Our family’s problem isn’t that we don’t like animals, its that we like animals a little too much! After Rogin came into our family, we started seriously evaluating what we had gotten ourselves into.  The house constantly smelled of the cats litter box, no matter how often we cleaned it.  Rogin was an adorable puppy, but he was super hyper, and hard for me to handle with a toddler and pregnant.  He knocked over Aidan a few times, and was very difficult to walk.  Poor Dugal through it all was being neglected, and he was our most loved pet.  In the end we had to make some hard choices.  We loved all our pets, but with the new baby on the way it was going to be extremely hard for us to care for everyone.  We decided to find homes for all of our pets except Dugal.  We cherished Dugal very much, not to mention our son Aidan had become greatly attached to him.  Dugal was one of his first words!  Rogin was the easiest to find a home for.  He was not even a year old yet, and had not lived with us very long.  We were sad, but we knew it was better for him to be with a family that could give him more attention.  The cats were a little harder.  They had been with us the longest, and we were very attached to them.  They went to the best homes we could find!  One, Elijah, went to my in-laws, so we still see him from time to time, which is nice.

The long and short of it is, think before you take on any pets!  It was very emotional and hard for us to find other homes for our pets.  A pet is a life long investment.  Believe me, I know how easy it is to get drawn in by a cute face.  Ask some serious questions.  Are you planning on having kids in the next 10 years?  If you already have kids, will the pet be “age appropriate?”  Cats are wonderful pets, but litter is a big no no for infants, pregnant woman, and nursing moms.  My husband had to pick up all the litter duties for a couple years.  Plus toddlers will be greatly tempted by long ears and tails.  Ask yourself who will be on litter duty?  Who will be cleaning out the bottom of the rabbits cage every week, or changing the paper in the bird cage?  Who’s walking the dog, and who is cleaning up the messes it makes during potty training time?  Will you even be home enough to walk a dog?  It’s also been my experience that a fewer number of pets is better for the whole family.  The pets get more play time and attention, and they are more of a joy to their families.  Having four furry friends in our house at one time was overwhelming, and made me resent them a little.  So if you already have a pet, and are thinking of getting another one, think about how it will affect them.  Dugal never really liked Rogin, and often hid from him.   Ask for your pet to be introduced to the new one before bringing it home.  They may not get along.  Better to find out sooner than later.  Think about if taking on a new pet will make caring for your current pet, your children, your spouse more difficult.  When in doubt, fewer pets are better.

Pets are a wonderful addition to any family.  They bring joy and comfort when introduced into a proper environment.  But don’t get into something that you will regret.  Fewer pets are better, low maintenance is better when children are involved, and making sure a breed or type of pet is appropriate for your family is crucial.  Don’t get suckered in by a cute face and a friendly personality!  Remember any pet is like a child, it takes time and work.  Adopt responsibly and you will be much happier for it!

Our house is a disaster right now.  We are in the process of moving.  My husband recently got a job about 6 hours away from where we currently live.  After being unemployed for 2 1/2 years, sending out over 300 resume’s to different ministries and odd jobs, and sifting through thousands of job listings, we are very excited about the move!  God provided an opportunity for my husband with a great church in Franklin Kentucky.  The people there are awesome and the town is perfect for us!  Small town with big town neighbors.  We feel very confident this is where God wants us to be right now, and can’t wait for all the great things God has planned for us in that ministry.  Not to mention working full time to support my family for the last two years, I’m excited to be a stay at home mom again!  Our official move date is the 2oth of August, which means most of our house is in boxes right now.  Below is a picture of our living room in its current condition.

Can you spy my son in the picture?  He’s hiding out and smiling!

Check this out when put up against the leading disposable diapers that have plastic in them.

You have a reusable outer “Little g pants”, an inner liner that is machine or hand washable, and then the flushable diaper refills.  It seems really easy to use.   A little more work than the common disposable diapers, but much better for the environment, so worth it in my opinion.  Check out these videos on using and disposing the G Diapers.

These Diapers are slightly more expensive than the name band disposable diapers, but again you’re saving the environment and your trash can liners.  Not to mention you could save a buck on fertilizer if your a gardener.  It’s about $27 for a starter kit, which includes two little g pants, and ten flushable refills.  The refills, run $15 for a single package, and $52 for a case.  The number of refills are comparable to the number of diapers in a package of disposable diapers.  The little g pants are supper cute, and come in a variety of colors.  They run around $17 for solid colors, and $19 for designs. You can find them in specialty stores, or order them through their website.

Being a tree hugging mom, I’m already sold on these diapers!  For more info be sure to check out their site!

Age

What we consider a fever for a grown adult is much different for a child.  It is much harder for an adult’s body temperature to fluctuate than it is for a child’s.  So for infants and young children, a higher temperature is not out of the ordinary.  At what temperature should you start to worry then?

• 0-8 weeks: Fever is greater than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit
• 8 weeks – 6 months: Fever is greater than 101 degrees
• 6 months – 2 years: Fever is greater than 103 degrees

Taking Baby’s Temperature

There are four ways to take a child’s temperature. Check to see what kind of thermometer you have.  Always use a thermometer designed for one part of the body in the correct spot.

• Rectum: This is the most accurate and recommended method for infants.  Put a little vaseline on the end and put just the very tip of the thermometer into the rectum.  Wait until it beeps.
• Mouth: Suggested for older children.  Accurate readings by placing the thermometer under the tongue until it beeps.
• Ear: Quick and easy for any age, though not recommended for very small infants.  Used by putting a specially designed thermometer in the ear for a couple of seconds.  Not as accurate as other methods, since incorrect positioning, ear wax, and movement can cause an inaccurate reading.
• Armpit: This is the least accurate, but an easy and quick method if you are dealing with a squirming infant.  Using an oral thermometer, hold the tip in the armpit and press child’s arm gently but firmly against their body.  Wait until it beeps.

Temperature Readings

How you take a temperature can affect the temperature reading.  It might be a few degrees off with one method versus another.  Here is a basic idea of the difference that can occur when using different methods.

• Rectum: 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit
• Mouth: 99.5 degrees
• Ear: depending on the setting, 99.5 degrees to 100.5 degrees
• Arm pit: 99.0 degrees

Really the best advice when it comes to fever is to go with your instinct.  If you are in doubt, don’t hesitate to call your peditrician.  You’ll have peace of mind if it turns out to be nothing, and you’ll help your child get better if it’s serious.

Infants Mylicon Gas Relief Drops. I seriously thought I was going to run out of this in that first week.  It is safe from birth and so very helpful.  I could always tell the difference between feedings with Mylicon, and without.  You can give it to baby on a schedule, like every four hours, or just with every feeding.  You also have the option to give it to your child oraly, or mixed in with their formula, so great for both breast fed and bottle fed babies.

Desitin Diaper Rash Cream. I’ve noticed I needed this more with breast feeding than with formula, since babies are more sensitive to what mom eats, but still very good stuff.  I had to go buy this after the first week because regular lotion and powder were not cutting it.  When his bum started getting a little raw, this made it much better in one diaper change, and made the rash go away completely in one day.

Aquaphor Ointment. This is a multi use ointment.  I use it mainly for Aidan’s dry skin and craddle cap, but I’ve also used it on his baby acne to make it less red, and to help prevent chaffing when forced to use diapers that are less than ideal.  It doesn’t dry out as quickly as lotion and seems to be less irritating to his skin.  Also works great on my dried out hands too!  It does a fairly adequate job protecting from diaper rash too, so might work well for a baby less prone to rash.

Nursing Pads. Even if you are not breast feeding, it’s a good idea to buy a box or two of disposable or reusable nursing pads.  Though most people don’t mention this when you have a baby, you will leak once your milk comes in.  More so if you are breast feeding.  It can stain your white clothing, and it smells after a while too.  Nursing pads were essential for me after waking up soaked in the middle of the night!

Lanolin Cream. Very important if you are breast feeding.  Especially in that first week you can be very sore.  This stuff is great for soothing dry sore nipples.  It also works great for chaffing and as a skin protectant, though not advertised as such.  One tube is all you need of this.  A little goes a very long way.

Diapers. It doesn’t matter what brand you choose, but trust me when I say it is extremely helpful to stock up on diapers “Before” baby gets here.  Most babies are in a size 1 at or shortly after birth, unless born under 7 lbs.  Your doctor or midwife can give you a good idea of what your baby will weigh.  Buy big boxes, buy different sizes.  To give you an idea, we recieved about 15 packages of diapers as gifts, and I also bought one large box of diapers all in a size 1.  We’re down to our last package this week.  He’s still not into the next size up, so we’ll have to go buy a couple more packages.  It was so very helpful to not have to worry about buying diapers for his first month.  If you don’t buy any of the other products, make sure you stock up on diapers before baby gets here.  Don’t worry about not using them all.  If by chance you don’t use them, you can usually return unopened packages!

• It is not necessary to pack up the entire house to go to the store. You should have seen my first diaper bag!  Could hold an entire package of diapers plus changes of clothes for both mom and baby, three or four bottles, two packages of wipes, not to mention all the little bottles of lotion and powder, and baby toys.  Should I continue?  It was big enough for an overnight bag for a three night stay.  Come to think of it I think my husband and I used it for just that before the baby got here!  We have since narrowed down our “necessities” and switched to a more reasonably sized diaper bag.
• Always have an extra diaper or two handy when doing diaper duty. Little boys make messes.  It’s handy to have a “shield” between you and baby while cleaning his bum.  Not to mention the many times my son decided he wasn’t done pooping when I took off the diaper.  It’s a good idea to have an extra you can slide underneath.
• Always pack a change of clothes for baby. The number of extra outfits you pack is up to you.  I remember the first time we took Aidan out of the house, I packed three changes of clothes and he went through them all.  Either spitting up, or bad diaper episodes, and sometimes both at the same time.  At the end of the day we faced the prospect of going home in his diaper.  Since then, I pack three onsies, a sleep and play outfit, and an extra pair of pants every time we go out.
• Don’t buy too many Newborn sized items. Unless you are a 100% sure your baby is going to be less than 7 lbs, and shorter than the usual 19 inches, than they will grow out of newborn size clothing and diapers  in a matter of weeks.  Fortunately I knew this information ahead of time, and I only bought 5 outfits in this size.  These still ended up being too many combined with gifts I received in this size.  He never even used the newborn diapers I bought.  He was too big for them the moment he was born.
• Bubbles are bad. This is a very odd statement for my friends who know how easily I am amused.  Usually bubbles are a quick source of entertainment.  But when it comes to feeding Aidan, we quickly learned that bubbles in a bottle of formula meant a mess at one end or the other.  After mixing up a bottle to supplement, if there are bubbles I leave it sit on the counter for five minutes to let the bubbles dissipate.

Stay tuned for a list of must have items every new mom should know about before baby arrives!

I was passed from family to family before I ever came to be with my mom and dad.  Very little discipline had been in my life, and talk of Jesus and who he is never happened.  My husband, while not in the adoption system, also had an unstable beginning.  He was raised primarily by his grand parents in the first couple of years, and his mother left.  His Dad stepped up after accepting Jesus and raised William the best a single father could.  He was later adopted by his step mom when his father remarried.  His dad and step mom are wonderful people, just like my mom and dad, but the emotional baggage that comes with a child with unconventional beginnings can be hard on any family.

Children in these situations will often develope attatchment problems.  I know for myself, before I was adopted, I associated mother with female.  I called every woman “mommy” because I had no concept of what I mother should be until my mom came into my life.  So I was hard on my mom growing up.  I didn’t know what she really meant to me, and the affect she had on my life until I was much older.  What she taught me, what she showed me about life, and most importantly her faith.

I think about my son through all this.  How he has his mother and his father.  What we will teach him.  What he will see in our lives.  He has a much better start in life than many children get, and even better than my husband or myself ever got.  Does it make a difference?  My husband and I turned out okay.  Will Aidan be better than we were growing up?  Will he love God just as much if not more?  Will he have a greater chance of being successful in life?  Will he get into less trouble?  These are all things running through my head today.

What ever happens, I know he has a great start in life.  He is loved.  He is surrounded by his family.  A family that is not going anywhere, and will be with him his whole life.  A family who loves God.  I know that has got to count for something, and I am so greatful for the life I can give my son.

Back in my b5media days, I wrote a post over on Mother Earths Garden about a really great lotion for extreme dry skin, Skin MD.  You have to keep applying it the first day every couple of hours, then as needed after that.  Really great stuff.  It sold over the counter at some drugstores like CVS in their pharmacy department.  You can also order it online.