Ice Princess's Parent Talk

Andrew Shue CafeMom

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:04:00 +0000

Remember Andrew Shue from Melrose Place? He played Billy. Well, I was reading an article about how he is getting married to the Today show’s Amy Robach. At the end of the article was an update about what Andrew has been up to since he was on Melrose Place. Apparently he has "co-founded the nonprofit foundation Do Something, an organization that encourages volunteerism, and the social networking site CafeMom." Yeah, he operates the website CafeMom. I had no idea he was involved with that. It's a very impressive website. It is doing very well. Good for Andrew! His sister Elizabeth Shue is even a member.
Lots of times I've done Google searches and CafeMom has come up in the search results. It's a very useful parenting site.
You can join groups, set up a profile, create a journal and share info. I haven't gotten into it too far yet, but it looks like a great site to connect with other parents. It looks like there is quite a bit of useful parenting information available. Good place to ask questions and get parenting advice.

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How to Help Baby Sleep With Music

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:22:00 +0000

Baby having trouble sleeping? Well, I lucked out with both of my boys. They are both great sleepers. I really have no idea how that happened. Maybe they just take after me. I LOVE to sleep. lol. I think a routine is a big part of it. We have a set feeding schedule. Breakfast when they first get up. Morning snack 2 hours later. Lunch 2 hours after that. Nap/quiet time for 2 hours. Afternoon snack when naptime is over. Dinner 2 1/2 hours after that. Bath time and bedtime snack and bedtime. I work at home, so the boys get lots of unstructured play time. They are excellent at keeping themselves occupied. My oldest son enjoys building sheds with his Legos for his Thomas and friends trains. Very creative little boy.
Anyways, during the day, they are super busy, so I think that helps wear them out, so they are ready for bed when the time comes.
One thing I have done is play music for them at bedtime. For my youngest's first year, I would put on Bob Marley. I read that babies are supposed to like Bob Marley. My son did seem to enjoy it, but for my oldest son, I used Journey's Escape cd. He would always fall asleep before the cd was even over. It was a rare occasion when he would still be awake when it was over. Shortly after my youngest turned 1, I decided to give up on Bob and switch him over to Journey. For a while I noticed he would still be awake after the Bob Marley cd was over. He would occupy himself, but it would take a little while longer for him to fall asleep. Well, I switched him over to Journey and he is now sleeping well before the Journey cd is done playing. I'm very impressed. If you have a baby or toddler who is having trouble sleeping, I highly recommend playing the Journey Escape cd for him. Who knows if it will help, but it is certainly worth a try.
BTW, music is great for stimulating a babies brain to develop.
To get a baby to sleep through the night, you might also try using a fan, or I use a humidifier, turned on high. The white noise of the fan or humidifier sometimes helps. I know the humidifier noise has helped my son sleep while he's been sick.

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How To Remove Crayon From Walls

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:29:00 +0000

How to remove crayon from walls is something I had to learn recently. When my 4 year old was about 2 years old, my little budding artist took his crayons and drew some nice designs on a couple of walls. Shortly after he turned 3 years old, his brother arrived and after learning how to draw mountains from Blues Clues, he decided to draw the Rocky Mountains allllllll the way down the hallway. At first it was cute and I was quite impressed with his imagination. After all, I do try to encourage his creativity every chance I get. Who else has walls with this very unique mural?
Well, it's almost 2 years later and I just want my white walls back, lol, so I've been working my way around the walls removing the crayon using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. That thing is the best. It cleans anything. All you do is wet the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and scrub away. Every so often, rinse the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser out. One thing you have to be careful of is that you don't scrub too hard. Otherwise, you will scrub right through the paint. Scrub lightly though, and you will remove the crayon from the walls very easily.

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Developmentally Delayed

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 02:06:00 +0000

My little baby is now 19 1/2 months old. My oldest is 4 1/2 already. Unbelievable how fast time goes. Especially when the second baby comes along.
At my youngest's 15 month checkup, his doctor thought he was developmentally delayed. He wasn't walking yet, not too many words and he refused to feed himself. His doctor recommended getting Early Child Intervention involved. To encourage him to walk they suggested a walk behind push toy, which we already had. They also suggested taking him outside to walk on the grass.
To feed himself, they recommended lots of finger foods, such as peas, carrots, small pieces of fruit, cheerios, crackers, etc.
For his vocabulary, they recommended lots of reading. As you read, point to the pictures and name the objects and ask him where is ... and ask him to point to it. One book I bought is Happy Baby Words. It's a nice book. Full of pictures. He seems to enjoy it.
Also, whenever he does do something, take a few steps, feed himself a bite, etc., just encourage and give him lots of praise.
Well, he has come a long ways in the past few months. He was a late walker at 17 1/2 months, but he's running around like a mad man now. He feeds himself now, although still with his fingers. His vocabulary is growing, although I'm still not convinced he's saying as much as he should be. Sometimes his speech is a little hard to understand, but he's still young yet. I did buy him a dvd for speech development called Baby Babble 2 - First Words: P B M.
It's a nice dvd and really captures his attention. Even his brother enjoys it. This is the 2nd dvd developed by two speech pathologists. This one focuses on learning words which start with the letters P, B and M. The dvd also contains sign language chapters and a tips for parents chapter. It's pretty mellow. Background music plays as different toys and objects are shown and the names of the objects are given. I do think it has helped my son. One day he said papa out of the blue and as the video plays I've heard him jabber along with it.
The first dvd, Baby Babble - Speech-Enhancing DVD for Babies and Toddlers, focuses on more than just P, B and M. It's not quite as new, but still relevant. I plan on buying it sometime soon.
Another thing I've done to encourage my son's brain development is feed him lots of berries, blueberries, strawberries, etc. Blueberries are brain food and are pretty affordable when bought frozen. Frozen food is actually more nutritious than fresh because it is frozen as soon as it is picked. Fresh food loses nutrients in transit.
Berries are also full of antioxidants to keep everyone healthy.

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Child Constipation Remedy

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 03:29:00 +0000

Just want to mention I updated some information in an earlier post about child constipation remedies.

Potty Training, How to Clean a Potty Chair

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 03:12:00 +0000

My 4 year old has been potty trained for quite some time. I'm very proud of him as he pretty much did it on his own. Potty training is something you just can't push. You can guide them, but you pretty much have to wait for them to be ready. I figured night time would take a while since I wasn't about to wake my son during the night to go. One night he decided he didn't want to wear a diaper, so I let him go without one just to test him. He stayed dry for a few nights, then would be wet, then dry. It didn't take too long before he just stayed dry every night.
I opted for the potty chair over the toilet seat potty only because my son is very curious and would get into everything in the bathroom.
The potty is a pain in the butt when it comes to cleaning. Even though I keep it empty and rinsed out, it doesn't take very long for the potty bowl to become stained. I tried spraying it with lysol cleaner, letting it set a bit and then scrubbing. That works pretty good, but what worked the best was white vinegar. Just fill the potty bowl with white vinegar, let it set overnight and rinse with water. The potty should be remarkably clean. I know I was impressed.
BTW, if you are trying to choose a potty, buy a plain cheap model, as you will probably just want to throw it away once potty training is over. Even though I try to keep it clean, the potty isn't something I'm going to hang on to. Some potty chairs have all the bells and whistles with sounds and make believe flushing that sell for about $50. Watching my son's poor aim at times makes me glad I just opted for the cheap model.

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Picky Eater

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 01:34:00 +0000

Got a picky eater? My 4 year old is an extremely picky eater. He pretty much lives off of cheese and crackers. He hasn't touched a vegetable in months and is now starting to reject fruit. He also eats meat sparingly. He's in the 10th percentile for weight, so he's thin, but not underweight at least.
While doing some Christmas shopping at Amazon.com, I came across a book called The Sneaky Chef. Great book! You puree various fruits, vegetables and beans and add them to various recipes. So far I've made the mac n cheese, pizza and chocolate chip cookies. I was very impressed with all 3 recipes. The mac n cheese contained carrots and sweet potatoes. The pizza contained white kidney beans, carrots and sweet potatoes and the chocolate chip cookies contained white kidney beans and dried berries. In all 3 recipes no one would ever guess the secret ingredients. If you ask me, everything tasted better than the normal recipe. Unfortunately, my son wouldn't eat the mac n cheese or the pizza, but he chowed down 3 of the chocolate chip cookies when they came out of the oven. Today he did even ate a tuna fish sandwich with wheat germ.
Next, I'm going to try burgers with spinach and blueberries, brownies with spinach and blueberries and french fries with cornmeal.
I don't like sneaking secret ingredients into my son's food, but everything else I've tried has failed, so I'm really glad I bought The Sneaky Chef. It's a good way to ensure your child or you or your spouse eat healthy.

BTW, I just discovered the author, Missy Chase Lapine, has a 2nd book out. The reviews say it is even better than the first. I will definitely be ordering it.

Tongue Tied Baby

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 16:05:00 +0000

My new baby is now 11 months old already. This year sure has flown by. He's now babbling away saying mama, baba, crawling like a maniac and standing up.
Shortly after his 9 month checkup, I took him to an ear, nose, throat specialist to clip his tongue, since his ped diagnosed him as being tongue tied. You have the option of having the tongue clipped in the hospital or in the office. It's a very simple procedure, so I opted for the office. According to the specialist, the tissue which is clipped doesn't have much feeling, no nerves. Getting clipped just feels like being tapped on the hand. He said no pain reliever was necessary. My son cried & cried, poor thing, but afterwards he was fine, not cranky or anything. If I had known the specialist wasn't going to give him anything, I would have given him Tylenol before we went. For the procedure, you set the baby in your lap & try to hold him still, the doc uses scissors and tweezers and just clips the tissue. My son had a small area of white tissue on the bottom of his mouth, which went away after it was healed. His tongue is now free to move. I guess it's better to get the procedure done while young, rather than wait and have to go through speech therapy. I also read that the procedure is more complex and involves stitches if done when they are older. Be prepared for the bill though. This specialist charged $500 for the 5 minute procedure and $168 for looking in his mouth to verify he was tongue tied. Almost $700 total. Pretty crazy.

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Make your own baby food

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:51:00 +0000

My baby is now 8 1/2 months old already. Gosh, wonder why that amount of time goes so slow when you're pregnant.
He's been on solid foods for about 3 months now. I started him out slow because he was so sensitive to what I ate. Thankfully he seems to be past that now. I haven't tried cabbage or broccoli yet, but hurray I can eat chocolate now.
I started him out on jarred baby food, just because he wasn't eating too much and jarred baby food is so quick & easy. Now that his appetite has increased, I'm making his baby food. The jarred baby food gets expensive pretty quick. I bought 4 pears for around $1.50. The amount of baby food it made would have cost arountd $5.00, so over time, making your own baby food saves quite a bit of money. Making your own baby food is so easy too and it probably tastes better.
Basically, you peel the fruit or vegetable, if you want to, cut into chunks, put in a pan, with a little bit of water and cook for a few minutes until soft, or put in a bowl with a little bit of water and microwave for a few minutes. Dump the contents of the pan/bowl into a blender and puree.
The book, Super Baby Food, is the bible of making your own baby food. It contains everything you would ever want to know. There is even a crash course in nutrition section. It suggests freezing the puree in ice cube trays and then store in the ice cube tray or baggies or whatever. I did that with my first son and it was kind of a pain putting the puree in the ice cube trays, waiting until it's frozen and then putting in containers or baggies. What I'm doing this time around is pouring the puree into the empty baby food jars I've been saving. Fill the jars with the puree, freeze and when you need a jar just pull it out of the freezer and thaw. So far, it has been working out great. Much less time consuming than the ice cube tray method.

For recipe ideas, I really like the book Blender Baby Food. The recipes are simple and don't call for bizarre ingredients. So far I've made pears, peaches, nectarines, applesauce, green beans, zucchini and bsnanas. Bananas are the easiest to make because they don't need to be cooked, just unpeel, throw in the blender and puree. Bananas should be fed to your baby everyday as they are a super food. Avocados should also be fed everyday as they help with brain development. Avocados mixed with bananas are great.
Mixing different fruits together along with rice or oatmeal cereal and formula/breast milk is a good way to mix things up and is also a good way to get a little extra fluid in the baby if they are rejecting the bottle or breast.

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Tongue Tied, Child Constipation Remedy

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 02:37:00 +0000

2 weeks ago my baby had his 6 month checkup and we found out he is tongue tied. What that means is the tissue connecting his tongue to his mouth is to close to the front of his tongue. He should start sometime before his 9 month checkup, so for now I have to pay attention to the way he talks. If it sounds like there is a problem, the tissue will need to be clipped. Apparently it is a quick, in office procedure. The area is numbed and the tissue is clipped. Sounds painful, but much better than years of speech therapy.
I also asked the ped several questions about my 3 year old. For quite some time he's been pooping daily these ballish turds. I suspected he's constipated. Turns out I was right. He's probably not getting enough fluids. His ped recommended grape juice, especially white grape juice. My son's not much of an eater or drinker, so the hard part is getting him to drink the grape juice. So far it has seemed to help some. The ped also recommended Miralax. Apparently it's a tasteless, sugary powder available over the counter. You add it to the child's juice or water and it helps with the constipation. I haven't tried it yet, but may at some point.
I've also started him on a vitamin. I picked up a bottle of Walmart's generic version of the Flinstone vitamins. Unfortunately, my son didn't care for the taste, so I picked up a bottle of the Flinstone gummy vitamins. My son has had gummy worms before, so I told him the vitamins were just like them only gummy bears. Worked like a charm. If you are thinking of giving your child a multivitamin, I highly recommend the Flinstone gummy vitamins. Check with your ped first though before giving your child any vitamins.

Toddler Constipation Remedy Update:

Just want to note that Miralax is kind of like a laxative, so it shouldn't be used for an extended length of time. I just used it for a couple of days until my son's poop was normal. In order to kepp him regular, the amount of fiber needs to be increased. A 4 year old needs 9 grams of fiber per day. He is such a picky eater, that is easier said than done. His ped recommended a fiber supplement called Benefiber. It's a white, tasteless fiber which I add to his juice. 2 tsp per 8 oz contains 3 grams of fiber. Since Benefiber is a fiber supplement and not a laxative, I use it daily. So far, it has helped.
Other high fiber foods to try besides the obvious fruits, vegetables and beans are:

- Cheerios - 3 grams fiber per serving
- Wheat Thins - These are great. My son loves these topped with EZ Cheez or dipped in french onion dip. There are several different flavors and shapes. The octagon shaped wheat thins contain 5 grams of fiber per serving. There are also various flavors of square wheat thins which contain 1 to 2 grams of fiber per serving.
- Whole Grain Bread
- Fiber added yogurt
- Nutrigrain fruit bars - 2 grams of fiber per bar
- Oatmeal
- Grapes - make sure they are cut in half or quarter pieces to prevent choking

100% Juice by CapriSun is great too. It is juice which comes in pouches and my boys love them. CapriSun has many different flavors, but these are 100% juice. There are two different 100% juice flavors. So far we have just tried the Fruit Dive flavor. It has really seemed to help my son. You get 10 pouches for $2.50. I buy them at Walmart, so they are a little bit cheaper than buying them at the grocery store. Not quite as economical as making your own juice from concentrate, but hey if my boys like them and it helps with the constipation, then the extra cost is worth it.

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BPA free baby bottles

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:53:00 +0000

The BPA free Sassy Baby MAM baby bottles I ordered arrived a few days ago. Unfortunately, my son doesn't seem to like the nipple much. The nipple is a bit strange looking. It's a bit long lengthwise and narrow in the width with flat areas on the front and back. The bottles are also wide neck. With the first try, my son did finish the bottle. After the first few sucks, he didn't seem to have a problem. The next attempt was the first feeding of the day. Maybe he was just too hungry, but we gave up after a few sucks and some crying. The next feeding we got about halfway through the bottle before giving up. He finished the bottle at the next feeding though. I think if I persisted, he could get used to them without a problem. I'm not so sure I'm going to though.
The MAM bottles are very nice though. They are easier to clean than the Dr. Brown bottles. The bottom of the bottle unscrews and it contains a rubber valve.The valve does not have any tiny holes. It is easy to clean. Then there is just the bottle, nipple and collar. The markings are easy to read, but they are not as detailed as the Dr. Brown bottles. The MAM bottles only have markings for every ounce and half ounce and the corresponding ml marks. If you are switching from breast to bottle and your baby is not used to any other nipples, the Sassy Baby MAM bottles are definitely worth a try.
Walmart has a Parent's Choice brand BPA free bottles, a 3 pack for $2.96. I picked up a pack tonight and they work great with the standard Dr. Brown nipples and inserts. No leaking and the venting system works just fine. The Walmart Parent's Choice brand BPA free bottles are 9 oz. bottles, but a bit short for the 8 oz. Dr. Brown inserts. I have 2 4 oz. inserts, so I tried using them and they work just fine. I did take an insert from one of the 8 oz. bottles and cut it down. It's kind of a pain to cut down, but doable. Since the Walmart Parent's Choice brand BPA free bottles are so cheap and work with the Dr. Brown nipples and inserts, I think I'm just going to use them. My only complaint about the Parent's Choice brand BPA free bottles is the markings are very difficult to see. The markings are raised, but they are the same color as the bottle. For a cheap BPA free bottle, compatible with the Dr. Brown inserts, I guess I can live with it.
BTW, my son had his 4 month checkup last week, so I asked his doctor what she thought about switching to BPA free bottles and she hadn't even heard about BPA leeching because there haven't been any articles about it in the medical journals. She said it was a media thing and to use BPA free bottles if it made me feel better. Not exactly very reassuring.

Bisphenol-A, BPA

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 03:07:00 +0000

I'm a bit late on this one, but better late than never I guess. I just read about BPA in Baby 411 a few weeks ago and have been subconsciously digesting the information, but should have been proactive sooner, since everywhere I look is an artice about Bisphenol-A poisoning. Apparently 90% of all baby bottles on the market today contain a chemical called Bisphenol-A or BPA which MAY cause problems such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer such as breast cancer and prostate cancer, and early onset puberty. BPA is leached into the formula or breast milk when the bottle is heated or warm liquid is added to it.
My first son is out of luck. He's 3 now and I used Munchkin's Tri-Flow bottles with him. They contain BPA.
My second son is partly out of luck. I've been using Dr. Brown's bottles with him. They also contain BPA. Dr. Brown's have come out with glass bottles though and have plans to come out with BPA free plastic bottles sometime in the next few months. I'm not too keen on glass due to the possibility of breakage, but I will definitely be buying the BPA free bottles when they become available. For now I'm going to try Sassy Baby's MAM BPA free bottles. They are available at Amazon.com, Target, Walmart, SassyBaby.com. They are a bit cheaper than the BornFree bottles. Gerber has BPA free plastic bottles available which may be usable with the Dr. Brown inserts and nipples, but they weren't available at Amazon.com with free shipping. I'm going to look in Walmart though. EvenFlo has glass bottles available.
Apparently BPA is in pretty much everything. Items with a recyclable number of 7 contain BPA. A recyclable number of 5 do not contain BPA.
There is no confirmed information that BPA is harmful to humans. Studies done on animals prove BPA is harmful to them. Studies suggest BPA might be harmful to humans. Since I've just discovered this and my youngest is still on the bottle, I'm going to be safe and switch to a BPA free bottle. I just bought a new batch of Dr. Brown bottles a month ago, so I hate to give them up, but better safe than sorry I guess.
For further reading on BPA and baby bottles, check out these links:

Z Recommends - great site with all the latest info and lists of BPA free bottles, feeding items, etc.

Baby 411 Blog - and Baby 411 - blog and companion site to the book Baby 411 whose authors are pediatricians

Switch to Faster Flow Nipples at 3 Months

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:27:00 +0000

If you have a baby who is approaching 3 months old, is bottle fed and seems to take forever to eat, you might want to switch to level 2 nipples.
The more my son drank, the longer it took to feed him. I have a 3 year old and work, so my day is busy. I strictly pump and bottle feed him the breast milk using Dr. Brown's standard bottles. At around 2 1/2 months I switched him to the faster flow level 2 nipples. It took him a day or so to get used to the faster flow, but what a great move it was to switch to a faster flow nipple. He finishes eating much faster now. Before switching to the level 2 nipples, he would also cry and fuss after taking a few sips of milk and it would take a bit to calm him down enough to eat. With the faster flow nipple, he doesn't do that anymore. He is calm after taking a few sips of milk.
Babies go through a growth spurt at 3 months, so if your baby eats slow or cries soon after starting to eat, switching to a faster flow nipple before or around 3 months might be a good idea.

Buy Infant Formula on Ebay

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:55:00 +0000

Did you know you can buy infant formula and infant formula coupons on ebay?
I have a bunch of infant formula I will be listing on ebay, so keep an eye out if you are interested. I also list infant formula coupons once in a while.

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Baby Bottle Holder

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 09:25:00 +0000

Ever bottle feed your baby, set the bottle down to burp your baby and the bottle tips over? How about set the bottle down and it leaves ring marks on the table? Well, both of those things were happening to me all the time, especially with angled neck bottles, so DH devised a baby bottle holder. It is handmade and solid wood. It is basically a cube with a hole in the top to insert the bsby bottle. One side of the baby bottle holder is also open, so you can see how much remains in the bottle. A handy little feature.
The baby bottle holder fits standard size bottles, but can be custom made to fit wider bottle sizes.
If interested, the baby bottle holder sells for $10.00, shipping/handling and tax are included and may be purchased at my website.

Forget Swaddling, Try a Sleeper

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:21:00 +0000

The first few weeks after my newborn came home, I would swaddle him, which, btw, is one way to help soothe a baby. Swaddling was going well until one day when he started kicking out of his blanket. Shortly after that, out came the sleeper sack his brother had used. At Christmas time Kmart had a good deal on the blanket sleepers with feet. Unfortunately, the smallest size they had was 2T. I picked one up anyways to have on hand for when he grew into it. A few weeks ago I decided to put it on him. What a good idea! The blanket sleeper with feet is big, so he has lots of room. I just roll up the sleeves. It's soft, warm and zips up, so I don't have to worry about him kicking out of it like a swaddle. With a risk of SIDS for babies under a year old, the blanket sleeper is also much safer than a blanket. A blanket sleeper with feet also makes it easier to strap him into his carseat, swing, or leap frog learning seat.
If your baby keeps kicking out of his swaddled blanket, I highly recommend trying a blanket sleeper.

Nebulizer

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:27:00 +0000

Last Thursday my newborn, who's almost 3 months old already, caught a cold. Stuffy nose, chest congestion, cough, lots of mucus, wheezing. Was hoping the humidifier, saline drops in the nose and Vicks BabyRub would help, but his congestion just kept getting worse, so I took him to the doctor today who gave a prescription for a nebulizer. I've never used one before, but it's a machine you add a presciption liquid medication to and it blows a fine mist/vapor out a tube which you hold over the baby's mouth and nose to help loosen the mucus. Nebulizers are also used for asthmatics. If you have a baby with congestion it's definitely a good idea to take them straight to the doctor. Apparently his chances of developing asthma are now increased due to his wheezing. Not significantly though since there is no family history of asthma. Still a chance though.
Just glad it's not RSV. RSV affects the lower respiratory system. According to Baby 411, wheezing is not usually a sign of a lower respiratory infection. A good RSV indicator is if the baby sucks in his rib cage and flares his nostrils when he breathes as if he is air hungry. RSV can be extremely serious so, if you suspect your baby may have it, call the doctor right away.
BTW, if you have a baby, reading Baby 411 is a must. It has info on just about every baby topic you can think of. It is also written by pediatricians.
They also have a Toddler 411 book which is just as good.

Child Cold and Congestion

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:33:00 +0000

My 3 year old got sick over the weekend. He woke up Saturday morning with a really mucousy cough. By the end of the day he had a fever and runny nose. He's had a flu shot so I'm assuming it's the cold his father had a few weeks ago. If he's not better in the next day or two, I'm going to take him to the doctor just to be safe.
To treat the fever, I'm giving him Motrin Children's Pain Reliever/Fever Reducer for Ages 2 to 11 when he gets up in the morning and before bedtime. I'm giving him Tylenol Children's Pain Reliever/fever Reducer, for Ages 2 to 11, Stage 2 before his morning snack and before his afternoon snack.
For his cold symptoms, I'm giving him Hyland's Sniffles & Sneezes 4 Kids tablets before breakfast, before lunch and before dinner. I'm not real sure yet if these are helping him much, but they have received good reviews and are supposed to cut the duration of a cold in half. Hyland's Teething Tablets work great for teething, so I guess these are worth a try. They are very small tablets. You take 2 every 15 minutes until symptoms are relieved and then 2 every 4 hours. At first I just gave him 2 and then 2 more an hour later and then 2 every 4 hours. 2 every 15 minutes seems like a lot. They are homeopathic tablets, so no ibuprofen, no acetaminophen and not allergy causing.
I also turn his humidifier up on high and rub Vicks Vaporub Ointment on his chest, back and feet and then put socks on him. According to this site, Chester's Home Remedies, putting Vicks on his feet and then socks will help with his cough.
When sick, it's important to keep hydrated, so lots of fluid. Pudding, smoothies, popsicles and making jello with double the amount of water are also good.
Here's the smoothie I made him. It was delicious:

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 tbs honey
squirt of lemon juice
scoop of vanilla ice cream
1 banana
handful frozen peaches
handful frozen strawberries
handful crushed ice

I'm also giving him a little pickled garlic, orange juice, and apple juice with a squirt of lemon juice and honey, spoonfuls of honey several times a day. Honey is a good home remedy for coughs.
Here's a good link on the common cold. Apparently a cold can be contagious for up to 3 weeks. Yikes!

Order Hylands Sniffles n Sneezes Tablets for kids, 125 Quick-Dissolving Tablets

Breastpumping information and tips

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:39:00 +0000

One topic new moms always have questions about is breastfeeding and pumping. I strictly pump for my newborn and also did so with my 3 year old who was a preemie, so I thought I would give some info & tips on how I do it.

First, you need a good pump. I use the backpack version of the Medela Advanced Pump in Style breastpump. I bought mine from BestBuyBaby.com for $225.00. Great pump. Shelling out a couple hundred for a good pump, in the end, is much cheaper than the few thousand you would spend on formula; and remember, breastmilk is a thousand times better for your baby than formula.

Next, you need to set up a schedule. It's very important you stick to the schedule and pump at approximately the same time every day. You should pump every 3 to 4 hours for at least 15 to 20 minutes. I pump about 25 to 30 minutes each time, except for the first pump of the day. That's closer to 45 minutes, just because I'm fuller from not pumping during the night and want to make sure they are emptied. Emptying your breasts fully at each pumping session will help you increase and maintain your milk supply.
My pumping schedule is set up as follows:

The first pump time is whenever my son wakes up. Today it was 8am.
#2 is at 11am. This session is 3 to 4 hours after the first pump, no later than 11am though.
#3 is at 3pm. This session time does not vary.
#4 is at 6pm. This session time does not vary.
#5 is at 8:30pm. This session time does not vary.
#6 is at 11pm. This session time does not vary.

Note: my son eats 6 times a day, but if your baby eats during the night, you will need to pump then too. Basically, pump every time your baby eats, which should be every 3 to 4 hours.
In order to get my son to sleep through the night, I feed him consistently every 3 to 4 hours during the day according to my schedule above and then let him go after his 11pm feeding. Each week, as he gets older, he sleeps a little bit longer. He's now 10 weeks and slept 8 hours straight last night.

I pump and feed my son at the same time, except for the 3pm session when he eats at 2pm. At that feeding, I eat lunch and feed him at the same time. When I pump and feed him at the same time, I put him in his LeapFrog Magic Moments Learning seat and sit on the floor in front of him. Works well.

The bottles I use are Dr. Brown's standard bottles. My review is here. They are supposed to reduce spit up and gas.
My son currently averages 4 - 5 ounces at each feeding.
Here's some general guidelines as to what amount to put in the bottle:

Age: avg amount per feeding:
1-2 wks: 2-3 oz
3-4 wks: 3-4 oz
1-2 mths: 4-5 oz
2-3 mths: 5-6 oz
3-4 mths: 6-7 oz
4-7 mths: 7-8 oz
7-9 mths: 7-8 oz
9-12 mths: 7-8 oz

The batch of milk he gets at each feeding is as follows:

AT THIS FEEDING : HE GETS THIS BATCH:

#1 at 8am : #1 at 8am from the previous day
#2 at 11am : #1 at 8am from today
#3 at 2pm : #2 at 11am
#4 at 6pm : #3 at 2pm
#5 at 8:30pm : #4 at 6pm
#6 at 11pm : #5 at 8:30pm

Note: My #6 at 11pm batch gets dumped so I can eat half a garlic clove at 9:30pm to keep me from getting too run down. Garlic works wonders. Unfortunately it gives my son a lot of gas.

My son is very sensitive to what I eat, so this schedule makes it a little easier to track down what foods I may need to avoid. This post gives more info on what foods to avoid when breastfeeding.
My supply has been amazing so far, so whatever is left after I fill his bottle gets frozen.

Some tips to maximize your supply:

1.The hardest is try to get plenty of rest.

2.Pump at the same time every day. If your supply starts to decrease, add another pumping session.

3.Drink plenty of water. I drink a ton : 1-2 glasses every time I pump, 1-2 glasses at each meal/snack. I probably drink about 20 glasses pf water a day. I keep my water pitcher at room temperature. It's easier to drink the water when it's not cold. Water is good for, has no calories and keeps you healthy.

4.Get plenty to eat. I eat 6 times a day and try to eat as healthy as I can despite having to temporarily cut out some vegetables, fruit and milk due to my son's sensitivity.

5.Massage your breasts while you pump. That helps make sure all the milk gets out, which prevents clogged ducts that can lead to mastitis.

2 month checkup

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:52:00 +0000

My newborn had his 2 month checkup today along with his first major set of vaccinations , which included a second dose of Hepatitis B, DTaP, polio (IPV), Hib and Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV). Poor guy. I think it hurts me just as much as him. Better than him getting sick though. Thank goodness for Children's Infant Tylenol, just wish it lasted l2onger than 4 hours. It starts wearing off sooner than that though. About an hour before his next dose, he woke up screaming. Let's just say it was a long hour.
He took the Tylenol well though, especially since it was the first time he's had it. It was the grape flavor and he actually seemed to like it. It was always a struggle getting it into his brother. He would always cry and try to spit it out. One time I finally got it into him and he threw it back up, along with his breakfast, all over his exersaucer, right before we had to leave for his doctor's appointment.
Other than that, he's doing well. He weighs 12 lbs and is 22 1/4 inches long.

Mamasource - Connecting Moms in Your Community

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 12:03:00 +0000

Have a parenting question, but don't know who to ask? Then you might want to check out the website Mamasource. Mamasource helps you connect with other moms in your area. By joining Mamasource, you can view questions other moms have and the responses they've received. You can also post your own questions. Every day you will receive an email from Mamasource with questions from other moms. Some of the questions and responses are very informative.
Topics include everything from the best leak proof sippy cups to breastfeeding and sleep issues. I have a toddler and a newborn, so being a part of Mamasource is very helpful. It's nice to know others have similar issues. It's also nice to connect with other moms from my area.
You can access the archives of past advice which is very useful.
Mamasource also has a list of recommended businesses in your area and their reviews.
A recently added member perks section lists discounts available to Mamasource members at various websites owned by members of the Mamasource community.
Mamasource is an invaluable resource for all moms.
Membership is free.

my lot

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 23:29:00 +0000

myLot User Profile

Infant Car Seat Recall

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 15:59:00 +0000

Just got this Evenflo infant car seat recall in an email from Mamasource, which, btw, I will be writing a review about soon:

ALERT: Evenflo announced it is implementing a voluntary safety recall of its Discovery Infant Car Seat Models 390, 391, 534, and 552. Approximately one million units were produced beginning April 2005.

This is based on recent laboratory tests conducted by Evenflo and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTSA), which show that this car seat could potentially become separated from its base in high impact side collisions similar to those in the tests.

Owners of the affected Discovery safety seats are urged to immediately contact Evenflo and receive a free dual-hook fastener that will secure the seat to its base. The NTSA advised parents that they should continue using the safety seats while waiting for their fasteners to arrive.

More information is on Evenflo's website.

Car Seats

How To Remove Crayon From Wood Furniture

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:18:00 +0000

My 3 year old is now a budding artist, thanks to Blues Clues. The walls, hardwood floor, coffee table, my $800 kitchen table. Nothing is safe from him and his crayons. Fortunately, I discovered how to remove crayon from wood furniture: Orange Glo wood cleaner. Spray it on and let it set a minute or two. Then wipe it off with a cloth or paper towel. No more crayon marks. I was quite impressed.
I've also heard mayonnaise removes crayon from wood, but rubbing mayonnaise on the furniture doesn't really appeal to me.

BTW, I've launched a new blog: Ice Princess's Recipes. This one is a collection of recipes: slow cooker, casseroles, skillets, baking: pie, cookies, bread, muffins, etc. I'm always trying new recipes, so I'm going to post the ones I like.

Humidifiers

noreply@blogger.com (Ice Princess) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:50:00 +0000

Shortly after my 3 year old turned 1, he caught his first cold. It's really tough when a little one gets congested. They won't let you blow their nose and they can't do it themselves. Bulb syringes help, but are a pain and pretty disgusting. Humidifiers are supposed to help, so I bought him a Vick's 1.0 Gallon Cool Mist Humidifier. A full tank lasts 18 hours before needing a refill and is very quiet on the low setting. It also has a high setting, but I don't use it very often. I think the humidifier did help some with the congestion. It also helps with coughs and dry throats. I bought this humidifier for my newborn's room too. This humidifier is best for medium sized rooms.
This humidifier takes a an antibacterial wicking filter, which filters out any impurities in the water. Emitted vapor is pure and without white dust.
Humidifiers have several other benefits besides helping clear sinuses. Humidifiers put enough humidity in the air to combat dryness. The humidity helps the respiratory system stay moist, which helps fight off bacteria, viruses and pollutants.

More Humidifiers