Christmas

My parents came in for Christmas and requested that I make some homemade mac n cheese from the new recipe I've been using (from Stacy Makes Cents) for Christmas Eve dinner.  I doubled it and after pouring half of it into a baking dish, I added bacon to the second half and poured it into a second dish.  My oldest son won't touch bacon which is why I made a plain version.  It went over VERY WELL and I got ONE serving before everyone else ate it on me lol.  Check the recipe out- it's just amazing and very easy to follow!.

After dinner, my boys all took a bath and changed into their new jammies that my mom buys them every year as a Christmas Eve tradition.

Ed and I are horrible and usually wait until Christmas Eve to do our wrapping which meant we were up wrapping stuff until 7 a.m..  Talk about exhaustion! We fell asleep on the living room floor (to allow my parents to sleep in our bed if they wanted a nap) until the kids came running out excited for the days events.

Let me just say that between everything that we bought and everything my parents bought, we had an overwhelming amount of gifts here but it's good because a lot of their old stuff is getting donated and they've got so many new things to keep them busy that my little Logan man is staying out of trouble.  Previously, I'd catch him in the bathroom squirting all of my conditioner down the drain, or in the kitchen scooping my sugar into the flour...now he's far too busy to care about being a mad scientist!  Right now he's sitting at his new train table, playing quietly with some wooden blocks!  So while it proved to be an overwhelming amount of stuff to wrap, I'm thankful that we got some great deals and were able to get them so much great stuff.

At times I feel guilty when they have so many Christmas gifts because I don't want them to grow up thinking that material possessions are important but I keep telling myself that it's alright because it's once a year and it's so much fun.  We spend all year teaching them that things are not important so one day a year of watching their faces light up when they see all the neat stuff doesn't undermine that value, in my opinion.

Anyway, the older boys went crazy with each and every one of their gifts.  Xander was completely confused.  He unwrapped a few presents and then got bored and started ripping the paper enough to show the toy and then played with the toy while it was still partially wrapped.  My dad got him a sing-a-ma-jig and Xander hated it.  He kept picking it up and throwing it as far away from his as possible.  He didn't cry or yell at it, he just kept making a weird face and throwing it away.  *We did end up buying him two more later though b/c we were walking through Toys R Us and he pulled one off the rack and carried it through the whole store.  Apparently they're cool now LOL.  They were B1G1 so I figured why not?*

 After presents were unwrapped, we headed to Ed's dad for a 2:00 dinner.  After a great dinner, we went to visit Ed's grandfather and then we headed to my brothers for another (albeit late) dinner.  It was a long, absolutely exhausting day but it was a blast!

Oh and for some cuteness- Logan is hugging his Dance Star Mickey right now.  He loves that thing! Hehe, he's giving it eskimo kisses now! So cute!

I hope everyone had a great holiday!!

an

Ear Infections, Teething, and School OH MY!

The past few weeks have proved to be pretty darn tiring! Xander had ear infections in both of his ears.  This is something that scared me pretty bad because of Logan's history with ear infections.  Logan ended up having febrile seizures (the first of which was caused by an ear infection related fever) and needing tubes put in his ears!  At the first sign of Xander tugging on his ears, I took him to the doctor to possibly prevent going through all of that all over again.  A generous course of amoxicillian and he's much better!

He also cut two more teeth during this time and has his days and nights all messed up.  Between Logan being up during the day and Xander keeping me up at night, I've been pretty zonked.  I've been spending many a day lately caring for them, working on my mother's Halloween invitation, and focusing on school.  Because Xander is better, I've been sleeping better and my moms invite is done, I think I'll be around more.  I've said it before but look forward to more regular postings!

Car Seat Safety

 This is a big and controversial issue but I have an opinion and I'd like share it.  Hopefully, it won't scare anyone away!


Let me preface this by telling you that I am not perfect.  I've made my fair share of mistakes.  Also, let me apologize ahead of time should I sound like I'm on a soap-box.  That is not my intention.  My intention is to share my opinion as well as the reasoning behind my opinion. 

When Adam was young, I turned him around in his car seat when he hit 20lbs and if I recall correctly, he was not a year old yet.  The only people I talked to about parenting stuff at the time were my parents and things had changed so much from when I was a child that their advice was outdated so no longer the best advice.  They meant well though and I'm grateful to have had their help.


I was 16 when I had him so I was completely clueless and thought that it was 20 lbs OR 1 year and that he was completely safe forward facing.

When he was about 3, I put him in a booster seat (with a back) because he exceeded the height and weight limits of his car seat.


I never thought he was unsafe.  I trusted the products I bought and trusted that the ages listed on the box were safe ages for use.  It wasn't until I was pregnant with Logan that I learned differently.


First and foremost, the law in a lot of states is that a child must remain rear-facing until they are 20 lbs AND 1 year old.  Both criteria have to be met.  After they are 20 lbs AND 1 year old, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now recommends that you leave them rear-facing for as long as possible.  The 20lbs and 1 year criteria are minimum requirements and do not mean that you must turn them around.  When they are rear-facing, they are safest.  During an accident, the rear-facing seat will essentially cocoon up against the seat and create a little protective bubble for your little one.  As long as they haven't exceeded the height and weight limits, this is the safest place for them to be during an accident.


When you must turn them around, they should be in a 5 point harness until the time that they can move to a booster seat.  You'll have to check your state laws but it is illegal in most circumstances to put a child under the age of 4 in a booster seat in the state of PA.  Yes, you read that correctly, if they are not 4 years old, you cannot legally put them into a booster seat in PA.  This is not up for debate.  This is a legal fact.  There are some exemptions but for most children, they must remain in a 5 point harness car seat until they are 4 years old.

Again, the law is a minimum guideline.  You do not need to put them into a booster at 4 if they still fit in their car seat.  A 5 point harness is going to offer far more protection than a standard lap/shoulder belt can.  The current recommendation is to leave them in the car seat for as long as possible until they exceed the height/weight limits.


When you do move them to a booster, you must once again check your states laws.  In PA, a child must remain in a booster seat until they are 8 years old.

The PA law reads as follows: 

"§ 4581. Restraint systems.
(a) Occupant protection.--
(1) Any person who is operating a passenger car, Class I truck, Class II truck, classic motor vehicle, antique motor vehicle or motor home and who transports a child under four years of age anywhere in the motor vehicle, including the cargo area, shall fasten such child securely in a child passenger restraint system"

There is little room for argument as you can see because it does specifically say any child under four (4) years of age must be in a car seat.

"(1.1) Any person who is operating a passenger car, Class I truck, Class II truck, classic motor vehicle, antique motor vehicle or motor home and who transports a child four years of age or older but under eight years of age anywhere in the motor vehicle, including the cargo area, shall fasten such child securely in a fastened safety seat belt system and in an appropriately fitting child booster seat"

Again, very little room for debate here. The only questionable thing is the fact that it does leave room for one to interpret that you must legally switch your 4 year old to a booster seat.  I, however; do not believe that it was meant to be interpreted that way as that is just nonsense.  Again, a 5 point harness will obviously provide more protection.

Finally, the exemption:

"(g) Exemptions.--Exemptions will be allowed if it is determined, according to the rules and regulations of the department, that the use of a child passenger restraint system or child booster seat would be impractical for physical reasons including, but not limited to, medical reasons or size of the child."

 Yes, this last bit quite literally means that if your child has a medical reason or is legitimately too big for a car seat, they can use a booster or if they are legitimately too big for a booster, they can use the standard lap/shoulder seat belt.  This is probably not a judgment you will be able to make on your own as there are car seats out there that go to 70 lbs, 80lbs, convertibles that go to 65 lbs with the harness and 100lbs with the belt positioning booster, and boosters that go to 100lbs.  I wouldn't be surprised if you were just required to get another seat if the child has outgrown their seat but is still within a size and age where a proper restraint system can be used.  Can't afford one? Well that's fine too! The government often has programs for free seats!  PA has a fund in place for our citizens just for that:

"§ 4582. Child Passenger Restraint Fund.
A Child Passenger Restraint Fund is established in the General Fund as a special restricted receipts account hereby earmarked for and appropriated to the department. This fund
shall consist of all fines deposited pursuant to section 4581(b) (relating to restraint systems), all Federal funds granted for said use and any moneys donated into the fund. All such funds shall be used solely for the purpose of purchasing Federally approved child restraint seats or appropriately fitting child booster seats and making such seats available to qualified loaner programs within the Commonwealth. A qualified loaner program shall be one determined by the department to loan Federally approved child restraint seats or appropriately fitting child booster seats to parents or legal guardians of children under eight years of age who, due to financial or economic hardship, are unable to comply with the provisions of this subchapter. The department shall adopt such regulations as are necessary to effectuate the purpose of this section.
(July 15, 2004, P.L.694, No.75, eff. 60 days)"

You can view the law here: http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/vehicle_code/chapter45.pdf

Do you think it's harsh? I don't.  I look at it this way, being in a car seat for an extended period of time will in no way hurt your child (as long as they fit).  Sure they'll whine that their friends don't have to use it but I would much rather have a whiny and safe child than have the horrible misfortune of getting into an accident and having them get hurt.

Xander is the only one of my boys who is still rear-facing but Logan was rear-facing for a long time and Xander will be too for as long as possible.  Why? Again, the seat acts as a bubble during a collision.

Logan is still in his 5 point harness and will stay there despite being 4 years old and 40lbs. Why? It is my opinion, as well as many professionals,  that a 5 point harness offers far more protection.


Adam is currently booster-seatless but this is not my choice.  This is a battle that I lost.  I still feel that he needs it but circumstances have risen (for example, people believing that I am both a know-it-all and a worry wart and I do tend to worry a lot, but, I find the former to be insulting.) that have basically led to him being without his seat.  Believe-you-me, I am NOT a happy Danielle.  We will be doing the 5 step check with Adam and if I am not satisfied, he will be returning to his booster.  Why?  I've read horror story after horror story about internal decapitation.   Google it if you'd like (but it's really exactly what it sounds like and it's from the seat-belt hitting the neck with extreme force due to improper positioning)- but be warned, it is not pleasant.  It is of the utmost importance to me that the shoulder belt properly fits Adam (and the other boys when they're older).  His life is far more important to me than what his friends are doing.


This is such a huge thing that most people debate over but I can't really figure out why.  It is just flat out illegal in a lot of states to turn your child forward facing before 1 year AND 20 lbs, put them in a booster before 4, and put them in the standard lap/shoulder belt before they're 7 or 8 so why are people debating it?  It's against the law! It's not really open for argument.  The only thing that is open for discussion is whether you should turn them around promptly at 1 year AND 20 lbs, put them in a booster promptly at 4, or into a seat-belt as soon as the law allows.  Everything else is required by law.  If you ask "should I turn my 22 lb, 9 month old dear child forward facing?" the answer should always be "No." because it's both unsafe and illegal.


So should you turn your child around even though they haven't exceeded the height/weight limits? In my opinion, no.  Should you put your child in a booster even though they still fit in their car seat? Again, in my opinion, no.  Should you let your 4 foot tall, 8 year old ride without his booster seat? Well, I don't think so.


Here's the bottom line folks- they're your kids.  Ultimately it's your call to make but remember: you love them, you want them safe, and putting them into that seat is not hurting anything whereas not using the seat may result in someone being hurt.  Sure, you could be the safest driver out there, but the legobucket* in the lane next to you may not be.  If that LB comes swerving into your lane, there's not going to be much you can do to avoid the collision.  At least drive knowing that your children are properly secured.  That's my view anyway.


You don't have to follow my advice.  I'm not some big professional person who is paid to know this stuff.  I'm just some person, on the internet who's blog you're reading.  I am, however, providing you with the links to reputable sources so that you can educate yourself on the matter and make an informed decision for your children and their safety.


Links:
AAP Recommendations:
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families-2010.aspx
http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/carseatsafety.cfm

5 Step Check:
http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.htm
http://www.utmedicalcenter.org/cms/Emergency+and+Trauma+Services/Tools+and+Assessments/Booster+Seat+5-Step+Test/334.html

PA laws: 
http://www.saferoads.org/state/boosterPCPSPennsylvania.pdf
http://www.buckleuppa.org/
http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/vehicle_code/chapter45.pdf

NY laws:
http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/broch/c-1.htm

Please search for your states laws to find the most up to date and accurate information for your state but also remember- the laws are minimum requirements, the AAP policy reflects the current safety recommendations.  I found my states laws by searching for "PA car seat laws" but "[your state]'s child restraint laws" should work as well.


I do apologize again if any of that came off soap-boxy.  This is my opinion and you certainly are entitled to your own but I wanted to share mine and the sources of it. :)


*The term "Legobucket" arose when I was a child and my uncle swore at a passing car while driving.  My mom asked him if he could find another word because I was in the car and he started calling people "Legobuckets" instead of bad names.


Best wishes, and as always, DFTBA.

Rockin' Baby Slings

We loved our Rockin' Baby ring sling for when Xander was smaller and even now, at 26lbs, Ed can wear him in it without problems.


I bought it second hand from www.thebabywearer.com and instantly fell in love.  I'm not new to babywearing but this is my favorite ring sling by far.  The fabric slides nicely through the rings but not too easily that one needs to worry about the baby falling.  It's super comfy and the pocket is just an awesome extra.


A friend of mine on Facebook asked "where did you get that sling?" so I directed her to both the Rockin' Baby site and to TBW.  Sadly, she came back and said that Rockin' Baby was going out of business!


To anyone out there who has also noticed that they're closing, I have some TERRIFIC NEWS FOR YOU!

I received an e-mail from Rockin' Baby slings asking me to pass the following news along to my readers:

"Hi there!

We have a great deal we thought your readers would be interested in. We wanted to let you know that we are selling out of all of our stock at Rockin' Baby Sling, with all of our prices reduced up to 70%! Please pass on to your readers that all of slings and pouches are currently $40.00 each until they've sold out. Rockin' Baby will be re-born under new ownership in January, so look for great new fabrics and designs then!

Thank you!

Lisa and Natasha"

I am personally THRILLED to hear that they are not gone forever! While Xander has gotten a bit too heavy for a ring sling, my Rockin' Baby sling is still my favorite ring sling and I'm holding onto it for any potential future children. <3

So go and shop, enjoy the discounted prices and stay tuned for the re-opening in Jan! http://www.rockinbabysling.com/

 

Best Wishes and as always,
DFTBA!

Our fun at Knoebels!

I didn't get nearly as many pictures as I had hoped for because I found out while we were at the park that my camera card was full (1GB completely filled with what I later discovered was mostly pictures of random things thanks to Logan!)


My parents took our little family of 5 and my brother's family of 3 to Knoebels Amusement Park last weekend.  Poor Ed had worked the night before so he didn't get any sleep whatsoever (he literally came home from work and started getting ready to leave for the park!).  


Our van has finally died so we were pretty stressed about figuring out transportation but last minute my brother was able to buy a new (to him) car so my parents put my kids in their car and Ed and I rode with my brother's family.  The whole way there my nephew kept jabbering away and smiling at me which is something since he usually won't talk to me at all since he's so shy.

When we got there, the first thing I did was toss Xander on my back in the Ergo and then we set off through the parking lot.  When we got into the park, we rented a wagon for my bigger 2 kids and my mom suggested a wagon for our diaper bags since nobody really wanted to carry them around.  At a mere $6 a piece, I didn't think it was a terrible suggestion!


We went and got our wrist bands and then looked for somewhere to eat because we were all starving.  We found a little indoor restaurant and my dad was actually able to feed all 10 of us for $60!  That's pretty impressive in an amusement park if you ask me! The food was good too, and it wasn't greasy fast food type food either! It was GOOD food!

Adam and my parents on the "Merry Mixer".  You have to
look closely- they're in the center & my mom is the one
with the purple shirt.  Adam loved this ride!

After we ate we went straight for the rides (Ed and I took a small pit stop on some rides ourselves while my mom watched the boys but we were gone an hour tops) and the kids had a blast!

In the center you can see the back of Ed and the top of
Logan's head.  He loved this ride for most of it but
started to cry at the end.

Logan surprised me by wanting to try so many rides since the rides ons at the grocery store scare him LOL!

Ignore my talking through the videos lol and the quality isn't that great but it was taken with my digital camera :)



Logan asked to go on this ride but it ended up scaring him. My nephew and Adam also went on it and they loved it!


Logan loved this up until the very end. There's an awesome shot of my parents and Adam here!



Logan ADORED this ride!

Logan's Birthday!

We had Logan's 4th birthday party at the local park.  He made it clear that he wanted to do a Toy Story theme and that he wanted to have a "hit it" (pinata) so because of the low cost (read: free) of having his party at the park, we indulged and he had A BLAST!

Xander with his p-hat

Cowboy Adam

Birthday boy opening his presents

Motherlove Review

Anyone who know Logan knows of our 3 and a half year struggle with eczema.  Not just a slight case of eczema mind you but such an extreme case that absolutely everybody we encounter either stares at him or asks the dreadful question "what happened?"  The stares are horrible as they're those accusing stares as if the person thinks it's something we did to him!  If the people who speak up don't ask us "what happened?", they say things like "looks like he had a fall!" or one person actually asked me "what's wrong with him".


Not only have we been battling to relieve his itching and pain but we've also had to spend this whole time enduring people who are just digustingly rude and think everything is their business.  Occasionally we've gotten people who say "does he have eczema?" and then tell us about someone they know who had it and offer advice- THOSE people get my gratitude as do all of the people on pregnancy.org, thebabywearer.com, or any of the other forums I participate in who have offered suggestions.


None of the doctors who saw him could find the trigger and they tried countless steroid creams and suggested every lotion under the sun that can be purchased in mainstream stores.  I'd be here forever if I listed everything we've tried.


What would happen is some things wouldn't work at all but somethings would work GREAT to heal him up for a few weeks and then just stop because his skin had built up a resistance.  None of the creams even touched the itchiness though.  We started giving him benadryl at nighttime so that he could sleep but after awhile it stopped making him drowsy and actually started making him hyper!  When he got hyper we learned that it didn't actually STOP the itching at all! It was merely putting him in such a deep sleep before that he couldn't scratch.


His newest pediatrician gave him an antihistamine and steroid cream that have worked WONDERS for us.  The problem is we don't agree with steroid use unless it's absolutely necessary so we're constantly searching for an alternative.  We can't give him the antihistamine anymore because it's liquid (was not available in a chewable) and after awhile it started making him vomit.


I met Silenca from Motherlove at a #BFCafe twitter party that she was sponsoring and she told me about her Green Salve.  She gave me the wonderful opportunity to review some of her products.


She sent me some Green Salve, Diaper Rash & Thrush Cream, and Nipple Cream.


The Green Salve has done wonders for the itching! Logan brings it to me asking for his "itchy cream" whenever the itching returns.  He's been scratching FAR less than ever before!  What's more is he screamed with every other lotion or steroid cream we put on him before and told me that it hurt! I'm happy to say that he not only lets me put the "itchy cream" on him, he even helps me put it on!  It's also been fantastic in helping to heal him up!


What's more is the smell is very pleasant.  A lot of the natural creams we've used had very strong smells and were pretty unpleasant to deal with.  Likewise, the non-natural products we used smelled chemical laden and just gave me a headache.  The Motherlove products almost have a tea-like smell to them.  It's very nice!  Logan loves to smell it too!


The following pics are a bit graphic so I apologize in advance.  He tore into himself the other night in his sleep so I took some pics to show just how quickly the Motherlove products can clear him up.

8-3-10 Right Ankle

8-3-10 Left Ankle

8-4-10 Right Ankle

8-4-10 Left Ankle

8-5-10 Right Ankle

8-5-10 Left Ankle

That was a span of approximately 48 hours and you can see there is a DRASTIC change.

Logan had this to say:

I also have been putting the Diaper Rash & Thrush cream on his sores at times when he's not complaining of itchiness and that's also helped in clearing up his skin.  Logan has deemed this his "booboo cream" and also helps me put it on him without any complaints.  
 
Xander actually had his first ever diaper rash recently and I figured I'd put some of the Diaper Rash & Thrush cream on him as well.  It was an awful, bright red rash and by his next diaper change he was just pink.  By the end of the day, his diaper rash was gone


I'm very thankful to have been sent the Nipple Cream to review as well because Mr. Xander man is teething heavily and has started biting me when he's supposed to be nursing.  The Nipple Cream is easier to put on than lanolin and is not sticky at all.  I actually got courageous and put some on without nursing pads and there is absolutely no trace of it on my nursing cami whatsoever.  There's no staining or residue so I've stopped bothering with nursing pads since I'm not leaking.  I'm very happy to report that the it relieved the stinging from being bitten almost instantly.  Another great thing is that it's safe for ingestion so you don't need to wash it off and neither of my nurslings seems to mind the taste at all!

 I received the Green Salve, Diaper Rash & Thrush cream, and the Nipple Cream for review.  I was not compensated in any other way.  This review shares how I honestly feel about the product and the opinions and views shares are not necessarily the views and opinions of Motherlove.  The contest is open until 8/20/2010.  The winner will be chosen on 8/21 via random.org.  The winner have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

Green Salve

This stuff is just AMAZING!!! It's doing WONDERS for Logan's skin!!! Check it out here!

A more in depth review to come!!