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I heard about this about a year ago and had forgotten about this “remedy” until recently when Anthony was sick. “What?”, you say. If your child has a cold and/or cough rub vick’s vapor rub on their feet and then put socks on. It’ll help relieve the cough. It sounds rather kooky but when you have a toddler coughing up a storm in the middle of the night you’re game for anything. Well, I can say I tried it and it works! I understand the principal of why but am still rather amazed. The skin on your feet is very thin and easily absords what is applied to it, therefore making it easy for the vicks to “do it’s thing”. I don’t understand why it seems to help more being applied to their feet than their chest though.

I’m contemplating applying it to Vince’s feet to see if that helps with his stuffiness. Unfortunately, he caught his brother’s cold, mainly because Anthony loves him so much he wouldn’t stop kissing all over him when he was sick. Vince is a tad young to be using the Vick’s Babyrub (he’s only 2 mo and they recommend 3) but he is “large” for his age so I think I may give it a try. I was using eucalyptus in the warm humidifier but we ran out of it tonight and I’d like him to sleep!

Wow it’s been a bit since I’ve posted but I bet you’ll forgive me I hope. Life has been a bit out of control recently. Anthony has gotten a cold and has reverted to being ungodly clingy. I feel for my munchkin, I really do, but boy is it hard to deal with a clingy toddler and a newborn. Feeding one, while snuggling the other has brought motherhood to a whole new art form. So far (seriously knocking on wood) I’ve managed to avoid the cold although I do feel like I’m holding it off by a thread.

What do you do to make a (almost) 2 yr old feel better? I really don’t want to dope him up on drugs if I can avoid it and now he knows he can spit them out so I have no option in that.

I’ve ordered several cloth diapers and covers from Swaddlebees and they just shipped so we’ll see how that goes.

My girlfriend also posted on DiaperSwappers.com asking the women on there for suggestions and lo-and-behold but one of them worked! Thanks mamas!!! We are putting a onesie on underneath his footie all-in-one pjs and so far it is working. This is the 3rd night doing so and he has not wet the bed since. HOWEVER, he is not sleeping as well as he was when he could “comfort” himself to sleep but hopefully things get better.

I will also be purchasing some 100% cotton footie pjs from The Children’s Place (the Monster Sale is currently taking place too - bonus!) per the same GF to try. She says they aren’t super stretchy, like my current ones are.

Recently I came across a website that helps caregivers receive money back on certain products - if they keep their receipts and turn them in by a certain date. Huggies, Pullups and Overnights are on there so I was thinking “score”! Unfortunately the only approved retail location in my area is Kmart and they are no where near my normal stomping ground I’ll keep checking back to see if they add any more stores in my area.

Be sure to check out the site and see if it works for you!

Yesterday, I ordered several crib pads from Target.com on the suggestion of a friend. One of them has ties that go around the four corners of the bed and snaps into place for easy night changes and the other type is just a pad that you lay on top of the sheet. I’ll let you know if either of these work better for us than the other.

Also, the past two nights we’ve put him in a 2-piece jammie set that allows him easy access and two nights ago he did wet himself but not as bad and last night he didn’t at all! We’re using the Huggies Overnights with this setup. Maybe this will be the solution that I’ve been searching for until he finds something else interesting to do at night.

It seems he plays with himself out of comfort and I know he is stressed right now with the new baby so we shall see how this all plays out. I’m just glad to know there may be a light at the end of the tunnel, since one of the moms I spoke with said her son stopped after four months.

Here’s a link of other parents discussing the same issues with their kids. Good luck!

In case you missed this, a 10-year old boy died from fluid in his lungs known as dry drowning.

Boy’s death highlights a hidden danger: Dry drowning
The tragic death of a South Carolina 10-year-old more than an hour after he had gone swimming has focused a spotlight on the little-known phenomenon called “dry drowning” - and warning signs that every parent should be aware of.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24982210/from/ET/

So I went in for my ultrasound yesterday to make sure the cerclage is holding strong and that Vince is not having any problems hanging out in there. Imagine my surprise when the technician told me my kid is a chunky butt! Ok, so he was waaay to polite to even say something of that nature but he did tell me that Vince is already weighing in over 5 lbs!!!! No wonder I have absolutely no space left in there! Tony, the tech, said if I carry to full term expect to have a baby weighing in at 9-10 lbs! Holy cow. Literally. Anthony (my first) weighed 7 lb 5 oz when he was born and it was a difficult delivery since his head was just a smidge too big so I can’t imagine how Vince is going to fit. That thought leads me into the horrors of imagining a c-section.

Don’t get me wrong I find nothing wrong with a c-section and if that is what is best for the both of us, by all means! Anthony almost turned into a c-section so I’m not one of those women that feel I must give birth vaginally. I’m just worried that it will make healing harder and make Anthony feel even more displaced because I won’t be able to pick him up and do anything I would normally.

Excuse me while I go back to my corner and continue whimpering.

We are almost there THANK GOD!! So it’s partially me hoping and partially true but let a prego woman have her dreams people! Especially since I feel like a beached whale and am having horrid heart burn again. I would say Vincent (still deciding on the name) is extremely healthy and happy in his little world. Sitting still is a novelty for him and made Anthony look like he never moved.

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt.He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He’s probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby’s kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

“Who’s Your Baby’s Daddy?” come up in conversation at all, or if you are just wondering if you REALLY are the daddy check out this at-home test kit that is now available. For roughly $200-$400 you can prove (or disprove) the relationship. The kits are available at Rite Aid for $30.

Participation of the child and father is required of course since you need to swab their mouths, with the mother being optional but highly recommended.

“…The paternity kits have taken their place on store shelves next to other diagnostic tests that don’t rely on DNA, including those for pregnancy, HIV and blood sugar, said Michael S. Watson, executive director of the American College of Medical Genetics.

Unlike genetic tests for health conditions, tests that use DNA to determine paternity are fairly simple to provide and fairly easy to interpret, said Watson. They’re subject to limited oversight, however, with no review required by the Food and Drug Administration and no certification required under the federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments, or CLIA.

The Identigene kit includes swabs for collecting cell samples from the inside of the cheeks of the child and the alleged father. Collection of the mother’s cells is optional, but strongly recommended to strengthen the results. The swabs are packaged and mailed to the Sorenson laboratory in Salt Lake City where they’re analyzed…

….Total cost is about $150, including the price of the kit and a $119 laboratory processing fee. For another $200, users can purchase validated tests that meet legal requirements for determining paternity, Fogg said.” Read the rest of the story here.

I can see how this could potentially complicate matters for some people since they could have a “surprise” child show-up or suddenly learn the kid they thought was their’s, isn’t. But overall I think it is a good idea. What do you think?

I’m still not understanding how lead got into diaper bags but then again I’m still trying to figure out how it gets into toys and why we aren’t doing anything about it other than reporting. Wake up America and start purchasing American-made or at least from countries that are more trustworthy.

The bags containing the high levels of lead were purchased at Kmart, WalMart and Babies R Us.

“…Three diaper bags with high lead levels in the changing pad were from Kmart, including a Disney Baby “Winnie the Pooh” bag, a Baby Got Bag leopard print bag, and a “Baby Necessities” brand bag. A fourth with lead in the changing pad was a “George” store-brand bag from WalMart. A “Red” brand bag from Mimi Maternity and a Carter’s “Out ‘N About” bag from Babies R Us had high lead levels in other parts of the bag.”

Here are two news articles detailing further information, including pictures:

Article #1

Article #2