Back in the Saddle

This post is for those who may have wondered where I've been. My pregnancy became more difficult than anticipated. For the last couple months I was on doctor's orders to rest as much as possible while having to attend 2 appointments per week to check on the baby's growth. I gave birth to beautiful baby R on September 16, 2009 and have been weary-eyed ever since. This is my attempt to get back in the groove and write more - if only to satisfy my own interests.

Dropping Naps

There are a few things I have learned since becoming a mother. One is that all children are different. The other is that the 'textbook' child that all the experts speak of is far and few between.

D dropped to one nap a day at 6 months old. All of a sudden, he just didn't need it anymore. He was bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and curious about the world. I spoke with the pediatrician and she told me that each child has different sleep needs and that it was fine as long as he wasn't suffering from it or grouchy. She said that with a child like him I should expect him to drop his one nap a day earlier than other kids, probably before age 2. Yikes!

I fear that the end is near, my friends. He used to sleep from 8pm to 6 or 6:30am and take a nap from 1-2:30-ish. For the past few weeks he hasn't been sleeping well at night for no apparent reason. He wakes up between 3-5am unable to go back to sleep. Even if he wakes up between 4-6am, he won't go down for a nap until late afternoon. The one day I only let him sleep for 30 minutes (we had to go out that day), he woke up just fine, went to bed at 7:30pm and slept in until 7am!

I have been wanting to carve time out for myself into the day and thought that it would be a great idea to set my alarm for 5am so I would have an hour before D wakes up to relax on my own in silence. I could have a cup of tea, read and take a shower and be at peace when he rises. This morning he woke up at 5am. Oy.

Today I will let him take a (short!) nap and then wake him up. He can go to bed as early as he needs to recuperate (I'm assuming he'll still stay up until at least 7pm). Fingers crossed that he sleeps in some tomorrow. If all goes well and he does sleep all night, tomorrow I will be replacing his nap with quiet time.

I'll keep you all posted. :)

Win a Dream Baby Registry + Free Diapers!

This year Amazon.com has decided to pick one person each month from May-December 2009 to win a Dream Baby Registry (valued at over $3,000) plus a year's supply of Huggies Supreme diapers!

The basic steps for entry:

Go to the Amazon.com Baby Registry to create a baby registry and add at least 10 items. Within a week, you'll get an email from Amazon.com letting you know that you have been entered into the drawing. The good news is that once you're entered, you are in it until the end. If your name is not pulled the first month, it 'rolls over' into subsequent months.

Follow the link for more information and further details.

Hope this helps you mommas out. Good luck, everyone!

Teaching Letters - and Colors!

D and I frequent the library each week searching for new books. One of this week's picks was Winnie the Pooh's ABC. I wasn't sure that he would truly get into this book at 15 months old but he adores it and LOVES to repeat the letters after me. I decided I would break out my artistic abilities from hibernation and attempt to create jumbo alphabet flashcards that we can play with together.

This is what I came up with:



Not too shabby, if I say so myself.

Of course, I don't expect him to know or remember these right away but they are a great introduction. I am going to create 2 other sets also - one of capital letters and one of lowercase letters. This way we can use them as flashcards or put them together to create words.

While I was at it (I had extra cards), I made a few color cards too!




We don't always have items of each color on hand so these will be quite helpful. I am planning on using them as traditional flashcards (sans the 'drilling' that many parents associate with flashcards) as well as a tool for matching and sorting items in the house. Just set each card in its own space in the room and help your child sort their blocks, balls or other belongings by color. :)

For the record, I understand that I could just buy flashcards but this way is much more fun, personal and cost-effective. I purchased 5 large posterboards, a set of magic markers and several permanent markers at the local dollar store for about $4-5.

Did it take up my time? Yes. Could I have been doing other things? Of course.

However, I was more than willing to blow off Mr. Clean for a creative mommy project that proves my roles go beyond cooking, diapering and cleaning up the disaster that our home becomes each day.

Tips for creating your own cards:

* A 22"x28" piece of white posterboard doesn't measure into any size perfectly. Because of D's age and the fact that he will be handling them, I made 20 cards out of each board (roughly 5.5"x5.5").

* Use pencil first then trace over it with the permanent marker. If you mess up, you can erase it.

* Don't underestimate how much fun you'll have. I bought the supplies and put it off for 2 days but once I got going, I remembered just how much fun it was to do art projects as a kid. I'm tempted to go buy a glue stick and some glitter now. :)

Vaccination Schedule: Ages 0-6 Years

D recently went to the doctor for his 15 month old checkup and vaccinations. I had to search to find information on what shots he needed and what's coming up and figured that I am not the only one who doesn't always have this kind of information handy.

Note that I am not a medical doctor. I am simply relaying information to you that has been provided by my own doctor and the Center for Disease Control (CDC).



This chart shows the recommended guidelines for which age each vaccination is indicated for. Doctors have specific information regarding vaccination timing and each one works within their own judgement (and in cooperation with parents) to determine when each child should be given appropriate vaccinations.

Much more information regarding vaccinations to come including what each one is for and the many controversies surrounding their use.

Shopping Deals: Baby & Kids Items

In preparation for our new arrival, I have been scouring my bookmarks for the best deals on baby items. Here are the places that our family frequents whenever we need or want something.

eBay. Most of us are familiar with eBay. For those who aren't, it's an online auction site with great deals for anything you can imagine. I have consistently bought boxes (aka 'lots') of baby clothes for no more than $30.

Craigslist. Craigslist is a popular online classifieds website that also has a variety of categories to choose from including 'baby+kids', 'garage sale' and 'free' (my favorites).

Freecycle. Like Craigslist's 'free' category? You'll LOVE Freecycle. You can find items of all sorts that others would like to give away (recycle) instead of toss out. Post all of your unwanted items and know that they will be going to other families who need them.

Freepeats. Now in 54 US cities and growing. Pass on an item, then pick up an item. This site charges a one-time $4.95 membership fee. However, they are currently offering a promotion to refund your fee after one month. Visit the site for more details.

SwapTree. A media-swapping site for books, music, dvds and video games. Great for passing along items that you are bored with or have outgrown and finding 'new' ones to spark your interest.

Zwaggle. This site works by a point system ("Zoints") rather than cash. Swap your items for Zoints then use them to 'purchase' other items your want or need.

TheThriftShopper. A thrift store directory. Type in your zip code to find a list of thrift stores that benefit charities.

Goodwill. This non-profit has thrift stores in most cities and towns. They provide education and jobs to people who are disabled or disadvantaged due to poverty, homelessness and lack of education. You can shop online or find a local store.