Pages

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Hospital blues



Last Wednesday as I picked Maddox up from daycare I noticed he was running a fever. At that point we can't take him back to daycare for 24 hours. Of course, this threw schedules into disarray. I was scheduled on two live events at work on Thursday and Sacha had meetings back to back all day. I scrambled to get my work covered and planned to stay home on Thursday. The fever got increasingly worse through out Wednesday evening and in the morning it had hit 102 and Maddox was miserable. After giving him Tylenol and calling the doctor's we just thought it was a bad cold and kept trying to bring the fever down with baths, cold wash clothes and more Tylenol. After his nap his eyes were completely crusted over and he was screaming. We had already had an appointment for the doctors on Friday since a couple weeks early he was treated for and ear infection. I called the advice nurse again and she thought it was OK to wait for that appointment and just keep an eye on him.

By Friday morning he seemed better, but when 11am hit the fever came back with a vengeance. He was back to being miserable. We took him to the doctors on Friday afternoon and everything went down hill from there. After a chest x-ray the doc determined it was Pneumonia. Poor little guy. Off to the hospital we go. The next 24 hours was filled with IVs, oxygen, breathing treatments, vitals checks and plenty of doctors and nurses poking and prodding. He was just a wreck. It's so weird to see your baby go through something like this. They have no idea what's happening.

I do have to say that Maddox was awesome. Even when his fever hit 104 at one point, he made it through. We thought (hoped) we'd be sent home on Monday, but they kept us until Tuesday. One part of me was exasperated that we needed to spend yet another night in the hospital, but then knowing that as long as they want to check on Maddox the better he will be. Especially since we leave for Sydney in 4 days, which by the way was another scramble since we had to cancel our original flight and postpone a few days.

To add to the mix, we flew my mother out from Detroit to spend the week with us and help us care for Maddox as we went back to work and school. I'm exhausted. It's amazing what 4 days in a hospital with a sick child can do to your state of mind.

The good news is he is almost 100% back to being our happy, giggly, little boy.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

In the Motherhood premiers tonight

I'm quite intrigued about the new sitcom airing tonight called "In the Motherhood" starring Megan Mullally and Cheryl Hines on ABC. I never watched the web series that the show is based on, but I've read a couple articles and the fact that they are taking stories from real moms and incorporating them into the show is a fantastic idea. It's getting some mixed reviews from critics, but I have my DVR set and ready. Will give you my thoughts after I watch.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Oh the smell

Our daycare has started enlisting parents to help with laundry duty. Each week a parent needs to take home about a load of laundry to do over the weekend. This past weekend was our turn. I dutifully picked up the white garbage bag full of assorted sheets, bibs and shirts, stuck it in the trunk of the car and promptly forgot about it. That's where the trouble began.

The next morning, bright eyed and ready for a Saturday morning brunch at our favorite breakfast spot, Sacha gets Maddox and goes to the car. He opens the door and the smell that burst out was over-powering. Imagine: a week's worth of dirty laundry from 20 toddlers. Everything from poop, spit, food, throw up and snot was cooking overnight in the trunk of our car. I hear a growl come from Sacha as he almost passes out. All along Maddox is just happily strapped in his car seat like nothing is happening. Sacha quickly grabs the bag from the trunk and runs back up to the house to throw it in the wash. At this point I go to the car armed with Glade air freshener and spray the inside of the car and trunk. The Tropical Essence is not conquering the smell. Sacha returns to the car and tells me he dry heaved into the sink as he was emptying the bag of wretched laundry into the washer. Luckily he hadn't eaten yet or if would have been his breakfast. As we drove to the restaurant we had the windows open, I continued to spray air freshener, but the smell would not go away. After breakfast we went to Walgreens to buy some of those little hanging car fresheners which only made the car smell like vomit with a hint of ocean breeze. I think it took about two full days for the smell to actually go away.

So the lesson learned? Don't leave dirty laundry in the trunk of your car. EVER!

Speaking of hump day...

We've been at the potty training thing for about 4 weeks now. Maddox is at the point where he will go on the potty when we put him on the potty, but will still go in his pull-ups if he has them on. We have him bare bottomed most of the time while we're home and his day care has him sitting on the potty 5 times a day. He still has the occasional accident on the floor. Not sure how to get over the hump. I don't want to force him, yet we need to have him 100% potty trained by May 4th. (day care rules) It's not going to help that we will be on vacation for 2 weeks.

Any suggestions on how to get to the next step? Should I eliminate diapers/pull-ups all together? Carry the potty with me everywhere?

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Vacation countdown has begun

We leave for Australia in two weeks. We are bubbling over with excitement. It's been quite a while since we took a big vacation. We typically go somewhere international once a year and then take many mini trips through out, but with me getting laid off last year and my husband taking on a new job, we just sort of bunkered down for the past 12 months. We did take a trip to Tahoe twice and a few overnights but that's it. This trip is much needed. And we are visiting family which makes it even more special.

Now the packing and planning begins. I tend to start thinking things through, as far as packing for a long trip, a couple weeks ahead. Just in case I need to make any purchases beforehand. I check weather reports, dig out my toiletries containers, think about the plane ride. Maddox has been on one long-haul flight and numerous smaller flights, but since we haven't traveled much lately it's been about a year since his last flight. Now that he's a full blown toddler, there's definitely some pre-planning involved. I bought a sticker book (700 stickers!!), have some snacks planned and am borrowing a DVD player. Our flight out is a red-eye, so I'm crossing my fingers that he will drop out at some point during the 13 hours in the air.

Other than the dvd player, the activities, snacks...any prep suggestions you have, please send them along.

As far as the actual vacation, we will be staying with my sister-in-law and her family at their beach house in Sydney. My mother-in-law is also joining us from South Africa. So it will be a great family reunion. There's a Hot Air Balloon ride planned, the Sydney Opera House, an excursion to wine country and to another place called Kangaroo Valley. Can't frickin' wait!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Baby Boom!





Babies, babies, babies. Everyone is having a baby! And it's confirmed.

More babies were born in the US in 2007 than any year in the nation's history, topping the peak during the baby boom 50 years earlier.

Of course, the report also goes on to say that it's just a little tremor and that the economic landscape of late is going to bring the numbers back down. But I still find it worth mentioning that babies are abundant in the USA.

Click for the full story.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Overheard in San Francisco

Everyday someone says something either stupid, weird or just down right offensive. I decided to start keeping a list. Being that I take public transportation and I'm also in school I hear a lot of crazy stuff. Here's a couple to chew on:

In Class:
Girl sitting behind me: *hack* *hack* *cough* *cough*
(goes on for about 10 minutes)
Me: Would you like a cough drop?
Girl: I don't believe in suppressing coughs.


On Bus:
Girl on cell phone: Man, he was all over my shit. He started rubbing on me and wanted more, but we just cuddled. I told him (her boyfriend) that nothing happened and we just cuddled and he got all mad...
(This goes on the whole length of my bus ride= 20 minutes)

More to come I'm sure!

Saturday, March 14, 2009

I can't take all these scare tactics!

Ok. Just this week I learned the baby bottles AND the baby shampoo I've been using can cause cancer. I mean, really? What's going on? Every other day I'm reading that something I'm doing is wrong for the health and safety of my child. I don't know where to turn. So, yes... I can stop using the plastic bottles and stop using Johnson's Baby Soap. I get that. But I've already been using these things for 2 years. Has the damage already been done?

If you haven't heard, a recent study is saying that many children's bath products contain chemicals that may cause cancer and skin allergies.

From momlogic.com:

According to the study, which was released earlier this week by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, 23 of 28 products tested contained formaldehyde. For those of you only familiar with formaldehyde as an embalming agent, it's considered a probable carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency and is released as preservatives break down over time in a container.

32 of 48 products contained 1,4-dioxane, also considered a probable human carcinogen by the EPA, which is a byproduct of a chemical processing techniques used to make petroleum-based ingredients gentler to the skin. Nearly two-thirds of products tested, including Johnson's Baby Shampoo, contained both chemicals, according to a coalition of environmental and health groups that includes the Breast Cancer Fund and the Environmental Working Group.

A spokeswoman for Johnson & Johnson says the company's products are safe, meeting or exceeding all regulations. And a spokesman for the Personal Care Products Council says the study's results are old news.

Apparently, manufacturers have known for years that bubble bath, shampoo and other products contain small amounts of formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, and have already reduced theses levels significantly, says John Bailey, the council's chief scientist.

A new study from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found that many baby bath products contain formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, which are both linked to cancer and skin allergies. The campaign notes that products with formaldehyde levels over 500 parts per million require warning labels in Europe, although not in the USA.


I just bought a new bottle of Johnson's soap... Can I get a refund?

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Slick in San Francisco!

theslickmom.com was mentioned in an article by Laure Latham Guyot in regards to Blogs for Families in the Bay Area. Hoorah!

Check out the full article here:

SFKids.org

Thanks Laure!

And welcome to anyone new to my blog.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Muppets are the New Fur



PETA! Where are you with your red paint?

The fashion at Jean-Charles de Castelbajac's fashion show in Paris this week consisted of heads and hides of our beloved Muppet friends. Is this a fashion trend about to spark?


Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Finally...Baby Bottle Makers Ban BPA

from Momlogic:

Top bottle makers say they'll ban the harmful chemical BPA in their baby bottles.

Hallelujah! The top six baby bottle makers have said that they will stop using the potentially harmful chemical BPA in their baby products. For the record, those companies are Avent, Disney First Years, Gerber, Dr. Brown, Playtex, and Evenflo.

In the first large scale study of BPA in humans back in September, a team of researchers found exposure to bisphenol A or BPA was associated with cardiovascular disease, type two diabetes and liver enzyme abnormalities in adults.

However, right after that study came out, the FDA defended its assessment that BPA is safe. ''Right now, our tentative conclusion is that it's safe, so we're not recommending any change in habits,'' said Laura Tarantino, head of the FDA's Office of Food Additive Safety.

Momlogic pediatrician Dr. Cara Natterson says, "We don't know the long-term health consequences or the significance of a given amount of BPA. But studies have shown that exposure to high levels of BPA does cause increased risk of uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and breast cancer; it lowers sperm count; and it increases the risk of prostate cancer. Bottom line: BPA is the focus of much attention these days and, based upon the data, should be avoided when possible."

This article scares me a bit since I used Avent bottles with Maddox. I knew about BPA but since it was still in research phase, I still went with Avent.

Did you switch to a BPA-free bottle?

Monday, March 9, 2009

National Napping Day and I missed it

It's 9:34pm on Monday night and I just now found out that today was/is National Napping Day. What?! Um, where's my card?

I'm not sure what adult actually has time to nap on Monday. Why don't they make it a Sunday or Saturday. As for me, Monday's are packed with work, school, and baby duty.

Nap...ha!

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Strollers may make your baby dumb!

OK, that title may be a little harsh, but a new study has emerged regarding Front-facing strollers. Take a read:

From The Mommy Files:

Here's yet another thing for you to worry about. Researchers from Dundee University in Scotland found that time spent in a 21st-century stroller can be emotionally isolating for a baby.


A new study suggests that forward-facing strollers might not be better for the mental health of babies.
The study suggests that old-fashioned buggies, which allow babies to lie down and look up at their parent, give babies the best start in life, while front-facing strollers discourage parents from talking to their little ones. What's more, children in front-facing strollers are significantly less likely to talk and laugh because they're deprived of parent interaction. A recent wave of hi-tech, adaptable, parent-facing buggies--such as the Bugaboo Cameleon--can help, but they are pricey, the researchers say.

"Our data suggests that for many babies today, life in a buggy is emotionally impoverished and possibly stressful," said the study's author, Suzanne Zeedyk of Dundee University's school of psychology.

The New York Times ran an Op-Ed piece by Zeedyk last Sunday:

Of course, infants do not spend all their time in strollers, but anecdotal evidence suggests that babies can easily spend a couple of hours a day in them. And research tells us that children's vocabulary development is governed almost entirely by the daily conversations parents have with them. When a stroller pusher can't easily see the things that attract a baby's attention, valuable opportunities for interaction can be missed.

Ours was a preliminary study, intended to raise questions rather than to provide answers. It is now clear that future research on the effects of stroller design would be worthwhile.


More worry for parents and a money-making idea for backwards facing stroller manufacturers.

What do you think? Do we really need to worry about this latest stab?

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Birth Videos up for sale


Man, Octomom gets a lot of press. I think every other day there's a new story about Nayda Suleman and her baseball team. Today a rumor has it that she may sell the birth tape for 7 figures. Who wants to see that?

It brings me back to the prenatal class I took while I was pregnant. Sacha and I attended this class to learn a little about what was going to happen to me during the labor process. Even though I had already signed up for heavy drugs, you never know if you'll be able to get the meds in time. The most shocking part of the class was the labor videos they showed. Now, I know birth is a natural process, (ugh) and of course I've seen people give birth in the movies and on TV lots of times, but for some reason these videos were different. First, the women they filmed were each majorly overweight, and not from baby weight. One woman was definitely obese. Second, the birthing process is not pretty. No matter what you look like, you're not looking like Katherine Heigl during labor. When stars like Heigl give birth in the movies you almost don't mind the crotch shot. But when a woman that's nearing 300 lbs is moaning and sweating and grunting her way through actual labor, I just don't want to watch. We were pretty scarred that day. Not sure Sacha will ever recover.

Point... keep the birth tape to yourself, Nadya. You've exploited yourself and your children too much already. The therapy bills these kids will rack-up will keep America paying for a long time to come.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Target Demo: Blonde Mothers!



If you didn't know, Jimmy Fallon debuted last night in his Late Night seat. One of the opening skits was focused on his target demographic... Blonde Mothers!!! I thought the skit was chuckle inducing. Well, at least the part about being two chardonnay's away from ruining your wedding.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

IKEA, the wonder store

Where else can you shop for a foot stool, a bed spread and a whole new kitchen, plus eat the best Swedish Meatballs this side of Stockholm in one afternoon?

I love IKEA. We have plenty of items from IKEA at our place and I can always have more. The price it right and in this economy, the place was busy. Now they even sell Kenmoore appliances.

Today we made it out pretty low on the buying side. Just a foot stool, some trivets, plastic cups, and few other tidbits. But the whole reason we hopped over the bridge was for the meatballs. And they were darn tasty.