Winter Illnesses

As many of you know, my family has been sick off and on for the last month. We've had colds, earaches and the stomach flu go through the house so far. I know this is pretty common for most households with kids so I thought I would share some of my favorite things to help with those fall and winter illnesses.

Babies:

For babies there really aren't any medicines out there that you can use. Most medicines say not to use them if the child is under 2 years. So, what do you do when your baby gets sick and is miserable? Well, I've found a few things that really helped my little one.

• Hyland's Baby Tiny Cold Tablets (They are for 6 months and up and dissolve on the tongue)
• Hyland's Baby Cough Syrup (Good for 6 months and up)
• Hyland's Baby Infant Earache Drops (Good for under 3 years)
• Baby Vapor Rub (We've used Maty's and Vicks)
• A Humidifier
• Nasal Aspirator
• Steam (turn on shower as hot as possible and sit with baby in steamy bathroom for 10 minutes max)

Toddlers:

As soon as your little one hits that magic age 2 mark or weight limit a lot of different medicines seem to be ok to use. However, there are still some limitations including cold and cough meds. Here's some of the things we used for my toddler that helped.

• Hyland's Cold 'n Cough 4 Kids (age 2 and up)
• Hyland's Sniffles 'n Sneezes 4 Kids (age 2 and up)
• Little Colds by Little Remedies Honey Elixir (1 year and up)
• Baby Vapor Rub (Maty's and Vick's)
• A Humidifier
• Nasal Aspirator

Other issues

Teething: Hyland's Baby Teething Tablets and Teething Gel, Amber Necklaces
Allergies: Hyland's Complete Allergy 4 Kids (age 2 and up)
Tummy: Ginger, Peppermint

As you may have noticed, a lot of these are Hyland's brand. I love the Hyland's brand because they are all natural remedies and they work. That's important to my family. However, there are medicines out there that are not all natural and are also helpful. I give my kids pain reliever when other teething methods don't work or if they are running a fever and seem uncomfortable. Don't feel bad about giving your child medicine if that is what they need. Just do what is bet for your family.   

Pudding Sensory Play

Here's a fun, messy activity to do with the kids. It's easy to put together and safe for your little one to eat too!

What you need:

Pudding (it's easiest to buy a box of the instant and make ahead of time)

What you do:

Place kids in an area where they won't get pudding on important things. This is very important because pudding will probably go all over them and anything around them. Put a couple big scoops of pudding in front of them on a flat surface or in a big container. Let them play!

What I would do differently: 

This is definitely a messy activity. Kids needed a bath afterwards and there was about a 10 minute cleanup after they were cleaned. I used two different puddings, banana and chocolate, and that was a great idea. Connor loved mixing the colors together. However, next time there will be drop clothes all around him and I will probably do it outside. He managed to get pudding not only all over himself but also all over his booster, the chair, the floor and the walls. It was easy to wipe up but it was still more than I expected. Cayleigh was cleaner than he was! All in all it was a successful playtime though.

  

Mommies Groups

Today's post is about Mommies' Groups. I am personally a member of three different ones. The first one is a local group for Mommies of Little Ones. The second is a local baby wearing group. The third is a group of women from all over the world who were due in the same month as me, and we have stayed in contact. I wanted to talk a little about the different types of groups out there and how to find them.

The Age-Based Local Mommies' Group:

I love my local mommies' group and I think they are a great idea for new mommies as well as mommies with many kids. Local groups let you meet other moms in the area while getting out of the house and socializing both yourself and your kids. What I like about this group in particular is that we are moms with various backgrounds and interests, both working and stay at home, who are bound together through having kids. It gives you lots of various opinions and insights into different parenting styles and personalities. It's also a great way to find other kids around the same age as your children before they are in school. We do playdates, potlucks, moms nights out and other various activities together.  I found a few local mommies groups by using Meetup. After attending a meetup (an event held by the group), I decided which one was the best fit for me and my family. You can do a local search for yourself using yahoo meetup or even facebook. You can check out my mommies group at http://www.meetup.com/Mommies-of-Infants-Toddlers/ or https://www.facebook.com/groups/louisvillemommies/ They are closed groups so you won't see that much info unless you join, but you can at least see what I am talking about.

The Parenting Theory-Based Mommies Group:

The second group is a local baby-wearing group. This group is not really so much about playdates and other get-togethers, but more based on the interest of baby-wearing. This group hosts monthly meetings to talk about the different ways you can "wear" or carry your baby (or toddler). Most people have heard of the Moby Wrap or the Ergo Baby as popular baby carriers but there are other options out there too. Mommies or daddies interested in baby-wearing use a carrier of some form to wear their baby more often than not. It is a way to bond with your child. I found this local group by various means. the first was through another mommy's reference. She told me about the group and I checked it out. I also heard about this group through one of the local natural parenting stores, Mama's Hip. Last, I made contact with them through the facebook page they have. So if you are looking for a group of mommies that share a particular parenting philosophy or theme I suggest using your local resources like the local baby boutiques or other local mommies first. Second, do a Facebook or Meetup search and see what you find. Here is the link to the group. It is also closed so you would have to join to see more info. https://www.facebook.com/groups/KBWers/ You can also go here to see the local store I was talking about http://mamas-hip.com/

The Pregnancy Due Date Mommies' Group:

While I was pregnant with my second, I found Mothering.com. It is a website for parents who tend to lean towards natural parenting. I joined a due date club based on my due date month and talked to women around the world who were as pregnant as I was. We shared our grumpiness and happiness, our fears and hopes, our aches and pains, and our beautiful babies as they were born. Now that the babies are here, some have left the group, but quite a few of us remain in touch. We come from all over so there are many different cultures and beliefs but we remain connected through our babies. It's a great way to talk to other moms about any issues you are having from diapering to feeding to sleeping. It's also a great group to talk about what your little one has achieved so far and see cute baby photos! I found this group by searching for natural parenting sites because that was what was important to me. However, you can find a due date group on most pregnancy and baby sites like thebump.com or babycenter.com.


No matter what type of mommies' group you are looking for, you can probably find one that suits your needs and lifestyle. The best way is to do a search on networking sites like www.facebook.com or www.meetup.com However, don't underestimate the recommendations of local business owners and other mommies in the area!     

Day ?

So it's been a few days since I posted. Long story short, the kids haven't been sleeping so I haven't been sleeping. This means we haven't really been able to do much during the day with 2 cranky kids and one sleep deprived mama. I do have some new things to share though!

1. Cayleigh has her 2 bottom teeth in and is loving Baby Led Weaning lately! (I will share more on Baby Led Weaning in a bit once we have a bit more experience with it)
2. Connor knows most of his letters! (He shouts them out or points to the letter while watching Super Why)
3. I turned 28 on Friday! (After all the events that happened this past year there were moments that it was questionable if I would make it to another birthday)

And for a new experience: We played out in the yard today since it was so nice out. It's Cayleigh's first fall and Connor doesn't remember last year's so it was a new experience for them. They loved playing with the leaves (Cayleigh tried to eat a couple) and we had fun raking them up while they played. Go out and enjoy the fall before it disappears! It's the best time of year, well at least until snow comes along. 

Day 28 - Trick or Treating at the Zoo

As Connor and Cayleigh are still too little to actually go trick or treating, we decided to take them to the zoo instead. Our local zoo hosts "The World's Largest Halloween Party" every weekend in October and today we finally got the chance to go.

What it is:

"The World's Largest Halloween Party" is a partial walk through the zoo with various themes throughout. Their slogan is "be seen, not scared," so it is especially great for the littles in your family. Some of the themes include Disney characters, dinosaurs, video games, animals, etc. For each theme, there's also a booth or two giving out treats which can include candy, activity sheets, and little trinkets. It is very well attended and a local favorite for many families during the Halloween season.

What we thought:

Last year, we got the chance to take Connor, but he was still too young to really care what was going on. In fact, he fell asleep halfway through. This year, not only did he stay awake, he managed to walk more than half of it. Cayleigh was awake the whole time too, but was not in the mood to participate. (I think it had something to do with Geof stuffing her in her costume.) Overall, it was a fun family activity that is quickly becoming a family tradition. With more and more places limiting or frowning upon trick or treating and the safety aspect involved, it's nice to have somewhere safe and fun to take the kids.

Day 27 - Family Photographs

Today we had our first ever family photographs taken. Thanks to Randi, of Randi Underwood Photography, I would call the day a success!

What we did:
I decided to go with purple, green and grey colors for us to wear. I think it is a very flattering combo and I love bold colors. Randi came up with the location, Papa John's Business Park. She had taken photos there before and thought the location would be perfect with the colors I chose. Having never been there, I was unsure what to expect but it was perfect. There was water, trees and lots of different spots to take great pictures. We did family pictures and some of just the kids. Even with two young kids in tow, pictures took only 40 minutes.

What I thought:
Randi did an amazing job working with us and with the kids in particular. She never lost patience, even when we were almost 15 minutes late. Of course, Connor chose this day to be a handful and not smile for most of the pictures. If you know Connor than you would know that he loves pictures and acts like a ham to have his picture taken. I was amazed at his behavior. Randi, however, was very skilled at telling us what to do to get him to smile and make great pictures when he wasn't. I would have been completely lost and would have given up 10 minutes in if not for her. So, thanks to Randi of Randi Underwood Photography we will have amazing family pictures! I can't wait to see all of them!

Randi photographing Connor

If you are interested in having Randi take photos for you, here are her websites: http://www.underwoodphotostudio.com/
https://www.facebook.com/RandiUnderwoodPhotography 

Day 25 - Story Time

Today I took the kids to story time at the local library. I used to love taking Connor to story time when he was a baby but haven't been able to take Cayleigh until today. I also got to take Connor to the toddler story time for the first time today too. I've really been missing out!

What it is:

Our local public library system has story times at least once a week for various age groups. The one closest to us, St. Matthews, does baby and toddler story time on Thursdays at 10:15 and 11:15 respectively. Baby story time is for ages 0 to 2 and mainly consists of songs. We sing songs like Twinkle, Twinkle and Row, Row, Row Your Boat and The Itsy, Bitsy Spider and do actions along with them to engage the little ones. After about 20 minutes of songs we get to play time. Today, we did bubbles. The reading lady blew bubbles for all the babies and the mommies got a chance to talk some. The toddler story time is a bit more structured. It is for ages 2 to 4 mainly so the kids can pay attention longer. We open with a couple songs and then we read a book. After a couple more songs, we read another book and then closed with a song. After all that, there was a craft to do. Today, we colored an activity page.

Why I like it:

I love that it gets us out of the house and doing something different. I also really like the socialization aspect of it. My kids got to see, talk and play with other littles and I got to talk to other mommies. The songs are usually ones everyone knows so it is easy to join in. If it is a new song or one that is not so popular the reading lady teaches it first and all songs are sung twice. The books are age appropriate and the songs and rhymes go along with the book theme.

What I dislike:

I, like a lot of other mommies out there, had to take my kids to both story times. The mixing of the older and younger kids leads to some general confusion but it is not a deal breaker since everyone still has fun. The other thing I dislike is that some of the moms talk through story time. It makes everything louder and more confusing.


All in all, story time is a must have in your weekly schedule. So, look up your local library and see what they have. I know that Pottery Barn Kids also does a weekly story time if you have one of them near you.      

Day 20 - Pumpkin Patch Visit

Today we did something old and new. We visited a local pumpkin patch and got our pumpkins for Halloween. It's something we have done in the past true, but we went to a new place this time.

What it is:

On Saturday, we went to Sunny Acres Farm for their Pumpkin Festival. It is a little farm on the outskirts of the city that we had never heard of before. For the festival, they had a petting zoo, some bouncy castles, food and hayrides. They also had their corn maze and pumpkins in the pumpkin patch or at their store. For the older kids there was face painting and a scavenger hunt too.

What we did:

We went around the barn area and saw all the animals. It wasn't really a petting zoo since most of the animals were in cages but they did have a pony, a horse, a rabbit and a little pig you could get close to. After our toddler got bored looking at the animals (it took awhile), we went and played in the bouncy castles for a bit and then had a hayride. Connor had tons of fun doing both of these things and it was great to see him so happy and experiencing new things. After that, we went up to the store area and took some pictures of Connor in the pumpkin area and on the little toy tracker they had. It was super cute! We wrapped up the visit by picking out our pumpkins.

What we thought:

We had a great time but it was small and not set up great. It would have been nice if the petting zoo was more localized and more of a petting zoo than farm animals in cages. Altogether it was a fun day but we will probably go some place else next year.     

Day 12 - PeekaBoo and Where's Baby?

One of the greatest moments for me as a mom is the first time my little one finds peekaboo entertaining. Today was that day!

What you need:

A blanket/sheet/scarf or other things to cover the baby's view (I used a burp cloth)
A mirror

What we did:

I started by putting the burp cloth on Cayleigh's head to see if she would respond at all. She found it so funny she repeatedly took it off and tried to put in on her own head. I then moved into a simple game of peekaboo. I blocked Cayleigh's view of me and then moved the cloth quickly away. Cayleigh maintained eye contact and smiled and laughed every time. Since she was having so much fun, I got the baby mirror and started covering it and asking "Where's baby?". She would grab the burp cloth and stare in the mirror while I said "There she is!" Of course, she's too young to understand it's her in the mirror but she was fascinated by the other baby.

What I would do differently:

Nothing! One of my favorite memories. I still remember Connor's first real game of peekaboo and he still loves it almost 2 years later!

Day 10 - Baby Lap Games

Today I did some research into fun lap games to play with Cayleigh. Basically, a lap game is a song you sing while bouncing, swinging or doing other things with baby. There are a lot out there.

What you need:

Your baby/toddler
A simple song or chant

What you do:

A good example and one Cayleigh really liked is the classic "The wheels on the bus". Almost everyone knows this song so I will just go through the motions I used.

The wheels on the bus go round and round (move baby's arms in gentle circles while singing)
The wipers on the bus go back and forth (move baby's arms from side to side)
The horn on the bus go beep beep beep (move baby's hands like honking a horn)
The doors on the bus go open and shut/close (clap Baby's hands together)

There are some other verses too but I think you all get the idea. I also bounced Cayleigh gently to make it seem like we were in a car/bus. It's fun and simple and really entertains a small child. My toddler loves them still too.  We also did "I'm a little tea pot", "We're going on a bear hunt", "Itsy bitsy spider", "Twinkle twinkle little star" and "Acca bacca soda cracker".

What I would do differently:

Next time I am hoping to learn some new ones to try out too. Oh, and one of the best places to go learn new sings is at one of the Louisville Library's story times. I'm thinking about going next week. It will be another first!

Day 7 - Dance Party

Today's activity was simple yet a ton of fun. We held Cayleigh's first dance party.

What you need:

Music and/or someone singing

What we did:

We played some music and danced around with the kids until they were worn out. Then, after a little break, we sang them every kids' song we could think of while having them do silly motions. We also did lots of tickle time and silly faces.

What we would do differently:

Nothing! It was a blast and even more fun since the whole family was involved. I always feel happier and closer to my husband after doing a great family activity.

Day 4 - Outside Adventure

Today there were a lot of firsts for my family. I took my kids outside to play in the backyard for the first time. Now, don't get me wrong, I have taken my kids out to play in the park, to the zoo and for walks so they do get out. However, today was the first time I took them to the backyard. This summer has been so hot that I didn't want to take the baby out for long. Oh, and I had that whole recovering from a massive blood clot thing this summer too. Today was perfect though. So I decided not to waste the day and let them play in the yard.

What you need (of course all of these are optional):

Yard
Sunscreen
Toys
Waterproof blanket
(and if you have a pet like we do) Fence

What we did:

First, I got out the sunscreen and covers the kids' faces and ears (and in Cayleigh's case, her head too!). Then, I got out the waterproof blanket for the first time. We got it for summer picnics but that never happened. It works great for a baby play area! Connor ran straight to his T-ball set and wanted to play with that and then switched over to the basketball. He's not tall enough to throw it into the basket himself so he made me do it.

While Connor and I were playing with his toys, Cayleigh was busy discovering grass. I placed her on the blanket so that she was on her stomach with her hands over the edge. She was so fascinated that she stayed like that for 10 minutes without complaining! She had a blast feeling the grass and looking at it. When she was done with that I picked her and the blanket up and put then inside the screened porch were she could watch Connor and me play and I could see her.

What I would change:

Nothing! It was a great afternoon outside with the kids and I am so happy I got the chance to do it.


Oh, and the other first of the day was: Cayleigh sat by herself! Go Cayleigh! Pictures to come...