Last-minute flying tips?

Hi, mamas.
If anyone who's flown with a toddler can offer me any advice, I would GREATLY appreciate it. Thanks!
-Maureen

Maya, the Sippy-Cup Fairy

Better late than never...
Here's Maya in her fairy-princess Halloween costume. (Thanks, Carie, for the photo!)

Heather's Halloween Pics!

Hi everyone! Okay, okay, Halloween was 2 weeks ago, but I just wanted to show off my kidlets! The best part is, their Halloween costumes cost me NOTHING since Bella wanted to be Ariel again (from last year) and Harrison doesn't have a say or opinion so I dressed him in Bella's old piggy costume! They look exactly the same in that outfit... Okay, nuff about my kids...

Love always,

Heather

Attention Los Angeles Moms: Free Museum Memberships!

Hi, mamas. A friend of mine just told me about a wonderful program that provides any child a totally free LACMA membership till age 17! Also, when an adult accompanies that child, the adult's admission is free, too.
The program is called NexGen. Click the link, print out an application form (it's only half a page), mail it in, and wait for your child's membership card to arrive. Simple as that! I just mailed in Maya's application and am looking forward to the many (free, free, FREE) museum outings she and I will enjoy in the coming years.
-Maureen

A spoonful of sugar?

Hi, Mamas (and mama-to-be, Ann)!
I just spent an excruciating 25 minutes trying to get 1 teaspoon of Amoxicillin down Maya's throat. It was a total nightmare and overall failure. I tried the "big-girl" medicine spoon, the baby dropper, a regular spoon, a regular spoon with applesauce stirred into the meds, and a few drops of the meds in a bottle of milk. I got Maya to take about .5 teaspoon with the dropper, letting her push the plunger by herself. But she got wise pretty quick.
I'm supposed to give this to her twice a day for ten days. I'm totally despairing over here, because she is just utterly refusing it.
I'm actually thinking about loading up on strawberry ice cream and stirring the medicine (also pink) into it. That would mean Maya would eat strawberry ice cream twice a day for ten days. See how desperate I am?
Seriously, help.
Thanks,
Maureen

Diaper Duty

Hi, mamas! Maureen kindly invited me to join the group, even though I won't be a full-fledged member until our first born arrives in May. I love seeing the pictures of your little ones and am very excited to be part of the group.

I was wondering if I could hear your thoughts about cloth vs. paper diapers. Obviously, it's way too early to be thinking about this, but instead of diligently completing my work project today, I am obsessing over diaper materials! So, it is time to consult the experts. The idealist in me is flirting with the idea of cloth diapers, although the realist thinks I'm out of my mind. Any thoughts?

Blogger News: Now All Group-Blog Posters Can Have Admin Privileges!

Mamas: Now I can set up your blogger account so that you can have Admin privileges on this blog, just like I do! This means that you can add page elements and do other "advanced" blog maneuvers.
If you want this access, just let me know. I'll set it up. If not, that's OK, too! You can still post and comment and vote in the polls, just as you can now.
-Maureen

Halloween Photos: Keep 'Em Coming!

Thank you, Eileen and Erica for posting pix of your respective octopus and strawberry. They are adorable!
I encourage everybody else to post photos, too! They are indisputable evidence that C2C Mamas have the cutest children on earth.
P.S. Because my camera was out of batteries on Halloween (bad mommy!), I only have video of Maya in her fairy-princess getup. Once I figure out how to post video to this blog, I'll do so!
-Maureen

halloween in dc

here's our little strawberry - the stem of her hat was a constant source of amusement.

Halloween!

Our Witchie Dixie and eight-legged Leilani!

Let's See Those Adorable Costumed Children of Yours!

Hi, Mamas! Happy Halloween! I'm itching to see pictures of everyone's kids in costume. When you get a free moment this week, please post a photo or two for us to ooooooh and ahhhhh over!
-Maureen

How to prevent a toy tsunami?

Apologies for raising this topic before Halloween, but the holiday catalogs all arrived this week and they got me thinking...

This Christmas will be the first for our daughter, Alena, who is the 1st grandchild on both sides of our family. Family members already adore buying her things whenever they are inspired, including toys, clothes and books. Like most kids (I think?), Alena tends to prefer playing with real household items over toys, so the majority of her stuffed animals and toys get ignored. I have done my best to borrow from friends all the different baby gear and toys she might use at a certain stage, so that I can give them back and not amass a huge collection of plastic crap. The challenge lies in how to encourage/guide family members in their very generous desire to give. Does anyone have ideas of gifts I could suggest that would be fun, useful and longer-term for a 1-year old? I live in D.C. so the zoo and museums are free (otherwise season passes would be great), and the only other idea I have is a gift certificate to a nice photo studio for portraits (but that's really for me!).

Sleep Deprived

Hey Ya'll...Does anyone have any tips on how to get your baby to sleep through the night??? My baby, Marlee, is 9 months old and is still waking up EVERY 2 HOURS!!! It all started b/c I was so worried that her crying would wake up her older sister who's room is right next to hers that I would run to get her. So, now I'm stuck and she is so used to me coming in and picking her up and nursing her back to sleep. I never had this problem with my 1st b/c the day I gave her formula(6 weeks) she slept through the night! So, I'm at a loss. My Dr. told me to let her cry, but I am just too weak to let her do it. It makes me too sad. So, if you have any ideas, I'm willing to try them...Thanks...Eliza

A blog I like

Hi, mamas. Here's a blog I recently discovered. It's about saving money and being more environmentally conscious at the same time. It's called Wise Bread. Just thought I'd share.
-Maureen

Crock-Pot Recipe: Butternut squash and lentil soup

Mamas, hello. I made this for dinner tonight, and I loooved it! I'm really proud of how it came out. Thought I'd share the recipe. Also, fyi, it's vegan (when made with vegetable broth), low-fat, high-protein, and inexpensive!

Ingredients: 2.5 cups coarsely chopped butternut squash
1 cup brown lentils, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1/2 cup chopped carrot (1 medium)
1 tsp. garam masala spice
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups (2.5 cans) chicken or vegetable broth

Directions: In a 3.5- to 4-qt. Crock-Pot, place squash, lentils, onion, and carrot. Sprinkle with the garam masala and garlic. Pour broth in. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 9 hours (or on high heat for 4 to 4.5 hours). That's it! Serves 4 to 6.

Notes: I wrestled with an actual whole butternut squash from the produce section and cut my finger trying to slice the thing into submission. I wonder if the pre-cut and bagged frozen squash (that comes in cubes) would work just as well? I actually have some of that in my freezer but totally forgot about it...
Also, I had to go buy garam masala, but I'm glad I did! It's a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, coriander, cumin, cardamom, etc., and it smells (and tastes) wonderful! Really autumn-y. I'm going to find other uses for it.

I'm on the prowl for more healthy, easy, tasty recipes that use inexpensive ingredients, so if you know of any, please post here! Thanks...
-Maureen

Financial strain

Hi, mamas. I am in need of some good money-saving tips at the moment. For instance, what are some healthful dinners that use inexpensive ingredients? What are some good ways to save on everything from clothing and shoes to groceries and basic household items?
Basically, I need to be schooled on how to be really, really cheap.
:-)
Any and all advice is welcome.
Thanks!
-Maureen

Activities and Furniture

2 questions-

What is your favorite piece of baby furniture/gear, and what do you do all day with your kids (when you're home)? I figure the answer to both of these would be helpful to lots of moms.

Our favorite piece of baby gear is Leilani's baby table. It is by Babee Tenda, and replaces a high chair and a play pen. It supports baby properly, is safe (won't flip), and teaches baby to sit at a desk. She can play in it, eat in it, and sit in it while mommy washes dishes or cooks dinner. Also, it has wheels so it can move into any room, and is very easy to travel with. We brought it to grandma's house and it was fantastic to have somewhere to put her in every room!

http://www.babeetenda.com/safetabl.htm

it comes with tons of attachments if you want them- we didn't get any- just by itself it converts into a table with chair, or art table- pretty awesome....

At home, we read a lot, go for stroller walks with the dog, and of course the regular feeding, changing and bathing take up a lot of time... What else is there to do with a still-immobile baby?

Eliza, you crack me down!

Eliza, I'm sorry but that poop-everywhere story was hilarious. I'm sure it was NOT hilarious at the time. I bet it was one of those clean-up situations where you don't even know where to start, right? Whenever Maya pukes up her morning milk---it still happens occasionally---I have a moment of panic, like, "OK, my clothing, her clothing, and the couch are all dripping with toddler vomit right now. What the hell do I do first? Plop Maya in the tub? Strip us both nekkid? Attempt to soak up the puke that's quickly seeping into the cushions?"

I, too, have a poop story. It's a short one. One time Maya pooped on our living-room carpet in three places. I was letting her run around nude after her bath. Bad idea. She stopped in her tracks, shouted "Poop!" and then just let it rip. Took a few steps, let it rip again. Couple more steps, boom.

Also, I totally agree about buying quality diapers. We shell out for the Pampers here at Chez Kingsley.

-Maureen

Warehouse Club Diapers

Hey Ya'll, I just wanted to share a disgusting story that happened this morning...

A few days ago, I decided to try the diapers from BJ's Wholesale Club. I have been buying Pamper's Cruisers their and they had a coupon for their diapers which made a box of 170 diapers $20. I couldn't resist because Pampers are $35.

So, since I have purchased these, Marlee, 8 months, has wet through her diaper every night by 2am(and is not happy about it!) This morning was the kicker! I was on the phone with my mom when Marlee pulled up on the chair to greet me with a smile, she then took a big poo...well, she plopped on the floor and I continued to talk to my mom for about 5 minutes. I look down at her and see her hands...and they are COVERED in POOP!!! And then I got a look at the bigger picture...POOP was EVERYWHERE!!!! All over the floor, books, tea sets and most of all her...So, the moral of my story is....DON'T SKIMP ON DIAPERS!!!! But, I will say that the formula from Costco and BJ's is very good and if your baby is fine on regular Simalac or Enfamil, this is a great cost cutter...

Okay, that's all I have for now....Eliza

Hello Mamas!

Hello, Mamas!

I've been reading, never posted.
Took a sick day from work so that I can catch my breath, do laundry, go to Target(loved the poem, Mo), take a walk, and blog! We'll see how much I accomplish.
Anywho...I'm Mo in NC, looks like my kids are the oldest, Mary is 5, Jack is 3. Does this make me some kind of expert? OMG! I'm also 40 as of Sept.4th, so I'm a regular host of wise information.

I've enjoyed reading your questions and concerns, and here's my first comment. There are many questions and concerns to come!! You all sound like great Moms, you're doing great! It's funny how quickly I have forgotten about milk consumption and snacks. So if you want to remember stuff, WRITE IT DOWN! Keep a regular calendar in your kitchen and whenever your little one reaches a milestone or does something cute, jot it down. Then one of these years when you have time you can compile the info. That's my plan at least. I have no idea when my son's first tooth came in or what his first word was because I was going to write it down but I never did. But now I write down lots of stuff. Here's my second comment...

Don't be sad about your babies growing up. They get so much cuter, I swear! My Jack says something every hour that I have to write on the calendar. He's better than cable. Stuff like "you crack me down"-how precious is that! And my friends with older kids say that it keeps getting better. Once kids can do more for themselves you can relax a little more-take the baby gates down, take a shower, or pee with the door closed. 3 and 5 are my favorite ages right now.

Here's the 3rd thing..Don't keep all of your stuff! It mounts up too quickly. Use Craigslist to sell- I'm an addict! (Do you know about this? It's like e-bay, only local-no pesky shipping charges.) I remember gals selling stuff at yard sales and I was horrified, how could they sell their children's memories? 5 years later I'm giving stuff away weekly. Give, sell, donate, you'll feel great! I have 2500 sq feet and a 1200 sq ft attic full of kids stuff. I'm trying to only bring in new items if I get rid of something I don't need anymore. Good to rule if you have limited space-plus Christmas is coming.

Am I rambling? I know your time is limited, I'll stop for now. Have a great day. Remember that you ROCK!

Boast Post

I hope this isn't too unseemly, but I would like to share my excitement about a couple of new things Maya's been doing. Lately I'm just really proud of her for becoming such a big girl who can do all sorts of things! It's been so fun to watch---but also a bit bittersweet, because I'm alarmed at how quickly she's growing up. It's like everything just accelerated once she turned one year old.

Anyway, Seth successfully taught Maya to eat cereal and milk from a bowl, with a spoon! The two of them worked on it and worked on it for about two weeks, and now Maya eats cereal like a pro! Similarly, tonight at dinner she was scooping couscous onto her fork and bringing it to her mouth like it was no big deal. I was so impressed! Just last week she was smearing couscous around on her highchair tray with her fingers. (Yes, we eat a lot of couscous.)

Maya has also graduated to a big-girl cup for her daytime milk. She'd been using those disposable plastic cups with the removable lids, but this week she's started using an insulated tumbler-type cup. (Unfortunately it's plastered with The Little Mermaid characters. My choices were Ariel, Cars [the animated movie, not the eighties band], or Dora. There wasn't a plain-colored cup in sight.) She looooves the cup and is drinking more milk now.

Finally, Maya is singing like you wouldn't believe! And honestly, the girl stays on pitch better than I do. She sings snippets of Twinkle, Twinkle; Row, Row, Row Your Boat; Bringing Home My Baby Bumblebee; and three songs from her Laurie Berkner Band CD (thanks, April!). It's really, really fun to see her enjoying music so much.

OK, that's it. Just wanted to share my excitement...

Feel free to write a Boast Post of your own! I love hearing what everybody else's kids are up to.

-Maureen

Reasons not to freak out

Eileen,
There are plenty of things that suck about returning to work, definitely. But it doesn't all suck, in my opinion. Here are some things that I personally like about working (part-time, as you know). Maybe you will find some of these to be true for yourself, too!

-At the office, I can pee in peace and privacy (feels so luxurious)
-While working I'm less likely to obsess over Maya's health and well-being than when I'm at home watching her every move
-Interaction with a diverse mix of other adults
-The commute, believe it or not. It's 40 minutes to myself that I appreciate because it gives me some "alone time" to think, talk on the phone, listen to talk radio, etc.
-Having a whole hour to leisurely eat lunch, by myself if I want!
-Or, some days, having a whole lunch hour to run the kinds of errands that are difficult to run with Maya in tow
-Feeling like I still have one foot in the professional world
-Solving business-related problems, enjoying professional achievements
-Really, really savoring the time I have with Maya when I get home in the evenings---even if she's a cranky mess, I'm so thrilled to see her that the crankiness just rolls off me (not so on the days I'm home with her, when the crankiness can really wear me down)

Having typed all of that, however, I don't think I would necessarily keep working if Seth were to sell a screenplay for bunches of dollars, or if we won the lottery or something. I'm pretty sure I would want to try staying at home with Maya, see how it goes...

But enough about me! Best of luck to you on the job search! Keep us posted.

Pre-Going Back to Work Freak Out

Hi Mommas!

So, I'm going back to work in January- Leilani will be almost 9 months old and will start day-care. I'm starting a massive job search now... casting a wide net to see what offers I may get.

Although I'm very comfortable with the idea of Leilani going to day-care at 8+ months, I'm pretty stressed (early and unnecessary, I know) about how it will all work out- going back to work, "leaving" her, work/life balance, how the schedule will work, having enough time with her, etc.

Any tips on how to manage the going back to work bit, the day-care bit, and the freaking out bit?

Milk consumption

Hi girls,

So I'm finally an official blog-user! (so not tech savvy - I know). About the milk thing - Isabella is 20 months old and consumes about 2-3 cups of milk a day (her pediatrician seemed happy with that at her 18 month check up). She has a sippy cup of milk before bed (then we brush teeth after), a sippy cup when she wakes up to hold her over until breakfast (the girl wakes up way too early!), and some milk with her cereal.

18 Month appt...What to expect

Hi,
Lucy had her 18 month appt. today. A lot more of the same old, same old. Two shots-DPT, round four and the third Hepatitis shot. She got them both big-girl style, on the upper arms. Other than that, they asked about how much milk she drinks daily, sleeping habits, eating questions. The doctor stressed continuing to give whole milk and gave a few lame tips for trying to incorporate vegetables (put them on pizza or in scrambled eggs). They weighed her, measured her and we were out the door. Next appt. is at 2 years old. By the way, how much milk does Maya drink in a day? Anyone else-childs age and milk consumption??

18-month appointment

Hello, mamas.

Can anyone who's btdt tell me what to expect at Maya's 18-month appointment?
Thanks...

-Maureen

The Vaccine Exemption Issue-

I know there is a lot of debate about vaccines now-
this is a MP3 teleconference from Dr. Mercola on exemptions-
(about one and a half hours long and kinda slow...)

I wish it was more about the individual vaccines, but oh well....

Dangers of Vaccines and How to Avoid
http://www.mercola.com/forms/downloads/vaccine_teleconference.htm

http://www.vaclib.org/letters/CAExemption.pdf
is the philosophical waiver for CA

Toddler Food Idea

Hey Ya'll! It has been awhile since I fed a toddler and have had some trouble remembering...one of the things that Sadie loved is a slice of deli cheese with 1/2 slice of turkey, rolled up tight and cut into small pieces. She just loved it and I would give her some mustard to dip it in. Because we all know kids LOVE to play with their food. She still wants it to this day and she will be 3 next month. She also loved avocado cut up, but this is hard for them to pick up. I also would always arrange her food in shapes on her plate like use a cookie cutter or cup to make a sandwich into a circle and put slices of fruit around it like a flower. You can do this with any shape. Also, rotisserie chicken was always a hit. Hope this helps...I will keep thinking and trying to remember...

Finger foods for Baby w/no Teeth?

I only know as much as my 8-month old has taught me, so sorry I can't offer toddler food suggestions. Thinking about this made me realize you ladies might have some insight on what I can feed my daughter Alena. She has no teeth but is at the stage where she insists on grabbing the spoon/bowl to feed herself. I need food large enough for her to successfully bring to her mouth, that won't be a choking hazard. We've not yet had luck with her being willing to eat cheerios, well-cooked broccoli stalks, cut up bananas or sweet potatoes (too mushy!). I might try tofu, small pieces of cheese and egg whites. I realize this could be a phase where Alena merely needs to explore the texture of food in her hand but I want to make sure she actually consumes something! Any other ideas?

Food, glorious food

Hi, mamas.
I'm still in need of toddler meal and snack ideas if anyone has any to share. (Ahem, Eliza, Mo, and April. You've btdt, so c'mon, help a sister out!)
In the meantime, for what it's worth, I'll post some snacks Maya likes that are decently nutritious:
-Avocado spread on Saltines
-Cinnamon toast
-Graham crackers with yogurt to dip them in
-Quesadillas with salsa for dipping (she really, really, really likes to dip)


-Maureen

Mattel toys recalled

Due to lead paint, many (very many) Fisher Price Sesame Street and Dora the Explorer toys have been recalled.

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

I'm amazed at how many are being recalled! There are bigger kid toys being recalled too because of dangerous magnents...

Sorry- not upbeat... but important!

Good News! EPA Study Shows Imaginary Ice Cream Free From Harmful Chemicals

Good News today for Maureen- who thought all hope was lost and that dangerous chemicals were everywhere- trying to get her baby. A very thorough study has found that imaginary ice cream has no chemicals at all. Yup, thats right! None. Go out and get some for your child today!






See Maureen? There is hope! :)
(Just wanted to put up something upbeat for you)

(Also moms, this is the last day to use that great Target baby food cupon!)

Bad bottles, dangerous toys, lead-painted bibs...and now, kids' cold meds

More upsetting news on the product-safety front:
FDA Limits Children's Cough and Cold Medicines

Could somebody please post something fun? I'm getting awfully depressed over here...
-Maureen

Mama is pissed off

Mamas, did you see this news story today?
Some Baby Bibs Said to Contain Levels of Lead
This problem with contaminated baby products is really raging out of control. I am angry!
-Maureen

Also: Thanks to Erica for posting that National Geographic link regarding green products. It's in the Comments section of the "Re: Debbie Downer" post. I'll add it to the product-safety links list at right when I get a chance.

Sorry, I really can spell CRIB

I guess I do need to preview before I post next time. Lesson learned.

Cirb Tents Anyone?

So, I've got a little climber on my hands. Lucy is 18 months and has crawled out of the crib and the pack and play. Only once each, but she typically has one leg hanging over the crib when I go to get her in the morning or after a nap. A lady at our community pool suggested getting a crib tent. Does anyone have one of these? They are about $80, which I don't mind spending if they work well, but I'd love some feedback or other ideas. I really can't have her being able to get out of her crib, and her room...

May I reveal your identity?

Mamas,
I plan to add a little sidebar to this blog that lists our names and our kids' names and ages. (I'll omit last names for security purposes.)

Like this: Maureen (17-month-old daughter, Maya)

That way we can sort of get a sense of who the others are.

If you would prefer not to be listed, please e-mail me privately. Thanks!

Also: For now, as far as I can tell, I am the only person who can issue invitations to other mamas to join this blog, because I'm the "administrator." Until I can figure out how to change this, please send me the e-mail addresses of other mamas you'd like to invite. The more the merrier! I'll let you know when I find a work-around for this issue.

-Maureen

Ideas needed

Hi, Mamas.
I could use some new lunch ideas for the days I'm home with Maya. I usually make something that the two of us can split, but I feel limited by Maya's lack of teeth! She doesn't have her molars yet (just four teeth up top, in the front, and two on the bottom), so it's not like I can feed her, you know, half of a turkey sandwich, for example. I've been doing quesadillas, pasta, leftovers from the previous night's dinner (when there are some)---and that's about it. We have quesadillas waaaaaayyy too often. What else is softish and nutritious? Tracy gave me a good chili recipe that her daughter (Lucy, 18 months today) likes. I'll try that soon.
But what else?
Thanks in advance...
-Maureen

Registry tips

This blog is really taking off!
I am LOVING the Target talk- both poetic and cuponic- Keep 'em coming!

These are the tips I've collected that are baby-registry related... in case anyone is going through this again or has friends that are having their first. I found tips very helpful when I was going through it- navigation of wedding and baby registries can be tricky!

Registry/baby stuff:
-Don't buy clothes. Don't buy clothes. Don't buy clothes. Everyone told me this but I still got anxious (The shower is close to the birth and I didn't want to be unprepared!) and bought clothes. People LOVE to buy baby clothes (and toys) so just register for the specifics and necessities, then buy what you still need after your shower. (Our hospital sent us home with about a week's worth of newborn clothes anyway, so being caught without clothes for our newborn was never even a possibility.)
- Put the brand of diapers you want on your shower invitation- this was the best advice I got! For my shower, anyone who brought diapers was entered to win the “Fantastic Door Prize,” and well, everyone brought diapers. Pampers Swaddlers are the absolute best money can buy as far as I’m concerned.
-Don’t get a ton of toys yet- baby can’t use most of them for at least 6 months
-get things you’ll actually need/use like detergent, nursing supplies like bottles, pads, a pump, pump parts etc., bottles, wipes, wipes, wipes, pee pads for the crib and your bed and anywhere else baby is, some newborn size clothes (but not a lot,) and pacifiers.
-Register for or buy yourself bibs with button closures- not Velcro. The Velcro can scratch baby and makes laundry difficult as it scratches up your other laundry unless you want to take the time to separate it every time. (You do double the laundry with a baby that you do now- and do it more often as it is stinky!)
-DON’T OPEN YOUR PACKAGES OF DIAPERS BEFORE BABY IS BORN –you don’t know how long your baby will fit in newborn- being able to return/exchange the unopened packages is
great and saves you money/provides you a gift card for things you find you need later.
-Don’t waste money on more than 5ish “receiving blankets” for swaddling. Use them as little blankets and seldom to swaddle as babies wiggle them loose in a minute. Instead buy the swaddling blankets by The First Years- 3 fold with Velcro- stays On. Swaddling a live baby (as opposed to a doll) in a receiving blanket is pointless
-Receiving blankets that you buy to use as blankets should be at least 35” by 35” Smaller is useless- no matter how soft
-Do get a wipe warmer- warm wipes don’t make a baby cry- cold ones do
-Diaper Genie II is awesome- Not the original
-The Sleep Sheep (or any other noise [ocean, heart beat, and shushing sound] machine) is
Wonderful to get or keep the baby asleep the first month. The breast pump left on to dry the Tubing works well too- soothes baby every time. After one month- Vibration (a bouncy, vibrating chair or, even better crib attachment that will let baby sleep in the crib/co-sleeper)!
-A glider is also awesome- relaxing, movable seat for both for baby and mommy
-remember the baby changes so much in the first few weeks. Some tactics used to soothe baby will work week one, others week 2, others week 3 etc.
-Stock up on AA and D batteries. For some reason, baby stuff doesn’t seem to use C or 9V batteries, and very few AAA.
-Get one (or two!) vibrating chairs. (We were lucky enough to get one from Maureen.) They are called Soothing Vibration bouncers and made by Fisher Price… around one month of age you won’t be able to put the baby down unless it is in one of these. Also, if you can find it, get a vibrating attachment for your crib/co-sleeper. They usually have music and a night light attached. Dunno why, but the babies LOVE the vibration. All my mom friends told me this- and I should have listened from the beginning!
-If you live in the LA area, the Mattel corporate headquarters are in El Segundo. They have a toy store on the first floor where everything is retail price, and if you bring an employee of Mattel and cash you get 50% off of store prices. We got a $52 mobile for $11.44. They have all the Fisher Price stuff- bouncy seats, pottys, mobiles, swings, activity centers, high chairs, tons of toys for kids, and most of the Fisher Price baby stuff that anyone would want. Inventory changes every week (usually it is new lines/items that are just about to go into stores). If anyone wants to go, let me know as I know a few people who work there!

Hope this helps!

The poem is bad, Hand Foot and Mouth is worse

Maureen,
Your literary prowess never ceases to amaze me. Here's my love poem for Target for all you lay people.
Roses are red
Violets are blue
I came in for one thing
and bought Twenty-two

So, after a day or two of my daughter whining, crying, puffy/bleeding gums and being way to sleepy, we went to our doctor. Turns out she has cocksackie or hand, foot and mouth virus. Lots of little tiny ulcers on her tongue and a mild fever. She never got the classic bumps on her hands and feet so the doctor said this may also be the herpes-1 virus (coldsores). Either way, it's no fun when it's your baby. Really, all they said to do was give her Tylenol to ease her pain and reduce the fever. I hope you all don't go through it, but if you do see these symptoms, hopefully you'll know what it is.

Ode to Target

Twelve-dozen diapers for twenty greenbacks
Fragrance-free butt wipes that come in eight-packs

Circo-brand onesies for $4.99
Cute Robeez knock-offs fit perfectly fine

Dig through the dollar bin for baby socks
The soft-pretzel/Starbucks stand totally rocks

Diaper Genie refills are always on sale
Got some nice sand toys: shovel and pail

And I recently snapped up two handbags from there
(Buying only for Maya just wouldn’t be fair)

Grabbed fake Chuck Taylors that Seth thinks are cute
Threw them into the cart with the piles of kid-loot

A week without Target’s like a week without sun
Spending money on cheap crap is awfully fun!

-Written by Maureen...at work...while her boss was watching YouTube videos

Baby Coupons

A friend emailed this to me and I thought you all might be interested...

Hey there! I wanted to pass a couple of baby deals on to you guys. All of you either have little ones, are about to, or know someone who does, so I figured you might be interested. First, there's this insane baby food deal at Target. On the link below, there is a $1 off coupon for two Gerber foods (it's the third from the bottom). So, at our Target, the jars of 2nd foods are $0.52. Two therefore are $1.04. Take off the dollar, and you get two jars for $0.04. I got 32 jars of food today for $0.64. The other foods are a little more expensive, but it's still a great deal. I got 2-packs of the 2nd foods fruits and veggies for $0.34 cents a pack. Not bad! Those don't expire until late next year and the jars don't expire until 2009, so it's a great deal for those with even the littlest babies. I also thought it was a good deal for someone who might want to donate to a food bank. http://coupons.50webs.org/ My friends sent me this link for an online clothes shop that's going out of business. All of their clothes are $3.00 or $5.00, and they're really cute! www.royalbambini.com

Re: Debbie Downer

I was suprised like you about this issue. I learned about it 2 years ago...a long time in my opinion from 1999. The Fire Marshall at UCLA gave me an article because he knew I had a baby...well at the time she was no longer taking a bottle and I was freaked out about the time that she had...it is important to note that it is not just bottles but sippy cups as well, anything made of plastic including containers we might drink out of. I can't remember all the details of the article but what I do remember is that the risk is less if the plastic is not worn and in good condition since the chemical is released as a part of the plastic breaking down and that colored plastics are not part of the issue? it is just the clear ones please correct me if I am wrong....the process it takes to make plastic clear is the problem -- also some clear plastics are not made with the chemical so you may want to look at your brand and see before you buy and replace. I read something recently that warned against microwaving food in plastic containers or covered with plastic wrap because chemicals are released from the plastic into our food. I now heat everything in my own ceramic dishes with a papertowel covering to avoid splatter.
-April

Hello C2CM's!

My name is April and I live in a suburb of Houston. My husband and I moved here in January from Southern California. It has definitely been an adjustment. If anyone needs advice about moving with young children (mine are 3 and 1) I would be happy to provide some of my thoughts. The hardest part for me has been making new friends. As a stay at home mom I find that it is easy to stay in my little bubble of activities and not branch out.

Well I am excited to be apart of this blog. I enjoyed the post pregnancy insight from Eileen :-) I could not agree more. I will tell you the second time around it is hard to get rest mostly because you are often chasing around a toddler (depending of course on how far apart your kids are), but as you said it is incredibly important. My advice would be to not sweat the small stuff...despite what we think the dishes can wait a while and a spotless house I am convinced will only happen when my children can clean up consistently on their own...based on my own childhood memories I would say that doesn't happen until you are an adult:-) .

-April

Helpful Hints

These are the tips I've collected for Pregnancy that I wish someone had told me. Some we've all heard, but not listened to... but mostly they're just about the little things that would have been nice to have known and will help next time go more smoothly.

PREGNANCY:

-Get a lot of rest
-Remember that the first trimester is the most important for baby’s development
-DON’T buy maternity clothes that you can’t breastfeed in. (if you plan on breastfeeding) Make sure the shirts/tops/dresses have buttons or low/stretchy V-necks- or else you’ll have to buy a whole new wardrobe after the baby is born! May as well get double use out of the maternity clothes.
-One day when you have the energy, go through you closet and separate out the things you can nurse in later- it is easier now then when you’re holding a newborn and leaking milk all over.
-If you buy nursing nightgowns (nice to have a couple- especially nice at the hospital
when on your second [or third] day being able to wash your face and put on something that isn’t a hospital gown will feel Really good) buy darker colored ones because when your milk leaks (which it will) it stains the heck out of anything white or light colored. The first few days, your pre-milk/colostrums is dark yellow… you’ll have dull yellow sunny side up sploches over both breasts- and then your father in law stops by to visit…
-Collect free samples at your classes, the OB and through the mail
-Read all you can, but be aware that much of the stuff is printed by the baby industry/formula manufacturers etc. so be wary of breastfeeding info printed by formula companies etc.
-Sign up at Pampers.com and all other formula and diaper websites (Similac, verybestbaby.com, huggies, babycenter.com, babiesrus, Enfamil etc.). Coupons, coupons, coupons- free diaper bags and free samples! Yay! They come in the mail and are great. Even if you don’t use the formula, you get great articles, coupons, and can give the formula to a friend or day-care center.

Debbie Downer

Hi there, C2CMs. This might not be the happiest way to kick off a brand-new blog, but I wanted to post this because it seems pretty important. Last week I read this Salon.com article about a "hormone disrupting" chemical found in polycarbonate baby bottles (and other polycarbonate products), and I've been a little freaked out ever since. I've had Maya on Dr. Brown's bottles forever, and they're made of polycarbonate.
The science behind the Salon report is controversial, apparently, and there seems to be quite a bit of disagreement among various experts about how potentially dangerous the chemical (bisphenol-A) is. However, I ended up ordering new, glass bottles for Maya anyway from a company called Born Free. They should be arriving soon.
What kills me is that when I googled "bisphenol-A" after reading the Salon piece, I found all sorts of articles from the media on this subject dating back to 1999. So, has everyone else known about this issue for years? Where have I been?
-Maureen

The C2C Mamas experiment is underway!

Welcome to Coast-to-Coast Mamas, ladies. Once you've signed on as an author, please feel free to post whenever and whatever you'd like! You may want to begin by introducing yourself and taking part in the poll that's over there on the right side of the page.
Happy blogging!
-Maureen