Owner: A Parent's Blog URL:http://www.aparentsblog.com Join Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2007 09:34:42 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Real parents sharing parenting tips, advice, thoughts and stories with new parents and parent’s to be. Topics include pregnancy, baby care, raising a family and so much more! Site statistics:Click here
I Need Help Getting Organized 2007-10-18 19:40:11 I am an organization freak and when you live in a small apartment or a small house it’s very hard to stay organized. I thought my husband and I had a lot of stuff before we had our daughter, but now it’s even worse.
Over the years my husband and I have started storing things in my parent’s garage, but it has now gotten so cluttered with stuff that you can’t even move. We decided to start looking online for some kind of solution and came upon CarGuyGarage.com. They have over 1,000 products to help organize any kind of clutter you may have.
What I found interesting is that they even have supplies to change your garage into a work station for hobbies and kids crafts, in addition to storage. They are very affordable and have a wide selection of storage solutions to choose from to organize your garage. Finally we maybe able to find what we are looking for without having to go searching through the piles.
Read more:Getting Organized
Going Back To Work 2007-10-18 19:19:04 Well my maternity time is up and it’s time to get back to work!
At first I thought I would be excited to go back to work, because I love my job and I am getting sick of being low on money, but the weeks leading up to this last week got harder and harder.
Now I only have three more days left, AHH!
I brought her to daycare yesterday to meet everyone and I almost started to cry. The worse part is I didn’t even have to leave her there that time.
It’s so hard for a mother who is torn between her job and her child. Don’t get me wrong, if I had to choose in a heartbeat it would be my child, but it’s not like it was 20 years ago where one parent could stay at home and they could live on one income, never mind medical benefits. I’m pretty much going back to pay for benefits, daycare and maybe have a few extra bucks left over to put in my pocket!
Well to all of the other working moms out there, I sympathize with you and it sucks having to go back to work. Read more:Going
Personal Loans to Consolidate Debt 2007-10-15 20:28:04 A couple of years ago I was in a bad car accident that left me with thousands of dollars in debt. Unfortunately it was just after my husband and I became engaged and moved in together.
Now we have a new baby and we have very high credit card debt! Not only is the credit card debt high, but we also have high interest rates. In an attempt to own a house by next August we decided we needed to find a way to consolidate our credit cards. So I figured why not a personal loan.
They usually always have lower interest rates then credit cards, plus it’s better for your credit to get a Personal
Loan and consolidate that way rather than with a consolidation company. Now we’re on our way to owning a home! Read more:Consolidate
, Loans
Need a Little Help Investing Your Money? 2007-10-12 20:30:23 For all you mom and dad investors out there, the Wealth Expo, which is sponsored by MyWallSt.net: Your Financial Social Network, is coming to New York City on the following dates:
Friday, 10/19: 1 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. EDT w/ a cocktail hour to follow
Saturday, 10/20: 9 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. EDT w/ a cocktail hour to follow
Sunday, 10/21: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. EDT (no cocktail hour)
This expo is the premier seminar for investors to expand their wealth knowledge and become more financially stable. This three day event covers a variety of different topics with many very talented and wealthy guest speakers.
The session that I found to be the most interesting is on October 20th and is called “Managing Your Family’s Wealth: Succession Planning”. It’s being presented by Ken Kam and should help those families that need a better plan how to budget their money and invest in areas that will help them in the future. This is really important nowadays especially with the cost of living rising and college t Read more:Investing
, Money
Why do babies cry? 2007-10-12 09:07:01 Most parents get very overwhelmed when their new baby spends most of the time crying. Well most parents don’t realize that crying is the only way babies can communicate with us to tell us what is bothering them.
On that note, why do babies cry? One reason is that your baby may be too warm or too cold. You should always keep your newborn nice and warm but not so bundled up that they get overheated. A rule of thumb is that you dress them the same way you would dress yourself. Another reason might be because they are hungry.
As your baby gets older you will start to be able to desifer their hungry cry from their wet diaper cry. Below is a list of some other common reasons why a baby might be crying:
They have a dirty diaper
They’re tired or restless
They have allergies
They have an illness (cough, cold, flu, etc.)
They want comfort from being held or pacifying
They have a gas bubble
When in doubt go through them all! Eventually you will find the reason why they are crying a
Where to get a recall list… 2007-10-12 08:38:56 It seemed like we had our daughter and all of a sudden I kept hearing all the news about the many different baby items that got recall
ed.
After hearing about the Graco cribs that got recalled, when a baby died after it suddenly came apart, I started to wonder how I would go about finding out if something got recalled. Then I found out you can be put on a national recall list of all child related items. You can go on the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Website and look up any product recall that you may hear about on the news, or sign up to get an email notification everytime there is a recall.
When you are picking out your child’s furniture and toys, take the time to look them over and make sure they look safe. I always made fun of my husband when we were picking out our daughter’s crib because he would go up to it and shake it so hard to see if it could withstand a tornado! Well we purchased one that barely moves and it doesn’t have one of those drop d Read more:hellip
Swaddling Your Baby 2007-10-03 08:09:15 Did you know that the practice of swaddling a baby goes back centuries and is still common in many cultures? For those that don’t know, swaddling involves wrapping a baby securely from shoulders to feet with a small blanket.
Not only can swaddling be a great way to calm and sooth a fussy infant, but it’s also been shown to lower the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). It allows the baby to stay in a more stable position while sleeping, thereby lowering the SIDS risk. In addition, swaddling has been shown to help babies sleep longer and more restfully by preventing the sudden movements that can cause them to wake up. Babies who are swaddled are said to feel more secure, similar to how they felt while in the womb. It can also help in keeping baby nice and warm while sleeping.
There are also a couple of additional perks of swaddling during waking hours too. First, a swaddled baby is easy to carry and hold. Not only that, but they are an adorable, compact little bundle.
Mom Tip of the day - Bring an Extra Diaper Bag 2007-10-02 09:09:35 Last week my daughter decided she wanted to soil her pretty dress while we were out doing some errands. Well no problem I am always prepared and had an extra outfit in my bag.
Well her bottle exploded all over my diaper bag, so her extra outfit and diapers were ruined. I luckily was in a store where I could buy her an outfit.
My tip of the day is to always have an extra diaper bag in your car, because with children you never know what is going to happen. It is better to be over prepared then to be in a jam with a newborn or any child for that matter! Read more:Diaper
, Extra
Autism and the new book “Louder Than Words: A Mother’s Journey in Healing Autism” by Jenny McCarthy 2007-10-02 08:59:12 About a week ago I was sitting at home watching one of my favorite afternoon shows, Oprah, when I noticed she was doing a special with JennyMcCarthy
on Autism
and the battle she had went through with her son. She has just written a book called &ldquo
;Louder Than Words: A Mother’s Journey
in Healing
Autism“, which I will be purchasing as soon as I can remember to stop at the book store and get it (the lack of sleep due to my newborn).
Anyways, I learned a lot about autism by watching this show and I always thought autism was something children where born with, which in some cases they are. I figured that doctors diagnosed it when a child was a newborn, but in Jenny’s case her son was diagnosed at a much later age and was perfectly fine his first couple of years of life. He then began getting seizures, which she was told where caused by a fever. Yet her motherly instinct knew it was something more than that. He was finally diagnosed with autism and she said she felt li Read more:Jenny McCarthy
, rdquo
Gianna’s Starting to Beat Mom Up 2007-10-24 18:56:00 So I think Gianna might have knocked out a filling in my mouth the other day and had to schedule a dentist appointment for Friday along with everything else!
She’s starting to realize that she can move her arms and legs and while I was changing her she got me right in the jaw. I felt something a little rough in my mouth and a few minutes later I started to fell a lot of pain.
After wandering online later that night, I saw an ad for Dentemp OS and boy I wish I had known about it before then. It would have prevented all the pain I was in.
Here are a few reasons why you should try Dentemp OS:
Developed by a Dentist - Provides fast, temporary relief of pain and discomfort.
It’s Easy! - Just remove it from its plastic vial and it’s ready to use. No Mess! No Mixing! There are several applications in each vial.
Dental First Aid - Replaces lost fillings and may be used to temporarily cement loose crowns.
It’s Strong - You can eat on it within 30 minutes of setting.
Ful
Gianna is 2 Months Old! 2007-10-24 18:38:17 Gianna just turned two moths old and it seems like just yesterday she was born!
It’s amazing how much we’re starting to see her little personality. She is starting to be aware of things around her, she smiles when you talk to her and she is starting to hold her neck up all by herself.
She is going to her doctors appointment of friday and getting her first set of shots! I think I am more nervous about her getting them then she is. So I will write a post after her appointment on Friday.
Read more:Months
Holiday Shopping! 2007-10-24 17:29:42 I have always been a bargain shopper, especially around Christmas, and this year we have the added cost of Christmas presents for Gianna!
I usually go out on Black Friday to do some of my Christmas shopping and fight with the crowds of angry shoppers and employees! Not this year though, I found this awesome website that has the day after Thanksgiving deals already and its called Black-Friday.com.
I was already able to look at the Walmart specials and know what toys I am going to purchase that day way before the ad comes out! The best part is that you can purchase all of the great deals online and not have to fight with the long lines at the store.
The site also offers email alerts to let you know when new Black Friday ads have been posted. They try to make it a consumer friendly site that is useful for planning your holiday shopping. Forget about grabbing the paper and looking through dozens of flyers to find what you’re looking for.
So check it out, shopping online is so muc Read more:Holiday
, Shopping
Gianna and the Daycare Battle 2007-10-24 16:59:01 Gianna started her first day of daycare on monday and wow was it tough!
I never thought it was going to be that hard and I cried the whole way to work. It seems to be working out pretty well though. She is eating more at daycare then she normally does with me. She also is starting to get on a schedule. She had her first night where she slept through the night also!
So, as hard as it is to pay someone else to be with your baby all day long, I have to say that the daycare has been very good to me with the adjustment that I had to make. Read more:Battle
, Daycare
Ways You Can Help Your Baby After Their Vaccinations 2007-10-31 08:42:39 Seeing that Gianna just had her first round of shots on Friday, I figured that I would share some tips on how to comfort your baby after they get theirs.
First off, I don’t know of anyone that likes to go the doctor’s for a shot, especially babies or little kids. With that said, I know from first hand experience now that it can be even more difficult for a parent watching, then a child actually receiving one. You feel so bad for them and when they get that first little poke, you can just see a look of pain upon their face and you just want to cry.
In some cases, your baby may have a slight reaction to a vaccination and might have trouble eating and/or sleeping afterwards. The best thing that you can do for them at this point is to make sure your baby is comfortable and if needed, try to use some home remedies to help relieve some of the more minor reactions. If by chance your baby develops a slight fever, try giving them some acetaminophen (Tylenol) - first consult with you Read more:Vaccinations
Don’t Let Others Tell You How to Raise Your Child! 2007-10-30 08:26:32 I’m sure this happens to a lot of new moms out there, but don’t worry you’re not alone!
When you first become a new parent, dozens of questions start running through your head, such as: What and how much do I feed them? What do I do if they don’t stop crying? And what should I dress them in today? These are just a few examples, but you feel as if you know nothing about taking care of a newborn. Well here comes the dilemma. You have all these people around you, family and friends that have children, giving you advice on how to raise your child. It’s overwhelming and at the same time all these suggestions contradict each other. So, what should you do?
Well as time goes on, you start feeling uneasy about whom you should be listening to. Do you listen to your parents or do you listen to your best friend who just had a child two years ago? For God sakes, even the folks in stores are poking their heads in the carriage offering some quick tips that they believe t Read more:Others
Come Join PayPerPost! 2007-10-28 21:15:11 My husband introduced me to payperpost about a month ago. He has been a member with them for about 6 months now and loves it. He has learned alot about blogging and has met alot of new people. By meeting new people, he has attracted more people to his blog, which has increased his page rankings and site quality. He has done this by posting comments on online forums and social networking sites, one being through PayPerPost
where he can share links with other bloggers.
Not only that, but he has made some extra money which has been great with the new addition to our family. You can always use diaper money and that’s what I plan on doing with it!
The way it works is, depending on your page ranking, you will receive a list of open opportunities to blog about or write reviews about. Some people like myself will only write posts about the niche they are in. You then reserve the opportunity and write a post about it meeting the requirements that have been given to you. This includes the
2 Month Old Milestones! 2007-10-28 20:51:35 I figured I would start writing a post once a month on developmental milestones in the first year. I myself have no clue on what I’m doing or what my child should be doing, so I have been getting alot of advice from doctors and friends who have children and some online literature.
I figured I would share them with the rest of the new mommies out there!!!
Your baby should be following objects as they pass by their face at about 6 inches away.
Starting to have better control of there head and can hold it up almost without any assistance.
Baby can roll over in one direction.
Baby is smiling when your smile and make faces at them.
She responds to loud sounds by becoming completely silent, crying or acting startled.
Baby is cooing or making noises.
Baby laughs out loud or makes loud squealing noises.
Again, every child is different, so don’t freak out if you’re child hasn’t done any or all of these yet! For example, our daughter still hasn’t rolled over to Read more:Month
Gianna’s First Set of Shots! 2007-10-27 21:12:36 So we brought Gianna for her two month checkup, and boy is she growing!!!
She is already 11 lbs. 6 oz. and is 23 inches Long!!! She still has acid reflux and is on Zantac, but it seems to be helping it tremedously. She is very active and is focusing very well on people! I am so happy to have a healthy baby. You worry so much when your pregnant about everything you put into your body and are always asking yourself: “Is this going to hurt the baby?” I had a very bad pregnancy and had to take alot of different medication and I was very worried she would have some problems, but she is great!
Although she wasn’t too happy about the shot, I think I almost cried about five times for her, she screamed for 45min! OUCH! She would calm herself down and then start crying again when we said, “You’re okay baby”. So we are done with the whole shot thing until she is 4 months old!
THANK GOD! Read more:First
Take a Mutsy Baby Stroller Out for a Test Drive 2007-11-05 13:22:39 I wish we had know about the Mutsy baby stroller before we registered for Gianna’s. They are very stylish, come in a great assortment of styles and colors, have a modern, almost futuristic design, and can be used for a variety of different functions. There are 5 different models that you can choose from and they are all interchangeable. The models include the Urban Rider, the Urban Rider “Next”, the 4 Rider, the 4 Rider Light, and the 3 wheeled compact Spider, which is great for traveling. They even have a brand new stroller model that will be introduced this fall.
You can check out any of the Mutsy baby strollers at any large local retail store. There, you can try out all the different functions and get a feel for how the stroller performs. Mutsy also has a special adapter for the Graco Snug-Ride car seat which allows for easy conversion. Older kids will also have fun in these strollers which allow them to “steer” and ride. You can even put the Mutsy stroller seat into a Read more:Stroller
, Test Drive
Making Home Cooked Meals for Working Mothers! 2007-11-14 23:38:36 So since I have been back to work , it is hard to even breath never mind come home and make a home cooked meal! Yet my husband purchased one of the new Eclectrics® Mixer, for me on our anniversary and it makes cooking so easy. I can be holding Gianna and throwing things in the mixer at the same time and not need my hands at all!
My all time favorite recipe to make is tole house cookies! I think I ate about 100 dozen while I was pregnant with my daughter. I learned how to make this recipe with my mother when I was a little girl and I think I have mastered it. I included the recipe below so you can share it with your family:
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in Read more:Meals
, Mothers
Gianna’s First Halloween 2007-11-14 23:15:42 So this was gianna’s first halloween and it was so much fun. I ended up having to maker her costume because there is not one store on the face of the earth that has costumes small enough for a 2 month old. So, She was a little indian girl, it took me and my mother combined two days to maker her costume, but as you can see it came out cute.
We had all of the family come over our house for a halloween party, which was nice because we didnt have to drive all over creation to see all of the grandparents! So I figured everyone would like to see gianna’s first halloween pic, hope you enjoy it! Read more:First
, Halloween
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