2 month Well Child Check

So you have survived to the 2 month well child check. You have become experts on understanding your child's cues and likely, you have developed a schedule set for your child and yourselves.

The same things happen at this visit in regards to discussing weight gain, sleep issues and feedings. You probably aren't thinking about solid feeding yet (normally 4-6 months) so I like to make sure no other issues have developed. Here are some of the common conversations at this time
1. You potentially have enrolled your child in daycare. It is a viral breeding ground and you should learn what to do when your child develops a runny nose and congestion. The doctor can help clue you in to symptoms of ear infections, lung infections, etc as well too.
2. You should make sure you are not neglecting your other children and may need to discuss behavior issues that have developed since your infant's birth.
3. You should remember to be getting outside and ensuring that you aren't getting trapped at home all the time.
4. Make sure you are using clothes to protect your child's skin. They are still too young for sunscreen.
5. Your doctor will go over development milestones with you and see if there are any red flags.
6. The vaccines today are Hepatitis B, Rotavirus, Haemophilus Influenza, Prevnar, Polio, DTaP. You can give your child a dose of tylenol before or during your visit to help with pain.

Those are the big things for now. Otherwise, continue to breastfeed as exclusively as possible, give your child some tummy time and start exploring the world more with your child!

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Penny Pinching - GroceryGame.com

After hearing about GroceryGame.com recently, we decided to check it out today. The site is a membership based site that compiles sales at local grocers, and recommends items for the best discounts.

We grabbed a Sunday paper, and logged in to the website, checking out the deals at King Soopers and Safeway. The website color codes the deals with BLUE, BLACK, and GREEN, recommending you focus on the BLUE and GREEN items as items to stock up on (GREEN items are actually free after store discounts and coupons).

If there is a coupon for an item that is already on sale, the website tells you where the coupon was found and what day it was from (it suggests a filing system for the Sunday coupons).

Anyway, it says it takes about 12 weeks to start fully realizing the savings, but we did pretty well in week 1, saving about 29% ($64.63) on our groceries between two stores.

We have also heard about CouponMom.com but have not checked it out yet.

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Potty Training Preparedness - Prepare Children for Potty Training Video - About.com

Potty Training Preparedness - Prepare Children for Potty Training Video - About.com: "Potty Training Preparedness
with Kathy Moore

Sooner or later, every parent is faced with the task of toilet training a toddler. Follow along with this potty training checklist and learn how to tell if your child is ready to make the big step out of diaperland."

How to keep track of baby gifts and their givers | Parent Hacks

It dawned on me to take digital pictures of each gift, and to include an index card in the photo on which I've written the name of the gift giver. Now I have an inventory of gifts that's simple to update, and easy to skim through and connect with the giver. And, if I pass these gifts along to other babies in a few years, I can avoid any social blunders associated with re-gifting or recycling to the wrong person.
Read entire post: How to keep track of baby gifts and their givers | Parent Hacks

Planning to be spontaneous when you have a baby | Parent Hacks

Planning to be spontaneous when you have a baby | Parent Hacks: "Planning to be spontaneous when you have a baby

It's funny how, once you have kids, even being spontaneous takes forethought. Here's a great tip from Pam, good to keep in mind as the long, warm evenings of summer approach:

We keep a pair of pyjamas in the diaper bag and the Pack and Play in the trunk of the car. Now if we decide on a whim to go to the grandparent's house or a friend's house and stay for a bit (even if not for overnight), we know we'll be all set. We can put our 16 month old to bed and transfer her to the carseat after a wild board game night." Continue Reading

Trying To Prevent Allergies

The conversation often comes up of when to start solid foods in your infant. There is not a lot of good evidence to say one way or the other, but current guidelines suggest breastfeeding exclusively till 4-6 months and then adding fruits and vegetables one by one. It is preferred to avoid high allergen foods like berries, peanuts, etc until after a year of life. This is contrast to older generations who would start solids in the first month of life. How did they overcome that tongue reflex that is present for the first couple months???

There is not much evidence to suggest waiting longer will decrease allergies. Also, the evidence is not great that restricting what you eat during pregnancy reduces allergies. However, some data suggests that if your infant is high risk for allergies (mom/dad with asthma, eczema or a lot of allergies) then *exclusive* breastfeeding for 6 months might decrease allergies.

For those who use formula, there has not been any evidence that soy based formulas decrease allergies. Mainly you choose based on what your infant enjoys, unless your child is high risk, then a formula like Alimentum might be helpful.

Often, I simply recommend when you child has developed a strong interest in what you are eating and shows the ability comfortably swallow, then start food. (This is typically around 4-6 months conveniently.)

When you do start solids, I suggest reading 'First Meals' by Annabel Karmel. It is a great resource on how to start, what to start and how to make your own food. (Which is remarkably easy)

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Working out while pregnant?

A question was emailed to me for Russ, our fitness expert. Here it is, along with his answer:

"What can I do as far as working out, now that I am pregnant?"

Answer: This question brings up more additional questions than answers, because every person is different.

A few questions I would ask include, how far along are you and how active were they before the pregnancy? If you were sedentary before the pregnancy you need to be more weary of what they are doing.

General do and don'ts are

• Don't do anything where you are lying directly on their back or where you have the chance of falling (core or stability training).
  
• Have a certified personal trainer (CPT) help you from a safety point of view, and to ensure your proper form and technique. Without the proper form you are setting yourself up to muscle imbalances and long term damage to the joints and/or muscles
• Depending on your pregnancy activity level monitoring your heart rate is an important thing as well. I suggest the Polar heart rate monitors, I have the F11 but I bought my wife the F6. The F6 comes in many colors as well, I got her a cute little pink one she loves. I have had clients get them for cheap on ebay. Women who come from a not as active lifestyle should keep their heart rate under 140. Keeping it under 140 is safe for people who are unsure as well, active or not.

As the abdominals spread they are going to have a tougher time with a few different things. You will know what I mean when it happens. At that point, you will really need to limit yourself, but by getting a good workout routine consisting of balance training and endurance training you will be ready to go. As far as a specific workout routine, I can't really say without seeing you but the above general guidelines should get you going.

Start by talking to your health care professional before starting any workout program, and begin with general walking, get a heart rate monitor and go from there. I would love for you to come see me at the gym and I could really help make a personalized workout program.

Russ (CPT)

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The gym has great parking at 4:30am | Fat Dad Series - Post 3

4:00am *beep, beep, buzz, beep, beep, buzz* Irritated at having my dreams interrupted, I turn over, reach for my phone, and I see it is 4am. It's dark. It's early. It's a Sunday!

Angry at myself for somehow setting my alarm to go off on a Sunday, I turn it off and roll over. My mind slowly clears enough to realize that it actually Monday, and I did set that alarm on purpose. It is time to go to the gym.

It takes 15 minutes, but I finally get out of bed and roll into the gym. Apparently, the normal people don't come to the gym this early. Not even Trainer Russ is usually there that early.

Last week while training with Russ, I spotted a friend in the gym and I found out he works out at 4:30 every day. Selfishly knowing that I need some accountability to get up this early, I quickly made myself his workout partner... not that he asked.

Anyway, I was running late this morning after my alarm confusion, so when I got there, he was already going strong, so I jumped right in. This is the first time I've done any lifting in a LONG time... and it shows.

At least I got a great parking spot.

Happy Mother's Day! (Poem)

Superhero

I never really knew
What a superhero was
Until I saw you
Live life as a mom

Already amazing as ever
My very best friend
My love forever
And then you became a mom

Now you are even more
More beautiful. More amazing
And impossibly, even more loved
My love. My friend. Their mom.

Our Superhero

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Mother's Day

Mother's Day 2008 - Parenting.com

Parenting.com has some great resources related to mother's day, including Mother's Day Recipes for husbands and kids, gifts to give yourself, pampering treats, a pregnancy planner for moms to be and a number of other features.

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