Happy 2008!

Happy New Year! Like many other new parents, the Mommish is sitting on the couch watching Ryan GaycrestSeacrest and Dick Clark while the Hubbish and the Babish have long sinced checked out and bid adieu to 2007. And you know what, I'm loving every moment of it! Finally, I don't have to get dolled up, spend an exorbitant sum on an all-you-can-eat-and-drink fiasco (where I usually find nothing which I would normally choose to eat or drink) or deal with drunk revelers or a lack of transportation (public or otherwise) in my beloved northern (read: freeze your butt off) metropolis. And the best part - knowing that the reason that I chose to be home on this New Year's Eve is because 2007 was the greatest year of my life - it was the year in which I became Mommy!

So as we ring out 2007, I thought I'd post a link to the year's most popular baby names.

My son's first and middle names didn't make the top-10 - but I guessthink that was our goal - at least he's in the top 50. My name has NEVER been anywhere near the top 100, so I wanted him to have a somewhat common name. But, I also wanted him to be the only kid in his class with that name (isn't that what every Gen X parent wants?).

And for the preggos out there who still haven't picked a name (or anyone else bored with the TV on this fine New Year's Eve), some of my favorite baby name sites include the Baby Name Wizard (which now has a blog with name trend predictions), the Baby Name Inventor, and of course Babycenter.com, where its message boards allow people to post polls of their final name choices to get a popular vote opinion. Good Luck!

Just don't forget to also check those initials. [This is coming from a woman married to one B.S.]

It's Not Easy Being Green

Ok, Ok, I know you've all been bombarded with all the news about all of the toxic chemicals out there that are slowly killing our precious babes. And if you are like me, on the other side, you have the grandmas, the plastics industry and other well meaning friends of another generation pointing out how we all survived, so we must be over-reacting by spending our hard earned money on organic this and that.

Well, between worrying about the pesticides in our food; the PVC, phthalates and bispenol-a in our plastic... there doesn't leave much time to worry about all of the harmful chemicals in our beauty products, right?

When I first fell pregnant, I read an article in Fit Pregnancy about Parabens and Phthalates - two compounds in many U.S. beauty products (but banned in the E.U.). The article linked these two compounds to reproductive problems and in particular, pointed to a study where the results revealed that exposure to high levels could result in smaller male genitalia in a pregnant woman's offspring. Now, who knows how much exposure we really have through our shampoos and moistures, BUT, knowing that if I had a son, only 8 days into his life he already was going to have a "coming off party" (read: Bris), I decided that I needed to give him every other chance possible in that department.

Unfortunately, it's very tricky to find out whether or not products contain phthalates and parabens, as most cosmetic or beauty products simply contain the words "fragrance." But I came across a very helpful website that allows you to search cosmetic and beauty products (for adults and babes alike) for numerous potentially harmful chemicals. It's called the Cosmetic Safety Database - and if, like the Mommish, having a baby makes you want to not only reduce your post c-section tummy bulge, but also your family's chemical exposure - it's a must check!

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

Boon or Bust

Ever since I started thinking about a baby registry, I was intrigued by Boon, Inc. Back then (all of a year and a half ago), the company really only had four items in its line - all related to the bath or bathroom. I had to have the Frog Pod, a cute frog shaped container for all of those fun toys that make bath time a wee bit easier for mom and dad.

So a few months ago when Boon came out with a high chair and some other feeding accessories, my curiosity was piqued again. I already had my high chair [and truth be told, I have to agree with the Hubbish's assessment of the Boon Flare and it's twins in uber-modern fashion and uber-expensive price tags, the Bloom Fresco highchair and the Fluerville Calla high chair - he calls them all affectionately and indescriminately the Nuni/Nooni chair - because he thinks they look like they belong in that Saturday Night Live skit] but some of the Boon feeding accessories looked so cool and innovative.

On vacation in Florida, I came across a few of the items at the local BRU. I decided upon the Fluid no-spill toddler cup [my bisphenol-a free search for sippy cups aside, this looked so cool and hey, the baby's water won't be heated in this, right? And it's a cloudy opaque plastic -so probablymaybe Ok?] and the Snack Ball - a neat ball shaped travel container for small treats.

We have been having so much fun with the snack ball. While it doesn't have the no-spill top of the Snack Trap, it has become one of my son's favorite toys. It also has a small enough top so that all of the Cheerios/Puffs/etc. don't come pouring out at once (that hasn't stopped the Babish from grabbing a handful though - but he likes his food, what can I say). And, unlike the Snack Trap, it takes a little longer for your Cheerios to go from fresh to stale in this container (again - type-B mommy shows her true colors, b/c I let the kid have the stale ones, and yes, I also eat the stale ones). It's also smaller than the pre-packaged travel containers or puffs and Cheerios, so easier on the diaper bag (and I can control portions and be sure the precious one doesn't ruin his appetite on a snack).

But alas, Boon did not get straight As on its report card from the Mommish. I have to give the Fluid cup a big thumbs down. A) the spout is just not vertical enough to give a baby something to really suck on (or teeth on) like the tall spout of almost every other sippy cup (and my son's beloved Born Free sippy cup has a very un-vertically challenged spout that is also a wonderful teether) and b) the kid just isn't a fan of the handles. It's a bust! So, maybe I'll try to fill it with hard small pasta and make a rattle or something... shaky, shaky...

You Broke it, You Buy It...

I always knew that with little boys you are always one sticky finger away from danger... I just never figured this would happen before my son's first birthday. A few days ago I found myself in a snowstorm in Chicago with my son sans stroller, baby food, toys or car (and car seat for that matter - thanks to grandma for getting lost on your way to pick us up from music class). I thought it would be a good idea to seek shelter in a local coffee shop. Big mistake. I had heard about some non-baby-friendly locales in my fair city - but I never realized how un-friendly some shopkeepers can be to moms with tots in tow (and this store was M-T, you'd think they would appreciate their single customer). So there I am trying to entertain myself and my son. I figure buying us some drinks would speed up our wait time. But as soon as I lifted junior near the counter he decided he wanted to touch, feel and explore the coffee samples. I tried to shift him to the other side of the counter and, of course, right as I'm trying to take the money out of my wallet, my son decided to test the laws of gravity (we have the next Isaac Newton on our hands). Before I can even turn my head I here a big crash - Z managed to knock over a glass canister filled with biscotti. Glass shards and biscotti littered the floor. Of course, the coffee shop owner came out fuming. I tried to explain that my son was only 9 months old and didn't yet understand gravity - but the store owner was already calling the Container Store to get the price on the canister. When he tried to make the Momish pay more than she knew was full-price, don't worry, I successfully managed to find said canister on the store's website on the crackberry, and juggle a coffee and a baby in a snowsuit! I would love to be witty or funny - but the whole experience made me so mad that someone could be so mean when the whole thing was an accident and I wasn't trying to shirk responsibility or anything.

$2.00 decaf Cafe au lait. $8.99 broken canister. $5.00 fifteen chocolate biscotti. Realizing your son is now a toddler and that even if boys will be boys, he needs to be protected from those people who can - gasp - be mean to babies (...and re-learning voo-doo).

Priceless.

And if you are ever on Broadway just north of Belmont - please boycott the small Greek coffee shop on the west side of the street just north of the intersection.

Jewel of the Momma

What girl doesn't love her jewelry? Unfortunately, as soon as you become a mommy, you realize that your precious one's little digits will be all over your jewelry. I quickly realized that unless I wanted my son to yank off my antique diamond necklace from my grandmother, it better go back in the jewelry box for the next year.

So what's a fashionable mom to do? Well I saw some nursing necklaces in stores. Loved the idea - a chain long enough to give the baby something to hold onto and play with while nursing [and if there are others out there who have babies who love to put their fingers up their mommy's nose, that makes the idea all the more appealing] - yet every style I came across screamed "I made this myself with some beads." Not for the girl who likes to try to feel urban and chic.

And then I came across Momma's Jewels at a maternity boutique on Michigan Avenue. Beautifully crafted sterling silver teething rings hanging from a long sturdy sterling chain. Not only is it something for my son to play with while nursing, but the sterling silver stays cool and is the perfect teething ring. And the bonus, because the rings are on a chain, if you have a child who loves to test the laws of gravity - they can't with this "toy."

The line contains one ring, two ring and three ring designs. You can also pick your chain. I chose the two ring style with the sterling chain (mucho thanks to the hubbish for the great gift!) and I can't tell you how many complements I have gotten on it (especially from non-preggos and non-moms), and how much the little guy loves teething, banging and clanging with it. I ordered mine directly from their website. When I myself yanked and broke the first chain I was promptly sent a replacement - no questions asked. Great customer service! The replacement has held up beautifully. I have been trying to get a coupon code, but being new to the world of blogging... keep checking back for that.

http://www.mommasjewels.com/

[Ed. note: The company does not give coupon codes, but, if you mention my name when ordering by phone or in the comments, they are kind enough to offer free shipping!!]

It's all Greek to me.

It's been a stressful 3 weeks (between the fever, the cold, being dumped by our nanny and now it looks like the little guy is working through his top two teeth... all the while 3 of the 5 attorneys in my department have been at conferences and on vacation and my mother and her friends came to stay with us - mid-week - ... so needless to say, the stress has been ramped up). And as any mother knows, a stressed out mommy can make a stressed out baby. And as any nursing mother knows, a stressed out mommy can lead to a dip in the precious milk supply.

So what's a mom to do? There is always the pain of trying to pick up an extra pumping session (on top of the usual feedings). Mornings are usually best, because that's when most women's milk supply is highest. But if your mornings are anything like ours (on weekdays there is no way and on weekends we fight over who sleeps-in and who gets the little charge for an hour) it can be tough.

Scene: Master bedroom, big four-poster bed. 7:15 a.m (yes, we got past that early morning wake-up - the fever led to a nice new wake-up time of 6:45-7:30, even after day-light savings. Now we just need to kick the new midnight snack - but I'm convinced that's just the teething/cold right now). Saturday morning. Mommy, daddy and baby all lay peacefully, smiling and playing after baby just nursed for 20 minutes.

Daddy: If you change his diaper, I'll take the first hour shift.
Mommy: I hate to remind you, but we have a low milk stock in the freezer, so I need to go pump. You have no choice but to take the first shift and change his diaper.
Daddy: That's not fair. Pumping is like a break for you.
Mommy: Pumping is only a break when it happens at work and I don't have to take a conference call on mute.
Baby: dadadadadadada [Smart kid.]

End scene. Mommy dutifully takes baby down the hall to change his diaper [Martyr.]

So I figured there had to be something else I can try! And what does the Momish love to do? Research, research, research. Everything I consulted (pediatrician, my mom (she is mother to 6 AND a nurse) and the internet (great sites: http://www.kellymom.com/ and http://www.askdrsears.com/) kept coming back to a single galactagogue that women the world over swear by: Fenugreek. The herb is reported to increase a woman's milk supply within 3 days. You can go straight to the herb, take it in capsule form or you can buy it in tea form.

My Whole Foods had 3 varieties. I went with the Traditional Medicine's Organic Mother's Milk. It was the cheapest, organic and came in tea bag form and so I didn't need an infuser (key when I want to keep some in my office). The instructions say that you should drink 3 cups a day and you may see results in 3-5 days. I'm always a little weary of herbs because they are not FDA regulated, so I tried to find the negatives. One side effect that have I read about is that mother and baby's excretions (including sweat) can smell like maple syrup (fortunately we haven't had that -unless you factor in that baby smells like pancakes from his HealthyTimes Maple teething biscuits). Also, because of Daddy's nut allergy, I'm always super-sensitive to allergens and try to do anything to minimize my son's exposure. So I note that fenugreek is a legume. Anyone with a family history of peanut allergies may want to not try this at home. Since our allergy is not a legume allergy and baby has successful eaten peas and soybeans (tofu), I figured we might as well give it a try.

Let's cut to the chase. What happened with my research trial? Well, we have had great success. Maybe it's psychosomatic - but I definitely notice a difference. At peak nursing, during my 3 pumping sessions, I would pump 20-24 ounces. A couple times I even needed to cram a fifth bottle into my small pack. And I have had those days when not paying attention where I'll feel something wet and realize I've busted through the bottle (no pun intended). [I know... my cups overfloweth... my whole life I've cursed/hated/hided/been ashamed by my ample chest - but I now realize their true calling... just a few months ago I was researching a milk bank to donate to... but I digress]. Well... on peak stress day I pumped only 8 - yes 8 - ounces total during my work-day. After one day of the tea (only one cup) I was up to 12 ounces. After 2 days (again, only one cup) I was at 14 ounces. And on day 3, 16 ounces. The baby only takes about 15 - 16 ounces now that he's on 3 meals of solids, so this is fine by me. But then on Thursday, day 4, - I pumped 19 ounces. Bonus. I still have my freezer supply to build back up.... but at least I know that pretty soon I can go back to sleeping in at least one weekend day! (assuming I can trick/barter/beg the hubby to go along with it :)

It was good while it lasted.

I am currently sick to my stomach. Between my husband, my son, and I, in the past three weeks, we have had 3 colds, various viruses, multiple bouts of the big D, 3 flu shots, and the below-mentioned fever. Yet none of these things has compared with the wave of the nausea and overall yuckiness that has come over me in the last 3 hours.

And what has caused this feeling? No, I didn't eat any tainted meat. My nanny, my perfect homemade baby food nanny, my gives me tips about toy sales nanny, my leaves detailed journal entries about the color of Z's poops nanny, my finds free classes and story hours nanny, my does the whole family's laundry and the dishes nanny, my clips my sons nails nanny, my checks out books on sleep training from the library so she can read along nanny, is QUITTING!!! [Truth be told, while she was perfect in many ways, she never really gelled with us on a fashion sense. E.g., she asked if an adorable set of separates from babystyle was pajamas, and she also told me to heed the Lands End sale for outerwear for Z... Couldn't she tell by our vibe that my son would be in an Ugg snowsuit this winter? (I'm still trying to decide on which Ugg... a faux fleece purchased from the Basement (as in Filene's) vs. a down suit purchased from the Rack (as in the Nordstrom's). I gotta find some faults in her, right. Make myself feel better.]

Maybe I'm nauseous because of the shock. Carrie Bradshaw was dumped on a post-it note by Berger. I was dumped on formal stationary left on my dining room table. I didn't see it coming, but I would have at least loved the courtesy of a face to face conversation. I don't see the nanny in the evenings - hubby gets home at 4, she leaves at 5 and the Mommish is home by 5:45/6. So she took the cowardly way out and decided to leave the note when she wouldn't have to see me and we'd have the long weekend (I'm off on Fridays sans nanny) to let the dust settle. But hello - I was home with her all day yesterday (work from home on Wednesdays)... so would it really have been too difficult to tell me to my face? Maybe she didn't want to disturb me while I was working and I should be appreciative I had such a conscientious nanny. [If I can take a break from work to play peek-a-boo and another break to get my eyebrows waxed, I think I can take a break so you can quit in person?] Maybe in this age of texting and IMing, she thought this was more professional (i.e. a Gen Yer who writes thank you notes and formal letters of resignation - see, the whole generation isn't screwed up)? Who knows.

Maybe I'm queasy because I should have known better. You see, she is of the "college-educated nanny" breed. And she went to a good college too. Which begs the question - doesn't she want to do something else as a "long-term" career? So when all of our friends would say, "surely she has other career ambitions besides being a nanny," I just replied what I had been duped into believing just 3 and a half months ago at our interview. Yes, she does want to go back to grad school, but she assured us that she could give us a year and she just loves kids. And in the back of my mind I was thinking, well in a year (or sooner) we'll probably move to the suburbs and who knows if she wants to come with us, so the timing could be great. But you can imagine my surprise when she has decided that she wants to start classes in two months and has decided that she wants to focus solely on school right now. I guess I can't say that I didn't see it coming -- but, I can say that I didn't see it coming only two and a half months after she started working for us (and this was after we accomodated her by making due with generous relatives' help for a month before she could start with us).

But I think what is really making my stomach do flip-flops is ego. You see, I always thought I'd be the dumper... not the dumpee. Yet I was basically told today, "it's not you, it's me." When you are told this, as the dumpee, all of these insecurities start flooding your brain. Were we too messy for her? Did she get annoyed that I asked her to hold my son through his naps this week (survival mode is still technically going on - give me a break - the poor kid is so stuffed he can't breathe!)? Was I not talkative enough in the mornings? Were we not cool enough, PC enough, not pretty enough? But then I realize - for a nanny - she had a pretty sweet gig. If I haven't mentioned it - our son is an easy happy-go-lucky baby. Smiles, laughs, goes along with anything (not to mention a genius). We also gave her free reign of our fridge and pantry. We were flexible with switching an hour or two here or there for the family she works for on Fridays. And the kicker? We even paid her above market! Heck, we were such a good catch - she was lucky that we hired her! Well, perhaps it was the classic relationship killer - the preemptive strike. Could she sense that we might be moving to the burbs and she just had to dump us before we got a chance to dump her (which, for the record, we would have offered to pay her mileage, but we would have understood if she didn't want to drive)?

So I'm kind of pissed and bitter. I have 25 days to figure something out. Maybe the timing will work out and we can make that move to the burbs and have family help in the interim. Maybe I should just quit and this is the impetus I've been waiting for? Yet, while my husband just had the nerve to say, "it was good while it lasted" and "now we have a weekend sitter who knows Z's sleep routine"... All I can think of is that every time they say, "let's just be friends," the friendship really never works...

I need to go lie down. Or throw up.

Survival Mode

For the past week, our family has been in "survival mode," due to the mercury peaking at 103+ upon taking our little guy's temperature. And even after he finally broke his fever, he had a not so fun rash and was just all around cranky and irritable, which is also not so fun. And mommy and daddy were both a little under the weather - so we had an all around not so fun household!

Survival mode pretty much reminds you of those first few weeks home from the hospital (but without the excitement and rush of adrenaline or the maternity/paternity leave). And even though he was waking up at 5:30 before [and of course, the night before his fever hit - he did 7:50 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. -- straight -- while on vacation -- in a pack n' play!!!!], that's nothing compared to his waking up every 2 hours... But, when I asked our pediatrician what will happen once he's well again now that he's nursing all night long again like a newborn (but hello- he needs the fluids), I love that she just reminded me that we don't worry about training, habits, sleep, etc. when we are in "survival mode."

Thankfully we had the help of family and our nanny (who seriously took cared of us plus Z one day we were home from work) and you know what - we survived survival mode.

But I can't let survival mode pass without commenting on a couple of items in our medicine cabinet that are helpful and not so helpful.

First - the winner of the 2007 "Survival Mode" Award for Best Product:


The Medicator by Munchkin.







No, unfortunately, this is not a product for parents to ingest/imbibe when at their wits end while enduring an 8 month old with a bad virus (but if Kitty Dukakis or Britney Spears ever creates a cocktail - shouldn't it be called the Medicator?). It's a handy-dandy medicine dispenser shaped like a pacifier/bottle nipple. The ingenious design has two KEY benefits. 1) Your child doesn't need to choke down medicine from a dropper and b) you can double check your dosage on the markings and not just rely on the dropper (if we measure twice and cut once while doing carpentry - why only measure once when dealing with a delicate situation like giving an infant drugs!). The official word from the company is that it also helps medicine bypass the taste buds so there is less spitting up too.

And here's a bonus tip - we actually have had the Medicator since before Z was born. It was given to us in a gift basket that my sister won for us which also contained a bunch of other cool products by Munchkin (big score!). We've been very happy with everything. You can go to http://www.munchkin.com/ and sign up for all of their promotions and giveaways too!

And here's a second bonus tip. For those of you who are giving your child the Rotateq vaccine for the rotavirus - ours was an oral vaccine. Ironically - at Z's 2 month check-up the vaccine that caused the most distress was this oral vaccine because he just choked it down and spit it up. So at his 4 month check-up, we brought the Medicator with us and asked the nurses if he could take it from that. They obliged and we had a much happier camper all around. Now we bring it with us to the doctor's office every time we go - just in case he needs something.


And now, the winner of the 2007 "Survival Mode" Razzie for worst product:


Vicks Wearable Thermometer











The premise sounds good. Use a sticker to check your child's temperature. You can even use one sticker for up to 24 hours and periodically check the temp. But I don't know what was more uncomfortable for my son - our having to pin his arm down for 3 minutes to try and get an accurate read (too long) or the pain of peeling off the stocker at the end of the day (think band-aid on a poor little sick infant). And to top it off, the print is hard to read and the temp was not even accurate. All around dud in my book.

I'm kicking myself for not forking over the $30 for a nice digital ear thermometer that reads in less than 5 seconds (though proud of myself for getting the guts to finally take my son's temp "that way" all by myself)... maybe we'll invest in that before the next time we enter "survival mode" and I can report back than. Let's hope that won't be any time soon!

We all deserve a little pampering...

There are some fleeting thoughts that we have pre-baby relating to how we want to raise our kids, but no matter how sincere these thoughts are, they just aren't practical for our individual situations. My case in point - diapers. While pregnant, I got really into the idea of cloth diapers. The new models are so soft (they feel just like that baby blanket all the celebri-babies have) and surely it would be so good for the little bum, not to mention our landfills. But it's funny how quickly seeing a demonstration of a shower-head for your toilet can snap you back to reality (I hate cleaning my own toilet - now I'm supposed to clean a baby poop toilet, no thanks).

My older sisters and our friends with kids all recommended Pampers as the most comfy and least leaky of the disposables. So about 4 weeks before my due date, we went out and stocked up on Pampers Swaddlers. We have sinced progressed up to Pampers Baby-Dry. All the while, the Z man has had very limited diaper rash, leaks, spills and up-the-back explosions [for my pregnant friends -- you'll soon learn about these - Jenny McCarthy in Baby Laughs recommends you just keep a scissors handy to cut off the onesie and chuck it].

But still... I have always been so intrigued by more eco-friendly disposable diapers (i.e. the chlorine free, semi-biodegradable variety). So for the last month I have been doing some test-runs, thinking surely this will be even better for Z's little bum and I'll have some eco-cocktail conversation starter should I ever run into Leo DiCaprio or Al Gore. I have tried two "green" brands and you know what? I'm still devoted to my Pamps. Brand #1 swelled so much and got so bulky that Z's clothes didn't fit right and brand #2 got so stiff that Z started chafing -- AND he got a diaper rash. Back to square one.

So today my nanny asked me if we were ready to go back to Pampers full-time (I guess she has been ready for a little while now :). I said sure. She then proceeded to fill me in on a little secret club that-- believe it or not - I didn't know about! The Pampers Grow and Learn Program. Super-cool. All you have to do is register for free on-line, input codes from your bags of diapers, wipes, etc. and you earn points towards free toys and books. Plus, the Pampers website has a wealth of information on all things baby, tot and kid. Check it out at http://www.pampers.com/

I figure, if I'm going down the path of putting more chemicals near my precious son's arse, I might as well contribute to mass consumerism too by getting him even more toys!!

Pumpawumba

Last week I took my first business trip (and first overnight trip) without the little man :(. As worried as I was about Z being without his mommy overnight (he was fine), I was probably even more worried about the pumping situation - where would I pump, would I find time to pump enough, would I be able to store my milk, etc.?? So I took great precautions. I scheduled my flights so that I would not have to pump in a yucky airport restroom, I made sure my hotel had a microwave (for sanitizing parts) and a refrigerator for storing milk, I packed my hands-free nursing bra (hands-down the greatest pumping invention) and I even packed extra bags and bottles in case my cups decided to overfloweth on the days away (schyeah right...). I just tried to convince myself that at least I could maybe get a really good night sleep and I'd barely be gone a day and a half...

Of course, I forgot the #1 lesson I learned while we were trying to get pregnant -- you can't plan ANYTHING. So, as my [bad] luck would have it, a) both of my flights were delayed, necessitating airport pumping, b) the refrigerator in my hotel room was not working (and did I really want someone to come fix it at 1:00 am when I got to my room - alone - and having to wake up only 6 hours later - so much for that good night's sleep), and c) I forgot the battery adaptor to my pump - so now I would be limited to only pumping in places with a power outlet.

But in the words of one of my favorite movie heroines, "I once had to judge a tighty-whitey contest for Lambda Kappa Pi. Trust me, I can handle anything." If Elle Woods can get into Harvard Law, then I can salvage my pumping situation. And sometimes, because of our forgetfulness, it forces us to be more resourceful. Had I packed my battery pack, I probably would have relented to just pumping in an anonymous stall in the ladies room. However, sans battery pack, I needed to find a private place with an outlet at O'Hare. I tried sweet talking my way into the airline's club room but a) didn't feel like forking over $75 bucks and b) it was so late, the conference room floor was closed anyway. Wandering aimlessly around the airport I happened upon a family restroom... I took a peak inside and low and behold - there was a power outlet - Score! Ew. Gross. But, score! The good news was that the sink had a long counter, so I could sit on the counter (as opposed to a toilet without a lid) while pumping. And the other good news - Reagan Airport in DC also had a family restroom with a long counter top and a power outlet (and theirs was fancy schmancy with marble - dirty and unsanitary marble - but marble). Sure, I felt bad that I was preventing some family from using the special restroom for 20 minutes - but hey - desperate times call for desperate measures (at it was almost 10pm on a weeknight both nights - so how many families really travel at that time?). The other creative solution - I was so grossed out by pumping in an unsanitary place that on both trips I chucked my milk. Which was fine, b/c my refrigerator wasn't working anyway - and now I had just enough room in my cooler to bring back the other milk I pumped.

It makes me think of the words of that song by Chumbawumba. Yeah, that one that always gets stuck in your head (sorry)... "I get knocked down, but I get up again"... So the next time that you are alone with your pump in an airport restroom, know that you really aren't alone... you have sisters in solidarity (and being part of a familial group should qualify us for those family restrooms :).

Deceptively Jealous

I'll admit it, I've always been jealous of Jessica Seinfeld.


Exhibit A: that house in the Hamptons

Exhibit B: she started her own non-profit organization (http://www.babybuggy.org)

And, now she has to come up with a cook-book to make the rest of us feel guilty about what we feed the kids, called "Deceptively Delicious."

That being said, I've been trying to make a lot of home-made food for my son (read: I leave the nanny fresh organic fruits and veggies and I come home to frozen purees for my son) and it's deceptively easy. The premise of Jessica's cookbook - use those purees to sneak fruits and veggies into all of the other foods we cook and bake - genius.

Many friends have asked how I have the time to make baby food. I don't. But, it really is easy, and all it takes is the right tools and about 30 minutes a week. I like to know exactly what is going into my son's mouth so I only buy organic fruits and veggies (can you guess I'm a type-a attorney). I make the time on Sunday nights, or my nanny helps make some while Z sleeps (and see below... hopefully she will soon have even more time). But a great cookbook, a food-processor and some storage container is all it takes. You can even use the microwave to save time over a conventional oven (just don't microwave in plastic - but I'll save that for a later post :). And anyone who knows me knows that I get almost as much joy in life from a bargain as I do my family (I said almost)... so it's a great cost-saver over jarred or frozen organic baby food.

My tools: 1) The So-Easy Baby Food Cookbook (I did not buy the full kit, as I wanted individual freezer storage as opposed to freezer trays - but the kit would work well too) but the book lives up to its title; 2) A baby food processor (smoother than the blender);and 3) Baby Cubes - small containers that I can freeze the food in.

Oh, and back to that anal thing.. even though I use organic fruits and veggies I still like to wash everything in a good fruit and veggie wash :)

After freezing, the food thaws quickly - via microwave or in my diaper bag when I'm out and about. Simple. Easy. Fresh.

If you want any tips, recipes, or if you are in Chicago and are willing to pay me to make some extra food for you (haha) just post a comment.

Public Displays of Lactation

While I am all for nursing in public, some of us are a little less comfortable than others with being fully exposed in public. [Did you catch the tabloid shots of Maggie Gyllenhaal just whipping it out at brunch? While I'll give her a hearty, You Go Girl!, I'm just not that comfortable in public.](See: http://www.celebrity-babies.com/2007/05/maggie_gyllenha.html)

Fortunately, there are some wonderful inventions that can help modest mommies. And for the record, I've never gotten dirty looks, comments or negative feedback from nursing in public, and I've fed my son everywhere from Starbucks to an upscale mall on Michigan Avenue, many a restaurant and the airport (and take-off and landing for that matter)...

My solution - a nursing cover. My mother recommended blankets, but I found they just did not do the job. And I've bought nursing clothes, but I still feel a little awkward giving a 15 year old Starbucks clerk a peek at an intimate moment with my son. So what do I use: the bebe au lait nursing cover. What I like about it: I love the ingenious top wire device that allows eye contact with the baby (or giggle fits when your little pea is old enough to play peek-a-boo, only at that point he'll also be old enough to play "get this darn nursing cover off of me"...) and I dig that the inside corner has burp cloth material to catch any small bits of spit up. File this one in the I wish I'd thought of that drawer...

Big Babies Don't Cry

Having a child in the 95th percentile for height and weight has its pros and cons. On the upside, a) I now have more defined arms than when I was baby less and had time to actually work-out and b) surely our son is on the path to a college football scholarship (big 10 or Ivy, of course). One big negative - certain products are just not made for bigger babies and the poor guy outgrows everything long before he should.

So, because one of the reasons I started my blog was to pass along all of my insight and extensive research, I thought I'd share a couple of the items that work for the big[ger] set.

1. The Baby Seat - BebePod Plus

We (read: the little man) were given a Bumbo Seat as a gift. But the seat was blue, and ever the perfectionist, I decided to return the gift for a yellow or green seat to better match my decor. I went to a local baby boutique and was told that they no longer carry the Bumbo Seat, but chose to stock the Prince Lionheart BebePod and BebePod Plus. I asked what their reasoning was. The store clerk mentioned something about the leg openings being wider and the seat back being higher. They had me at wider and higher (and I seemed to tune everything else out). [And I finally stopped having visions of the baby's chunky pulkes getting stuck in the Bumbo seat and mommy trying to lift him out but the seat just won't come unattached]. I chose the BebePod Plus, which doubled as a feeding chair for us pre-highchair at 6 months with its clever tray. Another bonus of the BebePod Plus is that both the tray and pommel come off - so it's even easier to get big babies in and out of the seat. [Note: the pommel does not come off in the original version].



2. Convertible Car Seat - Britax Decathlon

There are two words that describe why this car seat won our big hearts (even if it blew our big budget) - adjustible crotchstrap. For a baby who outgrew his infant carrier prior to his half-birthday, we were only looking at those convertible car seats that could hold up to 65 lbs. But, even among the car seats that go up to 65 lbs., we knew that our vertically blessed baby boy was far less likely to outgrow the carseat with a 3 position crotchstrap (and we knew that daddy was willing to pay top dollar if mommy could sell it to him as protecting the family jewels). We chose the Sahara fabric figuring the lighter color was less likely to get hot in a parked car during the summer. We purchased it on-line, pattern unseen, so we lucked out when it arrived and the fabric was a supersoft plush microfiber.

Total Recall!

Yesterday, as I was waiting in line at a big toy store to make a purchase using a voucher we received as consideration for a recalled swing, I was wondering which of the many plastic items I was purchasing with said voucher would ultimately be recalled due to lead paint, or magnets, or small pieces, etc. (and what then would I spend the future vouchers on, as I had already poured through the catalog of toys from this manufacturer and everything is fair game for a recall). It can drive a normally sane (unless you ask my hubby) woman nuts!

My son is just shy of eight months. To date we have been affected by 4 recalls: 1) a travel swing (for which we received said voucher) that was dangerous and could trap a baby's arm; 2) a bouncy seat that was recalled due to a design re-do for a stronger base (by the time we got the new base, our big boy had surpassed the weight max, natch); 3) a convertible car seat that was recalled due to a faulty strap loosener (which also had a fix by adding new parts); and 4) lead paint in toys (fortunately the toy was a train that was above my child's age group, so we only let him watch it from afar so he never stuck anything near his mouth).

As a diligent parent, I'm all for toy and gear manufacturers taking initiative and making their products safer.... I just don't understand why it can't be done BEFORE my son has been using the item?

Fortunately for us, at the moment our son's favorite toys are: mixing bowls, cardboard boxes, cell-phones, remote controls (he's all about the gray and the black) and eyeglasses... So even though we may have to worry about carcinogens and small screws falling out, at least right now I don't have to be as diligent about checking the recall lists.

The sleep train has left the station...

Ferber. Weissbluth. Pantley. The Sleep Lady. Grandma[s]. The neighbor in unit 2 with a precocious four-year-old. What do all of these people have in common? They all profess to be experts in the fine art of "sleep-training." And, with the exception of the latter two, I have read books by all of them devoted entirely to sleep (not to mention a few others on the topic as well...).

And before I indulge you with my story, can we pause for a moment and reflect on the term "sleep training." Sleep. Training. Discuss amongst yourselves. I've always thought sleep was good. But I've always thought training is hard. Training to me seemed like it should be reserved for Olympic athletes, or puppies, or marathon runners. Although we have already been through toilet-training in my household (i.e. I was successfully able to train my husband to put the toilet seat down), it always seemed somewhat ironic that our babies are so adept at sleeping we may have to wake them up in the first weeks of life to eat, yet before they are one year old we are to whip them into shape with some "training." But I digress... [ed. note: perhaps you now see where I got "Stream of Momishness" from?]

So, looking back (a whole two months), my husband and I were pretty spoiled for the first six months of the little prince's life. Sure, he had this thing where his favorite place to sleep was in anyone's arms (a sling got me through his first few weeks of life). But by week 13 of his precious life he was sleeping 11-12 hours a night straight in his crib (ha... I got to win the sleep competition that week in mommy and me class) and while his naps in the crib were sometimes abruptly cut short with a cry for us at 45 minutes (OK... 65% of the time....and ... OK... the other 35% of the time mom, daddy, grandma or nanny was probably indulging him by letting him nap in their arms) he would do 3 to 4 of them a day at roughly similar times. Granted, he was/is a big baby (I try and tell myself that my son is starting early in being in top percentiles), so metabolically, we knew he could do it and maybe that played a role. But, we had mastered the bed-time routine, we had successfully transitioned him from a bassinet in our room to a crib in his own room and we had survived a vacation or two with minimal sleep disruption. Sure, sure, we blissfully ignored all of the warnings to put him down, "drowsy but awake." [ALL of the sleep gurus use that term... too bad one of them didn't have the sense to copyright it...] We just made it part of our routine to rock him and then put him down "limp, but in a deep sleep," and we were in business. But our motto was, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Unfortunately for us, somewhere in the last month, the precious one decided to buck the system. Maybe it was cutting his first two teeth, or maybe it was getting his first cold, or perhaps he's on the brink of crawling (lord help us if he is). But here we are, with an eight month old who has arbitrarily decided to phone the front desk and ask for a 5:10 wake-up call. [Yes, he already uses the phone... doesn't every baby? we know, he's a genius.] And we probably shouldn't complain. It's just that every once in a while 5:10 migrates to 4:30 (and for good measure, once a week he's started to add in an 11:00 p.m. request for a nightcap), AND, all of our tried and true methods of getting the little man back to sleep... GASP... no longer seem to be effective!

So what is the Mommish to do? Living life as a zombie is not working for mom or dad (and although the little guy seems OK for a little while, he crashes and burns pretty easily on the mornings we just can't get him back to bed - so I can sense this sleep schedule doesn't work for him either). In desperate hope to no longer have to single-handedly help concealer revenues go up, my husband and I decided to [finally] sleep train the little one.

So I called my older sister for a pep talk. She recommended Weissbluth's "extinction" method. Like taking off a band-aid -- it hurts like crazy, so do it as quick as possible. She claimed all three of her kids took only 3 days to sleep-train. So I re-read Weissbluth. All along we've tried to use his theories on flexible schedules, routines and making naps and night-sleep a priority. We just haven't yet got to the point where our baby has soothed himself to sleep. And Weissbluth recommends that this is something that a baby needs to figure out for himself. When push came to shove, my husband and I just (bawk, bawk) couldn't leave our son alone to cry alone.

I went back to Pantley. She of the "no-cry" approach. I had all along been trying to come up some sort of hybrid of the two for the past 8 months... I had just gotten lazy somewhere at the ... "put them drowsy but awake" step. But I found Pantley didn't have any concrete steps for what exactly to do when baby screams bloody terror ANY time you put him near the crib and he's drowsy or in a light sleep. And she also encourages patience ... as she notes that he approach may take 30 days (mommy don't play that game).

And then it was like the heavens were opening up to send my manna.... and my googling skills paid off and I came across a book (and a website, and if I could convince my husband to fork over $225, a 45 minute phone consultation) by the "Sleep Lady," Kim West. Her method claims to be gentle, but she does admonish that there may be some tears, but it will be far less and your baby will not be alone. I found the tone of the book and the step-by-step approach to be exactly what I was looking for. Her approach, the "Sleep Lady Shuffle ("SLS")" takes approximately 2 weeks (a nice happy medium) to implement, and involves parental touch and soothing contact that slowly tapers off as the days progress to help your child fall asleep in the crib. (If I were a guest on Oprah, this would be my "aha" moment... all along I've been wondering what to do when I put him down drowsy but awake -only to see him become more awake and overagitated by his own crying. Now, I stand by him, I rub his back, I whisper gently, if he really screams I lift him up calmly and hold him but put him back in the crib as he calms down, and then as he gets more and more comfortable, I slowly back off and let him fall asleep on his own...) The book even has blurbs on early wakers and short nappers.... [But I only have the patience to try to tackle one issue at a time.]

[Note: The Drs. Sears also describe an approach called "Fading" which follows a similar tactic - however I found that their books did not offer quite as detailed instructions. Their books do offer great guidance on co-sleeping and "night-time parenting" as opposed to "sleep-training."]

We are on day 4 and for the most part the bambino has made some progress. He really cries very little, if at all, and he's fallen asleep IN HIS CRIB (not in someone's arms) for every nap and bedtime (big accomplishment). And today he took a nap in the crib at the grandparent's house and fell asleep IN THE CRIB (even bigger accomplishment). Part of the tone that appeals to me in West's book is that it's OK to not do everything at once, and it's OK to be responsive to your child if he needs a little more reassurance at times. So, even though I know intermittent reinforcement is harmful... I just need to be OK with the fact that daddy decided to rock baby back to sleep at 5:49 am this morning after trying everything else under the sun (which had not yet come up at 5:49 am by the way - so no, that's not the culprit (and if it were, don't worry, we already have the black-out shades)... and then he brought him in bed with us....

We'll get there... Progress.... Baby steps... and reminding ourselves that daylight savings is still a month a way, so we only have about 4 weeks until we'll have to start the whole thing again....