Sentimental Baby Gift

Remember when we gave away a precious VoiceQuilt™ Keepsake Box on VickyandJen.com? I never considered one as a sentimental baby shower gift until now, being pregnant and all. How beautiful would that be to welcome a little one into the world with sweet messages record by parents, siblings and other family members?

Using VoiceQuilt™, family and friends can easily capture their voice-based memories by calling in to a designated toll-free number and record a special message, song, story, tribute or dream for baby's future. Priceless! VoiceQuilt™ handcrafted keepsake boxes, CD's and other details can be seen at www.voicequilt.com.

Babymoon

Have you heard of a Babymoon? I sure hadn't ... until today.

A babymoon is a period of time that parents spend bonding with a recently-born baby. BUT ... more recently the term is used to describe a vacation taken by the couple that is expecting, to allow the couple to enjoy a final trip together before the many sleepless nights that usually accompany a newborn baby. Babymoons usually take place at a resort that offers spa-like services like prenatal massage.

I think it's a great idea! In a sense, we just took a "familymoon". It was our last big vacation, just Doug, Aidan and I, to California before the baby girl arrives. Since I will most like have a c-section, a scheduled birth date, I think we'll do a "home babymoon" the week before the big day clearing our calendar and enjoying some down time at home just the three of us. Even Aidan can call the shots, choosing his favorite activities, meals and movies that week. Maybe he can miss a day of school or so ...

Icky Mold!

It's no surprise that bathtub toys are prone to super amounts of icky mold that is harmful to children if digested. Here's an excellent way to clean tub toys, in a safe and environmentally-friendly way.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups apple cider vinegar (can substitute white vinegar if needed)
• .5L warm water (filtered is best)
• 2 foaming denture cleansing tablets

1

Mix vinegar and water in a plastic bucket.

2

Add toys. If they are not covered, add more vinegar and warm water.

3

Weight down floating toys if possible.

4

Soak toys overnight.

5

After toys have soaked, scrub with a bristle cleaning brush.

6

Rinse thoroughly with clean water.

7

If the vinegar soak does not remove all the mold, use another step.

8

Put the toys in another bucket, and cover with warm water.

9

Add denture tablets. Allow to soak overnight.

Source: wikihow.com

First Year Baby Food

I don't remember the timeline for introducing baby to food her first year. Thank goodness for a brochure I received at my last doctor visit!

Birth to 6 mos: breast milk and/or iron-fortified formula

6-7 mos: breast milk and/or iron-fortified formula, rice cereal, applesauce, strained and pureed bananas and pears

7-9 mos: breast milk and/or iron-fortified formula, teething biscuits, mashed potatoes and avocados, strained and pureed peaches, carrots and squash

9-12 mos: breast milk and/or iron-fortified formula, rice cakes, bite-size cheese cubes, soft tortillas, egg yolks, oatmeal, yogurt, tofu, noodles, peas, strained and pureed chicken

Ahhhh, it's all coming back to me!

Safe Sleep for Baby

One thing hasn't changed from my "baby days" eight years ago ... the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). It never hurts to be reminded ...

1. Always place baby on his back to sleep, for naps and at night.

2. Place baby on a firm sleep surface, such as on a safety-approved crib mattress, covered by a fitted sheet.

3. Keep soft objects, toys, and loose bedding out of your baby's sleep area. This includes: pillows, blankets, quilts, pillow-like crib bumpers and sheepskins.

4. Do not allow smoking around your baby.

5. Keep your baby's sleep area close to, but separate from, where you and others sleep.

6. Think about using a clean, dry, pacifier when placing the infant down to sleep, but don't force baby to take it.

7. Do not let your baby overheat during sleep. Dress him in light clothing and keep the room at a comfortable temperature.

8. Avoid products that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS because most have not been tested for effectiveness or safety.

9. Do not use home monitors to reduce the risk of SIDS.

10. Reduce the chance that flat spots will develop on your baby's head by providing a lot of "tummy time" when baby is awake and someone is supervising. Also avoid too much time in car seats, carriers and bouncers.

DO NOT's of Baby Food

I'm tellin' ya ... this old mom is very appreciative of these good reminders:

• Do not give sweeteners, such as honey and corn syrup to baby.

• Do not give foods that contain honey and corn syrup, including cereals and graham crackers. (They make contain spores that can cause infant botulism, a food poisoning that can lead to death.)

• Do not give baby sweetened drinks, soda, gelatin, sugar water or juice. The sugar in these drinks can cause serious tooth decay.

• Never force your baby to finish a bottle. Throw away any formula left in the bottle. Offer small portions of food.

• Never allow baby to fall asleep with a bottle in her mouth. This can cause "baby bottle tooth decay".

• Baby does not need dessert: pudding, custard, and cobbler. Offer fruit instead.

• Never prop a bottle. Be patient and attentive to your baby's needs, holding her close.

• Start one new food at a time. Wait about five days before giving the next new food to baby to detect possible allergic reactions.

• You may need to introduce the same food may different times before baby accepts it.

Happy Father's Day Expectant Dads

Dr. Hakakha and Dr. Brown are authors of the new book Expecting 411: Clear Answers & Smart Advice for Your Pregnancy, which is written with both expectant moms and dads in mind.

They say fathers-to-be go through changes that rarely get discussed, and offer these 7 tips especially for them:

• Mind your own baby bump. Are you eating for two right along with your wife? Newsflash: Your wife will lose a lot of her weight automatically when she has the baby--you won't! Studies show expectant fathers often gain extra pounds of "sympathy weight" during their wife's pregnancy.

• Take one for the team. Get your TdaP shot as well as seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccines to protect your precious cargo, who will soon be joining the family. Seventy percent of babies who get whooping cough are infected by immediate family members like you.

• Baby yourself. Have you even been to the doc lately? Studies show many men ages 25-45 don't even have a primary care physician. Go get a checkup. Find out how you're doing, healthwise. Your baby needs a healthy dad who will grow old and wise.

• Mind your moods. Research shows that partners are not only at risk for gaining sympathy weight, but may also suffer postpartum depression. Seek help if you feel overwhelming feelings of sadness, lack of desire to be around family and friends, severe fatigue, or trouble eating or sleeping after delivery.

• Prepare for a dry spell. Hate to say it, but there can't be intercourse 6 weeks after the baby is born. The good news? Barring any health issues, you and your wife can have sex up until the last day before she delivers. And, no, sex does not trigger labor--that's an old wives' tale.

• Engage in baby talk. We now know that babies recognize their parents' voices inside the womb. So go ahead--sing Hank Williams songs, recite your favorite poem, or just shoot the breeze with your unborn baby. When your baby is born, she or he will already know you.

• Dads can nest too. Expectant dads are allowed to nest too--and often feel an overwhelming need during their wife's pregnancy to rev up the power tools. Feel free to paint, spackle, drill, and build to your heart's content--but avoid toxic materials and fumes in the baby's room.

Baby's Mouth

Each month I go to my regular baby check-up, I am presented with more stuff to read - brochures, tip sheets and other educational materials. I read it. Although I've been there, done that, I'm certainly not a know-it-all and I'm open to learning new things. And I am.

When Aidan was little and he got his first few "toofers", we bought him "baby's first" toothbrush and toothpaste and we brushed. A recent pamphlet told me that I should have gotten to that a bit sooner, before he had teeth. Here's the scoop:

Cavities are caused by food and germs that are not cleaned off your baby's gums and teeth. Even your formula or breast milk, if not wiped off, can cause cavities to form.

Remove the Germs

Infants: Wipe your infant's gums (and any teeth) after feedings with a clean damp washcoth, gauze pad, or finger cot made just for infant gums.

12 Months and Older: Brush your baby's teeth and gums twice a day with a soft child-sized tooth brush using a "rice" size amount of paste. Make one of those brushing times before bedtime.

Stop the Spread of Germs to Baby

Don't: • clean a child's pacifier in your mouth • share spoons, forks, cups and toothbrushes • pre-chew your child's foods • taste your child's food or drink • clean your child's face with your salavia

Do: • rinse pacifiers and toothbrushes with clean water • replace toothbrushes after each illness or every three months • have your child see a dentist by their 1st birthday • visit the dentist twice a year

Smoke-Free Babes

At the dog park the other day, I was forced to find a new bench to sit on away from a smoker. Sure it was outside, at a very large park, but I wasn't going to put myself or my unborn baby anywhere near it. Moving away from smoke is obvious, but did you know you could protect your little ones further by implementing the following steps? Two of these surprised me so I'll list those first:

• Ask smokers to wash their hands and brush their teeth before holding baby.

• Also, ask smokers to change into a clean shirt before holding baby.

• Don't allow anyone to smoke in your car or home, even at a party.

• Teach your children how to avoid secondhand smoke all by themselves and talk to them about the dangers.

• Support local restaurants and other businesses that have a smoke-free policy.

Secondhand smoke contains more than 50 cancer-causing chemicals and kills approximately 3,400 nonsmokers in the U.S. each year from lung cancer? Because their young bodies are always developing, young children are especially vulnerable to these poisons. For more information on keeping your family healthy, visit www.cdc.gov/tobacco.

Diaper Winners!

Congratulations to these 5 mamas for winning free Pampers Diapers - the new ones with innovative Dry Max - PLUS a trendy black "diaper clutch" to tote them around in! We asked participants of the give-a-way to share their favorite new product that has made baby life easier and thought it would be fun to share the ideas of the winners! I hope you find them as helpful as I did!

The thing that I am using A LOT with my almost-2 year old cutie is the Graco Mosaic Stroller . I searched the web high and low for this bad boy because it came highly recommended by 2 sister-in-laws. It did NOT disappoint! It fits with the Graco snug-ride infant seats and the BEST thing about it is that it collapses like an umbrella stroller but is padded and comfy and reclines and has a basket like the "cruiser" type strollers. Mine is a sassy red and black. Congrats to Vicky and I LOVE your podcasts! - Hillary H., Eagle Mountain UT

The greatest thing I’ve seen, since there was 10 yrs. between my kids too, is the fact that there are so many more choices and things have gone more natural. Cloth diapers are so much more compact and absorbent, and diaper bags are like purses now. You don’t have to carry both, you can just use the diaper bag for both! - Vickie C., Etowah,TN

Congratulations!! We love Nuby sippy cups. They are affordable, don’t spill, have covers (to keep spout clean – not for spillage) and are dishwasher safe! This was truly one of the few things we bought new and they were at our local Family Dollar store for less than $4 each. What a great bargain!! Honestly, the biggest lifesavers for us are hand-me-downs, freecycle.org, good-will, garage sales, and the free section on Craig’s List. Baby stuff is so expensive and we use it for such a short time. It’s great to be able to get some more use out of a gently used item like a bassinet or a snowsuit than to have to pay full price and then barely get any use out of it. Not to mention how much gentler on the environment it is to reuse and recycle!! Much happiness and good health - Debbie W., Chicago, IL

I just had another baby, so here are the new things that I like... JJ Cole Diaper Caddy (to hold diapers/wipes on another floor of the house); New Breastflow bottles from The First Years (also - a good pump is a must); I also use my nursing cover often -- so get one you love! :); Super cute crocheted beanies on Esty.com -- got one for our little girl's 6 wk. pictures (but they have boy stuff, too if you have a boy)! - Becky K., Robbinsdale, MN

You can make your own Moby Wrap (baby carrier) by buying 5 yards of t-shirt fabric from your local craft store and cutting it down the middle to make two 5-yd wraps (one to wear, one to wash!). Not only do you have more variety of fabric choices, but you get two wraps for about $15 rather than spending $40 a pop. Use the Moby Wrap instructions from their website to learn how to do all the different baby holds using your fabric. - Kelsey J., Bryan, TX