Parenting Archives - Page 2 of 7

Healthy Baby Sleep Tips Webinar w/ Giveaway!

2015/08 By Lauren B. Stevens 27 Comments

I’m so excited to be offering this amazing opportunity to 25 of my readers! My very own “Sleep Goddess,” Jennifer Schindele, Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant and owner of Gift of Sleep Consulting is offering lo-wren readers a free Sleep Tips webinar. If you’re struggling to establish a healthy sleep routine for your baby (or toddler), this webinar is for you.

Jennifer Schindele is the go-to Pediatric Sleep Consultant for Philadelphia’s Main Line parents, recognized by Main Line Parent Magazine, consulting for several Care.com articles, and teaching sleep workshops across the region (if you’re in the area, check out her Facebook event listing, as she teaches several classes each month).

You can read about our sleep experience in my one year check in post: A Year of Sleep. At 3 years old, D still sleeps like a champ, with a two-hour nap mid-day (I don’t want that nap to EVER go away!).

Establishing healthy sleep habits when D was 9 months old allowed both of us to get the sleep we needed and created an excellent sleep routine for D to take with him through toddlerhood and beyond. That’s not to say that we’ve been without bumps and bobbles, as each milestone presented a sleep challenge, but for the most part, my little guy sleeps when he’s meant to sleep — no battles, no crying, just lots of Zzzzzs. Working with Jennifer meant that when sleep challenges did (and do) present themselves, I was able to calmly readjust (instead of panicking). I’m incredibly excited that Jennifer is offering this [free] opportunity for my readers to gather some healthy sleep tips and ask her their sleep questions!

Jennifer’s blog offers a wealth of advice, so if you’re unable to attend the webinar, I highly recommend checking out some of her most popular posts:

5 Ways Parents Unintentionally Sabotage Their Baby’s Sleep

Napping After Age Two: No-No or No Worries?

Help Your Newborn Sleep Longer

And a humorous one: 8 Signs You’re Ready to Transition From Co-Sleeping

Jennifer will be offering this webinar Tuesday, August 25th at 8pm EST. While the webinar is free, you must RSVP to secure your spot — only the first 25 people to RSVP will be accepted. All attendees will be entered to win one of four amazing sleep-related prizes (US only)!

Sustainable Babyish Overnight Fleece Bamboo Fitted Cloth Diaper ($28 ARV))

Onaroo OK to Wake Clock ($30 ARV)

HoMedics SoundSpa Sound Machine ($30 ARV)

Angel Dear Blankie ($15 ARV)

Remember, this webinar is limited to the first 25 people to RSVP, so please do not RSVP unless you are absolutely sure you can attend. The only entry you are required to submit is your RSVP entry, all other entries are optional.

Entry -Form

Breastfeeding After C-Section: 9 Tips

2015/08 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

I ugly cried the day my midwife told me that I would need a C-section. After months of inversions, a rebozo and chiropractics, my little guy still wouldn’t budge. I’ll be honest, I was devastated and terrified. Not only would I not get my out-of-hospital birth, but I’d be having major surgery (while awake), with the possibility of complications as well as the possibility that I would be unable to breastfeed.

The more I read on the internet, the more fearful I became. My word of advice? Stay away from the internet if you find out you have to have a C-section! And if you are going to read all you can on the internet beforehand, make sure you read my uplifting and informative piece, Caesarean Section Words of Wisdom.

Don’t mind the myriad of articles you see around the internet, saying that you’ll be unable to breastfeed after your C-section. I am a testament to the fact that you can have a long and rewarding breastfeeding relationship with your baby after a Caesarean birth. In fact, my son nursed like a champ for 21 months (despite going through sleep training at 9 months old). In fact, I feel pretty confident that you’ll be reading my piece, 10 Signs You’re Ready to Stop Breastfeeding, at some point down the road!

Again, I was presented with an amazing opportunity, to write about a topic in which I had a great deal of experience, when Care.com wanted to post an article about breastfeeding after a C-section. I consulted several lactation consultants, each of whom were kind enough to lend their expertise, and the result was a total of 9 tips for a successful breastfeeding relationship after a Caesarean section.

If you’re interested reading my piece, it can be found on Care.com: Breastfeeding After C-Section: 9 Things You Should Know

Wordless Picture Books To Inspire Reading

2015/07 By Lauren B. Stevens 1 Comment

I’ve shared how I amassed a large children’s library on a budget, and even attempted to share our current favorite reads (not enough time to keep up with, I’m afraid), but I’ve not really compiled any suggestions for children’s books, apart from an odd book here and there.

For as long as I can remember I’ve loved to read. I studied English in college and even got my MA in English. My studies in English helped me build an impressive library, stocked full of titles that were more fun than work to read for classes. I loved to analyze great works of literature and I also read “fluff” as well. I distinctly remember a semester where I had four Literature courses, but still had a hankering to read something for myself. For the first time in my life I found myself reading romance novels, not for great storylines or deep characters, but because a.) I didn’t own a TV, b.) I had a coworker who had Rubbermaid tubs FULL of romances, and c.) I needed to give my brain a break from required reading every now and then.

I still use reading as a “brain break” in addition to entertainment. When I’ve been writing a lot and my brain feels fried, I pick up a book and give my brain a break from creating words by reading the words of others. In fact, I read every night before bed, at the very least. I love using my nap time break to read in the quiet of the house — a little mid day break from work and being a mom.

I found myself working in bookstores after graduating, and even while pursuing my Master’s full time. There’s something comforting about the shelves and shelves of books, the quiet, muffled sounds of people shopping, and the smell of coffee brewing. I’ve moved often in my life, and my books have always been the first things I unpack, as they are what make new digs home for me.

Imagine my delight when I began working for a major publisher, selling children’s books to independent bookstores. I loved the strong lineup of authors we had each season, the wide range of books we published, and most of all, I loved that I was paid to read books and essentially talk to booksellers about them.

Working in children’s publishing gives you insight into reading statistics pertaining to children, statistics that were as important in my conversations with booksellers as they were for my memory bank. Ironically, I worked in children’s publishing before having children, so I had yet to test my picks on a kiddo.

Despite being childless, I amassed a library for my someday child, hoping against hope that that child would develop a love of reading similar to my own. While my son is only three years old, he already has a passion for books (and bookstores), preferring books over toys. When my son excitedly opens a book, I come alive inside, hoping that he will maintain his love of reading. The statistics say that it’s very likely that D. will lose interest in reading in later elementary school, but I’ve already built a library to help keep him interested, with popular series and multiple genres represented.

I was delighted to have the opportunity to consult some of my former clients and colleagues for a Care.com article listing books to inspire young readers. More importantly, this list is comprised solely of wordless picture books, so readers of all ages, levels and abilities will be able to enjoy the adventures and illustrations inside.

You can read my article on Care.com: 13 Wordless Picture Books to Inspire Your Child

If you’re wondering what I’ve been reading this past month, here are my favorites (I’ve been in a Sci-fi/Dystopian/Fantasy phase):

8 Ways to Build a Children’s Home Library On a Budget

2015/07 By Lauren B. Stevens 2 Comments

Books hold great importance in our family of avid readers, so creating a children’s home library was a given when I found out I was pregnant with my son.

Over the years I’ve discovered ways to support my voracious reading habit and build a nice book collection without putting a major dent in my wallet. Before I was pregnant with my first child, I began building a library of children’s picture books that I envisioned decorating the nursery and playroom (it helped that I had worked in bookstores and in children’s publishing). Some of my earliest and fondest memories involve the wonderful characters and worlds I visited through books. For my family, books make a house a home.

Once my son arrived, I realized that he needed an array of different books to keep his attention, as well as board books that he could handle (without the fear of him destroying them). I’ve built a children’s home library, comprised of 200+ titles, without spending a fortune and you can too. Here are 8 ways to build a children’s home library on a budget:

Baby Shower
If you’re expecting, a great way to get a start on a fabulous children’s picture book collection is to add a few to your registry or, better yet, have people give children’s books in lieu of cards. Birthdays and holidays are also great times to suggest books as gifts (instead of toys).

Used Book Stores
This is a given, but I wanted to point out that you can find great deals on children’s books at used book stores. I am lucky enough to live near a used book distributor, who does the majority of its business online, that has small retail space set up in its warehouse. I’m able to grab children’s books for $1 each, and if I buy five, I get one free. You never know what you’ll find; I picked up a signed copy of Skippyjon Jones for one dollar!

Library Sales
Most public libraries have a small section devoted to selling used books to raise funds year round, in addition to annual and semiannual large sales/book fairs. I scored big last year when my local library was selling used children’s books for $.25. Even if you’re not looking for anything in particular, it never hurts to browse the section while you’re visiting the library, you may just find a gem or two.

Ebay and half.com
I’ve been able to find some of my favorite childhood titles (Carolyn Haywood’s Betsy books) on eBay. And just this past Christmas, after checking out Merry Christmas, Maisy from the library, my son fell in love. Out of renewals, and with a 17-month-old asking for “Maisy!” all day, we searched everywhere for this book! Local bookstores didn’t carry it, so we checked online retailers – all were on backorder. In a bit of a panic, I finally found several used copies on half.com and, after a mix-up, we now own TWO copies of Merry Christmas, Maisy (for the price of one new)!

Yard Sales
Garage/yard sales may be one of the cheapest places to buy children’s books. People are looking to get rid of unused items and books often aren’t big sellers (trust me, I’ve tried selling mine at yard sales!). Because books aren’t big sellers, people price them to move at yard sales, which often means you can grab children’s books for a quarter or less. This isn’t the best way to buy children’s books if you have specific titles in mind, but you may come across an unexpected find.

Thrift Stores
Thrift stores are a great place to buy children’s books, as you never know what you’ll find! I’ve had great luck finding children’s holiday titles (Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving) at highly discounted rates. I LOVE holiday books because they are packed away for most of the year, which makes them special reads. Unpacking holiday decorations, and unearthing the holiday books, helps to build excitement for the season (some of my fondest holiday memories). I was able to pick up a few Halloween and Christmas titles last fall for $.10 each at my local thrift store.

And, my husband recently found a couple of vintage Star Wars board books to give to my son when he’s a little older; not only were they fun for my husband and myself to reminisce about, but they’ll make great books for my husband and son to bond over.

Bargain Book Sections
Most bookstores have a section for what are called bargain books. Bargain books are a combination of publisher overruns/overprints and budget publishing titles. These titles will be a little more expensive than the above options, and the selection not as great (budget publishing titles are definitely not award winners), but they’re new/unused books and it never hurts to take a look at what they have. If you care more about the story than the illustrations, then bargain book sections are a great place to find classic children’s stories.

Children’s Consignment Sales
The larger the sale, the better the selection. I’ve found many great books for our home library at biannual children’s consignment sales. If you’re super thrifty (like me), you grab your favorite/most sought after titles during the regular sale and then come back to browse the selection during the half-off sale time. Like a yard sale, people tend to price books to sell at these sales, often bagging multiple titles together (as books, again, aren’t typically highly sought after items) and offering an inexpensive price; I’ve typically purchased bags of four to six board books for $5 or less.

For our family, having an engaging and varied children’s home library is more important than toys. In fact, my son reaches for books before he reaches for toys! Building a nice children’s home library doesn’t have to cost a fortune, as long as you’re okay with used books and diving into mismatched bins and shelves from time to time. Toys come and go, but books create memories that last a lifetime.

What are some of your favorite ways/placed to find deals on children’s books?

5 Things I Learned from Bringing Up Bebé

2015/07 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

When I found out I was pregnant, shortly after making a huge out-of-state move for my husband’s company, I also found myself out of work. It was just one year after the publishing world collapsed and mass layoffs abounded; independent bookstores were closing at insane rates across the country, and big box store Borders abruptly closed all stores. I found myself going through multiple rounds of interviews with Philadelphia publishers…only to find that I didn’t get the positions. Here I was, with only a handful of years in the publishing industry, going up against publishing veterans with 10+ years of experience who were willing to take a pay cut and a position beneath their experience to remain in the industry they loved.

When my pregnancy test came out positive, I knew my days of serious job hunting were over. There was no way I could lie about my pregnancy and let’s face it, no one was really going to hire me if I disclosed my pregnancy, especially with the abundance of qualified applicants in the market. In an effort to bide my time and make a little money while pregnant, I took a part time job in a bookstore, working as a children’s book specialist.

The outer shelves of my section were filled with pregnancy and parenting books, and I came across an interesting title while shelving books in the section. That book was Bringing Up Bebé. As a soon-to-be parent, I was intrigued by this seemingly different parenting wisdom, so I grabbed a copy (well before it hit bestseller lists). I think Bringing Up Bebé was so popular is because it didn’t read like a parenting book, and the success of the “groundbreaking” ideas in Frenchwomen Don’t Get Fat were still resonating in America. The French were apparently doing life right, and we Americans wanted a piece of it.

If I’m honest, many of the ideas I gleaned from Bringing Up Bebé were forgotten in the throes of being a new parent, but quite a few resonated with me and “stuck”. I was delighted when the opportunity arose to write about a book that was a big part of my own pregnancy for Care.com!

You can read some of my thoughts in this piece, **5 Things I Learned From Bringing Up Bebé,** on Care.com.

*This post contains affiliate links.

What to Expect® When You’re Expecting: Bestseller Milestone!

2015/07 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

I’ve written about a myriad of parenting books, but have yet to write about great prenatal books…until now. What to Expect® When You’re Expecting was on my radar long before I even knew that I wanted children. It wasn’t because I owned a copy, though many of my girlfriends did, it was because I was a merchandising manager working in a bookstore. Each week, I would arrange the books on the bestseller list in the front shelves, and each week What to Expect® When You’re Expecting was on the list. The rank didn’t remain the same, so I found myself shuffling the title’s position on a weekly basis, but What to Expect® When You’re Expecting always remained in that top ten. What to Expect® When You’re Expecting has spent over six-hundred weeks (over ELEVEN YEARS) on the New York Times bestseller list; in fact, if you check the New York Times bestseller list this week, you’ll find that What to Expect® When You’re Expecting is on the list. Pretty impressive, eh?

So why does What to Expect® brand remain a top seller in pregnancy and childcare books? Timeless advice and continual word-of-mouth recommendations. If you come across a copy of What to Expect® When You’re Expecting from the 80s, and even the 90s, you’ll have a great laugh at the illustrations within. Moms wearing muumuu-type maternity wear will have you giggling throughout, but guess what? The advice will still be spot-on for your pregnancy. In fact, when I first told my closest girlfriend I was pregnant (about 10 minutes after getting my positive pregnancy test result), the first question she asked was whether she could buy me my (notice I used “my” instead of “a”) copy of What to Expect® When You’re Expecting — it’s a rite a passage.

When I finally married and became pregnant, What to Expect® When You’re Expecting became a nightly ritual for me. The anticipation of one’s first pregnancy is killer and I found myself rereading the same passages each night before bed. I wanted to know what was going on with my body, how my baby was developing, and the small asides in the books about all of the strange and fascinating things happening to my pregnant body. Dark nipples, heartburn of hellfire proportions, aches, pains and swollen ankles – all of these things (and more) were covered in What to Expect® When You’re Expecting.

I loved the What to Expect® brand so much that I purchased What to Expect® The First Year, just before my son was born. There I read about the fourth trimester and breastfeeding, and then read ahead to see what I could expect month to month. With an entire line of prenatal, postnatal and baby care books, with trusted advice, I can understand why the What to Expect® brand remains a top pick and why What to Expect® When You’re Expecting has been on the bestseller list for over 11 years.

I’m curious to know how many of you read What to Expect® When You’re Expecting during your first pregnancy! Chime in in the comments section below!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls, the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

*This post contains affiliate links.

The Baby Sleep Site: Express Sleep Plan for Tired Parents

2015/07 By Lauren B. Stevens 11 Comments

If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time, you know that I had an excellent experience sleep training with my son when he was 9 months old. I’ve said many, many times that the “training” part of sleep training was more for my husband and myself than it was for D. Sleep training also did not hinder breastfeeding one bit, in fact, D went on to breastfeed until he was 21 months old.

I won’t recap our entire situation because you can read about it HERE, but the short version is that I was exhausted and delirious from D waking every 2-3 hours at night and only napping in 20-30 minute clips throughout the day. I couldn’t concentrate, I became depressed, incredibly forgetful (to the point of being dangerous), and was often so overwhelmed by simple tasks that it brought me to tears.

After posting a plea for help and suggestions on my blog’s Facebook page, a local sleep consultant contacted me. After a phone consultation, I was convinced that she could help us, but money was extremely tight (as in, unbelievably tight because we hadn’t planned for me to stay at home with our son). Hiring a local sleep consultant who comes to your home is expensive, and we also had to wait for an appointment to get started. While I absolutely maintain that hiring a sleep consultant was the best investment we made in our son’s first year, I would have loved to have had a more affordable option. Enter the Baby Sleep Site.

The Baby Sleep Site offers a multitude of resources to help you understand and guide your little one into healthy sleep habits, including books, email and phone consultations. When the Baby Sleep Site contacted me to see if I would be willing to try out their Express Sleep Plan and share my thoughts with you, I was definitely interested. Intrigued by the thought of inputting information online and having a customized plan created for you – starting at $49 – I was excited to give it a go!

I began by creating a profile on the site, entering in perfunctory information such as my child’s age, nap routine, where he sleeps, what he eats (milk, formula, breastmilk, etc.), and his nighttime routine. From there, I went on to complete the sleep assessment that would be the basis for my customized plan.

While the Baby Sleep Site estimates that their Express Sleep Plan sleep assessment questionnaire will take around 15 minutes, it only took me 6 minutes to complete, so it’s definitely quick and relatively painless (apart from reliving the gory details of your little one’s sleep issues).

It’s important to note that the Express Sleep Plan is meant for babies who do not suffer from medical problems – it’s best to consult your pediatrician for guidance if there is an underlying health issue or if you suspect your little one may have a health concern.

The Express Sleep Plan also includes an option for your comfortability with your little one’s crying, ranging from not comfortable at all to being comfortable with your little one crying as long as you’re outside the room and are able to check on him.

After completing the assessment, the Baby Sleep Site then generated my customized Express Sleep Plan. You may be wondering what I would need with a sleep plan since a.) I already went through sleep training with D, and b.) D is almost three years old. Well, different ages and stages present sleep problems, and our current problem has been D not going to sleep for an hour or so after we put him to bed at night.

D still naps like a champ for two hours each afternoon, and his crankiness on the rare occasion that he misses a nap is an indicator that he’s not ready to give up his nap altogether. What the Express Sleep Plan helped me with is understanding that D’s “Nap Gap” is too short between waking in the afternoon and his bedtime.

In the initial assessment, I was able to input my ideal wake time and bedtime for D, which I now know needs to be tweaked – D’s been laying awake for an hour to an hour-and-a-half at night because there’s not enough of a gap between his afternoon nap and bedtime. Because I don’t want to push back his bedtime (I prefer a 6:30pm bedtime because it leaves the evening for my husband and myself), so I need to bump D’s wake time up to between 5:30-6am. I’m an early riser, so that’s not a problem (he typically wakes at 6:30am).

Because the Baby Sleep Site’s Express Sleep Plan gave a detailed schedule and an explanation about sleep for 2-3 year olds, I am easily able to adjust D’s schedule.

I must say that I’m pleasantly surprised by the amount of information the Express Sleep Plan provided, and definitely enjoy the convenience of inputting information and having a solid plan at my fingertips within a half hour’s time.

If you’re thinking about trying sleep training, or are looking for a more affordable option, you should absolutely take advantage of the Baby Sleep Site’s Express Sleep Plan! The best part is that you can start the road to sleep training in the middle of the night (if you wish), as everything is available with the click of a button.

For more information, visit the Baby Sleep Site at babysleepsite.com, or connect with them via social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

The Baby Sleep Site is sponsoring a giveaway for lo-wren readers with TWO winners! Click HERE to enter.

*I was provided access to an Express Sleep Plan, at no expense, in order to facilitate this sponsored post. All opinions are 100% my own.

How To Raise An Adult

2015/06 By Lauren B. Stevens 1 Comment

By now you know that I really enjoy parenting books, especially those dealing with the psychology of parenting (and early childhood). So many of my recent parenting reads have dealt with the toddler years, so it was refreshing to receive a review copy of former Stanford dean, Julie Lythcott-Haims’ How To Raise An Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success.

You might be wondering why I’m reading a book about raising and adult, with my son not yet three years old. The beauty of Lythcott-Haims’ book is that it applies to parents of babies through college students. It’s never too early — or too late — to tweak your parenting practices. Lythcott-Haims provides a bevy of research in How To Raise An Adult, but the research doesn’t bog down your reading because it’s presented in a conversational tone.

We’ve all heard the term helicopter parenting, but how many of us have ever explored how and why this parenting trend came about? I’ve often wondered, especially when I read articles reporting parents sitting in on their children’s job interviews or negotiating benefits packages for them, but I’ve never really explored the hows and whys (and knowing these can help me avoid becoming a helicopter parent). Lythcott-Haims provides a wonderful, research-backed, explanation of how the overparenting trend began. My favorite passage is something my husband and I have often laughed about when talking about childhood:

Look, today’s grandmothers were raised in completely different times. And they weren’t exactly watchful as parents. In fact between their smoke and drink-filled pregnancies, leaving us home alone while they were at work or out “finding themselves,” and record-setting divorce and remarriage rates, many of us who were born in the ’60s and ’70s fended for ourselves to an extent that today might be called neglect. (45)

Lythcott-Haims suggests that the overparenting trend may be in reaction to the laid-back approach our parents took towards parenting. I can’t say that I disagree, as she makes a solid case.

So, how does this relate to me, the parent of a toddler? Lythcott-Haims provides many examples of how overparenting ‘looks’, as well as illustrating how overparenting effects our children into adulthood. If we truly believe, as Lythcott-Haims says, that “One of the key life skills our children must develop…is the ability to live without us,” then we must do everything possible to avoid becoming helicopter parents (86).

So, why do so many women lose themselves in parenting? I’ve held this theory for a long time, and have even spoken about it, but Lythcott-Haims shares Psychotherapist Beth Gagnon’s take on this phenomenon: “Highly educated women pour their skills into parenting. They become experts at parenting in their mind” (121).

What is the key to nurturing your children and not crossing over the line into overparenting? Lythcott-Haims provides a beautifully simple mantra, developed by her friend, Stacey Ashlund. Are you ready for it?

first we do it for you,
then we do it with you,
then we watch you do it,
then you do it completely independently (166).

Brilliant! These are just a few of the many nuggets of parenting wisdom Julie Lythcott-Haims shares in How To Raise An Adult. A highly enjoyable read, I’ve learned a great deal from the research and examples provided in the book. If you’re interested in finding out more about raising your children for success without overparenting, pick up your copy today! How To Raise An Adult is available in bookstores, or you can purchase through my Amazon affiliate link HERE.

You can learn more about the book and glean useful parenting tips from HTRAA on Facebook and Twitter.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Anatomy of a Vacation: Three Acts

2015/06 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

You’ve been waiting for this family getaway for months, planning, packing and anticipating a few days of relaxation and family fun. You’ve packed your bags, checked your lists and have declared that your vacation is ready to begin!

ACT ONE: THE ROAD TRIP

You tumble into the car, the iPod queue is loaded and you’re off – woohoo!

Family sing-a-longs are the best! From the Frozen soundtrack to The Sound of Music, you’re all singing merrily, taking in the landscape that whizzes by outside the window.

Halfway through the Frozen soundtrack, your newly potty-trained toddler yells that he has to use the potty. This is something to be taken seriously, so you and your partner begin weighing your options: pull off on the side of the road (because that’s totally a right of passage) or try to make it to the next rest stop (Shit! Did you see any rest stop signs?). Just as you start to panic, you see that a rest stop is just two miles away (thank you potty fairies!).

Somewhere around hour four, you roll into your hotel’s parking lot and check in, road-weary and ready to crash in an air-conditioned room.

ACT TWO: THE STAY

You’re tired, but your toddler is just getting started, having stored up energy over your four-hour car ride. Your husband stays with the car while you attempt to check in; your toddler runs through the lobby like a Tasmanian Devil on Pixie Sticks.

Room keys in hand, you head back to the car to park and unload. The staggering amount of gear you have will require TWO trips from the car to the hotel. Said trip from parking garage is a hike, spanning two buildings, two elevator rides and several long hallways.

FINALLY, you can relax in the comfort of your hotel room.

Toddler proceeds to try out each bed and piece of furniture by jumping on them. Repeatedly.

In a misguided frugal attempt, you passed up the suite for the studio hotel room; this means that your toddler will punish you for not being able to sleep in his own room.

Give yourself a pat on the back for getting so much exercise on vacation – FitBit says that you’re a ROCKSTAR climbing floors! You’re momentarily crushed when you realize that your FitBit is reading your elavator rides. Womp-womp!

Your toddler’s anthem takes on a Beastie Boys theme: No. naps. ‘til home.

No naps means a wired munchkin constantly asking for adventures, even when you’ve just arrived at the hotel room after an all day adventure. Crying and hysterics commence (and it’s not just the toddler).

Stop checking FitBit sleep stats because it’s depressing and making you more tired than you already are.

By day three, you’re giving in to your toddler’s terroristic demands. Cookies for breakfast? Sure (I mean, how much worse could it get, right?).

Driving around the city for naps and nights, in an effort to get your little one to GO. TO. SLEEP. has logged almost as many miles as the trip out here.

Your reflexes are delayed, due to your increasingly fatigued state, which means your toddler has run into an open elevator at least once [without you].

By the end of your stay, caffeine no longer has any effect on you, well, except to make you even more tired.

ACT THREE: THE DRIVE HOME

You tiredly lug all of the crap you didn’t use and pack souvenirs (that you’ll be tripping over in no time) into your overstuffed car.

You slap a diaper onto your toddler a la Lisa Nowak – you’re not in the mood for any impromptu bathroom stops or accidents.

Toddler stages a sit-in on the hotel room floor, refusing to leave the room he has hated all week. You bribe your toddler with a sugary treat to get him to leave the room; you’ve broken all of your “no sugar” rules on this trip, so why not continue in the same vein?

Toddler proceeds to squirm and contort his body in an effort against being strapped into his car seat. You and your partner take turns “giving it a go” and you finally get the no longer non-violent protestor secured into his seat.

Sweaty from the car seat battle, you and your partner climb into the front seats and blast the AC to cool down.

First stop is for coffee. Bucketloads of coffee, bathroom stops be damned! Must have coffee to make it home.

You set off down the highway, the quiet atmosphere in stark contrast to the jovial singing on the way there. Your toddler falls asleep for his first nap of the week, just five minutes from the hotel.

Once it becomes evident that the coffee is not working, you turn on the radio to YOUR station – First Wave on XM – and are surprised to find that you, once again, relate to the melancholic sounds of The Smiths and the Cure – the anthem of your youth (the lack of sleep is making you weepy).

Your drive home takes an hour and a half longer, as every other family has decided to pick this day to come home. As you’re inching forward in traffic, your toddler begins screaming – GET. ME. OUT. OF. THIS. CHAIR. You begin to panic, as much as your dulled senses will allow, when you realize you still have over an hour left until you reach home.

In a stroke of genius, you remember that there is a kid-friendly movie downloaded on the iPad for such emergencies! You have another 45 minutes of silence before the screaming commences. You pull of your exit and can’t believe your luck – not a single red light on the way to the house!

You unload the car and the kiddo only to find that the small rash that appeared on his face that morning has turned into an angry red galazy, stretching across his entire face, forehead and behind his ears.

You give the toddler a quick bath and check Google to see if any Urgent Cares are open (it’s now 7:30pm on a holiday). Score! You drag your toddler into the Urgent Care and are relieved to find out that his throat won’t close during the night, but a little alarmed to find out that said rash might be the start of Hand, Foot and Mouth.

Exhausted, you climb back into the car and call the friend you had spent the last day with, warning her to look out for signs of HFM with her own kids.

Exhausted, you arrive home and your toddler beams the biggest of smiles at you and tells you that he loved the adventures of the past few days. You fall into bed with a warm heart, the vow you made to never vacation again [until the toddler is 18] is already slipping away…

Finis

How to Recognize Reflux in Babies

2015/06 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

Your baby cries during and after feedings … and is still crying despite being fed, changed, rocked and cuddled. Could reflux the culprit? Reflux in babies is hard to detect.

Here are some signs to look for to determine if you might want to explore the possibility of reflux with your child’s pediatrician:

What Is Reflux?
Reflux — gastroesophogeal reflux (GERD) — is a condition in which the contents of the stomach come up after a feeding and are acidic enough to irritate or damage the lining of the esophagus, according to Mayo Clinic. Reflux is “the most common esophageal disorder in children of all ages,” says Jo Ann Serota, a long-time pediatric nurse practitioner and a lactation consultant in Ambler, Penn.

She defines it as the “backward movement of gastric contents across the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) into the esophagus.” It occurs, she says, because “the LES may be too relaxed to keep the stomach contents in the stomach.” With babies, says Serota, “breast milk or formula escapes from the stomach, via this sphincter, up the esophagus (regurgitation), causing a painful, burning sensation.”

What Are the Symptoms?
Some common signs of reflux in babies, according to Colette Acker, a lactation consultant and the executive director of The Breastfeeding Resource Center, are:

Your baby arches her back during feedings.
Your baby comes on and off the breast and/or cries during feedings.
Your baby often cries after feedings.

Your baby may also experience a dry cough after feeds or sound congested, Acker says, adding that in more extreme cases of reflux, a baby may limit his intake because it’s uncomfortable to be full, and he may start losing weight. Or, she notes, “Some babies may act like nothing is wrong, and mom gets a shock at the next pediatric weight check.”

Serota notes these additional signs:

Your baby is irritable, especially during or after feedings.
Your baby chokes or gags during or after feedings.
Your baby refuses to feed.
Your baby fails to thrive or doesn’t gain weight.

Serota adds that infants can also display signs of sleep apnea (breathing pausing during sleep), stridor (noisy breathing) or respiratory problems like lower airway disease (a respiratory problem of the lower airways caused by RSV, a virus).