LilSugar

Babysugar Diaries: When a Sibling Wreaks Havoc

babysugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:00:15 -0700

One of the first things my pediatrician said upon the arrival of baby number two was, "If you leave the room, put the baby in the pack and play so big sister can't hurt him." All was splendid. My lass fawned over her brother and caressed his bald head ad nauseam. A well-mannered tot, I knew I need not worry about my daughter . . . yet. A few months into our routine, I put my son in his swing where he rocked off to sleep for a morning siesta. I brought my daughter back to my room where she watched cartoons and I showered.

Through the shower curtain, I kept my eye on her, making sure she was staying put in her cocoon. While I rinsed my hair, I thought to myself, she's getting to the point where I should monitor their interactions more closely. Hint: pack and play. After toweling off, I checked the status of both children. In five minutes, nothing had changed. Pushing my luck, I decided to blow-dry my bangs. To see what happened, read more.

As I dried off, I noticed my lass slip off the bed and run down the hallway. Rarely a troublemaker, I didn't pay much attention to her disappearance. She returned about three minutes later (bangs were still wet) and had a sheepish look on her face. I asked her, "Is your brother still sleeping?" She slowly shook her head. Though I was alarmed, I calmly asked her, "What is he doing?" Knowing it was probably not the correct answer, she said, "He's having tummy time!" In an instant, I dropped everything and ran to the living room.

Somehow, my 23-pound, 2-year-old child had picked up her brother, who weighed about half her body mass, and dragged him across the room. He was not having tummy time, but laying on his back on the rug staring at the ceiling without any scratches, bruises, or marks of distress. I asked her to demonstrate her technique with a teddy bear, but she knew better than to claim her guilt. It will remain a mystery how she snaked him safely onto the ground. Until he's running on his own, I'll be taking him with me when I know there's a chance she could wreak havoc. Do you have a similar story to share?

Hello Postpartum Friend, So Not Happy to See You Again

babysugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:00:29 -0700

One of the pleasures a pregnant lady enjoys is the absence of her monthly visitor. Nicknamed pretty Miss Sally, the crimson tide, or moontime, most women enjoy the hiatus from cramps, tampons, Advil, and mood swings - though the latter may make an appearance from time to time during expectant months. Some women are lucky enough to enjoy an extended sabbatical during their nursing months.

After weaning my son, I expected maybe a month or two of spotting or perhaps nothing at all. Instead, I became ghostly white, exhausted, and reluctantly welcomed back a completely different visitor. Some mums experience a much lighter and shorter menstrual cycle after birth while others are flushed with a purging spell. Did you notice differences in your periods after giving birth?

When Baby Takes a Spill

babysugar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 04:00:24 -0700

When my daughter was just a wiry wee thing, I laid her on the bed next to me while I put my sneakers on. In a second's time, she plopped on the floor screaming her scared lil head off. In a panic, I phoned the pediatrician fearful I had harmed my sweetheart. Having heard this story a hundred times before, she calmed my nerves and cautioned me to look for certain problematic signs. Thankfully my girl was unharmed.

Having learned my lesson with my firstborn, I was sure I would not make the mistake again. Then, the other day my precious son took a spill off of his big sister's bed. As I put pigtails in her hair, he tumbled right off the bed with a heavy thud. After two terrifying experiences, I know now not to leave a mobile baby unattended on the bed.
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babysugar Diaries: Imitating Mommy

babysugar — Mon, 18 May 2009 05:00:00 -0700

It melts my heart to see my daughter fawn over her little brother. She caresses his cheeks, baby talks him, pats his tummy and holds his hand. She often echoes me, "What's the matter?" "That's a good boy!" and "Hey buddy!"

Clearly in tune with her maternal being, she enjoys the role of playing mommy. And, relishes it so much that one night as I gave her a bath, she held one of her squirt toys to her chest and said, "He's having some milk from my chi chis." Tickled to tears, I grabbed my camera and snapped away. I hope I'll have the ripe opportunity to share that priceless shot with her.

Update: Due to the unhealthy comments regarding this post, I swapped the photo to show bath toys.

babysugar Diaries Roundup

babysugar — Sat, 16 May 2009 06:00:08 -0700

After six months of renewed motherhood, I am still relishing newborn scents and exciting "firsts" while enjoying my body's return to normalcy and my re-entry to the workplace. In case you missed it, I have highlighted my favorite reasons for being pregnant, not being pregnant, returning to work, the joys of new motherhood and why two is twice as nice. And just for laughs, I've spilled the dirty secrets on five gross things that moms do... you know you're guilty.

Reasons Mama Loves Going to Work	Reasons I Love Being a New Mommy Again	Reasons I Really Miss Being Pregnant
Two Is Twice as Nice as One	Five Gross Things Nearly Every Mom Does	Reasons I Don't Miss Pregnancy Anymore

babysugar Diaries: Mother's Day

babysugar — Sun, 10 May 2009 05:00:00 -0700

The card I bought my mom says it all. It has a picture of a woman lying asleep on a couch while childish mayhem surrounds her and a helpless panicked husband stares at her hoping for a beacon of light. Below it reads, "The server is down."

Every year, for one day, mothers deserve to take the day off from the screaming, feeding, whining, bathing, and any other chores they routinely and selflessly do daily. While pregnant, my husband celebrated me as a mother-to-be on Mother's Day. That same day, my sister and I took our baseball-loving mama to a Giants game where we sipped on lemonade and snacked on Cracker Jacks. This year, as a mommy of two, I will not escape all matronly duties, but if I can make it through today without stepping a foot in the kitchen, I'll be as thrilled as couch jumping Tom Cruise on Oprah.

babysugar Diaries: Getting Baby on a Schedule

babysugar — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 08:00:51 -0700

Like many first moms, I was certain I would get my baby on a schedule right away. As soon as she made her debut, plans changed. I spoiled her -letting her fall asleep in my arms whenever she pleased and allowing her to nap as she pleased. Again, I vowed that number two would be different and I would have him following the clock. To see how that plan is panning out, read more.

Once more, my child greeted me with a face I couldn't resist and I have failed to stick to a strict timeline. Luckily for me, my first child easily fell into her own routine, but can also roll with the flow if we need her to eat earlier or nap later. As for my lil guy, he seems to be mapping out his own agenda quite nicely though we are trying to provide more structure with him. Over the last few weeks, I have tried to let him "tell" me how I can meet his needs. So far, my five-month-old boy still takes his early bird nap, a later morning snooze and a lengthy afternoon siesta. By 6 p.m., he's ready to hit the sheets and call it a night. The toughest part of the sleep battle I am currently fighting is getting him to "like" being put in his crib with eyes wide open.

Did you put your babe on a schedule?
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babysugar Diaries: Vaccines

babysugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:00:25 -0700

Every parent does what they think is best for their child. With my firstborn that meant giving her vaccinations as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Perhaps two years of media got to me, or maybe it was Jenny McCarthy and all of the other parents of children with autism that made me a tad wary of vaccinations. So I will go a different route with my second babe.

To see what it is, read more.

When I met my son in the hospital, I knew I would have to make a decision pretty quickly on how to deal with his health care. As autism is more prevalent in boys, his gender certainly played a part in my thought process. I obviously want to protect my lil guy from every harmful disease while not putting him at risk for developing any other disorder. To put my mind at ease, I decided to ask my pediatrician to give my son his vaccines on an alternative schedule. While my doc agreed to my request, my pediatrician does not advise the alternative schedule because she said the child ends up getting twice the preservatives that accompany vaccines because the doses are further divided. Despite her warning, I chose to move forward with an alternative schedule. Instead of receiving six shots at his four-month check-up, my son got four and then we returned a week later to get the rest. I feel good that he is up to date on his shots even if it means extra visits to the doctor. If you want to see an alternative schedule, check out the one Dr. Sears suggests:

two-months: DTaP, Rotavirus
3-months: Pc, HIB
4-months: DTaP, Rotavirus
5-months: Pc, HIB
6-months: DTaP, Rotavirus
7-months: Pc, HIB
9-months: Polio (IPV)
12-months: Mumps, Polio (IPV)
15-months: Pc, HIB
18-months: DTaP, Chickenpox
two-years: Rubella, Polio (IPV)
two-and-a-half-years: Hep B, Hep A (start Hep B at birth if any close relatives or caregivers have Hep B)
three-years: Hep B, Measles
three-and-a-half-years: Hep B, Hep A
four-years: DTaP, Polio (IPV)
five-years: MMR
six-years: Chickenpox
12-years: Tdap, HPV
12-years, 2 months: HPV
13-years: HPV, Meningococcal

The same information is provided in the Ask Dr. Sears Vaccine Book.
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10 Reasons I Don't Miss Being Pregnant

babysugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 04:00:46 -0700

There are a lot of things about pregnancy that I miss, but there are also some things that I certainly don't. Check out my slideshow to see why my non-expectant status is making me so happy lately. Source

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Two Kids Are Twice the Fun of One

babysugar — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:00:54 -0700

Becoming a mother was a blessing I appreciate more and more every day. It has been an amazing experience to watch our firstborn grow into a charming, entertaining, and sweet girl. I was nervous that having two would rock our world. And, our son certainly has, but in the best way. Watching our children together makes me so happy. Check out my slideshow to see why I think two is better than one.

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