One of our mommies is now a new mommy! Nicole just had a baby boy on Monday morning. Nicole and baby N are doing great. From what we hear, J is very excited to be a big brother.
We love you Nicole! Take it easy and get lots of rest...if you can.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Congratulations
One of our mommies is now a new mommy! Nicole just had a baby boy on Monday morning. Nicole and baby N are doing great. From what we hear, J is very excited to be a big brother.
We love you Nicole! Take it easy and get lots of rest...if you can.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Walking
I need some help please. My son is 14 months old and refuses to walk. He has been cruising for over six months now. We thought he'd be walking by the time he was 10 months old! But no. He still prefers to crawl. It's not a balance problem. He'll stand on his own and play with toys, but as soon as he realizes he's standing, he'll grab on to something or sit down. And yes, he'll sit. He doesn't fall, he sits on purpose. So I know he has good balance and control.
What he lacks is motivation.
He doesn't eat a lot of candy, so candy isn't really a motivator. We can't hold up a toy or something to get him to walk because he loses interest and just crawls to the toy. If we put something in his hands so that he can hold that instead of our hand, he stops and plays with it.
Any other ideas we haven't tried?
What he lacks is motivation.
He doesn't eat a lot of candy, so candy isn't really a motivator. We can't hold up a toy or something to get him to walk because he loses interest and just crawls to the toy. If we put something in his hands so that he can hold that instead of our hand, he stops and plays with it.
Any other ideas we haven't tried?
Thursday, December 9, 2010
I think this important!
I received the following information from a work email. I thought it important to share!
Some knew about the red light on cars, but not the 112.
It was about 1:00 p.m. in the afternoon, and Lauren was driving to visit a friend. An UNMARKED police car pulled up behind her
and put his lights on. Lauren's parents have always told her never to pull over for an unmarked car on the side of the road,
but rather to wait until they get to a gas station, etc.
Lauren had actually listened to her parents advice, and promptly called 112 on her cell phone to tell the police dispatcher that she would not pull over right away. She proceeded to
tell the dispatcher that there was an unmarked police car with a flashing red light on his rooftop behind her. The dispatcher checked to see if there were police cars where she was and there weren't, and he told her to keep driving, remain calm and that he had back up already on the way.
Ten minutes later 4 cop cars surrounded her and the unmarked car behind her. One policeman went to her side and the others surrounded the car behind. They pulled the guy from the car and tackled him to the ground. The man was a convicted rapist and wanted for other crimes.
I never knew about the 112 Cell Phone Feature, but especially for a woman alone in a car, you should not pull over for an unmarked car. Apparently police have to respect your right to keep going to a safe place. *Speaking to a service representative at Bell Mobility confirmed that 112 was a direct link to State trooper info. So, now it's your turn to let your friends know about 112.
You may want to Send this to every woman (and man) you know; it may save a life. This applies to ALL 50 states
1. snopes.com: Cellphone 112 Emergency ��
Will dialing 112 connect you with an emergency call center when your cell phone has no signal?
...Claim: Even when your cell phone signal is blocked, dialing 112 will connect you with an emergency call center. Example: [Collected on the Internet,...
...your mobile phone has no signal (so even if you were in a tunnel) if you dial 112 it diverts to a satellite signal and puts you through to the 999 call...
...The global mobile emergency number, 112, is "special" in the sense that (unlike other local emergency numbers, such as 999) it will use any tower your...
Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:18:08 GMT http://www.snopes.com/science/mobile.asp
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Taking Advice. Even from family members.
With the holidays in full swing, we are bound to spend a few hours, if not a few days, with our friends and family members.
An interesting thing can occur if you spend enough time in the same room as people with children: everyone starts comparing notes. You don't know when to wean your child from a binky? You ask when everyone else did. Soon you will be overwhelmed with advice, not only on the binky matter, but on everything else as well. We've all learned things, we all have our opinions, we all know what works the best for our children. So naturally, we want to share it all. Isn't that what we do here?
But with the flood of advice and warnings and well wishing scoldings, you may be confused by what advice to follow. Surprised that so many people can think so differently about one subject. Embarrassed that no one thinks your way is a "good" way.
My advice to you? Just smile and nod. Sometimes, without meaning to, friends and even family, can make us feel bad about the way we parent.
Don't.
You love your child, you do your best, and that is all anyone can ask for. You know your child better than anyone, so if someone gives you advice you know won't work, just smile and nod. Say thanks. Add your two cents. Go home and feel good about the fact that even though we all parent differently, we can still get along nicely.
On the flipside of the coin, if someone asks for your opinion, give it to them but don't force it on them. Your idea is a good idea, but is it the best for someone else's child? Maybe, maybe not. Let the parent decide.
By the off chance that someone decides to attack you (I've heard mother-in-law horror stories but, thank goodness, have never had to deal with that!), don't get angry. That's the worst thing you can do because one tends to lose their logic when they are angry. Stay calm, breathe, tell the person whatever you want about why you do things the way you do. If they persist or you can't remember the reasons, just tell them that you appreciate their advice (even though you really just want to kick them in the shin), but you are doing what is best for you child. And then move on. Get up, walk away and leave them there. If you can't walk away, strike up a conversation with someone else immediately.
Anyone else have advice on how to deal with advice? :)
An interesting thing can occur if you spend enough time in the same room as people with children: everyone starts comparing notes. You don't know when to wean your child from a binky? You ask when everyone else did. Soon you will be overwhelmed with advice, not only on the binky matter, but on everything else as well. We've all learned things, we all have our opinions, we all know what works the best for our children. So naturally, we want to share it all. Isn't that what we do here?
But with the flood of advice and warnings and well wishing scoldings, you may be confused by what advice to follow. Surprised that so many people can think so differently about one subject. Embarrassed that no one thinks your way is a "good" way.
My advice to you? Just smile and nod. Sometimes, without meaning to, friends and even family, can make us feel bad about the way we parent.
Don't.
You love your child, you do your best, and that is all anyone can ask for. You know your child better than anyone, so if someone gives you advice you know won't work, just smile and nod. Say thanks. Add your two cents. Go home and feel good about the fact that even though we all parent differently, we can still get along nicely.
On the flipside of the coin, if someone asks for your opinion, give it to them but don't force it on them. Your idea is a good idea, but is it the best for someone else's child? Maybe, maybe not. Let the parent decide.
By the off chance that someone decides to attack you (I've heard mother-in-law horror stories but, thank goodness, have never had to deal with that!), don't get angry. That's the worst thing you can do because one tends to lose their logic when they are angry. Stay calm, breathe, tell the person whatever you want about why you do things the way you do. If they persist or you can't remember the reasons, just tell them that you appreciate their advice (even though you really just want to kick them in the shin), but you are doing what is best for you child. And then move on. Get up, walk away and leave them there. If you can't walk away, strike up a conversation with someone else immediately.
Anyone else have advice on how to deal with advice? :)
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Not Just Diaper Rash
In February of this year, my little boy, B (then 2 1/2 years old) got sick. It resulted in him getting constipated, which caused him to start holding in his bowel movements.
In June, he was still holding in his bowel movements. It had caused his poop to become extremely hard, and B would scream, cry, and thrash when he felt the urge to poop. This had been going on for four months, and no amount of prune juice or other home remedies for constipation were working. We brought it up with our son's pediatric gastroenterologist. She prescribed a "clean-out" for our little boy, which consisted of one pedialax tablet followed by five doses of miralax finished off with another pedialax tablet. Needless to say, B was "cleaned out". For awhile, anyway. We were told that "curing" constipation of this degree could take up to 1 year to alleviate, sometimes even longer (yay?). We needed to get to the point where B didn't hold in his poops.
Let me include that during this time, B would have bouts of a TERRIBLE diaper rash - in a matter of one day, he would be sore, cracked, and bleeding on his bottom. I would treat it with a medication I had been given for a similar diaper rash when B was a baby - it's called mupirocin (bactroban). It would quickly clear up the diaper rash (in about one or two days.)
Bring us to now, November. We are STILL dealing with this constipation, even though B is taking one capful of Miralax daily. B has had two more clean-outs. He is still holding in his bowel movements, and when cases are horrible, he screams and cries (and breaks my heart.) And he is still getting those awful diaper rashes.
On Friday of last week, we took B in for his 3 year well-child checkup. I brought up my frustrations about B's lack of pooping (and therefore lack of being potty trained) to the pediatrician. At first, he just insisted that I continue to give B miralax; "you have to keep the poop soft!" I was quite persistent, informing the doctor that even on Miralax, and having soft - even RUNNY - poops, B complained/screamed/yelled of stomach pain and that his bum hurt. That caught the doctor's attention, and he asked to see B's bottom. Upon looking at it, he said, "just a minute", and returned to the exam room with a swab. About 5 minutes later, a nurse pops her head in the room to tell us that the swab came back positive.
My poor little guy has strep.
In his tummy, and on his bum.
Yep. Strep. Perianal Streptococcal Dermatitis, to be exact. The main symptom of this? A bright-red, itchy, painful, bleeding rash.
Yeah. Not just a "diaper rash".
When the doctor mentioned the diagnoses, I remembered that when B was about 9 months old, he had the same thing. And I've been fighting it off now for about the last year.
It breaks my heart that my little boy has had STREP in his STOMACH for almost a year. No wonder he won't poop! No wonder he doesn't eat! No wonder he complains of stomach pain! (Our doctor told me, when I asked if it could cause stomach pain, that it most likely feels like what a throat feels like with strep. So sad!)
Apparently this is a pretty common illness, and more commonly misdiagnosed.
After just one day on antibiotics and topical ointment, B isn't screaming. Or crying. Or holding in his poop. And he's eating. And not complaining of an owie bum or tummy.
I hope none of you have to experience this, but I hope if anything similar happens with your child, you'll know to ask your doctor.
I knew there was more to my boy's constipation than just constipation. I'm grateful I listened to myself, and that I was persistent with the doctor - who listened to me.
In June, he was still holding in his bowel movements. It had caused his poop to become extremely hard, and B would scream, cry, and thrash when he felt the urge to poop. This had been going on for four months, and no amount of prune juice or other home remedies for constipation were working. We brought it up with our son's pediatric gastroenterologist. She prescribed a "clean-out" for our little boy, which consisted of one pedialax tablet followed by five doses of miralax finished off with another pedialax tablet. Needless to say, B was "cleaned out". For awhile, anyway. We were told that "curing" constipation of this degree could take up to 1 year to alleviate, sometimes even longer (yay?). We needed to get to the point where B didn't hold in his poops.
Let me include that during this time, B would have bouts of a TERRIBLE diaper rash - in a matter of one day, he would be sore, cracked, and bleeding on his bottom. I would treat it with a medication I had been given for a similar diaper rash when B was a baby - it's called mupirocin (bactroban). It would quickly clear up the diaper rash (in about one or two days.)
Bring us to now, November. We are STILL dealing with this constipation, even though B is taking one capful of Miralax daily. B has had two more clean-outs. He is still holding in his bowel movements, and when cases are horrible, he screams and cries (and breaks my heart.) And he is still getting those awful diaper rashes.
On Friday of last week, we took B in for his 3 year well-child checkup. I brought up my frustrations about B's lack of pooping (and therefore lack of being potty trained) to the pediatrician. At first, he just insisted that I continue to give B miralax; "you have to keep the poop soft!" I was quite persistent, informing the doctor that even on Miralax, and having soft - even RUNNY - poops, B complained/screamed/yelled of stomach pain and that his bum hurt. That caught the doctor's attention, and he asked to see B's bottom. Upon looking at it, he said, "just a minute", and returned to the exam room with a swab. About 5 minutes later, a nurse pops her head in the room to tell us that the swab came back positive.
My poor little guy has strep.
In his tummy, and on his bum.
Yep. Strep. Perianal Streptococcal Dermatitis, to be exact. The main symptom of this? A bright-red, itchy, painful, bleeding rash.
Yeah. Not just a "diaper rash".
When the doctor mentioned the diagnoses, I remembered that when B was about 9 months old, he had the same thing. And I've been fighting it off now for about the last year.
It breaks my heart that my little boy has had STREP in his STOMACH for almost a year. No wonder he won't poop! No wonder he doesn't eat! No wonder he complains of stomach pain! (Our doctor told me, when I asked if it could cause stomach pain, that it most likely feels like what a throat feels like with strep. So sad!)
Apparently this is a pretty common illness, and more commonly misdiagnosed.
After just one day on antibiotics and topical ointment, B isn't screaming. Or crying. Or holding in his poop. And he's eating. And not complaining of an owie bum or tummy.
I hope none of you have to experience this, but I hope if anything similar happens with your child, you'll know to ask your doctor.
I knew there was more to my boy's constipation than just constipation. I'm grateful I listened to myself, and that I was persistent with the doctor - who listened to me.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Potty Training
This can be one of the most rewarding and exciting things you'll do with your child...at least up until this point in life. :) It can also be one of the most frustrating and disgusting jobs you'll ever do.
We've been potty training J for awhile now. We started in late September in the hopes that we'd have things mostly mastered by Christmas time which is when N will make his appearance. (There's just something about having only 1 child in diapers that is very appealing to me.)
Like every child that goes through this process, J has had his very good days and his very bad days. Today, for instance, he woke up dry. He said he didn't need to potty yet, and wanted to eat first. Lately he's been pretty in tune with those things, so I sat him down and let him eat his breakfast. He finished and got down to play. I had left him in his night time diaper just to make sure I wouldn't be cleaning up a morning woopsie.
As he was playing, he jumped right up and yelled, "Mommy! Potty toilet!!!" and then ran for all he was worth into the bathroom. My mommy heart swelled with pride. :) I was so happy that he's finally getting it!
He went back to playing and after a little while, he repeated the process, except this time his words were slightly different. Instead of a potty run, we were making a poop run. YAY again! But no matter how hard he'd try, he just couldn't (or wouldn't) make it come out.
Again, that was ok. At least he's trying to listen to his body now. We went through this at least 5 times in about 10 minutes, each time with no results. Then, his warning got a little more urgent and finally we had success. He told me he didn't want to wear a diaper, but he wanted to wear big boy underwear. Fine. (Keep in mind we're recovering from a GI virus.)
He went back to playing and then almost cried when he said, "Poop toilet!" as he had stuff running down his legs. I probably could have (and should have) been smarter about that, but I also wanted to encourage him to feel like he's doing something awesome and important. I want him to feel like he IS a big boy.
I know a family (and I'm not going to name any names) that went through the potty training of their 2nd boy as if it were boot camp. They'd make their little one sit on the toilet until he went...come crying or constipation...or both. Granted, he did have some major issues with constipation and it was hard to get him to go, but one parent would even resort to yelling to try to entice the poor little guy to go. It didn't help much as you might imagine.
Because of having seen that, and because my little guy has such a sensitive spirit, I knew I couldn't ever go about things that way for our family. What we've chosen to do instead is more like bribery. :) I'm not ashamed to admit it or even do it that way.
Every time J goes potty, he gets a piece of candy (Halloween candy worked wonders in this department as we would hardly give him any candy unless he went potty). Going poop was a totally different ball game. Candy didn't really work for him in that department. But giving him really cheap toy cars did/does. Every time he goes poop, he gets a new car. He LOVES his cars and lately has found a new way to get more of them.
We started out with setting the timer for 40 minutes or so and when the timer would go off, we'd go sit on the potty. It got to be kind of humorous for awhile because any time any dinger or buzzer would go off, J would jump up and yell, "Potty!" and run to the bathroom. Now he's starting to tell us when he has to go.
This is a way that has worked for us. It might not work for every parent or child and that's ok. There are several ways to go about potty training. It was suggested to us to let J wear the underwear underneath his diaper so he felt the wet a little more. That didn't work, but did make for a lot more laundry.
Though I'm no expert in this area by any means, my suggestion is to find a way that works best for your family (and especially for your child) and go with that. Be consistent and understanding. It is training after all and will take some time. :)
I'm looking forward to the time when we're only in diapers at night. And then to the time when we're completely out of diapers. That will be nice. :) And I'm sure those times are right around the corner.
We've been potty training J for awhile now. We started in late September in the hopes that we'd have things mostly mastered by Christmas time which is when N will make his appearance. (There's just something about having only 1 child in diapers that is very appealing to me.)
Like every child that goes through this process, J has had his very good days and his very bad days. Today, for instance, he woke up dry. He said he didn't need to potty yet, and wanted to eat first. Lately he's been pretty in tune with those things, so I sat him down and let him eat his breakfast. He finished and got down to play. I had left him in his night time diaper just to make sure I wouldn't be cleaning up a morning woopsie.
As he was playing, he jumped right up and yelled, "Mommy! Potty toilet!!!" and then ran for all he was worth into the bathroom. My mommy heart swelled with pride. :) I was so happy that he's finally getting it!
He went back to playing and after a little while, he repeated the process, except this time his words were slightly different. Instead of a potty run, we were making a poop run. YAY again! But no matter how hard he'd try, he just couldn't (or wouldn't) make it come out.
Again, that was ok. At least he's trying to listen to his body now. We went through this at least 5 times in about 10 minutes, each time with no results. Then, his warning got a little more urgent and finally we had success. He told me he didn't want to wear a diaper, but he wanted to wear big boy underwear. Fine. (Keep in mind we're recovering from a GI virus.)
He went back to playing and then almost cried when he said, "Poop toilet!" as he had stuff running down his legs. I probably could have (and should have) been smarter about that, but I also wanted to encourage him to feel like he's doing something awesome and important. I want him to feel like he IS a big boy.
I know a family (and I'm not going to name any names) that went through the potty training of their 2nd boy as if it were boot camp. They'd make their little one sit on the toilet until he went...come crying or constipation...or both. Granted, he did have some major issues with constipation and it was hard to get him to go, but one parent would even resort to yelling to try to entice the poor little guy to go. It didn't help much as you might imagine.
Because of having seen that, and because my little guy has such a sensitive spirit, I knew I couldn't ever go about things that way for our family. What we've chosen to do instead is more like bribery. :) I'm not ashamed to admit it or even do it that way.
Every time J goes potty, he gets a piece of candy (Halloween candy worked wonders in this department as we would hardly give him any candy unless he went potty). Going poop was a totally different ball game. Candy didn't really work for him in that department. But giving him really cheap toy cars did/does. Every time he goes poop, he gets a new car. He LOVES his cars and lately has found a new way to get more of them.
We started out with setting the timer for 40 minutes or so and when the timer would go off, we'd go sit on the potty. It got to be kind of humorous for awhile because any time any dinger or buzzer would go off, J would jump up and yell, "Potty!" and run to the bathroom. Now he's starting to tell us when he has to go.
This is a way that has worked for us. It might not work for every parent or child and that's ok. There are several ways to go about potty training. It was suggested to us to let J wear the underwear underneath his diaper so he felt the wet a little more. That didn't work, but did make for a lot more laundry.
Though I'm no expert in this area by any means, my suggestion is to find a way that works best for your family (and especially for your child) and go with that. Be consistent and understanding. It is training after all and will take some time. :)
I'm looking forward to the time when we're only in diapers at night. And then to the time when we're completely out of diapers. That will be nice. :) And I'm sure those times are right around the corner.
Friday, November 19, 2010
When my baby is sick...
Yay, the holidays are here. Snow is on it's way. Soon we'll all be joining hands around a giant Christmas tree singing,
Oh, wait, I guess that's the Who's in Whoville. Anyway.
Let's face it folks, it's flu season. And cold season. And pneumonia season. And RSV season. And G.I. virus season. And (insert illness here) season. So many of my friends, family, and fellow mothers are home sick with their little ones.
One of our mommies asked for advice on what we like to do when our babies are sick, but I think so many of us were home sick with our babies that we didn't have time to respond.
I've been thinking about it, and here are just a few areas I have some ideas. More are appreciated.
COUGH/COLD
When I had my first child (and by "had" I mean adopted), I was pretty sure I had this mothering thing down. I knew why my baby was crying and how to fix it. I knew much to feed him. I knew that he needed his nose suctioned every morning and his fingernails clipped every three days. I knew that he sneezed a lot in the sunlight, and that he didn't love his swing. Yet. I knew how many times he pooped a day and how many ounces of formula he guzzled.
But when he got a cough at 4 months old, I felt like I needed to call this kid's mommy and have her pick him up. And then I remembered, "Oh wait. I am the mommy." I didn't really know what to do. My son didn't have a fever, but he had terrible green mucus and a cough that didn't sound wet, just uncomfortable.
I didn't want to call the doctor's office every ten minutes, so I watched S for a day and made sure I had all his symptoms. Then I called. I talked to the nurse and she told me a few good tips.
With babies that young, they can't have medicine. She told me to ease his discomfort and coughing, I could give him an ounce for every month old he was of warm apple juice. So, since he was 4 months old, he could have up to 4 oz of warm apple juice per day. (I actually watered it down, but I think it worked just the same.)
Also, I got baby Vick's vapor rub and rubbed it on his chest and feet. Yes, the soles of his feet. You may think it's silly, but it really does work. And besides, it's homeopathic, so why not give it a try? It also eases their discomfort from coughing and helps them sleep better. I loved that stuff and grew to associate it's smell with the smell of my baby. It says it's safe for babies 6 months and older, but the doc said I could use it on S.
You can use a humidifier to help baby breath at night. Get friendly with your child's nasal aspirator and keep one in every room of your house. If your child is older, sometimes propping them up helps them sleep better at night. Our son was always propped because the nurses at the hospital told us it would help with his acid reflux. However, you still have to be very careful with newborns and extra blankets or pillows. SIDS is always a risk.
Also, there is this cool thing called saline mist that you can spray into your baby's nose. It helps with breathing, and I found it also loosened up the dry gunk and made it easier for me to suction out.
RSV
A few months later, my son's cold returned, but this time it was different. His eyes were watery, as seen in the picture below.
His nose was constantly running, and his cough was wet. He was tired all the time and not really playful. Still happy, just lethargic. I called my sister-in-law that day to ask her about her son who was a year old and had just been diagnosed with RSV.
"I think that's what S has," I told her. The next day I took my son in to the doctor. He checked him out, listened to his lungs and his cough. Sure enough, my little guy had RSV. My sister-in-law said she had never seen a mother so in tune to her baby. That made me feel pretty good, but I told her it wasn't because I'm special, it was because I'd kept S indoors for the first 3 months of his life trying to avoid getting RSV.
There was a few things more we could do for him than with a common cold. We bought a nebulizer and gave him prescription breathing treatments every few hours.
It wasn't exactly fun or comfortable, but we did what we had to. We also made sure my husband and I did not spread the virus. S stayed home so as not to share the wealth. We washed our hands and clothes regularly, and we made sure S was as comfortable and happy as possible.
Why am I going through the trouble of this rather lengthy and possibly not all that interesting post?
Because. The only reason I knew to look for the symptoms of RSV were because someone had told me about them. RSV itself is not fatal, but it can weaken the immune system, making way for things like pneumonia, which can be fatal. So just be careful.
I also wish that I had been given some ideas on what to do when my baby is really sick. Now you know for a cough you can use apple juice and Vick's to the soles. Also, make sure your baby/child is hydrated. They may not feel like eating, but they've got to drink.
STOMACH FLU/ILLNESS
Our mommy Nicole just posted on her personal blog that her son J is having GI problems. He's been puking and...other fun activities, so his pediatrician recommended he eat bananas and yogurt. I don't know anything about this topic, so ideas are welcome.
RASH
A few weeks ago my son got a mystery rash. It was so strange and bizarre and I hated it. I was frightened. I called my mother, who didn't answer. I called my neighbor who is an ER nurse, and she wasn't home. I called my brother-in-law who is a Pharmacist. He asked me all the questions I expected. Did he have a fever? Was he introduced to any new foods? Did we recently change his laundry detergent? Was he itchy and scratching? Did he have any other symptoms?
The answer to all of these questions was no. My brother-in-law's advice to me was not to treat the symptom if it wasn't there. Benedryl would have been my first go-to drug, but I didn't have any. However, S wasn't itchy. He wasn't scratching. He wasn't miserable. The only reason I even knew he had a rash was because I happened to see it while changing his diaper.
So I watched him like a hawk, afraid that if I even picked him up I might irritate his rash. After a day, it went away. I never used Benedryl. Would S have died if I did? No. But I knew that it would have been for my own peace of mind instead of the well being of my child.
That being said, if I had said yes to any of those questions, I may have, honestly, taken S right to the doctor or the ER. I'm not even kidding. Especially with the food allergy. If he had been cranky or scratching, I would have pumped him so full of Benedryl that rash wouldn't have known what was coming!
Bottom line: rashes are scary. Don't freak out. Ask yourself a bunch of questions, watch your baby and his/her behavior, and then react.
You are the mom. You know best.
TEETHING
My son is now old enough to be getting some molars. Yippee. We took him to the dentist two weeks ago, and he actually recommended using a frozen Gogurt to help with teething pains. It's cold, it's edible. It's small enough for him to fit in the back of his mouth.
It was brilliant. I tried it on S and it was great. Messy, but great.
When it comes to cutting teeth, I don't skimp on the pain meds if my child is in need. If he's awake and happy and playing, I don't bother because he's plenty distracted. But when he starts to tug on his ears and hit his face or head, I break out the Tylenol. Or if he's going to bed. I don't want him sleeping terribly because he's in pain all night.
A bib also helps with the little ones. That way their shirts aren't covered in drool. :)
I noticed that my son's chin gets red and irritated when he is teething because the drool drips down his chin and just kind of hangs out there. I try to keep a rag around to dab off the drool and keep his chin from chapping.
FEVER
This section will be relatively blank. You see, my son does not get a fever. Hardly ever. Even when he had RSV he had a very low grade fever. Does that mean he doesn't get sick? No. In fact, he just expresses it in different ways. For example. About a week before the rash incident, all of a sudden my baby had really red cheeks. They stayed red for hours. He seemed a little down, a little more tired. No cough, not really a runny nose. But I knew that this was his body's way of telling me he was sick. I gave him Tylenol, lots of liquids, lots of rest, etc. After a few hours he felt better.
What I know of fevers is that it's usually not the fever that is the problem (unless it's really high, and then you've got a serious problem!). The fever is just a symptom of something else going on. It could be a simple bug going around or even teething. Or it could be something bigger. You know your child, so don't be afraid to call your pediatrician and tell him your child's symptoms if you are really concerned.
--
So, as you can see, in my limited experience, I have found a lot of things help for me. I'll ask you to share what helps you take care of your little guy or girl when they are under the weather, and if you aren't too busy mopping up puke or dosing out cough medicine, I'd love to hear.
One last thing. Mother's instinct is sometimes confused with panicking, but it's like I said before. YOU know your child, and if the doctor/nurse/etc won't listen to you, and you are sure there is something very wrong with your baby, you leave and find a doctor who is willing to listen to you and not brush aside your God given talent of mothering.
Fah who For-aze
Dah who dor-aze
Welcome Christmas
Come this way!
Dah who dor-aze
Welcome Christmas
Come this way!
Oh, wait, I guess that's the Who's in Whoville. Anyway.
Let's face it folks, it's flu season. And cold season. And pneumonia season. And RSV season. And G.I. virus season. And (insert illness here) season. So many of my friends, family, and fellow mothers are home sick with their little ones.
One of our mommies asked for advice on what we like to do when our babies are sick, but I think so many of us were home sick with our babies that we didn't have time to respond.
I've been thinking about it, and here are just a few areas I have some ideas. More are appreciated.
COUGH/COLD
When I had my first child (and by "had" I mean adopted), I was pretty sure I had this mothering thing down. I knew why my baby was crying and how to fix it. I knew much to feed him. I knew that he needed his nose suctioned every morning and his fingernails clipped every three days. I knew that he sneezed a lot in the sunlight, and that he didn't love his swing. Yet. I knew how many times he pooped a day and how many ounces of formula he guzzled.
But when he got a cough at 4 months old, I felt like I needed to call this kid's mommy and have her pick him up. And then I remembered, "Oh wait. I am the mommy." I didn't really know what to do. My son didn't have a fever, but he had terrible green mucus and a cough that didn't sound wet, just uncomfortable.
I didn't want to call the doctor's office every ten minutes, so I watched S for a day and made sure I had all his symptoms. Then I called. I talked to the nurse and she told me a few good tips.
With babies that young, they can't have medicine. She told me to ease his discomfort and coughing, I could give him an ounce for every month old he was of warm apple juice. So, since he was 4 months old, he could have up to 4 oz of warm apple juice per day. (I actually watered it down, but I think it worked just the same.)
Also, I got baby Vick's vapor rub and rubbed it on his chest and feet. Yes, the soles of his feet. You may think it's silly, but it really does work. And besides, it's homeopathic, so why not give it a try? It also eases their discomfort from coughing and helps them sleep better. I loved that stuff and grew to associate it's smell with the smell of my baby. It says it's safe for babies 6 months and older, but the doc said I could use it on S.
You can use a humidifier to help baby breath at night. Get friendly with your child's nasal aspirator and keep one in every room of your house. If your child is older, sometimes propping them up helps them sleep better at night. Our son was always propped because the nurses at the hospital told us it would help with his acid reflux. However, you still have to be very careful with newborns and extra blankets or pillows. SIDS is always a risk.
Also, there is this cool thing called saline mist that you can spray into your baby's nose. It helps with breathing, and I found it also loosened up the dry gunk and made it easier for me to suction out.
RSV
A few months later, my son's cold returned, but this time it was different. His eyes were watery, as seen in the picture below.
His nose was constantly running, and his cough was wet. He was tired all the time and not really playful. Still happy, just lethargic. I called my sister-in-law that day to ask her about her son who was a year old and had just been diagnosed with RSV.
"I think that's what S has," I told her. The next day I took my son in to the doctor. He checked him out, listened to his lungs and his cough. Sure enough, my little guy had RSV. My sister-in-law said she had never seen a mother so in tune to her baby. That made me feel pretty good, but I told her it wasn't because I'm special, it was because I'd kept S indoors for the first 3 months of his life trying to avoid getting RSV.
There was a few things more we could do for him than with a common cold. We bought a nebulizer and gave him prescription breathing treatments every few hours.
It wasn't exactly fun or comfortable, but we did what we had to. We also made sure my husband and I did not spread the virus. S stayed home so as not to share the wealth. We washed our hands and clothes regularly, and we made sure S was as comfortable and happy as possible.
Why am I going through the trouble of this rather lengthy and possibly not all that interesting post?
Because. The only reason I knew to look for the symptoms of RSV were because someone had told me about them. RSV itself is not fatal, but it can weaken the immune system, making way for things like pneumonia, which can be fatal. So just be careful.
I also wish that I had been given some ideas on what to do when my baby is really sick. Now you know for a cough you can use apple juice and Vick's to the soles. Also, make sure your baby/child is hydrated. They may not feel like eating, but they've got to drink.
STOMACH FLU/ILLNESS
Our mommy Nicole just posted on her personal blog that her son J is having GI problems. He's been puking and...other fun activities, so his pediatrician recommended he eat bananas and yogurt. I don't know anything about this topic, so ideas are welcome.
RASH
A few weeks ago my son got a mystery rash. It was so strange and bizarre and I hated it. I was frightened. I called my mother, who didn't answer. I called my neighbor who is an ER nurse, and she wasn't home. I called my brother-in-law who is a Pharmacist. He asked me all the questions I expected. Did he have a fever? Was he introduced to any new foods? Did we recently change his laundry detergent? Was he itchy and scratching? Did he have any other symptoms?
The answer to all of these questions was no. My brother-in-law's advice to me was not to treat the symptom if it wasn't there. Benedryl would have been my first go-to drug, but I didn't have any. However, S wasn't itchy. He wasn't scratching. He wasn't miserable. The only reason I even knew he had a rash was because I happened to see it while changing his diaper.
So I watched him like a hawk, afraid that if I even picked him up I might irritate his rash. After a day, it went away. I never used Benedryl. Would S have died if I did? No. But I knew that it would have been for my own peace of mind instead of the well being of my child.
That being said, if I had said yes to any of those questions, I may have, honestly, taken S right to the doctor or the ER. I'm not even kidding. Especially with the food allergy. If he had been cranky or scratching, I would have pumped him so full of Benedryl that rash wouldn't have known what was coming!
Bottom line: rashes are scary. Don't freak out. Ask yourself a bunch of questions, watch your baby and his/her behavior, and then react.
You are the mom. You know best.
TEETHING
My son is now old enough to be getting some molars. Yippee. We took him to the dentist two weeks ago, and he actually recommended using a frozen Gogurt to help with teething pains. It's cold, it's edible. It's small enough for him to fit in the back of his mouth.
It was brilliant. I tried it on S and it was great. Messy, but great.
When it comes to cutting teeth, I don't skimp on the pain meds if my child is in need. If he's awake and happy and playing, I don't bother because he's plenty distracted. But when he starts to tug on his ears and hit his face or head, I break out the Tylenol. Or if he's going to bed. I don't want him sleeping terribly because he's in pain all night.
A bib also helps with the little ones. That way their shirts aren't covered in drool. :)
I noticed that my son's chin gets red and irritated when he is teething because the drool drips down his chin and just kind of hangs out there. I try to keep a rag around to dab off the drool and keep his chin from chapping.
FEVER
This section will be relatively blank. You see, my son does not get a fever. Hardly ever. Even when he had RSV he had a very low grade fever. Does that mean he doesn't get sick? No. In fact, he just expresses it in different ways. For example. About a week before the rash incident, all of a sudden my baby had really red cheeks. They stayed red for hours. He seemed a little down, a little more tired. No cough, not really a runny nose. But I knew that this was his body's way of telling me he was sick. I gave him Tylenol, lots of liquids, lots of rest, etc. After a few hours he felt better.
What I know of fevers is that it's usually not the fever that is the problem (unless it's really high, and then you've got a serious problem!). The fever is just a symptom of something else going on. It could be a simple bug going around or even teething. Or it could be something bigger. You know your child, so don't be afraid to call your pediatrician and tell him your child's symptoms if you are really concerned.
--
So, as you can see, in my limited experience, I have found a lot of things help for me. I'll ask you to share what helps you take care of your little guy or girl when they are under the weather, and if you aren't too busy mopping up puke or dosing out cough medicine, I'd love to hear.
One last thing. Mother's instinct is sometimes confused with panicking, but it's like I said before. YOU know your child, and if the doctor/nurse/etc won't listen to you, and you are sure there is something very wrong with your baby, you leave and find a doctor who is willing to listen to you and not brush aside your God given talent of mothering.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Sick with the Flu
Being sick is never fun. Having sick kids is almost worse because not only does it tug at your heart strings, but if they're young, there's not much you can give them (medicine wise) to comfort them and help with their symptoms.
This last weekend, we had a little boy who was sick with the flu. He threw up BIG time three times during the day. Each one was on me. He'd come up and want to be held and then just toss his cookies all over the place. That night he kept throwing up every few hours, but it would mostly be Sprite and crackers that we had given him. I just felt so helpless, but I knew it was only the flu and that it wasn't really terribly bad. It just seemed worse because he was barfing on me.
What are some things that you moms out there do for your kids when they're not feeling their best?
This last weekend, we had a little boy who was sick with the flu. He threw up BIG time three times during the day. Each one was on me. He'd come up and want to be held and then just toss his cookies all over the place. That night he kept throwing up every few hours, but it would mostly be Sprite and crackers that we had given him. I just felt so helpless, but I knew it was only the flu and that it wasn't really terribly bad. It just seemed worse because he was barfing on me.
What are some things that you moms out there do for your kids when they're not feeling their best?
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Feeling Overlooked
My husband and I are both middle children. We've both had to do our fair share of vying for parental (and sometimes sibling) attention. There have been times when we've felt a little overlooked, which can sometimes be the case in a family with so many children.
BUT, vying for attention is not something I want my kids to ever feel like they have to do. And, I don't ever want them to feel neglected or unloved or like we're playing favorites.
How do you moms of multiple children ensure that all of your children feel loved and like you're paying attention to them? I've been wondering about this a lot lately, because it will soon (within the next month and a half) be more of a worry for me. I'm due to have our second son in about 49-ish days. When our little guy shows up, I want our older son to still feel as loved as he has been. I don't want him to feel excluded, overlooked or ignored.
So, if you would, please share things that you have done that help with this situation.
BUT, vying for attention is not something I want my kids to ever feel like they have to do. And, I don't ever want them to feel neglected or unloved or like we're playing favorites.
How do you moms of multiple children ensure that all of your children feel loved and like you're paying attention to them? I've been wondering about this a lot lately, because it will soon (within the next month and a half) be more of a worry for me. I'm due to have our second son in about 49-ish days. When our little guy shows up, I want our older son to still feel as loved as he has been. I don't want him to feel excluded, overlooked or ignored.
So, if you would, please share things that you have done that help with this situation.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Hug your babies
This morning my son woke up extra early. I gave him a bottle and some toys and left him in the crib so that I could shower. After I got out of the shower, he started to scream.
I took him out of the crib, sang to him and changed his diaper, put on fresh clothes and tried to read him a book. All the while he kicked and thrashed. He screamed at me and banged his head against the floor. (He's into doing that now and I hate it.) When I held him, he fought me. When I put him down, he crawled into my lap and laid there. If I sang "Popcorn Popping," he laughed. When I tried to hand him something we could play with, he screamed and threw it. This all happened in his room.
I figured maybe he wanted to play with his other toys, so I opened the door and tried to get him to walk out to the living room. He's been carried his whole life and has grown somewhat accustomed to it. When I try to get him to walk first thing in the morning or right after a nap, he screams and goes limp so that I'm basically carrying him by the arms.
By this point, my fuse had been lit.
"Fine," I told him, leaving him in a bawling heap in the hall. "You may sit there and throw a fit. When you are finished, come find mommy and we'll play."
I went and started scrubbing dishes. My boy came into the kitchen and started pushing me away from the sink and the counter. He stuck himself between me and the cupboard and pushed. I got the point and dried my hands. I picked him up and carried him to the living room where I tried to sit down and read books.
He screamed.
And so it went for another hour. He didn't want left alone. He didn't want held. He didn't want me to put him down. He didn't want food or his water. He would laugh and be cute, but then if he thought I was looking at him funny or maybe not looking at him enough, he'd scream and kick and thrash.
I tried to put him down for a nap after he'd been up for 2 hours, but he screamed for 20 minutes and cried himself into hysterics. I picked him up and we started the whole thing all over again.
I told my husband I think someone took our baby in the night and left us with this screaming monster.
He then told me the tragedy of a little girl, three years old, who was run over by a truck yesterday afternoon. She died early this morning.
My baby's behavior did not change, but mine did. I was more patient with him. I held him and let him cry for a while until finally he was just flopped across my legs letting me scratch his back. I gave him Tylenol (he's cutting molars) and put him down for a nap again. Even though he's asleep, I'm having a hard time not going in there and pulling him out of his crib so I can snuggle him close. Because somewhere there is a mother who won't get that chance.
I'm sorry I took my baby for granted this morning. And my heart aches for your loss. I've shed a few tears for you, and I've said some prayers for you. I hope that you'll find peace. Soon.
I took him out of the crib, sang to him and changed his diaper, put on fresh clothes and tried to read him a book. All the while he kicked and thrashed. He screamed at me and banged his head against the floor. (He's into doing that now and I hate it.) When I held him, he fought me. When I put him down, he crawled into my lap and laid there. If I sang "Popcorn Popping," he laughed. When I tried to hand him something we could play with, he screamed and threw it. This all happened in his room.
I figured maybe he wanted to play with his other toys, so I opened the door and tried to get him to walk out to the living room. He's been carried his whole life and has grown somewhat accustomed to it. When I try to get him to walk first thing in the morning or right after a nap, he screams and goes limp so that I'm basically carrying him by the arms.
By this point, my fuse had been lit.
"Fine," I told him, leaving him in a bawling heap in the hall. "You may sit there and throw a fit. When you are finished, come find mommy and we'll play."
I went and started scrubbing dishes. My boy came into the kitchen and started pushing me away from the sink and the counter. He stuck himself between me and the cupboard and pushed. I got the point and dried my hands. I picked him up and carried him to the living room where I tried to sit down and read books.
He screamed.
And so it went for another hour. He didn't want left alone. He didn't want held. He didn't want me to put him down. He didn't want food or his water. He would laugh and be cute, but then if he thought I was looking at him funny or maybe not looking at him enough, he'd scream and kick and thrash.
I tried to put him down for a nap after he'd been up for 2 hours, but he screamed for 20 minutes and cried himself into hysterics. I picked him up and we started the whole thing all over again.
I told my husband I think someone took our baby in the night and left us with this screaming monster.
He then told me the tragedy of a little girl, three years old, who was run over by a truck yesterday afternoon. She died early this morning.
My baby's behavior did not change, but mine did. I was more patient with him. I held him and let him cry for a while until finally he was just flopped across my legs letting me scratch his back. I gave him Tylenol (he's cutting molars) and put him down for a nap again. Even though he's asleep, I'm having a hard time not going in there and pulling him out of his crib so I can snuggle him close. Because somewhere there is a mother who won't get that chance.
I'm sorry I took my baby for granted this morning. And my heart aches for your loss. I've shed a few tears for you, and I've said some prayers for you. I hope that you'll find peace. Soon.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Candy, Candy, Candy
This time of year always comes with a double edge sword.....copious amount of candy. Good because well....its good! and bad because of stomach aches, cavities and the not so much fun part of telling children they can't eat five pounds of candy at once!
There are a few ways to deal with all this yumminess.
One: sneak into the kids buckets nightly and start eating some of it down. They probably won't notice its going down. But then we end up with the extra work outs and the tummy aches. ;)
Two: put the candy away. Out of sight out of mind. When they ask for some of that goodness, get it out and have a few pieces. Eventually something new and fabulous will come along that will let them forget....like Christmas.
Two: put the candy away. Out of sight out of mind. When they ask for some of that goodness, get it out and have a few pieces. Eventually something new and fabulous will come along that will let them forget....like Christmas.
Third: Let the children pick about a week to two weeks worth of candy out (how many pieces a day/week you think is a good amount) and then tell the children to put their candy buckets outside their door. That night he tooth fairy will come and exchange the candy for an awesome prize (prizes can range from toys, to color books... even money to buy their own fun prize). The kids get to keep some candy and they get a cool new toy. Best of both worlds and you my friends get to do with that candy as you please.
We do the last one and surprisingly the kids are excited about getting to have both the candy and a toy. Plus we explain to them they are keeping their bodies and teeth healthy! It might not work well for the older children but it will work for a bit for the younger ones. :)
Night Terrors
Well, this is the post you've been waiting for. Okay, so only Deborah has been waiting for it because she knew about it. Anywho...
My son has never been a good sleeper. That's just a fact. But back in July when he started waking up EVERY night for weeks screaming and could not be comforted, I thought it was strange.
Here are the things that tipped me off that something was wrong:
1) He would wake up crying about the same time every night.
2) When we'd pick him up to comfort him, he would thrash, hit us, swat his ears, and just cry.
3) It would normally take us a couple of hours to get him calmed down and back to sleep.
One night it was so bad that I got a total of 4 hours of sleep (and I'd been dealing with lack of sleep already from previous nights). And then I still had to be up with him and parent the rest of the day. Yeah, I think that's the day I bawled my head off and called my sister to tell her that if motherhood was a job, I would quit. It was that bad.
After two weeks of this, I thought, "He has to be sick or something. This is NOT normal, even for him." I was so sure he had an ear infection or something because he got 3 of them last winter and he was swatting his ears when he'd wake up in the night.
I took him to the doctor, hoping for the first time in Kaleb's life that he was sick so they could just give me medicine and make it all go away. After two weeks of little sleep and a very cranky son, I was desperate.
The doctor looked at him and then said, "Well, he looks perfectly healthy to me. The only thing I can think of is that he's having night terrors. And unfortunately, there's nothing you can really do for that except make sure he has a regular bedtime and gets as much sleep as possible. They usually grow out of it. But if he hasn't stopped having them in 3 weeks, give me a call and maybe we'll do some sleep tests on him."
"THREE WEEKS?!?!?! I can't handle this for three more weeks!" Is what I wanted to say. But instead I thanked him and left.
Here's the problem: I had always thought that night terrors were just really bad nightmares. And if you were thinking the same thing, don't feel bad. Unless you've had a child or friend or someone you know go through it, you wouldn't know anything different. It's not as if they give you a handout on "Night Terrors" at the pediatrician's office to go along with the bazillion shot handouts they give you every time.
So when I got home, I did a little research on night terrors and discovered that they are NOT just bad nightmares. Basically, in layman terms, they could be described as sleep-nightmares, relating to sleep-walking or sleep-talking. When a person has a night terror, they are still asleep, even if they're screaming, thrashing, or have their eyes open. Another difference is that nightmares happen in REM sleep, night terrors happen in non-REM sleep. And, children or people who are old enough to tell you, won't remember a thing the next morning.
I found out that the main causes of night terrors is either stress or lack of sleep. With Kaleb, I knew it was a lack of sleep because he'd been staying up later and still waking up at the same time. I realized that it was a vicious cycle with him. He would be tired which would cause him to have a night terror which would make it so we were up with him for hours which would lead to more lack of sleep which would lead to a night terror the next night.
The turning point for me was when I read this from about.com:
"Typical night terrors last about 5 to 30 minutes and afterwards, children usually return to a regular sleep. If you are able to wake your child up during a night terror, he is likely to become scared and agitated, mostly because of your own reaction to the night terror, especially if you were shaking or yelling at him to wake up. Instead of trying to wake up a child having a night terror, it is usually better to just make sure he is safe, comfort him if you can, and help him return to sleep once it is over."
I also read something from a doctor online that basically said, "It can make it worse if you touch them. It's okay to let them cry. It might take even up to 45 minutes, but they will stop and go back to sleep."
That was a relief. Once I felt like I had "permission" to let him cry, it got so much better. When he would wake up crying, I would turn off the monitor, go lay out on the couch where I could hear him, doze on and off while he cried, and he would stop crying within a half hour or so. Ryan and I also made sure we were putting him to bed at a good bedtime every night. Within a week, he stopped having them.
After going through this with Kaleb, I feel that EVERYONE needs to know what night terrors are and how to cope with them. Every kid is different when they have them too. It can vary in symptoms, age, and "cures." But it's important that every mom knows exactly what they are and that they are not just bad nightmares.
It was a very long 3 weeks for my hubby and I, but we made it through and hope to never have to go back to that. And I hope none of you go through it either because it can be terrifying. But if you do or someone you know does, now hopefully you can learn from our experience!
My son has never been a good sleeper. That's just a fact. But back in July when he started waking up EVERY night for weeks screaming and could not be comforted, I thought it was strange.
Here are the things that tipped me off that something was wrong:
1) He would wake up crying about the same time every night.
2) When we'd pick him up to comfort him, he would thrash, hit us, swat his ears, and just cry.
3) It would normally take us a couple of hours to get him calmed down and back to sleep.
One night it was so bad that I got a total of 4 hours of sleep (and I'd been dealing with lack of sleep already from previous nights). And then I still had to be up with him and parent the rest of the day. Yeah, I think that's the day I bawled my head off and called my sister to tell her that if motherhood was a job, I would quit. It was that bad.
After two weeks of this, I thought, "He has to be sick or something. This is NOT normal, even for him." I was so sure he had an ear infection or something because he got 3 of them last winter and he was swatting his ears when he'd wake up in the night.
I took him to the doctor, hoping for the first time in Kaleb's life that he was sick so they could just give me medicine and make it all go away. After two weeks of little sleep and a very cranky son, I was desperate.
The doctor looked at him and then said, "Well, he looks perfectly healthy to me. The only thing I can think of is that he's having night terrors. And unfortunately, there's nothing you can really do for that except make sure he has a regular bedtime and gets as much sleep as possible. They usually grow out of it. But if he hasn't stopped having them in 3 weeks, give me a call and maybe we'll do some sleep tests on him."
"THREE WEEKS?!?!?! I can't handle this for three more weeks!" Is what I wanted to say. But instead I thanked him and left.
Here's the problem: I had always thought that night terrors were just really bad nightmares. And if you were thinking the same thing, don't feel bad. Unless you've had a child or friend or someone you know go through it, you wouldn't know anything different. It's not as if they give you a handout on "Night Terrors" at the pediatrician's office to go along with the bazillion shot handouts they give you every time.
So when I got home, I did a little research on night terrors and discovered that they are NOT just bad nightmares. Basically, in layman terms, they could be described as sleep-nightmares, relating to sleep-walking or sleep-talking. When a person has a night terror, they are still asleep, even if they're screaming, thrashing, or have their eyes open. Another difference is that nightmares happen in REM sleep, night terrors happen in non-REM sleep. And, children or people who are old enough to tell you, won't remember a thing the next morning.
I found out that the main causes of night terrors is either stress or lack of sleep. With Kaleb, I knew it was a lack of sleep because he'd been staying up later and still waking up at the same time. I realized that it was a vicious cycle with him. He would be tired which would cause him to have a night terror which would make it so we were up with him for hours which would lead to more lack of sleep which would lead to a night terror the next night.
The turning point for me was when I read this from about.com:
"Typical night terrors last about 5 to 30 minutes and afterwards, children usually return to a regular sleep. If you are able to wake your child up during a night terror, he is likely to become scared and agitated, mostly because of your own reaction to the night terror, especially if you were shaking or yelling at him to wake up. Instead of trying to wake up a child having a night terror, it is usually better to just make sure he is safe, comfort him if you can, and help him return to sleep once it is over."
I also read something from a doctor online that basically said, "It can make it worse if you touch them. It's okay to let them cry. It might take even up to 45 minutes, but they will stop and go back to sleep."
That was a relief. Once I felt like I had "permission" to let him cry, it got so much better. When he would wake up crying, I would turn off the monitor, go lay out on the couch where I could hear him, doze on and off while he cried, and he would stop crying within a half hour or so. Ryan and I also made sure we were putting him to bed at a good bedtime every night. Within a week, he stopped having them.
After going through this with Kaleb, I feel that EVERYONE needs to know what night terrors are and how to cope with them. Every kid is different when they have them too. It can vary in symptoms, age, and "cures." But it's important that every mom knows exactly what they are and that they are not just bad nightmares.
It was a very long 3 weeks for my hubby and I, but we made it through and hope to never have to go back to that. And I hope none of you go through it either because it can be terrifying. But if you do or someone you know does, now hopefully you can learn from our experience!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Bread and Milk
I hate shopping. The whole experience is unpleasant for me starting with getting shoes and socks on and ending with putting groceries away. So I try to make sure when I go to the store I get everything I'll need for the week. If not longer.
In order to be successful, I use a few tools.
1. I always use a shopping list - and I make sure to bring a pen and cross things off.
2. I plan meals ahead and buy ingredients I don't already have on hand.
3. I buy extra of things I go through quickly and store them for a few weeks.
4. I check ads to see if there are items on sale that I frequently use.
The one I want to talk about is #3. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we are taught to gather our food storage and be prepared for anything that can test us. Natural disasters, economy crisis, loss of job, etc. A very easy way to gather food storage is to practice tool #3. For just a few dollars a shopping trip, I can get an extra can of crushed pineapple, cream of chicken soup, green beans, chili, and so on. Whatever you are buying to feed your family, buy an extra can or two and store it in the basement, an empty closet, the top shelf of your pantry, under your bed, whatever. And soon you'll have we lovingly like to call food storage.
But what about perishable items, like milk and bread?
Hold on to your hats kids.
Did you know you can freeze milk? Probably everyone in the world knew this except me, but that's ok. I just discovered a few months ago that you can, in fact, freeze milk and it comes out with the same flavor and consistency!
Are you ready for this? So does bread! If you freeze a loaf of bread, it will thaw light and fluffy, just like it was before you shoved it in that cold abyss.
The trick to having quality food come out of the freezer is all in how you thaw it.
First of all, the milk will expand in the freezer. It doesn't usually leak all over, so that's a good thing. But it will expand making it harder to get out of the freezer than it was to shove it in. But once you get it out, put it in the sink or in a large bowl and leave it there for a day. Seriously, a day. It takes a very long time to thaw, and if you don't wait until it's all the way done before you start using it, then it's going to be weird because you are taking out liquid when some of the fat is still frozen. Then it turns grainy and weird. So be patient. Let it thaw on it's own terms, and soon you'll have milk. The same with bread. If you pull two slices of bread out of the bag frozen and microwave them, they'll come out tough and crusty. Not fun or appetizing. If you are really in a hurry for bread though, you can always toast it, and then it will be crispy, not crusty.
The other part of this food storage equation is planning. If you go through a gallon of milk a day and you are down to half a cup left in the jug, you are not going to have time to get out your milk and thaw it before you run out of milk. So plan ahead and start defrosting your frozen milk a day before you think you'll need it.
I understand that freezer space can also be an issue. And if you live wicked close to a store, or you just sort of enjoy that situation - you know, the whole shopping thing - then you do what works best for your family. But, it's always good to know money and time saving tips.
In order to be successful, I use a few tools.
1. I always use a shopping list - and I make sure to bring a pen and cross things off.
2. I plan meals ahead and buy ingredients I don't already have on hand.
3. I buy extra of things I go through quickly and store them for a few weeks.
4. I check ads to see if there are items on sale that I frequently use.
The one I want to talk about is #3. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we are taught to gather our food storage and be prepared for anything that can test us. Natural disasters, economy crisis, loss of job, etc. A very easy way to gather food storage is to practice tool #3. For just a few dollars a shopping trip, I can get an extra can of crushed pineapple, cream of chicken soup, green beans, chili, and so on. Whatever you are buying to feed your family, buy an extra can or two and store it in the basement, an empty closet, the top shelf of your pantry, under your bed, whatever. And soon you'll have we lovingly like to call food storage.
But what about perishable items, like milk and bread?
Hold on to your hats kids.
Did you know you can freeze milk? Probably everyone in the world knew this except me, but that's ok. I just discovered a few months ago that you can, in fact, freeze milk and it comes out with the same flavor and consistency!
Are you ready for this? So does bread! If you freeze a loaf of bread, it will thaw light and fluffy, just like it was before you shoved it in that cold abyss.
The trick to having quality food come out of the freezer is all in how you thaw it.
First of all, the milk will expand in the freezer. It doesn't usually leak all over, so that's a good thing. But it will expand making it harder to get out of the freezer than it was to shove it in. But once you get it out, put it in the sink or in a large bowl and leave it there for a day. Seriously, a day. It takes a very long time to thaw, and if you don't wait until it's all the way done before you start using it, then it's going to be weird because you are taking out liquid when some of the fat is still frozen. Then it turns grainy and weird. So be patient. Let it thaw on it's own terms, and soon you'll have milk. The same with bread. If you pull two slices of bread out of the bag frozen and microwave them, they'll come out tough and crusty. Not fun or appetizing. If you are really in a hurry for bread though, you can always toast it, and then it will be crispy, not crusty.
The other part of this food storage equation is planning. If you go through a gallon of milk a day and you are down to half a cup left in the jug, you are not going to have time to get out your milk and thaw it before you run out of milk. So plan ahead and start defrosting your frozen milk a day before you think you'll need it.
I understand that freezer space can also be an issue. And if you live wicked close to a store, or you just sort of enjoy that situation - you know, the whole shopping thing - then you do what works best for your family. But, it's always good to know money and time saving tips.
Monday, October 25, 2010
HELP!
Okay ladies, I'm in some serious need of advice... my son has started a horrible habit (well several actually, but I'm not going to talk about stripping in this post):
He thinks it's funny to run away from me in the store and hide.
His mom DOES NOT think it's funny.
Now I know what you might be thinking: just keep him in the cart. And I do, when I'm somewhere that has a cart. But what do you do when it's a store that has no cart like the mall (and my son will not stay in a stroller) or when you go into the dressing room and he climbs out under the door when you're standing there in your underwear?
That happened to me in DI this week. I'd already pulled his little hiney back into the dressing room four times as he tried to escape but he was too quick the fifth time. I hurried and finished getting dressed and then opened the door to see where Kaleb had gone. I couldn't see him ANYWHERE. I called out his name and he didn't come. Panic immediately set in as I'm looking around calling out his name, just visioning that someone has kidnapped my child. After what felt like an eternity, I found him. I turned around and he was just standing there, looking at me like, "What's the big deal, Mom?" I chewed him out for running away and he just kept saying, "Funny." (his favorite word right now. In fact he's saying it right now) And I just kept saying, "Not funny. That was NOT funny."
HELP! What do I do? He's done it multiple times now and he always laughs and says, "funny." I've spanked him and chewed him out, but what else can I do besides putting him on a leash or never going shopping again?
He thinks it's funny to run away from me in the store and hide.
His mom DOES NOT think it's funny.
Now I know what you might be thinking: just keep him in the cart. And I do, when I'm somewhere that has a cart. But what do you do when it's a store that has no cart like the mall (and my son will not stay in a stroller) or when you go into the dressing room and he climbs out under the door when you're standing there in your underwear?
That happened to me in DI this week. I'd already pulled his little hiney back into the dressing room four times as he tried to escape but he was too quick the fifth time. I hurried and finished getting dressed and then opened the door to see where Kaleb had gone. I couldn't see him ANYWHERE. I called out his name and he didn't come. Panic immediately set in as I'm looking around calling out his name, just visioning that someone has kidnapped my child. After what felt like an eternity, I found him. I turned around and he was just standing there, looking at me like, "What's the big deal, Mom?" I chewed him out for running away and he just kept saying, "Funny." (his favorite word right now. In fact he's saying it right now) And I just kept saying, "Not funny. That was NOT funny."
HELP! What do I do? He's done it multiple times now and he always laughs and says, "funny." I've spanked him and chewed him out, but what else can I do besides putting him on a leash or never going shopping again?
Friday, October 22, 2010
Constipation Anyone?
If your kids are anything like mine, then their internal plumbing systems will stop working quite as well once they start solids. I don't know what it is, but my babies just plug right up once solids are introduced. It doesn't matter how much they drink, or how diluted their cereal is, they seem to have a really tough time with filling their diapers up. I have learned a few different things to try when your little one is spending a lot of time grunting without much to show for it.
1. Prunes and Prune Juice: Doctors will usually recommend this first. They claim that it softens things up and gets them flowing again. I have never had much luck with them myself, but old people eat/drink them for the same reason, so there must be some truth to it.
2. Blueberries: I haven't had to use blueberries specifically for this purpose, but my kids love them. I have been told that they work like a charm when it comes to cleaning out those little baby pipes.
3. Yogurt: I tried almost everything you can imagine with my first child and she continued to remain clogged up almost constantly until she was introduced to yogurt. Once she was old enough, I started to feed her yogurt every single day and she has not had a bowel problem since.
4. CARROTS: Yes, those beloved little orange bits of deliciousness that most children will gobble up quite willingly are filled with fiber. Especially if your baby is not old enough to eat yogurt yet, then carrots are a good option. If my little one has gone for several days without stinking up the house, then I will feed her a big helping of carrots. Without fail, she will have a major blowout by the next morning. Sometimes they work a little too well and the mess is uncontainable. But that is information for another post ;)
5. Suppository: If nothing else works, you may be in need of a suppository. However, I would suggest trying the other options first. Suppositories are very effective, usually working within 15 minutes or so, but they are uncomfortable for your child and are not a long term fix.
1. Prunes and Prune Juice: Doctors will usually recommend this first. They claim that it softens things up and gets them flowing again. I have never had much luck with them myself, but old people eat/drink them for the same reason, so there must be some truth to it.
2. Blueberries: I haven't had to use blueberries specifically for this purpose, but my kids love them. I have been told that they work like a charm when it comes to cleaning out those little baby pipes.
3. Yogurt: I tried almost everything you can imagine with my first child and she continued to remain clogged up almost constantly until she was introduced to yogurt. Once she was old enough, I started to feed her yogurt every single day and she has not had a bowel problem since.
4. CARROTS: Yes, those beloved little orange bits of deliciousness that most children will gobble up quite willingly are filled with fiber. Especially if your baby is not old enough to eat yogurt yet, then carrots are a good option. If my little one has gone for several days without stinking up the house, then I will feed her a big helping of carrots. Without fail, she will have a major blowout by the next morning. Sometimes they work a little too well and the mess is uncontainable. But that is information for another post ;)
5. Suppository: If nothing else works, you may be in need of a suppository. However, I would suggest trying the other options first. Suppositories are very effective, usually working within 15 minutes or so, but they are uncomfortable for your child and are not a long term fix.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Taking Naps
I know the word "nap" is a trigger for all kinds of emotions. I think we could spend the rest of our lives talking about nap taking, but I won't bore you to death.
I read an article in a magazine when S was a few months old and it was really interesting.
There are three kinds of nappers:
1. Kids who need a nap at the same time every day, no matter what.
2. Kids who will fall asleep whenever wherever, as long as they're tired.
3. Kids who need a nap every two hours, no questions asked.
As far as I know, there is nothing that specifically determines what kind of napper a child is. They're just born that way.
It sounds so silly; you look at the list and say, "yeah, I know a kid who fits into every category." So why even list them?
When I read the article, it was so helpful to see that first of all, it wasn't strange that my kid's nap wasn't scheduled every day. It just so happens that he is number three, and after two hours, almost on the dot, he is yawning and reaching for his crib. I'm not kidding. His nap time is dependent on what time he wakes up in the morning, not what time I think he ought to take a nap. So it was reassuring to know he wasn't abnormal, just different than his cousins.
It also helped me to know his patterns a little better and I felt more informed and more better able to parent. If I tried to put him down at the same time every day, it wouldn't work! (I tried.) So knowing that he isn't a schedule baby, he's an hourly baby, helped me plan and make sure he got the sleep he needed when he needed it.
One last note. Even though S doesn't have a schedule, he has a routine. And that is really important, especially at night time. He knows that when we do certain things, it's time for bed and for sleeping. Occasionally we have to break the routine if we're on vacation or at a friend's house, but mostly it's helped keep order in our house.
I read an article in a magazine when S was a few months old and it was really interesting.
There are three kinds of nappers:
1. Kids who need a nap at the same time every day, no matter what.
2. Kids who will fall asleep whenever wherever, as long as they're tired.
3. Kids who need a nap every two hours, no questions asked.
As far as I know, there is nothing that specifically determines what kind of napper a child is. They're just born that way.
It sounds so silly; you look at the list and say, "yeah, I know a kid who fits into every category." So why even list them?
When I read the article, it was so helpful to see that first of all, it wasn't strange that my kid's nap wasn't scheduled every day. It just so happens that he is number three, and after two hours, almost on the dot, he is yawning and reaching for his crib. I'm not kidding. His nap time is dependent on what time he wakes up in the morning, not what time I think he ought to take a nap. So it was reassuring to know he wasn't abnormal, just different than his cousins.
It also helped me to know his patterns a little better and I felt more informed and more better able to parent. If I tried to put him down at the same time every day, it wouldn't work! (I tried.) So knowing that he isn't a schedule baby, he's an hourly baby, helped me plan and make sure he got the sleep he needed when he needed it.
One last note. Even though S doesn't have a schedule, he has a routine. And that is really important, especially at night time. He knows that when we do certain things, it's time for bed and for sleeping. Occasionally we have to break the routine if we're on vacation or at a friend's house, but mostly it's helped keep order in our house.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Keeping Secrets
There are several secrets that have been deemed "worthy" to keep from your kids, such as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. I grew up having the truth about these "people" kept from me and I was blissfully happy (and ignorant...and naive).
I still remember the day my parents took me into their bedroom to tell me "the truth", though I don't remember how old I was. I wasn't devastated, but I WAS disappointed. It took just a little bit of the magic away from my absolute favorite holiday (Christmas). After they told me, they asked me to keep it a secret from my 2 younger siblings so I didn't ruin their fun. I immediately went out to play with the rest of my family and almost let it slip. What can I say? I was VERY disappointed!
Although I plan to keep my kids as in the dark as I was during my younger years, I've thought about this off and on for awhile now and wonder...How old is too old to believe in these characters?
I have quite awhile before I even have to consider "telling" my oldest the truth about any of this, but since Christmas is just around the corner, which means that we're gearing up to play Santa, I thought I'd ask all you pros out there. When did you tell your kids "the truth"? How did you do it so you could still keep the magical secret alive for your younger kids? And, of course, how old do you think is too old for them to still believe?
I still remember the day my parents took me into their bedroom to tell me "the truth", though I don't remember how old I was. I wasn't devastated, but I WAS disappointed. It took just a little bit of the magic away from my absolute favorite holiday (Christmas). After they told me, they asked me to keep it a secret from my 2 younger siblings so I didn't ruin their fun. I immediately went out to play with the rest of my family and almost let it slip. What can I say? I was VERY disappointed!
Although I plan to keep my kids as in the dark as I was during my younger years, I've thought about this off and on for awhile now and wonder...How old is too old to believe in these characters?
I have quite awhile before I even have to consider "telling" my oldest the truth about any of this, but since Christmas is just around the corner, which means that we're gearing up to play Santa, I thought I'd ask all you pros out there. When did you tell your kids "the truth"? How did you do it so you could still keep the magical secret alive for your younger kids? And, of course, how old do you think is too old for them to still believe?
Saturday, October 16, 2010
How to protect your crib!
You read that right, it's how to protect your crib, not your child. My parenting book never told me just what a kid could do to your precious, $200 crib once they learned how to pull themselves up.
This is what happened to my crib:
Thank heavens it wasn't lead paint, right? Still I was devastated. So now I had to find some way to cover the horrible bite marks. I looked online and crib rail covers were like $20 or more! I thought, "there's no way I'm paying that much." (I'm a frugal/cheap-skate!)
So I decided to make some. I picked out the fabric, made my own pattern from looking at the ones online, and sewed them for at least half the money. Now I'm not embarrassed for people to see Kaleb's crib and I don't have to worry about any more biting (although he's long over that now).
Moral of the story: if you don't have something like this yet on your crib, buy/make them before it's too late!
This is what happened to my crib:
Thank heavens it wasn't lead paint, right? Still I was devastated. So now I had to find some way to cover the horrible bite marks. I looked online and crib rail covers were like $20 or more! I thought, "there's no way I'm paying that much." (I'm a frugal/cheap-skate!)
So I decided to make some. I picked out the fabric, made my own pattern from looking at the ones online, and sewed them for at least half the money. Now I'm not embarrassed for people to see Kaleb's crib and I don't have to worry about any more biting (although he's long over that now).
Moral of the story: if you don't have something like this yet on your crib, buy/make them before it's too late!
Don't forget
A few days ago one of our mommies asked for help with healthy snacking. Don't forget to check out her post and see if you have any ideas for healthy snacks...I'm also very interested in your ideas!!!
~D~
~D~
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The Name Game
I don't know about anyone else, but I've been making lists of baby names I loved since I was like 10. I'm sure if I were to see the lists from yesteryear now, I would gag! :) There is one name though that I have LOVED since I first met my husband. It's a boy name and we have 2 sweet little girls...so it continues to sit on an imaginary list of "Boy Names" in my head. With every baby boy that's born on either side of our family, I hold my breath and hope that they didn't give him "my" name. Well, yesterday, I found out someone is using "my" name. I almost cried. Then I decided, there's just going to be two little boys with that name in the family. Cuz try as I might, I can't cross off my favorite name on my imaginary list.
What about you. Do you keep your names a secret for fear of someone stealing it? Not liking it? Simply wanting it to be a surprise?
I have a friend who had chosen a name for a boy. She announced it to her family...and her sister in law stole it. She decided to pay her back. She named her dog the "girl" name her sister in law loved. ;)
What about you. Do you keep your names a secret for fear of someone stealing it? Not liking it? Simply wanting it to be a surprise?
I have a friend who had chosen a name for a boy. She announced it to her family...and her sister in law stole it. She decided to pay her back. She named her dog the "girl" name her sister in law loved. ;)
Healthy Snacking
I have a bit of a problem. I try really hard to make sure my kids snack healthy....but I totally disregard myself when it comes to this. I will cut up apples or banana's and couple it with peanut butter or honey and off goes snack for the girls, then I go grab some chips or a cookie out of the pantry. It would have taken five seconds more to add a plate and make me the same snack I know darn well is better for me. But no I don't. Why do we do this?
Yes, not all the yummy snacks are healthy for you and dang it sometimes I want a cookie!! And unhealthy snacks are conveniently packaged and wonderfully advertised. But if I make the effort not to give them to my children, why would I put my body through that?!
Sooo...I need to remember to eat better. I need some ideas of fun, fast, easy healthy snacks!!!
Here are a few I'm going to work on doing:
Sliced apples (with peanut butter or honey)
Grapes (when you come home from the store - wash, seperate and bag up these tastey treats then they are ready to go when you are)
Raw veggies like carrots, broccolli or cauliflower (again, bag them when you get home and they are ready for the week)
Wheat Thins (pre-bagged for the week)
What else can I try that I can use for both me and my kids for snacking?
Friday, October 8, 2010
Milestones
All children have milestones. Learning to roll over, eat by themselves, walk, going to the potty.....
All of these are great and we work hard to help our children learn these things. The other day one of my daughters learned to do something that I never considered a milestone, but the minute she said "mommy look what I can do" and TIED HER SHOE!...I swear the heavens opened and angels sang!
I don't know why this was such a huge thing for me, but it was. I was soo incredibly happy that she could finally tie her own shoe and not only that helps her sisters with it. I could just skip for joy in the mornings now when I say tell them to get their shoes on and (insert angelic music here) I don't have to tie six shoes!!!!
What are some things your children accomplished that were wonderful that you didn't think would be a huge deal but turned out to be wonderful for you?
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Good cop vs. Bad cop
No matter how badly I wish I was "Good cop", I'm just not. I spend all of my time with 2 little boys, J is 3 and B is 7 months.
Recently I have been given the actual title of "Bad Cop" with my disciplines on the boys.
For example...during conference little J wanted to play his Mickey Mouse on the computer. I told him that "No, we are watching conference, this is church today." He ran to Mr. A for help and this is what I heard "Sorry dude, mom said no, she wants to watch conference". Bad Cop title inserted here.
Example number 2: Mom is watching "The Biggest Loser" (a fave for me), and little J wants to play his wii game. I explain that he already had his game time earlier and that it's mommy's turn to watch something. He again runs to daddy for help, to which I hear "Sorry man, mom said no. She wants to watch her own show." Insert Bad Cop title here.
Example number 3: I have tried implementing the Scripture stories at bedtime, because little J doesn't do so well sitting and listening to us read (us, what was I thinking? It's just me.) I try to wrangle little J and Mr A to come and listen and I get another plee for help towards dad. I then again hear "Sorry, mom says we have to listen." Insert Bad Cop title here.
Why is it that Mr A seems to 'blame' mom for things instead of saying "WE read at night as a family." or "Mom worked hard taking care of you all day, it's her turn with the TV, we need to share." or "WE watch conference as a family, to listen to the prophet."
Is there some way to get a unified front? I mentioned this last night, after days of frustration of being 'blamed' for everything. I think sometimes it's easier for the Good Cop to 'blame', even if they don't realize they are blaming, because they are gone all day, don't have to deal with the discipline during the day, the cleaning, the frustration of toys everywhere, the feeding, the napping, the wiping of snotty noses...and when Good cop gets home, all they want to do is play and relax...
Let's just say this post is a vent, but still, does this happen to anyone else? or is Mr A the only one that seems to take upon himself the role of Good Cop Blame Game?
Recently I have been given the actual title of "Bad Cop" with my disciplines on the boys.
For example...during conference little J wanted to play his Mickey Mouse on the computer. I told him that "No, we are watching conference, this is church today." He ran to Mr. A for help and this is what I heard "Sorry dude, mom said no, she wants to watch conference". Bad Cop title inserted here.
Example number 2: Mom is watching "The Biggest Loser" (a fave for me), and little J wants to play his wii game. I explain that he already had his game time earlier and that it's mommy's turn to watch something. He again runs to daddy for help, to which I hear "Sorry man, mom said no. She wants to watch her own show." Insert Bad Cop title here.
Example number 3: I have tried implementing the Scripture stories at bedtime, because little J doesn't do so well sitting and listening to us read (us, what was I thinking? It's just me.) I try to wrangle little J and Mr A to come and listen and I get another plee for help towards dad. I then again hear "Sorry, mom says we have to listen." Insert Bad Cop title here.
Why is it that Mr A seems to 'blame' mom for things instead of saying "WE read at night as a family." or "Mom worked hard taking care of you all day, it's her turn with the TV, we need to share." or "WE watch conference as a family, to listen to the prophet."
Is there some way to get a unified front? I mentioned this last night, after days of frustration of being 'blamed' for everything. I think sometimes it's easier for the Good Cop to 'blame', even if they don't realize they are blaming, because they are gone all day, don't have to deal with the discipline during the day, the cleaning, the frustration of toys everywhere, the feeding, the napping, the wiping of snotty noses...and when Good cop gets home, all they want to do is play and relax...
Let's just say this post is a vent, but still, does this happen to anyone else? or is Mr A the only one that seems to take upon himself the role of Good Cop Blame Game?
Sock Saver
Have you ever noticed that the Sock Monster particularly enjoys baby socks? (Almost as much as he loves his wings)
Do you have a front loader washing machine? Do you hate losing your baby socks only to find them tucked in your favorite pair of jeans or folded into your sheets? Do you wish you could have all your baby's socks in one place so they are easy to match and put away?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, then I have a solution for you.
(Cue the infomercial music; insert the bad acting and overly dramatic reenactments of finding socks in the weirdest places.)
My sister-in-law gave me this advice long before I had a baby, and I think it's been a life saver. Or at least a sock saver. If you go to the laundry section of your local store, you'll find a small mesh bag called a garment bag, or a lingerie bag. If you are LDS and ever attended girls camp, you may have had to use these as a place to hang dry and store your dishes.
Anyway, buy this bag. Take it home and put it in your hamper, tack it on the wall, keep it in the sock drawer. Whatever. When your child takes off dirty socks, throw them in the bag. Or, when you sort laundry, pull the dirty socks aside and put them in the bag before running the washing machine.
Make sure you zip the bag. I say this from experience. This nifty little trick will get your child's socks clean and keep them all in one place for easy matching and clean up. Hurray! Your prayers are answered!
And as a side note, if you have a front loader, the socks can get trapped in the little space between the machine and the rubber insert around the opening. It pulls away and baby socks are the perfect size to squeeze in there and mold. Gross. So it's a really good idea to pull that rubber part back every once in a while and see if anything is hiding down there.
Do you have a front loader washing machine? Do you hate losing your baby socks only to find them tucked in your favorite pair of jeans or folded into your sheets? Do you wish you could have all your baby's socks in one place so they are easy to match and put away?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, then I have a solution for you.
(Cue the infomercial music; insert the bad acting and overly dramatic reenactments of finding socks in the weirdest places.)
My sister-in-law gave me this advice long before I had a baby, and I think it's been a life saver. Or at least a sock saver. If you go to the laundry section of your local store, you'll find a small mesh bag called a garment bag, or a lingerie bag. If you are LDS and ever attended girls camp, you may have had to use these as a place to hang dry and store your dishes.
Anyway, buy this bag. Take it home and put it in your hamper, tack it on the wall, keep it in the sock drawer. Whatever. When your child takes off dirty socks, throw them in the bag. Or, when you sort laundry, pull the dirty socks aside and put them in the bag before running the washing machine.
Make sure you zip the bag. I say this from experience. This nifty little trick will get your child's socks clean and keep them all in one place for easy matching and clean up. Hurray! Your prayers are answered!
And as a side note, if you have a front loader, the socks can get trapped in the little space between the machine and the rubber insert around the opening. It pulls away and baby socks are the perfect size to squeeze in there and mold. Gross. So it's a really good idea to pull that rubber part back every once in a while and see if anything is hiding down there.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Master of Distractions
I'm sure you're all VERY aware that part of being a mom is coming up with distractions for your children. Creative moms can even make it seem like their kids came up with the alternate activity, therefore making it all the more appealing to them. I haven't quite reached that status yet, but I'm learning how to keep a stash of alternate activities (even just a mental list) because I work from home and have to care for my 2 year old at the same time.
My list of "distractions" includes:
My list of "distractions" includes:
- Starfall.com
- drawing/coloring
- reading his favorite books
- toys
- letter/number magnets
- eating a snack
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Car Seat Safety
This is one area where I am paranoid. Granted, I would rather be paranoid than nonchalant!
Please take 5 minutes today to check the following:
-shoulder straps are just below the shoulder (they come up and over)
-the car seat straps are snug enough that only one of your fingers can fit between car seat and baby
-put the handle down on an infant carrier when driving-in an accident this can injure or kill a baby
-only use until recommended weight limit. Baby's legs should not be smooshed into the seat when rear facing. And a baby should not be in a booster seat.
-how old is your car seat? They expire after 5 years. It may not seem like a big deal to use the one that your other kids used, but they may not be up to date with current safety standards.
-if your car seat requires a base (like Evenflo brand does) DO NOT drive without one.
-don't buckle your kids into their seats with a coat or bunting on. They can slide right out of their seat in an accident.
-PLEASE make sure the car seat is buckled into the car so tight that it can only move an inch at the very most. I get in the car seat and kneel on it with all of my weight to tighten it in there with the LATCH system. It's also a good idea to find someone that is car seat certified (call your local fire department or police station to find someone) to put the car seat in for you the first time. They can demonstrate the best way to do it and you will know how from then on.
-don't buy a secondhand car seat if you can avoid it. If you do buy one, make sure you have a clear idea of the car seats history (recalls, accidents, manufacturers date, etc.)
I cringe when I see car seats flopping around or kids not buckled. These safety checks take only a few moments and could save your child's life!
Okay, I'm off my soapbox now! :)
Please take 5 minutes today to check the following:
-shoulder straps are just below the shoulder (they come up and over)
-the car seat straps are snug enough that only one of your fingers can fit between car seat and baby
-put the handle down on an infant carrier when driving-in an accident this can injure or kill a baby
-only use until recommended weight limit. Baby's legs should not be smooshed into the seat when rear facing. And a baby should not be in a booster seat.
-how old is your car seat? They expire after 5 years. It may not seem like a big deal to use the one that your other kids used, but they may not be up to date with current safety standards.
-if your car seat requires a base (like Evenflo brand does) DO NOT drive without one.
-don't buckle your kids into their seats with a coat or bunting on. They can slide right out of their seat in an accident.
-PLEASE make sure the car seat is buckled into the car so tight that it can only move an inch at the very most. I get in the car seat and kneel on it with all of my weight to tighten it in there with the LATCH system. It's also a good idea to find someone that is car seat certified (call your local fire department or police station to find someone) to put the car seat in for you the first time. They can demonstrate the best way to do it and you will know how from then on.
-don't buy a secondhand car seat if you can avoid it. If you do buy one, make sure you have a clear idea of the car seats history (recalls, accidents, manufacturers date, etc.)
I cringe when I see car seats flopping around or kids not buckled. These safety checks take only a few moments and could save your child's life!
Okay, I'm off my soapbox now! :)
Update to Mother's Instinct
Well, I took my son in to get his blood work done after a week of no improvement. In fact, he kind of went downhill: didn't want to eat, threw up on Tuesday and Thursday (distended stomach and awful gas pains included), constipation... yeah.
Monday (of this week), he seemed to be doing better. Had a GI appointment on Tuesday, and yesterday we performed a clean-out on him (2nd time we've had to do this. Yay for constipation.) He is also on a dairy-free diet (as mentioned in the previous post.).
ANYWAY, today I get a call from B's pediatrician. Turns out his thyroid levels are a "bit high", which could be caused by him being sick or from hyperthyroidism. So, to be safe, the doctor wants B to see a pediatric endocrinologist. He has an appointment on Tuesday.
Am I glad I listened to myself when I just felt like something was wrong with my boy?
Heck yes.
Thanks for reading; I don't mean to hog the blogosphere.
Monday (of this week), he seemed to be doing better. Had a GI appointment on Tuesday, and yesterday we performed a clean-out on him (2nd time we've had to do this. Yay for constipation.) He is also on a dairy-free diet (as mentioned in the previous post.).
ANYWAY, today I get a call from B's pediatrician. Turns out his thyroid levels are a "bit high", which could be caused by him being sick or from hyperthyroidism. So, to be safe, the doctor wants B to see a pediatric endocrinologist. He has an appointment on Tuesday.
Am I glad I listened to myself when I just felt like something was wrong with my boy?
Heck yes.
Thanks for reading; I don't mean to hog the blogosphere.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Dairy-Free Recipes
So, due to several issues we're trying to resolve with my son, the GI has asked us to try him on a dairy-free diet for one month. I already have a hard time thinking of things to feed him, and I am not a chef or off-the-top-of-my-head cook, so I was wondering if you lovely ladies might have some family-friendly dairy-free recipes you would be willing to share.
Thanks for your help!
Thanks for your help!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Similac Recall
If any of you formula feeding mothers out there haven't heard about the Similac Formula recall, then you might want to head over to their website and see if your formula has been affected. Apparently, a certain type of beetle got into their formula and has been irritating babies tummies and giving them diarrhea. They haven't found any serious side effects to it, but it is always better to be safe than sorry. You can enter the lot number located on the bottom of your formula container into their system and see if your product has been recalled. If it has, you can return it to the store you bought it at, or return it directly to Similac at no cost to you.
http://similac.com/Recall/?utm_source=ppc
http://similac.com/Recall/?utm_source=ppc
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Amazon Mom
If you love to shop online, then you might be interested in this. I love Amazon.com. I think it's the best thing since automatic transmission. Seriously! You can buy anything there. Even groceries! Though I usually by books or electronics. Another reason I love it is because of the reviews. I research any item to see the price (Amazon is usually like the Walmart of online shopping: they have the most reasonable prices) and read through customer reviews. I love to see what people think of merchandise and whether or not a book is worth my time reserving from the library.
Most items are eligible for free shipping if you spend more than $25, so if I buy something, I usually have to wait until I have a few things to buy so I get free shipping on everything. It's a pain, but I do what I have to to save $.
I have never signed up for their Amazon Prime membership because you have to pay heinous amounts of money all to get free 2 day shipping. I love Amazon...but not that much.
Well, I just heard about a new promotion on Amazon called Amazon Mom. If you are a parent, grandparent or guardian of a child in any way, you are eligible to sign up and get a 3 month membership to Amazon Prime for free. Seriously! And now is the time to do it with Christmas and Black Friday coming up. This is especially nice if you have family far away and you have to ship presents. Just buy them on Amazon and ship them to your family for free!
If you want to extend your membership, you can simply make a purchase of $25 (at one time) from the Amazon Baby store. Pretty much anything that has to do with children is in the baby store. Even parenting books! You can do this as many times as you'd like to extend your membership an additional 9 months, making it a year for free.
I will probably only be able to extend my membership one extra month, but I am excited to save a few bucks on shipping.
If you are interested, to go www.amazon.com/mom to sign up. They ask you what kind of guardian you are, that part is required. Then they ask you about your child(ren)'s information, like name and birth date. That part is optional.
If you want to buy from the baby store and extend your membership, go to www.amazon.com/baby and browse. Just make sure you have lots of time on your hand and permission from your husband to spend a few extra dollars this month :).
Most items are eligible for free shipping if you spend more than $25, so if I buy something, I usually have to wait until I have a few things to buy so I get free shipping on everything. It's a pain, but I do what I have to to save $.
I have never signed up for their Amazon Prime membership because you have to pay heinous amounts of money all to get free 2 day shipping. I love Amazon...but not that much.
Well, I just heard about a new promotion on Amazon called Amazon Mom. If you are a parent, grandparent or guardian of a child in any way, you are eligible to sign up and get a 3 month membership to Amazon Prime for free. Seriously! And now is the time to do it with Christmas and Black Friday coming up. This is especially nice if you have family far away and you have to ship presents. Just buy them on Amazon and ship them to your family for free!
If you want to extend your membership, you can simply make a purchase of $25 (at one time) from the Amazon Baby store. Pretty much anything that has to do with children is in the baby store. Even parenting books! You can do this as many times as you'd like to extend your membership an additional 9 months, making it a year for free.
I will probably only be able to extend my membership one extra month, but I am excited to save a few bucks on shipping.
If you are interested, to go www.amazon.com/mom to sign up. They ask you what kind of guardian you are, that part is required. Then they ask you about your child(ren)'s information, like name and birth date. That part is optional.
If you want to buy from the baby store and extend your membership, go to www.amazon.com/baby and browse. Just make sure you have lots of time on your hand and permission from your husband to spend a few extra dollars this month :).
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Labels on Children
I received this email from my Mom. She and we would love to hear any input or opinions!
I’ve been watching the Ellen Degeneres show today. Her guest was Brooke Shields and they were discussing being conscious of the labels that are given to children, in Brooke’s case, her looks. Ellen then made the comment that she has an 18 month old niece that people/her family tell all the time, “You’re beautiful.” Ellen thinks it’s not healthy to be telling a child that all the time. They then discussed putting value on what they, the children, are labeled. I think this would be a great topic for open discussion or comment.
I had a cousin whose mother consistently called her stupid. She wasn’t, of course, but she grew up thinking that she wasn’t overly bright and in her teens and twenties, I don’t believe she ever saw herself as being of much value. This all took place many years ago in a land faraway (Zimbabwe) and I’m not in contact with this special cousin, whom I thought was awesome and sweet, but I’d like to think that motherhood helped her find her place with loved ones that didn’t use labels to define themselves.
On the other hand, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with telling your children how special and wonderful they are. I think all of my children, and now my grandchildren, are exceptionally bright, talented and contributing human beings with kind hearts, strong testimonies and make the world a much better place.
Jeanette
New Jersey
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Choices
When we were growing up our parents always gave us choices. Rarely was it 'no' or 'do it' and that's it...there was always a choice. Such as: You can eat your dinner or you can go to bed; or you can choose to be nice to your sisters or you can choose to go stand in the corner.
I, for one, hate being told what to do! I just hate that someone thinks they have the right to tell me what to do and me follow, I feel it takes away my agency, my right at choices. You always have a choice and how frustrating is it when someone assumes they can make that choice for you by telling you exactly what to do. If I feel this way, imagine how a child who is growing and learning and desperately trying to figure out who they are must feel when every decision is made for them?
So I vowed that when I became a mother I would do the same thing. Give my children choices...sometimes I'm sure they don't like the choices (ex: you can stop throwing a fit and go clean your room now or you can stand in the corner and then go clean your room (either way the room is getting cleaned...but its still a choice)) or it could be one they like (pudding or Popsicle). Now as parents we do have to make choices for them (Planning dinner, where they live, ect) but the little things, especially when it comes to their ideas, attitudes and emotions can be put into choice form.
It allows them to express themselves, to realize they always have a choice and to help in the decision making as well as helps us teach them to recognise the good and true choices. So hopefully when they are growing up they can say to themselves - I have a choice and I'm going to make the right one.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Mother's Instinct
Lately, my little boy has been unusually tired, always telling me, " I just need a little rest, Mommy," or, "I'm just going to have a little sleep." He's also been complaining of headaches; "It feels like a drum, Mommy." He's not even 3.
Now, I am not one to up and run to the doctor every time my child sniffles or coughs or has a fever; I don't like having to pay to be told to keep doing what I'm already doing. HOWEVER, in this case, I just didn't feel right about his symptoms. What almost 3-year-old do you know that just wants to rest? Or complains of having headaches? Exactly. So I took him to the doctor. Diagnosis: allergies. I didn't disagree with our doctor (we already know B has allergies), I informed him quite emphatically that I was not one to bring my kids to the doctor for every. little. thing. THANKFULLY, (loving our pediatrician), he responded very appropriately: "In circumstances like this, I like to think what I would want the doctor to do for my kid." THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! So, he wrote out a prescription for a blood panel to rule out mono, hypothyroidism, and anemia. He said if B isn't doing better in a week on the allergy meds, to take him in to get his blood tested.
Why am I telling you this story? Because I believe that Mothers are blessed with the ability to "know" if something isn't right with their child. We have a connection that is beyond the physical that keeps us in tune with the needs that they cannot always express. And thank goodness for that! I am grateful, also, for a pediatrician that realizes that he sees my kid every once and awhile, while I see them 24/7.
I will probably get the blood test done, just for peace of mind...for the "what ifs". I'm not hoping for positive results, but it won't hurt to rule them out, right? In the meantime, I'll be having fun with my adorably-hilarious-yet-a-bit-overtired little boy, and his wonderful little sister.
Do you have any instances where your Mother's Instinct has helped you?
Now, I am not one to up and run to the doctor every time my child sniffles or coughs or has a fever; I don't like having to pay to be told to keep doing what I'm already doing. HOWEVER, in this case, I just didn't feel right about his symptoms. What almost 3-year-old do you know that just wants to rest? Or complains of having headaches? Exactly. So I took him to the doctor. Diagnosis: allergies. I didn't disagree with our doctor (we already know B has allergies), I informed him quite emphatically that I was not one to bring my kids to the doctor for every. little. thing. THANKFULLY, (loving our pediatrician), he responded very appropriately: "In circumstances like this, I like to think what I would want the doctor to do for my kid." THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! So, he wrote out a prescription for a blood panel to rule out mono, hypothyroidism, and anemia. He said if B isn't doing better in a week on the allergy meds, to take him in to get his blood tested.
Why am I telling you this story? Because I believe that Mothers are blessed with the ability to "know" if something isn't right with their child. We have a connection that is beyond the physical that keeps us in tune with the needs that they cannot always express. And thank goodness for that! I am grateful, also, for a pediatrician that realizes that he sees my kid every once and awhile, while I see them 24/7.
I will probably get the blood test done, just for peace of mind...for the "what ifs". I'm not hoping for positive results, but it won't hurt to rule them out, right? In the meantime, I'll be having fun with my adorably-hilarious-yet-a-bit-overtired little boy, and his wonderful little sister.
Do you have any instances where your Mother's Instinct has helped you?
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Nursing vs. Formula
My son is adopted. He will grow up knowing that, it's just a part of who he is. Some adoptive mothers are able to breastfeed. My husband and I discussed it and decided against it. There were some pros to trying, but in the end we'd still have to supplement with formula so why not remove one source of possible stress?
If you've ever read a parenting magazine or seen an advertisement for formula, you have seen or heard that nursing is the best thing for the baby.
Can I tell you every time I hear that I get so angry I wish there was a spider nearby so I could kill it?! I just want to yell at the magazine, "My son is adopted! I didn't have a choice!" But I guess I did have a choice, so I have this overwhelming sense of guilt in trying to justify why we didn't nurse our son.
Ugh.
The truth is, a lot of women can't or chose not to nurse for many reasons. It's too painful, the baby is unable to latch on for different reasons, I can't nurse because I work, etc. Does that make them bad mothers?
Heck. No.
If my son were my biological child, we would have nursed him - or at least tried. End of story. But it just so happened that life took turns that we didn't expect and we formula fed our baby. Am I a bad mother? See previous answer. And I seriously doubt his teachers are going to write on his report card, "You formula fed, didn't you?"
So what is the point of this post? Just to spread a little bit of awareness.
If you are one of the many women who can't or doesn't breast feed her child, don't you dare feel guilty. Formula, especially nowadays, is jam packed with nutrients, vitamins and minerals essential to a child's health and well being. They even promote proper eye, brain and heart growth for goodness sake! Babies digest formula slower, which means they are fuller longer (yay for sleeping through the night!!). And even dad can get in on the bonding action. You'll fork over money for bottles and spend more time at the sink. And, unfortunately, you pay a premium for your baby's health. Never, ever, ever be afraid to ask for formula from your pediatricians office. My doc told me that sometimes the formula samples (which they get for free, by the way) expire before they can give it to patients, so they have to throw it away! So pipe up and don't be afraid to ask. In my experience, they're generous, so bring a plastic sack with you to your appointment. Just in case.
If you are one of the many women who can nurse with no problems or hesitations, congratulations! You just saved hundreds of dollars on formula and bottles, plus countless hours washing, drying, and putting away bottles (and I say that with not even a hint of sarcasm. I really, really mean it!). Not to mention having to cart bottles on vacations and pack formula, a bottle brush and soap. You also have that time and ability to bond with your baby in a very intimate sense. Your child is getting your antibodies and is hopefully building a healthy immune system all thanks to mom. Don't forget that breast fed babies need an extra boost of Vitamin D.
All moms are different. All babies are different. We don't judge each other because that just makes our job a million times harder.
If you've ever read a parenting magazine or seen an advertisement for formula, you have seen or heard that nursing is the best thing for the baby.
Can I tell you every time I hear that I get so angry I wish there was a spider nearby so I could kill it?! I just want to yell at the magazine, "My son is adopted! I didn't have a choice!" But I guess I did have a choice, so I have this overwhelming sense of guilt in trying to justify why we didn't nurse our son.
Ugh.
The truth is, a lot of women can't or chose not to nurse for many reasons. It's too painful, the baby is unable to latch on for different reasons, I can't nurse because I work, etc. Does that make them bad mothers?
Heck. No.
If my son were my biological child, we would have nursed him - or at least tried. End of story. But it just so happened that life took turns that we didn't expect and we formula fed our baby. Am I a bad mother? See previous answer. And I seriously doubt his teachers are going to write on his report card, "You formula fed, didn't you?"
So what is the point of this post? Just to spread a little bit of awareness.
If you are one of the many women who can't or doesn't breast feed her child, don't you dare feel guilty. Formula, especially nowadays, is jam packed with nutrients, vitamins and minerals essential to a child's health and well being. They even promote proper eye, brain and heart growth for goodness sake! Babies digest formula slower, which means they are fuller longer (yay for sleeping through the night!!). And even dad can get in on the bonding action. You'll fork over money for bottles and spend more time at the sink. And, unfortunately, you pay a premium for your baby's health. Never, ever, ever be afraid to ask for formula from your pediatricians office. My doc told me that sometimes the formula samples (which they get for free, by the way) expire before they can give it to patients, so they have to throw it away! So pipe up and don't be afraid to ask. In my experience, they're generous, so bring a plastic sack with you to your appointment. Just in case.
If you are one of the many women who can nurse with no problems or hesitations, congratulations! You just saved hundreds of dollars on formula and bottles, plus countless hours washing, drying, and putting away bottles (and I say that with not even a hint of sarcasm. I really, really mean it!). Not to mention having to cart bottles on vacations and pack formula, a bottle brush and soap. You also have that time and ability to bond with your baby in a very intimate sense. Your child is getting your antibodies and is hopefully building a healthy immune system all thanks to mom. Don't forget that breast fed babies need an extra boost of Vitamin D.
All moms are different. All babies are different. We don't judge each other because that just makes our job a million times harder.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Protecting Your Clothes From One Another
Have you ever put a load of laundry in the washer, just to find that the dye from your jeans or new red shirt has bled onto your other clothes? I found a very simple way to protect my clothes from one another. Every time I purchase a new pair of jeans, or another item of clothing that has a possibility of bleeding or fading in the wash, I use vinegar on it. Yup, vinegar. I put the new item of clothing in the washer with half a cup of vinegar and run the washing machine for a short cycle. Something about vinegar seals the color into the fabric, which not only prevents the dyes from bleeding onto other clothes, but it also preserves the color so that you can wear your clothes (and wash them) more often and for a longer period of time.It also works to soak the clothes in a sink or tub full of water and half a cup of vinegar. Either way, you can wash your clothes without worrying about runaway dyes ruining your wardrobe.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
The Naughty Spot...
I love Supernanny. Call me crazy, but this boistrous little English woman knows her stuff! I love her quote:
"Children need boundaries and ground rules. When children don't have structure, they make up their own rules and negative behavior is what they use to get your attention." - Jo Frost
We started implementing the "Naughty Spot" when J turned 2. There was no point trying to place a 1 year old on a spot for 1 minute. Doesn't happen people.
When he turned 2 we decided on a spot...Beside the Fridge. It worked awesome!
Here's our reasoning behind the Fridge:
1. If you place a child in their bedroom when they are bad, it does no good as a punishment. They have a place of comfort (bed), they have stimulating items (toys), or they will just fall asleep without thinking about or being talked to about what they did wrong.
2. Everywhere has a fridge. When we would travel to Canada to visit my family, anywhere we would go, if J was bad, I would threaten the fridge. Worked everytime.
3. In student housing everything just meshes together, so he would sit at the fridge and we could still monitor him.
Supernanny says that you should place your child in their Naughty Spot for the amount of time they are old. Ex: J is 3 now, he sits by the fridge for 3 minutes.
After his 3 minutes is up he has to come over and we explain to him WHY he had to sit by the fridge, and he has to apologize to either parent that placed him there. We then reassure him we love him and give him a hug.
We have found that it works for us, hopefully what you have discovered as far as discipline has worked for you.
We have found that it works for us, hopefully what you have discovered as far as discipline has worked for you.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Poison Control 101
I'm sure every parent has found their kid eating/licking/sucking on some kind of non-edible substance. Whether it's soap, cleaner, meat packaging from the garbage (Deborah :), medicine, or mudding??? Yeah that last one would be my child (and I don't mean MUD, I mean the kind of mudding you put on sheet rock when you're finishing walls). When you finish washing their mouth out, you go through the internal debate: "Should I call poison control? He only had a little bit... but what if..."
When Kaleb ate that mudding and after we'd gone through the internal debate and decided that it was better to be safe than sorry, my hubbie and I called poison control. After asking us our names, they asked what our son had ingested. We said, "the mudding you use to finish walls." Then she said, "How much of it did he digest?" Ryan said, "I'm not entirely sure, but I think only a tiny bit and I did wash out any that was in his mouth."
And the next question was... "And how long was the child unattended?"
Now hold it right there, lady. Have you ever had a one-year-old? You turn your back for 30 seconds and he's put something in his mouth that he shouldn't have. It's not like we let him just play in the unfinished basement with all the open sockets, mudding on the floor, and nails sticking out of the wood.
My husband kept a level head and simply said, "He wasn't unattended. I just turned my back for a moment."
The woman then says, "Okay sir, well he should be fine."
Phew. Then she says, "Just a few more questions before you hang up, sir." She then proceeds to ask us our phone number and address. I thought, "Why do they need that kind of stuff?" That's when it hit us: they have to ask so that if you call repeatedly, they can send Social Services to your house!
As if we need to be afraid of calling Poison Control again because we don't want our children taken away...
So while it's a good thing to be cautious and better safe than sorry, just be forewarned that calling Poison Control might just make you feel like a bad parent instead of the responsible, good, caring, worried one who called in the first place!
The number for Poison Control is: 1-800-222-1222
When Kaleb ate that mudding and after we'd gone through the internal debate and decided that it was better to be safe than sorry, my hubbie and I called poison control. After asking us our names, they asked what our son had ingested. We said, "the mudding you use to finish walls." Then she said, "How much of it did he digest?" Ryan said, "I'm not entirely sure, but I think only a tiny bit and I did wash out any that was in his mouth."
And the next question was... "And how long was the child unattended?"
Now hold it right there, lady. Have you ever had a one-year-old? You turn your back for 30 seconds and he's put something in his mouth that he shouldn't have. It's not like we let him just play in the unfinished basement with all the open sockets, mudding on the floor, and nails sticking out of the wood.
My husband kept a level head and simply said, "He wasn't unattended. I just turned my back for a moment."
The woman then says, "Okay sir, well he should be fine."
Phew. Then she says, "Just a few more questions before you hang up, sir." She then proceeds to ask us our phone number and address. I thought, "Why do they need that kind of stuff?" That's when it hit us: they have to ask so that if you call repeatedly, they can send Social Services to your house!
As if we need to be afraid of calling Poison Control again because we don't want our children taken away...
So while it's a good thing to be cautious and better safe than sorry, just be forewarned that calling Poison Control might just make you feel like a bad parent instead of the responsible, good, caring, worried one who called in the first place!
The number for Poison Control is: 1-800-222-1222
Mornings
I don't know about you, but I like my mornings simple. I like to sleep in, even if sleeping in is five minutes more. I don't like to feel rushed! But with three five year old's, rushed is the flavor of the day.
However, there are a few things I can do to make said flavor a bit more palatable.
- We make sure backpacks and shoes are always put in the same spot so they can be easily found the next morning.
- Uniforms (or outfits) are gathered the night before and laid out, so they are ready to go.
- We even slip making our beds after getting dressed in there (never pass up an opportunity to learn how to do chores).
- while the girls rotate brushing their teeth, I rotate doing their hair, so not everyone is waiting for something to be done.
- We also let them color/write their names on their lunch bags (gets spelling and creative time in there as well)
But the thing that saves me the most time in the mornings....pre-made sandwiches. Its amazing how much time and hassle this does save.
Every Saturday I take a loaf to two loafs of bread out of the freezer (its easier to spread peanut butter on frozen bread and you can buy bulk and not worry about it going bad) line them up and make anywhere from 11-22 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
I cut them and put them in zip lock bags and pop them back into the freezer.
Then when I'm putting lunches together, I just grab them out and off they go.
They are unfrozen by the time lunch comes around and are not soggy or anything (just like Crustables you find in the store).
These are great to grab for church or if you'll will be out for a bit, drop one in your purse or diaper bag before you leave the house and by the time that mid-day monster comes about and the kids just can't handle one more minute...out comes the save all.
Its saved me time and my sanity and for me that is worth a lot!!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Bib Laundering
When you are washing baby bibs with Velcro fasteners in the back, be sure to stick the Velcro together before you do the wash. I have lost numberless socks, panty hose, and tights to the clutches of unattached bib Velcro in the laundry. It is a very simple solution and will save you the headache of trying to gently peel the Velcro off your socks when you pull them out of the dryer.
As an added plus, the bibs will be already stuck together and ready to be stacked into neat piles and put away.
As an added plus, the bibs will be already stuck together and ready to be stacked into neat piles and put away.
10 Minute Clean Up
Does anyone else ever feel like the title of Mother has an asterisk and footnote of: Housekeeper?
I love a clean house, but I hate cleaning. Ok, I don't hate it, I just really dislike it.
My little boy is a morning person, and I'm not. I don't feel like I can do deep cleaning with him around because he will come to me and try to put whatever I'm using (sponge, chemicals, broom, etc) in his mouth. I don't have a desire to call poison control, so I try to do those things when he naps. But what's the alternative? Sitting in a messy house all morning until my son sleeps? I admit, that's how it plays out a lot of mornings - but not every morning.
I read an article one time that had a very practical cleaning routine. 10 minutes a morning lead to a happier mommy in the afternoon. AND it's only 3 steps. (I know I've posted this before, but I'm doing it again)
1. Empty and load your dishwasher.
2. Wipe down your kitchen and bathroom counters.
3. Walk through the common rooms (living room, dining room, kitchen, hall, etc), pick up anything on the floor and put it away.
You have to be willing to do this every morning (or at least most mornings) if you really want it to work. Plus you have to be willing to leave messes. You're not sweeping or mopping the floors. You're not cleaning out the toy box or vacuuming. You're not scrubbing toilets or wiping down shower walls. Not yet at least. You are just quickly cleaning up the major areas first thing for two reasons.
1. You can see immediate improvement - and that is a reward all on its own!
2. You are decreasing your work load later on.
I don't know about you, but house work seems to pile. If you wipe out those major things right away, the pile isn't as big, and neither is the burden. Plus, if ambitious company drops by first thing in the morning, you have a decent house to entertain in.
Like I said, I don't do this every morning, but the mornings I do, the other housework seems more bearable.
I love a clean house, but I hate cleaning. Ok, I don't hate it, I just really dislike it.
My little boy is a morning person, and I'm not. I don't feel like I can do deep cleaning with him around because he will come to me and try to put whatever I'm using (sponge, chemicals, broom, etc) in his mouth. I don't have a desire to call poison control, so I try to do those things when he naps. But what's the alternative? Sitting in a messy house all morning until my son sleeps? I admit, that's how it plays out a lot of mornings - but not every morning.
I read an article one time that had a very practical cleaning routine. 10 minutes a morning lead to a happier mommy in the afternoon. AND it's only 3 steps. (I know I've posted this before, but I'm doing it again)
1. Empty and load your dishwasher.
2. Wipe down your kitchen and bathroom counters.
3. Walk through the common rooms (living room, dining room, kitchen, hall, etc), pick up anything on the floor and put it away.
You have to be willing to do this every morning (or at least most mornings) if you really want it to work. Plus you have to be willing to leave messes. You're not sweeping or mopping the floors. You're not cleaning out the toy box or vacuuming. You're not scrubbing toilets or wiping down shower walls. Not yet at least. You are just quickly cleaning up the major areas first thing for two reasons.
1. You can see immediate improvement - and that is a reward all on its own!
2. You are decreasing your work load later on.
I don't know about you, but house work seems to pile. If you wipe out those major things right away, the pile isn't as big, and neither is the burden. Plus, if ambitious company drops by first thing in the morning, you have a decent house to entertain in.
Like I said, I don't do this every morning, but the mornings I do, the other housework seems more bearable.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Special Needs
With permission, I'm pulling a post from my sister's blog. My sister is an AMAZING mother of 4 1/2 (one on the way) and is having some pretty intense pregnancy issues. I will never know how she manages to do everything she does and keep all her "balls in the air". She's truly amazing!
Tyler (who is mentioned in the post) is 3.5 years old, but is the size of a large 5 year old child, which makes the situation described a little more difficult to deal with.
(Also, Mindi, I thought this might help with your last post, realizing, however, that the situations might not be closely related at all.)
Special Needs (by Sandi)
Having a special needs child is so full of rewards, however, there are some days that you have to dig to find them, others they just appear! I love it when, randomly, Tyler will burst through the door and give me a hug and a kiss for no apparent reason. That makes my mommy-heart feel awesome!
There are also challenges that go with this sort of thing as well. How do you get others to understand? How do you help them cope? These are two questions swirling through my mind right now. He's causing trouble in the nursery, and they want me to tell them how to "fix it". The problem is...I have no idea! His whole world was thrown into turmoil this summer with the lack of structure to his schedule. It's not his fault, they know that, but there are other little children that they're worried about as well. I don't blame them. There are days I'm at my wits end with him, so I know that frustration very well. The only difference between them and me is I still love him very dearly at the end of the day (when he's angelically sleeping...LOL, just kidding, I love him regardless). My best reply to give to them when put on the spot? If he's causing that much trouble, please come get us, we totally understand (been there, done that). They are in the process of getting an extra nursery aid to help out in there (Ty isn't the only one with special needs and certainly isn't the most "needy"...don't take that as a rude comment, because it's not meant that way).
Earlier today, someone asked Celeste where mommy was. She replied something that sounded like "da bom". When asked to repeat it, it sounded more like "da bum". Yes, I am a bum, but I also like to think of myself at the moment as "da bum that is da bom" !! LOL, yes, I'm a nerd, that's ok - I'm at peace with that fact!!
Tyler (who is mentioned in the post) is 3.5 years old, but is the size of a large 5 year old child, which makes the situation described a little more difficult to deal with.
(Also, Mindi, I thought this might help with your last post, realizing, however, that the situations might not be closely related at all.)
Special Needs (by Sandi)
Having a special needs child is so full of rewards, however, there are some days that you have to dig to find them, others they just appear! I love it when, randomly, Tyler will burst through the door and give me a hug and a kiss for no apparent reason. That makes my mommy-heart feel awesome!
There are also challenges that go with this sort of thing as well. How do you get others to understand? How do you help them cope? These are two questions swirling through my mind right now. He's causing trouble in the nursery, and they want me to tell them how to "fix it". The problem is...I have no idea! His whole world was thrown into turmoil this summer with the lack of structure to his schedule. It's not his fault, they know that, but there are other little children that they're worried about as well. I don't blame them. There are days I'm at my wits end with him, so I know that frustration very well. The only difference between them and me is I still love him very dearly at the end of the day (when he's angelically sleeping...LOL, just kidding, I love him regardless). My best reply to give to them when put on the spot? If he's causing that much trouble, please come get us, we totally understand (been there, done that). They are in the process of getting an extra nursery aid to help out in there (Ty isn't the only one with special needs and certainly isn't the most "needy"...don't take that as a rude comment, because it's not meant that way).
Earlier today, someone asked Celeste where mommy was. She replied something that sounded like "da bom". When asked to repeat it, it sounded more like "da bum". Yes, I am a bum, but I also like to think of myself at the moment as "da bum that is da bom" !! LOL, yes, I'm a nerd, that's ok - I'm at peace with that fact!!
Nursery woes...
All week my 3 yr old (just 3 in June) has been asking to go to church and play with the kids. I was shocked. He doesn't normally ask for that.
Sunday came and I told him he was going to church to play with the kids (all excited high voice inserted here).
He screamed "No church! No kids! No no no!" I knew it would happen. He hates nursery. He cried the entire ride to church, BEGGING us to "Go home! Daddy, turn car around, go home!"
Rewind to when he was 18 months. They asked me and my husband to be nursery leaders. Big mistake. They thought it would be easier for our little guy if we were there. It was, but then my husband was released, and then I got pregnant and was released, and he wouldn't go without us. He bawls his head off if we aren't there. He bawls all the way from the chapel to the nursery room. He's the oldest one in there, and the biggest baby when it comes to leaving mommy and daddy.
We stopped going when the new brother was born. His first Sunday back after that was horrific. We got him all excited to go to play with the kids, and when we got to the door we could hear 2 identical twin girls screaming their heads off, both trying to get the door opened. My little guy started shaking and DID NOT want to go in there.
We tried again the week after that. A little girl in there is socially not all there. She's mean. She hits. She kicks. I stayed in there with J a few minutes and he was playing quietly by himself, SHE came up to him, wanted his toy, grabbed his hair, pulled him to the ground, punched him and kicked him. I couldn't have been over there fast enough to rescue my already-scared-to-be-there-boy. (My child is not the only victim of hers either...)
*SIGH*
What do I do to get him to go and stay and not cry? We've tried bribing. He begins to cry during the last song of Sacrament meeting, KNOWING where we are taking him next. He will be going into Sunbeams in January...I have 4 months to cut the apron strings. This is also the reason we don't go out (me and my husband). The only person he liked to have babysit him, moved out of our ward. He has panick attacks, freaks out screaming if we leave him. We also don't do play-dates.
Help!
Sunday came and I told him he was going to church to play with the kids (all excited high voice inserted here).
He screamed "No church! No kids! No no no!" I knew it would happen. He hates nursery. He cried the entire ride to church, BEGGING us to "Go home! Daddy, turn car around, go home!"
Rewind to when he was 18 months. They asked me and my husband to be nursery leaders. Big mistake. They thought it would be easier for our little guy if we were there. It was, but then my husband was released, and then I got pregnant and was released, and he wouldn't go without us. He bawls his head off if we aren't there. He bawls all the way from the chapel to the nursery room. He's the oldest one in there, and the biggest baby when it comes to leaving mommy and daddy.
We stopped going when the new brother was born. His first Sunday back after that was horrific. We got him all excited to go to play with the kids, and when we got to the door we could hear 2 identical twin girls screaming their heads off, both trying to get the door opened. My little guy started shaking and DID NOT want to go in there.
We tried again the week after that. A little girl in there is socially not all there. She's mean. She hits. She kicks. I stayed in there with J a few minutes and he was playing quietly by himself, SHE came up to him, wanted his toy, grabbed his hair, pulled him to the ground, punched him and kicked him. I couldn't have been over there fast enough to rescue my already-scared-to-be-there-boy. (My child is not the only victim of hers either...)
*SIGH*
What do I do to get him to go and stay and not cry? We've tried bribing. He begins to cry during the last song of Sacrament meeting, KNOWING where we are taking him next. He will be going into Sunbeams in January...I have 4 months to cut the apron strings. This is also the reason we don't go out (me and my husband). The only person he liked to have babysit him, moved out of our ward. He has panick attacks, freaks out screaming if we leave him. We also don't do play-dates.
Help!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Picky Eaters
My little boy is P.I.C.K.Y. It's frustrating to make meals for him. I have talked to lots of my mommy friends who have children of similar ages, and it seems to be a consensus: preschoolers are hard to feed. My guy has about 5 things he will eat on a regular basis: chicken nuggets (I at least try and buy the least nastied-out ones), grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese...okay, that's 3 things. More often than not he'll eat what I make for dinner; he loves mashed potatoes and gravy (which he seems to think is rice...who cares if he eats it, right?!?), and he'll eat pretty much anything if it has "dip" on it. Thankfully, he also likes fruits: apples, applesauce, pears, blueberries, oranges, bananas. I cannot get him to eat veggies. If it's green, it's a no-go. I'm tired of coercing him to eat! Do any of you have suggestions on how to help my boy be more adventurous with his foods? There's only so far I can go in trying to disguise healthy stuff in the foods he likes!
I need to add a few things about my boy: he has GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease). He's had it since he was 2 months old. It's hereditary. And he's medicated. However, I still have to take into account the acidity of his foods. Secondly, he can't have peanuts (neither can his sister - hooray for allergies!).
I need to add a few things about my boy: he has GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease). He's had it since he was 2 months old. It's hereditary. And he's medicated. However, I still have to take into account the acidity of his foods. Secondly, he can't have peanuts (neither can his sister - hooray for allergies!).
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