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! :)

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.

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!

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

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 :).

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

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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

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!!

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.

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.