Feeding schedule

It seems like moms of 10 month olds are all over the board as far as how and when they are feeding their babies. This is what I am doing. Does this sound right?

7:00am: up for the day, breastfeed.
8:00am: breakfast- usually cereal mixed with fruit.
10:00am: nap
11:30am: breastfeed
12:30pm: lunch- mostly finger foods
2:30pm: nap
4:00pm: breastfeed
5:00pm: dinner- mostly finger foods
7:00pm: breastfeed then bed.

He gets a sippy of water throughout the day.

Breath-Holding Spells

So this has got to be the scariest thing Kathryn's ever done, and I'm hoping one of you can help! Kathryn is 13 months old, and a few weeks ago she hit her head pretty hard and started crying...then took one of those deep, deep breaths babies take before they cry louder. Only instead of crying louder, she got limp in my arms and passed out for like a second. Then she started wailing, then got over it and was fine. In typical first-mom fashion, I freaked out, called my husband to have him come home from work for a little while, and we watched her closely to make sure she was okay. She was really fine so we didn't worry about it. Until last night, when it happened again.

So...have any of your little ones ever held their breath to the point of passing out for a second? Or do you know of any babies this has happened to? If so, is there anything I can do to prevent this? I made a doctor appointment for tomorrow just to make sure nothing else is going on (I'm going to ask that they check her iron-level), but I'd love any other info if you have it!

sippy cups

We've tried several different sippy cups (for water and diluted juice) and and concensus is that NJ knows how to hold and drink from them, but isn't interested! He may take a sip here and there, but most of the time he will shake them and throw them. He actually was doing better with them a couple of months ago, but now he think they are toys. Or, he takes a sip and spits it right out over and over so that within a span of a few minutes, his shirt is soaked.

Is this a phase and will it pass? If so, when? Or do I need to start looking for another type of cup? he will not take a bottle anymore.

Cow's Milk and Weaning

So my little one will be turning one (gasp!) on Saturday, and I'm hoping to wean her shortly after that. I know that breastmilk is excellent for her and all, but I've been struggling to keep weight on and she doesn't take a bottle (I got lazy when she was about 6 months old and didn't pump for a couple of weeks, and when I tried to give her one she'd forgotten how to take it), so I can only leave home in certain "windows." My husband and I are looking forward to going out on dates that don't have to start after her bedtime feeding. =)

So here's my question: for those of you who have done this before, how long did it take (days, weeks, months), and did you have to get our kiddies settled on cow's milk first? I know you're technically supposed to wait until they're 1 to even try cow's milk, but I cheated and tried it last week from her sippy and she was very uninterested! She did have a little though, and didn't seem to have problems with it (she doesn't have any other allergies, so I figured it would be fine). Any suggestions for introducing cow's milk or for weaning in general?

Pumping at night

Thanks to Richard Ferber, NJ is sleeping through the night. He was since 6 months but then went through a regression and now he's back. He'll usually sleep a 10 hr stretch, wake up for a mini breakfast (1/2 a boob's worth), then go back to sleep for another 2 hours. Then he'll wake up and have the other boob.

I've been pumping before I go to sleep at night, usually around 10/11. Is this advisable? I know that my boobs need to be "trained" that they don't need to produce as much milk at night and the pumping might be throwing things off. But I think they're transitioning anyway b/c when I first used to do it, I'd still be really engorged around 2/3am and even be woken by the discomfort. Now, when I nurse NJ at 5/6am, they don't even feel full.

Thoughts?

My baby has ADD while nursing

NJ is exclusively breastfed and he is having a harder and harder time nursing. He is way too distracted! He will latch off to any little noise he hears. And nursing while we're out and about? Forget it! He is the same way when I try to give him a bottle. All of my old tricks aren't working. the only time he will nurse a decent amount is right after he wakes up. That is the ideal time to nurse him but it doesn't always turn out that way. When he is sleepy, he will nurse anywhere from 10-15 minutes. When he's awake, I'm lucky if I can get 3 minutes out of him. I don't think he is nursing more efficiently while he is alert either. Anyone else? Any suggestions?

oh baby legs...

I posted this on my own blog but thought it'd be nice to share here. I got a pair of BabyLegs for my almost 8 months old and thought it'd be good to DIY using scrap from home. I had a pair of cotton dress socks and a pair of thick stockings that my 2 yo daughter never used. Didn't take long to snip away the ends and Hayden loves it!
(btw The BabyLegs we got was cute but it's very tight around Hayden's thighs and calfs. I ended up using the DIY more often).

toy recall

Fisher Price has recalled over 80 toys that hit stores AFTER MAY 1st, 2007. go to this website to see if you have any of these toys. they were recalled b/c of high lead content.

http://service.mattel.com/us/recall/39054_IVR.asp?prod

Milk Intake

Ok. Ladies....question for ya'll. At what point did you switch to nursing or giving formula only 3x/day. I'm still at 4x/day, but the last feeding is a struggle.....whether I nurse her or give her a bottle of expressed milk - same result. The other night, I gave her a bottle, and she refused it after 2 oz. At most, I got her to take in 2.5 oz. Then I pumped and only squeaked out 3.5 oz, so it tells me she's taking in less at night. Which to me, is interesting.......she eats kinda like we're supposed to eat: King for breakfast, prince for lunch and pauper for supper....I can sense that she staggers her intake like that.

So, I've started the phase towards 3 meals a day differently. I used to give her solids at 7, 11, and 3 - her first 3 nursings of the day. But the other day, I switched it to giving her solids at 7, 11, and 7, and only breastmilk at 3. And, she seems to nurse a little better at 7PM now.....she's calmer, a little hungrier and not crying like she used to. I guess being tired and forced to eat when you're not that hungry make for an unhappy baby. Couple that w/ teething and possible gas bubbles, I now have a baby that's crying hysterically. And that of course, makes me more tense, which in turn, makes her more upset....it's a vicious cycle.

Anywho, it seems like in the next month or so, something will have to give. I'd like to continue to line up her meals w/ ours....promote the family mealtime and whatnot, so I'm wondering how ya'll did that and if you transitioned to 3 nursing or formula sessions, etc. I try not to hyper-schedule, but sometimes it's hard not to....even though it stresses me out to be too scheduled. Vacation really taught me to go w/ the flow, and I'm more than happy to do so (w/ some basic structure in place), but I cannot keep up w/ nightly pre-bedtime meltdowns.

The solid schedule switch that I've done actually seems to work at night. The only downside is that she's woken up a little cranky in the morning and is eager to nurse - but I don't feel like she's draining me like she was previously. Hmmm. So, I wonder if it's like it is for us - ever notice when you eat a lot at night, you're more hungry in the morning? I have to wait first for her constipation issues to clear up, as that might be the issue right now. I've also added some yogury these past two weeks.....I thought that was supposed to help w/ digestion, so I don't know. Her belly is making her quite uncomfortable lately, so hopefully, once that clears up, I can see if her 7PM intake of solids is making her cranky in the AM or if it's really her bubbly belly that's bothering her.

Thanks for your input ladies:)

Ask Moxie

Ladies - I found a pretty good blog that seems to provide information on all sorts of things - breastfeeding, solids, books, sleep issues, etc, etc, etc. I was searching for some scheduling answers.....just b/c we're dealing w/ daily pre-bedtime all-out meltdowns. For the few who know Rachel, she's very laid back, but some switch is flipped at bedtime. So, I'll probably post on that later when I have some more time, but I stumbled on this website in my searches last night, and I found that it's a wealth of information. There's a few life viewpoints that I found I wasn't in agreement with; however, the information there on the physical caring for your child was pretty good - from what I read. It's seems like it's based on a Q&A format. I searched by the topics on the side, and found it to be a lot of information.

Here's the link:

http://moxie.blogs.com/askmoxie/

Training to Sit Still

So I almost called this "Church Training," but it applies to more than church and I didn't want to narrow my responses to those of you who go to church. This could also apply to something like storytime or watching a program at an older sibling's school...any situation where you want your little one to sit calmly and quietly on your lap and...well...he or she wants to do otherwise.

So the official question...how are each of you going about training your kids to sit still and quietly when appropriate? What has worked? What hasn't worked, and why hasn't it worked?

I ask because I really, really want to train my daughter (10.5 months old) to sit through our church service on my lap. Yesterday was one of the worst days yet...she was loud and all over the place. We've been working a lot on "don't touch" at home, and she normally obeys very well, but she was even disobedient in that regard yesterday. I add this because I do think she's "old enough" to learn to listen. I was really frustrated that she was loud and wouldn't sit still, but when I got home I realized something: I haven't taught her to. She doesn't know how I want her to behave, so it's not fair for me to expect her to act accordingly. I do need to teach her, I'm just not sure how. Any thoughts?

Keeping little faces and hands clean

This is so fundamental but I just want to see what you all are doing. Now that NJ is on solids, his face and hands get very messy after meals. I wash his face and hands with water after each meal. Is that enough? Should I be using soap or something else to clean him better? Sometimes the foods are "greasy" (like avocados, or cereal mixed with breastmilk) and I don't feel like those rinse off as well.

How about throughout the day? How do you keep your babies' hands clean?

Anyone else use AIM?

I don't normally chat online (not enough time), but would anyone else be interested in doing so? Maybe we could set up a time to meet as a group.

If you're intersted, post your AIM IDs!

Bloggers?

Share your blogs w/ other mommies here! (If you're comfortable doing so) I know some of us visit each others' blogs regularly, but not all. I personally love visiting your blogs and look forward to reading your posts! You all are great writers and crack me up! Most of you have mine, but here it is anyway- http://lindseyfam.blogspot.com.

Plugged Ducts

I know that plugged ducts are common in the first few months or so postpartum due to engorgement but I've been getting them quite often even now. (About once a week) NJ will be 7 months old next week. He is eating regularly and nursing just as much as he was before solids. It usually happens on the left side, but occasionally on the right. I never skip feedings or anything and if I have to be out during a feed, I use a hand pump around the time that NJ would nurse. It has never turned into mastitis but it is painful and a drag to take care of. I usually have to apply wet hot compresses on the area and massage it and/or pump in addition to offering that side to NJ first each time. Is it normal to get plugged ducts even at 7 monts post partum, and as often as once a week? I am thinking about contacting a LC as well but just wanted to know what you all thought first.

Breastfeeding Woes

So, I'll tell ya'll my woes. I'm happy that I've chosen to BF Rachel, but it has had its challenges. I never had any of the mastisis (SP?) and stuff - thankfully, but I've dealt w/ a 2 month long struggle of nursing strikes. We got through that, and then for the past 3 1/2 months, we've settled into a nice routine....until the past 2 weeks. I've been having some troubles here and there w/ pumping. I used to pump all the time b/c I had to so much extra milk (I realize that's a continuous cycle w/ pumping), but I was nervous about losing my supply w/ working part time, I go into the office for 2-4 hours at a time, and need to be able to readily pump for any given week. So, for the past 3-4 weeks, I've boycotted pumping b/c I just don't have the time, and it's a pain in the tushy (setup, long time pumping, cleanup, etc). Plus, Rachel then suddenly was rejecting the bottle....not sure if it was teeth, nipple confusion (had just introed a sippy cup and she nurses and uses a pacifier), but at any rate, she wasn't thrilled w/ the bottle. So, I thought, that's a nice change for once:)

Sorry for the babbling (I feel that's what I'm doing but it's been a long day:( ). So, she still struggles w/ her last feeding....often she half cries while feeding. I can't seem to figure out if it's her teeth, gas bubble, over-tired, not enough milk coming out, etc. Now, I'm starting to worry that I don't have enough milk....b/c when I try to pump (here's where it ties into the 1st paragraph), I really don't get that much. Little background, Rachel is 7.5 months, and she is almost 23 lb and almost 30 in long. She's doing solids really well, and I nurse her 4 times a day. This has gone well up until this point (well except for the 2 mo nursing strike struggles). I'd like to nurse her until she's one year old b/c I'm cheap and don't want to buy formula, but I'm pretty worn out from nursing. I want to enjoy it, but she pulls back on my nipple, which hurts, and then she's been biting me these past 2 days. I always thought I'd use the remedy my mom did on my brothers and I (flick our cheek to get our attention and say no - she says it worked), but dang, it hurts when she bites and I've tried flicking her cheek - only to have her smile back at me a few times:) I'd like to smile back but I'm in too much pain....b/c that's a pain that keeps on giving.

I realize that in time all this will not only pass and will seem minute and petty, but I'll also probably miss these woes:) And in the grand scheme of eternity, it's not a big deal at all. But, I thought I'd blog it to the sympathetic ears (readers) here, and if any of you have any words of advice, they're greatly appreciated. I really want to stick this out until she's a year, so any words of encouragement or suggestions are great. Also, do you think it's too late to go to a lactation consultant? Not sure how much it costs.....might be a wash between going to an LC and just switching to formula......

Evening dilemma

NJ isn't an early bird anymore. I guess it was a phase? He usually goes to bed around 7:30/8:00pm and wakes up at 7:30/8:00am now. He usually is able to stay up for 2.5 hrs at a time, except first thing in the morning. So his routine goes something like this:

7:30- up, breastfed
8:15- solids
9:30- nap#1
11:00- up, breastfed
11:45- solids
1:30- nap#2 (this nap tends to be longer than nap#1)
3:00- up, breastfed
3:45-solids
5:30- nap#3
6:00- up
7:00- breastfed
7:30/8:00- bedtime
(He still wakes up once in the night to eat, usually anytime between 2-5 am. If it's closer to 5, I feed him 1/2 a boob and top him off when he wakes up.)

My question is about his final nap. I try to keep this a catnap. It is usually a struggle to wake him up from this nap. I can tell that he wants to keep sleeping. 5:30 also seems a bit late for a naptime. But if I try to keep him up even to 6:00, he is a wreck. And 6:00 to me is a bit early for a bedtime. What should I do? I try to keep him up longer during the day (to 3 hrs) to stretch out his day and phase out his 3rd nap, but he ends up getting overtired and not napping well at all. Thoughts?

Pampers, Anyone?

Does anyone use Pampers crusiers? I somehow got on their mailing list and have coupons that add up to $8 off of crusiers. I'm cheap when it comes to diapers...we use the Costco brand. I'll happily mail these coupons to someone who will use them! I'll even throw in the $1.50 off of pampers wipes coupon, since we use Costco wipes too. =)

When to see the pediatrician?

My sister called me that her son (6 months) is running a fever of 102.6, and of course it would be a Saturday night. She was asking me when she should take him to the pediatrican, and this has always been something that I'm not entirely certain. My general rule of thumb has always been to call the doctor's office if Chloe's temp goes to 103 and take her in if she starts to act lethargic or out of her norm. (I think this is what the nurse told me, but it's been a few months. *knock on wood*)

When do you take your little ones to see the doctor if he/she is sick?

Convertible carseats

We are finally getting around to switching the infant carrier to a convertible carseat for NJ. We have a Graco Comfortsport that I got off of my registry but it seems that everyone else is getting a Britax Marathon/Boulevard. Should I be concerned? The B is way more expensive, but I wonder if I'm sacrificing quality by going with the Graco. What convertible carseats do you have? Any recommendations? If need be, I will look into returning the Graco and getting another one.

Late Night Feedings

Ok, so I've been having some issues w/ feeding Rachel before she goes down for the night. Originally, I thought it was b/c I was spacing her breastfeeding and solid food sessions out too far so that it was like she was constantly eating and wasn't hungry at night. Although changing her solid food sessions to be closer to her nursing sessions has helped out tremendously, I still run into the issue of her being really tired at the end of the day and sometimes unable to take in a full feeding. This morning she woke up at 4:30AM (and she was crying); she ate from both sides rather vigorously, and then I laid her back down and she slept until 7:15. So, obviously, she's hungry. Yesterday, she woke up at 5:30. I was able to hold her off until 6/6:30 to eat, but she wasn't interested in sleeping anymore pre-feeding or post-feeding. She was wide awake. She was doing well for about a week after I had reorganized her feeding schedule, but it seems like we're falling back in the same pattern. She can't stay awake any longer than 1PM usually in the afternoon, and yesterday, she wound up going for her afternoon nap pretty late (2PM), since the sitter didn't realize what time it was, and then she didn't fall asleep until 2:30. She then slept until almost 4:30. I fed her then, and then fed her again at 7PM before bedtime, but she still fought me at 7PM. I know teething rears its ugle head, but I hate to always assume that and give her more Tylenol. I do give her Tylenol, but I just don't want to do it every night. Sure, sometimes it makes a difference, but other times it doesn't, so I'm thinking either that may not be her issue or it varies from night to night what the issue is.

So, if anyone has any thoughts/advice on this or has run into similar situations, I'm all ears. Generally, Rachel has been a good sleeper and slept through the night (11-12 hours) from about 7 weeks on. But, since 5 1/2 to 6 months, it's been a little hit and miss at times. So, I'm a bit baffled as to why she seems to be more hungry but isn't taking in enough during the day......

Early bird

NJ has turned into quite the early bird. He used to wake up 6:30/7:00am but these days, he is waking up for the day at 5:00/5:30. He used to wake up at 4/5 and I'd nurse him on one side, and he'd sleep until 6:30 or so and I'd top him off and start the day. These days, even if I nurse him on one side at 4/5, he wakes up at 5/5:30 still. The only thing different these days is that he is on solids 2x a day and his bedtime has gradually shifted little by little from 7:30 to 8:00. There is a biiiig difference between the 6:30 and 5:30! Any suggestions to keep him asleep a little longer?

Neoprene swim suits

In case any of you ever run into the same problem as we did of cold child in swimming pool, dress your little one in a neoprene swim suit. I bought one for my daughter off of iSnorkel.com. It was expensive but so worth it. My little one used to turn blue when she was in an unheated pool, and we had great success with a regular bathing suit worn underneath the neoprene suit.

Diaper Pail

We're in the market for a diaper pail. Now that NJ is on solids more regularly, his poo is starting to smell like... real poo. What brand do you recommend? Diaper Genie? Diaper Dekor? Diaper Champ? Any other ideas?

Eggplant Bolognese

I cooked with eggplant for the first time in my life. I came to like eggplant ever since I had the Trader Joe's eggplant parmesan in phyllo. Mmm. I was always intimidated to cook with it though, for some reason. But I found a great recipe for Eggplant Bolognese. The eggplant was really easy to cook with! The skin peels off nicely with a veggie peeler and the flesh has a nice spongy texture. It's nice to me, anyway.

Eggplant Bolognese- really chunky pasta sauce (6-8 servings)
8 Tbs olive oil
1 large eggplant, peeled and chopped in 1/2 in cubes
1 onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, finely chopped
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise, slized 1/4 in thick
1 garlic clove, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 lb ground beef chuck
1 Tbs dried oregano
1 lb rigatoni
Parmesan cheese, optional

1. In a large pan, heat 6 Tbs of olive oil and add eggplant. Cook 6-8 min or until soft, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
2. In the same pan, add remaining 2 Tbs oil and cook onion, green pepper, zucchini and garlic and cook 7-10 min or until soft.
3. Add beef and cook until no longer pink.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to box directions
5. Add tomatoes, oregano and eggplant to beef/veggie mix. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until sauce is thick (25 min).
6. Serve sauce over pasta. Top with Parmesan if desired.

Teething order

NJ has been very fussy today and refusing to nap or nurse. He already has his bottom 2 central incisors in as of 5 months. I checked up top and didn't see anything- I'm not really sure what swollen gums are supposed to look like. But when I checked on the bottom, his lateral incisor (next to the central ones) on the left side has broken through! So he must be teething and trying to break the other one in on the other side. Is this normal? I thought the top 2 buckteeth :) come in next.

Crying phase...what is the reason behind this???

Hi Ladies! First of all...thanks for all of your advice and hugs...you guys really are the greatest! My DH is jealous and feels that Dads should have their own blogs too! I am feeling much better the past 2 days and I am just going with the flow and not trying to be Miss Perfect all the time! But I have a new dilemma...I cant quite figure out this new crying phase that Jada seems to be going through? She is 11 months old and is doing quite a bit developmentally, walking, climbing, drinking from sippy cup only, eating table food, however...the past 2 weeks she has been crying constantly at certain times during the day when she is tired of walking around or playing and wants to be held. I feel this is normal as babies cry. This happens alot in the morning when my DH and I are getting ready, she grabs our legs and cries and if we dont pick her up she throws her back out and screams on the floor! it also happens at random times during the day which I am guessing is just her way of expressing her needs. But I am hearing from others that you cant cater to her every need becuase she will pick up on that and always cry. When family members babysit her for our date nights, she does this also...and they have started to complain and tell us that we arent doing something right with her:( I am getting really frustrated and I dont feel like I am holding my child any more than any other mom would...however my in laws, my DH and daycare feel that I need to let her cry it out a little more as she does this. I am feeling attacked but I am now starting to think that maybe I need to come down off my throne and listen to what others are saying. Is this a phase as she transitions from infant to toddler? Any advice???

Love you ladies!!!!

Sideways blowouts

Whenever NJ poops, it almost always leaks out the sides, usually dirtying up the bottom of his shirt and pants. Occasionally, he'll have the classic blowout up the back. (Luckily, I have an awesome stain stick that leaves all his clothes stainless.) Is this something I just have to deal with? Or am I putting on his diaper too tightly? Or is it time to move up a diaper size?

Transitioning baby from formula to milk??

Hi ladies:) Does anyone know when to transition baby from formula to whole milk? I remember at our last appointment (9 months) the doctor told us not to worry about giving whole milk until age 1. Jada will be 1 on July 15th and I wasnt sure when to actually start using whole milk and how to incorporate it into her daily feeding schedule. I know the doctor will have some suggestions at our appointment next month, but I would really love to hear from other moms who have been through this phase. What can I do to make it easier? When should I start? Is there a weaning process? Thanks so much!

p.s...By the way...this blog is the greatest:)

Am I losing my mind????

I am feeling like a total mess thi sweek:( Today is slightly better but how can I prevent weeks like this from happening? I wasnt sure if it was just becuase it was Monday, but I was so emotional the entire day! I couldnt get it together that morning for work, Jada ended up at daycare with no bottles and I ended up at work with the wrong work bag...I had left my files at home:( So on top of being late for work, I had to leave to take bottles to daycare and switch out my work bag. I was a wreck, on top of that Jada was up the previous night 3 times. She wasnt hungry, her diaper was dry and clean, and she couldnt be consoled??? Go figure. Now today is Wednesday and I notice 2 more teeth have broken through in the top of her mouth and she is now sleeping through the night. I am delighted that Jada is walking at 11 months old...but she is ALL over the place:) I used to be SO organized and all of a sudden I dont know what organization is! Can anyone relate??? I feel like my days are becoming crazier and crazier lately...any suggestions???

long-sleeve onesie/bodysuit

Does anyone know where I can find plain long-sleeve onesies? NJ wears them underneath his sleep sack. I only have 3 that I got at the GAP and we cycle through those so quickly. I went to Buy Buy Baby and they literally did not have any, not even with designs. I guess I could go to the Gap, but they cost a little more than I'd like to pay. I understand that long-sleeves are out of season, but don't babies get cold sometimes in air conditioned rooms? NJ's room is the coldest in the house, no matter how we adjust the AC.

Head Sweating

Hi Ladies - I was wondering if any of you had this issue. Rachel's head tends to get sweaty/clammy - especially when she's nursing. Any way this could be related to teething? I did some searches on this and saw a post/blog that mentioned that this could be related to teething as noted in Dr. Sears book. I don't have Dr Sears book (I have Dr Spock and it's not in there) and I couldn't find it on the Dr Sears site, so I thought I'd check w/ ya'll.

Basically, the rest of her body is cool and/or dry....it's only her head, and I have the air conditioning on in the house too. She doesn't have a fever...it's just a sweaty head. I may call the doctor about it, but they always want me to bring her in, and other than some sleep issues lately (due to teething and developmental spurts, I think), she seems perfectly fine, so I hate to take ~2.5-3 hours out of our day for something that is probably not serious. Plus, when the advice nurses tell me to bring her in, the doctors always look at me like I'm a worrywart mother. That's probably all in my head, since the doctors are super nice, but I always feel that way;)

BTW - I'm labeling this as teething, but not sure if that's the correct label.....I didn't want to label it head sweating:)

Little Hivies?

I know on my blog I said that I may hold off on rice (in my diet) to see what it does to NJ's eczema. Well I changed my mind and decided to go a whole new direction- to start giving him rice cereal again. He will be 6 mo old on Tuesday, so I thought I'd go ahead and try again. (I had stopped at 5 mo and decided to wait b/c of his allergies)

He took it very well and his tongue thrust is gone, ate the whole thing. No reactions at all. BUT after a few hours I saw that there were little tiny hives around his mouth and on his cheeks. I mean they are tiny but still noticeable. He doesn't seem bothered by them.

Is this normal? Maybe I didn't clean him off as well as I thought I did? Or does my half-Asian boy indeed have a RICE ALLERGY!? Should I...
1. Keep trying rice for a few more days and see what happens
2. Skip over to oatmeal
3. Don't do any more solids until his 6 mo appt (Tuesday)?

How do you know?

I feel stupid for asking this. You would think that after 6 mo. I'd know my baby by now. But how do you know if baby is crying during naps/night due to
1. hunger (growth spurt)?
2. teething?
3. other sickness or discomfort?
4. reverting back to bad sleep habits? (wants to be rocked, nursed, held)

NJ has had the toughest time sleeping (naps and nights) after a week or so of great sleep unswaddled and decent sleep even before that. I don't know what to do.

name for boy "part"

ok, so this may sound kind of trivial but i need advice.
we are nearing the time to potty train our oldest son and my husband and i can't agree to a name to call his private area. any ideas? i just keep thinking it has to be something that i wouldn't be embarrased if he said it in public like the grocery store or in preschool in the coming years.

Just Whining about Tantrums & Stress!

Hi Mommies,

Today has been so difficult. It's been a while since I've had a day like this with Jackie. 1st she wouldn't nap all day. When she finally did go down (around 4:15pm), she only stayed asleep for about an hour. When she woke up, she started throwing a major tantrum (arching her back, screaming bloody murder, etc.). Around this time, I got call from one of our tenants about some possible water damage in our rental property due to the rain. "Oh great," I say to myself. Unfortunately, I had a hard time having an intelligible conversation with my tenant b/c of Jackie screaming bloody murder in the background. No matter what I tried to do, Jackie would not stop screaming. I put her back in her crib - but unfortunately, she's still crying. I think that she is just extra fussy b/c she had trouble taking a nice nap (normally she sleeps anywhere from 2-4 hours for her 1 nap). It's so hard listening to your child cry and not knowing what to do about it. Anyone have any good tips to deal with temper tantrums?

Sandy

Cleaning drooled-on toys

What do you use to clean/disinfect drooled-on toys? How about the toys that are soft/made of cloth? NJ drools on everything, every day.

Washing polos

Is there a trick as to how to wash baby polo shirts/rompers? Every time I was NJ's, something always goes awry with the collars- they get folded wrong, become unfolded (and I can't get it to the original fold) or otherwise warped.

Swaddle weaning update

Well NJ is doing fine without being swaddled despite the fact that it's the way he has slept since birth. The first night (no swaddle, no nothing) was rough. The second night (with sleep sack) was rough. The third night, he was up at 8:00, 9:00 then did a stretch from 9pm to 4am, which is great for us! The fourth night, he regressed a bit- up at 10:30, 12:30, 1:30, 5:00. He usually goes back to sleep with some light patting and shushing. We'll see how it goes tonight. He has rolled over with it but it was in his sleep and it didn't wake him. His biggest problem still are that he bumps into the railings and that sometimes when he transitions between sleep cycles, he scratches at his face and that wakes him up. I've been putting no-scratch mittens on but we keep losing them. Tonight, he has socks on his hands. Whatever it takes!

Chicken and Couscous Salad

I make a big fat batch of this and eat it straight out of the tupperware for lunch for a couple of days. (Adapted from a recipe I saw on Everyday Food). It is so fresh and tasty and easy to make. (For those of you who read my blog, it's a repeat! Sowwy)

Chicken and Couscous Salad (perfect for a hot summer's day.)
Ingredients:
1 box couscous, any flavor (I've used quinoa too, when I was cutting wheat from my diet)
1-2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I use Rotisserie- the guy at the Rotisserie/deli section of the grocery store practically knows my name now)
1- 8 oz can pineapple chunks (juice reserved)
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 scallions, finely chopped
Juice from 1 lime

1. Cook the couscous according to box directions, let cool.
2. Mix cooled couscous and the rest of the ingredients. Add as much or little of the pineapple juice.
3. Enjoy as is, or tightly cover let it sit in refrigerator for an hour or two and eat cold. (I just spread the couscous onto a big plate and let it cool in the fridge for about 10 minutes.)

What's for Dinner?

I find myself asking the "What's for Dinner?" question as late as 3 pm some days...where does the morning (or afternoon for that matter) go? Ironically, I actually do my grocery shopping for 2 weeks at a time, having planned dinner for each of the days of those 2 weeks. But laziness sets in, or I forget to pull meat out of the freezer to thaw, or I realize I forgot to buy a key ingredient at the store and I don't want to drop $5 for it at the corner market when it's only $2.25 at Shoppers. So I'm faced with the dreaded question...or as my mom calls it, the "Daily Dinner Dilemma."

To add to matters, my 9-Month-old is a little less inclined to let me get away with making anything labor-intensive these days. Gone are the days are propping her up in the Bumbo and sitting her on the kitchen counter while I cook...not that I ever used it on a raised surface or anything. ;)

I thought I'd share the secret that got me through the DDD yesterday...I like to cook large batches of yummy recipes when I cook, so that I can freeze half (or even 2/3!) for later. Of course, this doesn't work for everything, but many things freeze well. So 3 weeks ago we had Chicken Cacciatore for dinner and it was delicious...and it was just as yummy last night when it reappeared as "Twice-Baked Chicken Cacciatore Potatoes" when I realized that I meant to make Twice-Baked Potatoes earlier in the week and had forgotten to, leaving very yummy potatoes at risk for growing eyes while my husband's out of town this week and I go visit my parents. It sounds like a funny dinner, but Mike really liked it and renamed it "Chicken Cacciatore Surprise," saying "Surprise! There's a potato in there." This is just one time that having leftovers in the freezer saved me lots of hassle. I seriously pulled it out of the freezer at 3 and through it in the crockpot on high for 2 and a half hours to thaw and heat up while I did other things.

Here's the recipe for a Cacciatore that freezes beautifully:
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
3/4 cup white cooking wine
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried crushed rosemary
1/2 tsp dried crushed thyme
1/4 tsp crushed oregano
1/8 tsp black pepper

Saute onion and garlic (and 1 cup sliced mushrooms if you like them...my husband doesn't) until tender. Mix remainder of ingredients in Crock Pot and add chicken and Onion Mixture to pot. Cook on low setting for 6-8 hours, or until chicken is fully cooked. Shred chicken with fork. Enjoy over linguine noodles (or potatoes!).

Who is Lisa Law?

What, you don't know?? Just kidding. I'm Lisa Law and my sense of humor is really that bad. I'm a SAHM of 9-Month old Kathryn, and hope to add others to that list someday. I don't claim to know what I'm doing, but I love being her mommy! My husband Mike and I have been married for about 2 and a half years.

Teething woes and sleep

Don't laugh at me, I must have a very short memory since my elder daughter went thru the whole thing with me by her side... but my almost 6 month old Hayden is just killing me with his teething problems. He'd wake up with 30 min nap nowadays and desperately gnawing on his blanket, his hand, MY hand, everything... How long does this last for each tooth? And are all babies napping/sleeping like this during teething? Seems like he's been like this forever!

Honey glazed salmon

I don't know how practical this recipe is for the little ones since it contains honey, but it is a great and easy recipe otherwise! I thought I'd follow Ning's idea for double categorizing recipe threads as well.

1 lb Salmon fillet cut into serving size portions
1 Tbs honey
2-3 tsp mustard
1/8-1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper (as spicy as you like!)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Pan sear the salmon fillet on both sides.
3. Mix honey, mustard and pepper and brush on salmon.
4. Bake until done, 6-8 minutes. (I'm not sure on the timing- just guesstimating! I forget how long it took last night)

I served it with rice and green beans (mixed with sesame oil and sesame seeds).

Anyone with "Baby tan-lines" in diaper area?

Did everyone else notice babies sometimes have "tan lines" on their tush?
My little girl Lexa had it as a baby. Since it was mostly summer time we were joking she went out to the beach while we were sleeping. As it turned out it's the bleach in the diapers (to make them snow white) that made her like that. After seeing our son with the same stuff (even tho he was born in winter and was always bundled) we switched to chlorine-free diaper. I got mine online for good price (just a bit more than normal ones, plus they have discount for first time customer), it's so soft and comfy, and Hayden's "tan line" is gradually disappearing now that it's been a couple of weeks. Just wanted to share...

Double categorizing (labels) our blogs with age groups

Since some of us have kids that are similar in age and some are a bit older. I think it'd be nice to give our post 2 separate labels, one is the topic (ie, feeding, sleeping, crafts, etc), another label would be the age, ie, 0-1, 1-2, 2-3 years, 3-4 years, so on). It'll make it easier for us to sort thru the topics as we get more posts in the future with more membership, what do you think?

Sleep Sacks

I thought I'd try a sleep sack to transition NJ from swaddling. Right now, he sleeps well swaddled with one arm out during naps, but at nights it is a disaster. So for those of you who have tried it, does it prevent the baby from rolling over? That seems to be biggest problem right now. He freaks out when he ends up on his tummy and has no control of his space, banging into rails all the time.
- kyung

It didnt stop my baby from rolling, it did keep her warm durng all that rolling bc loose blanket comes off, plus suffocation hazard :)
- ning

More mommies?

Just thought I'd post this here for those of you who have been asking...

To invite more people,
1. Sign on as the admin (username: kiddieqs@yahoo.com...)
2. Click on customize (top of the page)
3. Then settings (middle tab)
4. Then permissions (last link up top)
5. Click on "Add Authors" then type in the emails of your friends.

Margaret

I am a stay at home mom of Daniel (3), Sharon (2), and another little one coming in October. Life has been good to me so far but I'm a little worried when things get more hectic when the third one comes!

Esther

i'm esther and i am a mom to landon (19 months).
we're in md... only a few minutes from kh.
what a great idea to have a forum where moms can connect!