My little sister sent this link to me. I thought, "Wow! That's amazing! Where was this information when my boys were that small?!"
So for those of you with infants from 0-3 months, here you go!
Showing posts with label Baby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baby. Show all posts
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Friday, July 1, 2011
When to Say When?
I'm having a dilemma...again. :) This last week I've been away at a state training for teachers. I had to leave my boys in the care of my amazingly wonderful mom (who did a great job of caring for them).
All week I missed my babies and just wanted to be home. Because I'm nursing, I brought along my trusty pump and used it every chance I got. I wanted to make sure my milk didn't run out, which it seems to be heading that way anyway.
So, last night when I got home, I took N in to nurse him, cause I was sure ready to relieve some pressure. He wouldn't nurse. He fought it and cried. He would only take a bottle. Part of me doesn't really know how to feel at being trumped by a bottle. This morning, he still prefers the bottle over me.
N is 6 1/2 months old, which is how old J was when my milk ran out and we had to feed him other things instead of my milk. My milk is starting to look blue (a sign that your milk is drying up/going away/biting the dust/etc.) and I've been wondering how long it'll last this time.
Bottom line of my dilemma: Do I stop nursing and feed him the breast milk that I have frozen? Do I try to "force" him to nurse? Am I a bad mom for even considering stopping?
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Binkies - When do you take them away?
I've never had to deal with this issue before. J never took a binky...that is until he saw N sucking like mad on one. Then we'd find him trying to sneak the binkies from N, usually when J was having a bad or extremely emotional day. He knows he doesn't need one.
But N is most definitely a BINKY BABY! And it's not just any binky that he wants. It's this one:
My sister got him one of these babies. It's called a Wubbanub. They have several other kinds of them with various colors of binkies attached.
N cannot live without this monkey binky. An example of this happened just today. He was crying and acting hungry, so I tried to nurse him. He latched on for a second, then started wailing at maximum volume. I put in his binky and let him hug the monkey and he quieted right down and fell asleep. I'm being passed up for a monkey!
Anyway, because he's so attached to this monkey binky, I'm a little worried about what will happen when we "get" to take it away and be done with the whole binky thing.
When do you usually take away a binky? (I've heard of some experts who say to take it away at 6 months or so, so they don't have cognitive memories of having it.) How have you done it so you have success (and little whining/crying/fighting)?
But N is most definitely a BINKY BABY! And it's not just any binky that he wants. It's this one:
My sister got him one of these babies. It's called a Wubbanub. They have several other kinds of them with various colors of binkies attached.
N cannot live without this monkey binky. An example of this happened just today. He was crying and acting hungry, so I tried to nurse him. He latched on for a second, then started wailing at maximum volume. I put in his binky and let him hug the monkey and he quieted right down and fell asleep. I'm being passed up for a monkey!
Anyway, because he's so attached to this monkey binky, I'm a little worried about what will happen when we "get" to take it away and be done with the whole binky thing.
When do you usually take away a binky? (I've heard of some experts who say to take it away at 6 months or so, so they don't have cognitive memories of having it.) How have you done it so you have success (and little whining/crying/fighting)?
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Baby Food
Baby food is insanely expensive! We bought all of the baby food we fed to J when he was eating the stuff. With N, I've decided to take a different approach. I'm trying my hand at making the food.
I had my reservations about doing this, because I thought it'd be hard to do, time consuming and messy. My sister bought a Baby Bullet, and it came with an extra one, so I split the cost with her and now we both have a Baby Bullet set. Way cute and way easy to use.
It came with a recipe book that not only has recipes in it, but it's organized by what foods you should start during what months, etc. I LOVE it! It's made baby food making really easy.
But I have to say that if I'd thought about it, I could have gotten away with doing the same thing in my regular blender. It just wouldn't have the nifty serving/refrigerating cups, the freezer cups and the flat blade...maybe your blenders came with one of those, but mine doesn't have one, so I'm assuming they don't.
What have I noticed about making my own baby food? I know exactly what goes into my baby's mouth. I can make and store a week's worth of food in less than 30 minutes. It costs WAY less than store bought baby food. It tastes better than the nasty stuff you buy. And I think it's just easier.
How do I make it?
Well, with soft things, like avocados, you just blend one up with 1/4 cup of water (more or less if you want it runnier or thicker) and there you have baby avocado food.
With harder things, like sweet potatoes, you boil, microwave or bake them, however you'd like to cook them, then you put them in the blender with about 1/4 cup of water. Very, very easy.
These things keep in the fridge for about 3 days, and in the freezer for about 3 weeks as per the instructions in the Baby Bullet cookbook. An easy way to freeze them is to put the puree into an ice cube tray. Then, when it's frozen, you take them out of the tray and put them into a freezer safe bag, label it and then just toss it back into the freezer. Simple as that. Depending on the size of your cubes, you'll usually have 1-1 1/2 of those as a serving size.
You can even make your own rice, oatmeal, millet cereal.
For cereals, grind 1/2 cup of brown rice, oatmeal or millet into a fine powder. Put it in a pot with 4 cups of water; cover until it boils. Turn down the heat to low and cook with the cover on for 20 minutes. Test the consistency of the cereal. If you want it thinner, add more water. This mixes well with fruit purees and, later on, with chicken or beef dinners.
I've tried both homemade foods and store bought foods with N. He definitely prefers the homemade.
For more recipes, go here.
I had my reservations about doing this, because I thought it'd be hard to do, time consuming and messy. My sister bought a Baby Bullet, and it came with an extra one, so I split the cost with her and now we both have a Baby Bullet set. Way cute and way easy to use.
It came with a recipe book that not only has recipes in it, but it's organized by what foods you should start during what months, etc. I LOVE it! It's made baby food making really easy.
But I have to say that if I'd thought about it, I could have gotten away with doing the same thing in my regular blender. It just wouldn't have the nifty serving/refrigerating cups, the freezer cups and the flat blade...maybe your blenders came with one of those, but mine doesn't have one, so I'm assuming they don't.
What have I noticed about making my own baby food? I know exactly what goes into my baby's mouth. I can make and store a week's worth of food in less than 30 minutes. It costs WAY less than store bought baby food. It tastes better than the nasty stuff you buy. And I think it's just easier.
How do I make it?
Well, with soft things, like avocados, you just blend one up with 1/4 cup of water (more or less if you want it runnier or thicker) and there you have baby avocado food.
With harder things, like sweet potatoes, you boil, microwave or bake them, however you'd like to cook them, then you put them in the blender with about 1/4 cup of water. Very, very easy.
These things keep in the fridge for about 3 days, and in the freezer for about 3 weeks as per the instructions in the Baby Bullet cookbook. An easy way to freeze them is to put the puree into an ice cube tray. Then, when it's frozen, you take them out of the tray and put them into a freezer safe bag, label it and then just toss it back into the freezer. Simple as that. Depending on the size of your cubes, you'll usually have 1-1 1/2 of those as a serving size.
You can even make your own rice, oatmeal, millet cereal.
For cereals, grind 1/2 cup of brown rice, oatmeal or millet into a fine powder. Put it in a pot with 4 cups of water; cover until it boils. Turn down the heat to low and cook with the cover on for 20 minutes. Test the consistency of the cereal. If you want it thinner, add more water. This mixes well with fruit purees and, later on, with chicken or beef dinners.
I've tried both homemade foods and store bought foods with N. He definitely prefers the homemade.
For more recipes, go here.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
What is the best: Part 2: To bring or not to bring?
I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Our contributors are as well, and so are most of our readers. But not all.
So, if you are not of our faith, here's a quick lesson on our Sunday procedure. We attend three hours of church every Sunday. Our first hour is a meeting with the entire congregation. The second hour is broken into Sunday School classes (one for adults, one for teens, and a whole slew of classes for kids depending on their ages). The third hour is broken down again for teens and adults. Women go to one class, men to another. Teenage girls (12 - 18) attend one class, while teenage boys attend another. The children are still in the same class.
A child enters his/her first "class" at the tender age of 18 months. By this point they have social skills (if somewhat lacking), are able to understand and follow basic commands, and they have attention spans. Sort of. And yes, they still learn about Jesus at this age.
Husband and I had years and years to sit in Sacrament meeting (the first meeting with the congregation) and watch all the little families around us, and see how they get their kids to behave. AKA, be quiet. Some brought lots and lots of treats. Some brought toys of all shapes and sizes. Some brought a book or two. Some brought nothing.
It seems to me like the nothing category seems to be the option that keeps a child the most reverent. However! That's not always the case.
With us, S has to have at least a mild distraction. We bring a snack, a few books and usually a stuffed animal. I know that sounds like a lot, but it's really not. We've tried to bring toys, but he gets rowdy and we're distracted. But he's so young that if we had nothing, he'd get bored...and then he'd get naughty and loud and embarrassing. And not to mention we had to have enough to "entertain" him through three hours of classes because he wasn't old enough to go to Nursery (the children's class for babies.)
When I was a kid, my parents didn't bring anything. We just sat in the very front row and had to sit quietly. Occasionally we could have a pen and paper and write notes to each other, but not often.
Some families can bring lots of toys and coloring books and games, and their kids will sit quietly and play. Or they will feel like it's play time at home and they get loud.
Here's my question: What works best for your child or children? Did you have to change things once you had two or more kids?
Just curious.
So, if you are not of our faith, here's a quick lesson on our Sunday procedure. We attend three hours of church every Sunday. Our first hour is a meeting with the entire congregation. The second hour is broken into Sunday School classes (one for adults, one for teens, and a whole slew of classes for kids depending on their ages). The third hour is broken down again for teens and adults. Women go to one class, men to another. Teenage girls (12 - 18) attend one class, while teenage boys attend another. The children are still in the same class.
A child enters his/her first "class" at the tender age of 18 months. By this point they have social skills (if somewhat lacking), are able to understand and follow basic commands, and they have attention spans. Sort of. And yes, they still learn about Jesus at this age.
Husband and I had years and years to sit in Sacrament meeting (the first meeting with the congregation) and watch all the little families around us, and see how they get their kids to behave. AKA, be quiet. Some brought lots and lots of treats. Some brought toys of all shapes and sizes. Some brought a book or two. Some brought nothing.
It seems to me like the nothing category seems to be the option that keeps a child the most reverent. However! That's not always the case.
With us, S has to have at least a mild distraction. We bring a snack, a few books and usually a stuffed animal. I know that sounds like a lot, but it's really not. We've tried to bring toys, but he gets rowdy and we're distracted. But he's so young that if we had nothing, he'd get bored...and then he'd get naughty and loud and embarrassing. And not to mention we had to have enough to "entertain" him through three hours of classes because he wasn't old enough to go to Nursery (the children's class for babies.)
When I was a kid, my parents didn't bring anything. We just sat in the very front row and had to sit quietly. Occasionally we could have a pen and paper and write notes to each other, but not often.
Some families can bring lots of toys and coloring books and games, and their kids will sit quietly and play. Or they will feel like it's play time at home and they get loud.
Here's my question: What works best for your child or children? Did you have to change things once you had two or more kids?
Just curious.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Your Average Day
I've been thinking about the last post for almost the last month. With a new baby in the house, a lot of things have changed - especially my schedule (note that it's almost 1 a.m. as I'm writing this).
Not only has my schedule been thrown off kilter, but so has my toddler's. Before N was born, we had a fairly good routine down for dinner and bedtime. Now, he does everything he can to stay up longer and longer and longer. I'd like to ask another question of all you moms out there because you are full of great advice that you definitely can't get in parenting books because your experiences are your own and most of you haven't published...at least not that type of book. (Wink at Deborah, since she's having her book published later this month!)
My question is what is your schedule like on an average day? I'm trying to fit everything back into my life that fit before, and it's like I'm doing a puzzle with too many pieces. I know it'll take time for me to see how everything can fit, or at least pare it down, but I'd really like to know how you other moms do things.
So, what does your average day look like?
Not only has my schedule been thrown off kilter, but so has my toddler's. Before N was born, we had a fairly good routine down for dinner and bedtime. Now, he does everything he can to stay up longer and longer and longer. I'd like to ask another question of all you moms out there because you are full of great advice that you definitely can't get in parenting books because your experiences are your own and most of you haven't published...at least not that type of book. (Wink at Deborah, since she's having her book published later this month!)
My question is what is your schedule like on an average day? I'm trying to fit everything back into my life that fit before, and it's like I'm doing a puzzle with too many pieces. I know it'll take time for me to see how everything can fit, or at least pare it down, but I'd really like to know how you other moms do things.
So, what does your average day look like?
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Calming Reflex
We've all seen doctors checking knee reflexes, right? In order to do it correctly, they have to find just the right spot on your knee to tap with that little mallet they use before your leg will kick involuntarily because it's a reflex.
Did you know that babies have a calming reflex? I didn't until I took some of our readers' advice and read a book called "The Happiest Baby on the Block". Can I just say that this book has been a life saver for me? Let me tell you about this calming reflex that Dr. Karp has written his book about. AMAZING!
He says that after babies are born, they miss the comforting feelings they had while in the womb. He's found a few things that help to recreate that feeling. Each of these things triggers your baby's calming reflex as he's called it. And, if done in the correct order, these things will almost instantly calm your baby down. Seriously, it happens within a minute or two at most.
What are these things that trigger this awesome reflex? Dr. Karp calls them the 5 S's. Here they come:
I've also found that N gets overstimulated fairly quickly. If I pay close enough attention, I can catch it before he gets to his "inconsolable" stage where he needs all 5 S's. If I do catch it, just swaddling and sucking (sometimes swaying) are all he needs.
Good luck to all you new mommies out there! Hope this helps you as much as it has helped me!
Did you know that babies have a calming reflex? I didn't until I took some of our readers' advice and read a book called "The Happiest Baby on the Block". Can I just say that this book has been a life saver for me? Let me tell you about this calming reflex that Dr. Karp has written his book about. AMAZING!
He says that after babies are born, they miss the comforting feelings they had while in the womb. He's found a few things that help to recreate that feeling. Each of these things triggers your baby's calming reflex as he's called it. And, if done in the correct order, these things will almost instantly calm your baby down. Seriously, it happens within a minute or two at most.
What are these things that trigger this awesome reflex? Dr. Karp calls them the 5 S's. Here they come:
- Tight Swaddling: You need to make sure that baby's arms are wrapped tightly to his/her sides. Babies didn't have much room inside the womb, and they're not used to having all this space around them. It's scary being in a new place, right? (To see how Dr. Karp suggests you swaddle your baby, check out the book or his dvd at your local library)
- After swaddling, turn baby onto his/her Side/Stomach as you hold him/her. I've seen babies that consider leaning even a fraction of an inch to their back a "very bad thing" and remain inconsolable. But when tilted toward their stomach, they calm right down. Why? I'm not sure, but it seems to work, so I go with what Dr. Karp says on this one.
- Swinging comes next. They don't call them "Bouncing Babies" for nothing. You can either bounce your baby from side to side or do what I do. I sit down and put my baby on my legs (head by my knees) and rock my knees back and forth. It takes minimal effort and can be done even when you're bleary eyed at 2 a.m.
- If swaddling, side/stomach and swinging aren't enough to calm your baby, try giving them something to Suck on. Sucking naturally calms a baby, and when combined with the first three S's, it REALLY calms them down.
- The final S is Shushing. Dr. Karp says to shush as loud as the baby is crying. In his book he says that babies are used to a constant white noise that is at about the same level in volume as a vacuum cleaner. Other ways to provide this white noise could include turning a radio to static, or getting a hair dryer, turning it on the low setting and leaving it about 3-6 feet from baby. Or, you can always turn on a vacuum in the same room as baby. All of these can help with making your baby feel "at home" again.
I've also found that N gets overstimulated fairly quickly. If I pay close enough attention, I can catch it before he gets to his "inconsolable" stage where he needs all 5 S's. If I do catch it, just swaddling and sucking (sometimes swaying) are all he needs.
Good luck to all you new mommies out there! Hope this helps you as much as it has helped me!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Free books.
If you have a child from newborn to 5 years old, you are potentially eligible to receive free books.
How?
There is this neat little program called Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. It's a program sponsored by your local school district or a local businesses in which your registered child receives a free book every month until they are 5 years old.
Yes, a free book every month until they are 5. You can't beat that! Some of the books are amazing, and some are a little less awesome. It doesn't matter though because you can just take those less awesome books and donate them to charity.
How do you enroll? There are a few ways to do this. First check out the website here and click on your country. Then I usually just click on 1st time visitors. From there you can check and see if the program is available in your area. (You can also click on the "About Us" train car, then click on affiliates and see a list of participating cities/communities.)
If it is, you can go into your local school district office, ask to enroll in the Dolly Parton book club (they'll know what you're talking about) and fill out their little form.
It also appears you can do it from the Imagination Library website. This option wasn't available when I enrolled S, so I don't know how well it works.
If the program is not available in your area, you can try to get it in your community. The first place to start is with your school district. They may not even be aware of the program. After that I'm not sure exactly what needs to be done. I've looked into it a little on the IL website, but I think it will take work from the parents. Get some other interested moms on your side and see what you can do.
How?
There is this neat little program called Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. It's a program sponsored by your local school district or a local businesses in which your registered child receives a free book every month until they are 5 years old.
Yes, a free book every month until they are 5. You can't beat that! Some of the books are amazing, and some are a little less awesome. It doesn't matter though because you can just take those less awesome books and donate them to charity.
How do you enroll? There are a few ways to do this. First check out the website here and click on your country. Then I usually just click on 1st time visitors. From there you can check and see if the program is available in your area. (You can also click on the "About Us" train car, then click on affiliates and see a list of participating cities/communities.)
If it is, you can go into your local school district office, ask to enroll in the Dolly Parton book club (they'll know what you're talking about) and fill out their little form.
It also appears you can do it from the Imagination Library website. This option wasn't available when I enrolled S, so I don't know how well it works.
If the program is not available in your area, you can try to get it in your community. The first place to start is with your school district. They may not even be aware of the program. After that I'm not sure exactly what needs to be done. I've looked into it a little on the IL website, but I think it will take work from the parents. Get some other interested moms on your side and see what you can do.
Monday, January 3, 2011
What is the Best - Part I
I want to start a new segment asking for your opinion on the best baby/child products.
My son is plagued with really bad diaper rash right now (thanks to 7 diarrhea diapers in the last 24 hours) and I sent my husband out this morning for more diaper rash ointment. He asked me what to get and I wasn't entirely sure.
So, here's my questions. What is the best diaper rash ointment/cream/treatment? What are your methods for getting rid of diaper rash?
**********************************************************************************
Deborah says: I usually use Boudreaux's Butt Paste. It's gentle, clean, smells good and does a great job at preventing and treating light diaper rash. However, it hasn't seemed to do a great job with heavy lifting. Still I love it and will continue giving it as a gift to every baby shower I go to.
Emily says: I have only ever used Burt's Bees diaper ointment. It is natural, which is the big selling point for me. In my experience, it works really fast. Usually a rash was cleared up by the time I changed the next diaper! Hope this helps!
Jennie says: I use something that may sound strange but it works like magic. It's called Bag Balm, and is actually made for cow's utters. Depending on which state you live in, Walmart sells it. In Idaho (where I used to live) they sold it in the pet section, but here in Arizona, where I live now, they don;t sell it at any Walmart, which means you'd probably have to get it at a feed store somewhere or something. It's in a square, green tin and unfortunately has kind of a strong, unpleasant smell (in my opinion), but it works great. We've used all the other butt creams, but this one heals the rash faster than any of them. You can actually use it on any skin irritation, whether it be diaper rash, some other rash, exema, etc.
Meagan says: I have to agree with Emily. I used the buttpaste for a while, but Ve had a pretty bad rash while teething and I switched to Burt's Bees. It did wonders! It works VERY quickly and smells incredible!
Sandi says: We use either desitin or corn starch on their bums. Also, I use a hot wash cloth to wipe off their rumps because the heat kills the bacteria and doesn't seem to hurt as much as the cold wipes do.
Maura says: Buttpaste is good.
I also used to let J sleep with nothing on...let it air out. I would put a plastic mat and a few towels down and let her sleep away with her little bum out in the open. It lets it breath and the diaper wasn't rubbing it. Helped clear it up faster.
Mindi says: I SWEAR by the stuff my hometown pharmacist makes. They've been making it for years and it's a family secret and they do NOT tell you what is in it (besides the usual Petroleum jelly, zinc, ect). It will take away your childs diaper rash in 1-2 days, NO JOKE. We all use it, everyone from my town swears by it, and I will NOT use anything else. Anyone wants to try it out, let me know!
My son is plagued with really bad diaper rash right now (thanks to 7 diarrhea diapers in the last 24 hours) and I sent my husband out this morning for more diaper rash ointment. He asked me what to get and I wasn't entirely sure.
So, here's my questions. What is the best diaper rash ointment/cream/treatment? What are your methods for getting rid of diaper rash?
**********************************************************************************
Deborah says: I usually use Boudreaux's Butt Paste. It's gentle, clean, smells good and does a great job at preventing and treating light diaper rash. However, it hasn't seemed to do a great job with heavy lifting. Still I love it and will continue giving it as a gift to every baby shower I go to.
Emily says: I have only ever used Burt's Bees diaper ointment. It is natural, which is the big selling point for me. In my experience, it works really fast. Usually a rash was cleared up by the time I changed the next diaper! Hope this helps!
Jennie says: I use something that may sound strange but it works like magic. It's called Bag Balm, and is actually made for cow's utters. Depending on which state you live in, Walmart sells it. In Idaho (where I used to live) they sold it in the pet section, but here in Arizona, where I live now, they don;t sell it at any Walmart, which means you'd probably have to get it at a feed store somewhere or something. It's in a square, green tin and unfortunately has kind of a strong, unpleasant smell (in my opinion), but it works great. We've used all the other butt creams, but this one heals the rash faster than any of them. You can actually use it on any skin irritation, whether it be diaper rash, some other rash, exema, etc.
Meagan says: I have to agree with Emily. I used the buttpaste for a while, but Ve had a pretty bad rash while teething and I switched to Burt's Bees. It did wonders! It works VERY quickly and smells incredible!
Sandi says: We use either desitin or corn starch on their bums. Also, I use a hot wash cloth to wipe off their rumps because the heat kills the bacteria and doesn't seem to hurt as much as the cold wipes do.
Maura says: Buttpaste is good.
I also used to let J sleep with nothing on...let it air out. I would put a plastic mat and a few towels down and let her sleep away with her little bum out in the open. It lets it breath and the diaper wasn't rubbing it. Helped clear it up faster.
Mindi says: I SWEAR by the stuff my hometown pharmacist makes. They've been making it for years and it's a family secret and they do NOT tell you what is in it (besides the usual Petroleum jelly, zinc, ect). It will take away your childs diaper rash in 1-2 days, NO JOKE. We all use it, everyone from my town swears by it, and I will NOT use anything else. Anyone wants to try it out, let me know!
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.
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? :)
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.
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 6, 2010
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
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 :).
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