Cutest sound ever

I've discovered one of probably many cute sounds that Maddy will make in her infancy.

After I feed her, she lays up against my shoulder (to reduce the chance of vomit) and last night she had her pacifier in and was making a noise similar to that of a Maggie Simpson's sound byte.

Maggie's noise is much louder, but the little sound coming from Maddy's pacifier was so cute, it keep me laughing while she was in her post-meal calm.

Transformers 2 coming to our area!

The sequel to Transformers is looking for Non-SAG actors for the Philly and Princeton area filming. There is an open-call starting TOMORROW! Click here for all of the details.

What's wrong with baby: Milk Allergies

Rob and I have been at BMS Children's Hospital now since Thursday after Maddy started vomiting up her formula AND pumped breast milk. She had also lost 2 more ounces since coming home instead of gaining weight. Her pediatrician sent us up here the same day to get tested. We were told to expect A LOT of tests since newborns obviously cannot communicate the symptoms themselves.

After Maddy was born, I had been supplementing her breastfeeding with Similac Advance Formula(blue label) because of the Jaundice and since she had lost weight. Everything was fine for the week she was home until Wednesday when she started vomiting up her food. The pediatric gastroenterologist at the hospital suggested we feed her Similac Alimentum(purple label) which is formula for babies with very sensitive stomachs. She is tolerating it pretty well, minus a few vomit episodes that are no where near as voluminous as what she was doing before, and she has already gained back 6 ounces since being in the hospital.

Milk allergies in babies are fairly common, affecting 2-3% of newborns. Most babies grow out of the allergy and can start back on cow's milk after a year. Common symptoms include: vomit, irritability, colic, refusing food, and skin rashes. However, these are also symptoms of other ailments giving the hospital reason to run a series of tests on infants to rule other problems out.

One of the tests they had to perform was a spinal tap. This is something you wouldn't think would have to be done, but since babies cannot communicate their symptoms, the spinal can provide answers to whether or not the baby is fighting an infection. Thankfully, spinal taps done on infants are generally tolerated very well and the only side effect is generally a headache. We were told that Maddy didn't cry at the needle injection, so that was good. However, it is still upsetting to see your baby go through these tests.

We expect to be here until Tuesday at the very least. We still don't have a final word yet, but I will give a full update when we know.

Until then, keep Maddy in your thoughts and prayers.

Lessons of Motherhood: 2 weeks

I've been a mom now for 2 1/2 weeks and there are so many emotions as well as procedures that I did not expect. I've been so busy adjusting to my new life that I've neglected my posting (sorry!) but this weekend permits me to sit and write (I'll explain later). I hope to try and give fairly frequent updates of lessons, products, advice, observations, etc from motherhood. Here are the first 2 weeks:

• If you have a pet at home, it is important to make sure he/she still feels like part of the family. Even though Bridie doesn't understand English, we made sure to tell her that we still love her. When I remember, I try to give her the scratches that she loves. In general, she's stayed away from Maddy except for when she cries. Then, Bridie's maternal instincts go into work and she gets the look of concern.
  
  
• It is hard to get into the routine of checking for 3 things when the baby cries. When the wailing begins, first check the diaper. If that is dry, pick Baby up to see if she just needs some company. If that doesn't work, then she's probably hungry.
  
  
• I didn't read up on baby eating schedules so I didn't realize that I would be nursing about every 2 hours (or on demand).
  
  
• I actually liked nursing (I'll explain the "liked" later). It's a real bonding moment to have your baby connected to you in that way. It's even more precious to engage in Kangaroo Care after nursing by laying her against my skin and letting her rest after eating.
  
  
• Nursing does hurt at first and it is important to keep your suppliers from getting cracked, infected, etc. Lansinoh makes a great nipple cream that is safe for the baby. FYI-the FDA is warning against Mother's Bliss Nipple Cream over concerns for infant health.
  
  
• Dr Brown's breast pads have been great for the leakage. Each pad is individually wrapped and has adhesive to attach to the bra. You can hardly tell you're wearing them.
  
  
• Medela makes a handy manual pump, but their Single Delux Breast Pump is not worth it. It's very loud for one thing and the settings (Min and Max) do not do a good job simulating the 2-phase expression like you can do manually. I actually have to press on the power button to make it work well otherwise it would freeze mid pump. Maybe I got a faulty pump, but I still don't recommend it. You can see from the Baby-R-Us site that a lot of moms would agree.
  
  
• Babies will sneeze and hiccup a lot but it's all part of the normal process of their developing bodies.
  
  
• Your baby should have 6-8 wet diapers a day and ideally at least 1 bowl movement. However, a lot of breast-fed babies will not have regular bowl movements. It's best not to go by what your friend's baby did. Go by what your baby does. If your baby doesn't want to poop everyday, that's his/her deal.
  
  
• You can easily warm up formula by placing the bottle in a cup/bowl of warm water and running warm water over it for a few minutes.
  
  
• When feeding your baby formula, take a break every ounce ( or 1/2 oz) to burp. As I have experienced, if you let your baby slurp down 2 oz at once, they are more likely to spit (or throw) up the food. Take a break constantly in feeding. If you have to burp your baby for a few minutes until you hear something, so be it.
  
  
• It is really helpful to have diaper stations in parts of the house that will be used most with you and the baby. I have diaper changing gear in our main TV/Living Room where the pack-n-play/bassinet is. I keep the wiper warmer there with a box of diapers, Vaseline, thermometer, cloth diapers (for spit up), extra receiving blankets (also in case of spit up) and extra outfits (also in case of spit up).
  
  
• Be watchful of what you eat when you nurse. Cow's milk is a big culprit in infant gas. I learned that after I ate ziti while nursing (I've learned to multi-task very well).
  
  
• Expect to have visions of your baby as they get older. Expect to worry about them going into the world on their own when they go to nursery school for the first time. Expect to be nervous when they are sound asleep and making no breathing noises. Don't feel silly about laying your hand on their body or looking at their blanket to make sure it's moving.
  
  
• Don't forget that your hubby wants baby time too.
  
  
• Definitely expect to have so much love for your baby that you get tears of happiness just looking at his or her adorable, precious and innocent face.
  

Mrs. Mo Guest Poster: Heather Johnson

10 Ways to Save Money at the Grocery Store

One of my biggest bills each month is the grocery bill. For those of us who don't live on Ramen noodles, buying food and essentials can be very pricey. However, there are many little ways to cut costs on groceries without sacrificing quality. Below are 10 tips for saving money each time you go to the grocery store.

1. Always prepare a list. Not only that, but you should be disciplined about sticking to the items on the list. By preparing meal plans ahead of time, you can gain control over your calorie intake and your spending habits.
   
   
2. Shop on a full stomach. You will always spend more money on food if you are hungry, as everything in the store will look delicious and essential.
   
   
3. Clip coupons. Believe it or not, this is not a pointless exercise if you get organized. Buy a few Sunday papers each week and visit official Websites of the brands you love. Both resources will often yield some valuable coupons.
   
   
4. Take advantage of "coupon days." Some grocery stores will double or even triple the worth of your coupons during these events. Unfortunately, some stores will not advertise a coupon event ahead of time, so scout around for a local message board that other coupon enthusiasts frequent.
   
   
5. Look at the end caps. Items featured at the end of each aisle are often on sale, so keep your eyes peeled for great deals in this area.
   
   
6. Look at the "per unit" price on an item rather than the main price. This number is often in much smaller print… for a reason, too. You will save a considerable amount of money when you realize how much more you have been spending per unit.
   
   
7. Never buy off-season produce. Although you may love to prepare strawberry shortcake throughout the year, those strawberries can get mighty expensive when they are out of season.
   
   
8. Stock up on filling and inexpensive foods, such as rice, beans and oatmeal. They are all beneficial staples in your diet and you can buy them in bulk for very little money.
   
   
9. Don't be a brand snob. Are you sure you love name brand peanut butter more than the store brand? It is very possible that they are the same product in different packaging. (Yes, subsidiary companies are sneaky like that.)
   
   
10. Shop when it isn't crowded. The faster you can zip through those aisles, the less likely you are to impulse buy. While standing in line at the checkout for 20 minutes, those gossip rags or candy bars become very tempting for some of us.
    

Heather Johnson is an industry critic, as well as a regular contributor on the subject of airline mile cards. She invites your questions, comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address: heatherjohnson2323@gmail.com.

Welcome Baby!

Introducing: Madeline Buckley Morris

May 7, 2008
1:40 pm

8 lbs 3 oz, 22 3/4 inches
Cute as a button!!!

Heart your mom this weekend

*Update, the Heart Tote from 2008 is no longer available, but a similar version is available here.

If you need a last minute Mother's Day gift (and I'm really talking last minute), give your mom a personalized Heart tote from L.L. Bean.

My mom gave me a MOM bag at my baby shower and now it is packed to go to the hospital (in just under 3 hours!).

It also makes a good gift for any woman who might need to pack essentials for a big day (i.e. a bride).

A medium bag only costs $29.00 and the little bag costs $19.00. It takes 3-5 days to ship or you can have it shipped to a store (the only NJ location is in Marlton).

Car Seat Checks

On Thursday, Rob and I had our car seats inspected so we could lawfully & safely drive baby around. The inspections were offered free through the Princeton Health Care System. Tradition told me to first inquire at the local police department who then told us that they do not do them anymore and to look into the Princeton hospital. The nice thing about using the Princeton Health Care System was 1) the inspection was around the corner from my house and 2) it was run by a former L&D nurse and current mom.

Going into inspection, I thought we had done everything correctly. Not so much...

Modification #1: That really adorable, warm and cozy Bundle Me which I got at my shower and had attached into the car seat is actually not approved as an acceptable car seat accessory. When car seats are crash tested, the Bundle Me has not been included and thus its safety during an accident is unconfirmed.

Modification #2: The suggested/safest location for the car seat is in the middle, however both my CR-V and Rob's Explorer do not have latches in the seat to safely attach the car seat. Even though you can use a safety belt to install, we felt better knowing the seat was secured by the latches. The car's owner manual will have a page on car seats and show you where the latches are for installation.

Safety trick: Each car seat has a little colored dial that will tell you if it is in the proper incline position. In my car, the seat was fine after the nurse used the incline adjuster in the seat itself. In Rob's car, even after she inclined the seat higher, it still did not sit properly (because of the incline of the back seat). She then whipped out a piece of pool noodle that she slid under the car seat to boost it into the right position. Clever!

Baby/Child Protection: Do you have a WHALE sticker for your car seat? WHALE stands for "We Have A Little Emergency" and is an identification indicator for police/rescue if you are in an accident and are unresponsive. If you see the WHALE stickers on the sides of the car seat, that means that there is emergency info about the child in a hidden place, most likely underneath the seat itself. *Do NOT place the emergency info in a visible place that can be viewed through a car window. The last thing you need is someone to look through the car and learn where you and baby live.

Back Seat No-No: Even though you might feel better having a mirror attached to the back of the seat so you can watch your baby, it is a big NO-NO. Two reasons: 1) If there is an accident and the car seat flips up, your baby will hit it's head against and 2) many fender benders by mothers are a result of them looking at the mirror to check on baby.


For more information of car seat safety, visit the American Academy of Pediatrics page.
For a list of car seat recalls, click here.