Baby Information and Experiences
Wednesday, August 26th
Using Born Free Bottles Incorrectly
It's been three months and we've been using the Born Free bottles incorrectly the whole time. They advertise a mechanism that reduces hard sucking by preventing a vacuum from building up inside the bottle. This is supposed to prevent gas and colic. But it turns out the mechanism, which is supposed to draw air in via little pathways where the cap screws to the bottle, does not work when the cap is screwed firmly in place. You actually have to loosen it quite a bit for air to be drawn in. I never saw any instructions saying this.
Monday, August 17th
Boy Does He Drool A Lot!
I know it's normal--or at least I think it is--but wow, I don't know where it comes from! He's always dribbling and drooling over himself and everything around him! When left in his bouncer--which seems to have him in a very drool-favorable position--he creates a huge wet spot on his outfit in very little time. This obviously does not feel comfortable because he'll start crying. Poor guy. If only there were some way to control it.
Saturday, August 15th
Baby Movement Sensor to Prevent SIDS
I've read that SIDS will strike one out of every 2,000 babies who sleep on their backs (and it used to be twice as many before back-sleeping was recommended). SIDS is probably most parents' greatest fear. For this reason, my wife and I are looking at baby room monitors that include a movement sensor.
The one we're considering buying is called AngelCare by Graco. The included sensor is sensitive enough to detect breathing, and if nothing is detected for a certain length of time an alarm will go off. It's probably unnecessary, but the peace of mind is worth it, and the product is not prohibitively expensive. I'll post again with an update on this!
Screaming Babies in Public Places
I really, really hope I never become that parent. The one who is completely oblivious to their screaming baby while out at a restaurant other other public place. My wife and I were out at an outdoor restaurant yesterday with our baby (who was sound asleep), and just a table away from us was child, maybe one year old, screaming and squealing. I'm not really one to comment to the parent about it, but I find it incredibly rude and inconsiderate to do nothing when your child's behavior is interfering while others are trying to enjoy a meal.
I never want to be that person. I'll pick up and hold my child, or take him for a little walk, or something--I'll make it my inconvenience, not that of the surrounding people. He's my responsibility afterall. I'll doggy-bag it if my child won't calm down. As a parent, that's part of what you agree to do when you take responsibility for your baby.
Am I wrong?
Thursday, August 13th
Sarah Palin's Comment Makes No Sense
My wife and I had a few scares during our pregnancy, and there was worry that our baby was going to have health problems. I thank God that everything turned out fine on his day of birth. But the possibility of having a child born needing special care is something I've spent a lot of time thinking about. I have a combination of tremendous sympathy and profound respect for parents of children with health difficulties. Sarah Palin is one such parent. However, I don't understand how she could have made such a mistaken and backward statement, when she suggested that health care reform would result in decisions being made to deny care to disabled children like her own.
Here is why:
Thursday, July 30th
Traveling With a Baby (Florida - Disney World, Maybe?)
Traveling with a baby is something I've been giving much thought lately. Before our bundle of joy came along my wife and I loved to travel. Our motivation was mostly to escape, to get away and recharge. We knew, though, back when we were only considering trying for our first child, that our traveling days would be over for some time. You can't really travel with a baby.
Or can you?
Saturday, July 25th
Coming Up on Two Months
The mother of all parenting cliches: "They grow up so fast." But I can't believe two months have flown by already! He doesn't even look like the same baby we brought home from the hospital. Every day I have to make a point to stop and enjoy these moments, even as I look forward to him continuing to grow and show more of his personality, because the time does pass quickly and they're only this little once. Can't let it just slip by.
Monday, July 20th
The Best Burp Cloths
If you're reading this and just planning on buying burp cloths, I can tell you they come in many varieties. Some even have cute little things (cars, animals, etc) stitched onto them. We have some of those, and while the material seems to be a bit thicker (a good thing), they are quite narrow and thus the spit-up protection zone is smaller. Also, after multiple washings, they have a tendency to curl. Thus laying them out flat is not as easy.
There are wider ones that I've seen in Babies R Us and Buy Buy baby. But my wife and I thought these looked more like rags than burp cloths. A matter of preference, I suppose.
Monday, July 13th
How to Set the Itzbeen Clock
I've been asked this question, so I thought I'd make an entry on it. First let me say, it's really not obvious how to set the Itzbeen
Saturday, July 11th
Baby Giving Lots of Smiles
Our baby is six and a half weeks now, and he's been giving us true smiles this week. Newborn babies will flash a smile occassionally, often when they are half-asleep. But this type of smile is closer to a reflex or facial tic than a true smile. Waking smiles are the real deal, but these aren't likely in the first month.
You'll know a true smile when your baby is awake and looks genuinely happy. Take it from me, these moments make all those diaper changes and midnight feedings worth it!
Friday, July 10th
I Declined the Hepatitis B Vaccine for Baby
I was surprised to learn, in the hospital, just hours after my baby was born, that most babies get the hepatitis B vaccine in the first few days of life. I'm not anti-vaccine, however vaccinating a newborn baby before he leaves the hospital? This struck me as very odd.
Not being properly informed on the hep B vaccine, I managed to look it up online. Hepatitis B, I learned, is highly infectious and can lead to liver damage and death. However, it is mainly acquired through unsafe sex or sharing drug needles.
Monday, July 6th
What Am I Forgetting? Oh Yeah, a Pic of Baby!
How could I start this blog and forget to share a pic or two of my baby boy? Here's a small pic of him--isn't he cute? Takes after his old man. :)
There's a larger picture of him after the jump.
Sunday, July 5th
Itzbeen Review - Handy Baby Gadget!
Itzbeen Baby Care Timer Review
I don't have too many baby gadgets. But the Itzbeen, selling on Amazon for ~$25
The Itzbeen answers the nagging question: how long has it been since baby has been fed? Or was changed? I was initially skeptical as to whether a gadget that tracks these things is really needed. But after bringing baby home from the hospital, I quickly realized you often have no idea when he was last fed. Was it two hours ago? Three? More? Particularly in the middle of the night, trust me, you won't be able to rely on your memory alone.
Product Description: The Itzbeen is about the size of a large, chubby cellphone and weighs just a few ounces. It has four timers: last diaper change, last feeding, sleep, and custom. Hit the button and the digital display to its left resets to zero and counts up. Later you'll be able to check how long it has been since your baby was last-changed/fed/etc. The Itzbeen also has an LED flashlight--not very bright, but enough to check on baby in the dark. The timers have a backlight for night-time. There is a clip on the back so you can wear your Itzbeen. It also has a clock, alarm settings, a breast-feeding reminder (see Itzbeen Cons below), and a button lock. Takes three double-A batteries.
Itzbeen Pros and Cons plus my final comments after the jump.
Saturday, July 4th
Baby Is a Drool Factory
Our baby is really hitting his stride in drool production. There must be some sort of drool phase a baby goes through. Please, tell me it is a phase. He drools all over himself, me, his mom... When he drools on one of us, we call it his snail trails. Makes him happy, though!
Do Babies Really Need Newborn Clothes?
You might have heard this before from relatives, friends, or online baby forums: don't buy a lot of newborn-size baby clothes, because they either won't fit or your baby will outgrow them in a week. But is this advice accurate? In my experience, not at all--not even close.