I know there is no evidence linking vaccines to developmental problems in babies (or adults, for that matter). I know that thimerosol has not been shown to cause autism.  But, I have not seen any clear evidence that the vaccines do not cause problems, either. Plus, I am not a big fan of preservatives. So, vaccines do not sit well with me.I have debated this vaccine issue- what to get, when to get it, which ones we could avoid- for months. The flu shot made me crazy. I did not want to expose Peanut to unnecessary chemicals and viruses-even the dead ones- but what if?? What if he were the one with the flu in the hospital? What if he were the one to get seriously ill or worse from a preventable illness?I quickly read The Vaccine Book by Dr. Robert Sears before Peanut’s 1 year appointment. I found it very informative. He breaks down each vaccine and explains exactly what is in each shot according to the brand and points out the controversial ingredients. He also discusses the underlying illnesses including how prevalent they are and whether they are treatable.Dr. Sears recommends a vaccine schedule if you want to space out the vaccines over time. Some people feel that too many vaccines at once overload a baby’s tiny body. I did feel more knowledgeable about vaccines after reading this book. But, as I neared the end of the book, I still did not know what to do. As I said to myself, “ok, but what do we do- do we get the flu shot or not?”, I turned to the last chapter titled, ” What Should You Do Now”. I am the type of person who wants to know, “well, what would you do?” Knowledge is key, but how was I supposed to know what to do with it? So, I found this last chapter the most helpful. I must say though that I was still was not 100% sure what to do with Peanut when I finished the book.

At the doctor’s office, I compromised. Peanut got the MMR vaccine, but we waited on the chicken pox and the Hep A vaccine until next time. I saw no compelling reason to give them to him right now. I told my husband (who is not afraid of vaccines like I am) and the doctor that I was 90% certain we would not do the flu shot, but gave them the remaining 10% to sway my decision. They did. And, Peanut did get the shot. I don’t know if I did the right thing.

As parents, do we ever?

Peanut loves his music. The minute one of his songs starts to play, I no longer hear fussing in the back seat. I am not a music person, so I don’t mind playing his same cd’s over and over again.  But, it drives my musically inclined husband crazy. And, Peanut knows if we play a “grown-up” cd.

Last week, I ordered “That Baby CD Acoustic Rock Classics for Kids and Grownups Who Love Them” and my husband has not stopped talking about how much he enjoys it since. And, Peanut seems cool with it. It does provide a much needed break from all that baby music. http://www.thatbabydvd.com/

The question I have: how do they know it is baby music?

Our favorites:

Music Together cd from class

Really Rosie by Maurice Sendick and Carole King. This classic was one of my favorites as a kid.

That Baby CD

I took this picture of Peanut the other day. I asked him if he would like to go into his crib for a nap. He looked at me and put his hands on his hips. I just knew he was thinking, “No way, Mommy! I will stay here and play with the garbage can, you go nap.”

 I assume this is what we can expect when he is a toddler?

I made sure everything Peaut ate was organic. I worried about lead in his toys. Then, one day it occured to me that all of Peanut’s silverware was made in China and most were made of plastic.  Each time I fed him, I was exposing Peanut to chemicals I did not want him to have without realizing it.

On his birthday, Peanut received a fork and spoon set from his Grandma. The spoon and fork are shaped like a construction set and have large easy to grip handles ideal for Peanut to learn to feed himself. They are phtalate-free, PVC-free and made in Michigan. I had searched all over for silverware not made in China without potentially harmful chemicals.

The search is over. Let the construction begin.

I went out last night with my girlfriends. Well, my mommy friends. We all left our screaming babies with their dads and went to dinner. Peanut was a bad boy for his Daddy. He seems to know when I am going out even before I leave. Maybe it is the earrings. Or, maybe he doesn’t recognize me with make-up and straight hair. Whatever it is, he knows. And, he acts very needy. Apparently, in the bath tub he insisted on crawling on all fours and trying to drink the bath water. He would not be stopped. Bath time ended early.

We had fun, though. I have noticed that we are no longer talking exclusively about our babies. In fact, we rarely talk about our babies when we get together. We talk about ourselves; who we used to be; where we used to travel; what we used to do. 

I am not sure when the change happened.  When we went from talking only about our babies to talking about ourselves. Maybe it was gradual, maybe not.  Maybe we are just getting more comfortable with each other and are looking for connections outside of our babies.  It is nice to feel like a whole person again.  A person with interests besides babies. I remember telling my mom just a few months ago not to bother talking to me about anything but Peanut.  I simply could not focus on anything besides my baby.  All of the amazing things he was learning. All of the cute things he was doing.  I could still talk about Peanut for days on end.  But, it was fun to escape for a few hours and talk about college and husbands and life.

First things first: while you wait to find out the good and/or shocking news, head over to www.twoweekwait.com. Compare symptoms and join an online pregnancy group. I enjoyed sharing my pregnancy with my online friends in my due date club. There was always someone awake at 3 am to chat with me about all things baby. The site also has a pregnancy club, as well. But, I found the site most fun while expecting and enjoyed my real life mommy friends once Peanut finally arrived. 

Maternity Clothes: Isabella Oliver: I do not know how I would have left the house for 9 months had I not found this website. The store is in England, but you can easily make online purchases and returns. I wore the hipster A-line skirt and the hipster trousers almost every day of my pregnancy and even for a few months afterward. They looked great, fit well and were extremely comfortable. The dresses, while very cute, did not work for me. I would assume they work best on tall woman. www.isabellaoliver.com  Target: The best maternity pj’s ever and the best prices. Their t shirts are great as well. Stock up. www.target.com Nordstroms online has a great selection of maternity dresses. They are often on sale. www.nordstroms.com  Books: I love all of the Girlfriends guides by Vicky Iovine. The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy made me laugh every time I read it. And, I read it often during those long 9 (10) months.  Another book I read over and over again is Your Pregnancy Week by Week by Dr. Glade B. Curtis, OBGYN and Judith Schuler, M.S. I loved getting in bed Sunday night with my husband and reading what our baby was going to do that week.  Jenny McCarty’s Belly Laugh’s is actually really funny. I remember when I had time to read.

If you don’t belong to one already, I highly recommend looking into a local mommies group. My experience with my group has been invaluable throughout my first year as a Mommy. We meet every week and I know it is the highlight of all of our weeks. We have shared stories, supported one another after sleepless nights, given advice and most of all enjoyed each other’s company. It is so rewarding to share the first year of so many babies lives. Even if you only have the time to meet with a group once a month, think about joining a mommies group. If the first one is not a good fit, keep looking until you find your group.  

Local groups: Mamistad: www.mamistad.com: Mamistad is a group of over 300 woman in the Northern VA area.  The larger group is broken up into smaller groups of mommies with babies about the same age or in the same stage of pregnancy.  My small group of twelve mommies meets every week at a member’s home, but each group can decide when, where and how often they meet.  I have been a member of Mamistad since Peanut was 4 months old.  Mamistad is a great resource, a spectacular group of woman and babies and a tremendous support system. One of the reasons I am such a fan of Mamistad is that it is run by one woman, Cynthia Brothers-Tinajera. She is available by phone or email with questions or concerns about your group. I like knowing that there is a head Mami looking out for all of us.  Mothers of Northern Arlington: www.monamoms.org. MONA is a large local mommies group with a detailed website and newsletter. The group is geared towards stay-at-home moms. You can join a smaller babies group depending on your babies age or a group dedicated to scrapbooking or cooking for example. There are monthly socials as well as organized outings with baby. There are many other local mommy groups listed on www.meetup.com. Or, you can start your own!

 Recommended weight gain: 25-30 pounds. Good theory; but it didn’t go that way for me. I reached the recommended weight only 6 months into my pregnancy and then continued to exceed it. After the initial shock that I was leaving the hospital in my maternity clothes much the same size I entered it with a only 7 pound 1 oz. baby to show for all of my weight gain, I resolved to lose the weight.  I gave myself a year to lose the weight and I met my goal. This is how:

Stroller strides. I recommend stroller strides for many reasons besides getting in shape. But, the classes did truly help me get in shape. I lost a few pounds and actually started seeing some definition in my legs again.   My body just looked better. People even noticed. I felt better about myself. It got me back into a regular exercise routine.   www.stollerstrides.com.

Fitness kits by Lauren Hendler. On the mornings when we just could not make it out of the house for stroller strides, I would just use my fitness kit. The kit includes an exercise guide and all of the equipment you need. Since it would take me only 10 minutes to complete one set, I was able to work out while Peanut played in his play-zone and watched on in amusement. His favorite was watching mommy jump rope. I liked that I could work out to a set routine without having the television on as I would with a video. And, when he was very busy playing or god forbid- napping- I was able to complete 3 sets and really get my heart rate up. These kits should be available for sale on the web by Summer 2008.

Walking. When all else fails, nothing relaxes Peanut and me more than getting out the stroller and going for a quick walk around the neighborhood. I started slow, 10 minutes at a time and eventually worked up to hour long walks. Some days in the beginning, taking a short walk was the only time I left the house all day.  Try it, even if you can only manage a few minute at first. Eventually,  you will build up to longer walks and start losing the weight.Diet: I am no good at dieting. I don’t like people telling me what to do. I cheat. That being said I did manage to follow a few guidelines that helped me take the weight off. I gave up all diet soda and all products with nutra-sweet. I cut way back on high fructose corn syrup. It is hard as it is in almost everything in the grocery store. I drank David Kirsch’s protein shakes every day. I am in love with these shakes. You mix them with water and they taste great. I may have an addiction. Low sugar, high fiber, but they taste good. But, be warned, they are not cheap. www.madisonsquareclub.com  I can not give up bread entirely, but I tried to limit my intake of simple carbs. I usually failed and just ate the bread. No good at dieting.

Peanut has been fussing in the back seat. We are 10 minutes from home. I am torn. If he falls asleep now, all is quiet. And, he gets some rest. But, he will inevitably wake up as I carry him into the house and nap time will be over, and, he will be ready to play. If we make it home before he falls asleep, there is a chance he will take a real nap in the crib. Or, there is a chance that he will skip nap time entirely.

I debate the issue for 7 minutes. Only 3 minutes left to go.

It doesn’t matter what I think, because now he is asleep. I can keep driving in circles, so he gets some rest, but then I don’t get a break.  Sound familiar?  

This is why I love books on cd. I park in the driveway, press play and relax with my eyes closed for 15 minutes while Peanut snoozes away in back. After 15 minutes, I feel guilty for running the car and we head in. Those few minutes were just what I needed.

Like most items mentioned, my favorite books on cd are for sale in the Arlington Baby Community Store.

When Peanut was 9 months old, we learned that we may have been poisoning him. The Avent bottles we grew to love contain Bisphenol-A (BPA) , an estrogen-like toxic compound that has been shown to cause harm to animals in laboratory tests.  Only 3 more months until he would switch to whole milk in sippy cups, did it make sense to replace all of the bottles in our vast collection with Bisphenol-A free bottles? But how can we go on potentially poisoning our baby once we knew?  

We compromised and replaced some of the bottles with the Born Free bottles.  I feel better using the Born Free bottles with no chemicals. However, I do not like using them. They have an added piece (much like the Dr. Brown’s bottles that I also disliked) to help with gas and colic.  A piece I did not find necessary for a baby 9 months old. No matter what I do, I can not get them to completely stop leaking. Also, they are only sold with newborn nipples. If you want to use them for an older baby, you must buy the complete bottle with the useless newborn nipple and also buy a stage 2 nipple. At approximately $20.00 for a pack of two 9 oz bottles, not an inexpensive proposition.   All in all, the switch was worth it.  I want my baby to be as chemical free as possible. I am a huge fan of their training and drinking cups. Born free bottles are sold at Whole Foods, Buy Buy Baby, www.amazon.com , www.softlanding.com and on their website, www.newbornfree.com  Medela bottles, Sassy bottles and Green to grow bottles are also Biophisnol A free. www.medela.comwww.sassybaby.comwww.greentogrow.com   Glass bottles are obviously also BPA free.