Friday, October 29, 2010

Pardon the interruption

Between a vacation, a post-vacation stomach bug (not the detox I was looking for), sewing a Halloween costume, and cutting toddler fingernails that had somehow become claws, this Mama is BEAT DOWN.

See you back here soon ....

Friday, October 22, 2010

Yes or No?

I followed the Chronicles of a Babywise Mom blog pretty closely when Girly was a bitty babe - very helpful to me with all of the sleeping, eating, sleeping and sleeping some more. I haven't read any of the Babywise books after the newborn one, so I don't read her as closely anymore, but I do check in from time to time.

I thought this post was a good cosmic reminder for me to LOOSEN UP!!

Yes When You Can, No When You Must

Monday, October 18, 2010

Canines

Dear Tooth Fairy,

You may be pretty and you may bring gifts, but I am no fan of yours. This latest round of teeth is a doozey - are you going to pay extra for these when they fall out?

Sincerely,
Mama with drool handprints on all of her things

I thought our girl had a rough time with teething in the past, but it has been nothing compared to this latest round. Her upper canines are for sure coming in, with some more on the bottom just erupting and I think maybe some more molars? All I know is that Girly constantly has her hands in her mouth (practically shoved down her throat) and drools all over the place. And has been doing it for 2+ weeks now.

Poor thing has been waking up early screaming, which has negated some of the cow-is-dancing training that we had going. I give her Motrin in the 4's or 5's and then she will go back to sleep until the cow is awake. :)

Early mornings aren't so rare around here, but she started a new thing of screaming at bedtime for 30 minutes to 1 hour. It partly coincided with my vacation out of town, but I think also had something to do with her teeth. I tried the cry-it-out, but it was just pitiful. I finally gave her a frozen washcloth at bedtime to chew on (our go-to teething aide) and she went down without a peep. Hallelujah.

I've also started a countdown at bedtime that seems to eliminate some of our power struggles (just with me, mind you - that mother/daughter thing starts early). We rock in the chair with her blanket and I tell her we'll rock until I count to 10. Then, I lay her in bed and she asks me to scratch her back (skatch da back!!) - I tell her that I will scratch her back until I count to 5, then it is time to close her eyes and go to sleep.

I like this cuddle time and it it sweet to see her ask for it, but all of these sweet things add on top of each other until our 'brief' bedtime routine lasts 30 minutes. Not exactly what I am looking for when mama still has to make dinner ...

Friday, October 15, 2010

Friday Funnies, take two

Yes, I'm kind of dialing it in this week. Sorry 'bout that.

Just came across this tonight ... is it bad karma to laugh at this?

Shit My Kids Ruined

And, really, poop gloves? So help me ....

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

R & R

Rest.
Relaxation.

Does any of that exist in parenting?

I will say that I had a little dose this weekend and it was heavenly. Heavenly.

Here is my prescription for you:

Make plans for a girlfriend get-away with your best buddies. Ours happened to be hours (by plane!) away from home, but I think you could do it in your very own neighborhood. Send your spouse and kid(s) away, have the girls over, break out the snacks and adult beverages and enjoy yourself! Sleep in! Don't make 6 meals a day unless they are for yourself! You can do it!

Here is my second prescription, and one that I need to follow myself:

Set up a regular date night with your spouse. Two of my girlfriends started to do this regularly on Sundays nights after their 2nd child was born. I wish we had date night more often, and I'm sure I'll really long for it if a second child ever comes to live in our house. You must make it a habit - put the kids down (or not), go to dinner and try hard to talk about things other than naps, daycare and bills.

It's good for everyone's soul.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Let's lighten things up a bit, shall we?

Some funny for your Friday ...

The Good Enough Baby, courtesy of The New Yorker.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Take two

I read this article a while ago and thought it was pretty thought provoking. I planned to try to write something insightful to go along with it. Whether I'm ever insightful is debatable, but today? Not a chance.

So. Here's where I am:

The thought of a 2nd child is pure craziness.

This doesn't help.

All Joy and No Fun: Why Parents Hate Parenting

post at Rookie Moms (read their take on it, too)

Discuss.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Reading labels

Ahhh, yes, the crazy continues.

Do you pay attention to the parabens, phthalates, sulfates and other -ates in the myriad of products in your bathroom? I swear, I'm just now getting a handle on the food in our house and the sunscreen we use, and now I feel the need to tackle every other product in our house.

I don't know where I picked up the bug, but it seems there has been an article in every magazine that has entered our house in the last few months about the dangers of lurking chemicals. I have paid pretty close attention to the products we use for Girly, but you will be surprised by the 'dangerous' chemicals that are in a lot of those products if you read carefully. Just because it looks healthy or natural doesn't mean it is. I haven't thought much about what the adults in this house use, which is kind of silly. If I care about one of us, I should care about all of us.

There is certainly a lot of debate about whether these things are actually dangerous or not. I guess I am choosing to err on the side of caution ... if I can find a product that is equally good without them, why not use it?

Therein lies the problem, though, because it can be a big challenge to actually find a product that you like equally as well. I have searched a lot on the Cosmetic Safety Database, which seems to be a good resource, but it can be a challenge to find a lot of their highest rated products without going to the ends of the earth or spending my whole paycheck on internet shipping.

This is a (seemingly) balanced article from Real Simple: What are parabens and do I need to worry about them? I think it makes sense to take a logical approach to changing your products. Start with the products you use the most (hand soap, body soap, shampoo/conditioner, lotion) and those that cover a large percentage of your skin.

I've just been replacing products when they run out with a 'better' option. It seems wasteful to run out and replace everything all at once. I'm also pretty budget conscious, which can be challenging because many of these products are $pricey$. So far, I am liking the Kiss My Face lotion and Whole Foods 365 mint shampoo and conditioner. Surprisingly, Costco also has a citrus bodywash and shampoo and conditioner that are paraben and phthalate free. I really like the California Baby stuff for Girly, but Johnson and Johnson just came out with a Natural option that looks promising. I had already been using an Arbonne skin care system, which is also free of a lot of the nastiness. Sadly, our beloved Cetaphil does have some of the nastiness, which is just sad because that is a good product that is hard to replace.

I haven't tackled shaving cream yet, or make-up or hair products. You curly-haired girls know what I am talking about - it is quite the gamble to switch up the products and I hate to spend money on something that might not work. Baby steps ....

What are the good products you use?