Some parents are absolute idiots. Naturally we all make mistakes, and sleep deprivation and inexperience can help us make some pretty big mistakes, but doing something as stupid as leaving your baby alone in any kind of seat on a counter or table is just, well, stupid.
Bumbo seats are wonderful creations. I didn’t have one for Jake, but I got one for Brian – and he loves it.
If you don’t already know, a Bumbo seat is a foam chair that is specially molded to a baby’s body so that a baby can sit up before they are able to do so on their own. There are no latches or straps, and there is a label on the back reminding parents to be responsible and supervise their baby while he is sitting in the chair. It also reminds parents not to do something as idiotic as putting the seat on an elevated surface.
October 30th, 2007
Posted by
Rebecca |
Infant Play, Infant Issues, All Parenting Articles |
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When I had my oldest son, Jake, I was part of a very nifty HMO. I know HMO’s get a bad rep for lots of people, but as someone who never went to the doctor except to get my annual prescription of birth control pills and then to get routine maternity care (with ol’ Doc Hwang, who I love dearly), I LOVED it.
I paid a whopping total of $250 for the entire 9-10 months of pregnancy. That includes the five day hospital stay, scheduled delivery, anesthesia, etc…
I did it again, 26 months later with Brian. But this time, my maternity insurance was not as terrific. You see, my school district had switched to a PPO which meant I paid $3,000 for the same exact treatment and delivery. I was (and still am) NOT impressed. Obviously others pay much more, but coming off $250 with literally everything (except the baby) the same, it was most insulting.
October 28th, 2007
Posted by
Rebecca |
Pregnancy, All Parenting Articles |
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No-No (noun)
A forbidden or highly discouraged activity usually followed by a form of disciplinary action - the degree of which is determined by the severity of the no-no and the state of the mother’s exhaustion. “Jake, drawing on your brother with markers is a no-no!”
See also: mistake, rebellion, tantrum, toddler antic
October 25th, 2007
Posted by
Rebecca |
Real Mom Lexicon, Notes from a Real Mom, All Parenting Articles |
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I am a potty training expert. And if you give me another week and another five rounds of revisions, I’ll have the website to prove it!
Recently PreschoolRock.com has taken a chance on me and I’ve begun building their potty training section. My work has been revised, updated, tweaked and finessed and now is undergoing its final review. If I pass inspection, it will go live and my expert status will be announced to the world.
That being said, Jake has yet to poop in the potty. But maybe that’s why I’m an expert. I KNOW potty training like every other mom expert out there. (Not that we’re potty training…)
October 23rd, 2007
Posted by
Rebecca |
Toddler Potty Training, Toddler Drama, All Parenting Articles |
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Congrats, Shorty! My sister is pregnant, and I’m thrilled - even if it’s hard to tell through my frazzled state of sleep deprivation.
It’s going to be awesome watching her grow her own little family, and maybe she’ll have a girl so I can shower her with all the pink things we never got to use at my house. Or, even better, maybe she’ll have a boy so I can offload my cases of boy clothing, toys, and gigantic, brightly colored items we collectively call “baby gear.”
Also, at long last I can offer her my full spectrum of unsolicted parenting advice!
October 20th, 2007
Posted by
Rebecca |
All Parenting Articles |
4 comments
Until you have two children, it’s almost impossible to understand how hard it is to balance the two kids, your husband, your job(s), and your household. Of course you’re in the mix somewhere, but everyone is always able to tell the mother of small children - maybe it’s the split ends and sweats.
Finding Balance
I’ve been working for years at too many things. I was finishing a Masters, I was teaching, I was writing at night and on weekends,and I was pregnant and trying to raise my son. Oh, and I was married, too. My husband will tell you just how often I forget that…
October 18th, 2007
Posted by
Rebecca |
Baby Fat Exercise, Baby Fat Diet, Baby Fat, All Parenting Articles |
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Snuggles (noun)
To squeeze tightly for an extended period of time. Often accompanied by Kisses. “Come give Mommy snuggles and kisses!”
See also: hugs, squeezes, kisses
October 13th, 2007
Posted by
Rebecca |
Real Mom Lexicon |
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I can prove to you that you must exercise to lose weight effectively, especially Baby Fat. Maybe breastfeeding helps. I wouldn’t’ know because it didn’t work for either of my boys despite my best efforts. So I don’t get those free calories burned off.
I’ve been wavering between the last fifteen and twenty pounds of baby fat for about two months now and this stuff is sticky. It won’t budge without some serious cardio. At least I hope so, because that’s the one thing I haven’t been doing, so it’s my last hope.
October 11th, 2007
Posted by
Rebecca |
Baby Fat Exercise, Baby Fat, All Parenting Articles |
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A few weeks ago we had a stomach bug, and I learned a lot about dealing with diarrhea. If your little one is struck down with diarrhea, here’s what worked for us:
Infants:
-Wait a day to see if it will just run its course.
-Make sure your formula isn’t diluted; full strength formula can be constipating which is good in this case.
-If infant diarrhea lasts longer than 24-48 hours, call your doctor. You might even want to call sooner.
-They will most likely tell you to take your baby off formula (I’m not sure about breast milk) and give him Pedialyte instead for 24 hours.
-Then you’ll do half formula and half Pedialyte for a day or two
-And finally you’ll be back on full formula, and hopefully the diarrhea will be cleared up.
*A note – be sure to stock up on diaper rash ointment and use it liberally. There is nothing worse than a baby who’s tummy and butt hurts.
Toddlers:
I sincerely feel that toddler diarrhea was worse than infant diarrhea. Infants don’t walk with theirs….
October 9th, 2007
Posted by
Rebecca |
Infant Feedings, Toddler Potty Training, Notes from a Real Mom, Toddler Drama, Infant Issues, All Parenting Articles |
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Unless you have an amazingly helpful husband and a bathroom large enough for your whole family, most likely you’re in charge of bath time – or maybe your husband is. In my house, going from one toddler to one toddler plus one newborn at bath time was tricky.
So I just threw them both in the bath. Of course I waited until Brian’s little belly button was healed, but now both boys go into the tub at the same time.
Jake goes on the end next to the faucet and Brian lays on his little mesh bath chair at the other end. I kneel in the middle. Jake, the oldest, goes first. We wash his hair and then soap him up. We rinse and he happily plays with his toys and “helps” wash Brian after that.
October 5th, 2007
Posted by
Rebecca |
Toddler Drama, Infant Issues, All Parenting Articles |
no comments
Here’s my method for Cry It Out. There are many different ones and mine is a combination of many “expert” opinions. After all, I’m the real expert on my kiddos.
1. Wait until your baby is at least four months old. Ideally you’ve been letting them fall asleep on their own since birth (after rocking, of course), which will make it easier. But if not, never fear – the end result is the same.
2. Establish a solid bedtime routine. This will clue your baby in that it’s sleep time every night. Be sure you’re starting bedtime around the same time every night when your child looks sleepy (Not after she’s fussing.)
3. The first night, go through your routine. Bathe, rock, snuggle, nurse or feed, and then sing or rock some more. Instead of waiting for your baby to fall sound asleep, as soon as you see her eyes drifting shut, gently place her in the crib.
4. Her eyes will most likely pop open and she’ll wonder why in the world she’s not still in your arms.
October 3rd, 2007
Posted by
Rebecca |
Toddler Sleep, Infant Sleep, Notes from a Real Mom, Infant Issues, All Parenting Articles |
3 comments
My oldest had a sleep problem. By four months he was waking up every two hours at night and had been sleeping four or five when he came home from the hospital. After examining the problem and researching it, I discovered that we were the problem.
Apparently, rocking my baby to sleep all the time and putting him down only when he was knocked out didn’t teach him to fall asleep on his own. In fact, he liked the rocking and Mommy so much, he wanted to do it again every time he came out of a deep sleep at night – every two hours.
October 1st, 2007
Posted by
Rebecca |
Toddler Sleep, Infant Sleep, Notes from a Real Mom, Infant Issues, All Parenting Articles |
one comment
