Can't Get Enough of Baby Birth Stories?

Then you need to check out Every Baby Has a Story! This slick, interactive site sponsored by the March of Dimes has tons of birth stories from celebrities moms & dads, along with everyday parents just like you. About 1,175 stories have been posted thus far, so there's no shortage of thrilling, amusing and touching tales that celebrate the miracle of babies. Check it out today.

Book Review: Itty Bitty Nursery

If you don't knit now, you'll want to learn after paging through Itty Bitty Nursery by Susan B. Anderson. This book is a delightful collection of adorably whimsical baby gear knitting projects and an excellent follow-up to Itty Bitty Hats, which is chock full of the cutest little children's hats you've ever seen.

I had the pleasure of meeting Susan at a book signing at my local knit shop and she brought along several sample items for this book and her upcoming book. All of her projects are achingly cute, usable and full of fanciful little touches, but unlike many knitting books I've encountered, these projects are achievable. You don't need to be a master knitter with decades of free time on your hands to create your own mini-masterpiece. One of the very first projects is a hat/sweater/booties set composed entirely of squares, which is often a beginner's first foray into learning how to knit. If you're experienced (a-hem), you'll appreciate the more intricate crib mobile, complete with flowers and charming little pastel mouses. Did you ever think you could knit a crib mobile for your little one? Me neither, at least not until now. Seriously, this book is one of the best baby knit books on the market today.

Books for New Moms

My sister's coworker is about 4 months pregnant with her first child and asked me to send her a list of required reading about babies. Here is what I came up with!


What to Expect the First Year by Heidi Murkoff
A comprehensive guide to Baby's first year. Huge, but helpful to have on hand.

The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr Harvey Karp
The BEST book on how to soothe a baby. Crucial advice for the first few weeks especially because the baby will need lots of soothing. Can't recommend it enough!

The Expectant Father by Armin A. Brott
This is a book about pregnancy and birth geared towards husbands. Good for the pregnant lady to read too--it had some stuff in it that I hadn't read before.

The Mother of all Pregnancy Books by Ann Douglas
In case she hasn't read all the preggo books yet, this is a good one. Better than reading the more bulky & overwhelming What to Expect When You're Expecting.

Funny But True Books...

Baby Laughs by Jenny McCarthy
A humorous take on Jenny's experiences after her baby was born. Belly Laughs (about pregnancy) is good too. Both are very fast, easy reading.

Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor
Hilarious. She might appreciate this book more after Baby has been around for awhile, but it's quite funny.

My own best advice to a pregnant lady...

1) Expect to feel really weird emotionally for several months after the baby is born. Lots of highs and lots of lows. EVERYONE goes through this, even if they don't want to admit it and try to tell you they felt nothing but bliss and fulfillment! You will probably feel more anxiety than you would normally, but this is nature's way of making sure that mommy is vigilant in taking care of her baby.

2) Sleep! Forget about cleaning or email or entertaining visitors and just sleep whenever your baby is sleeping. Period. I wish I had listened more when people told me this.

3) You'll probably get a ton of 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes at your baby shower or as random gifts. If you have gift receipts, put some clothes aside to exchange for 6-9 and 12+ month clothes. Baby will grow ultra-fast in the first few months and will most likely wear an outfit once or twice before it's outgrown. Definitely exchange anything that has complicated closures or ties, if you can.

4) Nursing is great and it's free but not every mommy-baby pair can do it successfully. About 70% of women start out nursing, but only 30% are exclusively nursing at 3 months and only 11% are after 6 months. (2004 data from the CDC). So please don't feel beat yourself up if it doesn't work out for you, because you're certainly not alone.

5) A baby is "a marvelous gift, a magnifying glass from God who reveals for us a more complex and wondrous world" (Lindley Shutz) so have fun in all the little moments with your new arrival!!

Early Pregnancy Excuses for Sobriety

Are you newly pregnant, but not quite ready to explain to your friends that you're not interested in drinking for two? Here are some helpful hints on how to keep your pregnant status secret in a social drinking situation.



1) Mocktails

This can be a bit tricky because you might not want anyone to witness you ordering a near-beer or a tequila-free margarita, but it can work fine if you can go up to the bar by yourself.

2) Fake it

A regular Coke looks the same as a Jack & Coke. Same thing for 7-Up and a vodka tonic. Or try ordering a water at the same time as a real drink, just sip the water instead.

3) Double up

Order the same drink as your spouse and let him double-fist it. Why not let him have a little extra fun since you're stuck being the designated driver anyway.

4) Be a supportive friend

Hang out with other obviously pregnant ladies or recovering alcoholic friends and share in their non-drinking status to show your "support".

5) The old imaginary illness trick

No one can drink if they're taking antibiotics or cold medicine! Invent a fake illness accordingly, but try not to get too creative. The run of the mill sinus infection or migraine will do.

Book Review: Buy, Buy Baby

Buy, Buy Baby by Susan Gregory Thomas is a book written by a mom with young kids to inform other parents about how today's consumer culture has evolved, how the machine of marketing works to manipulate consumers and why we should care about it. The author uses common-sense language to discuss recent and relevant research about the effects of media, screen-time, advertising and general consumer culture on our children. I was shocked to realize how these corporations are using and often funding the latest research in child development in order to sell things directly to babies and toddlers.

Thomas also delves into how babies learn, what they really see when they watch the TV and what it takes for a program or toy to be truly educational. It all boils down the fact that background television and active TV watching erode the ability of a child to focus on active play--and play is the work of children. Creative, open-ended play with blocks or the like is how kids build the foundations for further learning and problem-solving as they grow into adulthood.

In summary, this was an engrossing, thorougly readable and eye-opening book. Before I read Buy, Buy Baby, I thought that babies and toddlers watching TV was no big deal because I was raised with TV too--but I've changed my mind.

Eating Solids?

Is your child ready for solid foods but you need some tablewear yet? Bored with the offerings at Target, etc.? Try out IKEA's new children's tablewear selections. Right now they're offering the delighful MATA, a 4-piece froggy dinnerware set, for only $2.99. At that price, pick up a few extras for Christmas gifts. Could you use more utensils? Try KALAS, an 18- piece cutlery set, for a mere $1.99.

MOTHERS Act for PPD Support

Every year, 8000 American women suffer from postpartum depression (PPD) and only 15 percent of these women actually receive any treatment or assessment for it. Pretty incredible, huh? To raise awareness, there will be a national blog action day on October 24th in support of the MOTHERS Act--The Moms Opportunity to Access Help, Education, Research and Support for Postpartum Depression Act.

To show your support for the MOTHERS Act, contact your senator next Wednesday and let him or her know that we American women need this bill to pass! We absolutely need the help and support of our lawmakers to get this bill approved.

Mark your calendars now! The blog action day is hosted by Postpartum Support International, BlogHer and Postpartum Progress.

Ticket Crazy Mommies

The hottest ticket in the Twin Cities right now is for Miley Cyrus' Hannah Montana tour at the Target Center next Sunday. According to the Star Tribune article "Miley Mania Makes Moms Hoppin' Mad", this show is the "most in-demand ticket since the 1991 World Series" but angry parents can't seem to get any seats via the usual methods: Ticketmaster and waiting in line at the box office. All of this mania is bringing issues about ticket sales and distribution to the forefront--exactly where do all those tickets go when they seemingly sell out the instant they go on sale? To get us decent seats to see Gwen Stefani last June, my sister joined Gwen's online fan club for access to pre-sale tickets. I've read that nearly half of all available tickets are commonly set aside for fan club members.

On a related note, I was blown away at how many kids were at the Gwen Stefani concert with their moms. Maybe it was because I was 9 months pregnant at the Gwen concert and had baby on the brain! There were tons of pre-teen girls there, with at least one mom in tow. Surprising to me, considering I would've rather died than be seen with my mom anywhere at that age. But I guess you must make some sacrifices for Gwen!

Cutest Baby Halloween Costume

Isn't this crazy cute for your little crawler? Not going to work with the stroller, but definitely adorable. Only $29.99 at Amazon.com.

Picky Eating: Like Father, Like Son?

According to a fascinating article in the New York Times, Picky Eaters? They Get it From You, the tendency to fear new foods (neophobia) is 78 percent genetic and 22 percent environmental. Kind of interesting when you reflect on your own childhood. I had a great fear for any and all breakfast foods besides cereal and I avoided the almighty potato like the plague, for some reason. My mother recalls a great distaste for potato pancakes. Not quite the same thing that this article is addressing, but experts do encourage parents to continue introducing a new food to a neophobe child from 5-14 days. Sheesh! I'm guessing after the first few rejections, only the most hardliner could resist ceasing and desisting.

Instead of giving up, Jessica Seinfeld (yes, Jerry Seinfeld's wife) just figured out undetectable ways to add heathly veggies into existing recipes. She wrote a book about it called "Deceptively Delicious" and I seriously think I want to read this one! Has anyone out there tried these recipes and are willing to let us know the results? I've also heard about this book: "The Sneaky Chef" by Missy Chase Lapane, and I'm sure I'll be scouring the library for it soon enough. Your thoughts?

What Not to Register For

There really is tons of advice out there for moms-to-be on what to register for, so I thought I'd throw my hat into the ring with a very subjective list of the less-than-necessary items you can feel free to leave off your registry.

Diaper bag
Who among us does not already own a large purse or tote bag? You really can just throw a changing pad, diapers, wipes case, extra clothes and a bottle (if you need it) into whatever tote you deem appropriate.

Baby shoes
Pretty impractical and usually expensive, especially considering that babies don't even walk. Nearly completely useless for summertime newborns. I submit to you slippers as an alternative. Your child's feet will stay warm and they can get used to wearing something shoe-like for later.

Hooded towels
Good luck getting the hood on your Slippery When Wet baby's head. Plus, I found that baby towels in general aren't very thick or absorbent. A regular ol' adult towel provides better coverage for your rapidly growing baby anyway.

Baby bathrobes
See above about the hooded towel. They may be cute, but you can skip the middleman here. Babies aren't hanging out around the house in their robes and diapers. They go straight from bath, into towel, into clothes.

Bassinet
I say save your money and invest in a pack-n-play instead. Pack-n-plays are ultra-portable for those nights away from home and usually come with a changing table attachment. Brilliant! And your baby will only fit in a bassinet for a few months, at most. The pack-n-play will be useful for a couple of years.

Bottle warmer
Really, putting your bottle in a pitcher of warm water will suffice and it doesn't take any more time.

Diaper genie/diaper pail system
A plain covered trash can will do the job here. There no need for "freshening" cartridges or anything. Just take out the trash as needed.

Changing table
In reality, you can change your child's diaper just as easily on the floor, the bed or a couch if you have a simple changing pad, etc. There's no need if you have a pack-n-play with a changing table attachment, either.

Book Review: "Woman First, Family Always"

"Woman First, Family Always" by Kathryn Sansone promises simple ideas and basic concepts behind living a balanced, organized and fulfilling life from a "happily married mother of 10". I really wanted to love this book but I thought it lacked realism, honesty and substance. I cruised through this book very quickly--the author doesn't do much but scratch the surface on a lot of things I would've loved to hear about. For instance, just how does she get laundry done for 10 kids every week? What job does her husband have so they can afford 10 kids to begin with? Where are the concrete facts on how she really gets all these people out the door in the morning? How many bathrooms do they have?? Really, her editors should've insisted on further detail because it doesn't add up--how can one person have enough time to maintain a neat and well-decorated home, chauffeur a bunch of kids to activities and sports, have date nights with the hubby, volunteer, daily workouts, manicures, etc. I suspect that she enlists her older kids to take deal with the grunt work of daily living just like my Grandma used to do with her 7 kids.

On the other hand, I really admired the author's general message about taking care of yourself and your relationship with your spouse first, so that your family has a truly strong foundation. It's true that sometimes when we get married, we forget how important our close friendships are--not to mention nurturing our own sense of self or cultivating a fulfilling marriage. She was careful to remind the reader that every normal family has a cycle of ups and downs, no matter how organized or spiritual the family members are--a critical notion to hold onto when the circumstances of life seem a bit hard to take.

Baby, You Oughta Be in Pictures!

Does your baby have what it takes to strut his or her stuff on the catwalk of baby product merchandising fame and glory? Sure, everyone thinks that their baby is the cutest ever, but now you can find out if yours will really make the cut. "America's Next Top Baby Model"?? Hey, sign me up!

Gap Casting Call
Fisher Price Baby Be a Star!

J Lo, Let Us Know?

According to Yahoo, Jennifer Lopez's mom has apparently confirmed her pregnancy with twins. You can read Celebrity Baby Blog's take on it here. They're stating that J Lo is already about 4 months along! So, why hasn't she or her husband, Marc Anthony, confirmed it yet? In reality, they have officially denied the pregnancy as recently as a few weeks ago. They are hardly the only celebrities to take this stance towards the blessed event (Christina Aguilera is due in January, and has yet to announce her pregnancy) but they're definitely getting the lionshare of media coverage about it.

When did you announce your pregnancy to the world at large? A lot of women wait until the end of their first trimester, when risk of miscarriage drops significantly. Others don't say anything and let their bump do the talkin'--the J Lo approach?? I waited until I was about 5 months along before I told my coworkers, but most of the people close to me found out much sooner. I couldn't just refuse a glass of wine from a friend without a valid explanation, of course! Many casual observers didn't even realize I was pregnant until my third trimester, however. All due to my long torso and a small baby, no doubt.

Welcome!

This blog is dedicated to all mothers, especially for moms and moms-to-be in their 20's and 30's. Here you will find fun articles, book and product reviews, web links, information on new trends and products for you and your baby--all accompanied by my own thoughts about being a modern first-time mama. I hope you enjoy it!