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Congratulations Amy! God Bless you and your beautiful family wishing you lots of love and rest in the coming weeks! 

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XOXO- Sonia & Alyssa

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The photo of Olive holding her baby sister makes my heart swell.  Amy and Michael, your family is beautiful.
-Alex

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The picture of the girls is so precious. Welcome June and congrats to your full family. Cristina

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The picture of the girls is so precious. Welcome June and congrats to your full family. Cristina

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Looking forward to meeting baby June in the office.
Carol

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Two little cutie pies!  Enjoy the time off with your family!
Sylvia

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Congrats on welcoming June into your family!
-Curtis Yancy

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I'm so happy for you and you family; Olive seems particularly pleased. Wishing you all health, happiness and peace.

Love,

Ben "from the NB"

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Congratulations Amy on the arrival of June! I am sure you, Michael and Olive are over the moon welcoming her to the family.
:) Amanda Sayre

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Positive Vibrations to you and your family from Boston
!  -Armani

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You are blessed to have two beautiful, healthy daughters!  I wish you much joy and if you're very lucky, a little sleep! Liz D. XO

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Congratulations Amy!   You are blessed to have two beautiful, healthy daughters!   I wish you much joy and if you're very lucky, a little sleep!! Liz D. XO

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Congratulations Amy!   You are blessed to have two beautiful, healthy daughters!   I wish you much joy and if you're very lucky, a little sleep!! Liz D. XO

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Enjoy this time with your beautiful family! Here's to days full of love and nights full of sleep!
-Stephanie

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June is adorable, and what a proud big sister!
- Nick

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Congratulations from my family to yours!

Amanda J.

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Amazing news!!!!

I absolutely love her name! Please send them love and huge congratulations

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Please extend our congratulations and best wishes to Amy and Michael!!  What a beautiful baby!!!

Thank you for sharing the great news and photos.

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Your glow and happiness shines through, Amy!! Nothing but joy and love for you, Michael, Olive and your precious little JUNEbug in this special moment.  It's the BEST feeling!!!!   <3 Lorelei

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Wow, June has more hair on her head than me! Little June is so precious and beautiful. I'm very grateful for your joy and health. Wishing you and your family the best. Welcome to the world baby June! :D
-Jonathen

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Congrats to you and your family, Amy. Enjoy these months with Baby June. Looking forward to seeing more pics too!

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Congrats to you and your family, Amy. Enjoy these months with Baby June. Looking forward to seeing more pics too!

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Hugs,
Dana

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for a beautiful girl.  You both look great.  Hope Olive is adjusting to being a big sister and that June is a sleeper.  Looking forward to seeing you all when you come up for air. Be well and congrats.
liz hurst

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Baby June is just precious. Enjoy (almost) every moment!
- Stacy

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From our Program Officer, Lisa Bruce at AT&T: 

Awww, “June” is simply
precious……and I love the mother-daughter pic……Amy looks totally radiant with
happiness! Please give her our congratulations. 

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From our Program Officer, Lisa Bruce at AT&T: 

Awww, “June” is simply
precious……and I love the mother-daughter pic……Amy looks totally radiant with
happiness! Please give her our congratulations. 

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So happy for you and your family! Baby June is adorable!! Wishing you all the very best :)

- Kelly

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Congratulations on your new baby, Amy! she is already such a cutie-patootie. Sending warm wishes to you and your family 

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Congratulations on your new baby, Amy! she is already such a cutie-patootie. Sending warm wishes to you and your family 

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-Jene

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Congratulations on the new baby- she already is such a cutie-patootie. Sending warm wishes and joy to you and your family. 

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Congratulations on the new baby- she already is such a cutie-patootie. Sending warm wishes and joy to you and your family. 

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-Jene

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Congratulations Amy! Wishing you so many beautiful memories together with your growing family. :)

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Congratulations Amy! Wishing you so many beautiful memories together with your growing family. :)

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-SiMone

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Congratulations to you and your family, Amy! Baby June is beautiful!
-Mina

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So thankful that you and little June are healthy and happy, Amy! Enjoy this much deserved time with your family -- we'll keep the ship on course in your absence.

- Will

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Congratulations Amy! She's so sweet--and what a beautiful name. Enjoy your time together!!

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Congratulations Amy! She's so sweet--and what a beautiful name. Enjoy your time together!!

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Much love,
Moneek

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Hearty congratulations, Amy! What a beautiful family--enjoy every moment of this special time!

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Hearty congratulations, Amy! What a beautiful family--enjoy every moment of this special time!

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Meg

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Congratulations to you and your family and welcome Juniper! We can't wait to meet you!

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Congratulations to you and your family and welcome Juniper! We can't wait to meet you!

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Best,
Maureen

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-June is such a beautiful little baby- can't wait to meet her in person. I hope you and Michael (+Olive and June) enjoy this wonderful time as a family.
love,
Crystal

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-Jessica H.

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Wishing you and your new family of 4 the very best! Enjoy this special time with your little ones!
Congrats,
KFA

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Congratulations Amy on the birth of another beautiful baby girl.

Carmen

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"June" graced the world with her presence in the wee hours of Friday morning, June 29th, clocking in at 6 pounds, 15 ounces and 19.5 inches long.

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Wishing you and your family all the best during this exciting time. Looking forward to seeing pictures of your new addition!
Warmly,
Michelle

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Excited for you and your family, Amy! I wish you all the best!
Jason

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Having a young family is full-on and wonderful.  I hope you can enjoy this time -- the days (and nights) are long, but soon enough your girls will be in the double digits and you'll barely remember the early years. Best wishes to you, Michael, Olive and the new baby for the upcoming family time.
xo,
Liz

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CONGRATULATIONS to Amy, Michael, and Olive on the upcoming arrival of the newest member of your family!!

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CONGRATULATIONS to Amy, Michael, and Olive on the upcoming arrival of the newest member of your family!!

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With love, Janice

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I wish you and your family all the best with your new addition.

-Nike

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WHY THE SECOND BABY IS AWESOME
For an awesome second-time Mom!
Best wishes for you and your family on this special addition :)
Hugs,
Grace

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Congratulations Amy, Michael, Olive and bump! Siblings are the best! Wishing you lots of laughter, love and patience!

-Lexi

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Cheers to all the wonderment, excitement and joy that your new baby girl will bring. Congratulations and warmest wishes to you, Michael, and Olive.
-Alyssa

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Congrats Amy, Michael and Olive!  Best wishes to the three of you as you become four.  :)
- Shelby

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A sister is a best friend for life!!! With love from Liz, Grace and Ellie

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A sister is a best friend for life!!! With love from Liz, Grace and Ellie

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So excited for you and Michael as you grow your family together! Congrats on the new addition, wishing so much happiness for all of you!
-Kara

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So excited for you and your growing family, Amy! Congrats! 

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So excited for you and your growing family, Amy! Congrats! 

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-Kara

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Happy for you! Congrats. <3
Jenya

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Dear Amy, I am sending you a big hug as you welcome this new little one into the world! Savor every moment!

Cheers to your growing family, Melanie Lyons

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So happy for your family's new adventure into a family of four and especially another little girl. Wishing you continued blessings and time for a glass of wine or two...

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So happy for your family's new adventure into a family of four and especially another little girl. Wishing you continued blessings and time for a glass of wine or two...

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Love,
Cristina, Orlando and Lia-Ixel Perez

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Sending warm wishes and + vibes for a happy and healthy arrival of your second child! Congrats to you and your family!
Bethany

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Sending you best wishes for lots of delicious little cuddles and a few full nights of sleep as you welcome baby girl #2 to your family!

Congratulations!
Stacy Barr

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Wishing you and your family health and wealth! 

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Wishing you and your family health and wealth! 

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Congratulations, Amy!

-Bradley

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Best wishes for lots of joy, happiness and health for you and your family with the addition of your new precious little one!

Congratulations, Amy!
- Amanda Sayre

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A cool DIY project idea for your time off.  In the small chance that you'll have any spare time! <3 Lorelei

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These DIY Floor Pillow Beds are perfect for the kids to hang out on. They are soft and comfy and everyone will love them ..

Turn those left-over pillows into a DIY Floor Pillow Bed for pets and kids! They're ideal for reading, watching tv, kindy or sleepovers, in fact, anytime at all. They will come in so handy.

Scroll our page and check out all the different versions and be sure to check out the very handy Portable Nap Mats as you'll definitely want one! Be sure to Pin your favorites.

You are going to be very surprised at just how easy it is to make your own DIY Floor Pillow Bed. We've included a video tutorial for you below. Be sure to click play and view and then continue scrolling for the other ideas.

We have included a video tutorial that shows you how to make your own Pillow Bed. Click Play above to watch now ⇑

What others are reading

Dabbles and Babbles did a great job with their Pillow Bed Mattress

These Pillow Bed Mattresses were found on the 'Sea Shell Space' Site.

This Pillow Bed Mattress is from the 'Always Autumn' Site.

Love the colors of this Pillow Bed Mattress from 'Pink When'

These Portable Nap Mats have been hugely popular on our site. You can find all the details here

Who wouldn't love this Pillow Mattress Bed and Retreat | Source

Looking for more ideas that will keep the family comfy? Our Giant Floor Pillow Post might be just what you are looking for. You can find the details here - Giant Floor Pillow Tutorial

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DIY Floor Pillow Bed Easy To Follow Video Instructions

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Turn those left-over pillows into a DIY Floor Pillow Bed for pets and kids! They're ideal for reading, watching tv, kindy or sleepovers, in fact, anytime at all. They will come in so handy. Scroll our page and check out all the different versions and be sure to check out the very handy Portable Nap Mats as you'll definitely want one!

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I don't know about you, Amy, but Michael could totally make this! =) <3 Lorelei

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Sam needed a swing.
He's almost seven months, he's sitting up like a pro, and he needed some backyard entertainment for Grandpa and Grandma's big backyard. Besides that, kids love swings. What kid doesn't love a swing? It was time.
But let me tell you what I hate... plastic stuff. Especially plastic stuff that stays outside and gets faded and dirty and gross. UGH. So I researched baby swings and decided I did not want plastic. A stroll through pinterest found several pretty wooden ones, but they just didn't look so comfy for my sweet little rollie baby. Then I found a picture of this canvas/hamock style swing, and I was all, YES! Then I saw that it was $135 plus shipping from Australia... and I was like... um, NO. (But if you have $135 to burn... you can check out Swingz and Thingz they've got some super cool stuff!)

But upon closer inspection, I uttered those dangerous words...

So I gathered up my supplies:
1 inch oak dowels
25 ft nylon/poly blend braided 5/16" rope
Steel rings
steel carabiner
rope crimps
about 1 yard of outdoor canvas
Some tools: sewing machine, hammer, pliers, saw, drill press
Sturdy tree branch (still attached to the tree, thank you.)

I started by making the seat. I found this beautiful striped canvas at a fabric outlet, and I love it! I think I will start sewing exclusively with stripes, it's super easy to measure stuff... just FYI.

I cut the large piece 36"x14", the top piece is 14"x11", and the bottom leg piece is 6"x11". (I cut all my pieces from the same long strip that started 60"x14") The way they are laid out in this picture is the shape we are creating for the seat part of the swing.
The first step was to hem the sides of the two vertical pieces. You will be hemming the 11" sides. Here's how I did the hem for this project:

1. Iron over a 1/4 inch to wrong side.
2. Iron over another 1/2 inch to wrong side.
3. Sew two straight seams 1/8 inch from each side of the hem. You have a lovely finished edge, the double seam isn't necessary, but I think it looks really nice.

Next you are going to attach those two pieces to the long horizontal piece. Here's how I attached them and double enforced the seams so they would be extra safe for my little boy...

1. I ironed over 1/4 inch then another 1/2 inch just like i did in the first two steps above. Then I measured and centered the vertical pieces and pinned them, wrong sides together, just underneath that ironed down hem.
2. Sew two seams, just as you did in part 3 above.
3. Now flip the vertical piece up over the hem you just created, and iron it flat.
4. Top stitch over the two seams you created previously, securing the vertical piece in that position and reinforcing your seams.

The next step is to fold over 3 and sew down 3 inches on all 4 sides (which I unfortunately did not take a picture of...) This creates the casing that your dowel will go through for the frame of the swing. This is the last step of the sewing portion, and your completed seat looks like this:

(note: for smaller children you may want to also sew a cushion or pillow to go behind their back. I made a 12x12" square pillow out of coordinating outdoor canvas to go behind Sam, it was the perfect size.)

Next you create the frame and ropes to hang the swing.
I used 1 inch oak dowels, and cut them to 16". My dad took them to his fancy shop and used fancy tools to put beautiful radius on each end, but that is not structurally important. You can just cut and sand the ends really well so no one gets splinters.

Next you will put a 3/8" hole 1" from both ends of each dowel. You will want you use a drill press to get the holes exactly straight. You can stain your dowels at this point, if you so desire.

Okay, time for the ropework! I cut 2 lengths of rope (I used a braided nylon/poly blend that was 5/16") 10 feet. You need to use a lighter to melt the ends of the rope so it doesn't fray. Then find the center of the two ropes and thread them through your steel ring and pull it to the center. (When you purchase your ring, make sure it is weight bearing. Though it will never need to hold that much, ALL the materials I used for this project were rated to hold up to 200 lbs. Safety first!)

Then I used a metal rope clamp to bind the four ropes together. You can see an unused one sitting above the ropes, and I have only hammered two of the four prongs onto the rope. (just wanted you to see how this works.)

The completed clamped rope looks like this.The rope clamp is another important safety feature in this swing, without it, the ropes could slide freely through the ring and topple the swing and the little one inside. So be sure to include that!

Now it's time for the fun part... assembly! I was literally dancing about the house by the time it got to assembly. I was SO EXCITED to complete this project and get it up in a tree and a baby in it! So here's how you do it...
Thread your dowels through all four casings in the fabric seat. The front and back dowels will be below the side dowels.

Thread the rope through the holes of two crossed dowels, and create a stopper knot leaving a 2 inch tail of rope. (A simple overhand knot would likely be sufficient, but the stopper knot is a little more sturdy, and I didn't want ANY chance of those knots slipping out when holding my precious and breakable baby) (By the way... I did a ton of research before doing this project and learned a lot about knots and what kinds are appropriate for securing or bearing what kinds of loads... Anyway, I kinda feel like I earned my boyscout badge in knots. Is there even such a thing?)

Oh my gosh! You have a swing! Now you need a safe place to hang it from. Pick a sturdy branch or beam. This little picture is from the original website where I copied my swing design from... an excellent and informative graphic so I will save my breath... (fingers?)

Again, make sure your carabiner is a weight bearing one. ours was purchased from the hardware store and rated to hold 200 lbs. Check the rating on any hardware you use--for your child's safety!

My dad also decided that Sam might like to swing on their fancy shady porch where we all like to hang out, so he got and eye bolt and hung that in their pergola. (this bolt, when properly installed was rated to hold up to 300 lbs. I know I sound like a broken record here... but when suspending your child double and triple check that all your hardware and rope is rated to hold weight and is installed correctly and safely.)

Okay, are you wiggling so much you can't stand it??? Because I definitely was at this point... my dad was tying knots to the tree and literally could not hold still from swing excitement! Check it out!

Okay, and now, brace yourself for gratuitous photos of cute baby swinging...

Sam loved it! He spent his entire afternoon just swinging and swinging. Then after dinner my dad moved his swing up to the porch... where he fell asleep, still in his swing.

Okay, take a few moments to recover from your cuteness coma, because I am certain you want to know about the price breakdown. Did we swing it for under $135?

2 - 1" oak dowels each 3 ft long : $10
50 ft nylon/poly blend braided 5/16" rope: $12
Package of 2 Steel rings: $2
steel carabiner: $3
Package of 2 rope crimps: $2
1 yard of outdoor canvas + 1/3 yard contrasting: $11
Total cost: $40

However... you'll note that I had to buy 50 ft of rope, but only used 25... And several things I had to buy packages of 2... and I had enough fabric left that I could make a second seat... so if I purchased more dowels and another carabiner, that would total $53...

Making the approximate cost PER SWING about $26.50

I'd say that's a heck of a lot better than $135+shipping from Australia. Yes? SCORE.

This may be the favorite project I have EVER made. I know that's a pretty dramatic use of absolute qualifiers there, but I love this little swing so much... and I love it even more watching my little Sam swing and squeal with delight. Happy Swingin'!

(I also linked this too the Summer Pinterest Challenge at YHL if you wanna check out some other cool projects...)

UPDATED 3/1/13: Check out OSH Revisited: Swingin' for more pics and updates on the swing, and also for an explanation on how to add pics of your swing to the flickr pool! If you have created a swing for your kiddo, I would LOVE to see it! Would you please please share pics with all of us??? Please?

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Sam needed a swing. He's almost seven months, he's sitting up like a pro, and he needed some backyard entertainment for Grandpa and Grandma's big backyard. Besides that, kids love swings. What kid doesn't love a swing? It was time. But let me tell you what I hate... plastic stuff.

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Short article for your reading pleasure. <3 Lorelei

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While I was pregnant with my son, I spent a lot of time brainstorming ways to get my new baby and toddler to bond. I wondered "What activities would a 2 1/2-year-old and baby actually enjoy together?"

It's been three months since he's joined us, and in that time, I organically found three activities that they both love and are able to bond over. What's wonderful is that these are activities that I already did with my daughter so I'm thrilled that her routine didn't have to get shaken up too much to accommodate him.
Here are three things that they both love to do together. 1. Reading Books
I've been reading to my daughter since she was an infant so it's no surprise that she now loves books. Every week we go to the library and she makes her picks. As we snuggle up on the couch or in bed to read, the baby remains calm and stares, sometimes giggling at the bright pictures. I like reading to them in loud animated voices which hold both of their attention. My daughter loves to show her brother the illustrations and explain the story to him. When I ask her questions to ensure that she comprehends what we're reading, she, in turn, asks her brother and explains it to him. Lately, whenever the baby is fussy my daughter would suggest we read a book and that usually calms him down.
2 . Listening to Music
The Princess Fairy like most kids her age loves to dance and sing. She sing-along and practices her ballet steps to toddler music. The baby sits in his bouncy chair and kicks his feet while laughing at his sister and all of her over the top moves. She likes to go up to him and hold his hand while she dances or she'll laugh with him. I usually take a seat off to the side and allow them to interact.

I love going for walks and my kids enjoy it as much as I do. My toddler is happy to be a big girl walking while her brother is in the stroller. They both enjoy their new POV of the world around them. The baby rarely fusses during walks. He's too busy staring at everything; he remains very quiet and sucks in all the information around him. His big sister introduces him to new sights such as Halloween decorations on neighbor's lawn or the ice-cream truck which is great learning for both kids.
Do you have any other suggestions of other activities newborns and toddler can bond over?

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3 Bonding Activities for New Baby and Toddler

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While I was pregnant with my son, I spent a lot of time brainstorming ways to get my new baby and toddler to bond. I wondered "What activities would a 2 1/2-year-old and baby actually enjoy together?"

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-Curtis

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Congrats to you and your growing family! Enjoy your time with the little one :)

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Congrats to you and your growing family! Enjoy your time with the little one :)

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- Moneek

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-Anjelica

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Congrats Amy! So excited for you and your family - enjoy every moment! You are leaving Summer Search in great hands...Lots of love - Ryan

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So excited for you Amy! Congrats and hope you and the family enjoy sweet time together!

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So excited for you Amy! Congrats and hope you and the family enjoy sweet time together!

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-Colin

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Wishing you, your baby and your family health, connection and joy. Congratulations, Amy!

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Wishing you, your baby and your family health, connection and joy. Congratulations, Amy!

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With love,
Alex

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Congrats to you and the whole family Amy!!
-Peter

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You are giving Olive the best possible gift-siblings! The Edwards boys join me in sending love and joy to your soon to be family of four!! Emily

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You are giving Olive the best possible gift-siblings! The Edwards boys join me in sending love and joy to your soon to be family of four!! Emily

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Wishing you a fabulous welcome to your new little one!  Love,
Lindsey Roark Yee

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-Nitzya

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Best!—Nathan
(*◕‿◕*)

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Celebrating Amy Saxton's Precious Baby Girl on the Way!!! 

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Celebrating Amy Saxton's Precious Baby Girl on the Way!!! 

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Hello Summer Search! Welcome to Amy's baby wall, where we'll plan to post photos and updates - but more importantly, where each of YOU are able to post any messages or well wishes you may have for Amy during this special time. Just click anywhere on the wall, and type away (or post a photo or video message)! =)