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So…Nick and I are having an ongoing discussion on whether or not it is tacky to do a baby registry & shower for the second baby. I’ve always heard that you should do that only if the second one is a large age gap from the first and you’ve gotten rid of all of your baby items. He thinks that is completely stupid. And, well, I can’t say I disagree with him.

Yes, I planned on having a second child and kept pretty much everything from Anthony, excluding the stuff that was out of season, didn’t fit, didn’t like, etc. but I have the MAJOR stuff already. But I feel like it is unfair for the second baby to not be celebrated.

I’m not expecting lavish presents or even anything at all but I would still like to have a shower to celebrate the start of his life. I figure I’ll do a registry for the stuff I don’t have and learned is pretty darn cool along the way (dirty diaper duck bags or a stroller shade clip-on come to mind).

What do you think, should the second, third, forth, etc child be celebrated with a shower and possibly a registry?

Who knew it would be so hard to come up with another boy name. You see, I always figured I would get one of each so never worried about coming up with another name. Not sure why I assumed that it would happen this way or if I really wanted it to happen (1 of each) but that was just my assumption. I guess we all know what ASSuming does for ya. lol

So know I’m on a quest for another boy’s name. Anthony was easy you see, because I liked that name since 7th grade and Nick liked it too. Bam! Done.

That leaves me with MJB for a name at the moment, otherwise known as Mexican Jumping Bean. This little guy is on steroids or something since he can KICK something fierce already. He especially loves to kick his big brother when we are snuggling. Sibling love starts early I suppose

The top contenders we have at the moment are Carmine and Vincent. Yea in case you didn’t notice Italian pride is running strong over here. It needs to flow nicely with Anthony since they’ll be said together about a million and a half times I’m sure and well, sound good when I’m yelling it at the top of my lungs. No sense picking a name you can’t stand to here loudly and often.

Meaning of Carmine: Song
Origin: Latin

The Italian form of Carmel. Occasionally used from 1900 to 1973. Returned to the popularity chart in 2005 after a long absence. Fans of the television sitcom “Laverne and Shirley,” that aired from 1976 to 1983, will remember character Carmine Ragusa. Popular among Italian families.

Meaning of Vincent: Prevailing
Origin: Latin

An enduring name that started with the early Christians. Historically, Dutch painter Vincent van Goh and French priest, St. Vincent de Paul, come to mind. Actor Vince Vaughn uses the short form of the name.

Need some help figuring out the perfect name for you? Besides checking out the variety of baby name books that are on the market, also do a search online. I’ve been using Parents.com baby name search but keep in mind it is a trifle slow.

What would you or did you name your darling and why?

I’ve learned a lot about baby “stuff” since Anthony was born - specifically what I like, what I don’t, and what I can put up with. Which brings me to crib shopping for boy #2.

Anthony will be 22 months when the second one is born and pending any abrupt changes in his attitude he will still be in his crib. You see, he has no desire to try to climb out (knock on wood) and still has his mattress on #3 of the 4 settings available. In fact, he still has his bumper in his crib because he likes to cuddle up in the corner and I figure why make him bonk his head if he doesn’t have too. He is, at this point of his life, a model crib citizen. So…why should I remove him from when we are both happy where he is and put him in a toddler bed just so his bed can go to his brother? Maybe it runs in the family or something (his cousin was 5 before she moved to a regular twin bed), the desire to be happy in the crib, but I’m not rocking the boat.

Drop-side Crib

Knowing what I know now about cribs I would have never of chosen the one I did for Anthony. I bought it because we didn’t have a lot of money to spend at that point (still really don’t but I have certain priorities now) and it had good reviews on various websites. It is a cherry colored drop-side crib that I bought at Walmart. I can’t remember the manufacturer but I would not recommend this crib to other people. When we first assembled it, I left it to air out in the babies room for a week before I even brought Anthony near it! The smell alone could have embalmed the kid. Not to mention I hate the drop-side! It could be because the crib was cheap but I have to mash my knee…heck my whole body against it to get it to go down so if I forget to put it down before he falls asleep, there is no quiet, easy way to get it down. And once he is in the crib, pulling it up and snapping the side into place makes a ton of noise and I always hold my breath if he does happen to be sleeping.

Drop-gate Crib

Maybe it’s just crib envy or something. My girlfriend has a drop-gate crib and loves it. In fact it’s been in use for 8 years now (between her and her sister) and it is still going strong! Yea you could say it is well loved with teething marks in the rail sides but other than that there is no indication of age. The gate works wonderfully and gives you just enough play to put the baby in the crib without killing yourself bending over and it doesn’t make much noise when it snaps into place.

Need additional information on the difference in crib styles? Check out the FAQ from Baby’s Dream printed below:

The drop-gate is a small portion of the top front side that can be let down to access your child without moving the whole front. Benefits of the drop-gate:

• This is a patented mechanism that has a beveled construction that prevents finger pinching and
• The design requires both latches to be engaged/disengaged simultaneously, thereby refraining small children to access the baby.
• The drop-gate front is also very quiet and lets you access your child without creating the noise of the entire front moving up and down.
• Can be converted into 3 different stages: a crib, toddler bed (no additional purchases required) and an adult, full-sized bed (bed rails required).

A drop-side crib does not have a gate, instead the whole front side moves up and down. The benefits of the drop-side crib:

• Can be converted into a toddler bed. (Additional guard rail purchase suggested)
• Designed with cost savings in mind
• All drop-side cribs have two-step locking system. This construction requires the front frame be lifted as the lower rail is being pushed releasing the spring guide to disengage the frame.
• All drop-side cribs accommodate optional bottom drawers for extra storage

No-moving Parts Crib

Of course, they are now offering the cribs that have no moving parts with sides that do not move at all. I’m still trying to wrap my brain around these. I worry on how you would get your baby safely inside it without dropping them. I don’t feel like I am overly tall or short (I’m 5′3) but I feel like this crib must be for tall people. They do, afterall, have more height to be able to get them over the side of the crib and able to lean down. I tried testing it out with a baby doll in Toys R Us and it still didn’t work out for me. I’m glad it wasn’t a real baby since they would have felt rather uncomfortable being dropped the distance to the mattress. One of the employees there even said that shorter women are buying stools to use to give them the extra boost, which just seems like an extra scary step to me. Who wants to try to climb onto a stool with an infant and then lower them into a crib!? NOT ME!

Keep in mind these are all my opinions and you may (and probably will) have different results/opinions than I do, but I think I will be going with a drop-gate crib for the second baby.

Did this help you out at all? Just wait! I plan on putting up a review of online retailers with cost, shipping, etc to help others out to save them some footwork if I can!

If you have any good tips or suggestions, please feel free to post and help us muddle through crib shopping together.

Well…. I’m still stroller shopping! I think it’s worse than buying a house. LOL. I just found a great deal on the brand new P&T’s Sport with toddler seat though. Let’s go Strolling is offering it for $399 with the toddler seat attachment (normally $89) so that’s a significant savings. One of my girlfriend’s has an older model and says it works great for her and that she just “test drove” the latest Sport model and loves it. She took her son and a girlfriend’s son on a couple mile hike through Myakka and both kids had a blast and there were no complaints from either of them! (They are around 15 mo if that helps anyone.)

I think this may work great for us since Anthony is in a walking stage right now but he’ll still get to ride if he wants. And since he’ll only be 22 months with #2 shows up he’ll need to ride more than walk, even if he disagrees with me. AND I can get it in RED! That it my favorite color even though lime is rather tempting. I just think I would get sick of that shade sooner than I would of the stroller.

Check it out and see for yourself if it works for you! Don’t forget this is a limited offer so don’t ponder too long or you won’t be able to get this good deal.

From Lets Go Strolling’s website:

“Bestselling Phil and Ted’s E3 has been upgraded to the beautiful Sport Buggy - a fantastic double jogger which is narrow, lightweight and steers beautifully even with two children.

Smallest, lightest all-terrain on the market. Works great outside or in the mall. Gives you the flexibility to use the same stroller for one or 2 children!

Read more…

In celebration of Babies Online’s 10 year anniversary we are giving away free pregnancy wristbands to all expectant mommies in the U.S! This trendy bracelet can also alert emergency personnel to your pregnancy status if you are not able to communicate after an accident. Help us celebrate 10 wonderful years by requesting your free wristband today!

Get yours now…

I just found out one of my friends is pregnant (ok well his wife is lol) and I compiled this list for them of essentials. I think I have an old one posted but this is after 9 mo of experience under my belt. I know I’ve left some stuff off but I figured I’d post it to help others out.
Here is a list of essentials that I’ve come up with. Some I didn’t get but since have realized the value!

1. A video monitor! I didn’t get one and am constantly running in at every little noise but my gf did and she can just roll over and look at the screen to see what her little guy is doing.

2. If you don’t go with the whole travel system concept (stroller and baby car seat that can clip onto it) get a convertible car seat. This type can be used for longer and saves you some $ in the end. I didn’t even know of these until about a month ago but I wish I had gotten this option.  Basically it does both rear and forward facing so you can use it up to roughly 40 lbs (which is a coupla yrs).

3.  Gerber puffs when the little one reaches around 6-7 mo of age. They melt in their mouths so they aren’t a chocking hazard and lets them learn dexterity and self-feeding.

4. Bag for toys that attaches to the stroller handle. It keeps underneath free for other stuff and keeps the toys handy when you guys are roaming around.  You can get them at Wal-mart for like $5.

5. Use eBay, consignment shops and craigslist.org to find stuff!

6. Try to borrow a swing before buying one. Apparently a lot of kids hate them. Anthony didn’t really care for it.

7. The Johnny-jump-up that hangs from the door frame is a godsend and about $15 - $25.

8. Huggies newborn diapers for boys suck! Major leaking hazard!!

9. Get a pad to put under them for when you are changing their diapers. I bought oversized lap-pads that are absorbent in case they try to pee on ya and they are great for explosive #2 diapers. *only needed if you don’t go with the changing table and use the floor or bed instead.

10. Join pampers.com baby club. They send you coupons for wipes and diapers. Target and Publix also have them.

11. If you register for stuff on Target’s website they only give you 3 mo after your babyshower to return stuff. So if you get something for when the little one is 6 mo old and didn’t use it, it’s a big hassle when you try to return stuff unless you have a receipt. I figured they’d give you a yr but NOOOO.

The pediatrician has given me the go-ahead to put Anthony is a forward facing car seat. He has reached the correct weight, but more importantly he is currently touching the back of the seat with his feet in his infant rear-facing seat. And honestly I’m worried that, god forbid, we should get into an accident he could seriously hurt himself. So! I’m on the look out - ANY advice would be appreciated!!

The two that I am considering at this point are the Britax Regent and the Sunshine Kid Radian.

Post a comment with pros, cons, and any suggestions you have! Thanks!!!

Vitamin D in Pregnancy Protects Against Autoimmune Disease

Posted April 17, 2007

Taking vitamin D during pregnancy can help prevent the development of diseases later in the unborn child’s life, according to Armin Malter of Germany’s Professional Association of Gynaecologists. “The latest studies show that vitamin D can aid the immune system and help prevent autoimmune conditions such as diabetes and thyroid problems,” says Malter. Malter says pregnant women are likely to have a deficiency of vitamin D as their unborn child develops in the womb. Pregnant women should eat foods high in vitamin D such as fatty fish like salmon and tuna. Milk and eggs also contain high levels of the vitamin. Vitamin D can easily be obtained from sunlight. “Pregnant women should make sure they get enough sunlight to increase production of vitamin D,” advises Malter. However, the body’s skin does become more sensitive during pregnancy and excessive sun bathing should be avoided. Only use vitamin D supplements that contain the daily recommended dosage. Taking too much of the vitamin can lead to nausea, vomiting and in the worst case to an irregular heart beat.

Copyright 2007 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH

So I’m sure a lot of you are wondering where to get baby stuff inexpensively. There is always the standard www.ebay.com, yahoo’s auction site and www.overstock.com. Another fantastic suggestion is to check on Craigslist. You can find local people that are selling all sorts of stuff like bouncy seats, walkers, clothing, cribs, etc. Sure it is normally used but you can check it out and see if it for you before purchasing. And since it is local you don’t have to pay shipping, etc. I sold some maternity clothing that way and am purchasing a collapsible walker (which normally runs around $60-$100) for a whopping $18.

So…. we all had to do it, although not as much fun as shopping for baby clothes. That’s right! Shop for maternity wear. I don’t know about you and the area you live in but I had a hard time finding clothing I wanted to wear! I may not be completely hip and up-to-date on all the trends (mainly bc they don’t fit my body type or my budget lol) but come on! I don’t want to look frumpy either.

Enter my solutions! Consignment shops and Goodwill were hit and I found a few items there. I wandered into Walmart and Target and found a very itty bitty section to choose from, but still managed to snag a few tanktops and capri pants. Anything to make it through the FL summer time at the end of the pregnancy.;) I tried shopping online through places like babycenter.com, etc but they were just a little too expensive for me.

See let me fill you in a bit for you to understand my hesitation to spend a lot on maternity wear. I found out I was pregnant at 5 months. Yes, I was one of those girls that didn’t have symptoms.. Anywho! I had roughly 3 weeks of excitement to run around and be thrilled before I was put on bedrest for the duration. So my thoughts were why spend a lot of $$ on something you are going to wear for a couple of months while laying on the stupid couch. (For the record, I still hate my couch but that’s for another post lol)

After my limited success shopping in stores and now being on bedrest I turned to the internet. It certainly helped my through my endless days of laying on my side and looking at the same things over and over and over again. I logged into eBay and found some great bargains! Even some NWOT (new with out tags) and NWT (new with tags) items!! YIPPIE!

My eBaying tips:

- Shop for lot items. You can a larger selection of items for less
- Don’t be afraid. In the past I’ve had problems with receiving my items, simply open up a PayPal dispute and 9 out of 10 times you get a full refund.
- Resell the items you don’t like/didn’t fit