A Few of My Favorite Things

Having a baby is hard work, but it is the most rewarding job I could ever have.  I love being a Mom and at times there are things that you can buy to make the job of being a Mom a little easier.  Here are some of my favorite things for baby that I couldn't live without:

1. Burp/Lap Pads-http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4086285

-These are the best things ever! They are washable (going green) We use them for every diaper change.  Since Kenadie is sleeping in our room still at night we are pretty tired and change her diaper on our bed.  Thank goodness for these little soaker uppers, they have saved us numerous times for having to strip our bed and wash the sheets in the middle of the night because of an accident that Kenadie has while changing her diaper.  They soak up an entire bladder full and don't leak through to the other side.  Another use for these is under their sheets.  We use them under the pack n play sheets and the crib sheets where her head will lay so when she spits up it won't ruin the mattress or pack n play pad underneath.  LOVE THESE!

2. Bottle Warmer-http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2403663
-This is a life saver.  It beats having to wait for the water to boil to put the bottle in to heat up or microwaving the milk, ( which I hear is bad anyway).  This little beauty is wonderful.  I simply fill this little measuring device that it comes with to the desired amount of water for the amount of milk in ounces that I have and put it in the warmer and put the bottle in and it steams the bottle and the milk comes out at the perfect temperature every time!  It takes approx 2 mins for a 4 ounce bottle to heat up.  Life save for in the middle of the night when your baby is up screaming and hungry and you are barely functioning. 

3.  Tommee Tippee Bottles-http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3918819

-These Bottles are awesome.  They are said to be as close to a mother's nipple as possible.  Kenadie took to these with ease.  They also have an anti colic valve that allows babies to feed more comfortably with less air and vacuum build up.  They are easier to wash than Dr. Browns.  It serves the same purpose as those but you don't have as many parts to wash like Dr. Browns.  Great in saving time with the ginormous amounts of bottles to be washed on a daily basis.  The shape of the bottle will make it easier for her to hold as she gets older too. 

4. Target Brand Diaper Rash Ointment-http://www.target.com/p/up-up-Zinc-Diaper-Rash-Ointment-4-oz/-/A-11454279
-Kenadie has only had 1 case of diaper rash and it was due to Thrush.  This stuff works better than Bordeaux's Butt Paste, Desitin, A&D Ointment, you name it.  It has 40% Zinc Oxide vs the other's who have only 16%.  This stuff is a little more tough to wipe off, but for the bad case of diaper rash, this stuff really works. 

5. Colic Calm- http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/search/search.jsp?searchTerm=colic+calm&QP=N%3D92%26Ntk%3DAll%26Nty%3D1%26Ne%3D14%26Ntx%3Dmode+matchallpartial%26Nr%3DOR%7B92%2COR%7B93%7D%2COR%7B90%7D%2COR%7B122%7D%7D%26searchType%3DsearchHome

-This stuff works.  I know there are people out there, my husband being one of them that don't believe in this stuff, being that it is classified as homeopathic.  I don't really have much of an opinion on that matter except that when Kenadie was going through a period of time where she was getting fussy just at night time around 6-7p.m.  Thankfully that has passed.  I wrote on facebook about her fussiness and a friend of mine told me to try Gripe Water or Colic Calm, that they really worked for her child.  I thought hey, if it will help I will try anything to not hear my precious angel cry and be upset.  I tried Mommy's Bliss Gripe Water first and it seemed to calm her down a little, but a few days later I went to CVS and picked up the Colic Calm.  It was a little bit more expensive ($20)  and this product is made with vegetable charcoal, so it is black in color and it will stain their clothes.  This works within 10-15 mins and Kenadie was calm and no longer upset. It must taste good too, she sucks it down right out of the syringe.  I thought it may be a fluke, so we tried it for a few nights and it hasn't failed us yet.  Also, this product claims to treat the hiccups.  It works well for this too.  Poor Kenadie hates the hiccups. CVS is the only place I have found it.  Walgreens and Walmart do not carry it.

6. Fisher Price Lullabys and Baby Einstein Lullaby CD's.  http://www.target.com

-Kenadie responds really well to music.  When she is upset, we put it on and it is the automatic soother.  I have tried these two CD's and they are great. 

7. Baby Einstein DVD's

-These are awesome.  At 6 weeks we started putting Kenadie in front of our living room TV in her swing and turned on the Baby Einstein DVD's.  She immediately was interested and started focusing in on it.  I think it is great for learning shapes, colors, animals etc. 

8. Skip Hop Pronto Changing Station-http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2756998

- This has come in handy so many times.  This is a little fold out changing station, so in those nasty public restrooms you don't have to put your baby on the dirty changing station provided where who knows what has been on it.  It wipes clean and has pockets for wipes and diaper rash ointment.  Great Buy!

9. Pampers Swaddlers Diapers- http://www.pampers.com/en_US/proddetail/id/900826

-I love these diapers, they keep her dry and they have the blue line indicator in sizes NB, 1 & 2 to let you know if they are wet.  We have tried the regular Pampers and they don't have the blue line. 

Since Kenadie is only 9 weeks this Friday, I have come across several things that I like.  These are just a few.  I am sure as time goes by and she gets older there will be several others that I will find and update everyone on them. 

I come close to destroying baby equipment

"Ohhh shit," I cried as I watched the stroller make it's unattended flight down my driveway. My heart skipped several beats before I bolted for it, but it ran into the street.

Let me back up. The wife and I were leaving the house with Kenadie, but as most parents are aware this is an ordeal worthy of an Orthodox ceremony. Careful detail is arranged each and every time, from checking the diaper bag 13 times to insure all items are present and accounted for, to making sure the baby is snug in their car seat. It's a painstaking process that must be undertaken each and every time, for the idea of leaving without something as simple as baby wipes seems a horrifying prospect.

This outing was no different than any other. I grabbed the stroller and the baby in her car seat and head into the garage without incident. I park the stroller next to the car, but thought against taking the time to set the brakes as I assumed the garage was level.

I put the baby in the back of the car and turn to see the stroller make it's way down my driveway. I guess the garage isn't as level as I once assumed. I cried out in terror, wondering if someone actually saw that and logically assumed a baby was occupying the stroller, and then reporting us to CPS. The stroller made it's way into the street with me running after it. It stopped on the curb on the other side and no damage was done thankfully, but it was horrifying none the less.


"Stroller: a wanderer; vagrant." - Dictionary.com

The business of lying

Shortly after the wife got pregnant I sat down to watch a documentary called "The Business of Being Born," a film designed to make you believe that hospital births are detrimental to the health and well being of women and children and home births are the best solution, all under the guise of "promoting choice." After I watched it I sat and pondered with the wife about where exactly we would be giving birth, and she quickly said she wanted to be at a hospital as it seems safer. This last sentence will make home birth advocate's blood vessel burst, but that's OK.

The movie was effective with it's propaganda, as it did make me question the logic of having a child in a hospital, however fleeting that moment was. It even goes into conspiracy theories about the medical industry, which was amusing at best, dishonest at worst. It reminded me of a Glenn Beck show, where he spews all kinds of mis-information, and when called on it he claims he's just asking questions, as if those inquiries aren't part of promoting a political agenda. Clever as they may be, it's still dishonest as it is disturbing.

Now home birth advocates have a lot in common with homeopaths in that their arguments for their use of medicine are almost exactly the same. Let's list a few shall we?

1. Big pharma is corrupt and would rather keep you sick than heal you, especially when they reject what I believe is sound science. - This argument is appalling to me, as they drag peoples' names through the mud for no reason other than to hock their reasoning. It's like they believe that there are a bunch of overweight men sitting in a room smoking cigars they light with 100 dollar bills thinking up ways to get rich while helping you die, and convince all medical practitioners to get in on it. Plus they have absolutely no evidence for any of this to exist.
2. I've done my research, and clearly my choice is the safest one. - This is bogus, especially in the case of home birth advocates, because as we now know, home birth deaths are clearly on the rise and the rates are higher than hospitals. And these numbers don't account for deaths that occur when patients transfer from the home to hospital. You've drawn what you believe is a logical conclusion well before you decided to research, and you've stubbornly refused to accept anything that points otherwise, data be damned.
3. OBGYNs just want to perform c-sections, and will force you into one. - Again with dragging peoples' names through the mud. It's as if they think doctor's are wringing their hands together forcing mothers to have major surgery so they could go play golf or something. This probably doesn't need to be stated, but no doctor can force anyone to do something. You are the customer and can refuse any treatment. Most doctors would not want to perform c-sections, as it's risky. My wife's OBGYN asked us to steer clear of c-sections, as she wasn't a fan of the procedure. Most are performed nowadays are because the women choose it, whether they want to save the aesthetics of their nethers or just have no interest in, or scared of, labor. But hey, you're all about choice right?
4. For most of history, humans didn't have hospitals and we survived as a species. - Yes, humans also didn't have vaccines against polio, or have the luxury of modern science, which has doubled our life expectancy. I mean if we really want to go all earthy and natural, why not cave births?
5. Europe has a lot of home births, and they have a lower infant mortality rate than the US. - While this is true, Europe, unlike the US, requires mid-wives and the like to a) complete almost as much education and training as an OBGYN and b) register with their respective governments and c) are normally required to continue their education. The US hasn't caught up with them, and in some states you don't have to register at all.
6. If something goes wrong, we can simply call an ambulance or transfer to a hospital on our own. - Sure you could, but why take that risk? In a medical emergency, seconds can mean the difference between life and death. Sure the odds are low that something fatal will occur, but shouldn't parents be most concerned with the safety of their child?
7. Home birthing is cheaper. - It certainly is, but like anything, you also get what you pay for.
8. I know many people who've chose home births and everything was fine. - Your anecdotes aren't data. Never have been, never will.
9. I want to experience the miracle of birth naturally. - You can do that in a hospital and if something goes wrong you can experience the miracle of modern medicine. Plus, before modern prenatal procedures, your chances at living were about 1:100, as opposed to now being 11:100000. Nature is not as it is portrayed in a Disney animated film, it can and will kill you whenever it gets the chance.

I mean no disrespect to people who choose home births, as the reasons they do may be numerous. Some are feeling the financial pinch of adding a new member to the family and feel this is an appropriate solution to that. It's the disinformation by advocates that I find appalling, especially when lives are at stake. There is no reason to believe that a home birth is any safer than a hospital one, plain and simple. While deaths in either scenario are unlikely, people who are having a difficult time choosing what is best for their situation shouldn't be lied to.

I sometimes think that parents automatically think they're right about everything when it comes to child rearing the minute they get pregnant, or they try to make you believe they do to cover up that fact that they're completely clueless. Believing that you're on the side of the good fighting the evils of big business and the FDA is empowering and has the effect of making you feel smarter than you really are. We could all humble ourselves and accept a healthy dose of skepticism even, and especially, when it comes to our own beliefs.

"And while journalists interviewed midwives and obstetricians, not a single one thought to interview a pediatrician or a neonatologist to determine whether the people who actually care for babies think about the dangers of homebirth to babies." - Dr. Amy Tuteur, The Skeptical OB

Cry It Out?

As Kenadie is almost 2 months old, we have read that this is the time that their little brains are growing so fast that they are beginning to start developing  sleep habits.  We are afraid that Kenadie has already started with some that are not positive.  She doesn’t like to be put down to sleep.  She wants to be held all the time.  As much as I would love to hold her and keep her a baby forever, I know that she needs to develop healthy sleep habits and Erik and I would like some sound slumber as well.  I know there are several parents who think that co sleeping is ok.  We have resulted to doing that only a few times for just an hour or so if she wouldn’t settle down.  Not to mention it is dangerous in my opinion with as sleep deprived as we both are and I fear blankets getting too close to her face.  I don’t think that is a good idea and I never get sound sleep when I have had to do that.  The other method that people talk about is the “Cry It Out” method.  This was developed by a pediatrician, Dr. Richard Ferber. This is a very controversial topic. I have learned that people look down on you if you so choose to try this method, just like it is the same if you don’t breastfeed. I also read a study that letting your infant cry for long periods of time can make them loose brain cells and that is not a good thing for their fast growing brains. Erik and I really don’t want to try the “Cry It Out” method unless that is the LAST resort. I can’t stand to hear her cry longer than a few minutes. It breaks my heart, so I am hoping that it doesn’t come down to that. Last night we tried soothing her for a couple of minutes until her eye lids started getting heavy and then put her down. She would then, do the typical Kenadie thing and immediately wake up and be ready to play. She stayed like that for a while and then she would get fussy and we would give her the “paci” and comfort her and then put her back down to try and learn to soothe herself. She was happy and content for the most part and finally fell asleep after about an hour by herself without having to be rocked or held to go to sleep! HALLELUJAH, let’s hope that this isn’t a fluke and that this easy and wonderful behavior will continue. I like this sleep method! Happy Baby = Happy Parents.

The dreaded day

Sunday, January 29, 2012 is a sad day for me as a new mother. This is the day that I have dreaded since giving birth 7 weeks ago. The day that I go back to work and have to leave my little angel for the first time. Over the past week, I have cried and mentally prepared myself for this day. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it was harder than I ever thought it would be. As a mom, my biggest fear is that Kenadie will feel like I have left her or don’t care about her, when that in fact is farthest from the truth. I want her to always know that I am here for her and ALWAYS will be and will never stop loving her for as long as I live. I just want to be the perfect mom, which I know is impossible, no one is perfect and I will screw up and hopefully learn from my mistakes. I want to be the parent who raises my children, but in this world with the cost of living just increasing, I have to work and rely on “It takes a Village” to help raise my child. The good news is that I am truly blessed with a wonderful family. Kenadie will spend time with Erik and my mother on the days that I have to work. Who better could I ever ask for, her father and grandmother. There is no doubt that she will be in the best hands possible, people that love her more than life itself. Last night, I got everything packed up and ready for the next day. I went to bed at 8:30p.m. and Erik was wonderful and stayed up with Kenadie to feed her and to put her to sleep for me while I got some much needed sleep. Kenadie finally went down around 11p.m. and slept until 3:45a.m. My alarm was set to go off at 4:15a.m. it worked out perfectly. I fed her and got ready for work and was ready to head out the door @ 5:15a.m. This was the time that I was trying to prepare myself for. The first time to leave my baby. I shed a couple of tears as I held her tight and hugged and kissed her. I handed her over to Erik and told her to be a good girl and enjoy having Daddy time today. It was hard, very hard, but I managed to keep quite calm. The best thing was knowing that she was safe in Daddy’s arms and that he would NEVER let anything happen to her under his care, so I was able to go to work knowing that she would be ok. Now, I just can’t wait for the 10 hour day to go by as fast as possible so I can see my Kenadie. The best thing is as I am typing this, Erik surprised me and brought Kenadie up here to see me. I have the best husband ever!

Slumber, it's not for parents anymore.

Hey folks, husband here with some tales for those who have yet to experience having a child.

When my wife was pregnant I started to feel some sleep deprivation. She was up frequently with runs to the bathroom, some food cravings, or feeling the aches and pains of carrying a child in her stomach. I would often wake, if only for a few seconds, then back into slumber I went. I would arise in the morning feeling less than well rested, but still useful to varying degrees.

Given all that went on with sleep in the third trimester I assumed that it would prepare me for the massive sleep deprivation that would ensue when having an infant in the home. I was never more wrong in my entire life.

Parents warned me about how I would never sleep after Kenadie was born, but I would shrug such doomsday predictions off, thinking I could handle it swimmingly. Arrogance got the better of me when the sudden realization that a full eight hours of sleep would be months, if not years, away.

The wife and I scrambled to find a solution to Kenadie not wanting to allow us some sleep. We tried everything from night time rituals, music, and various products with questionable evidence if they actually work. After about a month we came to the horrific realization that we were at the mercy of our infant, and she would sleep on her own schedule, and there's was little to nothing we could do about it.

People have attempted to give us advice on what to do when a baby decides to be a night owl, but I seriously wonder if they actually had any success, or if they were just trying to make us think they were the best parents since the Nelsons. It's humbling to think that you can't outsmart a person who has the memory span of maybe twenty four hours, but such is parenting.

My baby loves some attention, as some nights I can rock her gently to sleep pretty easily, but the second I put her down she's as wired as a meth addict and as cranky as Ted Nugent at a vegan restaurant. She's my daughter and I'm happy to give her any and all attention needed, but I sometimes wonder what this lack of sleep is doing to my brain. The moment when feeding time arises I wake up and break to the kitchen to make a bottle, but if my wife requests something else I forget half the time what it was she wanted by the time I exit the bedroom. I sometimes wonder if I'll end up leaving the house without pants if this continues.

"A man is not complete until he has seen the baby he has made." - Sammy Davis, Jr.

The most amazing day of our lives, husband edition, part 2

Hey folks, husband here with part 2 of chronicling the event of our daughters birth. I got to hold Kenadie in my arms for a bit, but as I looked over at the wife I could feel a twinge of jealousy from her. Not in any mean sense, but she was ready to have the baby in her arms after carrying her in her belly for nine months. I handed the baby to her and watched her enjoy her mom time.

After a bit I walked to the family waiting room and announced we had a healthy baby girl, wiping away the tears I had from earlier. Yes, me, the pinnacle of masculinity cried a bit as I watched my daughter enter the world. The family took note and came with me to the room to see their new relative for the first time.

The baby was passed around more times than a case of herpes in high school. Everyone got their infant fix and happiness filled the room. After much celebration the family decided to go home and get some much needed rest. The nurses took us to the nursing station and had Kelly press a button. The hospital PA echoed with a lullaby. They do that every time a baby is born.

We were escorted to our post-partum room and they took Kenadie to the nursery. Some time passed and I went to watch my daughter's first bath. The nurse opened my child's diaper, and before me I saw the messiest diaper in the history of Pampers. The nurse used what seemed like a hundred wipes, and I was about to recommend a pressure washer.

The way the nurse handled my infant was amazing as she didn't seem to be that gentle, but I had to remind myself that baby's bones are basically rubber and they're a resilient lot. I didn't punch the lady, but it still made my nerves rattle a bit.

After the bath the nurse stated she would swing by with the wee one when feeding time commenced. I made my way back to my room to see my wife sitting on the floor with the nurses yelling her name. She came to, but then collapsed again. The nurses gave her smelling salts and I panicked a bit. The fact that she was up for over 24 hours with no food exhausted her to the point of passing right out. She was fine though as the nurses helped her into her bed and she got some much needed rest.

I sat down in my recliner, fired up the computer, and gave the online world an update on the baby. Soon the nurse brought in Kenadie for a feeding, and after Kelly was done I decided to try my hand at changing a diaper. I've done it before, but when it's your own kid you try to be as thorough as possible, which resulted in my trying to use the force and hover her over the dirty diaper as I clean her. My jedi skills were lacking though.

I got to hold Kenadie in my arms for a bit and we sat down and watched "Annie" together, which was far more fun that it sounds. It was my first time really bonding with my child over casual activity, and I imagined myself taking her to plays and such and watching her light up over musical theatre.

The nurses then came and took her again and I tried to sleep, which was futile as two hours later we were awoke again for another feeding. This went on all day, as visitors came and went, food being delivered, and many runs to get crackers and soda for the wife ensued, all ensuring slumber was elusive.

The following day the wife and I were set to go home, away from the security of trained professionals and take full responsibility for the care of our child. I packed up the car and a nurse stated that they were worried about me as they noticed me walking around the hospital looking like death. Nothing says sleep deprivation as being in a hospital.

We load the baby into my wife's car and head home. We take her into the house and set her down and take a look at our little loved one. After a nice moment wore off the wife and I looked at each other and said "now what?"

"A father is always making his baby into a little woman. And when she is a woman he turns her back again." - Enid Bagnold