Safety Tips

While I am not a fan of Bruno, this video is very disturbing! I have never liked parents that push their children into modeling. This video only confirms why I can’t stand those parents. They will do anything to get their children into the spotlight and they pay no attention to their children’s needs or desires.

If you are this type of parent than you need to take a step back and look at how your selfish actions may be hurting your children.

Obviously we need children models for commercials, movies and print ads. If you desire to enter your child into this crazy world, make sure you go about it the right way and ensure it is something your child would like to do. Your children can’t protect themselves. It is the parents responsibility to make sure they are being taken care of.

In 2007 we had our baby girl, in 2008 we had our baby boy, in 2009 we… got a puppy!

Crazy? Maybe a little, but so much fun too! We got a labradoodle this summer, her name is “Cash”. Raising a two year old, a one year old, and now a puppy is exhausting. So many mouths to feed, messes to clean, and don’t even get me started on all the poop! If this puppy didn’t make my two kids so happy I would be having serious issues. But, my kids adore Cash! Sometimes they love her too much. They squeeze her, hug her, pat her, pet her, pull her tail, kiss her, ride her. (I swear this isn’t puppy abuse right?) Cash is a great puppy and is so soft with the kids even through all this torture. We have been doing lots of puppy training, but I feel like we need to train our kids on how to enjoy their new puppy! Any tips on having a puppy and little kids?

We recently discovered my lil’ guy has food allergies. Hunter can not eat milk, eggs, wheat or nuts. A few months ago I was babysitting my two nephews. I was feeding the kids french toast and scrambled eggs. Hunter is such a little begger when it comes to food and he was eyeing the scrambled eggs. I didn’t even think about allergies, Lexi ate eggs very early and never had any problems. Well, about two minutes after Hunter ate the eggs his face swelled up like a balloon. He has reacted to food and other things before so I gave him some Benadryl, but his face just kept swelling. I ran and picked him up and he started throwing up everywhere. I didn’t know if his air way was getting blocked off, but I didn’t wait around to see that happen. I told the other three kids I was taking care of that we had to get into the car and take Hunter to the hospital. We made it to the hospital, I walked in carrying Hunter with three other little ones trailing close behind me. They got us right in to see a doctor. His air way was fine and his oxygen levels were good. When we left the hospital the tears finally started running down my face. My six year old nephew said “Why are you sad, Hunter is okay?”. Hunter was okay, but every parent loses it sometimes right? Anyway, I called my pediatrician and he had me bring Hunter right in. He checked him out and said that he was fine, but that we should have some blood work done to find out exactly what Hunter is allergic to. This is how we found out what we need to stay away from. My pediatrician said that the trick is to keep him away from these foods and then the chances of him growing out of the allergy are better. Now the trick will be to keep a one year old away from all that yummy stuff! Wish me luck!

Just when I thought my little girl could not possibly get sick with anything else…

Lexi, my sweet 2 year old, woke up with a horrible rash yesterday. I called my pediatrician, who I talk to on a regular basis lately, and they said that it is very common for little kids to get a rash at the very end of having something serious like pneumonia.

By the end of the day Lexi wouldn’t walk any more. Every time I would try to stand her up she would cry. I figured that she must have fallen or twisted something in one of her legs, but I couldn’t figure out which leg was bothering her. I called my pediatrician again and they had me bring her right in for X-rays. The X-ray’s showed that nothing was broken and when my pediatrician examined her he said that she has a type B flu. This kind of flu attacks little kids joints and makes them feel like they are an 80 year old woman. He said that it should go away in a few days and to keep her comfortable with Motrin.

Last night her rash broke out into hives, so we were on the phone with Insta Care and the Pharmacy finding out the dosage for giving Benadryl to a 2 year old. (FYI for a 2 year old that weighs 28 lbs. it is 0.5 teaspoon.)

Then this morning she woke up and her hands, ankles, knees and feet are all very swollen. I called the doctor again and he said the swelling is common, but that he wants to see her again if there is any bruising, fever, or if she is still limping in a week.

Poor little girl! We are watching lots of movies and cuddling a ton! Please let this be the end of my kids being so sick!

Has anyone ever heard of anything like this before?

Last week my 22 month old little girl got her first black eye. Now every time I look at her I feel the guilt of not being there to catch her every time she falls. I was in the shower and I heard a crash and a scream. Immediately I jumped out of the shower and ran to Lexi’s room. I picked her up and could see the bruising and swelling around her eye already appearing. I got some ice on her eye and surveyed her room. I could see her baby doll up on the changing table and her hippo on wheels close by. It looks like she was trying to change her doll’s diaper by standing on her rolling hippo.  It is my own fault that she tried this, because when I am changing her little brother I will let Lexi stand next to me on her hippo so she can see too. She only cried for a little bit and Mommy cried a lot longer than that. I was so nervous I called the pediatrician and after the nurse heard all the details she said that Lexi should be fine and calmed me down. It is so hard to be a parent and know that you are not going to be able to protect your child from absolutely everything no matter how hard you try! But in the mean time learn from my mistake, here is a tip for all you parents out there with climbing toddlers… make sure the rolling toys and stools are put away when you are in the shower!

What kind of a moron rides their bullet bike on the sidewalk?…my neighbor that’s who!!! This is going to be a mean post, so if you don’t want to hear a Mommy venting about her crappy neighbors then stop reading now. Okay, if you are still reading here is the story. Today around noon I was headed out our door with the two kids. Anyone who has loaded two kids in their car knows how tricky it can be. I was carrying Hunter, in his car seat, in one arm and was holding Lexi’s hand with the other. We live in a town home and just off of our doorstep there is a sidewalk that runs in front of our place. There are two tall bushes that stand in between our doorstep and our neighbors. I had just made sure Lexi was down the stairs safely and was about to let go of her hand so she could go run up the grassy hill. (She loves to feel like a big girl and climb the hill all by herself.) But, suddenly I could hear a motorcycle, just as I heard it my moron neighbor comes speeding down the sidewalk right in front of our doorstep! I couldn’t see him coming because of the big bushes and he scared me and Lexi to death. She started balling and I hurried to set Hunter down and hug her tight. My neighbor yelled “Sorry!” as he sped off and left me standing there still in shock with a very frightened little girl. Then my mind started running through all the “what if’s”. What if I had let Lexi’s hand go and she had headed to climb the hill? What if he had run over my baby girl? What if he had hit all of us as we headed to the car? I was furious! These neighbors have been a big problem in many ways, but this time they had gone too far! You don’t mess with my kids safety! So, I quickly told my husband and he called our landlord to take care of Mr. Moron Bullet Bike Man. My husband would have loved to go over to the guy’s house and punch him or run him over on his bike with our SUV, but I love Trav too much to let him go to prison for this moron! I want to sue this guy for endangering my child or at least get him a ticket of some kind for driving on the sidewalk. Does anyone know how I can give this guy the punishment he deserves? Thanks for letting an angry Mommy vent!

Since our big scare today, every time Lexi has heard a loud noise she has come running scared into my arms. Poor little one really got scared, so did her Mommy. Today I was rocking her and Hunter at the same time and they both fell asleep in my arms. I just sat and held them while they napped and thought of how grateful I am that some little angel somewhere was watching out for us today!

This is just one of those things that you learn by being a parent I guess? I was looking at Lexi’s rubber ducky and discovered that when I would squeeze it black stuff would come out with the water. Mold and Mildew are building up in all of my little one’s bath toys. I had no idea that rubber duckies could get moldy, but apparently they can. Yuck! So, I am sending a bunch of bath toys to toy heaven today. I will definitely be more careful about draining the bath toys of water. I clean my bathroom regularly, but I never even considered what could be building up in her rubber ducky. I was considering just banning all bath toys that have holes in them from Lexi’s bath, but she loves her “Quack-quacks” so I found a solution. Using a glue gun to seal the hole in bath toys will prevent mold from returning – permanently! Hopefully I can save some parents from discovering there own moldy bath toys!

Happy Father’s Day to all of the Father’s out there! I know I am a little late, but I wanted to be sure and thank all the great Dad’s out there for what they do.
A few weeks ago my husband was installing child locks on all of our cabinets. (Our 16 month old is at the point where she loves to open and empty all the cabinets in the house, so this was a must!) I walked into the kitchen to find my husband sitting on the floor holding his drill with our little girl sitting between his legs in her pink pj’s. She was patting the drill and every time she did my husband would turn the drill on so she thought she was doing it. Our little girl had the biggest smile on her face and my husband was just laughing. It was the sweetest sight for a Mom! My little girl loves her Daddy so much and he always takes the time to make her smile. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful husband who is also a great Daddy. Happy Father’s Day Handsome!

About 2 weeks ago I was listening to a friend rattle off all of the illnesses her little 17 month old boy had been through the last few months. It made me grateful that my little Lexi has been so healthy, I explained to her that Lexi hadn’t really been sick very much. Well, I should have knocked on wood after that because later that week Lexi got Hand-Foot-Mouth syndrome and there was more to come after that.

We went up to a condo in the mountains for Memorial weekend with my husbands family. Sunday morning Lexi woke up with a goopy swollen eye. By that night her eye was almost swollen shut. The next morning her other eye started to swell and her nose started running. We took her in to an Urgent Care, since the pediatrician was closed for Memorial Day. (I swear this little girl only gets sick on weekends and holidays!) The doctor told us that she had an ear infection in one ear and pink eye in both of her eyes. Poor little girl! She has had a hard couple of weeks. She is on an antibiotic, eye-drops, and we are giving her Benedryl to make her comfortable. She is doing much better now and hopefully she has had her share of sickness for awhile. Here are some facts on pink eye and ear infections that I found.

Pinkeye – Topic Overview

Pinkeye (also called conjunctivitis) is redness and swelling of the conjunctiva, the mucous membrane that lines the eyelid and eye surface. The lining of the eye is usually clear. If irritation or infection occurs, the lining becomes red and swollen.

DOCTOR recommended reading

How Long Does Pinkeye Last?

WebMD Medical Reference

Traditionally, at-home remedies have been sufficient for soothing conjunctivitis associated with uncomplicated colds, minor infections, or allergies. Treatment consists primarily of cleansing the eyes and preventing the condition from spreading.

Viral conjunctivitis usually runs its course in one to two weeks. Because it is not caused by bacteria, viral conjunctivitis does not respond to antibiotics. Artificial tears will also help relieve symptoms.

For bacterial conjunctivitis, the treatment will probably call for antibiotic eye drops or ointment. This generally clears the symptoms within a few days.

Pinkeye is very common. It usually is not serious and goes away in 7 to 10 days without medical treatment.

Common symptoms of pinkeye are:

• Eye redness (hyperemia).
• Swollen, red eyelids.
• More tearing than usual.
• Feeling as if something is in the eye (foreign-body sensation or keratoconjunctivitis).
• An itching or burning feeling.
• Mild sensitivity to light.
• Drainage from the eye.

Most cases of pinkeye are caused by:

• Infections caused by viruses or bacteria.
• Dry eyes from lack of tears or exposure to wind and sun.
• Chemicals, fumes, or smoke.
• Allergies.

Viral and bacterial pinkeye are contagious and spread very easily. Since most pinkeye is caused by viruses for which there is usually no medical treatment, preventing its spread is important. Poor hand-washing is the main cause of the spread of pinkeye. Sharing an object, such as a washcloth or towel, with a person who has pinkeye can spread the infection. For tips on how to prevent the spread of pinkeye, see the Prevention section of this topic.

People with infectious pinkeye should not attend school or go to work until symptoms improve.

• If the pinkeye is caused by a virus, the person can usually return to day care, school, or work when symptoms begin to improve, typically in 3 to 5 days. Medicines are not usually used to treat viral pinkeye, so it is important to prevent the spread of the infection. Pinkeye caused by a herpes virus, which is rare, can be treated with an antiviral medicine. Home treatment of viral pinkeye symptoms can help you feel more comfortable while the infection goes away.
• If the pinkeye is caused by bacteria, the person can usually return to day care, school, or work 24 hours after an antibiotic has been started if symptoms have improved. Prescription antibiotic treatment usually kills the bacteria that cause pinkeye.

Pinkeye may be more serious if you:

• Have a condition that decreases your body’s ability to fight infection (impaired immune system).
• Have vision in only one eye.
• Wear contact lenses.

Red eye

Red eye is a more general term that includes not only pinkeye but also many other problems that cause redness on or around the eye, not just the lining. Pinkeye is the main cause of red eye. Red eye has other causes, including:

• Foreign bodies, such as dirt or bugs.
• Scrapes, sores, or injury to or infection of deeper parts of the eye.
• Glaucoma.
• Infection of the eye socket and areas around the eye.

Swollen, red eyelids may also be caused by styes, a lump called a chalazion, inflammation of the eyelid, or tear deficiency (dry eyes).

Ear Infections – Topic Overview

Is this topic for you?

This topic covers infections of the middle ear, commonly called ear infections.

What is a middle ear infection?

The middle ear is the small part of your ear just inside your eardrum. It can get infected when germs from the nose and throat are trapped there.

What causes a middle ear infection?

A small tube connects your ear to your throat. A cold can cause this tube to swell. When the tube swells enough to become blocked, it can trap fluid inside your ear. This makes it a perfect place for germs to grow and cause an infection.

Ear infections happen mostly to young children because their tubes are smaller and get blocked more easily.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptom is an earache. It can be mild, or it can hurt a lot. Babies and young children may be fussy. They may pull at their ears and cry. They may have trouble sleeping. They may also have a fever.

You may see thick, yellow fluid coming from their ears. This happens when the infection has caused the eardrum to burst and the fluid flows out. This is not serious and usually makes the pain go away. The eardrum usually heals on its own.

When fluid builds up but does not get infected, children often say that their ears just feel plugged. They may have trouble hearing, but their hearing usually returns to normal after the fluid is gone. It may take weeks for the fluid to drain away.

How is a middle ear infection diagnosed?

Your doctor will talk to you about your child’s symptoms. Then he or she will look into your child’s ears. A special tool with a light lets the doctor see the eardrum and tell whether there is fluid behind it. This exam is rarely uncomfortable. It bothers some children more than others.

How is it treated?

Most ear infections go away on their own. You can treat your child at home with an over-the-counter pain reliever like acetaminophen (such as Tylenol or Tempra), a warm washcloth or heating pad on the ear, and rest. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 20. Your doctor may give you eardrops that can help your child’s pain.

Sometimes after an infection, a child cannot hear well for a while. Call your doctor if this lasts for 3 to 4 months. Children need to be able to hear in order to learn how to talk.

Your doctor can give your child antibiotics, but ear infections often get better without them. Talk about this with your doctor. Whether you use them will depend on how old your child is and how bad the infection is.

Minor surgery to put tubes in the ears may help if your child has hearing problems or repeat infections.

Can ear infections be prevented?

There are many ways to help prevent ear infections. Do not smoke. Ear infections happen more often to children who are around cigarette smoke. Even the fumes from tobacco smoke on your hair and clothes can affect them. Handwashing and having your child immunized can help, too.

Also, make sure your child does not go to sleep while sucking on a bottle. And try to limit the use of group child care.

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Hope this information gives some of you out there some help. One more tip about pink eye that the doctor gave me was to wash Lexi’s blankets and sheets daily. This helps to reduce the chances of her re-infecting herself. I have been changing her sheets regularly and I think it has really helped her get better faster.

With springtime already here and summer approaching fast, it is time to gear up for family vacations and road trips. BabyAge.com has great deals on some of the best car seats you will find anywhere. We have the Britax Boulevard Convertible Car Seat – Onyx and it is so comforting to know our baby girl is safe in this car seat. I couldn’t believe the deals BabyAge.com is offering on car seats of every size and color. It is a great time to make sure your child is safe for all of the summer road trips your family will be taking. BabyAge.com has the best prices on Car Seats, Stroller & Baby Gear, and this month, they are reducing their prices even MORE! I just want to let all the Baby Specialists out there know about this great sale!

This is the car seat we use for our daughter, it is the Britax Boulevard Convertible Car Seat – Onyx. We bought it because it is a neutral color so we can use it for all of our kids and it is so durable we know it will last!

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