Prior to Jane’s arrival, I remember Dan going around the house pointing out things that “had to go”. I, literally, was looking at him like he had three heads… WHAT? What are you talking about? Why do we have to get rid of that shelving unit, it looks perfect right there and, yeah, it’s a little dangerous but we have to teach our kid “no” right? I don’t know if I was in denial about the fact that having a baby would turn my well-put-together home into a giant play pen or if I honestly didn’t think it would be a danger (like an 11 month old would know that wasn’t a ladder). Fast forward 12 months later… I, personally, dismantled the shelving unit and put it away. I, personally, got rid of the quaint little sitting area in the kitchen/dining room to make room for pink and purple foam flooring and toys galore. I, personally, screwed our hallway tables into the studs. I think I’m more anal about this stuff than Dan now! :p

But, there were a lot of things I never even thought of that, when I learned of them, I realized how dangerous our homes can be for our babes, without us even knowing it. You can practice your “nos” all you want but, fact is, when I take Jane to the playground, I cannot take my eye off her for a fraction of a second because what does she do? She puts pebbles in her mouth. Literally, just when I think she’s “getting it”, she grabs a pebble and starts towards her mouth. So, don’t for one second think, that because your little one is starting to learn and starting to seem like he/she is “grown up”, that they realize what is food and what isn’t.


Here are some of the obvious baby proofing to dos:

• First of all, I’m assuming y’all know the basics like not putting cribs near a window, and keeping your blind cords tied up, covering outlets and so on.
• Cabinet doors and drawers - Here’s what I did. I put locks on the dangerous cabinets/drawers (cleaning supplies, garbage, anything with sharp things, etc.) but I didn’t lock them all. I left some of them (with tuperware and so on) open so that (1) Jane can learn “no” and (2) I can get a break when I’m cooking. I mean, I don’t usually let her just sit and play in the cupboard (unless it’s a designated play cupboard) but I’ll take out a bunch of tuperware and give it to her to play with.
• Climbing - anything baby can climb on - book shelves, entertainment units, etc. - make sure they are mounted to the wall or put away. My Mom told me a story about myself when I was just over 2. Apparently, they had put the gingerbread house on top of the china cabinet (which is like 4 feet tall). I saw it and proceeded to turn over a garbage pail and strategically pull out drawers to use as steps so that I could reach the peppermint patty fence… when my Mom finally found me, I was just reaching for that yummy piece of chocolate. Thankfully, it turned out ok (and my Mom did give me the chocolate in the end) but it could have not been so great.
• Windows - if you have low to the floor windows make sure that they are locked and open them from the top if you need to. I also fell out a window when I was little… thankfully, it was only 3-4 feet off the ground but, hey, I’m just saying. * To be clear, my Mom was not negligent, she was a single Mom (for a little while) and I was very likely a trouble maker!
• Gates - OMG, please, please do not ever leave an area without a gate because you think “well, she’s always in my sight”. Jane is so quick. I could turn my back for a second and she’d be gone. If you can’t afford gates (they are super expensive) or you can’t make it work, use a piece of furniture, like a cushioned ottoman or something to block the danger zone (yes, a Top Gun reference).
• Appliance cords - This is my biggest fear (I don’t know why) but keeping appliance cords (especially in the kitchen) out of reach (which basically means, no where in sight). Most importantly, your coffee perk, kettle, and other items that get boiling hot. A cord hanging over the countertop is like a gold mine to a baby. It would be the first thing Jane would go for in a room full of toys, for sure.
• Bathtub water - You’re supposed to turn your water heater temperature down when you have a baby… this, I did not do. Why? Because I like washing my bottles in SUPER hot water. What I will say, however, is that I will never put Jane into a bath without having checked the water 50 times (I swear, I’m anal). I know there are rubber duckies and such with temp gages but I find even if the water is luke warm, those things scream “HOT” which is a little too strict for me. What you need to know is that testing the water with your fingers/hands is useless and they are not as sensitive as your other skin. I run the water over my wrist/forearm to test and this works perfectly.
• Bathrooms - keep bathroom doors closed or buy toilet locks and such. Jane loves the bathroom so we keep the doors closed all the time.
• Hot drinks - Oh please do not do this… even when your baby is a immobile newborn, please, please please do not drink tea or coffee or whatever when they are with you. Do not have it on a table. Do not have it near you. It is just about the worse thing you can imagine, waiting to happen. Don’t take even one sip thinking, oh she’s asleep. Jane’s been asleep on my chest before and I went to get a sip of water from a bottle and her hand flew up and knocked the water bottle out of mine… not worth it.

Things I didn’t think of myself:

• Doorstops - on the hinge of our doors, we have little stoppers that prevent the doors from opening to wide… and they are covered (to protect the wood) in tiny, round, white, plastic thingies - basically the perfect choking hazard. I never would have noticed this! They are gone… in a ziploc bag until we sell the house.
• Faucet guard for tub and anti-slip mat for tub - I thought we would be fine without these items. No way. Jane slipped while sitting in the tub the other day and ended up on her back… thankfully, the water wasn’t high enough for her to go under. I was sitting next to the tub watching her and I didn’t have a quick enough reaction time that she wouldn’t have gotten a good breath of water.

There are obviously tons more - here’s a link to a great list of essentials!

Also, here’s a link to PTPA Award Winning Safety Products.
Baby proofing is a never-ending process. I am constantly moving things and checking the floors as Jane discovers more and more. Don’t think because it’s done, that it’s done. Every day Jane finds something new to get herself into. Get down on the floor yourself and crawl around. Look for things that would be attractive to your baby… it’s scary how much is down at that level!

Along with baby proofing, I recommend an infant cpr course. Dan and I took one when I was pregnant and it definitely gives me piece of mind that I know the correct things to do if Jane were to choke or worse…

It’s been awhile. I’m sorry. As if life with a 11 month old wasn’t busy enough, I’ve taken on a bazillion “projects” and I’m on the hunt for a job.

What could possibly make life a little more difficult? The fact that my almost 11 month old has never slept through the night. Her longest stretch has been 8pm to 5am and then back to sleep until 7am but never straight through, morning to night. Let me be clear… because I am used to less than ideal sleep, on nights where she wakes only once, I am fresh and energetic. But some nights she wakes 3-4 times and, if I’m really lucky, when she wakes she’s up for an hour or more - awesome!

I’m quite content with the fact that she may not sleep “through the night” for a little while longer… ever babe is difficult. However, if I could just find out what’s keeping her up or waking her several times a night, it would be nice. Like most Moms, at 3am, I am running through the list in my head - Is she teething? Is she hot? Is she cold? Is she sick? Does she have gas? Is she hungry? And so on. I never seem to be able to figure it out.

I know I’m supposed to be a “mom expert” but I’m turning the tables. Any advice or tips-n-tricks you want to share are welcome!

Hope you’re having a fabulous hump day!
MOmMy bRaIn Jen

When Jane was a newborn, I remember thinking that I wanted to keep her in a bubble to protect her from all the scary things out there (H1N1 of course was the number one scare at the time)… she was so delicate and so fragile that it seemed the littlest germ or bump would make her upset or uncomfortable or ill. The thought of her being anything but perfectly happy broke my heart.

Almost ten months later and, thankfully, the worry has decreased (about certain things). Hmmm. Maybe not decreased but definitely diverted to things that seem more deserving… I used to worry about germs and minor head bonks, now I worry about face plants, broken bones and bloody mouths.

Germs? We’ve been through ‘um. Jane had her first cold a few weeks ago and now, surprise surprise, we’re both sick again! Don’t ask me how! Pre-baby, I never got sick. Now, it seems, I’ve been sick for the last month. I’m thinking I can blame it on the fact that, pre-baby, I was able to “sleep-it-off”. And, you’d think, babies might have this same desire but NOPE! If anything, Jane sleeps less (which means I sleep less) when she’s sick. Funny how things work, isn’t it?

I’ve been trying my hardest to avoid spending money right now but I’m dying to have a non-contact thermometer - like the PTPA Award Winning Kidz Med 5-in-1 for several reasons:

(1) We all know how to get the most accurate temperature - It’s not fun for anyone and getting more and more difficult as Jane gets more and more mobile and

(2) I consistently forget to check her temperature before bed when she’s sick and I dare not wake a sleeping child so, as a result, I don’t sleep in fear that she’s running a fever and I didn’t notice.

We’ll have to see which wins out - peace of mind or frugality… These days I give in to convenience pretty consistently, so I’m sure the thermometer will be under the bathroom sink in the next week or so.

Aside from the germs, Jane’s new thing is face plants. Thank God babies don’t come out of the womb wanting to stand up on everything. God is good. He gives us 10 months (yes 10, not 9 for those of you not pregnant yet) to prepare for the fact that our life is about to be over-hauled and then he gives us every thing in “stages” after that. Stages I can handle (most of the time) except when you get overlap! So, back to the face plants. For the past two weeks, Jane’s started wanting to stand on everything. She’s pulled my pants down so many times, trying to pull herself up on me - which, I must admit, I love and is the cutest thing ever as I take it as “I want to come snuggle Mommy” vs. her just wanting to stand. Here’s the issue… when she’s standing and gets excited, she bounces. Not a big problem when she’s holding on to the couch. But when it’s a solid coffee table (which I’m glad we don’t have) or a crib rail, it equals a face plant into something hard which equals a not so great reaction… we’ve had a bloody mouth twice so far.

I must admit, had you asked me 7 months ago how I would respond to seeing blood coming out of my baby’s mouth - probably would have fainted. Now, no biggie. I’m pretty good at staying calm. I think it’s important to stay calm - getting upset is only going to make Jane more upset. Thus, when she hurts herself - even when she’s spitting blood - she usually calms down within a few seconds. With that said, it’s still heart breaking. The other day, at a friends house, she bounced and hit her mouth on the coffee table. Blood was dripping out of her mouth all over her and me. I stayed calm and she was fine within a minute. On my way out the door, however, I caught a glimpse of her top gum and had a minor “non-calm” moment… her gums were all swollen and bloody. I thought for sure I had permanently damaged her teeth (I say “I” because us Moms blame everything on ourselves) and I thought she had driven her teeth up into her gums (even though she barely hit the table). What I found out later was that her face plant basically helped her two front teeth “pop” through the gums. So, on a brighter note, her two front teeth are now through the gums and she’s been sleeping better ever since! :p

Other than the “face plants” (it actually more like mouth plants but that doesn’t sound right), she’s had you typical head bonks - front, back and sides. She’s gotten a few teeny bruises on her face (I have no idea what from which scares me). ha ha ha. She’s had cuts on her fingers -again, no idea where from - if she cried when it happened, at least I’d know where she’s getting ‘um! The only way I even noticed the cuts is that they get dyed purple after she eats blueberries… along with her finger nails which makes her look like a dirty baby which I’m sure would result in a phone call to social services when combined with the bloody mouth and bruised face.

Obviously, I am pretty cautious with my little lady. I basically am never more than a few feet away from her. I feel like as long as I know how she sustained the “injury” then I can easily assess whether or not it’s serious or if it was just a scare. I know I can’t “hold her hand” for the next 80 years (as much as I’d like to). I have to let her fall so that she learns how to not fall… sounds insane doesn’t it! This will likely always apply. I will have to let her date the “bad boy” too, just so she can learn that he’s an arse and will likely break her heart. God, this is going to be hard!

Ok, I’m blabbering and, with that sentence about the “bad boy”, I could literally write for another two hours. I’m cutting myself off.

Hope you’re having a fabulous long weekend!

Jen

If you’re like me, you’re interested in learning about the ways your baby is developing at each stage and how you can best nurture that development. Just Ask Baby is a new, online video membership service that helps you do just that. Videos are categorized by age (0-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 mths) and broken down further into the following “channels”: I Feel, I See, I Think, I Say, I Do.

Before you roll your eyes thinking your going to have to watch hours of videos with some “expert” blabbing on about research and other nonsense you won’t understand, check this out - the videos are told from a baby’s perspective! It’s really interesting - little “Lucy” (the narrator) tells you all about her thoughts and feelings throughout different stages of her development and how you can best encourage her development. Because it’s told from the child’s perspective, it makes it so much easier to actually apply what you’re learning into your real life.

What did I like most about the program? I loved that it made me more conscious of how much of an impact my reactions, expressions, and tone of voice have on Jane’s development. For example, after completing the Just Ask Baby program for the 6-8 month range, I became very aware of my facial expressions and tone of voice when introducing new foods to Jane (e.g. smiling and talking excitedly when feeding her meats). It seems obvious yes, but oftentimes, we’re so busy or caught up in multitasking that we don’t pay attention to how we’re responding and reacting to our children. Just Ask Baby shows you just how important it is for you to be present when interacting with your baby.

Another plus - each video is only 20 minutes and further broken down into episodes… which is ideal for new Moms like myself who can rarely be 100% sure we’re going to get a 20 minute break!

Just Ask Baby also provides an area for you to track your baby’s development and an area to upload pictures and share your baby’s progress with family and friends. It would have surprised me if this product didn’t make it to the PTPA Spring Campaign Award Winners!

March break. The time of the year all kids look forward to and most parents dread. Why? Well, for starters, it’s smack-dab in the middle of winter. So, whether you’re travelling or staying home, your risk of being at the mercy of Mother Nature is pretty high (envision spending hours in an airport line-up with your five year old, or, literally power-less at home). If your budget is tight, as it is for most of us, you’re probably choosing to stay home for the break, offering a huge challenge - what to do with your kids for seven days straight?

My daughter is nine months old. Most of my time is spent trying to find fun and creative things to do with her every day. With that said, my options are pretty limited to Jolly Jumping, banging things together and chewing on everything in sight. So, with a little research and a little brain power, I came up with a few ideas for keeping your kids busy during the week.

I’m a Mom. I love lists. So here goes:

1. Organize a play-date for your child and a small group of his/her friends. Plan a fun activity to keep the kids busy, like Funky Fondue. In bowls, set out all sorts of candy, fruits and vegetables that wouldn’t normally be chocolate dipped (ju jubes, apricots, peppers, etc.). Warm up some broken chocolate bars or milk chocolate chips and let the kids go crazy! Imagine the combinations they’ll come up with… I’m curious about chocolate dipped red pepper! Or, let them make a brownie pizza. Bake brownies according to directions in a pizza pan. Once out of the oven, sprinkle milk chocolate chips allowing them to melt. Spread the melted chips over the top of the “pizza” and allow kids to decorate with whatever toppings they want - fruit, candy, nuts, etc. Obviously the point is to let them eat this when it’s all said and done so pre-warn parents that kids will be sent home with a little extra “energy” (a.k.a sugar high)!

2. Inspire your child’s inner HGTV guru. Spend the week re-decorating his/her playroom or bedroom. You can take this as far as you want to - may want to enlist Dad if you plan on bigger projects like painting. If you want to keep it simple, hit up your local Dollarstore for some canvas and paint to create new artwork for the walls. You can also find unfinished storage boxes, stools, etc. at Michaels for kids to paint and embellish however they want.

3. Act like a tourist in your own city. We rarely take the time to visit our local tourist hot spots. Sit down with your kids and choose 4-5 places you’d like to see or visit. Check out a different place every day - the zoo, the discovery centre, the museum, the park, etc.

4. Have theme days throughout the week and organize activities accordingly. For example, throw the rules out the window for a day - stay in your pj’s, have chocolate for breakfast, watch movies all day and so on. Have a “camping” day - set up a tent in your basement, eat s’mores, hot dogs and other campfire favourites on the floor outside your “campsite”. Go for a walk in the park instead of turning on the TV and let kids sleep in the tent for the night (or as long as they last down there). Other ideas - beach day (go swimming, eat summer-themed foods, etc.), spa day (for the girls), and so on.

5. What’s wrong with the classics? Pull out board games and movies from when you were a child (you may have to rent the dvd - hard to find a VHS player these days). Spend the week catching your kids up on the best of the best - Monopoly, Boggle, Grease, E.T., The Goonies, etc. Grease was my favourite movie growing up but may not be age appropriate for all (obviously I was advanced :p)! Older kids may roll their eyes at this one but it’s up to you to make it fun for all (e.g. come up with fun prizes for game winners - an extra hour of tv or a treat after supper).

6. Teach your kids to bake. Outline a week’s worth of fun recipes (think cupcakes, cookies, anything that makes a mess and tastes yummy). Not only is this fun but it teaches kids how to follow directions which is fabulous. What kid doesn’t love being Mom’s little helper?

We often scoot our kids out of the kitchen when we’re cooking - why not involve them for once?

If you’ve already got plans for the week but are looking for something to fill a few hours, here are a few other ideas if you’re working with a smaller time frame:

1. Sign up for a Home Depot Kids Workshop. Each Month, Home Depot stores offer workshops where kids can build their own project using pre-fabricated kits supplied by the stores (think bird houses, tool boxes, etc.). The workshops are held in-store and are offered for free for kids aged 5-12. If you have a large group of kids you may be able to organize your own little building party as well. Google “Home Depot Kids Workshop” to find out about workshops in your area.

2. Hide age-appropriate prizes or treats throughout your house for an indoor treasure hunt - use maps for younger kids and clues for older kids. My Mom did this for us at Easter until we were 16 and I actually was upset the year she stopped because I enjoyed it so much!

3. Have Dad challenge kids to a video game tournament (unless, like me, you’re the Rock Band champion of the house). Winner gets bragging rights and whatever else you want to offer up! This also guarantees Mom a little “me” time, if she so chooses.

Life is busy. It’s likely that in the time we spend together most days, we’re often not entirely present - thinking about that email we need to send or the project that’s overdue at work. One of the most important lessons I learned from my Mother was that if you continue to play with your kids, you’ll always have fun together. The ideas above are only as great as you make them. Participate. Laugh. Be a kid yourself. Be present.

This is me - I’m 45% extrovert, 45% introvert. I don’t mean that 45% of me is outgoing and 45% is shy. I mean that 45% of me gets energy from being in social settings and 45% of me gets energy from being at home with just my hubby and Janers. The other 10% of my energy comes from chocolate! :p It depends on the situation. In work, I’m an extrovert - I feel like I use that 45% of me at work so when I come home, I’m introverted me. I’m definitely not the first to hop on the party-train! Homebody through and through.

Once you have a baby, you start getting invited to playdates. At first, I avoided them whenever possible - usually able to use my not having a car as an excuse. Then, I had my first playdate. It was so nice to get together with another group of Moms. I love my girlfriends who don’t have kids but there’s an immediate connection between Moms… an understanding. AND, the pressure is off. I always leave get-togethers with my non-Mommy friends thinking “oh my god, I just bored her to death” because I feel like I spent the entire time talking about things she doesn’t care about (my boobs, breastfeeding, Jane’s poop, etc.) Often times you don’t know everyone who attends the playdates. You may worry you won’t have anything in common or you won’t fit in. HA! Sit down with another Mom and you don’t have to worry that at some point you’re not going to have something to talk about - what do you think you’re going to talk about?

Here’s the typically conversation topics at the playdates I’ve attended:

• Your baby’s poop
• Your boobs
• Breastfeeding
• Your labour
• Your labour scars (oh yes, when you’re in the Mom club, it is acceptable to talk about everything)
• Your baby’s eating
• Your baby’s sleeping
• Work
• Your baby’s everything else

It’s like Mommy-therapy. You look around the room and realize, thank God, I’m not alone… I’m not alone in my worries, my insecurities, my challenges. And you also look around and realize, hmmm… I’m doing pretty well. Whether you are doing similar or better than most of the Moms in your group, it gives you peace of mind to see where you stand - and my guess is you’re doing better than you’re giving yourself credit for!

What I recommend for the playdate? Toys and Coffee/Tea (decaffeinated options for the bf-ers). Lots of toys and play areas. It’s rare to have friends who all have the same aged baby - so bring out some of the things you’ve packed away (if your babe is older) or the things you haven’t used yet (if your little ‘un is a newbie) so that the other babes will be kept occupied so you can accomplish the playdate goal - Mom therapy - OH, I mean, for the babes to have fun! :p Jane’s at the age where she loves seeing other babies now and interacting with them (i.e. scratching at their faces and grabbing at them) so she loves our playdates.

Within 4-5 months, I went from avoiding playdates to trying to have at least one a week. If you don’t have a group of friends with babies, most cities have Mommy-groups where you can get together at the Mall or something with another group of local Mommies.

Being a Mommy instantly bonds you to other Mommies. Just take a trip to the mall or grocery store with you baby and pay attention. The women who see you with your baby and smile at you are giving you the “hey, welcome to the club” greeting. It’s really neat.
Jen a.k.a. MOmMy bRaIn

Practical, Cute & Gender Neutral (obvious choice)

After doing some research, I just purchased Jane’s “big girl” car seat. Although she’s only 18 lbs (4 lbs away from the 22lb weight limit on our infant car seat), she’s over 28″ long which is nearing the 29″ height limit. Gone are the days of trucking her around in her car seat - the convenience of bringing it into the grocery store and putting it in the cart or bringing it to our swimming lessons so I have somewhere to put Jane while I dress/undress myself (problem solved by the bumbo - another PTPA Award Winner).

With many great recommendations, we went with a Britax Convertible Car Seat and I am really happy with my purchase…. except that the only style on sale (and obviously the one we purchased) was the “crimson” and black. I have nothing against red and black, honestly, but Jane’s a girly-girl! :p Although, I am happy we have a gender neutral car seat, in case the next one is a boy, I really, really wanted to buy one of the more fun designs! Add to the fact that I know, once she is bigger, she’ll be snacking in that car seat and it’s going to get filthy. If I plan on making it last through two babies (or more :p), it’s going to need some protection.

Girly, Gorgeous & Fun (devil on my shoulder talking)

Problem solved by PTPA Award Winning Emmalu Car Seat Covers. First of all, the designs are awesome! I can’t decide between the practical (and gender neutral) giraffe print or the oh-so-cute (and girly) pink polka dot print covers. Secondly, they are machine washable (anybody who makes baby products that can’t go in the washing machine doesn’t have children) and can easily be slipped over the existing car seat cover. Honestly, people who think of these things are geniuses! Often we complain about something and thing “there has to be a better way” - it’s the smarties out there who actually do something about it!

At $70 a pop, they are a little pricey. With that said, when you consider the cost of your “big girl” car seat (upwards of $300 or more, depending on the brand), it’s worth the extra dough to protect it and ensure it lasts through more than one little ‘un… I definitely don’t want to have to spend another $300 in a few years because there’s fruit loops and spit up ground in to my car seat cover! :p YUCK!

Will keep you posted on who wins - the devil on my shoulder saying “pink, pink, pink” or the logical, realistic, angel saying “gender neutral” (booo). :p

If you’re in the market for a “big girl” or “big boy” seat - here’s a great list of some of the best.

Jen a.k.a. MOmMy bRaIn