Confessions of a Baby Wearing, Co-Sleeping, Pistol Packin Mama: I'm NOT Anti Background Checks, It's Everything El...

Confessions of a Baby Wearing, Co-Sleeping, Pistol Packin Mama: I'm NOT Anti Background Checks, It's Everything El...: So everyone is up in arms (pun intended) about how awful it is that the senate failed to pass this new legislation.  People want to know...

I'm NOT Anti Background Checks, It's Everything Else!

So everyone is up in arms (pun intended) about how awful it is that the senate failed to pass this new legislation.  People want to know what's so wrong with background checks and why are all of "you gun people" against them.  Ok, I'll set the record straight for you.  Feel free to ask questions, lol.

1. Most of us are not against universal background checks but we do fear a national gun owner database.  Our country has a bad track record when national databases of people are created.
2. More legislation only affects law abiding citizens not the criminals you are targeting.  If that's the case then let's write legislation to make drugs illegal and get them off the streets.  Oh wait, there is already legislation for that?  How's that working out?
3. There were a series of votes.  The background check amendment being only ONE!  The others were:
1. Amendment to ban magazines that will hold more than 10 rounds 
2. Feinstein amendment to ban "assault weapons"
3. Amendment to allow concealed carry recognition in all 50 states
4. I don't hear anti-gun people crying because the amendment to allow my CCP to be recognized in all 50 states failed.  I'm just sick of people looking at one piece of the puzzle instead of the whole thing.

So there you have it.  if you want to debate me on these issues then be fully prepared and leave the word CLIP out of the discussion.  Not one of my firearms uses a clip.  I don't know anyone in this century who does.  I have detachable magazines.  This has been a PSA from Strapped Mommy!

Confessions of a Baby Wearing, Co-Sleeping, Pistol Packin Mama: Babywearing: The Tactical Advantage

Confessions of a Baby Wearing, Co-Sleeping, Pistol Packin Mama: Babywearing: The Tactical Advantage: Anyone who cares to read this conglomeration of my thoughts will know that I got into babywearing because I had a little princess who ne...

Babywearing: The Tactical Advantage

Anyone who cares to read this conglomeration of my thoughts will know that I got into babywearing because I had a little princess who needed to be held...A LOT.  The more I wore and learned about proper wearing the more I realized that this gave me a great tactical advantage.  It was actually pointed out to me by a cop while I was at Wegmans and he saw the neck knife I was wearing which was made for me by my husband.  I had Strapped Baby on my back and the knife was around my neck but under my hoodie.  As I began loading the groceries in the car (with the kid still on my back because if I'm not in the car, neither is she) the cop came over and commented on the fact that:

1. The concept of a neck knife versus a pocket knife (which are mostly illegal anyway), especially for a woman was amazing and so easy to get to. 
2. How if I needed to use it at any time I could knowing my baby was safely behind me and not going anywhere (ie a rolling grocery cart had I taken my hand off for a minute)
3. My hands were free so I could fight or flight at a moment's notice.

I had never thought about babywearing as a tactical thing before this but it very well is.  Depending on where I'm wearing her (front, back, hip) I can have my firearm or knife still on my person and out of her reach but within my reach in case I need to actually use it. Maybe this is why I'm having heartburn the closer she gets to being too big to wear.  What's a Strapped mommy to do with a stroller lol?

This isn't to say those who don't wear cannot safely deploy a weapon.  I just want us all to think of HOW we can safely deploy with our little ones in tow.  I call this babywearing tactics.

South Dakota governor signs bill allowing armed teachers in the classroom

Clark Aposhian, President of Utah Shooting Sport Council, demonstrates with a plastic gun during a concealed-weapons training course for teachers in Utah last month.

I might be moving to South Dakota (or Utah or Texas) when my Pumpkin is school age.  Last week South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard signed a bill allowing teachers to carry guns in school.  For a dozen years, Utah has allowed teachers and others with concealed carry licenses to wear a gun in a public school. A couple of school districts in Texas have been given written authorization to allow guns in schools. And legislatures in other states, including Georgia, New Hampshire and Kansas, are working on measures similar to South Dakota's. The measure does not force a district to arm its teachers and would not force teachers to carry a gun.

Of course there is intense debate about this especially from Anti-gun groups.  As long as those carrying have some firearms and safety training and are actually carrying the firearm holstered on their person then I am all for it.  And would feel more at ease with my child going to school where the teacher is trained and equipped to protect her against an untrained (most criminals do not seek any firearms training or a license for that matter) nut job brandishing a firearm.  So I think I'll be revisiting the let's move to Texas convo with Strapped Daddy very soon.

*http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/08/sd-governor-signs-bill-allowing-teachers-to-be-armed/#ixzz2N3HsHQCc

Clark Aposhian, President of Utah Shooting Sport Council, demonstrates with a plastic gun during a concealed-weapons training course for teachers in Utah last month.

Delaware honors VA CCPs...For Now

I know, I know...it's been a while ( a long while) since I've last posted but A LOT has happened over the past few months.  I am back and still strapped!  So good news was sitting in my inbox when I woke up this morning.  Delaware is honoring my concealed carry permit (until December 7 anyway then VA's reciprocity is revoked and I'll have to go on my Utah permit).  Why is this important to me you ask?  Well first off any state that will honor my right to carry is good news.  Second, my little sister is in college in Delaware so I travel there quite often. 

Here is the statement from the office of the Attorney General:

"The Attorney General is in the process of securing agreements with the appropriate officials in certain other states which when completed, permit persons who have a concealed deadly weapon license or permit issued by one of those states to lawfully possess a concealed deadly weapon while visiting or traveling through Delaware."

 http://attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/crime/concealedweapons.shtml

Trick Question: Can you co-sleep with your baby without co-sleeping? (by Kaitlyn Johnson)

Followers of the “attachment parenting” philosophy aren’t the only proponents of co-sleeping; even studies published by the British Medical Journal, Military Medicine and Lancet have shown that there are marked benefits to co-sleeping with your infant. The “Sleeping Position, Orientation, and Proximity in Bedsharing Infants and Mothers” study published in 1996 indicated that infants sleeping near a parent boast regular heart rhythms, more stable temperatures, and fewer long pauses between breaths than infants who sleep alone. The “SIDS Global Task Force Child Care Study” published findings in 2001 that showed that deaths attributed to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome were at their lowest rates in countries where co-sleeping is a culturally-accepted, normal practice. However, there are a variety of situations that make sharing your bed with an infant infeasible or downright impossible for your family.
So, can you and your baby reap the benefits of co-sleeping without sharing an actual bed? In a word, yes.

How Can You Co-Sleep Without Bed-Sharing?
The practice of co-sleeping without sharing a bed has become much more common now that there are two commonly accepted terms. The first is co-sleeping, which means that parents and infants sleep in close proximity, but on a separate sleep space, in the same room. The second is bed-sharing, which refers to a sleeping arrangement in which parents and children share a sleep surface. The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly discourages new parents from sharing a bed with their infant, but has encouraged a co-sleeping arrangement in which the baby does sleep in the parents’ bedroom, just in her own safe, separate space. Groups that promote breastfeeding, like La Leche League, suggest that co-sleeping leads to higher breastfeeding success rates than a separate room arrangement.

Co-Sleeper Products
There are entire lines of co-sleeping products that allow you to keep your baby on the same level as your mattress and within arm’s reach, but maintaining your own sleep surfaces. Researching various makes and models of co-sleepers can help you get a better idea of how well you feel each will suit the needs of your unique family. The Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper attaches to the parents’ bed, providing the benefits of co-sleeping without the risks of bed-sharing.

Portable Cribs
If you’re only planning to practice co-sleeping temporarily, a collapsible, portable crib might be the solution to your problems. Easy to assemble and lightweight, you can move the crib from one room to another as needed with relative ease. There are weight limits specific to each model, so you’ll want to be sure that your baby hasn’t’ outgrown his. Also, it’s important to be sure that each re-assembly is completed according to the manufacturer’s instruction and presents no pinching, choking or other hazards.

Bassinets and Cradles
While a cradle isn’t collapsible like a portable crib, it is lightweight and easy to move from one room to the next as the need arises. It’s not advised that children who are old enough to sit independently sleep in cradles or bassinets, but they can be ideal for parents of newborns who only plan to co-sleep through their child’s early infancy.

One of the benefits of co-sleeping is being able to react immediately to your infant when she stirs, which can make it easier to soothe her back to sleep in a short time, thus cutting down on the sleepless nights that are the bane of new parents everywhere. While fears that co-sleeping children will become overly sensitive and dependent upon their parents as a result of spending their nights in such close proximity are a leading reason for many parents to eschew co-sleeping, attachment parenting guru and father Dr. Sears insists that infants who share a room with their parents become much more independent kids, with lower levels of anxiety, higher self-esteem and higher levels of academic achievement than their peers. He also asserts that psychiatric problems are less prevalent among adult products of a co-sleeping infancy. Because it’s not necessary for families to share a bed in order to provide the children with the safest and most enriching sleep experience possible, it may be wise to consider a co-sleeping arrangement with your own child. Just remember that every infant, just like every pregnancy, is different. The same co-sleeping arrangement that worked for your oldest daughter may be a complete failure with your youngest son. Taking the individual needs and temperament of each infant into account before making the decision to or to not co-sleep is important, as it can mean the difference between a well-rested parent who’s ready to face the challenges of the day, and an exhausted one on the verge of burnout.

(Rachelle's 3 cent:  The point here isn't to tell you what you should do or where your baby should sleep but to do what's right for your family in a safe manner.  I both co-sleep and bedshare depending on the day and how tired I am, lol )